The Jonesy Files

Movin' on Up, to the East Side.....

2012-01-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

Since there is no part of the cat that is actually still in the bag, thanks to my loose-lipped children and a few others, I guess I can finally share with you all that after nearly 11 years of giving half our lives to the mortuary, we are FINALLY leaving!!!! I know, I know, it's hard to believe. I was with all of you who thought we were destined to be here forever, but the stars have aligned, and there is a 6 bedroom, 3 bathroom home in the foothills of Layton, just waiting for the Stringhams to grace its doorway! (Not to mention the 5 mature fruit trees and beautiful large garden area at the back of a huge backyard!) Our official move-in date will be March 1, though we've been gradually moving things over for a couple of weeks now.

I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be saving $300/month just in gas money! Being closer to the school is a huge bonus, but the best part, I think, is the fact that we will no longer be chained to our home every other weekend, or miss out on anything scheduled for Tuesday or Thursday nights. What a relief!

So if you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I'm busy working full-time (still subbing for a teacher on maternity leave), trying to pack my house up, move-in to the new house, patch up and clean the old house, and still find time to nurse my baby and do homework with my kids. Phew! Thank goodness Princess Gretchen is now consistently sleeping about 8 hours every night, or I might just go crazy! :)

The Right Stuff.

2012-01-02T07:51:00.000-07:00

So I was pretty much a blogging slacker in 2011, but in my defense, I've been busily living mi vida loca!

I don't know why the new year always brings such a sense of relief to me--it's not like anything has changed considering yesterday was just yesterday, ya know? That being said, 2011 was a challenging year for me, and probably like a lot of others, I didn't accomplish a lot of the things I was so gung-ho about when the year first began. However, I was not so subtly reminded in Sacrament Meeting yesterday that I am often way too hard on myself. I'm generally the kind of person who jumps in feet-first to the new year with all sorts of thoughts and ideas about how to improve myself and the environment I am surrounded by, but I fail to look back at the things I did right. And while I do have goals and things I want to work on improving for 2012, I'm trying to remember to be gentle with myself, after all this life is a training ground where we are able to learn from our mistakes rather than be condemned by them. (Bruce C. Hafen) So before I make the jump ahead, I'm taking stock of what I did right so that I can recognize and repeat the patterns that got me there.

1. I bought my very first parenting book called Parenting with Love and Logic, and read it in almost one day. While I'm not an expert, I've been using their techniques, and it's making me feel like a parenting rock star! It has taught me that I don't have to be in control of everything (whoa!) and that my children are perfectly capable of making choices on their own and dealing with the consequences of those decisions. Our home has been a much happier place since mama figured a few things out. What I learned: It's okay to not have all the answers as long as you go and look for them.

2. Despite my dread over another pregnancy, we followed the spirit and added Gretchen Caroline to our family. Every time I look at her, hold her, feed her, think about her--I am reminded that it was absolutely the right decision to bring her here and that she was meant to be our caboose, even though we went into this thinking we were giving Dixon a brother. All is as it should be. What I learned: Follow the Spirit. Period.

3. The Great Purge of 2011 was so, so right! Clearing out our clutter and reclaiming the space in our home did more for my peace of mind than anything else I did all year long. It made me see that I could undertake a huge project (while pregnant, no less!) and succeed in accomplishing something so daunting. Because of the great purge, I have begun to work on living within my means in other aspects of my life, and this will certainly carry on into the new year. What I learned: Organization = Peace. AND, I can do hard things.

4. I became a substitute teacher. At first, it was only to supplement our income during the holiday season while work is slow for Mike, but because of my experiences so far, I will soon be going back to school to get my teaching license in conjunction with my Master of Arts in Teaching degree. It's quite ironic, since I remember vividly my time at BYU when I mocked all the "Molly's" who were majoring in Elementary Education. "Of course you're an El. Ed. major!" I would think to myself with an obvious eye-roll, as another sweeter-than-sweet co-ed would introduce themselves at the beginning of a semester. What I learned: I LOVE teaching. AND, not all teachers are sweeter-than-sweet. :)

I've had a lot of little victories on my journey through 2011, but these are the major ones that I need to remind myself of when in the coming year I start to feel like I'm doing more wrongs than rights.

With that, my resolve for 2012 is to Remember the Right and Press Forward. It's gonna be a great year!

Gretchen Caroline

2011-11-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well, she made it, and so did her mother! Gretchen Caroline Stringham was born at 10:38 on Saturday, November 5, 2011, weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20.5 inches long. I was already dilated to a six when Dr. Boheen came in to break my water at 7:30 that morning. The anesthesiologist came in pretty much immediately and inserted my epidural, but I have to say I was totally disappointed in it. I don't know if I just wasn't dosing myself enough or if he used a different kind of medication, but the whole point of the epidural is to have a painless delivery, and I'm pretty sure I felt the majority of my contractions. Not exactly how I wanted it to go, but at least it was pretty quick so I didn't have to suffer for too long.

After she was born, Mike and I decided against naming her Zoey. It just didn't seem to fit. Gretchen is a name that we had on our previous girl name list, and our favorite out of the bunch. Kinda funny, but when we looked up the meaning of her name, this is what we found:

Gretchen is a German pet form of Margaret(h)e created from 'Gret' plus the diminutive suffix '-chen'. The German Gretchen is thus roughly equivalent to the English Maggie, both meaning 'pearl.'

Isn't that amusing? Maggie couldn't be more proud. As for the name Caroline, it comes from Mike's great-grandma Caroline Watterson (Dorothy's mother), and another one of his great-grandmothers, Caroline Behan (Barb's grandmother on her father's side). We found out after giving the news to Dorothy that Caroline's birthday was the 7th. Would've been neat to have her on the 7th, but let's be honest....I would've poked myself in the eye having to be pregnant for 2 more days.

Barb spent a few days here helping out with the housework and the kids. It was so nice not to have to worry about any of it, especially since I've been having a harder time recovering this go-round. And, really, who wouldn't want to wake up to fresh baked bread and hot cocoa with marshmallows every morning?

Gretchen is a little beauty. I'm pretty sure I fell in love with her right from the start. I've had to resort to pumping milk for a few days while I recover from her ravaging me, though. Boy does this girl have an appetite! One I wish she could suppress in the wee hours of the night, but we're getting better. (fingers crossed)

Yep, this little girl definitely belongs in our family, and I'm so glad our caboose is finally here and that I never have to do it again.

Still Here.

2011-10-31T13:20:00.001-06:00

Yep. Dilated to a 4, 60% effaced and all I get are irregular, painful contractions that are clearly not doing their work. Maybe I should fire them.
We actually thought we might be ready to go on Friday night. We got back from Trunk-or-Treat and I started having contractions every 5 minutes for over an hour, so we decided not to chance it. I called my angel friend, Jen, and she dropped her movie plans and came over to sit with the kids. On the way to the hospital, we got pulled over in Riverdale, due to the passenger side headlight being out. I rarely drive anywhere at night, so I hadn't bothered to get it replaced. Ha! When Mike explained that we were on our way to the hospital, the officer quickly handed back his license and registration and said, "Well, we won't keep you here--you best be on your way!" We laughed as he followed us all the way to the hospital.
Once there, my contractions stopped. I think I only had two while actually hooked up to the machine. Grrrr. They monitored me for about an hour & a half, but nothing was changing so they sent us home. Bummer. On the way back, we got pulled over in Riverdale again, this time for a brake light that was out. {I love my suburban.} Needless to say, Mike spent part of Saturday changing out a headlight and a brakelight. Now when those dumb contractions finally get their act together we can make it to and from the hospital without incident.
Had my final appointment with Dr. Boheen this morning, and I'm still at a 4. If I make it until Saturday, we'll induce at 7 am. It's a weird situation to be in because I've never been this far along without being hooked up to an i.v. with an epidural already in my back. It's completely reasonable (and therefore completely terrifying) that I'll start labor and have a baby in 5 minutes. (I really hope to not emulate you, Ashlee!) It's also reasonable that my body isn't quite sure how to do this since every other time, it's been helped along by pitocin. I may need help getting past this 4 and that's why things aren't progressing at all.

It's a control freak's nightmare.

So I'll keep you posted as to when this little one arrives. Until then, I'll keep trying to figure out what her name will be. Another thing we've usually already figured out by now.

The Big Picture

2011-10-21T14:22:00.000-06:00

Ever since Mike was made the Bishop of our ward, he's had unexpected conversations with all sorts of people. It's as if by virtue of his calling, people feel they can speak with him candidly about anything and everything. He's still trying to get used to the strangeness of it all.

A couple of weeks ago, he had one such conversation with a mortuary co-worker. On a middle of the night removal, he confided in Mike that his wife was leaving him. She told him she had fallen out of love with him six years ago. He was beyond devastated. He wasn't sure how he could afford all of the expenses that come with a divorce, nor was he sure he'd even be able to see his children much with his crazy mortuary work schedule. Not to mention, he was still in love with his wife, who wanted nothing more to do with him. Mike didn't know what to do or to say to him, just tried his best to console him.

Mike got a call today from a friend at the mortuary saying they'd found him today, having committed suicide sometime in the early morning. Mike called me, sick to his stomach and said that he had a feeling this was going to happen after their conversation that night, but he just didn't know what to do about it.

I didn't know him well, but I admit, I've sat here with tears rolling down my cheeks for this poor man who truly felt as though he had nothing left to live for. I've felt the pull of suicide only once in my life. (I was already somewhat depressed, and when I got on birth control for the first time, it whacked me out! I never actually considered suicide, but the thought of it (while on that medication) sat just fine with me, and I immediately knew I had to get off the pill or something bad could happen.) That was enough to scare the bajeebers out of me, and since that time, no matter how depressed I get, I never sink that deep.

Lately, we've been more stressed out than ever. Not knowing if or when work will come, not knowing if Mike will be able to find full-time work, not knowing what direction to look in (let alone go in), plus the imminent arrival of baby #6, a wife that doesn't have the energy nor the gumption to take care of menial household duties (you should see my kitchen.....), and a whole slew of people who are coming out of the woodwork, demanding the Bishop's time, compassion, help, and advice. (I'm completely overwhelmed, and I'm a secondary figure in this whole scheme!)

Then came the news of Jay's suicide. I've tried and tried to reflect upon all the positive things we have going for us, but they were too few, too far between--until now. It's possible that if something doesn't pan out soon, we'll have to go through some painful legal channels, including losing Mike's business to a bankruptcy. It's not a road we want to take, so we're doing everything we can to avoid that, however, even if we are forced to go that route, the things that really matter will not change. Whether or not Mike has full-time work, we have a stable, part-time job that includes a roof over our heads, electricity in the walls, and heat in the air. We have a home to come home to. We have food on our table, though sometimes, it's pancakes or cold cereal for dinner. We have a happy, loving marriage. We have healthy, happy, smart, amazing, faith-filled children who fill us with more joy than they can know, and they have parents who are doing their best to love them and teach them and help them to become whom they are meant to become. In the grand scheme of things, we really do have it all, and I'm so thankful for it. I just need to remember it more often.

So far, so.....the same.

2011-10-17T17:34:00.000-06:00

Feeling kinda bummed today. Mike's interview got postponed until Wed., (which means more waiting) and we got 2 more rejection letters via email, including the job that we weren't really expecting to get, but were really hoping for anyway. That plus pregnancy hormones makes me all sorts of negative and I HATE feeling this way.

Just this weekend I was visiting with a good friend of mine who was sharing some great news with me about the launch of her new business and a new home they're purchasing. Within a week and a half everything just fell into place for them when they weren't even looking for it. I'm over the moon happy for their family, but I can't help but wonder, what am I doing wrong? Am I trying too hard? I spend at least a couple of hours every day searching for jobs for Mike and the few that we've found, we've gotten rejection letters from. (Except for the one he's interviewing with on Wed.) I feel like I'm spending a LOT of energy just spinning my wheels and it's beyond frustrating for me.

I'm hoping that giving birth will finally give my mind and my emotions a break so I can see a little more clearly. Until then, (THREE MORE WEEKS! For those of you who are keeping tabs...) I'll continue the search, and try to keep my stress levels in check. It's been a helluva last couple of months.

I can't think of a clever title.

2011-09-18T18:42:00.000-06:00

I've hit a wall. Six weeks to go and I feel like I've been hit by a truck. After all my abounding energy despite this pregnancy, I guess it was bound to happen sometime. I just wish it could've lasted a bit longer....I still have a lot to do! I just barely survived finishing the baby's quilt yesterday, and got NOTHING else done because of it. I really shouldn't complain. This final pregnancy has been surprisingly my best and I'm so grateful for that. It just stinks because now I'm back to feeling like I did throughout every other pregnancy--BLECH! I was told today that I look like I'm going to pop, which is kind of a compliment, considering I usually look pretty squishy all the way up until delivery, thanks to all my extra food storage. ;)

I go in tomorrow for substitute training at the kids' school. Clearly, I didn't anticipate feeling crappy again, or I may have postponed my subbing until after the baby is born. Oh well. Nice thing about subbing is that I can always say no, right? We decided this would be a great way to bring in some much needed income when Mike's work is slow, like it has been lately. We've looked and looked for decent jobs for him, but the construction world is not the same as it was when he graduated 6 years ago, and we've been mulling over the idea of a new career path for him. He's been fasting all day for some direction, so we're praying a pathway somewhere opens up, whether it's a new job or a new career. I don't mind helping out in the meantime. I've toyed with the idea of getting my teaching certificate anyway. I just wish my contribution could come when I didn't have a newborn to feed and snuggle at home. That part makes me really sad. Yes, she and Dixon will be home with Daddy and not a sitter, but....well.....you know what I mean.

So, thank you, Maggie, for making dinner tonight while I laid in bed feeling like I didn't want to get out until sometime after Christmas. I have a feeling it won't be an everyday occurrence. Bummer.

Live Within Your Means

2011-09-03T21:03:00.000-06:00

I had a thought come to my mind last night as I was mapping out in my head my game plan for this week's purging. I realized there's an entirely different meaning to the phrase, "live within your means." I'd always associated that with finances, and the oft-times resulting debt that comes from not doing so, but as I contemplated my tiny little house and its overflowing contents, I understood that in a much broader sense.

The Lord, I've discovered, has given us all different sorts of "means." For example, our income is the "means" by which we acquire physical necessities and wants in this life. Our bodies are the "means" which house our spirits. Our time is the "means" we've been given to accomplish our tasks within a 24 hour period. etc.... I could go on and on, but I think we get the picture.

Problems (of our own making) come into play when through any aspect of our lives, we find ourselves living either below or above the means we've either been given or created for ourselves. It seems that Lord is actually quite lenient in this regard because we have a bit of a buffer with much of our means. My weight could easily be as normal and healthy at 120 as is could be at 140. I don't pretend to know everything there is to know about health and nutrition, but I do know that I'm clearly living beyond my means in this regard. (We'll let little "Zoey" get here before I do much work in that department, though...) I also know of those who have struggled with living below their means with regard to a healthy body and I tell you it's just as difficult at that end of the spectrum as it is at the other.

Another "means" that I've been neglecting to consider is our home. Ever since I went on my purging binge, I've felt, happier, lighter, and in more control than I probably ever have. I believe it's because we've been living beyond our means--in this case, the capacity of our home. For a long time, I've been complaining about not having enough room here in the little beige house. We literally have no storage and we seem to be accumulating more and more things that require the use of space that's already sparse. My prayers have been along the lines of, "Please help Mike get the work he needs so that we can afford to move out of this little house and into a place that fits us." After my epiphany, that has changed. By taking control of what I bring into my home, I have just begun to really live within my means. It's a fabulous feeling. One that I desperately want to address in other aspects of my life as well. I already mentioned getting my body healthy, but I also need to work on living within my time means. I'm reminded of Elder Oaks' poignant talk on "Good, Better, Best" which was really a talk on budgeting our time, or living within our time means. It's fascinating to me to look at all the "issues" we (I) have in life and truly be able to trace it back to simply a problem with living within our means.

Now that I have effectively tackled living beyond our means in this home, (at 7 months pregnant, I might add!!) I feel completely enabled to address the other things in my life that I'm living both beneath and beyond in. For heaven's sake, I just got rid of close to 50% of my household goods--that's 7 trips to the DI in a FULL suburban and countless sacks of garbage (that are still cluttering the back door area, since our cans aren't big enough to fit them all--yikes). If I can do this, then it just proves to me that I really CAN do anything, and I'm excited to start proving that over and over again, with each issue I begin to tackle from here on out. So, here's to living within our means--all of them!!!!

"The Great Purge"

2011-07-28T15:03:00.000-06:00

A couple of years ago, we ripped out the carpet in the living room so we could refinish the beautiful wood floors that are original to this 1920's house. We had already done both upstairs bedrooms, and they were fairly easy, so we were ready to tackle the big room (12 ft. X 20 ft. Ha! And you thought your house was small....). We took the couches and TV downstairs and were left with nothing but a wide open space. We took turns rolling a marble from one end of the room to the other, showing how "off" our little house is. There were also some pretty sweet tap dancing routines going on. What I remember most was that it was so much fun.

I'm realizing more and more just how little we need in order to be happy. I mean, really content. In fact, I think the things we have tend to get in the way of that happiness far too often. It's difficult to want to take the time to play a game with the kids or to just lay down and take a nap, when I look around and see all the cleaning up and tidying that NEEDS to be done. Why? Because we have SO MUCH STUFF that needs to be cleaned and tidied.

I think this is what has been feeding into my frustrations lately. Well, not lately--pretty much for a few years now, but I think I finally have it pinned down. Today I started what I'm deeming "The Great Purge." I'm absolutely positive that I can get rid of half my household goods and not miss a thing. (Don't worry--the children and husband will NOT be included in the definition of "household goods.") What's more, I believe that I will be happier in direct proportion to what I do get rid of. It's still a theory, but it's one that I'm putting to the test.

I've done some organizing and some "baby purging" before, but nothing like the "big daddy purging" going on today! I started with the baby clothes because they have been the bane of my existence for far too long. Tucked under Maggie's bed for all these years, I was constantly having to repack it all because the children would think, (and what kid wouldn't?) "These would make great doll clothes!" and then proceed to pull them all out of their nicely organized home. It was exhausting having to pick up their dirty clothes AND the now dirty baby clothes all. the. time. I finally decided that I could easily get rid of half of what I've accumulated in baby clothing since Hannah was born--in 2000. Granted, I've been lucky to be able to pass down clothes from one kid to the next, but after thinking about it, I really only used my absolute favorite little outfits on the girls. I now have only two under-the-bed type rolling containers for newborns all the way to 4T! Three big white plastic bags are full of decent clothing that I am going to pass along to someone else. I can't even tell you how good it feels! What's better is that I'll never have to repack those clothes again, because as soon as this new little one outgrows them, they are getting donated as well! (Oh, and I'm storing them under the crib so as to avert all temptations to dress up dolls with them! I know, I know...it's about time.)

So, I have lots on my plate for the next few months because I know that it's going to take me that long to go through things. Luckily I have nesting on my side right now. :) If only my energy was equal to it! For now, I'm concentrating on clothes, then toys will have their turn. I'm not sure which drives me crazier....

Wish me luck! I don't think I'll have too hard of a time throwing things out, but the rest of the family may have other ideas....

One More Month....

2011-07-10T08:40:00.000-06:00

In somewhat of a panic yesterday, I realized that school starts in one month. One month from tomorrow, to be exact. We do start a bit earlier than most schools, but I'm still left wondering what happened to our summer? Could the highlight of Summer 2011 really be our attempt at a vacation at Flaming Gorge? I need to plan something really cool STAT! Something that's dud-proof and will give ME a better memory of my final summer pregnancy. Because let's be honest, the kids had a GREAT time camping. Maggie has even proclaimed that her favorite part of the trip as when the wind came roaring through the canyon like a freight train and collapsed our tent--while we were in it! I'm pretty sure it's only the parents left with bad memories of things because of plans going wrong or things not quite working out the way we'd hoped or envisioned them to. Then again, maybe its just me.

So, anyway, we've got a 4 1/2 week window of opportunity here, before another summer gets written in the annuls of history, and because I'm a little OCD, I started getting ready in the basement. You see, I need to go clothes shopping. I need to know what clothes can be handed down, which pants are salvageable, which need to be cut into shorts or capris, and if there are ANY stainless shirts hanging in closets. Before that can be determined, we had to clean up rooms, and I mean get into every nook and cranny where my children seem to tuck things for no apparent reason. Before that can be done, we needed to get all the laundry done, so all the clothes were in one place. It was a fun day!

Of course, once the rooms met with my approval, the toy room also had to be cleaned because it has become a veritable dumping ground for socks. Yep, socks. For whatever reason, the girls decided the best place to remove their socks is amidst all the toys and in the cupboards downstairs. I think during cleanup yesterday, we pulled out at least a dozen pairs. I suppose that flip flop season has pushed the sock shortage from the forefront, or I surely would have noticed it...

After the kids (mom) finally got things organized and clean, I sent them to bed (yes, it took all. day. long.) and began sorting through the collection of grass stained, holey kneed khakis, navys and jeans to find that I had a total of 10 pairs of pants that could be reused for the upcoming school year. That's about 1/3 of what I need in order to not have to do laundry every single day. As for shirts--I never even got around to them! It was all about the pants yesterday.... So, I guess I will make a trip to the DI and to Savers next week to load up on 20 pairs of pants, and hope they have enough for my whole brood. I've discovered that for the same price as cheap pants from a retail store, I can generally find a few vintage pairs that are better quality and in good enough condition to last at least as long as the cheap, brand new pairs. And let's face it--buying clothes for 4 children is hard enough on my pocketbook, especially when I still have 4 different school supply lists to fill! I'm tired already.

As for that "ultimate" summer activity, I'm still working on it.....we'll see if there are any funds left after school shopping.

Stringham Family "Trip" 2011

2011-07-07T21:39:00.001-06:00

After getting home from our trip to Flaming Gorge, I sat down and wrote an entire novel on all the things that happened {i.e. went wrong} between Friday and Tuesday. I uploaded 40 pictures, and literally spent hours writing and then carefully placing the pix in their appropriate spots along the way. Upon returning to my project after dinner last night, I discovered that blogger had deleted THE ENTIRE THING. While I still remember every detail of the trip, I'm having the hardest time motivating myself to rewrite everything, especially since all my wittiness seems to have disappeared along with my previous post. Therefore, I will spend the next 2 hours RE-uploading all 40 pictures {because the combination speed of blogger and my laptop makes me feel like I've returned to DOS mode}and then I'll decide whether to give you the Cliff's Notes Version that I'm leaning toward, or the full version I may try to regurgitate. Thankfully, your wait time will be much shorter than mine......

Cliff's Notes version it is!

My beauties so happy at the beginning of the trip!

Dixon not very happy with the late start and bad signage in the Ashley National Forest that put us behind another hour.

Mom and Dad were not as happy in the morning as the girls were, after sleeping on a slab of rock instead of their air mattress, thanks to a corroded air pump.

The National Park Service didn't know this little guy was going to be at this campground or they would have been much more clear in their description of the site. i.e. "There is a 1700 ft., unfenced drop into the gorge about 20 yards away from your tent."

Have you seen this shake & pour pancake mix? Campers dream!

Picnic site @ Flaming Gorge Dam where Mike took the girls fishing with his $11.00 pole he bought at the Evanston Walmart because his fishing gear was left at the bottom of the stairs waiting their turn to be loaded into the Suburban.

"Petting Zoo" at the Flaming Gorge Lodge that consisted of a donkey, a goat, two llamas and a miniature horse--none of which wanted to be pet. I thought the sign nailed to a nearby tree stating the animal's prices was a nice touch.

Bridget Dorothy was so excited when she found out her horse's name was Dorothy!

Dixon resting after the first of his 3 falls. The kid is like a peanut butter sandwich that always lands jelly-side down. I may have to get him a helmet.

Instead of showing you my bedhead, I decided to show you my twin's instead.

View of the drop off.

Could they be any cuter?! Seriously!

Our attempts at containing Dixon in the stroller were thwarted when he figured out he could just stand up and walk anyway.

Decided not to drive in to Dutch John for the fireworks since the camp host told us we could see them from the ridge. We did not stay to watch the entire quarter-sized display.

40 miles to the nearest church + no showers at our campsite = our Sunday nature hike.

The one and only place with fencing.

Afternoon thundershowers EVERY day produced some lightning that hit this tree about 20 yds. away from Mike and Dixon.

The lightning blew the bark almost 15 ft. away from the tree. We started noticing several trees after that which had been hit by lightning previously. Not a good ratio for a campground with PEOPLE in it.

4th of July Parade @ Vernal.

Bridget giving us a replay of her puking episode on the way down the canyon into Vernal.

Since when does the drill team ride unicycles?

Utah Field House of Natural History aka the dinosaur museum

Dippy the diplodychus' 112 millionth (give or take a few thousand) birthday.


Ended our excursion to Vernal at the Big Kahuna Waterslide Park. That meant ONE waterslide, a community of people who actually thought they looked good in a bikini, and a lovely specimen who opted for tattoos over a top row of teeth. I'm quite certain I'll only go back to Flaming Gorge if the following conditions are met: 1) They grow more trees so we can camp in the shade; 2) We get a boat; and 3) A plague wipes out whatever it was that gave me the worst allergies I've ever had in my life, forcing me to walk around with paper towels shoved up my nostrils and eyes so swollen and watery that I looked like someone punched me in the face. I think I'll want someone to punch me in the face if I ever suggest going to Flaming Gorge again.

Great Expectations

2011-05-03T18:19:00.000-06:00

I already outlined the events occurring up to "The Calling," Mike received, but there is a little bit of information that I neglected to disclose. You see, about two days after we were called in to meet with the Stake President, Amanda passed her little white stick test. Yep... Stringham #6 is on HIS way! For those of you who were there when I swore up and down that Dixon's miserable pregnancy would absolutely be my last, you may not know the whole story.

Three days after that blessed little son came into our lives, I sat gently rocking him one night. In the quiet, the most overwhelming feeling came over me, and I KNEW he was supposed to have a brother. You can imagine my emotions as I sat there, enduring through another agonizing afterpain...

I find it ironic that at the same time Mike and I felt that the timing was finally right, that he would receive a call to be Bishop. Sometimes the Lord's humor is lost on me. And if this baby turns out to be a GIRL....I may need to schedule an interview with the Bishop.

Oh yeah, our due date is 11/11/11. What's up with that?

2011-04-03T21:13:00.000-06:00

I haven't been feeling the blogging love lately...writing or reading. I don't know why. I used to peruse them for hours, gathering ideas and learning new things. I don't know if I'm just over it all or if I'm in a blogging funk. We'll just say that's what it is. A funk.

Not so
much is new around here....besides that whole "Bishop" thing, which hasn't been nearly as ominous as I was preparing myself for. Maybe Mike has a different story, but from my perspective, it hasn't been overwhelming at all. Yet. I'm no fool. It's definitely become a family effort, though. We had the girls sticking new address labels on the tithing envelopes during conference. They thought that was the best job in the world. Secretary anyone?

On another note, I think we've finally kicked the puke bug out the door. (Fingers crossed.) It's been hanging around for almost a month now, wreaking havoc and making life more difficult than it really needed to be. I was upset one particular Sunday when Maggie got sick right before church, causing me to have to stay home and take care of her. ( I know, I clearly have anger issues, as referenced in the prior post...) Then when both Dixon and Katie decided to get sick through the night, I was much more grateful for the daytime puking. Funny how that works. This does NOT mean I'll be happy about pukers next time, but I'll be ever so grateful if they--or we--decide to do it in the light of day. You can consider this a request.

Now that Spring Break is here, I'm hoping to keep the Bedlamites under control. (Don't you just love that new word coined by Elder Holland at conference today?) We're planning on a trip to the library sometime tomorrow before Meredith takes the girls for a sleepover tomorrow night. I love that even though she has boys and I have girls, they all get along so well and really have a great time playing together. My most-oft request by Bridget is, "Can we go play with Zach and Wes?" To which my most-oft response is, "Not today." Because she really does ask me every. single. day. Sometimes more than once, based on her level of boredom, or sometimes frustration with Mom. Anyway, after the sleepover, we pretty much have no plans, at least not until Friday when the cousins come into town. I'm going to have to come up with something because that really is a very bad idea to have no plans unless I'm okay with hearing, "Mom! I'm bored!" for 4 days.

So that's it for now. Maybe I'll catch the blogging bug again soon....as long as it doesn't bring the pukes with it.

It's not about you.

2011-03-20T16:15:00.000-06:00

A quiet moment is terribly elusive these days, which is probably why it's taken me so long to sit and write. The last few months have been interesting, to say the least, and I find that retrospection and introspection have become my constant companions.

A few months ago, there started to be chatter in the ward about the pending change of the guard as the Bishopric was nearing their five year tenure. I suppose it's the same in all wards, as there's a natural curiosity and even an excitement that comes with change of this type. There were many moments when Mike and I would catch ourselves speculating who it might be, and without speaking it out loud, my mind would always come back to Mike. I laughed. Sometimes out loud. Then I'd think, "He'd be a GREAT counselor!" But just as quickly as the thought would come into my mind, another thought would replace it: Bishop. This went on for a good two months until finally I forced myself to stop thinking about it altogether. It was just too "unrealistic" and honestly, I didn't want to think about the consequences a call of this magnitude would mean for our young family. Too overwhelming. Too daunting. Besides, with two time-consuming callings of my own, a fledgling company to run, a household to maintain and a family to raise, I was looking for ways to remove burdens, not add them to our platters.
One Sunday particularly embodied the old adage, "Anything that can go wrong, will." After a rough night for Dixon (which translates into no sleep for Mom and Dad), Mike got up and left for his usual 7 am Stake meetings. Before my feet could even hit the floor, I was in a bad mood. I awoke to find that the kids had gotten up and poured their own cereal, which, around here is the equivalent to a monsoon roaring through the kitchen. Cereal and milk were everywhere, and as if that wasn't enough, two of my lovely children were now throwing up that cereal and milk. Talk about wanting to move to Australia. I kept trying to talk myself out of being such a grump, but I was not budging. My day continued, with little nuisances being thrown at me right and left and I was just plain angry about it all. Angry that I didn't get to go to church. Angry that my children couldn't see that mom was in a bad mood, so they should be on their best behavior so as to make things easier on their poor mother. Angry that I had to answer the darn mortuary phone every time it rang. Angry that I had to clean up puke. Angry that I had to break up fights and listen to squabbling and pick up dirty socks laying on the floor. Angry that Mike got to sit peacefully through his meetings and feel the Spirit and pay attention to talks and lessons. Angry that I was still in pajamas with greasy hair hanging in my face. Angry. Angry. Angry.
Then the phone rang. Too angry to answer, I let it go to voicemail. "Brother Stringham, this is Pres. Austad. I'd like to speak with you for a minute if I could today..." Not an unusual request, considering Mike's on the High Council. It's probably just something having to do with the Blood Drive or Pennies by the Inch. But I knew it had nothing to do with the blood drive or with Pennies by the Inch. Mike came in and I mumbled to him angrily that there was a message for him on the phone. He listened to the message, then went to our room and shut the door. Moments later, he came into the kitchen where I was stirring dinner on the stove--in my pajams, with my greasy hair pulled back in a pony. Pres. Austad wants to see us tonight. "D@%!-it!" I whisper-yelled as I burned myself on the stove, letting a superlative fly that hadn't come from my lips in years. I spun around to see Mike standing with the phone in his hand, awaiting my reply, which clearly was not the one he was expecting as the Stake Pres. listened on the other end of the line. With a look of horror, I said, "Yes, of course we'll come see him." Then with a knot in the pit of my stomach, I finally dragged my angry, filthy self into the shower.
How can the Lord ask us to do this? We can't possibly manage this calling. How am I going to do this on my own, without Mike there to help me? Is this really happening? Couldn't it be something else?
Then, with a clarity my mind rarely enjoys, the thought came, "It's not about you." Well, that was enough. My pity party had been crashed and I knew it was time to just stop being angry. We left the puking children at home with Maggie and went to the Stake offices where we were greeted warmly by Pres. Austad. The dread was gone. The knot in my stomach was gone, and Mike's vice-grip on my hand had loosened considerably. Pres. Austad pushed a letter across the desk to us and said, "I received this letter in the mail this week from the First Presidency, directing me to call you, Brother Stringham, as the Bishop of the Roy 8th Ward." The Spirit in the room was palpable. The call was accepted without reservation as we knew that we'd been prepared to receive it. The promptings and thoughts we'd had in the months preceding all made perfect sense. Our inability to leave the mortuary and consequently the ward, no matter how many times we tried, made perfect sense. The several responsibilities Mike had been given as a High Councilor, and that he unquestioningly fulfilled, prepared him to serve in this capacity. Hindsight is an amazing blessing.
We kept this information to ourselves for nearly a month. Only a few family members were even made aware of the call before last week's Sacrament Meeting, and by the look of surprise on people's faces as we walked into the chapel with our little entourage, it was an unexpected change.

I'm excited for Mike--not that I'm looking forward to him riding an emotional roller coaster as he'll try to help people through their trials and challenges and heartaches. But I know that with all this will come a new understanding and a new kind of growth. I've seen how being on the High Council has changed him, and I can only assume that the Lord has even more work to do on him, and I'm so proud of the way Mike has allowed himself to be what the Lord wants him to be.

I don't pretend to know the first thing about being a Bishop's wife, but I think I'll manage as long as I can remember, "It's not about you."

So.....here we go! Wish us luck, and a few prayers our way would be appreciated!

If you give Amanda a cookie...

2011-02-11T21:48:00.002-07:00

If you give Amanda a cookie, she will probably want a Diet Coke to go with it.

As she's pouring her Coke into a tall glass covered in white film, thanks to the new Utah law forbidding phosphates in dishwasher detergent, she'll remember that she needs to start the dishwasher.

On her way to the dishwasher, she'll step on Cheerios someone dumped onto the floor in proclamation that breakfast was over, and grab the broom to clean them up.

As she sweeps the kitchen floor, she'll notice the Cheerio mess extending into the living room, so she'll follow it to find the mother-lode in a pile behind the couch.

As she bends down to get a better look, she'll probably see the chocolate handprints on the arm of the couch, and remove the slip covers for an overdue spin through the washing machine.

On her way to the laundry room, she'll realize that she should check the girls' bedrooms for dirty clothes before starting the washer, so she'll head downstairs.

After walking to the other side of the basement, she'll probably notice that a tornado has turned a minutes-ago clean toy room into a disaster zone of epic proportions and in her furor, turn and stomp back up the stairs to get as far away from the mess as possible.

Once she reaches the top of the stairs, she'll probably see the landscape of coats, hats, gloves and snow boots strewn across the floor, with nary a thing hanging on its hook. While muttering things about kids, grounded, locked in their rooms, and just let them freeze, under her breath, she'll start hanging things up and notice a crumbled paper under a boot and upon closer inspection will see that it's the homework she spent an hour working on with her daughter the night before.

She'll probably shake her head in disbelief and go back up into the kitchen to put the paper on the shelf where she's sure to find it again, and while she's there, she'll notice the phone bill on the shelf and remember that she needs to pay it today.

She'll sit on the side of the couch that now has an indentation remarkably the size of her posterior, and log onto the internet. Before signing onto Bill Pay, her Facebook page automatically pops up and she'll probably spend the next 30-45 minutes checking statuses and commenting on all the Jimmer jokes.

While she's reading The Jimmer jokes, she'll get a great idea for hilarious valentines and open up her Publisher to start creating them.

While she's laughing hysterically at her own humor, shell need a tissue to wipe yesterday's mascara out of her eye.

She'll walk to the bathroom and question how on earth the turquoise, white and red striped Aquafresh toothpaste got smeared across the top of the doorway.

She'll probably go to the hallway linen closet to get out a washcloth and upon opening the cupboard, become victim to a waterfall of hair accessories, deodorant, hand towels and pom poms.

She'll have to bend down to pick everything up and when she does, she'll find the spare Church key she's been searching for for two weeks.

She'll need to put the key in a memorable place, so she'll realize the best place is the kitchen shelf.

Once in the kitchen, she'll look around and realize that the dishwasher is not on, the laundry has not been started, the floor is filthy, there's still toothpaste on the bathroom door, the contents of the linen closet are on the hallway floor, the phone bill has not been paid, she can't find the key that was just in her hand, and there's a warm Diet Coke next to a cookie on the counter.

Amanda clearly doesn't need any more cookies.
But she's in desperate need of a cold Diet Coke.

Work or Play?

2011-01-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was unexpectedly (and unknowingly) replaced as the Box Tops Coordinator at our school, I've been trying to figure out how to put in my required 30 hours of volunteer work (we're at a Charter School where volunteering is mandatory). I didn't do a darn thing the whole first half of the year, mostly in protest of my ousting. (Which I realize is totally ridiculous, since not another soul probably even knew of or cared about my displacement.)

Mike's had a slow work week, so when an email came about a volunteer opportunity at the school, I figured I should take advantage of not needing to find a babysitter, and start whittling down my hours.

I had a little information about what Mrs. J wanted on the bulletin board, so I sketched something out on a piece of paper and started to work. The 4th graders are working on reports on North American animals, so that (and that it needed Spanish translation) was my only stipulation. I was supposed to have some helpers, but in my overachieving, controlling fashion, I hyperfocused and did it all myself before anyone had a chance to ~~screw it up~~ give helpful suggestions.

Here's what I came up with:

All the animals assigned to the kids are represented here and it was so cute to see them get excited when they saw "their" animal up on the board. I even had comments from some of the "smart kids" congratulating me for putting the animals into their correct habitats. (Thank you, Google, for helping me not embarrass my college educated self, or my 4th grade daughter.)

This particular board took me 12 hours from start to finish, when I include all the time it took me to find pictures of the animals online. I guess I'm doing alright on those volunteer hours....

Katie's teacher pretty much got on her knees and begged me to do her board next, so I reluctantly obliged and got hers done today. ;)

Another 4 hours shaved off--one more bulletin board and I'll have met my volunteer quota for the year! Though with all of the requests from the other teachers in the past two days, I'm pretty sure I'll be exceeding my 30 hours. Good thing it doesn't feel anything like work. I kinda wish I'd figured this out 2 years ago! Thank you, whomever decided someone else needed to do the Box Tops. Who knew you were doing me such a favor?

Turning Point & Lesson Learned

2011-01-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a true turning point for me.

I spend a lot of time trying to function "in the moment" and losing sight of the future. Sometimes--okay, MOST of the time--it's out of necessity. Trying to get dinner ready while helping 3 kids with homework, a hungry, whiny baby at my hip while yelling at the 4 y.o. to stop banging on the piano tends to not bring out the best in me. And after the meltdowns (by them and me), I'm filled with such regret that I didn't speak softly in the moment, then pray for forgiveness and help to do better the next day. I've come to realize that preparation BEFORE those moments come can be the difference between the "Soft-Voiced Mom" and "Freak OUT Mom." I'm trying to be better about it, but I'm not usually successful.

As you know, I've been presented with an opportunity to make more of my business than I ever thought probable. I've been scrambling the last couple of weeks to get everything ready for the trade shows that start in February, and freaking out and stressing out all along the way. I've been swinging on a pendulum--back and forth--between "Get it all done, quick, quick, quick!" and "Just stop the madness now! It's too much and you're neglecting too many other things!" Amidst all the conflicting feelings, one little voice kept coming into my head, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."

I've been buckled in the back seat, going along for the ride ever since I began this journey. Things have fallen into place for me, and I knew that the next road was the right one, even though I didn't know what to expect or where I'd go next, or really what I was doing at all! It's been a fun endeavor and I've figured it out along the way. Things have changed, though, and I can feel it. This conflict brewing in me has put me right back into "Freak Out Mom" mode, and this time, I'm paying attention. I've had some concerns about taking this next step, about my own preparedness, so for the first time, (and because the time is now right) I unbuckled and climbed into the driver's seat.

What I discovered over the weekend was that I'm invested in this emotionally. I really hadn't supposed it before, but when I started to consider just giving it all up, a sad and empty feeling overcame me. It surprised me to know that I really wanted this, because I always felt like I'd do it till it wasn't fun anymore--and it stopped being fun the minute I started freaking out.

After getting myself a Cliff's Notes version education on design/manufacturing/production/retail over the internet, and connecting with others within and without my little network, I finally saw the path that I need to put myself on, and it isn't what I thought. It's neither "quick, quick, quick" nor "stop." It's "slow down." Imagine that! I, who jump into everything at 100 mph, have just taken myself off cruise control and let off the gas. I'm "speaking softly" in the moment and it's so refreshing!!!! I no longer feel stress and worry and FEAR, because I have a different plan and a different path that takes me through all the preparation I need in order to eliminate it.

My Jan. 31st deadline is no longer. I'm giving myself the next 6 mo. to a year to do it the right way, and I've never felt better about a decision in my life!!! There's something to be said about stopping to see the big picture and I'm so grateful that this most important life lesson was one I could truly learn at a bright and hopeful beginning instead of at the end of fear and failure.

New Year, New Opportunity

2011-01-04T16:10:00.000-07:00

I really thought that once the holidays were over, I could finally breathe.

What was I thinking????

All I did was replace one thing with about three others that I was putting off until such a time as this.
Great job, Jonesy.
Way to fool yourself into seeing a light at the end of the first tunnel.

So, you wanna know about my new project now that Christmas is over?? Do ya? Do ya?

Well.....................................................

I've been busy gathering samples, organizing order forms, creating display boards, and shopping for new fabrics.

Why?

Because I now have a Retail Sales Rep. who will be taking MY ties to several HUGE trade shows in NY, DC, Chicago, Philly--and she's expecting BIG THINGS!!!!!!!!!!

This is me being cautiously optomistic....YAY!!!!

Now....back to work.

Savior Subway Art

2010-12-12T21:22:00.005-07:00

I waited and waited for someone to come up with some great subway art that captured the true meaning of Christmas.

I have this whole nativity vignette on my piano that begged for something less commercial.

With all the great graphic artists out there, you'd think there'd be SOMETHING, but alas, I couldn't find it, so...I made my own!

I'm so NOT a graphic artist, but I really like how these turned out. AND you can pick your color!

P.S. These would make great VT gifts, YW gifts, or neighbor gifts, and all you have to do is print it off and maybe find some cute frame to put it in!

Hope you like it--Merry CHRISTmas to you all!

(May not be printed for financial gain. Personal use only.)

Deja Vu

2010-12-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

If you'll remember this post from last year, you'll understand why I was a little freaked out on Friday.

I was on I-15, on my way to pick up the girls from school, when a semi in front of me tried to change lanes and sideswiped another vehicle, sending a little Ford Taurus spinning across all three lanes of traffic and skidding onto the median right next to me. I slammed on my brakes to avoid hitting her (I don't know how she wasn't hit by anyone else), then pulled over and ran out of the van to make sure she was okay. Other than being a little shook up, she was uninjured. The poor little lady was on her way to pick up her granddaughter from school, and had no idea what had happened to her. She thought maybe she'd blown a tire and lost control. The semi that hit her (and KNEW he hit her) just kept on going and didn't bother stopping.
I was literally 50 yards away from the location of the horrific accident I witnessed last year. In fact, from where I was standing, I could see the mismatched concrete slabs that were replaced on the barriers because of the last accident. It was surreal.

I don't understand why I keep ending up with a front-row view to these situations, but I'm grateful to be one of the only ones with good enough sense to stop and help. Traffic was CRAZY and only 3 cars stopped. I'm not sure if the UHP caught up with the semi, but I sure hope they did. It's one thing to make a mistake, it's another thing to run away from one.

I'm thinking I'll be taking the backroads from now on.

Glitterfied!!

2010-11-29T20:31:00.000-07:00

Anyone else feel as though the holidays are one big rush of madness? The problem is, I keep adding to it and getting myself into trouble by doing the fun things first (i.e. putting up the Christmas tree, sewing new Christmassy pillow slip covers, and scouring DI for a white cable knit sweater to use for a hurricane cover {I'll be posting on that cute creation later...}, blogging...) before doing the not so fun things (i.e. laundry--loads and loads and loads of laundry; and finishing the kitchen cabinets so we don't have to keep checking the rubbermaid storage bins in the living room when in need of utensils, tinfoil, or plastic lids). It really would be much more pleasant around here if I'd just get those things done, but as explained in my previous post, I have a sorry track record for doing things in their proper order. Besides, I always get a little obsessed with glitter at this time of year. I just can't rest until my living room has ~~some~~ LOTS of glitter in every single nook and cranny. Why do I all of a sudden relate so intimately with the dog on UP? Squirrel!

To top it all off, I just added to my list of things-to-do after watching my friend, Tausha, on a segment of Studio 5 last week. I've already taken advantage of her creativity with an Advent Canister I swapped her a tie for. The kids will get to take turns pulling out a paper and doing whatever fun activity she came up with. This concerns me a bit, since I have no idea what came out of her pretty little head and onto the papers my children will be reading and consequently acting out. BUT...I've decided it's worth the risk. Know why? Because now I only have to come up with 2 more advents before Wed....but I digress...

Tausha's full of great ideas, so I'm using her expertise again and making my own "Good Deeds Jar" for each of the girls this year. Good deeds are printed on strips of paper and put into a cute little jar, decorated with all sorts of Christmas ribbons and paper and yarn and stickers and (OF COURSE) glitter! Then you pull one strip a day, and do whatever is printed on the paper. At the end of the day, you write what you did and how you felt, sign your name, then put it into a little box under the tree. On Christmas morning, that box becomes your gift to the Savior, and you take turns reading what everyone has written about their experiences during the month. I'm excited to see what the girls will write, and I'm looking forward to having such a great way of bringing all the gift-giving back to its source. Doesn't that sound neat? We did these for FHE tonight. Here's how ours turned out:

The List:

Pick out something from your closet and give it to someone who needs it.

Shovel your neighbor’s walks.

Purchase a can of food to give to a local food bank

Give a dollar to Humanitarian aid on your tithing slip,

or put some change into

the Salvation Army’s red bucket.

Write a Christmas letter to a soldier who is overseas

Clean your room without being asked to

Write a thank you note to someone who has done something nice for you lately

Bring a small bag of candy (such as Hershey Kisses) to give to the people who help you every day

crossing guards, bus drivers, teachers, librarians, etc.

Deliver a small package of homemade cookies or candy to the neighbors

Do all the dishes after dinner

Take out all the trash in the house

Bring your dad a cup of hot chocolate when he comes in from working outside, or comes home from work

Tell your sister(s)/brother(s) what you like best about him/her.

Be kind to someone who is hard to get along with.

Tell someone the story of when Jesus was born.

Give everyone in your family a hug!

Clean your room without being asked.

Write a Christmas letter to a faraway aunt/uncle.

Smile and be cheerful today.

Talk about the REAL meaning of Christmas at dinnertime.

Help Mom wrap gifts.

Write a thank you note to Dad for everything he does for us.

Go all day without arguing or fighting with anyone.

Start the day with a prayer of thanks to Heavenly Father for the birth of His Son.

This is the tag we put on our box under the tree. Sorry it's not clear, but you get the idea.

I printed this onto adhesive nametags and just stuck them right onto the pint jar.

We rolled up the little strips of paper around a pen to make cute little curly-q's to put in the jars.

I found these keys at Walmart for $1. For the lesson, I asked the girls to tell us what they wanted for Christmas. Before we had a chance to sit there all night going through everyone's wish list, I brought up the real meaning of Christmas. I asked what Jesus would want for Christmas if we were to have been there the night He was born. "For us to be nice to everybody, no matter what!" came the first answer....I have such great kids! :) I explained the concept of the Good Deed Jar and told them that the "key" to having a happy Christmas is in doing good for others.

I'm also using this activity for our Activity Days Girls this week.

I really wish I was a graphic artist and could make some adorable printable for you to attach to your sufficiently glitterfied jars, but alas, I am not. If only someone from The Fickle Pickle or A Bushel and a Peck had this idea first so I could snag their always cute stuff, but we're stuck with mediocre me. Oh well.

Order.

2010-11-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

I took a little break from the impromptu kitchen remodel to do a little blog-hopping while eating my lunch. One of my favorites is Asking Jane, whom I've mentioned before is a mother of eleven who blogs about life and answers letters from women who are just beginning their mothering journey. I'm compelled by her loving attitude and have never found one piece of advice that is not useful and important. Today was no exception.

Because my daily to-do list is always so enormously long that I never get to finishing it all, I tend to jump straight to the things that I WANT to do, rather than doing things in ORDER. This of course, leaves lots of important things out of my day because I simply don't want to do them. I justify it by being busy ALL DAY LONG, and at the end of the day declaring, "Look at everything I got done!" Jane's post today put things into some much-needed perspective for me, and I'm grateful that she takes the time to share her wisdom with strangers like me. I very easily could find myself in the same category as some of her friends who she watched "struggle with their faith, lose their testimony, and let go." That's a pretty powerful reality to come face-to-face with, and so easy to neglect your way there.

I love the scripture she shared at the end of her letter. It's one that I don't recall having heard before, but it opened my heart to a new reality. A hopeful, faithful one.

PFP Harley Shoot

2010-11-14T20:35:00.000-07:00

Odds and Ends

2010-11-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

Dixon folding his arms for the prayer.

I was helping with homework, then turned to find Dixon busying himself in the pots.

This is how he says "hot."

Handmade Christmas--Bridget

2010-11-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

I know, It's a bit too early for a Christmas post, but because I get to help 5 kids (plus myself) put together handmade presents again this year, of necessity I start early. This year, Bridget was easy. She's home by herself with Dixon, who is still young enough to be oblivious to all the goings-on around him. We wandered around Hobby Lobby, trying to decide what to do, when we spotted these sweet little plastic mugs at Hobby Lobby for 87 cents. You read that right. EIGHTY-SEVEN CENTS!!!! The girls are always fighting over our various cocoa mugs, so this is just the perfect solution--AND it was easy enough for Bridget to do all by herself.

It comes with some paper that you can color, but I just printed off everyone's name in a different font and Bridget decorated them with different colored stickers. Yes, that is her name. Yes, she insisted on doing one for herself. Oh well. I would've done one for her anyway so she wouldn't be left out!

Won't these be so great to sip cocoa from on Christmas morning? And who can beat an 87 cent gift?

A Different Kind of Halloween

2010-11-14T18:45:00.000-07:00

We lucked out for Halloween this year. The Ward did our annual trunk-or-treat (which is becoming more tolerable as the kids get older) and the weather could not have been more perfect. It was warm enough that no coats were needed and the kids meandered from one car to another without chattering teeth! After we got home, I told the girls that the next day was supposed to be stormy and yucky, so they had a choice; they could go trick or treating in the rain, or they could stay home and watch a movie and have popcorn and cocoa. Every single one of them wanted to stay home and watch the movie!!!! I still can't believe they were willing to forgo trick or treating this year, but who am I to complain? We had a GREAT night watching How to Train Your Dragon and The Lightning Thief. It was the best Halloween I've ever had!!!

Sumo Wrestler

Pocahontas, Angel, White Witch (Narnia), Nadine Wimmer (KSL 5 news anchor)

The girls and their friends from school that they invited to our trunk or treat. Their ward had replaced their own trunk or treat with a humanitarian project. Good cause--not so fun for the kiddos, though. The Watson family has 4 girls and one boy, all the same ages as ours except for their son, who is a twin to the oldest girl (9). Yes, the tall girl in pink is 9 and is only 3 months older than Maggie. Needless to say, their father is a giant. Seriously. The little girl standing next to my angel Bridget is a year younger than she is. Hopefully some of those tall Martindale & King genes will surface in growth spurts for our kids soon. Until then, we'll keep looking up to the Watson's.

Good Enough

2010-11-14T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sad that I've been such a terrible blogger lately. So many thoughts swimming in my head and so much has transpired that I have no record of because I've been so busy doing it all!

I heard a phrase this week week, specifically meant for perfectionists like myself.
(Didn't you know that about me? Of course you did. Amanda=Perfectionist. Look it up. It's there.)
It's "Good Enough." Hmmmm. Never been able to quite swallow that one. It's something I like and hate about myself at the same time. I mean, when I do something, you can bet it's the best I've got, however, if I know I can't give 110% to something, I generally don't do it at all. For instance....my kitchen cabinets. These old things have been painted over so many times that they no longer shut properly. Plus, the layering of oil-based and water-based paints have caused the current hue of dark brown to peel away, revealing an oh-so-lovely shade of dirtyish yellowish brownish whitish. (Which actually kinda matches the dirtyish brownish floor that I'm avoiding mopping at this moment.) I know that the effort it will take to strip down all 14 cabinets will take an exorbitant amount of time, that I currently don't have in excess. So, because I can't get it all done to perfection, I've left them that way for a good year now.

Until yesterday.

I decided to go for "good enough for now" which consisted of taking down all the upper faces and freezing my tushy off on the back deck while I stripped a whopping 2 of them down. (I still have 12 to go, plus sanding, staining, varnishing and rehanging...I'm tired.) I'm now avoiding the kitchen at all costs because it feels a little like one of those bad "underwear" dreams where you can't quite figure out how you made it to school in only your skivvies and everyone's staring you down because there's nowhere to hide. My poor kitchen just seems so naked and vulnerable! Of course, this new openness has revealed that I desperately need to organize the cupboards as well, but my new "good enough" plan forbids me from tackling it until I finish the first project I started. You see my dilemma. Starting a project = good. Leaving my kitchen undone, taking 50 different steps and probably months to finish = bad for perfectionist Amanda. So, for now, I'm keeping the kitchen light off and sitting in the clean, put together living room with my back to the chaos so I can forget about the undoneness. It's almost working. Blogging about it is in not nearly as cathartic as I'd hoped it would be. I am hoping, however, that this approach will lead to the commencement and completion of other big projects and not to my ultimate insanity. The jury is still out.

In the meantime, I've been busy with my adorable Activity Days Girls and with my fun and exhausting calling as RS Meetings Coordinator.
For AD, we did a "Secret Service" Activity that you can find here with additional stuff here. Would be great for YW too, if you need a fun activity. My girls loved it and I'm so grateful for resources like these to make my job so. much. easier.
We also did a lesson on hygiene (thank you, Jen!) and gave the girls a little loofah, body wash and their own little deodorant. It was pretty cute to see some of them get giddy about getting their first deodorant! Who'd a thought? Wish I had more time to post all the specifics, but I'm working on "good enough" remember?

Anyway, the RS Swap Meet I posted about earlier turned out to be fantastic!!! We had a gym FULL of stuff, lots of ladies left with some great finds (like Meredith's leather blazer that I'm totally jealous of and Chelsea's hot pink stilettos), and we ended up with a pickup LOAD of stuff sent off to the DI. Apparently this was a very necessary activity! The seminar on organization was OUTSTANDING!!! Linda Isom's Top 10 Tips were a must-have and the very next day I actually got the girls' toy room organized--complete with see-thru bins, labeled with photos, that fit perfectly into their own little labeled spot in the cupboard. Can you sense my relief?

We also had our annual Service Auction on Tuesday. I made a killing on fall clearance decorations at Walmart (Does anyone else find it strange that Thanksgiving decor is already on clearance?), so I only spent about $40 and then took my lovely findings home to decorate my house with afterwards. "But honey, I HAD to get these for Relief Society!" It's a perfect cover.
I pulled out the ward's nice glass serving plates and tea cups and served hot spiced cider w/ a cinnamon stick and an apple gingerbread cake with lemon sauce and a dollop of real whipped cream. It was seriously so fabulous. Even the youth found their way to the kitchen after Mutual (Do they still call it that?) to beg for the cider they could smell wafting through the hallways. Best I've ever tasted, and several others made the same comment. I won a couple of babysitting certificates and a family photo shoot--yeeehaww!!! Can you say Christmas Cards? It would've been a perfect evening if we'd had more people show up. It was a lot of work for me to get ready for, and it's disappointing to have 2 fully empty tables. I guess you can bring the horse to water, but you can't make it drink, right? Our next activity will be a recipe exchange and taster's table in January. I'll be sure to post some of the good ones I get--provided people show up.

LIVE!!!

2010-10-30T10:46:00.000-06:00

Hours and hours and hours of work have finally come to fruition!

The new picklefaceplace.com just went live this morning and I couldn't be more excited!!!

Check it out and tell me what you think!

News...of sorts.

2010-09-28T21:26:00.000-06:00

Hey there! Remember me? Amanda. Yeah really. I'm just checking in to say I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...yet. I'm in the process of getting my new website up and running, which is more work than I had previously thought it would be, but that's mostly because my attention to detail is--shall we say--lacking. Oh well. I'm also busy with boutiques and fairs on the weekends which has turned out to be quite easy and profitable. At least, it would be if I didn't have to put all my profit back into the company right now. The price of a brand new business, I suppose. I'm excited about all the ideas swimming through my head, though sharing them right now would not be so smart... ;)

On another note, we had another Activity Days activity (that sounds weird, but I didn't know how else to word it) tonight that was really fun. The girls are learning a new song and they'll be singing it in Sacrament Meeting in a few weeks. As they sang I had this vision of all these beautiful little girls in a few years as Young Women--almost got teary. They sounded beautiful and all of them were excited to find out they get to perform. I'm loving this age because their attitudes haven't gotten the best of them just yet. One of the girls even brought me a little picture frame with a heart in it and said she'd been saving it for a long time for something really special. Heart strings officially tugged.

For my other calling, I've contacted a local Professional Organizer who's coming to give our Relief Society her "Top Ten Tips", followed by a Swap Meet in the cultural hall. I'm WAY excited for this one!

And here's the biggest news of all.....

I've kept my kitchen clean for an ENTIRE WEEK!!! I can't believe it either! Living room, not so much, but I'll take what I can get at this point.

Almost......Girly.

2010-09-19T17:45:00.005-06:00

I am not a girly girl. I know that's a surprise to some of you, {insert mad, rolling laughter here} but because of my general lack of femininity, I had never participated in a lot of activities that some might consider "girly" For instance, Etsy. If you had told me a year ago that Etsy would change my life, I would've given you a blank stare and probably asked you what an etsy was. And then, of course, there are the craft fairs. Not as ignorant of them as I was Etsy, I still would've scoffed at you if you had told me that I would soon survive Hurricane Hilda as I clutched my merchandise in my tight little fist to keep it from flying out to the middle of Bear Lake. So when I first made the decision to start selling ties, I really didn't know where to go or how to drum up business. It was just not a scene that I was ever into. I owe a big thanks to some great friends (Heather, Tara, & Jen) for pointing me in the right direction, and for all the advice and help along the way.

Recently I made another discovery that I had been completely oblivious to until now, and that's Boutiques. Etsy wasn't too much of a stretch for me, since selling on the internet is what I had intended to do in the first place. Craft fairs were a little more intimidating though, since I feel like labeling me a "crafter" for making ties is like calling me a "scrapbooker" because I put together a scrapbook of Maggie's baby pictures once. (Not at all cute, either...) However, I did survive that experience and sold about 150 ties while there. Not bad for a first-timer! But when I was approached to be a vendor at a traveling boutique, I was really thrown for a loop. I'd heard of them before, but I just never thought I'd EVER be interested in going to one, let alone PARTICPATING in them.

It was at this point that Mike and I sat and had a really frank talk about where this was headed. Having a little extra income has been much needed, but we had to decide if it was worth the cost to us and our family. I've been lucky enough (though sometimes it feels more like being sentenced...you SAHM's know what I mean) to stay home with my children while they are small. Because of that decision, we've gone without a LOT of things, and had to sacrifice a LOT of things. Sometimes it's really hard. Really, really, really HARD. Especially when I see others' seemingly easy lives. But as hard as it's been, I don't ever, and will never, regret staying home with them. That being said, one of the reasons I've been so excited about PickleFace Place is that I get to decide when I work. I get to decide if I work. I get to decide how much to work, and I can do it all from the comfort of my "spot" on the living room couch. Of course, OTHER things have been sacrificed because of it (like gardening and canning this summer, {dang it!} and the general cleanliness of my home), but I'm beginning to understand better that everything I do comes at the expense of something else, and more often than not, it's several something else's.

Armed with all of our resolve to do what's best for the children, and our family in general, Mike and I decided to say yes to my first Boutique, Mindy Mae's Market. I was nervous and intimidated, considering I'd never even BEEN to one before, but once I got there and met Nikki, she made me feel very much at ease. I was a little disappointed in the venue itself (only about 15 vendors, and the dance studio location was NOT ideal), but I made about $200 in 12 hours. I've been told that the venues for the remaining boutiques are in model homes, and they attract twice as many vendors and at least that much more foot traffic, so I'm pretty optomistic about the rest of them. The best part about the whole experience, though, was meeting such GREAT people. And I mean that sincerely and genuinely. Nikki (owner of Mindy Mae's Market) is a jewel, and I just know that we'll be friends the rest of our lives. Carol (PR for MMM) sat and talked with me for probably a good hour, and it felt like we were long lost friends. I was just so impressed with every one of the vendors and all the ladies involved that I am completely investing in Mindy Mae's Market for the long haul. I feel lucky to have found a niche that I feel so completely comfortable in, and so GOOD about!

So, I guess this means I've turned a little girly. Just a little. But don't tell anyone.

I'll be doing other boutiques for the next two weeks.

Simple Treasures @ the Davis County Fairgrounds in Farmington Sept. 22-25
Hollyhock Boutique in West Point Oct. 1-2

Then its back to Mindy Mae's Market @ the Clinton Destination Homes Model Home Oct. 15-16.

I'm totally excited about the next MMM because well be having yummy food, mani-pedi's and MASSAGES available as well as all the great clothes, accessories and home decor for sale! Doesn't it just sound heavenly? Hope you can come!

Activity Days

2010-08-31T20:34:00.005-06:00

With the start of school came the beginning of my new calling as Activity Days leader. I was really excited to start doing it, especially since Maggie's now one of the girls! It brought back really fond memories of having my mom as our YW leader growing up. It also gave me new insight into how it must've felt to try to lead and be a mom at the same time. Not an easy task. Sorry, Mom!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to share with the world wide web the printouts that I found/adjusted/created for my girls. The idea came from A Bushel and a Peck, where Angie is a graphic designer and made printable forms for Activity Days that you can download from her site. I took it a step further and used her borders to add other tracking sheets for the girls. I'm pretty excited with how they turned out, and the girls really loved them! Since Angie was so great to share her great ideas and hard work, I thought I'd do the same--you can click on each image to copy and use them at your discretion.

Just to explain--the reason I gave them so many tracking sheets was because, as I read through the Faith in God booklet, I came to realize that the requirements everyone focuses on--the activities in the four different areas, Learning & Living the Gospel, Serving Others, Developing Talents & Preparing for Young Women--are ACTUALLY listed under "Other Requirements".

The BASIC Requirements are:
1--Pray Daily
2--Read the scriptures regularly
3--Keep the commandments & live "My Gospel Standards"
4--Honor your parents & be kind to your family
5--Pay your tithing & attend tithing settlement
6--Attend sacrament meetings & Primary regularly

So, I thought I'd put the emphasis on the basics by giving them a way to track their progress on all of them. I probably spent WAY too much time on it all, but it was sure fun! :)

Cover Page

Binder Tracker--the girls get a treat & a sticker for remembering to bring their binder to each activity.

Prayer Chart--track night & morning using the green line dividing the days on the calendar.

Scripture Tracker

My Gospel Standards--not a tracking sheet, but a way to review.

Family kindness tracker--the girls mark off a box for each act of kindness they do for their family.

Tithing Tracker

Sacrament/Primary Tracker

Articles of Faith

Articles of Faith Tracker--the girls will mark them off as they memorize them.

Activities Tracker

Me, or Something Like Her

2010-08-31T10:47:00.003-06:00

I'm nearly starting to feel like myself again. By "nearly" I mean, closer-than-I-have-in-months-but-not-quite-where-I-used-to-be. So many things have transpired since summer began, that I'm beginning to think I've lost the old me altogether. That may not be a bad thing. I haven't decided yet.

So, here's what the "new" me (if indeed that's who she is) is doing differently:

1. She's trying to hold her tongue more. You're welcome.
2. She's trying to be more conscious of others' needs (as opposed to her own).
3. She's trying to find a reasonable balance between stay-at-home-mom and business owner, though success can only be measured in moments at this point.
4. She's showering almost daily. Again, you're welcome.
5. She's trying to focus on the future rather than dwell in the past.
6. She's still a terrible housekeeper.
7. She's becoming a good cook.
8. She's searching for ways to circumvent her ADHD in order to maintain some semblance of organization in her life.
9. She's definitely a better wife.
10. She's trying to turn her self-talk (you know, that voice in her head...) from negative to positive.
11. She's reading more, though finishing 2 novels in 3 days probably has a direct correlation to #6...
12. She's giving up on making lists. Just kidding. She's not a schizophrenic...we don't think.

I didn't realize that letting go of those parts of myself that are ineffective or (for lack of a better term) cancerous was going to feel so much like an amputation. Some of my characteristics, behaviors and attitudes have been so deeply ingrained for so long that I've surprised myself with the domino effect of changing just one thing, let alone a long list of things.

So please bear with me as I make a monumental effort to put off the natural man. He's fighting me tooth and nail.

Tired Thoughts and a Change in Perspective

2010-08-26T20:33:00.003-06:00

So there are about a billion things I need to update on here, like how I won the Biggest Loser competition (that ended 2 months ago), or about our trip to Oregon with all the pictures associated with it, or the Stringham Family reunion at Henry's Lake that I didn't go to because I was still stuck behind my sewing machine, or the first day of school that started last week and today was picture day (Seriously! It's AUGUST!) , or about my not one but TWO new callings I got right in the middle of all my tie-making madness (guess that'll teach me to open my big mouth), or Hannah's 10th birthday 2 days ago, or Maggie's 9th birthday 4 days ago, or how about the night I slept for a full 8 hours? Wait...that hasn't happened yet.

Yes, each event does merit its own post, and I promise I'll get to it eventually, but today I need to get some feelings down that are still quite raw and tender. Hope you'll humor me.

The past few months have been the most stressful of my life. Too many things weighing heavily on me, and not much by way of relief. I wish I could say that I made all the correct decisions along the way, despite the pressure, but that wasn't the case. I only hope that my intentions can be recognized for what they are and have been--good.

Due to a few recent events that I'll not go into detail about, I've been pondering deeply the way I interact with other people. I realize that I'm really good at casual relationships, but when it comes to deep and meaningful ones, I'm seriously faltering. My version of "helping" tends to be judgmental and even selfish, and my pridefulness has been a source of unintentional hurt to those who deserve compassion and understanding. I'm grateful for a God that bestows forgiveness so easily. I'm also grateful for His mandate to change, and the tools He makes available to me to do so.

There continue to be stresses, both placed on me by others, and the ones I place upon myself, but as I try to trudge forward, I'm no longer praying for my burdens to be removed. Instead, I'm hopeful that I'll be given a back strong enough to carry it all, for as long as I need to carry it.

(I realize I sound depressed and brooding. It's really not the case. I'm just overly analytical and find that I work though it all best when I can see it on paper...or the computer screen in this case.)

I just thought of the scripture: "To whom much is given, much is required" in a very different way right now. I always focused on the "requirement" part--so much that's being required of me--but I just realized that with the mountain that's being required of me, it stands to reason that I must truly have also been given a mountain. A different perspective can bring much in the way of peace.

Exhaustion is setting in, and I'm not sure that the rest of my thoughts will be viewed as coherent by morning. I guess I'd better return to this later on, else someone views my thoughts as a cry for help....totally NOT, ok? :)

My Thoughts Exactly

2010-08-25T14:32:00.001-06:00

www.hopefullymormon.blogspot.com

Day 2

2010-08-17T20:32:00.002-06:00

Dear Mr. S.--

Today was.......less......good......than yesterday. A lot less. Dixon decided to wake up at 11:45, insisting on being fed a bottle. I was too tired to fight it. The alarm going off at 5 am was therefore a rude awakening to say the least. I turned it off and immediately fell back asleep. Luckily I woke up again just before 6, so I willed myself out of bed to get breakfast ready for the kids. (When I say "ready" I mean opening up their yogurt and pouring in the Bran Buds.) Apparently, the girls were all feeling the same as I was because it was like pulling teeth to get anyone to do anything they were supposed to this morning, and I was surprised that only one of them had to go change their clothes before leaving for school. (I'll let you guess which one that was...)

Bridget's day was a little better than yesterday, but I sure missed having her take a nap! In fact, Dixon only took about half of his usual nap, so I really got gypped. Hopefully now he'll be too tired to get up until morning. (Probably helped that I gave in with the bottle tonight.)

Meredith and the boys came to play for a while this afternoon. Somehow the kids ended up pulling down that wire that stretches from the house to the garage and were swinging on it. Not sure what kind of wire it is, but thankfully no one was hurt by it. I don't know what to do with it, so I'll just let you take care of it when you get home. You can take care of the dishwasher, too. For whatever reason, it decided to stop working today. Wish I could do that.

From about 3:00 on, chaos ruled. Maybe I can blame it on the yogurt they all ate this morning. I didn't check any expiration dates.... I dunno, but it was all I could do not to put them all in bed at 5:00.

Today was not all lost, though. I got my shipment of shirts in today!!! Yay!!! I've been matching up different ties to different shirts, and of course, I was having so much fun that I want to keep one of every shirt and one of every tie for Dixon!!! I'm trying to figure out how to photograph them so that I can get them up on my site (though I'm still uncertain if Etsy will let me sell them as sets since the shirts aren't handmade), but I may just have to consult with Jen on this one since my creativity is sadly lacking in that department.

So now, I'm done. Shirts and ties are strewn over the living room, toothpaste is all over the bathroom sink I cleaned earlier today, and the kitchen has a countertop and a dishwasher full of dirty dishes that I simply didn't have the energy to tackle by hand tonight, so I'm going to bed. Wish I was crawling in next to you. I miss you, and I can't wait for you to come home and resume your dishwashing and putting the kids to bed duties. Now I remember why I handed those jobs over to you. I hope I--I mean, WE--can survive the next two days without you. Please stay away from the bears.

Love,
Mrs. S.

Day 1

2010-08-16T22:18:00.002-06:00

Dear Mr. S--

Today was a pretty good day. I got up at 5:17, but I really did try to be up at 5. Guess staying up until 11:00 the night before school starts wasn't the best idea. I made eggs and toast for breakfast so the girls would have some "brain food" and they were actually attentive as we read scriptures this morning. Hope you don't mind that we decided to start all over in 1 Nephi.

Got all the laundry washed today (folding is on the agenda for tomorrow) and even tidied the mud room, all while Dixon practiced going up and down the stairs. I'm not quite ready to let him off all on his own yet, but if he keeps doing this well we won't have to holler at the girls to shut the door much longer!

Bridget complained of being hungry ALL MORNING LONG, and finally I had her lay on our bed to take a nap because she was just so ornery! It was so heavenly having the 3 girls at school and Bridget and Dixon napping for 2 hours together today! I pulled and washed the couch covers, cleaned under the couches, swept the floor, repositioned the rug, cleared off all the junk on the piano, organized paperwork, paid some bills, and ran a load of dishes. Maybe Bridget should nap with Dixon everyday!!!!

After the kids woke up, we dropped off your pile of old jeans and my bag of old shirts at DI and then picked up the girls. They talked nonstop all the way home about everything that happened at school (exhausting me!), and after homework and piano I started dinner. Taquitos, pierogies, and corn. I know--totally healthy. I just haven't made it to the store yet, nor have I even gotten menus or a shopping list ready. Maybe tomorrow I'll tackle that one. Not the shopping, just the planning. I'll wait to shop when you get home. I know I'd be down to less than half of my usual gaggle with only the two kids, but the truth is, even one kid is a burden at the supermarket.

The apple crisp is sitting on the stove, waiting to be devoured, knowing that it only makes an appearance when you are not around to turn your nose up at it, so we'll be digging into that tomorrow...

Today I weaned Dixon from his bottle, and he was just fine. Now if we can just get the girls to stop asking him if he wants his ba-ba, we'll be in good shape.

That's about it for today. I'm exhausted, and it looks as if I didn't learn last night's lesson about going to bed at 11:00. Oh well. I got your message on my phone last night, and the note you left on our bed. How do I deserve you?

Hope you haven't met anything bigger or hairier than you in the last 24 hours. (Well, except Matt, of course...)

Love you and miss you.

Mrs. S.

Too Soon

2010-08-15T07:20:00.003-06:00

I'm going to make a big confession here...

I only bathe my children once a week.

That's right. Saturday is bath/shower day here because frankly, I can't handle the watery mess more often than that. Not only that, but I stopped letting them take baths together long ago when more water ended up on me or the floor than actually in the tub. You can therefore imagine how time-consuming and hot-water consuming it is to get all 5 kids clean. So there ya have it. Our little non-hygienic secret is out. So, why the confession? In a word, Maggie.

Maggie is my super-energetic, smart, sweet, kind, almost 9 year old who gave me the biggest hug ever before bed last week.....and that's when I knew. She stunk. And not the regular kid-stink, either. I mean, I realize we've been a little crazy-busy around here lately, but I'm certain she'd had a shower just a couple of days earlier, so the following morning, I took another whiff. Oh dear heavens!

I said, "Maggie, will you do me a favor and smell your armpit?"
"Ewwww! No way, Mom!"
"Seriously, just smell it and tell me what you smell."
So she did. Her response?
"EWWWWWW!!!! I smell like YOU!!!!!"

So. There ya have it. My NINE year old now smells like a stinky teenager and will now be showering and wearing deodorant every day.

I can't believe it's happening already.

Raspberry Days 2010 or God's Trying to Give Me a Stroke

2010-08-08T18:13:00.009-06:00

It was the day I had been anticipating ever since I put in my application as a vendor for Raspberry Days. 150+ hours of planning, buying, cutting, sewing, ironing, stitching, sorting, stickering, packaging and ignoring my children, husband, home and all other responsibilities resulted in this....

701 finished ties neatly displayed on my gridwall, eagerly anticipating some wide-eyed little boy, fashion-conscious mother, or doting grandma to take them to their new home. I invited my experienced craft fair friend, Eden, along for the ride, as well as my fabulous photographer, Jen, in the hopes that she would get some new leads as well.

Day 1 was nerve-racking, to say the least. Having never tried to sell my ties outside the anonymity of the world wide web, I tried to prepare myself for the possibility of negative feedback and zero sales. I was sure a stroke was inevitable, but Eden and I were able to set up the booth in a matter of only a couple of hours, which would prove to be useful information later on.....

In the vendor world, Thursdays are generally known to be the slowest day, so when sales were scattered and much lower than I'd hoped, I tried to remember the other vendors chanting, "Sa-tur-day! Sa-tur-day!" at our mandatory meeting the first night. Apparently, all vendors LIVE for Saturday, so I tried to remain calm about the slow foot traffic all day.

I had actually anticipated removing all my inventory nightly, then returning it every morning, but Search and Rescue was on hand all weekend to provide security throughout the night, so it was a welcomed relief not to have to do so much extra work. Since the fair opened at 10:00, we slept in a little (how heavenly!), took our time getting ready (yep--showered and all!), and arrived back at the booth a little after 9:00--just in time to discover that the Bear Lake wind had blown over our whole display sometime in the night!!!! We had less than an hour to set it all back up again, and literally just shook our heads as we picked up every tie, dusted each one off and replaced them all, along with all the hooks and signs. Since this was our second time doing setup, it went much more quickly, and we finished just in time to welcome our first customers around 10:00. I hadn't planned on starting to sweat that early in the day. Had I known what was coming later on, I surely wouldn't have chosen to wear my cute, white eyelet skirt along with these little babies I found for a $9 steal at Payless.

Around 5:30 or so, the wind really started picking up. We could see the dark clouds moving in over the mountains to the west, but really didn't think much of it since the previous afternoon "blessed" us with a few showers as well. Then it hit. For about 30-40 minutes straight, hurricane-force winds blew unforgivingly through our little tent city, snapping awnings like they were uncooked spaghetti (including ours), sending merchandise crashing to the asphalt, and sending people into a full-on screaming panic. Eden ran for the awning to try to hold it down, while I stood in front of the display, pushing against it with everything I had, just to keep it from pinning me underneath all its once benign hooks. I was nearly knocked down twice by stronger wind than I had ever before felt in my life, and I'm still in shock that I was able to hold it up while wearing those 3-inch heels. (Those of you who know what my ankles are like can marvel with me.)

I knew we needed to get the tarp off the sides and off the top, but I couldn't let go of the wall or it most assuredly would have impaled me in at least 15 different places, and Eden couldn't let go of the awning, or the wind would've swept the awning into the wall and it would've landed on the both of us. I kept wondering when the tornado was going to actually hit as I saw dust and debris flying sideways past the door of the tarp, and Eden was trying to strategically figure out at what point we should just run. That's when the firemen rushed over and literally cut the tarps off with a pocket knife, sending the wind rushing through the gridwall, and the ties FLYING. We were able to get the wall with its remaining ties to lay down, but by then it was raining pretty hard on us, so we started grabbing them and shoving them under the cut tarp to prevent the rest from flying away, and to keep them from getting soaked in the storm. Eden had the good sense to make me get my camera out to document it all, and I'm so glad I did.

Eden--shoving ties under the tarp.

Our neighbors, under their mangled awning, trying to gather and save all their silk skirts.

More vendors trying to brace their walls.

Our cute little neighbor and the table she hid under while everything fell around her.

Did that seriously just happen?

Laughing--what else could we do at this point?

Laying on the tarp as the wind picked up again, trying to save my ties, and holding another vendor's tie (totally not as cute as mine--trust me) that blew into my pile. Hope the irony is not lost on you.

While I'm laying there on top of the ties, I look across from us to the Kettle Corn people who have just dropped their awning and are trying to secure all their stuff. This guy in the white shirt walks up and asks to buy some kettle corn--right in the middle of Hurricane Hilda!!! I thought I was going to DIE!!!!! So of course, I took a picture to send to her so she could remember the most idiotic customer she's ever had.

These next few are of us after we've run everything back to the van amidst the downpour, with the help of the band's bass player who, after helping, tried to flirt with me in the middle of the monsoon. I'm just surrounded by crazies!!!

We got back over to Grandma's house with all our stuff loaded in the van, and plopped the tarp on her tile floor to sort through. I was convinced I'd lost most of my inventory, either to the wind carrying them out to the lake, or to the filthy asphalt that they were smashed into by the helpful firemen.
To my surprise, only 2 of the ones we recovered weren't in good enough shape for me to sell--miraculous!!! Eden and I set up a little ironing station, complete with Grandma's non-adjustable ironing board and two irons. We propped ourselves up onto other chair cushions and proceeded to iron all the ties. Every. Single. One.

"Are your ties very durable?" I've been asked. Now I can--without hesitation--give a resounding, "YES!!!"

The following morning came very quickly, and we got to the fair by about 7:30 to set up......for the third time. We did our best to rig the broken awning and reconfigured the space so that the ties were in the corner, instead of just along the back wall, that way we could secure the wall to the awning and hopefully prevent it from tipping over again.

The vendors were right about Saturday. We sold more than twice the amount we had on either Thursday or Friday, and LOTS of people were very interested in ordering online. (Which is fine with me--people buy more when they can slap it on their credit card!) One girl even recognized PickleFace Place from the internet, and said she'd been dying to buy one of my ties for months! How cool is that???

Despite the PTSD that stayed with us on Saturday, and swelled every time a gust of wind came up, it was a good day, and I'm SOOOO excited about the ideas I have for my booth for next year! (Yes, I'll be doing it again. I'm pretty sure I've already survived the worst fair experience ever.)

And this is me, now that it's finally all over.

H-E-Double Hockey Sticks

2010-07-30T09:25:00.003-06:00

It has been a hell of a month...and I mean that quite literally as opposed to expletively. I desperately want to catch up on all my blournaling, but I'm still not done with the ties, and my deadline is faster approaching than I'm ready for! I think I may finally get a break when the kids go back to school on August 16th, but I'm not promising anything....

Back to work!!!!

Final Weigh-In

2010-06-26T10:33:00.002-06:00

Well, it's done. Two pounds shy of reaching my goal, but I'm pretty happy with the fact that I lost 22.5 lbs in the last 10 weeks! That puts my percentage of weight loss at 11.06%. Dare I say I'M the Biggest Loser??? Should find out after everyone weighs in, but I'd say my chances are excellent.

So my TOTAL weight loss from my high of 217 is 36 lbs. which translates to a loss of 16.59%. Yay! I'm a little more than halfway to my goal of 155, but if I keep it up I'll lose my last 26 lbs. in no time! Of course, my workouts have slowed down in the last couple of weeks, as I try to get things ready for the fair in August, but as soon as the fair's over (and school starts up again) I'll be ready to hit the gym in full-force!

Thanks for all your encouragement in this endeavor...it's been more helpful than you know!

As a mother Hen gathereth up her Chicks...

2010-06-21T10:30:00.001-06:00

This smile and those twinkling eyes are what I got to hang out with up at the Stake Chick 'n Hen Retreat over the weekend. It was so much fun to spend time with a girl who is almost ALWAYS happy and smiling! She was a little disappointed when her name was finally called for Karaoke (after waiting 90 minutes!) and they didn't have the song she'd picked, but we made up for it by dancing to everyone else's VERY BADLY OUT OF TUNE karaoke, going on a nature walk & collecting flowers and leaves to put on our nature bracelets, eating s'mores made from GIANT marshmallows, attending the flag raising & lowering ceremonies, and listening to Sister Kathy Jenson talk about what it means to thrive (more on that later). It was so nice to just give Maggie ALL of my attention and to be able to appreciate the young woman she's starting to become. I really can't wait to do it again...and hopefully remember to bring earplugs and extra blankets next time.

Lucky Girl

2010-06-20T13:06:00.003-06:00

I'm such a lucky girl.

To be raised by a man who believes in:

Hard Work (weeding, bathrooms, dusting, laundry, and KP, not dishes),
Truthfulness (you did NOT want the consequences that came attached to a lie),
Loyalty (supporting each other in activities, accomplishments and even failures),
Order (work first, play later),
Faith (follow the Prophet no matter what)
Self-sufficiency (use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without)
Manners (elbows off the table, chew with your mouth closed, always say please and thank you)
Perfection (no job is worth doing, unless you do it right)

To be married to a man who believes in:

Integrity (do the right thing, even when no one is there to see you)
Service (the giver always receives more)
Playing (even if it is bedtime...)
Obedience (immeasurable blessings come to those who keep the commandments of God)
Sacrifice (the needs of the family are greater than the wants of any individual--usually himself)
Happiness (found through righteous living and teaching, and through declaring his wife to be right the majority of the time)
Commitment (stand up for what you believe in and do what you say you'll do)

To raise a boy to become a man who believes in:

Hard Work
Truthfulness
Loyalty
Order
Faith
Self-sufficiency
Manners
Perfection
Integrity
Service
Playing
Obedience
Sacrifice
Happiness
Commitment

Lucky doesn't even begin to describe it.

First for the First

2010-06-17T09:12:00.005-06:00

Can you believe it's already been a year since our sweet baby Dixon joined our gaggle of girls? I'll admit, I was a little concerned about how he'd fit in, but those fears have certainly been put to rest over the last 12 months!

I was most excited to steer away from anything remotely PINK for his celebration, though The Very Hungry Caterpillar's face did end up more pink than red... I got the idea for this from a friend whose husband created this same cupcake cake for their little boy.

The face is 7 cherry Starburst, kneaded, rolled into a ball, then smashed flat. The eyes are lemon & lime flavored tootsie rolls, and the nose and feet are the chocolate ones. For the antennae, I attempted to add a little blue food coloring to a cherry tootsie roll, but it made them too supple and they kept drooping. Oh well.

Forgive the baby nudity (and the blurry pix)...but he boy simply had to have cake!

Before

During

After!

I just can't get enough of this kid's smile!!! Happy FIRST Birthday my boy!

Becoming a Peaceable Follower

2010-06-13T12:57:00.003-06:00

Ever since Mike was called to the High Council, he's fretted over finding speaking companions. It's becoming easier now that he knows more people in the Stake, and has found that a lot of Bishops prefer to have someone--mainly youth--from their own Ward speak along with him. Today was Mike's turn to speak in our ward, and you'll NEVER guess who he "asked" to be his speaking companion.........okay, maybe that was too easy.

I was actually really glad to get to speak. Preparing a talk always gives me direction to my studying, and of course, I always learn more than I am able to relay to any congregation. The difference in preparing this time, was that I got to come up with my own topic. A little daunting at first, but then I realized that I'd already been given my topic as experiences in the last month or so slowly came together like the pieces of a puzzle.

I've always given myself more of an outline to speak from because I like the interaction that I get from the congregation when I can look into their faces, as opposed to looking down at a piece of paper, and reading a talk word-for-word. (This is how I like to teach my lessons, too.) This time, though, was different. I had so many moments throughout the last few weeks where full sentences and even paragraphs came to my mind, that I had to write them down right then and there as I knew from whence they came. When my talk was finally written, I knew that my old style of "winging it" would not do justice to the words which had come so clearly, and so quickly as I studied day after day. I have to admit, it was a little uncomfortable for me to deliver my talk this way, but as I read the words of the talk, I felt the Spirit witness to me for a second time that the words were not my own. I'm so grateful that the Lord has established His Church in such a way that would allow someone as flawed as me, to receive inspiration and truth from Him, and then to share that same truth with others as if it had been Himself delivering it. What a blessing!

So, for the sake of remembering this experience, I'll record my talk here because I know that one day, when my faith is lacking and doubts creep in, I'll read this and I'll remember and I'll feel.

After some heath issues had finally been somewhat resolved, I was able to return to the gym a couple of months ago.While I’m still unable to do some of the things I would like, it feels so good for this former athlete to be moving again! One day in particular, just a couple of weeks ago, I was running on the elliptical machine, my music blasting a fast beat so I could keep my heart rate up. As I came to the last few minutes of my workout, I felt this overwhelming urge to go faster and push harder. While I was already running at a pretty good pace, sweating and panting, I mustered everything in me and forced my legs to move faster than they had in years, literally sprinting for the last three minutes. I didn’t know if I would actually make it to the end, but when the words “Workout Complete” flashed across my monitor, amid my complete exhaustion, I felt an ultimate sense of euphoria, for having pushed myself when that moment came, and for having accomplished something I hadn’t thought I could do.

There are always great lessons to be learned and gospel principles to be reinforced in seemingly ordinary moments. As I thought about what had happened at the gym that morning, my thoughts turned to what Elder Hafen shared with us at the Saturday night session of Stake Conference.

Moroni 7: 3 says: “Wherefore, I would speak unto you that are of the church, that are the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until ye shall rest with him in heaven. 4 And now my brethren, I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men. 5 For I remember the word of God which saith by their works ye shall know them; for if their works be good, then they are good also.”

With this scripture, he illustrated that there is a difference between being an ACTIVE member of the church, as Moroni directed his words to those "that are of the church", and being a CONSECRATED member of the church, or to those whom Moroni further directed his comments, "that are the peaceable followers of Christ". As active members of the church, we get up every morning for our appointment with the treadmill. We walk, or maybe even jog, at a comfortable pace, making sure we’re not sweating too much, or breathing too hard. We show up and as soon as the timer counts down to 0:00, we’re DONE. We gather our things and close the door behind us, as we head off to start our day, having met our obligation.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you get.” As children of our Heavenly Father, we’re blessed with a divine potential to become even as He is, but in order to do so, we must often times, push past our comfort zone and allow Him to shape us into who He knows we can become. As C.S. Lewis put it in his well-known “House” analogy, “You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but he is building up a palace.”

I’m convinced that just like that urge that came out of the blue to sprint the last three minutes of my workout, we’re each blessed with opportunities that present themselves to us, to push harder, to go longer, and to be better than we at that moment thought we could. That impression to stop what were doing, and go visit someone. Getting out of bed an hour earlier to start the day with your scriptures. Saying “Yes” when the Bishop says, “The Lord has called you…” In order for us to be CONSECRATED members of the Church—the peaceable followers of Christ--we must make ourselves aware of those sometimes fleeting moments, where we choose either maintenance or growth.

The importance of inviting the Holy Ghost and having His influence to be with us throughout the day CANNOT be overstated. In order to fill the measure of our creation, we must rely on the unfathomable power of that third member of the Godhead to guide and direct us, and as I’ve more recently discovered, to encourage and uplift as we spend our days trying to complete an often very long list of to do’s and to be’s. As we kneel in humble prayer each morning, we ought to consecrate our day’s performance to the Lord, and in doing so, we will find that our thoughts turn more often to Him. We will more clearly see through the barrage of unimportance to that which is most important—obedience to His commandments, and our relationships with ALL His children.

Because we are mortal and do sin and transgress so easily, we must continually re-invite the Holy Ghost to be with us. Something as seemingly small as losing our temper with a child, or getting angry at the guy who cut us off on the freeway, are enough to drive the Spirit away. Perhaps this is why God so wisely commanded us to pray always. Doing so with a repentant heart will allow having the Holy Ghost as our constant companion be more than just words in a blessing—it will be our reality!

2 Nephi 32:5 states, “For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.” As we search for direction and light in this darkening world, isn’t it comforting to KNOW that we can ALWAYS have access to that? Imagine what great things the Lord is just waiting to show us that we can and should do and what we can and should be, if only we qualify ourselves for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost!

As CONSECRATED members of the church, we won’t be satisfied with the status quo. We won’t measure our service in 30-minute intervals, closing the door behind us, saying we have done enough. But instead, we’ll stay until the growth comes. And just when we think we’ve given our all, we’ll be shown that we can dig deeper. With the companionship of the Holy Ghost, we will find that we have so much more to give than we ever thought possible, and therefore have “obtained a sufficient hope by which {we} can enter into the rest of the Lord, from this time henceforth until {we} shall rest with him in heaven.” We will BE the peaceable followers of Christ, and will be rewarded with more joy than we ever thought possible.

President Boyd K. Packer has promised that, “To gain and forever hold on to a testimony of gospel truths is worth whatever price in spiritual preparation we may be required to pay.”

I testify that Jesus is the Christ, our Lord and Savior, and the Redeemer of the World; that the Holy Ghost’s influence can and will move us to fulfill our divine potential; and that The Book of Mormon contains these truths. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and Thomas S. Monson is God’s prophet on the earth today. These things I know because the Spirit has borne testimony to me of their truth, and that witness I cannot and will not deny!

Friday Forum @ BLOOM

2010-06-11T10:37:00.002-06:00

In an attempt to get more ideas for our "Summer-O-Fun," I'm guest posting at BLOOM again today for their Friday Forum. Hopefully all the Bloomies over there will help to finish filling our summer schedule! If you need some inspiration, I don't know of a better group of people to glean ideas from!

Now? Or Never?

2010-06-10T15:09:00.005-06:00

Ever since I entered the stimulating world of crafting bloggers, I've been inspired over and over and over by things I would LOVE to make and do, but with time being as it is, I'm certain that only a portion of those things will ever come to fruition--if any. Like this sunburst mirror from Stephanie Lynn, which catapulted to the top of my list after I spotted it today:

So, here's my question....

When I finally die, will I get to finish all the projects on my list of "Things I'd Like To Do" or will I just not care about that anymore?

Scleral Edema or Swollen Eyeball

2010-06-07T21:24:00.003-06:00

Sunday I was sitting on my deck, enjoying the cool air, when all of a sudden, I felt an allergy attack come on. Not unusual, considering I do have hay fever, but I usually don't suffer with allergies until Fall. I really didn't think anything of it until my kids kept walking over and looking at my eye, telling me how weird it looked. Finally, I looked into the mirror, and this is what I saw.

The white of my eye was completely swollen and looked like a giant oozing blister. Normally, when my eyes start itching, it's the pink skin near my tear duct that swells. Never my EYEBALL! To get the swelling down, (because swollen eyeballs can't be a good thing) I hurried and took some allergy medicine and that seemed to do the trick. Still, totally weird and a little unnerving...

...but today it's just fine. Think I'll pop another pill just so I don't wake up in the middle of the night with a swollen eyeball that's gotten too big for its socket.

When It Comes Together...

2010-06-06T16:20:00.002-06:00

First of all--for all you who were waiting with baited breath--Mike brought ALL the girls home with only minor incidents (that I was informed of) to report, including sunblock rubbed into an eye, and what Bridget was convinced was a mouse bite (spider) on her arm. Other than that, I now have about 15 loads of campfire-smelling laundry to do tomorrow. (Why is it that I get relegated clean up duty, when I wasn't even involved?)

Despite the lingering smell of burnt hot dogs wafting in intermittently from the mud room, reminding me of what torture awaits me in the morning (Anyone else find laundry torturous?), today has been a very relaxing day. After an indefinite hiatus from teaching, I was asked to sub in Relief Society. But you just said you had a very relaxing day! Yeah, I know. Strange as it is, I find that I'm most comfortable and relaxed when I get to teach. I wasn't always like this--7 years of practice had a hand in it--but this was only my second time teaching since being released from Gospel Doctrine over a year ago, and it was literally like riding a bike. I love it when all the elements of a great gospel lesson come together--knowledge of a topic, stemming from diligent study; the influence of the Holy Ghost in directing a discussion; the influence of the Holy Ghost in the reception of the message; and avid participation from everyone in the room. I always feel so lucky when I get to have an experience like that, because unfortunately, not every lesson is great. Sometimes I haven't studied long enough or deeply enough. Sometimes I haven't heeded the Holy Ghost's promptings in guiding the lesson. Sometimes the message falls on hardened hearts, and sometimes participation is severely lacking. Today, it was a great lesson.
As much as I've appreciated the thought behind leaving me calling-less for the past year (new baby, 5 kids by myself @ church, husband serving in the High Council), I'm starting to feel very restless in my desire to be of some sort of service in the ward. Yes, I visit teach. Yes, I put the Sacrament Program together. (Which is not an official calling.) But I feel as though I'm missing out on some of the blessings that I could be receiving by having the opportunity to magnify a calling. It's especially hard when I know our ward--and stake, for that matter--are hurting for people who willingly accept and fulfill callings, resulting in some carrying two or three at a time. Whatever the reasons, I hope that the Lord will soon find a need for me to fill.

For now, I'll just try to keep my children occupied and enjoying their summer, making ties-1000 of them!--for the upcoming Raspberry Days, and tending to my home and garden, which are full-time jobs in and of themselves. Oh, and if you noticed my mere .5 lb. weight loss last week, I maintain it's because I weighed-in fully clothed, on a full stomach, instead of in my shorts & t-shirt, still needing to eat breakfast. I guess we'll see if that theory holds up when I step on the scale again on Saturday.

A Simple Question.

2010-06-03T18:52:00.003-06:00

TUESDAY

Mike: " So what do you think about me taking all the girls out camping on Friday?"

Me: Blank stare.

Mike: "You don't think it's a good idea?"

Me: Still dumbfounded.

Mike: "Cause if you don't want me to, I won't. I just thought it would be fun to take them out fishing with Matt and his girls."

Me: Finally able to speak through my utter shock, "Yes! Go! Now!"

WEDNESDAY

Mike: "I told Matt we'd go, so I guess It's official. I think we're going to go out to Strawberry Reservoir, since a lake's probably a little safer than a river."

Cue 6:00 News lead story: "Search crews scoured Strawberry Reservoir all day for the body of a man who fell out of a boat on Memorial Day. It is now being called a recovery effort."

Me: "Yup. Probably MUCH safer."

THURSDAY

Mike: "I guess I better make a list of things we need to get at the grocery store before we leave...Are you sure you think this is okay?"

Me: "You'll be fine, Dear. Just make sure Maggie gets her pill, you keep Bridget away from the water and the fire, you bring toilet paper, since you've got a bunch of girls who can't exactly pee on a tree with great ease, and you'll want to pack all of their blankets, jammies, pillows, and extra clothes, ooooh, probably extra shoes, too, for when they go running in the water after you've told them 3,000 times to back up, and make sure they've got sunblock on, take mosquito spray, oh, did I mention keep BOTH eyes on Bridget at all times? Sweetie, you'll have so much fun! Just don't let them out of your sight while you set up camp, make dinner, & get fishing poles ready, then help all 4 of them cast at the same time, keeping them from hooking each other--or you, for that matter--and don't forget to take the constellations book so they can check out the stars for their activity this week, which you probably won't be able to see until 10 or 11 pm, which is a little past their 8:00 bedtime, but they won't sleep that great on the cold hard ground anyway, so they'll probably be up a few times in the night complaining of the cold & needing to go potty--did you remember the toilet paper?--so they might be a little cranky by the time you get them up and dressed and warming up by the fire, but I'm sure by the time you get them fed breakfast, and find a great fishing spot, they won't complain too much, and they can hopefully catch a few fish to bring home with you after you clean up the dishes, take down camp, pack it all back in the car, all while keeping an eagle eye on them and especially that "spirited" little Bridget of ours. Yep...you're gonna have a GREAT time! Don't forget to take the camera, Honey, and take pictures of EVERYTHING you do and see!"

Popcorn!

2010-05-30T12:43:00.005-06:00

Those who know us know that Mike is addicted to popcorn. He makes himself a pan of popcorn at LEAST twice a week, and we've even had weeks where he's made it every night! I think that qualifies as an addiction. I've been asked by several friends for our Caramel Popcorn recipe, so I thought I share it here, with the masses. (Okay, so really, all 7 of you...) Thanks to my Grandma Martindale for this recipe, which we've modified to create other DELICIOUS flavors!!!

Caramel Popcorn

1/2 of a brown paper grocery bag of salted popcorn (oil-popped is best)
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. Karo Syrup
1/2 C. real butter
1 tsp. baking soda (not powder...ew)

In a medium saucepan, bring sugar, syrup & butter to a full boil, then remove from heat & add the baking soda. Stir together until the whole mixture is nice and frothy. Pour it over the popcorn already in the bag and stir to coat the popcorn as best you can. Fold down the bag and put in the microwave for 1 minute. Take it out and shake, baby, shake! Put it back in for 1 more minute, then take it out and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Once it's cooled a bit, it will harden, so squeeze the bag to break it all up.

For other flavors, replace the brown sugar with white sugar, and add a small (3 oz. I think) package of whatever flavored Jell-O you like. Follow the same directions for the Caramel Corn, and you may just slip into a popcorn addiction of your own! BTW, we're working on perfecting our Chocolate Popcorn, and our Peanut Butter Popcorn recipes. If you aren't addicted yet, just wait!

Gooooooooooooal!

2010-05-29T11:37:00.005-06:00

I hit 187 today, which is kind of a big deal for me. In October, when Mike and I joined the gym, I stepped onto the giant scale to reveal a whopping 217. Dixon was 4 months old, so yes, there was some pregnancy weight there, but for the most part, it was ALL me. Today, I am 30 pounds lighter, thanks to LOTS of hard work and perseverance. I'm about halfway to where I think I can reasonably maintain , so I just wanted to share my accomplishment with my favorite people!

Also, if you're looking for some motivation and some inspiration, I discovered this blog a couple of days ago. Because of it, I'm registering my whole family for Ogden's Family Fun 5K in August.

Who's with me?

Post Edit: Sorry, I think I got the link fixed. Also, don't forget to check out my last post...you may have missed it.

79 days and counting...

2010-05-28T16:11:00.006-06:00

I really can't believe school is actually over for the year! I guess time flies when you're busier than any one one person should ever be...
That being said, I'm just about ready to begin the Summer O' Fun for the kidlets. I'm hoping that keeping to our schedule will alleviate the constant, "Moooom! I'm bored!" that inevitably shows up about this time every year and doesn't stop until the end of August.

We're starting with folders. The girls are used to keeping a planner at school, to record their homework and other pertinent information, so I decided not to fix it if it ain't broken. They each get a folder with a printout of their chores for the week, and have to keep track of when they are completed. Points are awarded for completion, and points will be used to buy rewards. We're still doing MyJobChart online, but having printouts will keep them from wanting to get on the computer 15 times a day.
I'm also adding a Math worksheet and some kind of Language Arts worksheet each day for the girls to finish, just so they retain what they've learned over the school year. Lest you think I'm a mean mom, making my kids do homework all summer, please know that these worksheets will take about 30 min. to complete both, so it's not like I'm some Nazi Mom....mostly.

We've decided to pick a weekly theme--one the girls are interested in and want to learn more about--then all of our activities for the week will be incorporating our theme somehow. For instance, this week the girls picked Horses as our theme, so on Wed. we went to the library and picked out all sorts of books on horses and borrowed My Friend Flicka from the library as well. Today, we were lucky enough to find that the Miniature Horse Show was going on up at the County Fairgrounds, so we packed a picnic lunch and went to go see them. We found an owner who was kind enough to let 7 little kids under the age of 8 maul...I mean pet... her horse and get pictures with him...they were in LOVE!

So, the schedule for the summer will look something like this (though, I'm not naive enough to believe that it will work out like this every week, all summer long) :

Monday--Swimming Day. We have a membership at the City Rec Center, so I figured we better let the kids use it too! Luckily, Maggie and Brooke are pretty good swimmers, Dixon sits in a floaty, and Katie is too chicken to venture out very far, so my focus can be on my little Kamakazi, Bridget, who is certain she's a mermaid and can breathe underwater. I'm excited that my former swim teaching/lifeguarding skills can once again surface, but I'm hoping not to need the latter.

Tuesday--Movie/Book Report Day. We'll either borrow or rent a movie that has to do with our theme for the week. I love that the library has lots of great choices. Not only do they have a few popular movies, but there are lots of educational DVD's that the kids are WAY excited to watch. We borrowed one on the life of butterflies and moths, and they watched in 5 times before taking it back. Since the kids will have borrowed at least one book on our weekly theme, I figured their L.A. for the day can be a book report. Great way to practice handwriting as well as reading comprehension.

Wednesday--Library Day. Every Wed. the library does StoryTime, where they read a few books, blow some bubbles, do a little relaxing yoga (seriously!), then make a craft to take home. It's nice to let someone else do the reading for a while, and we can return our books and get new ones for the week. My rule for this summer is 3 books each. One from the library's reading list they provide for each grade level, one having to do with our weekly theme, and one that's just whatever the heck they want. I'd love to let them get more, but that's 15 books already, and I have to carry them AND the baby back to the car, AND keep track of them once they're at my house for the week, so...limits are essential.

Thursday--Project Day. My girls have such imaginations, and thankfully they really like to express themselves through making things. I'd like to keep to our weekly theme when doing our projects, but frankly, I'm not sure if I can come up with a unique project every week that sticks to that, so we'll just go with the flow on this one. For this week, we're going to decorate our summer folders, and I may even break out the forbidden paint and markers...maybe.

Friday--Activity Day. We'll plan some sort of outing, hopefully theme-related, that will get us out and doing something we wouldn't normally do, for instance, the Miniature Horse Show. I'm really hoping to mix it up and let the girls experience all sorts of different things. Of course, most of these things will have to be free, but I'm up to the challenge of finding some jewels out there!

So, that's the plan for the Stringhams this summer. We'd be happy to have some company at any of our outings, so let me know if you want to join us! Some of the ideas the girls and I have come up with so far are:

Dinosaur Park
Treehouse Museum
HAFB Museum
Duck Park in Layton
Bike Riding
Running a Race (5K family run/walk in August--Yay!)
Bowling (Did you know that bowling centers across the country have a Kids Bowl Free Program that runs all summer? Two free games per kid per day, you just have to pay for shoe rental. For us, it's $6 and all the kids get to have a great time bowling! Sparetime here in Roy is a participant, so for us, it's perfect.)
Chuck E. Cheese's-the kids think if we use it as an activity, our theme should be Mice. Hmmm.

And that's it for now. While I have some ideas, I still have to come up with more themes, activities and projects to last all summer, so if you have any ideas, please share!

Finds & Downloads

2010-05-26T08:33:00.005-06:00

Just wanted to pass along a few of my newest finds that I thought you may be interested in!

First, since the last day of school is TODAY, I was happy to have found these great teacher appreciation ideas at The Fickle Pickle, and the great news is, you can copy the templates right off her site! Because I had 7 teacher gifts to make, and limited funds, I used the "You're o"Fish"ally the BEST!" tag, since a bag of Swedish fish was only $2 at Walmart. WAY easy, but still a nice gift to thank the teachers. I also had the girls write each of their teachers a letter telling them how they appreciated them and what their favorite thing about the school year was.

This little jewel can be found as a free PDF download on Dandee's site.
This is perfect for any of you involved in YW, but for those like me, who are not, it's still an inspiration & I plan to frame this for my girls' bedrooms!

Katie's Pinkalicious Party

2010-05-21T20:12:00.008-06:00

Katie decided on a "Pinkalicious" birthday this year, and I have to admit, I had a great time coming up with games and decorations for her!

We started off with Pin the Cherry on the CupcakeThen we had a Cakewalk (sorry, no pics) where I had a circle of numbers on the ground, withe the "magic number" being 6, for Katie's age, of course. Every time I said the word, "cupcake" as I read "Pinkalicious" aloud, whomever was standing on the 6 got to jump out and get their cupcake & pink lemonade! It was fun to try to make the cupcakes look like the ones in the story. I think I did a fine job!

After stuffing their faces with lots of pinkaliciousness, Katie decided to open her gifts--again, no pics--but here's a picture of the cute wands I made for all the girls to take home with them...

...and the Strawberry Popcorn Mike whipped up last night for them to take home as well. Seriously yummy!

I also picked up some pink flip flops from Old Navy and some cute little glittery foam flowers and butterflies that we tied on them--once again, no pics. I also failed to get pics of all the girls dressed in all their pink in front of my little pink vignette. Oh well. We had a great time and now I'm ready to not look at or think about pink for a very long time.

Today.

2010-05-17T21:16:00.002-06:00

I could NOT get motivated to go to the gym this morning, which is weird, because just last night I was eagerly anticipating throwing on my sneakers and attempting to match last week's accomplishment. Maybe it had something to do with with the Mortuary phone ringing at 11:30, and Mike's lumbering attempt to reach the kitchen to catch it before that 3rd ring. Or it could have been the crying baby at 2 am in his soaking wet pajamas and his refusing to fall back to sleep without his bottle. It could also have been Mike's alarm that went off at 4:45 as usual, but this time it got turned off without a hint of movement from either side of the bed.

Oh well. I'm pretty sure I more than made up for it with the 5 hours I spent out in the garden today, weeding, transporting shovelfuls of compost, hand tilling, raking and planting 3-100 sq. ft. beds. There's no way I didn't burn at LEAST as many calories as my hour at the gym. Plus, I get the added benefit of home-grown watermelon, cantaloupe, butternut squash, pumpkins, zucchini, corn, basil, dill, jalapenos, green chilies, parsley, cilantro, and--of course--TOMATOES!!!!!--from today's plantings. There's just nothing better than eating food you grew yourself. Not only does it taste amazing, but there's such a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when things come full circle.

There's still a lot of work to be done, but for now, everything's planted and I'm thrilled to get it all started. I'm still looking forward to my date with the Elliptical tomorrow, so hopefully leaky diapers will remain at bay, and since we're off tonight, we shouldn't be interrupted by a phone call, either. (Now is when I insert a warning that anyone who might think it's funny to call me at 11:30 will have one grouchy mama to contend with once I'm coherent enough to figure out who you are.)

With that, I'm off to bed.

Physical and Spiritual Restoration

2010-05-15T15:19:00.005-06:00

Since my goal for this year continues to be about restoring, I wanted to share a little progress in two areas of my life that have been receiving significant restoration as of late.
My day starts at 4:45--that's a.m.--when Mike's alarm goes off. We've both committed to getting things done in the mornings before the kiddos are up, and it's really been paying off. That's not to say I don't have to literally drag my body out of it's cozy cocoon every morning, but I no longer have to decide whether or not to actually get up. For that, I am happy. I'm also grateful to have a husband who's not only supportive but is joining me in my efforts, even if he does make popcorn nearly every night.

My early morning routine has a two-fold purpose.

1) Spiritual Restoration. Mike leaves just after waking up to go workout, so after he leaves I start my morning with a prayer, my scriptures, my journal, and my Yoplait Light with Kellogg's Bran Buds (13 g of fiber per 1/3 C. serving!), just so I have a little protein before my turn at the gym. Since I started blogging, I thought I had no need for my journal anymore, but I've discovered a new use. As I read, I write down the impressions and thoughts I get. What's interesting about this new approach is that even after I've closed my book, my mind remains wide open. I've actually thought about taking a pencil and paper with me to the gym as my mind continues to ponder things (faster than I can keep up) even as the sweat seeps through my t-shirt and my muscles are ablaze, but I'm pretty sure that even if my sweaty hands could keep hold of my pencil, the writing would be completely illegible from the constant up & down of the elliptical. So that's out. But I'm really grateful to have taken advantage of the quiet stillness of the mornings that allows me to study without interruption, giving me the opportunity for receiving inspiration, revelation, and reflection once again.

2) Physical Restoration. After I've concluded my studying, I tie on my sneakers and trade places with Mike. By this time, it's 6 am and while I'm at the gym, Mike gets the girls settled in for their breakfast, then heads to our room to study. I'm quite certain his study time isn't as quiet as mine, but he insists on being at the gym first so he can move from station to station without waiting on the little old men who come to lift at 6 and have nothing else to do with their morning than hang out, chatting between sets. (If I didn't know any better I'd think they were having Relief Society.)
Providing no one else has beat me to the punch, I jump on my favorite elliptical with the moving handlebars, so I really feel like I get a whole body workout. I do this for 30 minutes and usually do some kind of interval program--either 2 min. low intensity/2 min. high intensity, or there's also a 4 minute interval option. I usually burn around 400 calories if the juice in my mp3 player hasn't run out, otherwise it's hard to keep up a really good pace and I find myself slowing down too much to burn that high.

Since I workout 6 days/week, after my cardio I do 30 minutes of strength training where I rotate between upper body, lower body, and core, so I hit each twice a week, and do 2-3 sets of 15 for each exercise.

Upper body--Dumbbell curls, overhead triceps extention, lateral raises, shoulder press, shrugs, bent over lateral raises (back), and incline bench press w/dumbbells (since I have no spotter).

Lower body--Quad extensions, hamstring curls, leg press (though I've been informed that I must stop these immediately--again, thank you, knees), calf extensions, and skater squats (squats with a side leg-lift).

Core--Dumbbell side bends, dumbbell crunches (on back, legs straight up, holding weight with straight arms & lifting towards feet), crunches with twist, seated twist with dumbbell (figure 8 motion, side to side across body while slightly reclined), lying straight leg raises (on back, arms to the sides, hands slightly under my tush to support my lower back, then straight legs extended up 90* and back down), swimming (on front, legs and hands extended, then slightly arch back to move straight arms & legs up & down), back extensions (on front, hands behind head & lift), and modified plank (on forearms & toes with body straight--holding for 30-60 seconds).

Along with my calorie output as I workout at the gym, I'm also taking care to pay attention to my calorie input, which is frankly something I have never really cared much about. I like food. No, I LOVE food. And I've become pretty good at cooking that food that I love so much--which is a contributor to my high of 217 lbs. I've realized, though, that I can't continue to eat as I have and lose the weight I need, regardless of how many hours I spend at the gym. And let's face it, I don't have my 3-sport high school athlete metabolism anymore, so over the last 4 weeks, I've been very diligent about the following things on a daily basis:

64+ oz. of water
5+ servings of whole fruits and veggies
Eating about every 3 hours
30+ g of fiber
100g of protein
No added sugar and VERY limited salt
1200-1400 calories

I know the calories seem pretty low, but I started with a BMI of 32, which put me embarrassingly in the obese range. Since my "ideal weight" is something like 127, if I were to actually get back to that size (which I maintain is completely unreasonable), I will have lost about 76 lbs. So, my reasoning (logical or not) for cutting my calories so low is that a) I NEED to get as much pressure off my knees as I can, as quickly as I can, b) it's more unhealthy to be obese than it is to not get quite enough calories, and c) I'm in it to win a couple hundred bucks, so I'm taking drastic measures!

But truthfully, I feel better than I have in a really long while, and I'm pretty certain that if it were just the physical changes alone, I wouldn't feel nearly as well. My morning study has given me not only perspective during the day, but the daily spiritual guidance I desperately need as I try to accomplish a very long list of to-do's, and to-be's. I love that I've opened up a conversation with my girls about what it means to be healthy and unhealthy, and I love that I've been able to include my girls in my Saturday morning workouts. Today was Maggie's turn and she went the ENTIRE three-mile loop with me around our neighborhood--which has some significant hills. When we walked triumphantly through the door, I said, "I'm so proud of you for going the whole way, Mag!" To which she relpied, "I'm proud of me too, Mom!"

I still have a long way to go on my path to restoration, but at least now I'm not just standing on the path...I'm running.

Losin' It

2010-05-15T10:53:00.004-06:00

I just got back from my weigh-in and couldn't contain my giddiness, so I'm posting this week's 4 pound weight loss immediately!
So I did the math--you can check it if you don't trust it, Dad--and if I continue my average of 2.75 lbs. per week for the next 6 weeks, I'll be at 176 at the end of the competition. That will put my total pounds lost at 27.5, and my total percentage of weight loss at 13.51%!

Hope my competitors realize who they're up against...

This week.

2010-05-13T08:59:00.003-06:00

I've not done a very good job of keeping up on my postings lately. Between tie-making and mothering, I've spread myself pretty thin.

Anyway, just as an update:

Finally got ties off to Jen to shoot for the Father's Day special. I loved one of the fabrics so much that I'm going to make me a skirt out of it...as soon as I get caught up on tie orders.

Had the nephews over for a sleepover on Mon. nite while Mer and Ty went to the Jazz game. Two of her kids were puking, but they all managed to sleep through the night. Tues. night Bridget started puking and yesterday it was Dixon's turn. So far no one else has caught it, and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm looking forward to my payback, Mer...

Wed. nite I made the mistake of staying up until 1 am finishing ties. Considering my bedtime is usually 9 pm, and Mike's alarm goes off at 4:45...well, you do the math.

Last night was Brooke's 1st Grade Patriotic Program. Since the two little ones were still sick, I left everyone else home and took her myself. The program was lovely and brought me to tears several times. I love that because my kids are in a charter school, they were able to sing songs like, God Bless the U.S.A., and God Bless America, and that the last line of the program was, "We thank you for serving our great country and pray for your safe return!" I'm so grateful that political correctness had no place in the program last night!

Today I have plans to shower...then hopefully take the kiddos to the Library before Katie goes to school. I have another 2 tie orders to fill (14 ties in all), which I need to get done tonight, since tomorrow I'm helping out with Field Day at the school, and will be indisposed all day long. I'm looking forward to spending the day in 65* sunshine!

Mom

2010-05-09T18:41:00.004-06:00

Sew Barbie clothes

Cross-stitch
Knit
Play volleyball
Play drums
Stay home to raise 4 daughters & 1 son
Cheer at every home game, for every sport, for every child
Sew clothing including JEANS
Cook hot breakfast every morning
Cook hot dinner from scratch every night
Make lunches everyday
Mow lawn weekly
Drive vanload of teenagers to Stake dances 1 hour away--monthly
Serve diligently in all callings
Plant gardens
Keep house clean
Teach children--even when they don't want to be taught
Listen without judgement
Love unconditionally
Live faithfully

It's a lot to live up to.

But it can be done.

How do I know?

Because I have

HER

as proof that it can be.

Happy Mother's Day to my Greatest Example.

So Long, Treadmill

2010-05-05T18:26:00.003-06:00

Dear Mr. Treadmill--

It was a good ride. In fact, pushing myself to run a full 2 miles on you was exhilarating last week, but alas, my knees despise you...no, they LOATHE you. So much so, that they complained for 3 days straight until I could no longer handle the pressure. I guess we're just not meant to be right now. Hopefully circumstances will change for us in the not too distant future and I hope you'll be waiting for me when they do. Until then, please don't be discouraged when you see me give my daily 300 calorie burn to Mr. Elliptical.

It's not that I don't want to run on you--I wanted nothing more than to hit that 5K this month--but my knees need Mr. E's gentleness right now, and I must put them above my competitive drive. Thank you for your understanding.

Until we meet again,
Amanda

A Quiet Minute

2010-04-25T11:46:00.003-06:00

Dixon needed a time-out from church today, so I left Relief Society to bring him home to his bed. Now I'm sitting here A L O N E with about a million things that I could be doing before everyone else gets here, but I decided to plop on the couch and get caught up on a little journaling while it's Q U I E T.

1. The morning study/workout routine has been going wonderfully! By the end of the week I could "run" a full mile again without stopping, though I'm sure the old man on the treadmill next to me was worried that he might have to jump off and revive the girl with the bright red face. I'm grateful that my body has decided to allow me to move again, for the time being. Oh yeah, and I dropped 2.5 lbs. last week, so that made me pretty happy as well.

2. We spent almost the entire day in the garden yesterday, planting cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and zinnias, as well as tilling and digging up the walkways to put down weed barrier. Sure makes the beds look nice, outlined by the clean walkways. I didn't even think about getting my camera out yesterday, so maybe I'll take advantage of the beautiful day today and go take some pictures. We have 2" peas, onions, lettuce, spinach, beets and radishes popping up, and the potatoes have started to make their way up through the dirt as well. Our asparagus is growing like crazy, but we've yet to pick any. Some were nice thick stalks, but it grew so fast that before we knew it, some of it had ferned already. I'm considering going out today and picking a couple just to have some fresh stuff for dinner.

3. I purchased a cutting mat and rotary blade yesterday, which made my tie cutting SO MUCH FASTER! I'm very excited to start cutting again tomorrow, to see what I can get done. I got another shipment of fabric in this week so I could start building up my inventory for the fair. I feel like there's so much to think about and get done before it gets here that I'm kinda glad it's the only fair I've entered so far.

4. I got sick of my red living room, so I took down my curtains, sewed some new ones and recovered all my pillows with greens, blues and browns. I even repurposed a couple of old sweaters into pillows..they're my faves.

5. Dixon has started to stand without help. He always looks around to find someone to cheer for him when he does. It's adorable.

6. Brooke taught herself how to ride her bike without training wheels yesterday. Mike fixed up the bikes as best he could, attached the trailer to his bike and took the kids all the way over to the mortuary parking lot to ride after hours. They had a BLAST! I'm afraid I'm going to be hearing lots of, "Mo---om, can we go ride our bikes at the mortuary?" this summer.

7. Mike has decided to take the month off from planning any dates for us. Therefore, I may protest next month by planning dates for myself. Like, a pedicure while he's at work, or maybe some clothes shopping...

8. My morning scripture study has been such an influence on the rest of my day. I've felt compelled to study patience, and as a result have been more aware of my lack of it. On the days I choose to exercise it more, I feel happier and more in control. A thought came to me as I studied that to wait on the Lord is not a waste of time.

9. We found out today that our Stake Presidency is being released at Stake Conference in four weeks. Mike was informed this morning that Elder Bruce C. Hafen plans on interviewing each of the High Councilmen during that time. Hope he doesn't get an ulcer.

And with that, the kidlets have returned...

Money or Competition?

2010-04-20T18:50:00.002-06:00

I started a friendly little competition this weekend with about a dozen others who needed some motivation to drop a few.

Pounds, that is.

We each paid in $40, with prize money going to 1st and 2nd place, and 1st place in points (earned through tracking meals, workouts, water, etc.). So far I've been very diligent--even fierce!--about keeping to my goals for daily calorie intake and calories burned through exercise. (Yes, the gym welcomed me back with open arms...or flying buttresses, whatever the case may be.) I've decided that getting up to study and workout before the kids have a chance to swarm me feels oh so much better than sleeping in. Yep. You read that right. Me. The one who adores her pillow nearly as much as she adores her husband, actually thinks getting up EARLY is the winner. Now, if I can just remember that when the alarm goes off at 4:45...

It felt so good to get on the treadmill, and despite the threat of earthquake or recoil, RUN AGAIN. Mike will read this and snicker because according to him, what I do is not classified as "running." He also thinks that me calling it "jogging" is letting it slide. So sorry Mr. Cross-Country and your I-ate-so-much-chocolate-this-weekend-and-I-still-can't-break-200 metabolism. You know what you can do with your definitions.

A really great resource I've found is Spark People. I track all my measurements, meals along with calories & nutrients, and workouts including calories burned. I LOVE the site and I'm pretty sure I'm not organized enough to track everything without it. I'm feeling really good about my progress so far. I may even win.

The question is, is it the money that is motivating me, or is it the competition????

Bridget's 4th

2010-04-17T19:55:00.000-06:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Bridget!

Giveaway

2010-04-16T07:52:00.002-06:00

There's a great giveaway going on at BLOOM today, so I'm posting here for another entry. Who doesn't need more bakeware??!!

The Importance of Being Bridget

2010-04-08T11:36:00.002-06:00

I found a nifty new feature on my camera last week that allows me to take successive pictures. I couldn't resist posting this sequence of Bridget, who was supposed to be helping me get the lighting right on my camera, but was a little obsessed with her new dental work and thought the camera would find it as interesting as she did. This kid cracks me up.

Spring Break Part II

2010-04-06T21:42:00.008-06:00

Flip Flops!!!!

Last month, I saw this great tutorial on how to make interchangeable flip flops, and I immediately knew we had a fun Spring Break project on our hands! Ever since I brought home their new flip flops, the girls have been waiting on pins and needles to start decorating them. Well, today was that day!

And then we looked outside...

Doesn't that just scream "SPRING BREAK!" to you?

So after an hour or so playing in the frozen white North, building a pretty impressive snowman with Dad, and having one heck of a snowball fight, they finally conceded to the wet and came inside to start their project.We started off with these plain black ff's from Old Navy that I got on sale for $1.83/pair. That's cheaper than Walmart, AND they're better quality. Yay me! (Did I really just quote London Tipton? Little too much Disney Channel...)
I found this adhesive at Hobby Lobby. Hot glue will come apart too easily, so I found one that would adhere fabric to plastic.
I cut strips of velcro the width of the straps and angled the tops to fit nicely together. Then I used the rougher "hook" side to glue down. Next came my sewing machine, where I jumped ahead of myself and forgot to take a picture of how I folded the ribbon and sewed it into a "V". Oh well. (If you can't figure it out, just refer back to the original tutorial. I'm only adding my own here so I know I'll be able to refer back to this, even if the other site disappears.) After that, I took the corresponding "loop" side and sewed it to the ribbon down both sides.
The girls picked out their own ribbons and flowers and other adornments, resulting in these beauties.

I have to go buy some more velcro so I can get mine done now! It was a pretty easy project, and the girls are very excited to swap bands with one another. Of course, they won't be wearing them outside the house until Mr. Snowman has completely watered our lawn. From the looks of this before (10 am) and after (6 pm) shot, it may happen sooner than later. Of course, this is Spring in Utah.

Spring Break Part I

2010-04-06T21:10:00.004-06:00

We spent Easter weekend with the Stringham side of the family, and had a really great time. I always love it when we can get the little girls together to play because they have so much fun! (Not to mention the fun the big girls have when we get together, too!) The boys--Paul, Mike, Matt, and Jason--went off to watch Clash of the Titans, while we took the little ones to the Treehouse Museum, where they played furiously for about an hour and a half. Afterward, we met up with the guys at Fat Cats and played video games. Most of us took a turn at the bumper cars, which Maggie, Brooke and Katie LOVED! It was hilarious watching their little faces just beaming with pure exhilaration as they manned their own car and held on for dear life! Everyone came back to our place and had an Easter egg hunt in the back yard...just what we needed--kids hyped up on candy! After some KFC and a rousing game of Apples to Apples, everyone took off and we all crashed hard.
Easter morning came, and the girls were so excited to put on their new Easter dresses, that they didn't care that it was General Conference and not regular church. {Chocolate for breakfast isn't THAT bad, is it?} They climbed back into their little tents they had brought upstairs for Saturday's conference sessions (a la the Nephites who turned their tents toward King Benjamin) and proceeded to peruse their Conference packets I'd printed off for them. Maggie actually listened to almost every talk of every session this year, which was quite remarkable to me. The force is strong with that one... :)

Teach the Children

2010-04-04T14:49:00.003-06:00

When touched by the Spirit, tears flow so easily for me, but often words do not.

Today I watched this short video between Conference sessions about The Redeemer, with Maggie and Bridget seated beside me.
"Mom, you're crying AGAIN!" they said, between giggles.
"I know, I know. Mom just cries at everything, doesn't she?" I said, as I quickly wiped my face and turned off the computer to make my way to the kitchen.
Dinner was ready in time for the start of the last session, so we sat down to eat our lovely Easter dinner, with Maggie's boombox strategically placed on the counter so we wouldn't miss a thing. (The meal must've been good because everyone was quiet enough for us to hear the talks!)

As Elder Hales began to speak of how his mother wanted him home for dinner before he could go out to play baseball, I looked around our kitchen table and felt an overwhelming sense of joy that our family was all there together.
I was further impressed when he started talking about the Nephites during the time of King Benjamin, and how "there were many of the rising generation that could not understand the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto his people..." (Mosiah 26:1) I at once thought about Elder Bednar's talk yesterday. "Parents should be vigilant and spiritually attentive to spontaneously occurring opportunities to bear testimony to their children," he said. "Such occasions need not be programmed, scheduled or scripted. In fact, the less regimented such testimony sharing is, the greater the likelihood for edification and lasting impact" (see Doctrine and Covenants 84:85). I also thought of how I had let that moment pass me by as I had earlier wept with my children beside me, never explaining to them why my heart was so tender. It never occurred to me until that moment that my children could be like those Nephites who didn't understand, so they hardened their hearts, consequently were not baptized, and never joined the church, separating themselves from the Lord.

How could I possibly think my sweet little ones would understand the deepest feelings of my heart toward my Savior, Jesus Christ, just by looking at the tears streaming down my cheeks? How will they know if I don't take the opportunities given to me by the Spirit to testify of truth?
This Conference, for me, was the most touching and powerful of any I can recall. So much was directed toward my role as a mother, as I repeatedly heard, "Teach the children." I can't wait to read the talks over and see what other things the Spirit impresses upon me, and I can't wait to share these things with my children. My tears will be learning to have a voice.

Something's Gotta Give

2010-03-21T13:00:00.003-06:00

I've been meaning to find a little time to jot down some of the impressions I got at Women's Conference last week. I always love going to those. I'm not sure if the speakers are always that amazing, or if I just feel that way because I'm finally able to enjoy listening to one all the way through without being distracted by rambunctious children. I'm gonna split my vote on this one.
This year, our speaker was Curtis Jacobs, an Institute teacher at Utah State, and noted EFY speaker. Though he normally reserves his time for the youth, and various Multi-Stake functions, he happens to be the uncle of a good friend in our ward and as a favor to him, took time from his busy schedule to come speak to our somewhat sparse little Stake.
The theme of his talk was 'Balancing It All.' (For those of you who read the earlier post about me juggling my purse, keys, bowl of pasta, then tumbling down the stairs on my way to this function can now laugh at the irony.)
I admit that I struggle with balancing my life. My priorites seem to shift daily, and with each new situation that arises. Because I'm so UNbalanced, there are a lot of things in my life that lack my attention (housework, for one), and others that get too much (blogging, for one). I'm completely aware of this, but haven't had the energy or motivation to change this sad fact. I think I may have found my motivation in some statistics Bro. Jacobs gave. It was a real eye-opener.

Over 90% of members of the church believe that prayer is important.
Only about 33% of members of the church pray daily.

Over 90% of members of the church believe that the answers to life's questions can be found in the scriptures.
About 33% of members of the church read their scriptures occasionally.
About 20 % of members of the church read their scriptures somewhat often.
About 11% of members of the church read their scriptures daily.

So often, our actions do not reflect our beliefs. Me included. I think I just get so caught up in the busyness of life that I fail to do those things that I KNOW are most important. I am so good about studying my scriptures when I have a lesson to prepare or a talk to give, and at those times, I feel as though I am truly feasting on the word. But when I don't have a calling or a "reason" to study, I'm less likely to put in the time or effort. The same can be said about prayer, which is why I'm intrigued by something I found just today in a talk by Henry B. Eyring from 2001.

"If we become casual in our study of the scriptures, we will become casual in our prayers. We may not cease to pray, but our prayers will become more repetitive, more mechanical, lacking real intent. Our hearts cannot be drawn out to a God we do not know, and the scriptures...help us know Him."

My scripture study lately has consisted of reading one chapter each morning with the kids before school starts. That's it. Not exactly a daily learning experience. It also gives a clue as to how my prayers have been feeling lately. Clearly I have work to do in that department. I know I must do better, and I know I need to rearrange a few things in order to make that happen. I'm encouraged by this quote by Stephen R. Covey, "The key is not to prioritize our schedule, but to schedule our priorities." This really hit home with me, and I'm once again realizing that I MUST get up before the kids to pray and study the scriptures. If I don't, it WILL NOT HAPPEN. My actions must once again reflect my priorities, and I'm committed to make it happen.
I'm acutely aware that I don't have enough hours in the day to accomplish all that I would LIKE, or even feel that I NEED to accomplish. I'm willing to let some things go. The hard part will be figuring out what those things are. Martin Luther puts things into perspective in this way, "I have so much to do today, that I shall start with three hours of prayer." Not that I think all busy days require the precursor of a three hour prayer, but what a testament to the importance of communing with the Father!
I came away from Conference, knowing that the Spirit had impressed some things upon me, not just to have a nice record of, written in my journal, but to be acted upon, and I fully intend to do so.

Collateral Damage of a Working Mother

2010-03-19T17:11:00.000-06:00

Just Breathe.

2010-03-19T07:56:00.003-06:00

I feel like I've been swimming in ties lately, and my posts have been reflecting that...I promise to post about other things soon, but for now, this is taking over my life!
I just opened shop yesterday and today am filling orders for 8 ties! I think I hope business keeps rolling in, but at the same time, it's a whole new learning curve for me to figure out how to manage it all--and organize my life so that the things that matter the most are not in any way neglected. I went to bed early last night (9:00!) so that I could get up early and get some things done before the rest of the family was into its normal morning bustle, but Dixon had other plans for me as he was awake from 2:30 -3:30. I did manage to get up at 6:00--in time to make breakfast for everyone, which Mike normally does. Here's hoping Dixon figures out soon that Mom's not coming to get him in the middle of the night anymore.

And just as a side note, someone needs to tell the garden to hurry and get itself planted.

Success.

2010-03-18T10:23:00.002-06:00

So, I just published my PickleFace Place Facebook page (say that 5 times fast...) and already have fans I don't even know! In fact, I just got my first two orders from non-friends or family today, and I'm over the moon!
Guess I'll go ahead and order that new fabric I've been eying, because it looks like I may need it!

Date 5 of 52--The Home Show, Burgers, and Lots of Bonus Points

2010-03-13T12:53:00.006-07:00

I'm going to preface this post by stating for the record, that I have the best husband in the world.

I awoke Saturday morning at 7:30, after going to bed at about 11 pm the night before. Dixon had miraculously slept through the night, and Mike had gotten up with him at 5:30, feeding, changing and entertaining him, leaving me to peacefully slumber for an extra 2 hours! (Bonus Point #1)
When I finally dragged myself out of bed, I found that Mike had made and fed the girls pancakes, and was in the process of divvying out "crusties" to them. I don't exactly know how or when it got started, but whenever Mike makes pancakes, he purposely drips little dots of pancake batter onto the griddle, and the girls go giddy over getting these little "crusties." I don't have the patience or time or patience to flip hundreds of tiny dots of pancake batter, and thus, the girls definitely favor Dad's pancakes over Mom's. (Frankly, I have NO problem leaving it that way.) Not only did I not have to make breakfast, but I adore seeing how engaged Mike is with the kids, and how much he loves to make them happy even if it means spending half the morning flipping hundreds of "crusties" over for them. (Bonus Points #2 and #3)
After eating my portion of pancakes drizzled with scrumptious blueberry sauce, topped with a dollop of whipping cream--Mmmm. I get happy just remembering it. I know. I'll post the recipe for that soon.--I got myself into the shower to get ready for the busy day ahead. I walked into the bathroom, shut the door, and proceeded to spend the next 30 minutes relishing every minute of my piping hot shower, with the door shut. I LOVE when Mike is home and I can take a real, long, hot, quiet shower. (Bonus Point #4)
By the time I emerged, Mike had cleaned up the kitchen, sent the girls off to get dressed and had put Dixon down for his morning nap. (Bonus Point #5)
I retreated to my bedroom, got dressed and started in with my hair and makeup. At about 9:15, I was reminded that I had volunteered to bring 2 lbs. of cooked pasta to the luncheon for the Stake Women's Conference that was to start at 10:00. Without missing a beat, Mike went to the storage room, got out the pasta and started cooking it for me so I could finish readying myself. (Bonus Point #6)
Without a minute to spare, I hurriedly grabbed the bowl of pasta, my purse and my keys, and headed through the mudroom. As I tried to avoid a backpack that had been left at the top step, the heel of my boot caught on its strap, and me, the keys, the purse, and yes, the pasta, went hurtling through the air, landing with a thud and a splat at the bottom. As I laid in a sea of noodles, with my legs in the air and my head against the concrete wall, I tried to yell for Mike to assist me, but I couldn't be heard over his vacuuming. (Bonus Point #7)
One of the girls happened to open the basement door right then, revealing their pathetic mother, and with a look of bewilderment ran up to get Dad. I'm pretty sure he was suppressing his laughter as he helped me up and feigned concern for this poor old bruised up body. For a moment, I considered crawling up the stairs and back into my bed, but thought better of it and decided to suck it up and go to the Conference anyway. After tending to the wound on my shin and making sure all traces of spaghetti were gone from my hair, I hobbled to the van and drove myself to the Stake building. I immediately went to the kitchen and apologized for showing up empty-handed, but as with all Relief Society functions, there was PLENTY of food there, with some to spare. My little offering would thankfully not be missed.
As it turned out, I desperately needed to be at that Conference. It deserves its own post entirely, so I won't go into detail here, but as we were getting ready to pack it up, Mike called. He asked if I needed him to bring over some pasta, because he had made another pot of it just in case. (Bonus Point #8) Seriously? Who does that? Apparently, my sweet and thoughtful husband, that's who. So now we have a whole bunch of pasta in the fridge just waiting for me to whip up some sauces for it in the coming days. Talk about your meal planning!
After I made it home, we packed up the kids and took them over to a friend's so Mike and I could go out on our date. I was very excited to surprise him with tickets to the SLC Spring Home & Garden Show, but forgot that I had posted on FB what my plan was. Surprise ruined. I love when I trip myself up. Oh well. We drove to SL in a lovely spring snowstorm, then joined 50 other drivers as we searched the parking lot for an available stall. After some swift maneuvering, we landed a spot and headed in to the chaos that is the Home Show. We wandered around for about an hour, where the only interesting products (besides the booths full of fudge) were a showerhead and a steam iron. It wasn't all for naught, though, because the best part was just walking around, Mike holding my hand, and not having to keep track of any little ones in that crazy crowd of people. (Bonus Point #9)
It was nearly dinner time, so we left the show and I treated Mike to his first taste of an In-n-Out burger. It was almost as good as I remembered them being, and certainly better than Wendy's or Micky D's. Quite a drive to Draper for them, so we won't be frequenting the place, but if we ever have a reason to head south, we may just have to put burgers on the docket.
We got back on the freeway and headed home, stopping for gas, Girl Scout cookies (Samoas and Thin Mints!), the Red Box, and a quick peek inside a local refurbished furniture store I've been dying to check out for months.
We picked up the kids, took them home & put them to bed, then vegged on the couch with popcorn, our GS cookies, and the movie "2012."
In the quiet moments before I tiptoed into our room and crawled under the covers next to Mike, I thought about what a great day I'd had (despite my little tumble), and the majority of things that had contributed to my happiness that day were because of him. I ended the day thanking my Heavenly Father for such an amazing husband, and for all the little experiences that had shown me how blessed I really am.

Come 'n Git 'em!

2010-03-10T21:14:00.006-07:00

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

So I just got my first order today for 3 ties! AND a second order for one more! I know it's not much, but it feels a lot like validation to me. And this is before I've even opened up shop! So, in celebration of my first sale, I thought I'd give a sneak peek to all you dear friends and give you a chance to order before I officially open shop.

Grand Opening Special:
1 for $14

2 for $25
3 for $35
4 for $40

SIZES:
The Newbie—Up to 6 mo.
The Little Man—about 6 mo. to 1 yr.
The Teetering Tot—about 1 yr. to 2 yrs.
The Big Boy—about 2 yrs. to 5 yrs.
The Perfect Gent—about 5 yrs. to 8 yrs.

The ties are all ready to go, so I can get them mailed off by the following day.
(For those of you who are interested, that's in time for Easter...)

Oh, and did I mention FREE SHIPPING during the Grand Opening?

Whether or not you purchase any ties, thanks for all your support and encouraging words for me as I launch this new venture.
You guys are the best.

xoxo,
Jonesy

Hello, Goodbye.

2010-03-09T20:04:00.002-07:00

It's hard to complain that Mike hasn't seen the kids for two days when we've been praying so desperately for work, but we've really been missing him around here. I'm grateful to be married to such a good man, who works so hard for his clients. They're pretty lucky to have him. So am I.

The Right Decision. (or, Date 4 of 52)

2010-03-04T16:04:00.006-07:00

Now that it's March, I'm in charge of planning our dates for the month. I was SO EXCITED to surprise Mike with this first one, because I knew he was going to LOVE what I had planned, and I hoped it would set the tone for the rest of out dating experiences this year. Being a lover of all things BYU (and get this--he's from Wyoming!), and a lover of all things basketball (Laker fan. Ugh.), I got us tickets to the BYU/Utah basketball game last night. Nose-bleeders, mind you, but tickets nonetheless. I had Meredith lined up to sit for us, who was even willing to take the kiddos overnight! (You're all wishing she was your sister, right?) I was going to be a perfect date!

On Tuesday, Maggie came home a little distraught. She didn't pass her 7's. In order to attend her class's Fiesta on Friday, she had to pass off all her multiplication tables by Thursday, and she still had her 7's, 8's and 9's left. I knew she wouldn't be able to pass them off without some intense work, so after telling Mike about what I'd planned for our date, we agreed to forgo the game to stay home and help her study. Last night, Mike plopped himself down on the couch with his iPod in his ears, listening to the game while I quizzed Maggie on her 8's & 9's. I admit that I was pretty disappointed that we weren't at the Huntsman Center, right in the middle of all that fun.
After exhausting every brain cell, we called it a night and Maggie and I got up early this morning (5:30!) and worked some more on those tables. She didn't quite have it down by the time her carpool picked her up, but I prayed all day long that she'd be able to remember what she'd worked so hard on. I waited with baited breath as I picked her up from school today.

The giant grin on her face said it all! She'd passed!

All of a sudden, the disappointment of missing the game turned into complete joy at the accomplishment of my sweet girl. Heavenly Father surely answers prayers, and blesses us for making sacrifices to help those we love the most. Now it's time to Fiesta!

Progress & Bloom

2010-03-03T08:56:00.006-07:00

Allow me to celebrate for just a moment.

As I stepped on the scale this morning, the numbers 1-9-9 stared back at me. It's been a while since I've seen that 'one' come at the beginning of my weight, so I'm going to try not to reward myself with a Krispy Kreme. I'm really excited about my progress so far--13 pounds in two months! I'd say that's right on track! If I maintain this rate, I'll reach my goal of 150 by October! The next big milestone will be 175, which I haven't weighed since I was preggers with Bridget--almost 5 years ago. So, here's to progress!

Hey--I'm posting again over at BLOOM today. You should check it out!

Date 3 of 52--Double Date Pinochle

2010-03-02T08:11:00.003-07:00

Our decision to go to Kemmerer for the weekend to pick up the van proved fortuitous for Mike who got out of "planning" our date for the week.

(He claims he had something planned before our last-minute trip, but I'm skeptical. The smirk on his face gave it away.)

You see, Kemmerer, Wyoming is a place where technology ceases to exist. Frankly, I always feel a little out of sorts when I'm there and lose all contact with the outside world. There's a population of only a couple of thousand, so resources are slight. Reminds me a bit of growing up in Grand Coulee, though not as big. There's a teeny little park in the center of town that's really a patch of grass shaped like a triangle. It's called Triangle Square. Seriously. It's right in front of the first ever JC Penney store. Yeah. In Kemmerer.
We were going to go out to dinner on our date, but the rest of the fam decided they wanted to go out on the town too, so we hopped in the car and drove to what Grandma & Grandpa called the "Mexican Restaurant." The "Mexican Restaurant" turned out to be a log cabin called the "Westerner Cafe." Half the menu was burgers & pork chops, the other half was Mexican. Hmmm. The food wasn't too bad, but the creepy Mexican worker making eyes at 6 year-old Katie all night was a little unnerving. I think we may avoid dining out in Kemmerer from now on.
After we got home & put the kids to bed, it was time for the actual date to begin! Barb popped some corn and dished out brownie sundaes, while Paul pulled out the card table and we partnered up for Pinochle. (It's a must when visiting the in-laws.) It was nice just to sit around talking and laughing and joking and eating. After a few hands, Barb had to go prepare a talk for Ward Conference, so Paul brought out Farkle, and the three of us spent the next hour rolling the dice! They were not my friends on this particular evening, but it was fun anyway. We may even add that game to our stash.
So, Mike got lucky with a successful date, despite being trapped in Kemmerer. I guess the moral of the story is: If you can date in Kemmerer, you can date anywhere.

Blessings.

2010-03-01T13:23:00.004-07:00

“God does notice us, and He watches over us.
But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs."
--Spencer W. Kimball

A few weeks ago, Mike's parents were in Nebraska helping Grandma Behan go through her estate before she moved into an assisted living home. She had been driven all over the place, staying with Barb, Wayne, Marlene, and Diane for stretches of time since she's no longer able to care for herself entirely. She finally got fed up with all the traveling and made the decision to find a place to stay put. She found a really nice home to go to where the ladies spend their days playing Pinochle, and welcomed her right into the group...perfect!
We got a phone call in the midst of all this, asking if we wanted Grandma's minivan. With Mike's Aunt Diane also wanting the van, it was decided that whomever wanted it would have to buy it from Grandma, with the money going toward her assisted living costs. Although we were in the market for a vehicle, it was a little more than our budget would allow, plus we REALLY didn't want to get in the middle of a family feud over a van. We were a little disappointed, but life goes on, right?
Then last weekend, Barb called again from Nebraska, asking if we still needed a van. Mike told her we were waiting on our tax return, so we hadn't bought one yet. She could hardly contain her excitement as she said, "Good. Because your Dad and I just bought Grandma's van and he's driving it home for you right now!" To say that we were surprised is a complete understatement. We weren't quite sure what to say or think at this point, because we knew we couldn't afford to pay them the entire cost of the vehicle. Then she said something even more astounding. "It's a gift from us and we won't take a dime for it."
With that news came several different emotions.

Relief. The financial burden we'd been carrying for months had been somewhat relieved by this one act of immense generosity. While we had planned on spending to purchase another vehicle, that money is now freed up to meet other needs. No more illegally or dangerously cramming all 7 of us into the truck, or driving back & forth to drop off & pick up Mike at his worksites.

Guilt. The financial decisions we'd made up until this point contributed to our situation, therefore, did we deserve a gift of this magnitude? What are they sacrificing in their life in order to meet OUR need? Will their other children harbor bad feelings in not receiving something as well? How do we make it up to them? How will they perceive future spending on our part, and will they regret their choice to help us now?

Gratitude. We are so grateful to belong to a family that sees a need and chooses to meet it. We are so grateful that we are loved enough to be found worth sacrificing for. We are so grateful that Heavenly Father has been watching over us, and is blessing us, though at times those blessings seem hard to find.

What it all comes to is the fact that helping someone (for me) is so much easier than accepting help from someone else. Especially for one as stubborn and independent as I. However, I've had the blessed opportunity of helping someone in need, with great sacrifice to myself, and I've never regretted making that sacrifice. Something profound happens that enlarges your soul when you sacrifice to help another, and that growth cannot happen by any other means. Perhaps the same can be said for those who allow another the opportunity to make that sacrifice. My soul has been enlarged and my humility deepened. Even though we are determined to repay Mike's parents in one way or another, we've all benefited from their selfless generosity. Their example leaves me more determined now to find ways that I can help another, whether by small means or great. I'm relieved. I'm humbled. I'm grateful.

Logo

2010-03-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

Just a sneak peek at what Jen's been working on...

Agenda

2010-02-26T08:36:00.003-07:00

It's been a crazy week, and it's not quite over yet. On the agenda for today:

1. Shower. (Yes, I actually have to put that on the list or it won't get done.)
2. Dress, hair and makeup. (See reason for listing above.)
3. Finish packing for weekend at Grandma's.
4. Make muffins to take to Grandma's for breakfasts.
5. Make sure Katie's dressed, hair done, show & tell ready, backpack packed & ready for school.
6. Take Katie to school and drop off Maggie's forgotten homework.
7. Go to store for groceries for weekend & pick up packing tape.
8. Pack BoxTops & mail off.
9. Load stuff in truck.
(Note to self--don't forget the diapers, bottles, Maggie's meds or sewing machine w/ fabric & thread.)
10. Pick up girls from school.
11. Take girls to piano practice.
12. Pick up Dad & trailer from worksite.
13. Discourage Mike from showering so we can leave immediately.
14. Drive to Kemmerer w/ 7 people squished into our F-150 extended cab and hope we don't get in an accident or get pulled over on the way.
15. Pick up our new van.
16. Breathe a sigh of relief.

PickleFace Place

2010-02-25T09:20:00.003-07:00

I feel like I've been running on all cylinders lately! I finally finished sewing the first batch of ties (60 of them!), and sent some off to my AMAZING photographer just yesterday. I can't wait to see the images she captures of her little models in my ties! I feel like a proud mama. She's also working on a logo for me since I finally settled on a name for this new venture.

PickleFace Place

It may seem a bit unusual, but it's something that brings back some great memories of growing up with my only brother. My Grandma Martindale nicknamed him "Pickleface" when he was just a little boy because he absolutely LOVED to suck on pickles. Funny how little things like that create lasting memories. I thought it made a catchy little name for a shop devoted to decking out our little boys, and it reminded me of the little boy I grew up with.

I'm now in the process of setting up my shop, trying to contact all my family, friends, and acquaintances (just to get the word out), and setting up a Facebook page and a blog as well. It takes a lot more time than I had initially thought (the setup, not the tie-making!), but I'm really enjoying the creative process. It's amazing what our minds can conjure up, isn't it? I'm trying to get it all ready for a tentative Grand Opening of March 15th, but we'll see if I can make that deadline! I have to remind myself that I still have 5 children, a house, and a husband to take care of--all of which have been a little neglected lately.

I'm hoping that after this week of BoxTop submissions (yep, I'm in charge of that for our school, so I've been spending my evening hours counting...), the next two weeks of getting some paperwork done for Mike's new little adventure, and putting all the pieces together for PickleFace Place, I'll finally be able to take a break and let things just happen.
Oh yeah, and clean my house.

Date 2 of 52--Peanut Butter M&M's Gin

2010-02-22T12:36:00.004-07:00

With no mention of anything in the works, I was a little concerned when Saturday night rolled around that Mike had forgotten he was supposed to plan our date this week. (We haven't started out packets yet, since we're still awaiting our tax return.) This was almost confirmed when after putting the kids to bed, he plopped himself on the couch and started watching Olympic speed skating. He's never been good at hiding anything, though, so as the corner of his mouth turned up a bit, I knew he was just trying to fool me into thinking he hadn't remembered. You'd think he'd know by now that he's the WORST LIAR IN THE WORLD. Not that that's a bad characteristic to have, but it makes hiding things from your wife pretty much impossible.
He took my sewing machine off its little table & dragged it over between the two couches, then whipped out a deck of playing cards. Gin! When we were first married and living in the little red brick apartment, we used sit on the couch together and play gin while watching TV. It had probably been that long since we'd played! Only this time, no TV, and we had an added bonus as Mike opened up a BIG bag of peanut butter M&M's--my favorite! There was a catch, though. Instead of just snacking on them while we played, we made it a rule that you could only snack if you won the hand. As soon as you lost, you had to give the bag to the other until you won again. Let's just say that some of those hands lasted a really, really long time. (I won't give away who deliberately dragged it out, but I will refer you to 5 sentences back.)
It was actually a really nice date together. Would've been better if I hadn't remembered at 9:37 that I needed to get the Sacrament Meeting Program done and sent off to the Bishop by 10:00, but what do you do? Sometimes things just come up, no matter how good your intentions are. It was probably a good thing I forgot because as soon as I had my "oh, crap" moment, Mike had his as he remembered he needed to call and set up a meeting for Sunday morning to extend a call.
We played a couple more hands after our business was all taken care of, but we're getting old and staying up later than 10 is getting harder and harder to do. i know, we're boring. But I kinda like being boring with him.

Two dates down, 50 to go!

Quickie...is it possible?

2010-02-19T10:33:00.003-07:00

I'm trying to see if I can actually get a post plunked out in under 15 minutes. I struggle with wanting to devote time to this online journal, and taking care of things on the homefront. If only my mind was quicker and I didn't rewrite things 300 times before posting, with about a thousand edits in-between, I'd be able to spend less time keeping up with this!
Anyway, today is short day at school, and I'm busily ironing fabric to get ready for sewing before the girls all get home. I spent about 3 hours cutting out 66 ties and 66 straps yesterday, and I've figured it will take me just over an hour to iron all the straps. Forgive me for all the logistics, but I need to figure out how much time it takes me to do the ties so I can price them well enough to make more than minimum wage off them! Time is money, right?
Thanks to Heather for advice on the business end, Tara for the good ideas and encouragement, and Jen (my hero!) for being my official photographer & ad-maker! I hope to get the initial batch of ties done this weekend so I can get this ball rolling. I have a tentative date of March 15th for my Grand Opening, so mark your calendars--all 4 of you who read this!

Ok, so that was my 15 minute test-run, with no edits or rewrites. Yikes. I'll work on it.

Dating Packets

2010-02-18T14:27:00.003-07:00

So here's the great dating idea I told you about. Shauna posted this on Project 52: Date Nights that she puts together date packets at the beginning of the year, with pre-purchased tickets, gift cards, etc. that way everything is all ready to go and there are no excuses like, "We can't afford to," or "It's too late to get tickets." I think it's a perfect thing to do right now as we eagerly await our tax return. Why not set aside a little bit of money to fund our dates for the whole year? It's like an insurance policy on your marriage, or like tithing--pay it first, right? We're already getting our packets ready, and since we love the idea of them being a surprise for each other, we're each taking a whole month. Doesn't this sound fantastic? I can't wait to see what Mike has planned for the rest of the month.

Oh, did you hear my news in the previous post? Ties. Lots of them.

Jumping In

2010-02-17T20:18:00.003-07:00

So, I'm doing it. I finally decided to stop thinking about it all the time and just do it.

I think I may be crazy.

I found my way to Hobby Lobby this afternoon and purchased 1 yard each of eight fabulous fabrics, and began cutting out ties. Yup. I'm officially going into business! I've had a lot of people asking about the ties I've made for Dixon--Where can I get one? How do I make them? Will you make me one?--so I'm opening up an Etsy shop and will get it up and running as soon as I get the ties sewn and photos taken. I'm nervous because part of me wants people to flock to my site because they think my ties are amazingly adorable and they absolutely HAVE to have one or three. (Okay, so maybe MOST of me wants that.) But I'm also thinking that I'm a little cuckoo because, really, when will I have time to sew all these ties? I think I see a productive date night in the future....

So here's to new adventures! I'll keep you posted as to when the site's up and running, and where it's at. Wish me luck!

Date 1 of 52--Dinner & Dancing (kinda)

2010-02-15T15:38:00.007-07:00

It's Monday, and since I'm a prisoner to the Mortuary phone all day, I thought I might update everyone on our first of 52 date nights. We decided to use some gift cards we'd gotten two Christmases ago (I know. For shame!) so our "hot" date started out with dinner at the Olive Garden--along with 1500 of our closest friends. Good thing we decided to go early because getting there at 5:00 assured us only a 30 minute wait, as opposed to the hour+ wait for the hundreds showing up after 5:30. I'd forgotten how crazy restaurants in Utah get on holiday weekends. Obviously it's been a while since we've been out!
Dinner was heavenly. Not that the food was spectacular--though the scallops did melt in my mouth! It's just that anytime I don't have to cook it or clean it up is simply divine in my book. We ordered appetizers and frou-frou drinks which ended up giving my tongue cankers, but they were yummy nonetheless. The best part was that we didn't hurry ourselves through any of it; just a slow, leisurely dining experience that was certainly unusual for me, but very, very enjoyable.

After dinner we headed over to the dance. Yeah, we're too old and boring (and let's face it, terrible dancers) for dance club stuff, so we had to settle for the Stake Valentine's Day Dance. Did I mention that part of Mike's calling as a High Councilor is to be over stake activities, so he had to be there to welcome everyone and call on someone for a prayer? Three guesses as to who he called on...anyone? Anyone? Now I'm thinking that we better clarify the rules of dating to include that functions he's in charge of don't count as dates, bringing treats to said function, or certainly calling on his wife to pray nullifies it, too.

(Even if the treats turn out to be as scrumptious as my Double Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting did.)

We'd heard stories that the VDay dance had been a pretty big bomb in years past, so we had pretty low expectations going in. We were quite surprised to see that not only were we not the only ones in our ward there, but that there were close to 100 people gettin' their grove thang on! Despite the major flashbacks to youth Stake Dances, we laughed and danced, and laughed for the better part of two hours. It was a relief to not be the worst dancers on the floor, and it was worth the ringing in the ears that lasted through the next day. I think we'll try to avoid such late night excursions from now on, though, because every one of the kids were crank-y all the next day from being up so late waiting for us.

I don't expect that all of dates 2-52 will be the same kind of fun or exciting as this first one was, especially since we'll be spending half of them here at home, but I do hope that the spark we rediscovered Friday night will keep flickering as we make the time for each other every week. I got a great idea from another blogger about planning our dates that I want to share later on this week. At least for us, it will go a long way in making sure we stick to our weekly date nights.

One down, 51 to go!

Our V-day

2010-02-14T20:26:00.003-07:00

Valentine's Day has never been my favorite holiday. I mean, I'm not totally against it, but I've never thought of myself as one of those high maintenance girly-girls who needs flowers and chocolates to feel validated. (That's not to say I wouldn't be secretly giddy to receive such validation.)
Today, I decided to throw away all my prejudices against this sappy day, and dive in head-first. I dyed my pancake batter a lovely shade of Valentine pink and did my best to fashion hearts out of the batter on the griddle. (The secret is in the "V.") We spread the most delicious chocolate peanut butter (yep, you read that right) on them before dousing them with warm syrup, and the girls were in pink valentine heaven! If only I could've lived in that moment all day, but alas, Mike was gone to meetings and I had to make up for the time spent making pink pancakes as I rushed to ready everyone for church all by myself. It's usually not a pretty picture. The spirit of the day was redeemed after church when I set up this little scavenger hunt for the girlies.

Do you believe in magic wishes?
Head to the place that cleans your dishes.

Next is the place where fingers fly
Up and down keys, so don’t be shy.

Look through the mess, if you dare
The next clue’s waiting at the bottom of the stair.

Now I know that you're no fool,
This is where your drinks keep cool.

Are you having fun with all these clues?
Look in the place that Mom keeps her shoes.

Maybe you have super powers
The next clue will be where Dad takes his showers.

Piles of these that Mom has to fold,
Like to be washed here, or so I’m told.

This is a place to rest your head.
Look right inside the smallest bed.

Congratulations! You’ve found the last one.
Now run to the place where we have FHE Fun!

I left Hershey's Hugs & Kisses with each clue, then left one of those giant Kisses at the end. Their squeals were priceless. I can't say that it ranked any higher in the holiday category than before, but the girls sure had a blast, and I actually got a nap today, so I guess it was pretty successful.

Dating Again

2010-02-10T21:12:00.003-07:00

I got asked out for Valentine's Day. Yeah, I was surprised, too. Dinner and dancing on a Friday night. Don't know how well these legs will work out on the dance floor (Mike already makes fun of my white girl overbite...) but how fun to get all gussied up and go out SANS children!

I stumbled onto this quote that was unattached to an author:

"The value of a relationship is equal to the time invested in it."

I'm ashamed to admit that we have not been investing time in our marriage. Don't get me wrong, I still love the guy--heck, I even still LIKE him!--but our relationship as a couple has been put on the back burner, as we deal with kids, jobs, finances, church responsibilities, and life in general. (Which has been especially burdensome as of late.) So, to help put us back on track, we decided to start dating again. Or maybe just start dating, period. We never really went on 'dates,' when we first started courting (do people still use that word?), we just spent all our time together. I think it will be fun to see what we can come up with. Since we're on-call every other weekend, half our dates have to be stay-homers. But we've decided to split them up, so we'll each have to plan 13 'in-house' dates and 13 'going out' dates. We're going to switch babysitting with another couple we know so that they can go out, too. Can you imagine paying a babysitter for 5 kids every week????

So, we're dating again after all these years. If you have any ideas, pass them along! (Just remember we'ez po', so don't go suggesting a dinner date to LaCaille [fancy-schmancy restaurant in SLC] or heli-skiing. Just ain't gonna happen, friends.)

Life is But a Dream

2010-02-07T10:13:00.005-07:00

Since Bridget has a double ear infection and Dixon's on his way to one, I'm at home today instead of church. The last couple of nights have been miserable with constant sleep interruptions (at least hourly) and night feedings that I thought we'd done away with. Makes it hard to be anything but grouchy come morning. On the plus side, I didn't have a mad dash to get all gussied up and out the door this morning, and plan to remain in my cozy, albeit frumpy, jammies for the duration of the day. Right now it's quieter than it has been in a while, with the older girls and Mike at church and Dixon napping. Bridget is creating all sorts of art projects with things from the Sunday Box while she eats strawberries, wearing an outfit she put together herself. Good thing we aren't making any public appearances today.

I'm still trying to climb out of my rut that seems more like a giant chasm at times (I know--the frumpy jammies and lack of showering don't really help), but I think I'm making progress--a little, but progress nonetheless. It's nice to have a little time to reflect on some of the troubles that have been weighing on me, and to try to both put them in perspective, and find solutions to them. I feel at times as though I'm one breath away from drowning, as I struggle to find peace. It occurs to me that I'm supposed to be learning some great lessons through this, and again, I find myself turning to analogies to make sense of things.

The Current and the Shore

My life's little boat that I've been row, row, rowing down the stream sideswiped some rocks, filled with water and went under. In the meantime, that stream emptied into a mighty river, sweeping me into its roaring current. I now have two choices. I can swim with all my might to get to the shore as quickly as I can, or I can ride the current to some distant location downstream. If I choose the first, I'll more than likely waste my precious energy fighting against the current that is going to take me where it wants to anyway. In the event that I actually struggle hard enough and make it to the shore of my own accord, I'll be lost, and will doubtless have to struggle again through whatever terrain lies between that spot of shore and safety. If I choose the latter, it will take every ounce of faith I have to relax and be confident in my ability to keep my head above the water, however, remaining in the water will allow the current to effortlessly carry me to that destination at the end of the river. There will still be treacherous rapids to navigate and the threat of crashing into protruding rocks, but both options are fraught with inherent danger and unpleasantries.

I realize I've been looking for the relief that comes from finally getting to the shore and planting my feet back on solid ground, but only the Lord knows what lies in wait along the shoreline, and He has further to take me. If I struggle hard enough and get myself out now, I won't be where the Lord wants me to be, or end up where the Lord wants me to end up. I'll have to struggle through whatever terrain lies between where I got out and my 'final destination,' and as a result I may never make it there. It will take longer and be harder, ultimately, than remaining in the current and allowing it to effortlessly carry me. I just have to try not to drown in the process. It's a difficult thing for me to allow myself to relax while in the river, but I know if I do, it will be easier and I may even be able to enjoy some of the scenery along the way. After all, as President Hinckley said, "Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

I was reading my friend, Ashlee's blog this morning and something she said really stood out to me.

"I have watched several people struggle to find solace in the midst of a trial. It seems to me that those who have the desire to be teachable while in the fight come out stronger. They do still experience frustration, loss, disappointment, sadness and more, but there is increased purpose and patience in their struggles. I think we can learn things the easy way or the hard way, and praying to be teachable makes every challenge just a bit easier."

I sincerely hadn't thought to pray for that, but I can see her point. By truly looking to and allowing myself to be teachable, amidst all this angst, I will be made stronger and wiser. And really, isn't that what the goal is? For wisdom is acting upon truth and knowledge. Now, I just need to find the courage to stay in the current.

Painting, Laundry and Cooking, Oh My!

2010-02-04T14:21:00.004-07:00

I'm aware that it's 2:30 in the afternoon, but I had to sit and take a little break from all the manual labor I've subjected myself to over the last couple of days. Mike's been working at Meredith's all week so I've had a bit of normalcy return to this house. It was very much welcomed. I love being around Mike, but I think we were really starting to get on each others' nerves, being together nearly all day, everyday for the last couple of months.
Yesterday I was able to get all the trim done in the kitchen (yay!) which makes it actually look clean in there for the first time since we moved in 8.5 years ago! It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint will do to a room. And to my spirits! Mike didn't even notice it when he walked in last night; he just mentioned that I 'must've spent the whole day in the kitchen because it looked spic & span.' He got that right--all...day...long. It felt good to finally cross something off my two-page "things to fix around the house" list that sits plastered to the fridge like a permanent fixture. Unfortunately, I had to veer from the list today and spend all morning folding the mountain of laundry that took up all but "my" little spot on the couch. (Oh, that and take care of Dixon and Bridget.) I'm pretty impressed with myself that I even got dinner started in the crockpot before noon--Turkey & Wild Rice Soup. (Thank you CrockPot Lady!) Dixon's now napping and Bridget is using up some of her points she earned from her Job Chart to watch Arthur while she munches on a snack of little grape tomatoes. (As a side note, I've started leaving cut-up and bite-sized veggies in zippies in the fridge for the kids to eat whenever they want to. They've stopped asking for junk, and it's so nice that they can just go get whatever they want without having to ask. Because they're getting lots of veggies now, I've been less concerned about them eating all their veggies at dinnertime. They especially like cauliflower, green beans and carrots, and I don't even have to bribe them with Ranch dressing!)
Anyway, maybe I shouldn't have taken a break because now I just want to close my eyes and nap. I better not, though. With only 30 minutes before the girls get home from school, I hate to crash then wake up grouchy, which is usually what happens when I fall asleep in the middle of the day.

Being Productive

2010-02-03T09:02:00.002-07:00

I have a nearly uninterrupted day today, so I'm going to see what projects I can get done around here before kiddos make it home form school. While I really need to finish the laundry, I think a better use of my time would be painting the trim in the kitchen that's been sitting bare for about 2 years now. I'm not sure when the kitchen will be this clean again, so I better get to it now! Wish me luck that little fingers don't imprint themselves on my newly painted trim...

My Job Chart

2010-01-31T20:08:00.003-07:00

So I have to sound like an infomercial for a bit. See, I stumbled across this website while blog-hopping, and it has become my fast favorite. I can't tell you the number of chore charts I've started...and not stuck with for one reason or another. I think mostly because I hated the stickers that ended up on everything BUT the chart. Anyway, we've been doing this for the past week and the kids love it because they can log on themselves (They love having their OWN password!), click on the chores they did, and choose their rewards, which includes anything from story time to a new book, to a camping trip. I love it because I can keep track of everyone, customize jobs as well as rewards and their corresponding points. And I don't really have to do anything! Yeehaw! I hope the kids remain this enthusiastic about keeping up on their chores. Maggie cried the other night because she didn't have enough time to do the dishes before bed, so she didn't earn her points. If that's not success, I don't know what is!

2010-01-26T14:53:00.002-07:00

Wow. The last few posts have sure been downers, huh? How about some happy news?

If you know of any, I'd love to hear it...

Update

2010-01-26T07:36:00.003-07:00

After the accident, I was eager to find out how the driver was doing. I had no idea if he'd even survived, so I sent an email to the last people I knew were taking care of him--AirMed. I knew they wouldn't be able to offer much information, but I hoped they could at least tell me if he'd made it, and possibly refer me to someone else with more info. This is the email I received this morning:

Thank you for stopping. Not many people are willing to do that. Unfortunately I can't give out much information because of all the laws governing privacy of medical patients. I will say he was in very critical condition with a head injury, but is now doing much better. He was taken to Ogden Regional Hospital. To the best of my knowledge he did not have children. I'm only basing that on the fact that when the police notified his family his home address took them to his parents house and they talked with his parents and not a wife. There was a second person in the car who I was told was a hitch hiker. He is also expected to do fine. I'm very sorry I can't tell you more but again I do want to thank you for stopping and helping. Often the first to to arrive can mean the difference between life and death. He was a very lucky guy to have survived and I'm sure you were a part of that. Thanks Dave

That's all I needed. I'm so relieved that the kid is going to be alright. Thankfully, we are too.

911

2010-01-23T21:13:00.003-07:00

First, I want to start by saying everyone is fine. That's what my dad says whenever he's about to reveal some terrible thing that happened to someone in the family. Not comforting at all, is it? But really, everyone is FINE, and nothing happened to anyone in our family. See, that's called compassion. Now, on with my post.

Thursday was Brooke's 7th birthday. (I know. I can't believe it either. But we'll save her birthday photos, etc. for the next post...) I still had some shopping to do for her party, and since Katie starts school at 12:00, I decided we should leave early so I could spend a little one-on-one with her before dropping her off. We jumped in the truck and I pulled out onto the road, headed toward the freeway. I almost sped up to get in front of another car, but for whatever reason, I waited for him go by, then got over into the turning lane. Once we were on the freeway, I was driving unusually slow. By that I mean, I was going the speed limit. I even remember thinking, I should just start driving the speed limit from now on. It's really not that bad... (I know, I know. I don't need a lecture--I just gave myself one.)

Anyway, we were almost to our exit on Antelope Drive when off to the left, about 4 car-lengths ahead, I saw a puff of white and saw a white Jeep kick up gravel in the median then turn 90 degrees, cross all three lanes of traffic right in front of me, and slam squarely into the 20 ft. concrete wall at about 50 MPH! This is something you see on police dashcams on the news, not right in front of you in real life. It was unreal. Of course, I immediately slammed on my brakes, pulled off the road, grabbed my phone & called 911. I was hesitant to approach the vehicle--guess I've seen too many movies where crashed cars blow up--but I saw someone waving out the blown-out back window. Two other witnesses stopped, so we all ran up to see what we could do. Through the side window I could see a car seat, so my heart just sank. The guy in the back said it was just him and the driver. Whew. The driver was really, really bad, though. I went back to the truck to make sure Katie was okay. Poor girl saw the whole thing. She was really worried, so I climbed in and shut the door, and we said a prayer together. It definitely helped us both to calm down. I went back out to the Jeep to see if there was anything else I could do. (Talk about feeling helpless! Telling someone not to move, and to just keep breathing seems so silly now.) After what seemed like ages, officers, EMT's & firefighters finally started to show up. I think there were about 4 UHP's, 2 fire trucks, 2 incident management trucks, 3 Layton City police cars, and 2 ambulances surrounding me. What relief I felt! As I retreated to the warm truck where Katie was, to fill out my statement, I had a front row view to the rescue that took about 40 minutes. It was like watching a synchronized swimming routine. I was struck by the ease with which everyone seemed to move around each other, all the while getting their job done without hindering the next person. I was amazed. Katie and I sang songs.

The next thing I knew, the entire freeway was at a stand-still. As the guy from the back seat got loaded onto an ambulance, the descending AirMed helicopter landed about 5 yards away from us. I almost thought the truck would blow over. The poor guy had to be really bad off to be literally 100 yards from Davis Hospital, but being loaded up on a chopper headed to Salt Lake. I don't think I've ever seen so much blood in my life, and the smell is still stuck in my nose. An hour after the initial accident, and after an impressive extraction, AirMed took off, and the freeway started flowing again. The officer in charge gave Katie a little badge for being so brave, took my statement and thanked me for helping. One of the DOT guys stopped traffic for me (Where's HE in real life?) and we continued on our way.

We no longer had time to do any shopping, so I took Katie to school, then headed back home. As I passed by the scene where the Jeep laid in a crumpled heap, I couldn't help but think of the choices I'd made earlier. What if I hadn't let the car go ahead of me? What if I decided to go my usual zipping down the freeway? If we had been even one second ahead of where we were, that jeep would've pinned us to that concrete wall.
All I could do was thank my Heavenly Father, and sob the rest of the way home.

Here's the article written up in the Standard Examiner. You can actually see our truck through the back window of the helicopter in the first picture.