Clean the house before you go. It's really difficult to do when you're packing and doing laundry and trying to keep the kids occupied, but there is nothing so refreshing after a vacation as a clean house. I've left my house messy before and I've left it clean. This time I worked very hard to get it clean before we left. It was so nice to walk in yesterday and see a clean kitchen, nicely vacuumed floors, and very little clutter.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Michael, at 6 years old, is never just Michael. He's either a pirate, a superhero, or Indiana Jones. He and the twins ruined several branches of our tree in the front yard this summer swinging on them Indiana Jones-style. So it was quite a disappointment to everyone that he was about a half inch too short to ride the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland. This will be our last trip for several years. By the time we go again, he'll have outgrown his pretend play and it won't quite be the same.
Then I had an idea. Michael took off his shoes, I put a package of fruit snacks in each heel, then we went to the ride. He almost grazed the top of the height measurement. The worker told him to take a deep breath. He did and his head touched the board. He got waved through and went on the ride! We asked for seats in the front row and even though Joey really wanted to sit in the driver's seat, he let Michael since this would be his only time.
Just another reason to bring lots of snacks on vacation with you.
Then I had an idea. Michael took off his shoes, I put a package of fruit snacks in each heel, then we went to the ride. He almost grazed the top of the height measurement. The worker told him to take a deep breath. He did and his head touched the board. He got waved through and went on the ride! We asked for seats in the front row and even though Joey really wanted to sit in the driver's seat, he let Michael since this would be his only time.
Just another reason to bring lots of snacks on vacation with you.
When we're in Hollywood, we like to drive down Hollywood Boulevard "to see all the freaks," as DH (and Joey and Lillian) put it. Tons of people dress up like characters from movies. Some of the costumes are true to life -- they've got Storm Troopers and Captain America and Princess Leia in her skimpiest outfit; others make you go "hmmmm," such as this one, which is supposed to be Jimmy Neutron.
There are a lot of other things on Hollywood Blvd. as well, and Lillian took the time to read the names of some of the shops we were passing. Some of them went right over her head, but she did get one message. As we were pulling into the original Tommy Burger at the end of our enlightening trip to see the freaks, she said, "Wow, there sure are a million places to get a tattoo on this street!"
There are a lot of other things on Hollywood Blvd. as well, and Lillian took the time to read the names of some of the shops we were passing. Some of them went right over her head, but she did get one message. As we were pulling into the original Tommy Burger at the end of our enlightening trip to see the freaks, she said, "Wow, there sure are a million places to get a tattoo on this street!"Sunday, October 19, 2008
We just got home from a wonderful family vacation to Southern California. I'm sure you're all dying to hear about it, right?
Well, too bad. I've stayed up way past my bedtime tonight, so I thought I'd just post a couple of pictures.
Here's proof that my husband and all seven of our kids were on vacation:
And here's proof that I was with them:
What, you don't see it? Look again . . . yes, right there! Over in the mirror -- yep, that's me! Don't I look great? That's about as good as it gets, folks, when you're the one who takes the pictures in the family.
But enough about that. Tonight, I think this picture best captures my feelings about the whole thing:
Good night!
Well, too bad. I've stayed up way past my bedtime tonight, so I thought I'd just post a couple of pictures.
Here's proof that my husband and all seven of our kids were on vacation:
And here's proof that I was with them:
What, you don't see it? Look again . . . yes, right there! Over in the mirror -- yep, that's me! Don't I look great? That's about as good as it gets, folks, when you're the one who takes the pictures in the family.
But enough about that. Tonight, I think this picture best captures my feelings about the whole thing:
Good night!
Monday, October 13, 2008
The first weekend of October was a spiritual boost for my family. Every six months, we have what's called general conference -- five 2-hour sessions, on Saturday and Sunday, with speakers from the leadership of our Church. We believe and sustain our prophet, Thomas S. Monson, as a prophet in the same way that Moses, Isaiah, and Paul were prophets. He is supported by two counselors as well as the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. All of these men speak at conference, as well as other leaders, both men and women. You can read, listen or watch the various talks and sessions here.
I'm always uplifted and renewed by listening and taking notes. Of course, in the course of 10 hours of meetings, there is a lot to draw from, but I like to write down the things that touch me and mean the most to me. Here's what stood out.
Be modest in your dress. (L. Tom Perry)
Be good neighbors and friends (Silvia Allred)
Faith is not just a feeling, it is a decision. When times get tough, choose faith (Neil L. Anderson)
Honor the Sabbath Day. Arrive early to Church and be reverent during the sacrament. (Dallin H. Oaks)
Have Hope! (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)
How to handle hard times:
We seek for intelligence and knowledge. The most important truths, however, can be understood even by children. God speaks to us according to our capacity to understand. (Gerald Cassue)
Jesus Christ is our Savior and atoned for us. Everything depends on having the Spirit in our lives. It is popular now to hear "Live life your own way," but God has said, "I am the way" (Lawrence E. Corbridge)
Be unified. Overcome contention. Forgiveness is essential. Care for the poor and needy. (D. Todd Christofferson)
Pray always. Meaningful morning prayer is your spiritual foundation for the day. Be grateful. Every so often, say a prayer that asks for nothing, but instead thanks God for all your blessings. Pray for others. (David A. Bednar)
A great day of unity is coming, when Christ will personally reign on the earth. Be unified now and prepare for that day. Pray for unity, which comes through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Be a peacemaker. Speak well of each other and look for the good in others. Remember that we are judged by the judgment we impose on others. Be generous. (Henry B. Eyring)
Meekness is not weakness. Be slow to take offense and quick to forgive. Stay on the high ground. Seek for common ground when facing opposition. (Robert D. Hales)
"In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things." Be virtuous. (Elaine S. Dalton)
This is not a time for superficial righteousness. (M. Russell Ballard)
The only thing constant is change. We only have one chance at this life. Don't wait for someday to come (someday when you have more money, more time, or whatever), make the most of life today. Find joy in the journey. Be grateful for the abundance in your life and thank God for it. (Thomas S. Monson)
Marriage is ordained of God. (Russell M. Nelson)
Gospel teachers know the names of their students and teach the scriptures. (William D. Oswald)
***
We have a few traditions at our house to make conference easier. We usually find a packet online with activities for the kids to do during conference (coloring pages, word searches, etc.). This year, we used this one. Since we don't have TV, we watched it online through BYU TV. We turned up the volume on my computer and piped the sound through our intercom system through the whole house. I think it made listening a lot easier for us because the kids could spread out a bit more. They were mostly in the kitchen. They colored a lot and did puzzles. Lillian and Joey were old enough to take some notes. We have a tradition of buying a new puzzle and doing it while we listen to conference. Lillian and I put together two 700-piecers this time.
I'm always uplifted and renewed by listening and taking notes. Of course, in the course of 10 hours of meetings, there is a lot to draw from, but I like to write down the things that touch me and mean the most to me. Here's what stood out.
Be modest in your dress. (L. Tom Perry)
Be good neighbors and friends (Silvia Allred)
Faith is not just a feeling, it is a decision. When times get tough, choose faith (Neil L. Anderson)
Honor the Sabbath Day. Arrive early to Church and be reverent during the sacrament. (Dallin H. Oaks)
Have Hope! (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)
How to handle hard times:
- 1. Laugh
- 2. Seek for the Eternal
- 3. Understand principle of compensation. Everything lost will be returned again to those who are faithful. An example of the speaker's grandson who has autism was given.
- 4. Trust in God and Jesus Christ (Joseph Wirthlin)
We seek for intelligence and knowledge. The most important truths, however, can be understood even by children. God speaks to us according to our capacity to understand. (Gerald Cassue)
Jesus Christ is our Savior and atoned for us. Everything depends on having the Spirit in our lives. It is popular now to hear "Live life your own way," but God has said, "I am the way" (Lawrence E. Corbridge)
Be unified. Overcome contention. Forgiveness is essential. Care for the poor and needy. (D. Todd Christofferson)
Pray always. Meaningful morning prayer is your spiritual foundation for the day. Be grateful. Every so often, say a prayer that asks for nothing, but instead thanks God for all your blessings. Pray for others. (David A. Bednar)
A great day of unity is coming, when Christ will personally reign on the earth. Be unified now and prepare for that day. Pray for unity, which comes through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. Be a peacemaker. Speak well of each other and look for the good in others. Remember that we are judged by the judgment we impose on others. Be generous. (Henry B. Eyring)
Meekness is not weakness. Be slow to take offense and quick to forgive. Stay on the high ground. Seek for common ground when facing opposition. (Robert D. Hales)
"In the strength of the Lord, I can do all things." Be virtuous. (Elaine S. Dalton)
This is not a time for superficial righteousness. (M. Russell Ballard)
The only thing constant is change. We only have one chance at this life. Don't wait for someday to come (someday when you have more money, more time, or whatever), make the most of life today. Find joy in the journey. Be grateful for the abundance in your life and thank God for it. (Thomas S. Monson)
Marriage is ordained of God. (Russell M. Nelson)
Gospel teachers know the names of their students and teach the scriptures. (William D. Oswald)
***
We have a few traditions at our house to make conference easier. We usually find a packet online with activities for the kids to do during conference (coloring pages, word searches, etc.). This year, we used this one. Since we don't have TV, we watched it online through BYU TV. We turned up the volume on my computer and piped the sound through our intercom system through the whole house. I think it made listening a lot easier for us because the kids could spread out a bit more. They were mostly in the kitchen. They colored a lot and did puzzles. Lillian and Joey were old enough to take some notes. We have a tradition of buying a new puzzle and doing it while we listen to conference. Lillian and I put together two 700-piecers this time.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
. . . and now almost two years old! Eliza joined our family at a particularly trying time. In the year 2006, we designed, built a house, fixed the lingering problems at our old house, sold it, and moved. If we had moved straight into the new house, perhaps it wouldn't have been so overwhelming, but the house was bogged down in one delay after another, and the end result was that we spent six weeks in a hotel room -- with five kids ages 7 and under and a hugely pregnant mom. The twins were strong-willed, tantrum-throwing two-year-olds bewildered at all the changes and determined to try their mother's patience. There'd be a tantrum when I wouldn't let one of them use the card to get into our room. Since there were two of them and only one card, we had melt-downs four or five times a day. I dreaded bringing them down the hall to the breakfast room. Inevitably, one of them would take off around a corner or run up some stairs and I'd be chasing them as best I could with my huge belly. I'd try to get us through breakfast and back to our room as quickly as possible to get away from all the curious eyes. I know the kids were just being kids, but I couldn't help but wonder how many of the fellow guests were thinking, "She's having ANOTHER?"
When we checked into the hotel, we believed that we would be there for three to four weeks. Eliza was due in six weeks. We joked about it being a race to see what would be done first, the baby or the house, but I never actually thought I would be bringing a baby home to a hotel room. The joke was on me. Ha ha. We didn't have any clothes for her because they were all in storage. We almost didn't have a carseat. A week before we moved to the hotel, I had DH get it out of storage just in case. Luckily, my sister-in-law visiting from Washington brought a few outfits to the hospital when she visited me, so Eliza didn't have to be completely naked.
I wanted to laugh when the nurses asked their standard questions when I checked out. You know, the ones designed to determine whether they should send a social worker?
"Do you have enough support at home?"
"Oh sure, my mother's coming," I said, not daring to mention that I didn't even have a home at the moment!
And my mother did come, poor thing. She stayed with my brother and came to help me during the day, driving my kids to school, holding and loving Eliza, and then helping us pack up the hotel room eight days after Eliza was born so we could embark on the next stage of our journey. Our house still wasn't done, but we'd gotten carpet into two of the basement rooms and we figured that was good enough. We were sick of hotel life and wanted a place of our own. The first night, though we'd planned on unpacking the beds from the POD, moving from the hotel and dealing with house details took all our time, so we slept (or didn't, in my case) on the floor. It was miserable, but it was our floor. Things started looking up the next day, as we got beds out of storage and carpet got laid in most of the rest of the house.
Eliza's middle name is Joy, and though the timing of her entrance into our lives was not exactly joyful, I've never been anything but grateful for her. She is sweet and loving and adorable. She'll be two in just a few weeks and I look forward to watching her grow in the years to come. I'm grateful for her entrance into our lives, dramatic (or pathetic) as it may have been.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
I grew up watching the Cosby show. We'd use our VCR (remember those?) to record the episodes and watch them over and over. In one episode, Claire and her friend are constantly speaking in Spanish. Cliff watches intently, understanding nothing. When they look at him with raised eyebrows, he says, "Just listening for my name." I was reminded of that recently as I've thought about the things you learn when your neighbors are bloggers.
Two years ago, I didn't know anyone in real life who blogged, except me. Then I moved. Six months later, Kacy moved in next door to me. And she was a blogger. A REAL one -- you know, the kind that gets a hundred comments on her truly funny posts. So I searched for her blog. I found it and lurked there for a while, "just listening for my name" so to speak. But I felt guilty peeking in on her without her knowing it, so I confessed my spying to her and started to leave comments and enjoy her blog.
But I think it's probably a challenge to her knowing her neighbor reads her blog. She can't post about all the weird things we do because she knows I'm watching. I'm sure she's shown great restraint, but even still, every once in a while I hear my name. For instance, I recently learned that one of my kids dials their number on my cell phone and then they listen in on what's going on at my house. She claims she didn't hear anything interesting, but I wonder.
Last June, the house on the other side of me sold, this time to a wonderful gal named Meradith. She had a beautiful baby girl just a few weeks before Harmony was born. She sent out an email announcement with a link to her blog for pictures, so I started reading, listening for my name, and struck gold when I began reading through some of her older posts.
Meradith had dedicated a whole post to her new crazy neighbor, and she didn't even know I knew about it. I even got to hear what her friends thought of me (or her description of me) by reading the comments section. It was great. It was like listening to someone talking about you in front of your back. I thought about keeping quiet and lurking in the shadows to see what else she might say about me, but I started to feel guilty, so I posted a comment. Now poor Meradith knows I'm watching her, "just listening for my name!"
So, my blogging friends, be careful what you say about your new neighbor – she might be secretly lurking on your blog.
Two years ago, I didn't know anyone in real life who blogged, except me. Then I moved. Six months later, Kacy moved in next door to me. And she was a blogger. A REAL one -- you know, the kind that gets a hundred comments on her truly funny posts. So I searched for her blog. I found it and lurked there for a while, "just listening for my name" so to speak. But I felt guilty peeking in on her without her knowing it, so I confessed my spying to her and started to leave comments and enjoy her blog.
But I think it's probably a challenge to her knowing her neighbor reads her blog. She can't post about all the weird things we do because she knows I'm watching. I'm sure she's shown great restraint, but even still, every once in a while I hear my name. For instance, I recently learned that one of my kids dials their number on my cell phone and then they listen in on what's going on at my house. She claims she didn't hear anything interesting, but I wonder.
Last June, the house on the other side of me sold, this time to a wonderful gal named Meradith. She had a beautiful baby girl just a few weeks before Harmony was born. She sent out an email announcement with a link to her blog for pictures, so I started reading, listening for my name, and struck gold when I began reading through some of her older posts.
Meradith had dedicated a whole post to her new crazy neighbor, and she didn't even know I knew about it. I even got to hear what her friends thought of me (or her description of me) by reading the comments section. It was great. It was like listening to someone talking about you in front of your back. I thought about keeping quiet and lurking in the shadows to see what else she might say about me, but I started to feel guilty, so I posted a comment. Now poor Meradith knows I'm watching her, "just listening for my name!"
So, my blogging friends, be careful what you say about your new neighbor – she might be secretly lurking on your blog.
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