Dear Santa,

I need a Dustbuster.


Thanks in advance,
The Mom

Ketchup

I'm playing catch-up (get the title? hehe...I know I'm a HUGE dork, but I can't help it), so be watching over the next couple of days for a big bunch of back blogging. I've got a load of posts ready-to-go or halfway there. Once they are done, I should be right on track for the rest of Christmas break.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

...to Grammy's house we go.

Today we drive down to Salt Lake City where we'll stay the night. Then we'll wake up bright and early, hop on a plane headed for North Carolina (only after a layover, of course) and come see Grammy and Grampy! We really will go over a river (the Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio to name a few) and through the woods (anyone who has been to the East Coast likely knows what I mean). We are sure excited to visit all the family we haven't seen in far too long (about a year and a half in most cases) and to have Haylee and Miriam's first Carolina Christmas. In fact, this will be Miriam's first Christmas ever!

Red Robin...Yum!

Our town is getting the newest Red Robin restaurant.


Now, lest you think I actually get this excited over a new restaurant chain in town, think again. We're excited because Owen has a job working as a server for them! He should earn much better tips here than the local restaurant he's been at based on sheer volume. More people to serve = more tips. Plus, we really, really like their food, so the Red Robin employee discount will be an added bonus (unless it means that we end up spending all the extra tips).

The new Red Robin opens January 19th and Owen starts training as soon as we're back from our Carolina Christmas. Yay for this new opportunity!

Think Inside the Box

Having a highly mobile (and curious too) Miriam has necessitated increased creativity in the baby-proofing category. Owen came up with this a month or so ago.


At first it worked great! She'd sit in the little basket and play and play and then when she was tired of it she would whine and whine until someone came to rescue her. She has since discovered how to climb out on her own. We can still keep her in it for a short time if there is an exciting toy (the one in the picture is a new Christmas present from Uncle Kurt and Aunt Suzette -- we opened it early so we wouldn't have to pack it to North Carolina) or if she's just too tired to care. But, even though it doesn't hold her any longer, it was good while it lasted!

I'm Glad That's Over!!

The past few weeks have been a bit stressful for me and not because of projects and finals as is typical for this time of year. No, this time it was because of my grades. Usually I'm such a perfectionist that my scores are right on or so close to 100% that I never think twice about my final grade in a class. This semester has been quite different. I haven't done my best and as a result I have recently troubled over the summative marks headed my way (and I only have to earn a C- in order to pass -- leave it to me to worry, worry, worry).

I suppose I knew all along that I would be in the clear, but there was still that nagging worry in the back of my mind that said, "What if?" Today, all concern was put to ease. My teachers have all the scores and totals from my semester's work updated online and although the official grades are not available until next week, I'm fairly certain things will be just fine. In fact, things are better than expected!

My Home Away From Home

This is the Hinckley Building. It is devoted to the education majors at BYU-Idaho. I have spent the majority of my college education in the building, especially over the last three years. In fact, throughout the past three years, only seven of twenty-two classes has been anywhere other than there.

Today I set foot in the Hinckley Building for the last time as an on-campus student. It was a bittersweet moment. I took my last two finals, stepped out into the frigid cold and didn't look back for fear I might cry.

I have made many great friends, both peers and professors, and had significant personal growth there. I am excited for the next big step toward completing my undergrad but some things will be considerably missed.

Every Girl's Right

Being a t-shirt and jeans girl, I mostly avoid all things that deal with fashion. I typically steer clear of overly-girly things for myself and Miriam, but when this red pinafore dress was passed down to me from my sister-in-law (I think this may have even been my dress at one time) I couldn't resist decking her out in ruffles for the day.

Miriam was being cranky, so I'm sorry, but this is the best picture I could get.

Who knows, maybe she'll end up being a girly girl and will love being dressed up, but based on her daily reaction to getting her hair done, I won't hold my breath.

Bah, Humbug!

I'm not sure what it is this year, but I am just not in the mood for Christmas, at all. I've been listening to the carols and I'm enjoying that. Also, I've had a tender mercy or two as I've read stories in the December Ensign.

I usually love this time of the year and all that comes along with it but I am feeling rather curmudgeonly this time around. Maybe I'm feeling homesick for my parents who are far away in Africa. I might just be emotionally drained from a long and irksome semester. It's possible I'm dreading the all-day flight to North Carolina just to be followed by a two and a half week break of routine, just to do it all over again and immediately jump into student teaching (which I'm also dreading...BIG TIME). The problem could be a combination of things or there may be something that's got me in the dumps that I've not even considered.

Either way, I don't even have the Christmas tree up yet (and with one week left at home, I'm past planning on it anyhow). There's even a summer wreath on the front door still...sad. My inner-Scrooge is completely defeating the Martha in me and I don't like it one bit.

Miriam's First Real 'Do

Today, we hauled everyone to my sister-in-law's salon today for professional cuts. I figured since almost everyone from Owen's family hasn't seen us in a year and a half, we should probably show up looking nice. Owen and I weren't looking for any spectacular changes, just a trim for both of us. But Miriam's first time getting a real haircut is a big deal to me, so naturally I took pictures.

I'm not sure why her mouth is hanging open like that, but she's cute anyway so it doesn't really matter.

She sat still almost the entire time. Almost.Now that Miriam's hair has grown to be four or five inches in all directions combined with continuous movement, her hair always ends up in her face and it drives me crazy! So, since I'm not a huge fan of traditional bangs (not that I don't like them, I just don't like how they look during the growing out stage which inevitably ends up happening at some point) I had Tara taper the sides. Now she's got the nice shwoopy bangs (yes, shwoopy). I think it turned out pretty cute, even if she was fidgeting through the last half.

Kickin' Off the Season

It's now post-Thanksgiving which means all things Christmas are fair game at our house, including music. Oh, the Christmas music!! I love it! So, here's my top ten favorite Christmas songs (more or less in order -- it changes from day to day).

1. Sleigh Ride
2. Angels We Have Heard on High
3. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
4. Still, Still, Still
5. O Come All Ye Faithful
6. Winter Wonderland
7. Carol of the Bells
8. Let it Snow
9. It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas
10. The Christmas Song

A Bit of Good News

My student teaching placement finally came!! And would you believe I've been placed at my elementary school?! I'd post the name, but I prefer to maintain a little bit of anonymity, so calling the school "Trips Canyon Elementary" will just have to suffice. Get it, Trips Canyon?! Hehe, I crack myself up. Anyway, I will be teaching in a 3rd grade class under Mrs. H.

I'm excited for this new (and final) stage of my college education (for now, at least).

Eleven Months and Going Strong

Miriam is officially eleven months now. Wow! My baby is almost a year old! It has whirled past and I am sad that she's growing so fast, but happy to watch it happen all at the same time. It's a love-hate thing.

One thing that I'm in no hurry to end is nursing. Miriam's teeth started coming in when she was just five month old and since then people have suddenly become interested in my breastfeeding choices. So, I'll answer some of the questions/rumors that have come our way concerning this topic.

• I am still nursing Miriam
• She has eight teeth
• She does NOT bite me...but she has. She's tried it a handful of times. At first I tried flicking her mouth. She bit again. Corporal punishment obviously doesn't work on her (which is fine with me because I really hate physical force being used as a form of coercion discipline). My next plan of action was actually my original plan -- end the meal. Any time she bit me I'd say, "Hmm...I guess you're not hungry." Whether or not she was actually full, she understood the message and caught on quickly.
• I hope to continue nursing Miriam until she's between 18 and 24 months old.

There you have it. Love me. Hate me. Call me crazy. That's just the truth and I don't plan on changing it.

25 Years.

1,300 weeks. A quarter of a century. 9,100 days.

No matter how you look at it, Owen is now one year old (and hopefully wiser too). I can't believe he's twenty-five already! It really isn't old, but there was once a time in my life that it seemed very far off. I guess I'll be there before I know it!

We celebrated a day early with friends and family, eating out at Chili's and then coming home and eating some of this

Photo Courtesy of Allrecipes.com

It's heaven on a plate, I promise. I would have taken pictures of ours, but my rechargeable camera batteries bit the dust (I really need a camera with a battery pack) and the dessert was gone before I could get new ones. This is our second time making this recipe and it still has some kinks to work out before it's perfect. Here's the original in case you're looking for a carb overload anytime soon.

I Got Sucked In

If you've been wondering where I've been, I can explain. It's all Stephenie Meyer's fault. I finally caught the bug and read the Twilight Saga (all 2,444 pages in under two weeks). I couldn't put it down. Now, I'm not saying it was the best series I've ever read, because it's not. It was, however, a very intriguing story that leaves one wanting more. So, yes, I loved the books, and now I'm finished. I'm happy to be done, but sad that it's all over at the same time. Oh well, at least now I can get my life back and hopefully get some back-blogging done too!

When Else Would We Buy Socks?

Another Thanksgiving. Another Black Friday. Another load of half-price socks from Fred Meyer.


It's tradition...don't ya know?!

We Have Much to be Thankful For

Here's my gratitude list (one reason for every day, November 1st through Thanksgiving Day -- in no particular order).

1. The restored gospel
2. A loving husband
3. My sweet baby girl
   
4. A wise father
5. A creative mother
6. An eternal marriage
7. The Savior and His Atonement
8. A warm and cozy home
9. Quick internet access
10. Plenty of food
11. Good books
12. Electricity and hot water (sorry, Mom and Dad - you'll be back in the States soon enough)
13. A reliable car
    
14. Motherhood and all the tender moments that come with it
    
15. Living prophets
16. The scriptures
17. Caring professors
18. Low gas prices (currently $1.65/gallon -- amazing!)
19. Hardworking parents
20. My cute class of 3rd graders
    
21. Inspiration and whisperings from the Spirit
22. Breaks from school
23. A great family -- both sides
24. Beautiful music
25. A sharp mind
26. Good health
27. Having enough of everything we need

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Hump Day!

When my sister, Alicia, was serving as a full-time missionary, my dad searched high and low to find a toy camel for the halfway mark of her mission (hump day). Today is my parent's mission hump day, so the camel is back in play. I considered sending the little guy to Africa so my parents could have a little chuckle, but decided against it since then they'd just have one more thing to bring home in August. So, a picture will have to suffice.

Dear General Mills,

I would like to thank you for making Cheerios. Having them around makes both my baby and I happy.

She must think they taste delicious because she just eats them up all day long. She's even developed a knack for finding the leftovers that she tossed off her highchair, that I obviously missed. Plus, they give her some autonomy, which she loves.

I love them because she's able to feed herself, and not create a huge mess with it...enough said.

Sincerely,
The Mom

I Am Pro-Thanksgiving

I've always found phrases like Pro-Choice and Pro-Life to be interesting. Leave it to political correctness to make good things seem bad and vice versa. For the record, I'm Pro-Life, which if you think about it would technically make me Anti-Choice, wouldn't it? But nobody in our PC minded culture would admit that. Good thing too because I'm not Anti-Choice, I just feel that the choice has already happened. A baby coming is the obvious consequence of such a choice, and that is a consequence that should remain, regardless of what anyone says about other choices.

But really, this is all beside the point. What I really mean to talk about is Christmas in all it's commercialized glory.

I am NOT Anti-Christmas; I'm Pro-Thanksgiving.

You see, every year, immediately following Halloween, I see people all over decorating their homes...for Christmas. I see lights not just up on the roofs, but blazing brightly night after night. Some neighbors have their indoor decor up and ready to go even. And, I suppose this is their right, but, if I'm not mistaken, there is a holiday smooshed somewhere in between Halloween and Christmas. What was it again?....

Ahh, yes. I remember now...I believe it's called Thanksgiving!

I love Thanksgiving. I love the family time, the food (mainly pie), the break from school, the pie, Black Friday shopping, playing games and wasting time, oh and did I mention I love pie? It truly is a grand holiday. But even more than these superficial traditions, I love that it is a time to pause our lives, reflect on our many blessings and show gratitude to our Father in Heaven by remembering these things.

So, while I may love Christmas, (I really do. But it has its own time and place.) I try my best to remember this often forgotten holiday too.

I Can't Wait Till April

Although you might expect it to, this post has nothing to do with graduation (although I am very excited for that too). It does, however, have everything to do with the book series, Fablehaven.

Typically, I don't read for pleasure much while I'm in school; I have a tendency to not do my homework because I'm busy reading. But after Owen whipped through the first Fablehaven book, then quickly devoured the second and third, he started begging me to read them so we could have discussions about them together. I continued to shoot him down using the "I'm in school. I don't have time." excuse, but he kept on and I eventually gave in.

I'm glad I did. Not only are they amazing books, (A great story. Well written. The works.) but reading Fablehaven was also a welcome break from school every now and again. I highly recommend the series. If you enjoy fantasy at all, you will not be let down. I just finished the third book tonight and unfortunately, now I have to wait until April for the fourth book's release. Now I'm on to the Twilight series...(Think I can read the first book, Twilight, before Friday when the movie comes out?!)

Need a Laugh?

Then you should check out these blogs; they give me a good chuckle on a regular basis.

Cake Wrecks
When Professional Cakes Go Horribly, Hilariously Wrong.

Overheard in the Ward
Sometimes LDS wards and branches are funny places. Eavesdrop with us.

And here's another that I'm still undecided on. You might find it ridiculously funny though, so I'll share it anyway.

What Mormons Like
Helping Mormons Laugh at Themselves Because They Feel Guilty Mocking Others.

Right Now at Our House...

Owen is off working,

Miriam is sleeping like an angel,

and I am ready to hunker down in hopes of making a dent in my homework.

The Date Jar

Once upon a time Owen and I went on frequent, and many times expensive, dates...then we got married. We soon realized that we could not be quite so frivolous with our money or we'd be poorer than dirt. It was about this time that we started getting really creative.

We've been on many a "Walmart-date" (walking around Walmart, talking to your neighbors who are also on Walmart dates and looking at items that we don't need or can't afford) and also many home dates (these range from watching a movie, to playing board/card games, making "gourmet" meals and desserts, etc.) We still love to do all of the above, but every once in a while we like to splurge and do a "real" date.

Now that Owen works as a server, he often brings change home from work. We're putting this change to good use in the Date Jar. Once the jar is full, we get to take it to the bank and trade our coins for cash (although I suppose we could just take the jar and pay people in all change...hehe, wouldn't that be funny?!) to go on a HOT date with. We're just about there!

Time Flies When You're Having Fun Especially Busy

Wow! I don't know what happened during October, but I feel like I completely missed it. Okay, I really do know what happened (school and a professor with ridiculous expectations) but that's beside the point. I'm just now realizing that it is November...almost halfway through November.

Now, don't get me wrong, I write the date all the time and subconsciously I've known it was November. But it's just now sinking in.

In less than two weeks I'll be finished with my senior practicum (my time in the public schools) and be enjoying my Thanksgiving break. And in less than five weeks, this semester will be over entirely and I'll be packing my bags for a Carolina Christmas. I'd better not blink or I'll miss that too!

A couple weeks ago, my sister, Alicia, warned me the semester would pick up speed soon. I assured her that this was the slowest moving semester of my life and I had serious doubts that it would change. Funny thing, I feel like it should be still be the middle of October, which is when this conversation took place. I guess she was right! In any case, I'm looking forward to Christmas break when I can catch my breath (and hopefully some sleep too) for two weeks before student teaching!

Pumpkin Perfection

There's just something about this crisp time of year that makes me crave all things autumn, especially pumpkin. I haven't always been this way. No, there once was a time that the only way I could gag down a slice of pumpkin pie was to smother it with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. Not so anymore. These days I go out of my way to make pumpkin part of every meal -- breakfast and dessert.

What? Were you expecting me to say "breakfast, lunch and dinner?" HA! I actually do have a recipe or two for pumpkin soup and dinner-type pumpkin dishes, but I have yet to try them (I'm scared that I'll hate it and be annoyed that I wasted my time on something so, uh...exotic. Yes, exotic.)

Anyway, back to breakfast and dessert. Here's two of our recent creations. Let's see if you can figure out which one we ate for breakfast and which was the treat.

Pumpkin Roll

Pumpkin Pancakes

Okay, so it probably wasn't really too difficult to figure out. But hey, let's be honest, if it's okay to eat cinnamon rolls for breakfast on occasion, shouldn't pumpkin rolls be fair game too? I'm just sayin'...

Melancholy Mood

It's been less than three days since the announcement came that Proposition 8 passed in California. Since then, gay rights activists have come together to protest against the LDS Church in California and Utah. The protesters have graffitied Church property and in California have forced a temporary closure of the Los Angeles Temple (the members can't get through the angry people).

Now, I realize this is something that has been prophesied of since ancient times. I know these things have to happen to bring about the Second Coming; things have to get worse before they'll get better. Things are definitely getting worse. Yet, even with my knowledge of The Plan, it still brings sadness to my heart to see so many people confused and spiritually lost.

Irrational Thinking

I like to eat small portions. Now, I'm not talking about eating small quantities. Nope, I eat way more than I should, I just overeat little by little.

For example, tonight we had pizza for dinner. Without fail, I always grab the smallest pieces I can find. I had two small pieces instead of one normal size piece. In reality, it is the same and I know this, but for some reason it makes me feel better to eat the small pieces.

After dinner I had a bowl of ice cream. Owen scooped it and put it in a normal cereal bowl. I felt guilty eating it. It was no bigger than the amount I usually get when I have ice cream, but I always scoop it into a little bowl.

Is this normal? Do you rationalize bad eating habits in completely irrational ways too?

As If It Wasn't Already Bad Enough

Waking up this morning knowing Barack Obama was the new president was a sad moment for me. Waking up to find snow outside took me to a whole new level of cranky and depressed.

Now, I'm really not that down about Obama being elected (or the snow either). It is sad to see, but I'm not really worried about it either. Sure, our nation is now headed in a very dangerous direction. But honestly, it's slowly been moving that way anyhow; the final vote is evidence of this change that has creeped in among our people. So, I'd be lying if I said I didn't see this coming. I did. But that still doesn't make me feel better about the situation.

The one comfort I do have is that this marks another step closer to The Second Coming of our Savior. I know the Lord's hand is in ALL things. Things will work out; one way or another.

As for Proposition 8, it looks like it is going to pass by a small margin. Yay for one good thing coming out of this election!

Get Out and Vote!

Today is the day, folks. Your voice only counts if someone hears it. This means you've gotta get up, go to your precinct and VOTE!

My Last Minute Plugs

With voting commencing tomorrow, I figured I still had a little time left for persuasion. I typically leave my political opinion off our blog, but this election feels too important to say nothing.

First on my list, Proposition 8.

I think that the most important thing on the table this November is Proposition 8. I am not a resident of California, so I cannot vote on this issue, but I can voice my opinion to those who can vote there. So, please, please, please vote 'yes' on Proposition 8.

And those who are ignorant enough to think this won't affect the entire nation are sorely mistaken. The outcome of this vote will effect all of us. (You, your children, grandchildren and all of society.) Once a law is enacted in one state it can be used in legislation and/or as leverage in a lawsuit in other states. The impact of this not passing is scary for me to think about.

This video highlights the main points of the proposition and is kind of cute too, so I hope you'll take a couple minutes to watch it.



The other thing I have avoided thus far, but also feel strongly about, is our choices for presidential candidates. The strong possibility that Barack Obama will become our next president is a frightening concept to me. I'm not saying I really care for John McCain either though. All I know is that Obama has far too many socialist ideas for me to be comfortable entrusting him with my vote of confidence.

I was born and raised in a capitalism-minded home in a capitalism-based nation. I whole-heartedly believe that the principles of independence and self-reliance are what grant us true freedom. The role of government is not to ensure everyone gets equality. The role of government is to provide us with the liberties in the constitution are granted fairly...fairly, not equally.

Obama seems to think otherwise and frankly, I want no part in it. His philosophies seem strikingly similar to someone else we are warned against in the scriptures and from modern-day prophets...Satan. In 2 Nephi 28:21 we are told, "And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell." I see this happening, do you? Satan is subtle and cunning...so is Obama. Sweet words and promises of bright days ahead sound great, but they are spoken to lead us away into "carnal security" and truly are leading us (as a nation) "carefully down to hell".

Here's yet another video, this one with words from Presidents Thomas S. Monson, Ezra Taft Benson and Gordon B. Hinckley. It is a warning for our time. Pay particular attention to what President Benson has to say about socialism in our time.



So, I beg you, when you go out to vote, consider these things and make a wise choice.

I Was So Proud

Picking costumes for Halloween this year turned out to be more problematic than I would have liked. Originally, the plan was to go as Ron (Owen) Hermione (me) and Crookshanks - Hermione's cat (Miriam).

A couple weeks ago, we finally accepted the fact that this just wasn't going to happen. We were having slim luck finding costume pieces at the local thrift shops and I've been far too busy to whip anything up. So, we were on to plan B -- creating costumes using things we had at home.

I thought maybe we'd be able to scrounge up some overalls and go as a scarecrow family. No luck there. Then I figured, at least, we sould buy Miriam a costume so she was dressed up for her first Halloween and we'd all just go as unrelated characters. This thought led to this

Bill Gates, watch out! Just kidding. But seriously, I think he plays this part a bit too well.

And of course, what nerd costume would be complete without a "kick me!" sign taped to the back?

We were just going for quick, easy and cheap. Plus, since Owen had to work a server shift Halloween night, having a cool (not the awesome-type, the temperature-type) costume to wear was a nice bonus.

At least we had the cutest ducky ever to tote around. Although, she was none too impressed with the hood.

She tried and tried to get it off by herself, to no avail.

Even after I gave in and helped, she was still mad because I was trying to get her hold still so I could take pictures.

In the end, this was the best I could get. At least it shows off the cute tail.
Oh, and if you're wondering about my costume...I went as myself. Original, I know. It was enough headache to get the other two ready to go, let alone try to figure out something for me to be too. There's always next year! But, as a side note, I now know why my mom sent me out as a witch year after year. I don't blame her one bit!

How Do You Learn?

As an education major I've had many opportunities to take personality and learning style tests. One that I've taken a time or two can be found here. A couple days ago my sister-in-law took the test and posted the results to her blog and then asked her readers to do the same. I figured it had been awhile since taking this particular test and I couldn't remember my results exactly anyhow, so I took it again.


Owen wanted in on the action too.

It's amazing how different we are in terms of interpersonal and linguistics, huh? Yet we function very well together. I guess it's true what people say about opposites.

One I've noticed about my learning style over the years is that it is constantly changing. For example, my interpersonal learning is quickly dwindling (I'm actually surprised that it came out so high today -- probably because I had a three-hour social situation today and it tends to be higher after having positive social encounter -- for me, at least). I used to be quite the social butterfly, but I'm noticing that the older I get, the more I prefer to be by myself reading a book or doing some other individual activity. Some of my activities even cross over, like crafting, but nine times out of ten I'll choose to do them on my own (I work faster that way; other people cause distractions).

Another thing that surprises me about today's results are my mathematics level. Usually it is much higher, around the mid-forties. I suppose this could easily be attributed to my current school situation. I'm taking a math methods course (where we learn methods for effectively teaching math as opposed to the lousy ways 99% of us were taught in school) and I'm not exactly loving it. I really like the content; it is quite interesting, but the teacher and assignments...not so much. It's definitely put a bad taste in my mouth that will hopefully fade quickly.

Overall, this is one of the biggest reasons for choosing to not send my kids to public school (actually, thinking about...all my reasons for this are BIG reasons). It seems no matter what research comes out, or how well teachers are taught, they all revert to the same ol' rote teaching methods that work for a few students but are definitely not the best ways of teaching and fail to meet the needs of most children. In fact, most private schools are equally as horrible, but instead, the parents get to pay for the lousy education! That's just my two cents on that matter. Isn't it great that we live in a free country where we can choose where we send our kids to school?! I'm sure glad I get to make that choice, at least!

In My Dreams

Those who knew me growing up would almost invariably say I was spoiled rotten and always got what I wanted. And although this isn't entirely true (my parents can vouch for this) I will admit that I was overindulged at times and I was most definitely a brat (I said was, and I meant it!)

In more recent years, especially the married ones, I like to think I've gained an ounce or two of humility. If not that, I can truthfully say that I have become more practical, frugal and budget-conscious. But even with all this new-found wisdom, I still can't help but be enticed every now and then. Here's my newest lust...



Even with Christmas just two months away, I know I'm not getting one any time soon. So, now I'm left to hope that either (A) the Kindle will become hugely popular, thus driving the price down eventually like DVD players and Ipods or (B) one day I'll be super wealthy so I can afford one anyhow (and one for Owen too, because we all know that whether or not I'm spoiled, I still don't like to share).

So, Dear Reader, please go buy a Kindle for yourself so the price drops lower than $359 sooner rather than later...or just buy one and send it my way. Actually, I think I prefer the latter; I promise I won't turn you down.

I'm Still Here

I'm not dead. I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I'm just busy.

Have you missed me?

Yes? Good, I've missed you too!

No?! Shame on you!

This semester has proven to be a bigger trial and hurdle than expected. I knew going into it that it would be rough, but didn't plan on hating every second of it. Yes, every second. Okay, well, maybe not every second, but pretty close.

I'm beginning to feel like the blue collar worker with one thing in mind...Friday. Except when my weekend rolls around I don't get to play. Usually I have a mound of homework that I'm behind on to do. And I'm behind on it not because I didn't have time to do it (although this is part of the problem too) but because I have NO MOTIVATION to do it.

I just want to be finished. Done. Graduated. I fear I've been taken over by senioritis. And it's affecting my grades...and not in a good way.

I am beginning to see why my former roommate (a senior at the time) used to always say, "C's get degrees." I used to think this was flawed thinking, but I'm right there with her now!

I have to keep reminding the perfectionist angel on my right shoulder that I have other priorities and far too much to accomplish to go above and beyond on every assignment. But then I find myself battling the apathetic demon on my left shoulder. Isn't there a middle ground?! And why am I having such a hard time finding it? Probably because it's not my personality to do less than 150% in everything, so I'd just assume not do it at all. Hmm...quite the dilemma...

In other news, I have a stack of things to post about. Much has happened around here, especially with Miriam. I miss blogging (and the rest of my life in general).

So, for those of you who've been wondering how I am...I'm hanging in there! Will you help brighten my day?

Failed Attempt

Owen and I are pretty firm when it comes to Miriam's sleep. I have little patience for bedtime/nap time wars, so I generally don't go in unless she's sobbing or screaming so loud that I worry the neighbors might hear and think I'm abusing her or something. She knows that bedtime means bedtime, not games, and she's usually really good about going to bed quickly and with little fuss.

Typically, she talks to her teddy bear for a couple minutes and rolls around a little, then falls asleep. Occasionally, she decides she doesn't need a nap and plays in her crib for an hour until I break down and accept the fact that she's skipping a nap.

Yesterday was one of those "occasionally" days that she didn't want to take a nap. She threw no fuss, she just quietly played in her room. That is, until I heard a cry of a baby in distress. I went in to be sure she was fine and look what I found.


Sure enough, she was "in distress". Stuck in the crib bars. Why? You see, she was trying to pull herself to a standing position (her new favorite thing to do) but got the footing wrong. Straight through the bars she went and out came the screams. And, like all good parents, rather than rushing to rescue her, we took pictures! (I even made her wait while Owen grabbed the camera)


Once we got in there though, she seemed pretty pleased with her work and laughed and smiled. So, I doubt she learned her lesson...maybe next time.

Heavenly Humor

I don't know about you, but I like to think that Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. So, yesterday when I woke up to this


I chuckled to myself and thought it was all fun and games. But then I woke up to more.


I'm not laughing anymore. And I'm beginning to think this is some sort of sick joke. Four inches of snow...in October...you've got to be kidding me. It could be a long winter folks. I may think it's beautiful now, but come six months from now when it still looks like this, not so much.

I Pick Neither

Last night at the monthly family home evening gathering, my middle brother informed me that Miriam's hair makes her look like Donald Trump. He then added "or George McFly." So, being a somewhat defensive mother (and rightfully so, in my opinion) I rebutted with the fact that while her hair might appear comb over-ish...it isn't really. After which, he changed his position by saying, "Well, just the back; it's got those comb over looking pieces."

I think she's way too cute to look like either of those old geezers anyhow...regardless of her hairstyle...at least she's not bald! (Not that I have anything against bald babies. This is in reference to said brother, more than anything else).

Here's a back view so you can judge for yourself.

I Heard Exactly What I Needed

Ahh *sigh of joy and relief*...there's nothing quite like the rejuvenation of General Conference! The Spirit spoke directly to me and I heard a few little whisperings that were very needed. I gathered a few main points that I need to improve in my life, but overall the talk that touched me most was President Monson's talk from Sunday morning session. Here are two quotes that I found especially poignant from this talk:

"...be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon."

"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances; we must deal with them the best we can, but we should not let them get in the way of what is most important. And what is most important almost always involves the people around us."

I hope you enjoyed conference as much as I did. It was so refreshing to hear from our living prophet, Thomas S. Monson and the apostles. God truly does speak through them and I am grateful He does!

Here's my list of insights I gathered and plan to implement in my life over the next six months (until the next session of General Conference when I find new areas to improve upon).

• I'm going to spend more time being a better wife and mother...even if this means that my housework and schoolwork will suffer some. I can't go back and change my time with my family, so they are more important.
  
• I'm going to go to bed earlier so that I can wake up earlier. I may not be a morning person, but I always find that I am quite productive when I wake up with specific things to get accomplished. This is especially true when I'm the only one up. When I try to do things at night, I end up tinkering around and doing nothing or very little.
  
• I'm going to be more grateful, including saying more prayers of gratitude only. I really am blessed and need to be better about showing my Heavenly Father that I am aware and thankful for everything in my life.
  
• I'm going to seek to help others. I surely am not so busy that I can't stop to serve my friends, neighbors and those who I may not know, but who may also benefit from something simple I can do.
• I am going to build unity with others by speaking more kind words and gossiping less.

So, my friends, what touched you? What are you going to change in your life? How do you plan to become more like our Savior?

The Apples Are in the Sauce

During the second half of the morning session today, I had my very first canning experience. Someone gave my sister a truck load of apples (seriously, there's enough to make a year's supply of applesauce...for every sibling in my family...and their spouses and children...and possibly their neighbors too) so she asked if I wanted some applesauce. Of course I want some applesauce!! (What kind of question is that anyway?...I can't go eating full-fat brownies all the time, now can I? Well, maybe I could...but then I'd probably need to cut my brownie consumption down by at least half. And based on my current stress-level and emotional state, *see previous post* I need all the brownies I can get.)

Anyway, back to the real topic of discussion -- canning. We made did make applesauce from those apples (some of them -- there's still a good minivan load left, or so) and boy, is it yummy!


It was fun too! Now I feel a little more comfortable with the canning process (applesauce only, there's no way I'm ready to tackle green beans...I'm paranoid of botulism) although, I doubt I could do it on my own. Not without my sister on the phone to tell me what to do along the way, at least. So, in the meantime I'll stick with her and maybe one day venture out on my own into the great world of food preservation.

T.G.I.C.W.

Translation: Thank Goodness it's Conference Weekend!

I don't know about you, but General Conference always comes at the perfect time for me. This time around is no exception. Lately I've been feeling like a Jack of all Trades; Master of None. This semester has managed to skew any sort of balance I had in my life. Now I seem to be crashing as a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, student, housekeeper, homemaker, etc., etc., etc. I keep looking to try to simplify, but come up empty handed when all my ideas eventually lead to getting less sleep. My tanks usually running on empty as it is...losing more sleep would likely amplify my chaos. So, I've really been looking forward to this weekend in hopes of getting some personal revelation to calm my inner storm. The spiritual recharge will be nice as well. Heaven knows I need it.

Bringin' Home the Bacon

Last night was a great tip night for Owen. He brought us home a nice chunk of change and he was so excited about it...and I'm excited because he is excited! (Isn't that how married life works, Rejoice in one another's accomplishments and sorrow in each other's failures?) Anyway, one of his tips was even 56% of the bill total. For those not familiar with server (the most current politically correct term for a waiter) tips, 15% is the expectation (although it's commonplace for people to give far less than this) so 56% is amazing! Now, if only we could figure out a way to make this happen every night he serves...

Why Do Babies Sleep Like This?

If you can't tell, she's on her face with her little bum in the air. Can you imagine an adult sleeping like this? Hehe, that would be quite the sight!

All Dolled Up

Miriam was acting so cute after church today that I decided it warranted an amateur photo shoot.

My baby is growing up; she's starting to look like a little girl now.She's still my curious little baby though. (I think she was reaching for the camera's lanyard; it mesmerizes her every time the camera is out).We sure love her and think she's pretty cute.

The Most Friendly Shampoo Bottle I've Ever Seen

I was standing in the shower the other day when I noticed Owen's new bottle of shampoo.

Oh, now isn't that nice?! A shampoo bottle that gives compliments -- and in a place where we all need a little reassurance now and then.

Have a happy day!

Killing Two Birds With One Stone

Miriam has been popping teeth out like crazy lately! She's still just under nine months and has five teeth...FIVE! This is not normal. Then again, does anybody in our little family actually follow normal? Well, at least she'll fit in here! And, in typical anything-but-ordinary fashion, the teeth are all presenting in the "wrong" order.

Four and Five really came at the same time, but four seemed to break through a tiny bit sooner. So, at least if she's going to be cutting all these teeth, I'm happy that she's being efficient about it. It doesn't get much better than two fer one, does it?

Have Your Cake...

and eat it too!

This morning as I was browsing through my many Google Reader subscriptions, this post from Makes and Takes caught my eye. A five minute cake?! Made in the microwave?!! Are you serious?!!! I was skeptical, to put it lightly. Naturally, I shared the crazy idea with Owen. He thought it was cockamamy too, but we had to try it out before completely throwing out the possibility. So, at 8:30 a.m. we made cake. In the microwave. In less than five minutes. And it actually turned out pretty good. It's no five star, gourmet recipe. But it is fast, and it's chocolate. So, if you're looking for a fun science experiment to do with your toddler or you just need a quick chocolate fix and don't want to dirty up the whole kitchen making a dessert...try this out. I bet it will surprise you.

How is it done? Let's have a little walk through, why don't we?

You will need:
4 Tablespoons cake flour (although we used regular all-purpose flour and it was still fine)
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa

Spoon in egg

Pour in milk and oil, and mix well

Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power

Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug (it didn't rise out of the mug much because this mug is oversized...in a typical mug though it will appear taller)

Dump out (or leave it in the mug even) and enjoy!

And, if you're brave...add some chocolate chips or hot fudge (not both though) to the cake batter before you microwave it and tell me how it goes. :) The hot fudge should create a nice lava cake...should being the key word here.

My Lousy Weekend Off

When I woke up Thursday morning with a scratchy throat and an enhanced tickle in my nose, I went about life as usual. And although they felt worse than usual, I still blamed it on my allergies. Being allergy season, these things are mostly normal. I figured the farmers had started burning their fields, which really just means that they are adding smoke (yet, another thing that brings about allergies in me) to my hay fever. It's a sign that harvest is nearly over though, so I merrily went on my way hoping I would soon be free and clear of all sniffles...at least until cold season, of course :)

It wasn't until Friday that I caught on to the idea that this was no allergy I was dealing with -- I was sick! And boy, was I ever. I think all did last weekend was sleep and blow my nose. No homework. No housework. Nope! I just lazied around doing nothing. So, I've spent the last three days (today included) playing catch up. I'm just about finished and should be back to my normal routine soon. And, I can happily say that I am fully recuperated.

It Couldn't Be...

When I look at this picture I see two things:

1. Owen is actually reading
2. It isn't Harry Potter

When Owen and I were married, he had never read a novel cover to cover. That didn't stop me though; I'm always up for a challenge. And I was determined to make a reader out of him. So, I started with something that seems to catch 'em all...Harry Potter. He read The Sorcerer's Stone and was quickly reeled in. After that he breezed through the next five and anxiously awaited the release of The Deathly Hallows with the rest of the world. Once "Book Seven" came out, he read it and I then I figured we'd be on to bigger and better things....Wrong-o, bong-o. He just wasn't ready to move on, so he started over. That's right. He went right back to "Book One" and started re-reading (or rather, listening to) all seven Harry Potter novels. And again. And then he started skipping around within the series and reading only his favorites. Throughout all of this I am reading and recommending new books, and eventually poking and prodding in hopes of getting him to branch out some.

Then one day, earlier this summer, my sister, Heidi, brought over the book that would finally (although not immediately) break the Potter-streak...Fablehaven. All summer long it has been on Owen's nightstand; waiting and hoping that someday he'd pick it up to read. A while back he started a chapter or two in it, but was still stuck on Harry, so it stayed on the nightstand. But I guess a couple days ago he decided it was time for something new and he picked it up again.

Now, during all his empty minutes, he has been reading and reading and reading. I don't think he's even had the TV on!! He's so into this Fablehaven book that he's even pushing me to read it!! (And I will...but currently I have 40+ hours of textbook reading a week that seem to be consuming all my waking hours).

And so, it could be...caution folks, there's a new reader on the loose!

This Is Likely Not the Last Time This Will Happen

Tangles just seem come with the girly, long-hair territory. So, since Miriam has long hair (although very fine) I was not the least surprised when she woke up with her first case of bed head today. I was kind of relieved that I had to leave and go to school all day so that I didn't have to be the one to tug and pull and comb through the mess (actually, I take that back...I hate being away from my babydoll all day. But I've gotta finish my degree sometime and now seems better than later). But, I imagine that this will happen again....and again...and again. And probably even more than that depending on how many sisters she ends up with. So, I'm sure I'll get to deal with it one of these days.

A lousy view of the hair, yet a cute picture of a very groggy, still-trying-to-fully-wake-up-baby

A close up of the damage