My Macrocosm

Oh, this happened.

2012-01-22T19:37:00.008-07:00

Every year, my Dad takes my sister and I on a business trip with him. It may sound strange, being that I'm 30 and my sister is a few years older, but the fact is, I have the best Dad in the world and it doesn't matter. No matter where we go, we can just revert back to our days of adolescence and my dad takes the wheel. The trips are quick and well planned. We always squeeze a lot of good stuff in. This trip was special for a few reasons. 1. It was to HAWAII 2. It was earlier in the year than usual, and 3. I lived on Oahu, so it was going to be fun to revisit with family.

Day one: Travel

We stopped in Seattle then had a LONG, TURBULENT flight to Hawaii. We landed around 9 or 10 and headed straight to our hotel in Waikiki and slept.

Day two: The North Shore

We had breakfast at Eggs'n'Things, which I went to ten years ago and his has since burnt down, and been rebuilt. Then, we drove to the Dole Pineapple Plantation for some pretty atmosphere and delicious Dole Whip. Then through Haleiwa, Kahuku, Laie, Kaneohe and finally back to Honolulu. It was awesome to see where I lived in Kahuku. More, surreal than I imagined. Lots of things were the same, some had changed and I really struggled to grasp the fact that I lived there for a short while- and voluntarily LEFT.

That night we had dinner at the Yard House in the center of action on Waikiki.

Day three: The Bike Ride

After Dad read his paper and finished up the business portion of the trip, we rented bikes and rode them down the beach of Waikiki and up around Diamond Head crater. There were a few unexpected hills..

On our way back down we discovered the soon-to-be favorite market, Diamond Head Market and Grill. It had lots of fun things to eat from scones, to cheesecakes to taro chips. That night we had dinner at Duke's, one of my favorite seafood grills, then saw Mission Impossible in the loudest theater ever built. I actually had to wear my ear buds in my ears to prevent damage to my ear drums.

Day four: Pearl Harbor

We ate breakfast at the new found Grill- and planned to return again for dessert.

I'm ashamed to say I had never been to Pearl Harbor. But in the time I lived on the island I only went to Honolulu 3 times. So this was a treat. It was well constructed and very informative. We watched the film then took the boat out to the USS Arizona, that lies just below the surface of the water where the memorial hovers over. The ship is still leaking visible oil... from the 500,000 gallon tank fueling the Arizona. The reality of what happened there really settled in. After Pearl Harbor we went back to Diamond Head to see the monument the huge crater. I started up the trail to the top of the crater with my reluctant family members. We were all wearing flip flops. Laura stayed behind and my dad I kept going. There's something about starting a hike and needing to finish it. We ascended 400ft up a windy switchback that scaled the inside lip of the crater and after a HUGE flight of stairs, we finally got to the top to see an amazing view of Waikiki. Good decision, I thought.

That night we ate at Tiki's... a seafood bar and grill located on Waikiki beach.

Day five:

We left our hotel at 6:45am and traveled to LA, where we had a four hour layover... I don't remember much... except the football game that everyone assembled to watch. We touched down in Salt Lake around 10pm. LONG day. But so worth it.

I'm so lucky to have a dad that not only enjoys spending time with me, but enjoys traveling with me enough to treat me to wonderful, memorable trips. He said Hawaii would be hard to top, but honestly, it doesn't matter where we go. These trips are always fantastic.

These are just pictures from my phone. The REAL pictures from my camera are here on flickr.

Happy Birthday to Laura..

2011-12-30T11:24:00.003-07:00

It is my sister's birthday today. Many would guess my younger sister, because she is aging much more gracefully than I. But no, she is the older, wiser one. It took some time for Laura to officially be comfortable with her birthday being December 30th. It always falls right after Christmas, just before New Year's, a very tough spot. But bless her heart she has embraced it and had many wonderful birthday's. To help make this December 30th better, I am going to point out my top 5 favorite things about having a sister. More specifically, having LAURA as a sister.

1. She can ALWAYS make me laugh.

2. I could go anywhere in the world with her and have a good time.

3. She makes me feel like I'm a good person, even though- she is better in LOTS of ways.

4. She likes cats as much as I do- maybe even more.

5. I can count on her, she is reliable and loving. (Is that a sneaky way of doing more than 5? Yes.)

Happy Birthday, Lar. I love you, and I think you are wonderful. I hope you have a great birthday- even the selfless part when you take us all to dinner..

Love, Lisa.

Save Money: Dilute.

2011-12-19T22:00:00.008-07:00

Being that I now have SMALL places to squeeze things, I am getting creative and also learning to make one thing last LONG- so I don't have to buy them in bulk and store them somewhere. (Except for my Milk.. I've been sold on "Gossner's Milk" because A) It has years of shelf life and it's REAL milk, B) It tastes AMAZING and C) It costs SO much less than regular crap milk.) Anyway. I have found things that to cost money, but can be diluted with water to give great life and perfectly adequate usage. Three examples:

ONE: Dawn For Dishes

I don't know what house DOESN'T have this product. It's good for so many things... if you EVER have a grease stain on your clothes... here it is folks. But really, they say "only a couple drops cleans a whole sink of dishes" well guess what, I don't have the time to concentrate on how many drops I'm squeezing out of this huge bottle. So once my bottle was down to maybe a 1/2 cup of Dawn left, I topped off the bottle with water, and used my back up to refill the old bottle with a 1/2 cup of Dawn, and the rest water. It has been working just as well as it ever did. Not to mention that I haven't bought Dawn since August. Awesome.

TWO: Paul Mitchell, Thicken Up

I'm not sure what it is, but this stuff works wonders for my hair. I don't use it for it's purpose, rather, to make my curls stay together, stay SOFT and I guess yeah, make my hair appear thicker. But really, it's the only thing that works on my curly and I use it EVERY day. Amazing curls... to all you curly-heads out there, this is the secret. But, it's tricky to find AND it's $13 a bottle. The stuff itself is thick, like a heavy gel. So it doesn't go into the hair evenly. UNTIL- you DILUTE it. So it's about 1/3 gel, and 2/3 water. It actually works BETTER this way. It gets distributed more evenly. And saves me $26.

THREE: Juicy Juice

Jack likes juice. Bless his little heart. But he also just had a crown put in. He doesn't eat a WHOLE LOT of sweets, but he has been downing this juice for the past 5 years. Even though it's the "good sugar" it is still sugar. I've actually been doing this for a few years, but it still amazes me how much I save. I've probably diluted this up to 1/2 with water before. Jack likes Gatorade, which is already watered down, so I think that's why he tolerates it so well. But if he got a hold of the concentrate... who knows. But again, it's something that lasts me longer, saves me money and hopefully in turn, saves me Jack hyped up on too much sugar.

So that is my little lesson of the day. If anyone else has things I can dilute... please let me know, I would love to simplify even MORE.

"Best, Birthday, EVER!"

2011-12-17T20:37:00.012-07:00

(Birthday Boy)
What a great day. Jack woke up happy, excited for his birthday party that wasn't ALL THE WAY till 4 o'clock. We got some things done... spent most of the day together, having lunch at Chick-Fil-A and letting Jack play a bit. Then when 4 o'clock FINALLY rolled around we headed to Menchie's for his birthday party. He invited 5 friends: two from school, two life-long friends, and one from church. First, the kids got to color their very own Menchie's T-shirt, then get up to 10 oz of frozen yogurt. (No one exceeded 7 oz, and none of them finished.) Then after yogurt Jack opened his presents. He scored some building blocks, new Mario jammies, some Julius slippers and a Menchie Doll of his very own.. Then the kids got to go in the back of the shop and see where the yogurt is made, and have a tour. That turned out to be more interesting to them than I had expected. Then- as the grand finale, Menchie himself made an appearance. Jack was ECSTATIC. He run up and gave him a hug then the kids had a great time chasing Menchie around the shop. This was one of the greatest ideas ever. All the kids had a blast, the yogurt is mega-good, and who can complain about chasing a giant Menchie around. Jack had a terrific birthday. I'm SO glad he is here and amazed at where he is. Jack's last surgery was when he was three years old- which means in April, he will have lived as long with his surgeries completed as he had without-- so weird.

I love you with ALL of my heart, Jack. Happy 6th Birthday.

Picture-fest:

(The party scene)

(Coloring T-Shirts)

(A Willing Participant)

(Getting creative)

(Endless options..)

(Healthy Choices..)

(Wishing)

(Post-sugar intake)

(Almost getting locked in the deep freeze.)

(Josh chasing innocent children.)

(The crazies.)

(Gettin crazier.)

(Losing control.)

(Jack's hero.)

(Group hug!)

"What if my brain doesn't know it's my Birthday tomorrow?"

2011-12-17T08:41:00.004-07:00

Last night I told Jack he needed to go to sleep so he could have "lots of Birthday fun tomorrow." He was worried about bad dreams and said

"What if the Zombies come to eat my brains when I'm asleep?"

and I told him,

"Zombies don't come when it's almost your birthday. It's a rule."

Then he said

"What if I have bad dreams about Zombies?"

and I told him,

"You have fun Birthday dreams the night before your birthday, EVERYONE does."

and he said,

"What if my brain doesn't know it's my birthday tomorrow?"

I think you're brain is the one telling YOU it's your birthday tomorrow....

Happy Birthday, Sweet Boy.

Thanksgiving: We Thank Thee Oh God for Amoxicillin.

2011-12-03T18:38:00.007-07:00

This was my third Thanksgiving away from home. The first was in Maui. No complaints, really, just that I missed my mom's stuffing and of course my family. But looking over the beach at a November sunset in Paradise was not too bad. The second was in Arizona at my sister-in-law's. It was nice to be with family, have other kids with Jack to play with and not have to cook anything, but Jack ended up with a BAD and persistent stomach bug that all the kids caught and we ended up at an Urgent Care late in the night, with a little boy whose oxygen was at 73. They almost life flighted us to the hospital.

This year my parents invited us to their new place in San Diego. I had been looking forward to it for months. There's nothing like getting out of the inversion and skipping over to California. Our first stop was to drop Dad's car off in the long term parking lot so when they returned they'd have a way home from the airport. So while loading our luggage onto the shuttle, Jack tripped on the stairs in the back of the bus and fell flat on his face, thus getting a bloody nose. These are a real concern with him, being that he is on aspirin and doesn't clot very well. Luckily... he did and we made it to the terminal blood-free. We checked in and made our way through security. As is my history with TSA, they stopped my bags due to bottles of liquid that were 3.7oz not the TSA requirement of 3.4oz. I wasn't about to take a loss on my ProActiv, so I went BACK to check my bag and had to go through security all over again. The second time I was lucky enough to be full body scanned.

Once on the plane, Jack was telling me it hurt when he swallowed. I was trying to pretend like it didn't hurt when I swallowed too. By the time the plane was descending, Jack was in agony and crying hysterically as the pressure built in his ears. We finally made it into Long Beach, and he kept telling us his ear wouldn't pop. We rented our car, and headed our way to San Diego. Being from Utah, we didn't know that the 805 was going to be a DISASTER when we got there. Traffic was at a stand still, the sun was setting. Jack was moaning and groaning in the back seat, I assumed he was tired and hungry. Out of nowhere, he threw up twice. We squeezed through traffic and got off near La Jolla to stop at a CVS. We changed Jack, cleaned him up and got him some Saltine's.

We finally arrived to the condo and probably looked like hell. Jack, however had gained a new found energy and was thrilled to be there and see everyone. It took us a little while, but we eventually settled in.

The next day we explored the new territory. Josh had a meeting in Irvine and Laura and I went shopping. I continued to ignore the itch in my throat, and assumed that since Jack's ear had finally popped, that he was fine. Thanksgiving Day was wonderful. Very relaxing, delicious food, good company, and a trip to visit the beach. That night Jack (who slept in the closet of our bedroom) kept complaining about his ears. So friday morning I figure we should nip this in the bud, and go to an Urgent Care. How great it would be, if I could just go to a pharmacy, say "My son has a double ear infection, can I get 400mg of Amoxicillin at 7.5ml twice daily?" But no, we had to go somewhere where they are sketched out at treating a kid with a congenital heart defect anyway- and we usually have to talk them into NOT sending us to a hospital. Luckily I called the University of Utah pharmacy, asked them specifically what Jack takes for these infections, and suggested them to the Dr. He OK'd them, saw Jack's ears and gave us a prescription. Sigh.

(Jack, being a zombie.)

Sadly, everyone else left that day. And I REALLY started feeling sick. In fact I don't remember a lot of the day from the point when we got Jack's prescription.

Saturday, our little family went to the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. It was a beautiful day and Jack was thrilled to be there. He particularly liked touching the sea cucumbers. Then we got a pizza and took it to a park on a beach and let Jack. A family on the beach were building a HUGE sand castle and it was really neat to watch them put it together. We headed back home for some MORE turkey and stuffing.

On sunday it was really nice weather and we went to Mission Beach. Jack is blissful on the beach. He could stay there for forever. He loves the sand. This was the first beach he ever stepped on, so it was fun to see him have such a great time. We ate lunch on the boardwalk and got an ice cream cone. It was a wonderful day.

We woke up at 5:00am on Monday, after all, Jack had school. So we drove to the airport- it was much more pleasant this time, and we came prepared with our Afrin for the cabin pressure issues, worked like a charm. Then home again, home again, just in time to take Jack to school.

Happy Thanksgiving....

Free at last

2011-11-21T16:35:00.006-07:00

So a few weeks ago I started this project, and sometimes,when starting new things I get a bit compulsive about them, and want to work on them night and day till they are finished. However, this time around, I had big barricades such as "no sewing machine" or "not enough fabric" that kept breaking my groove.

My dear sister let me borrow her sewing machine, so once I got rolling- there was no stopping me.

I got all 80 squares cut, sandwiched, then pinned in only a couple of days. Then my squares sat for a couple weeks.

Once the sewing machine made its appearance, and the bobbin and I made an agreement to not have any trouble, I began sewing X's onto the sandwiches and finished all 80 in only a couple of hours. Yay.

Then, the trouble. How to sew over those corners, with 12 layers of fabric.... well, you try- then you break 4 needles and ask for help. I was told to us a "denim needle" and this thing stormed through those corners like a jack-hammer. It was great. I got the whole thing compiled and sewn in another 2 days. Then tried to get a flattering picture of it. It was hard. But the thing is a good sized quilt, Jack loves it, Josh loves it, Lucy loves it.... it has already become a treasure. I'm sure glad I was brave enough to do it...

I'm also glad it's over. Because now my mind isn't shackled to this project.

Fall Fell, We Halloweened.

2011-11-03T09:45:00.008-06:00

Who knew halloween was such an involved holiday! This was an all-day event! Jack and I both dressed up for his school Halloween party. (I was in charge of the pumpkin hunt.) His sweet teacher went all out and planned a great party for the little ones. She had stations with cookie decorating, scary stories, spider crafts and finally the pumpkin hunt. In small groups she lead them up to the "Nature Scape" just above the play ground where they hunted pumpkins all the while avoiding the "monster under the bridge." It was so cute. Jack had SO much fun and was a little overly excited that I was there.

(After finding his pumpkin and having one of the mom's write his name on it, he then asked her to draw a face on it. Again, he thinks he runs every show.)

("Be careful going over the bridge, the monster may grab your feet!")

(Jack couldn't keep his eyes off me.)

(this is Sunny, the new class pet.)

After school, Jack's face was all sorts of messed up, as was his costume- so we bathed him and washed his costume just in time to dress up and do it ALL OVER AGAIN. We headed out to my mom's neighborhood to met my brother's family there. We've trick-or-treated there for years, so we trust the territory. The moment Jack walked in the house Tessa, (the youngest of my brother's children) screeched a horrifying scream and was frightened by Jack's appearance. we had to keep them separated. So we all started off and the kids had a great time. I had fun running into old neighbors.

(Sadie was a princess, Piper was Minnie, and Chloe was a fairy. Tessa- off in the far distance being carried by Carter because she is about to cross paths with Jack- is a chicken. Literally.)

(Jack glows in the dark. Most of him, anyway.)

(We ran into big Buddha. Jack recognized his costume immediately, and greeted his fellow Mario.)

(The kids with their loot.)

(Back at home, mom made her traditional Latke's, and had crafts for the kids.)

This could very well be the best Halloween yet, it was the perfect weather, Jack had fun and spent his time trick-or-treating with people he loves, we had a great atmosphere and wonderful company. Happy Halloween. (And.....take a deep breath- cause here come the holidays......)

Gratitude

2011-10-28T21:00:00.005-06:00

I can't really thank Make A Wish enough. They do such a great job of taking care of wish kids, before and after their wishes are granted. This year, the trick or treat was PACKED with so many wish kids.... which is a great sign that they are doing well and feeling good enough to come. It both hurts warms my heart to see Jack bounding around there so healthy, when there are kids that are in much tougher situations than he is. But the smiles on their faces make me so excited to become part of the Make A Wish team. I'm going to be a Wish Ambassador for the Utah Chapter. I will help represent the Foundation at schools, businesses, and community events. It's the least I can do, and I look forward to being a part of something so life changing. Jack's heart will always be full with the wonderful things these volunteers have done for him. I hope to be that change in the lives of other sweet children that are faced with critical challenges so early in life.

Thank you Make A Wish, for treating my little trickster..

And.........

I forgot to post, a few months ago, that Jack's pictures were featured in the Utah Business Magazine. It's not only cool that he is featured to help promote Make A Wish, but also that my photography made it into a magazine :) And now, here are a couple poor quality photos of the article:

This is Halloween

2011-10-07T20:34:00.005-06:00

Jack gets so excited for Halloween. In fact, once it is October, he KNOWS that means it's close- and asks everyday how close we are to the very special day. Aside from that, he takes the whole year to decide what he is going to be. But that only started a couple years ago. I remember the good ol' days when I would find the cutest costume I could, dress him up, and parade him around.

Jack's first Halloween I ordered a pair of scrubs that not only did I have "Dr. Jack Trent, Cardiology" embroidered on, but they had to be tailored a bit to fit him well. He was the cutest little doctor EVER.

The second year, was mostly because I found this lion costume, wanted to put Jack in it, then cuddle him non-sop. That didn't really happen, because the amount of yarn on the head out-weighed his OWN head, and he never liked to keep it on. Sure kept him warm, though.

Cop out year- year three. However the effort put into mine and Josh's duct tape skeleton costumes balanced out the work I usually do for Jack's costume. His glowed in the dark though..

The fourth year, was also the year of his 3rd heart surgery, so we were a sucker for ANYTHING he wanted. He fell in love with WALL*E and particularly "Mo" the character that cleaned up after WALL*E. I can't believe this is the only picture I have of that costume I made, and that I forgot to have him wear his paint-roller on his arms.

The fifth year, enter: Mario. Jack loved and STILL loves everything Mario. It's a little inappropriate how often Mario is mentioned in Jack's nightly prayers. But hey- he found the rest of his crew at school...

This year, believe it or not, as though it hadn't ever happened before, Jack saw the skeleton pajama's at Old Navy and immediately chose them as his costume. (Sigh of relief...) I don't mind. I did tell him he was already a skeleton. He didn't believe me. When I showed him the pictures he was surprised, and impressed that Josh and I were also skeletons. So, he of course requested we do it again. Luckily- I still have my black crew neck, duct tape skeleton and all.

So look for a crazy family of skeleton's this year... (again)

Happy Halloween.

What's up?

2011-10-03T09:12:00.004-06:00

If anyone is wondering what the latest is over here?

Nothin' but attitude from this one.

All those experienced parents out there that tell me "You need to stop that early"- I am all ears. Give me all that valuable advice that prevents children from becoming smart-mouths in the later years.

Here's what I'm looking at.

"Jack, you need to watch your mouth."

"YOU need to watch your mouth, Mom!"

"Jack, please start picking your toys up, I've asked 6 times."

"MOOOOOOM! Just be quiet!"

"I'm turning the Wii off Jack, if you keep getting upset."

"If you turn that off, I'm going to poke you in the eye."

(..personal fave.)

All I'm asking for is the instant reaction I should give, because what it SEEMS like, is I'll give him the instant reaction- and he gives it right back. Poor Jack, being the third person in the home, feels like he too, is an adult- and he too, is a parent. He's only mimicking what he sees around him. So it's tricky.

Again, I'm all ears.

Jack's Recent Art

2011-09-19T17:26:00.003-06:00

This just makes me wonder if this is REALLY how he sees human beings..

From the left, and over:

"Scary Octopus"

"Dad" (Josh)

"Mario"

"Jack"

"Eva"

"Cotchroke" (Wall-E's cockroach)

"Wall-E"

The Kinder Way

2011-08-29T16:36:00.005-06:00

It is cliche to say "I can't believe my baby is five." The truth is, I can't believe he is ONLY five. We have been through more in the past five years than I ever imagined I would go through in my life. Some mother's cry when their babies turn another year older, or when they grow out of clothes, or when they drop them off at the first day of school. I celebrate. I consider each milestone a blessing. Instead of wishing that he was still a baby I say to myself "I am so lucky we made it here."

I didn't spend a lot of time thinking about "the first days of school" while Jack was a baby because I couldn't see past the third surgery. We didn't allow ourselves to be jinxed by imagining the days when Jack was 5, 10 or 15 years old because we just needed to make it to that third surgery.

Now that we are here, I haven't had time to daydream about him growing up and doing the regular things kids do. Or, how they would affect him, and us. It has been SO exciting and fun to watch him do these new things. Today was certainly the beginning of a very long, important part of his life. He was thrilled and woke up yelling "First Day of School!" ..even though we have PM Kindergarten. (To my surprise..) he couldn't wait to put on his uniform and head to school.

It was quick and painless.. pat on the back, couple of pictures, a hug goodbye- off he went.

So we are on our way, the Kinder way, to a whole new world of PTA meetings (I'm a card holding member..), volunteer work, homework, new friends, class pets, math problems and recess fights. I love it.. we are all happy here.

"Surreal" barely cuts it...

2011-08-15T16:10:00.008-06:00

Today I took Jack to visit Sunrise Elementary, where I went to Kindergartern. (And all the other grades..) I knew that the school would be open, being that teachers are preparing their classrooms and things are getting in order.

The school was remodeled the year I left, in fact we spent our last few months of 6th grade at Eastmont Middle School because Sunrise was under so much construction, and we were on year-round, so the Middle School students were off for summer break. The inside of Sunrise was virtually unrecognizable. When I had left, all the classrooms were open; if you turn around in your desk, you'd see the OTHER classes in your grade, and all their backs. It proved too distracting (obviously) so the classrooms went under remodel to enclose each classroom for more privacy. But that created a MAZE of hallways. I had no idea where I was till I ran into the "Kiva" (shown below). It was where you'd meet for unique presentations or speakers, and we'd all sit on the levels to create stadium seating. More intimate that the assemblies in the combined lunchroom/gymnasium.

The GYM and Lunchroom haven't changed- the lights were off or I would have taken pictures. But they brought back LOTS of memories: Assemblies, 5th Grade Sales Parade (I sold little candy trains made out of Lifesavers and Red Licorice Rope), the Maturation program.... good times. We finally found are way over to the Kindergarten room. I showed Jack the classroom I was in and he sat down at a desk and said "It's just my size!!" That was when I TRULY realized just how long ago it was that I was there.

The classrooms were all prepared, with tote-trays on top of each desk filled with supplies. I stole a pencil, because you can't tell, but they are JUMBO pencils, the diameter of those things are as wide as my forefinger. So I took one. Don't tell.

This was the 4th grade bathroom. I remember raising my hand to go to the bathroom, doing my business, then stand looking at that mirror, wondering just how long I could stay in there while time passes- until someone came to get me. It was a great way to move the day along. Those toilets are tiny.

Outside the back of Sunrise was the "good" playground. Which doesn't say much compared to what it is NOW. It is wicked awesome. Jack declared it his favorite playground in Utah, and we have decided it is where we will go to play. There are rock climbing things, lots of slides, spinny things that make you a go a million miles an hour... and a zip line. So, that part has GREATLY improved...

We stayed an played for awhile. A little girl that was going into 4th grade was playing there also, telling me the things she usually plays at recess. I spent a good month or so playing with a fire hydrant. Ah, how times have changed. I explained to her that I went to Sunrise 25 years ago, to which she replied "was this building even HERE that long ago??"

Yes, little girl. Yes it was.

The Wish that Keeps On Giving (Photo Alert..)

2011-08-02T12:21:00.013-06:00

Last month Make A Wish asked if they could give Bangerter Homes permission to use Jack's wish as inspiration for one of the bedrooms in their "UP" house they built for the Parade of Homes. We will do ANYTHING MAW asks because we are so grateful to them and want to help them in any way we can. So we met with Adam Bangerter and he and Jack had a nice chat. Jack showed him his video montage from his wish trip and Adam told Jack that they'd like to do a "Toy Story" theme and make the room like "Andy's Room." Jack spent most of his trip on the Toy Story Mania Ride, so he was down.

We got to preview the room at the "room reveal" last week. (Video, here.) The House is incredible to look at, from the outside it's as realistic as it gets. Then they added such great details like the chairs, the walker with the tennis balls, the Paradise Falls mural and jar of money. The kitchen was DARLING with tiffany-blue appliances and there were great pictures of Ellie and Carl lining the walls.

Jack's room was super cute, the signature clouds on the sky blue wall, the chest full of all this his favorite friends from Toy Story. The race track running off the desk, and the army guys parachuting from the ceiling. Jack saw his name up on the wall and the pictures of our family on his trip around the room- he knew it was special. BUT- it has taken (and is still taking) some convincing that it isn't HIS room.

Part of the proceeds from the Parade of Homes tickets will go to Make A Wish, and I encourage everyone to go, not only because it helps Make A Wish, but because there are a LOT of fun homes to see. Not to mention the UP house. We are so glad to be a part of something and to have Jack give back... Make A Wish is a very important part of our lives and though Jack is doing well, unlike many, MANY MAW kids, it always reminds us of how lucky we are he is still here, and what a miracle he is.

A Place Where Everyone Knows Your Name

2011-07-29T08:07:00.022-06:00

The list of things I love unconditionally has grown exponentially since I was young, and it was a long list even then.

Jelly Belly's

Recess

San Diego

Sleepovers

Shasta

Being a "grown-up" my list has gotten much deeper and more meaningful. Things that last longer and things I've worked for.

Josh

Jack

My Bed

Traveling

Garbage Disposals

Every single person in my family

Chocolate (yes, this is a grown-up one. I may develop acid reflux and I realize my days with chocolate may be numbered.)

But one thing that has stayed on both lists and has almost become a source of life, happiness and energy- is Hiking. Since I was young, I've remembered acknowledging how PRESENT I am when I hike. My mind seems so clear and thoughts are real, meaningful and significant. There's something about the fresh air and the complete rawness of nature that frees you.

In high school and college I typically hiked alone. Without hesitation I would start up trails such as Cecret Lake, White Pine, Devil's Castle and trails I don't even know the names of, or if they even were named. I preferred hiking alone. That way I was always able to notice that moment of clarity and peace, without distraction. Being present.

I only had one hike where I realized I shouldn't be alone-

or I should have least specified to someone (anyone) where I was. It was June, and the snow hadn't melted off yet. When I reached the higher elevations a storm set in that brought dense fog. I couldn't tell what direction I was going or see the trail well due to thes snow. The fog brought rain and I started falling waist deep into spots of the snow- completely oblivious of what was below me. I turned and ran any way that was "down" and reached the bottom safely.. but pretty shaken. Didn't stop me though. I went back to finish it, later.

Since marriage and childbirth- my free time has obviously been occupied to fill the needs of others. We'd get out there now and then, but it was nothing like it used to be; the limitless time factor, the freedom. And now we had a child that we had to watch with every foot of elevation we stacked on him, as the air got thinner and thinner. I hope we can make it a hobby and part of our lifestyle as a family.

But yesterday- I got to hike with someone that shared the same passion for it as I have, and someone I haven't hiked with in YEARS. My friend Stefanie came into town and we arranged to meet together with our friend Alli and do a great hike. MY favorite hike in Utah is Sunset Peak.

It is the perfect combination of difficulty, beauty, horizons and length to make for a great day-hike. We immediately felt the exhilaration when we stepped out of the car into Albion Basin. The temperature was cool and everything was SO GREEN due to all the rain so late this year.

Without too much effort, us 30-year olds marched up the trail to the peak and summited 10,468ft in the sky. The view up there is amazing, I call it the "four corners" because you can see Brighton, Heber, Timpanogos, and Snowbird all standing from one spot.

On the way down we ran into a few older hikers with their Trekkie's and they stopped to let us pass. They asked how old we were and we all said "THIRTY!" as if we were so old and proud to have made it to the top. They pointed to the man and told us he was 89, then told us that they came up the long way,from Mt. Supreme. Humility and admiration spilled over all three of us and we envied these cute people that were up here enjoying nature and comradery, which they have probably have been enjoying for decades. I can't wait to be like that.

The feeling I get when I hike is ALWAYS there, it is there every single time I go back. It's like returning to a place where I am welcome and loved, and the feeling is mutual. Thank you Stef and Alli for making it such a GREAT day, and I hope we can all take advantage of what is so easily accessible to us.

(more pictures of Sunset Peak, HERE.)

Summer Delight

2011-07-23T11:09:00.002-06:00

I'm sure many of you have heard of the "One Ingredient Ice Cream." I can't even link that title because there are so many places to find it. But it is really a phenomena. Frozen bananas, blended up in whatever you have, be it a Magic Bullet or a GLORIOUS Vitamix...(Laura..) this treat will ALWAYS leave you wondering if ALL ice cream is made out of banana's. The texture is SO creamy and bananas melt in your mouth just as well as any other soft serve you've had.

Now, not to discredit my Magic Bullet, because I do love it- but it takes quite a bit of knocking around to get it to blend up frozen bananas so smoothly. So this morning, to spare my bullet a brutal beating, I whipped out my Horizon Chocolate Milk. I love this chocolate milk, it tastes rich yet not too sweet. I figured the cool temperature of the milk and the frozen banana's would find a happy place in the bullet and be able to blend smoothly. Not only was I right- but it tastes SO GOOD. Holy cow.

Please try this, and if you don't have the means, come here and we'll freeze some chopped up banana's together and have an exquisite summer treat..

Bear Lake

2011-07-19T11:02:00.018-06:00

The Trent's first Bear Lake trip was this past weekend. It couldn't have been better. We stayed at the KOA campground with Jen and Teagan. KOA's are GREAT. I've never stayed on an "organized" campground before, and the balance between sleeping in a tent enclosed by a fence, and between roughing it outside with a bathroom complete with flushing toilet and warm shower- made me completely comfortable. I love them. However, next time I wouldn't mind pitching the tent in a forest without the loud neighbors...

We spent our time with the super-fun Lamoreaux Family. We had dinner the first night there with many of them at Cafe Sabor. I'll spare the Cafe Sabor any embarrassment and just say they had an 'off night.' But we had some fun conversations and ate some reasonably good mexican food. Just be sure to never ask for a vegetarian mean and expect that they didn't just pull the chicken out of the already pre-made pasta.... Or expect there to be napkins and silverware for you. Or menus. But a nice night for friends and family to have a god time.

The beaches at Bear Lake are great. The water is nice and cool and the kids can reach for a great length of the shoreline. Jack and Teagan had fun playing in the sand and water. Jack could sit on a beach from sun up to sun down, if we let him.

Every one came to hang out at the beach and it was a BEAUTIFUL day, perfect for chilling at the beach and boating. Jen's Uncle Bob was the best host on the lake, he had a great boat, and this awesome raft that Jack, Teagan (and Josh) played around with at the beach while the others were out on the lake.

It's pretty awesome that Jen and I have been friends for 28 years and still get along swimmingly....

(I chose wisely when I picked my husband..)

This was Jack's first time boating! He was nervous about it, but I reassured him that because I know him best, I knew he'd like it. And I was of course right. But it took just a short w

hile for him to shake his nerves off, he had a few funny faces on and I took a lot of pictures of him just because every time I looked at him he had a new expression, and they were so raw it was like seeing exactly how he was feeling spelled out on his face. Cute thing.

He loved riding on the boat, and he was fine with going fast as long as one of us was sitting with him. He'd often come crawl on my lap and wrap my arms around his little life vest. It's so strange because sometimes Jack is so fearless and brave, and at times where I expect him to be just fine he suddenly has this vulnerability and gets so shy. It's very unlike him. But once you get him out there and going he perks up.

The best was when we started wake boarding and Jen got up immediately and was perfectly gliding behind the boat. Jack was SO impressed with Josh's skills, he was cheering him on telling him how well he was doing and how AWESOME he was. When I went out (I haven't tried to wake board for ten years, and didn't even succeed those ten years ago...) I finally got up after 5 or 6 tries and Jack watched me crash every time. I was fine, the crashes weren't TOO rough, but when I got back in Jack told me he didn't think I was cut out for this sport.

He wasn't beaming with pride like he was when Josh got back in the boat. Then Jen tried wake surfing, something I've never seen (thus making me feel REALLY old..) but it was quite awkward and tricky. Not to mention the water was getting choppy and making it more difficult. But Jen kept falling down and Jack turned to me and said "That looks like YOU, Mom!" Then of course, Josh tried it, got up instantly and then cruised around and made it seem like he was almost bored. He grew up surfing so Jen and I didn't let it get us too upset.

I'm glad Josh had so much fun, this is stuff he should be doing more often. Jack too. The water in Bear Lake is usually pretty cold (so I'm told,) but this year it was so nice. Even Jack jumped in so he could see if he would 'really float' in his life vest. He didn't turn blue, which is a great indicator the water is a decent temperature. I'm really proud of myself for finally standing up on a wakeboard. I've had a fear of water sports, and after telling Jack that he couldn't say he didn't like boating until he tried it, Jack told me I could say I didn't like wake boarding until I tried it. He was right.

Then came the part for tubing. This was another thing that I thought once Jack did it, he was gonna LOVE it. We got him onto the raft without any issue (I threw the "you can't say you don't like it till you try it" thing RIGHT BACK AT him.) But when Bob gave Jack the signals to "slow down" or "go faster" Jack took control on the raft and kept giving Bob a thumbs down. After about 1 minute Jack started yelling "We're done, Bob! We're Done!" It was pretty funny. Not to mention the expression on his face.

On the last day, we went to Minnetonka Cave, a pretty sweet cave only about 20 minutes away that drops 60 degrees once you get inside. After being yanked around by a boat and crashing quite a few times, my muscles weren't too stoked about the 888 steps going up and down this cave, but I actually handled it quite well, not to mention Jack, who was probably low oxygen at that elevation. He did great and had a good time.

Jen and Teagan had already done the cave before but let us in on the little secret that at the end of the cave (3000 ft in) they shut the lights off. It is definitely the darkest dark you have ever seen. With that cold temperature and extreme darkness... I could sleep like a baby in there. We had a great hike in and a great hike out, the tour guide sang some sweet chamber music in the "ballroom" on the way out, then showed us a baby bat at the opening of the cave. All very interesting for parents and children alike.

I only post this picture of Jack the look on his face is that of some rabid creature we could have run into in these woods. He was wired and tired all at the same time.

This is was such a fun trip and Bear Lake is such an awesome place (I had 3 raspberry shakes...) we will certainly be going back again... and we'll be dragging all of you with us :)

Four Ways To Spend the Fourth

2011-07-07T09:28:00.008-06:00

1. Camping

We chose to camp in my parent's backyard. It is the prime location for first-timer's like Jack in the case he gets scared or cold, grandma's nice, warm house it right there to remedy. Or- if mom develops some sort of gastrointestinal infection and needs to camp out by the toilet. But we had lots of fun doing summersaults, fireworks, and roasting s'mores over the open range..

2. Shooting off Barely Legal Fireworks

Josh's sister's family was in town from Arizona. They love a good explosion- and Derek came prepared with fireworks such as the "Corrupt" and "The PowerHouse." We each had a turn hold ignited roman candles (including our wee children..), and got to watch a great show of all the fireworks across Midway and Heber in the rain.

(only one fire was started, but it was immediately put out by a bucket of water and Tasha's foot.)

3. Fishing

Just outside of Charleston we found a great spot on the Provo River to try and fish. There were snakes and mosquito's and lots of sun. Right off the bat, Derek got a 14" cut throat. It was a beauty. The kids were thrilled (almost as much as Derek was..) and my nephew Soren did a great job cleaning it. I caught 3 mosquito bites.

4. Watching the Storm

The day after the 4th, we had dinner in Park City and later went to a park when a huge storm rolled in. It brought a huge rainbow that stuck around for 45 minutes and only improved with time. When the rain subsided some people set off fireworks (mortar's..) just beneath the rainbow. It was a gorgeous night, and a perfect way to end the weekend.

Happy 4th of July, everyone.

And so we bid a sad and fond Farewell...

2011-06-14T17:33:00.012-06:00

The cabin I grew up with has been sold, to a very lucky family. Ever since I can remember "the cabin" has always brewed up excitement inside of me. Whether it be for "Swiss Days" or the 24th of July, my birthday party sleep overs, my GROWN UP birthday parties, a quiet getaway, or just a weekend.... it was always there.

Not to my surprise, the cabin sold quickly and we took the opportunity to go up and snap some shots to hold the image of one of my favorite spots, in my mind, forever. It makes me sad to think that though Jack knows his way around the cabin as well as I do, eventually these memories will fade and he won't recall the many trips he's had there. But luckily, I've done a pretty good job of documenting them. There was a good two weeks where Jack and I lived at the cabin while he was a baby. It was bliss; the quiet, the peace, the immobility of Jack... those were indeed wonderful times.

Lisa:

I remember building huts upstairs with all the foam mattresses.

I remember the smell of the basement when you go to turn the hot water on.

I remember the fun hike to the water tower. Sam and Molly can remember those.. lots of laughs.

I remember the Video Update, where dad would take us to pick out movies.

I remember the Homestead, when they allowed people that weren't guests to swim in their pool.

I remember Timp Freeze, and grasshopper shakes.

I remember the many bowls of trail mix that mom never failed to put together.

I remember all the rodents.... all the many, many rodents.

I remember losing Buddha, and spending hours trying to find him.

I remember Scooter's instincts that switched right on when he'd get there.

I remember the smell of pancakes and bacon, every Memorial Day morning.

I remember waking up to the sun BLAZING through the east windows.

I remember being afraid to go in the basement.

I remember wondering how we fit the whole Durham family up there on Pioneer Day.

What great memories. To those who added to them, keep them and cherish them. Goodbye, dear, old cabin.

Carter:

I remember driving up Provo canyon, passing bridal veil falls, the dam, the reservoir.

I remember the fish hatchery with Grandma.

I remember the fireworks at Charleston.

I remember buying baseball cards at the Homestead.

I remember WORSHIPING the Memorial Day and Labor Day trips with our family.

I remember picking out a spot upstairs to sleep, and setting up shop for the weekend.

I remember playing blackjack with Dad. "You've got the disease."

I remember shooting his pellet gun off the balcony.

I remember peeking down the stairs after we'd gone to bed, and watching the movies Mom and Dad would watch.

I remember giving the organ a token play.

I remember looking through the old books, photos, and journals, and being proud of my family.

Laura:

I remember helping make dinners in the small kitchen and making brownies in the cupcake holder (brupcakes)

I remember the nails that protruded out of the giant front porch.

I remember feeding the ducks at the lake I can't remember the name of.

I remember prepping for Memorial Day brunch at the Homestead by not eating anything all morning.

I remember playing hours of ping pong.

I remember scanning the aisles of videos at Video Update and the image of the front cover of "Fire Starter" that I always skipped.

I remember we all had to guess what movie was playing at the local theatre.

I remember stopping for the slow kids at play.

I remember us all guessing the arrival time each time we drove out there.

I remember waiting in the long hot line for the BBQ at Swiss Days.

I remember turning on the heaters in the morning and parking right next to them.

I also remember peeking downstairs and watching the movie.

I remember rearranging the furniture that one time.

I remembered to double flush.

*Blog title credit goes to Miss Locke.

Kah-rah-tay

2011-06-10T14:39:00.003-06:00

Jack has completed his semester of Karate at The Little Gym. His final day was today, providing him the opportunity to show off all of his moves, tricks and death defiances..

Here, he is doing his Kata-Sonata, his flip off of the beam, and his bar skills. Then they get to jump across a big inflated trampoline whilst doing kicks and punches.

Jack got his Medal, and felt very calm and poised...

Here is is with Mr. Clay, the Karate Master (jack is kind of the teachers pet..) and with me, being Spiderman.. and with Grandpa, lookin tough.

GOOD JOB JACK! Namaste.

Our Little Entrepreneur

2011-06-09T14:16:00.002-06:00

Lately Jack has gotten very creative with his alone time. He finds great ways to keep himself busy, but most of the things he comes up with inevitably need other participants. The most recent, and current, is his stand of toys that are broken or have missing parts that are for sale. He's written the price of them on the box ($1007) and the "manners" which are to not cry or eat pizza on the ceiling.

After setting everything up, Jack was seeking out potential customers everywhere. The store, school, the missionaries, and the people coming to view our home. No takers.

Today, while I was on my computer Jack came in and said "Mom, you can go to 'jacksbox.com' to see all the stuff you want to buy."

Apparently, he's already reserved a domain for his new company. I took a picture. The shirt he is wearing is a complete coincidence.

Fill the Ark...

2011-06-06T09:02:00.005-06:00

One year ago today, it was 10:00pm, Jack was still up so we could take Josh to the airport for his business trip to New York when we saw a light in our back yard. A police officer had a worried look on his face and told me they were having "water problems." He suggested I remove anything important from our basement. Just then a fast gush of water came from under the fence and headed for our home. I grabbed Josh and ran downstairs to start taking things up from the basement. By the time he got our tv off the wall and upstairs, water was halfway up the window-well. After our second trip upstairs, we heard a CRASH and discovered the window had broken to the pressure. The water was freezing, brown, smelly and there was broken glass all over as we trudged through water to save everything.

Today, after a warm up, we keep a close eye on the river..

Genuis.

2011-06-02T16:50:00.002-06:00

Thirty, Eighteen, Twenty-Five.. whatever.

2011-05-27T13:46:00.007-06:00

I turned 30 on May 20th. I've had lots of great jokes- like Josh getting me "Over the Hill" balloons, lots of "Happy Birthday Granny" or "Have a great day, saggy mama.."

Super fun comments indicating that though 30 sounds old, it really isn't. Which I completely agree, and to tell the truth, I've felt 30 since I was 17. Many people have asked "so does it feel different to be 30" and I just think to myself.... not really.

In high school I was ITCHING to get out. I felt like I was around a bunch of crazy kids making stupid choices and causing unnecessary problems. Then college was nice, better; people actually following rules and making better decisions. When I met Josh and knew in my heart I was going to marry him I thought "wait, I'm only 22.." but again, FELT much older. So it seemed alright. Then that led to Jack. Childbirth, parenting. That was probably the time I felt my age the most, but fought through it to become a mature, role-model for my son.

Thirty isn't bad. Age doesn't matter. Things change, yes... eyes grow "feet" and legs grow "cottage cheese" but I honestly feel that the best is yet to come. I'm still learning and I have a lot of time to become a wonderful person.

Here's to THIRTY! Cheers.

Special thanks those truly thoughtful gifts.. you know who ya'll are.

Lucky Number Seven

2011-05-19T07:32:00.002-06:00

MAN, am I glad the weather on May 19, 2004 was better than it is in 2011.

Seven years ago I married the man I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

I really do love him.

No mushy stuff, no lists of why, and no stories about our courtship. This one's short an simple. I love him.

Happy Anniversary, Dear. Here's to lucky number seven.

The Moments that have Improved Motherhood.

2011-05-07T08:59:00.009-06:00

Big brother's don't have to be human.

Even the messiest messes can be cute. Most messes Jack makes are result of curiosity or creativity. I embrace his passion for art, his desire to draw stars all over the walls, his need to put stickers on everything to make them "look better" and his wonderful ability to recreate something he has seen on paper.

Christmas can be just as much fun as it was when I was little. Being able to see the excitement and feel like a kid again is one of my FAVORITE parts of being a Mother. I love showing Jack all the things I used to do as a kid, build huts, draw hopscotches with chalk, make banana splits, and sleep in the bath tub..

Jack has always been a great impersonator. I love being able to watch first hand as he tries to be "like mom" or be "like dad."

Terribly adorable.

I love the feeling of being a "proud parent" and when my little boy makes me proud, I feel most like a Mother.

Sometimes I am the Mother of two.. but it is wonderful to have someone that can be the kid that Jack needs to play with. This happens a lot, which means my motherly duties are many, but it is more than worth it for my two boys.

I'm the luckiest Mother in the world to have such a great road tripper. Jack will go on 6-7 hour car rides and it will almost be as fun as the trip itself. When I was young I was stuck in between my brother and sister in the backseat for hours and hours. I probably put up more of a stink than I should have. But it makes me all the more grateful to have a boy that loves to road trip to Vegas. Many, many times.

My motherhood was raw during these times, times when I would sit by and let people poke my boy with needles, inject tubes in between his ribs, and send him off with strangers dressed in scrubs to open him up and put him on bypass. No Mother should have to give that kiss goodbye, but those moments helped make me the greatest Mother I could possibly be.

All Mother's learn the lesson that unapproved haircuts are inevitable. It usually happens more than once, making you feel like you've messed up twice. But really- it's ok. Especially when you have a boy :)

I learned early on that sleeping by my mom made me feel safer. Although I like my sleep, my space and my quiet, I'll help provide Jack that same feeling of safety and comfort whenever I can. Some of the best moments of Motherhood are watching my baby sleep, safe and sound in his bed.

The greatest lesson of all- it's ok to have my 5 year old son be my best friend. We spend all day, and sometimes all night together, we tell each other everything and we share in each other's sorrows and silliness. Whatever will I do when he doesn't need me as much?

I'll savour these Mother's Day's and enjoy every moment.

Mystery Lifeguard

2011-05-04T12:36:00.002-06:00

While in San Diego, Jack and I spent a whole day at the pool while Josh dealt with the car issues. Around lunch time they had life entertainment and a friendly man with dreds came out with his steel drums to play the plinky, plunky music that makes you feel relaxed somehow.

To my surprise, I recognized one of the songs and was humming right along... it took me awhile to figure out what it was till I started singing aloud.

"Mys-ter-y Lifeguard....they call me Mys-ter-y Lifeguard...."

I said "JACK! Do you hear this song? And he (as though it was no big deal) said "Yeah it's Backyardigans."

I was so confused to how the nice rastafarian man knew the Backyardigans song. Usually- they write their own music. On occasion they use other tunes. So came home and investigated to find out that "Mystery Lifeguard" is written to the tune of "Guantanamera" which is written by a Spanish gentleman. It would have been super awesome if the guy was a huge Backyardigan's fan, like I am- (I have other songs downloaded) but at least this was an educational experience.

I still love it. But now I know why I can't download it.

Birthday Boy

2011-04-25T09:32:00.002-06:00

Today is Joshua's 35th birthday. He's learned so many new things this past year and we are really proud of him. This will be a big year for him and we are very excited for him and very proud of him. We love you Josh, Happy Birthday. Keep growing up to be the BIG boy that you are!

Where did you go? Why were you there?

2011-04-24T13:54:00.006-06:00

To sum up the trip we just took takes too long... so I bundled pictures together to represent the most notable events. Being that this trip was spontaneous and unplanned, the day to day activities were chosen on a whim, and the amounts of time spent at each place were unknown.

First, we took off early for Las Vegas, deciding two nights were better than one. My dear friend Kim and her husband Nate live in Henderson. A place I would seriously consider moving to. Seriously. They have two daughters and a baby boy on the way. Jack and Ireland (their 4 year old) get along beautifully. She plays hard, so it's nice to not have to remind Jack to "be soft" when he is around her. They played at the park, we took them to the Shark Reef/Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, and bought them some Red Mango. It's a love affair that will grow on till they learn about cooties.

The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is always fun, we see different creatures, pet sting ray and I love photographing jelly fish. Something for everyone.

We learned in Vegas traffic that the overheating problem our car had didn't disappear with the winter months in Utah, it was just hibernating. We learned quickly to identify the needs of the Sentra and turn the heat on full blast when the car was idling in traffic or at stop lights, and to keep an extra bottle of coolant in the trunk. (Which didn't open.) So on the drive to Los Angeles we paid close attention to the temperature. "Good thing we had those belts replaced at Jiffy Lube before we left.." we both said to each other. Having booked our Hotel at the Angelo the night before, I was excited to be so close to the Getty. Jack and I have been there before, although this time around was a bit more difficult; Jack not being entertained only by new places as easily,but needing 'games' and 'kid things' to keep him happy.

Being that we had only one night booked at the hotel, it was relief when our old, reliable friend Cole invited us to stay at his house in Sherman Oaks. He and his fiance' Jill have a great place and the cherry on top, was Miles, their labradoodle. Though cautious at first, he and Jack developed quite a relationship and before we had even sat down were playing fetch and and doing tricks. We drove to Malibu to hit the beach but it was pretty breezy. But this part of the trip was delightful thanks to farmer's markets, bakeries, good friends, and canines.

The drive to San Diego was great, no overheating like in the horrible traffic in LA, and the temperature was perfect for windows-down driving, and Jack slept a large part of the time. We booked ourselves at the Bahia, the hotel next to the routine hotel Dana that we typically stay at. It was beautiful. The weather was warm and we couldn't wait to get in the pool. The next morning after a large breakfast.. Josh noticed a belt hanging from underneath the car. Nice work Jiffy Lube. So the rest of Josh's day was spent at the Jiffy in Mission Bay, where they found damaged and missing parts from what we were told was repaired by the Salt Lake Jiffy crew. They ended up sending Josh over to a mechanic to fix it. (Why not get the overheating issue taken care of as well... yes?) That will take an extra day. So we book another night at the Bahia and extend our stay to fix the 11 year old Sentra. So many hours and many dollars later, it emerged from a garage with a new lease on life and a desire to be driven hard.

So back to Vegas we went, tired and worn from the long haul with the car. We saw Rio, and took Jack to the splash park. We decided with no hesitation to stay an extra night in Vegas. Kim was pleased, so we could take some baby-mama photos of her. I was pleased cause it was snowing in Salt Lake. Jack was pleased because he thought he lived there. Josh was pleased- because he can essentially work from anywhere, but there were contacts in Vegas. We took the kids to the "Natural Museum of History", got Kim's photo shoot done, and the last night we got to stay at "The Orleans Hotel and Casino" free of charge. Not too shabby.

The only real loss on the trip was a load of laundry that may have been sabotaged by a senseless stranger, a toy from McDonald's, and Peedie, our fish that died while we were gone. Oh well.

When I was your age...

2011-04-02T20:28:00.005-06:00

Lately, and frequently, Josh and I are watching pieces of ourselves pop up in Jack. I've noticed such things as the thrill that comes over you when you learn how to draw or spell something. When I learned how to spell my name, I wrote it all over our house. I was probably five, just like Jack. I can still find my mark on the inside of my mom's bathroom drawer. Jack learned how to draw a star and drew them all over the walls and the banister.. and the fireplace. I also remember having my feelings get hurt whenever a door was closed on me. My dad would close his study door, or their bedroom door and I'd always take it personally. Since I've started favoring privacy at appropriate times (Jack IS getting older...) Jack will cry whenever we close a door on him.

One night I got out of bed to check on Josh, who was on a very late-night business call. When I walked to the end of the hallway I found Jack asleep by Josh's office door. Sometimes if I had a bad dream, or couldn't sleep, I'd grab a pillow and a blanket and sleep by my parents' door. The flickering light from their TV would shine through the bottom and it was strangely comforting. I can imagine that the sound of Josh's voice on the phone made Jack feel safe.

This evening- Jack pulled something that BOTH Josh and I did as little kids, perhaps EVERY little kid has done this at one time or another. For some reason it's fun. But I felt the need to photograph and label the event.

Jack designed himself a new room in his bath tub. It came complete with all of Jack essentials, listed below.

1. His jacket, hung on the hook meant to hold the squeegie, that actually goes in our shower.

2. His juice cup, sitting comfortably in the soap dish.

3. Jack's library books, we read every night.

4. BOTH penguin pillow pets, large and small.

5. A spatula. That's beyond me..

6. His socks, waiting for him on the toilet seat.

7. The chair, for visitors.

8. (Not Shown) His cup of Apple Jack's.

I can't help but admit it looks really comfy in there, with the feather down nestled in the small bath tub, enveloping whoever sits in it... but, it's Jack's new room.

Favorite Things List

2011-03-22T09:45:00.006-06:00

There are a few things I've come across in my life that sometimes, in fear of them suddenly disappearing, I buy 3 of. I love favorite things. My own, and others. So I here's my current list:

1. St. Ives Green Tea Scrub

This stuff is everything I want it to be. It has natural ingredients, it's blemish fighting, it is an exfoliant with FINE exfoliators, and it is reasonably priced but not cheap. I love it, so so much.

2. Arizona Tea: Arnold Palmer

Yes, I like tea. Yes, I like lemonade. Thank you, Arnold for eliminating the "mixing" step.

I started drinking these a lot when I "quit" carbonation for awhile.. they are a good substitute.

3. SpongeBob Collapse

SpongeBob Collapse

Use jellyfish, stars and colored bubbles to match squares before they pile to the top.

I discovered this game about 7 years ago, it is so mindlessly fun. My mom was playing it yesterday and reminded me that I introduced it to her while we were in London. And though it kills me to imagine myself in the center of that amazing city, inside a flat hovered over a computer playing SpongeBob... strangely, I'm OK with it.

4. Cover Girl NatureLuxe Gloss

We all know I have a "thing" for lip products.. but truly these are at the top of my list. My favorite (and the one I bought 5 of... just in case..) is "Marble." They are light, chapsticky, but have a great hint of color.

5. How About Orange (.com)

This website is so fun to look at, it is a feast for the eyes.

6. Salt Lake County/City Library

Jack and I go to the library every week, and sometimes after karate we hit the SL City Library downtown to play in the "ice cave" and the "attic" they have in the Children's Library there. They are fun places to take a bunch of books, huddle down in a corner and read together. But really, our Holladay Library is replacing CABLE, and Jack LOVES picking out books and movies there. It's so great.

7. The "hide" button on Facebook.

I've hidden most everyone on facebook, aside from my family members. When I realized how much TIME I spent each morning checking the news feed, reading through status after status I was appalled at how many wasted minutes went by. I've decided (in normal human manor) that if I want to know what someone is up to, I'll go to their page to find out. (Or call them..) My facebook time has been cut dramatically, and I'm still surprised how when I check the wall I'm done under a minute since there is so much less to read.

8. Belt Conditioner

Our car was making a horrible noise at the beginning of the winter. Every time we pulled out of our street the Sentra would send an echoing SQUEAL through our neighborhood. After using this... squeal has been gone. We aren't embarrassed anymore.

9. Slacklining

This isn't exactly what I mean. But my friend Jen introduced us to slacklining. You string up a belt between two trees and it is typically about 2 ft from the ground, and you challenge yourself to balance across. It is HARD. But that's what makes it so addicting. You KNOW you can do it. It just takes practice.

10. Krusteaz Crumb Cake Mix

I took this mix, added a 1/2 cup of applesauce, 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats and a cup of chopped apples, and made the yummiest apple cake ever. Seriously.

And that's a wrap. I love favorite things. Make me a list of yours.

Hair Cuts.

2011-03-08T09:18:00.003-07:00

When I was about 12 or 13, I needed a hair cut. This is the earliest haircut I remember, though when I was eight (despite my extremely naturally curly hair...) I got a perm. I still don't understand why that happened. But this hair cut as a pre-teen, I remember well, because my mom took me to Fantastic Sam's on Fort Union. Out of all the Super Cuts, Sport Clips and other "get the job done" places, I'm not sure why she chose Fantastic Sam's.

I remember them treating me like an adult, asking me if there was anything I'd like to read while I was getting my hair done. They made small chit-chat about school while I was being shampooed and rinsed. I felt very special like I was at the "Salon" now, where it wasn't just about getting your hair cut but about the whole experience, and walking away feeling like new. I began to really like it.

When the cut was finished- this is where everything halted in slow motion, my confusion set in, and knew I would never return to Fantastic Sam's again. They asked me to step off the chair, then bend down and pick up a lock of my hair that had just been chopped. Then, they led me to a wall with a tiny little door, with a knob, and told me to put the hair in it. Totally grossed out and concerned about why I was cleaning up my own mess, I put the hair in and heard a sound. They all looked at me with excitement and I suddenly felt like I was 6 as they motioned for me to open the door back up. Inside was a lime green, plastic bracelet. Not hiding my complete disappointment and resentment that the people that had made me feel so grown-up were turning their backs on me to make me feel like an infant, rewarding my "good behavior" with a cheap prize, I picked up the bracelet and went home.

Since then I've spoiled myself in this department. I have spent exorbitant amounts of money on my hair, only for a small allotted time in my life. The result were good, but certainly not worth the money. The hip music, products, and hair styles of the stylists themselves were enough to make me feel good about opening up my wallet.

Nowadays, I have settled in with a good friend who cuts my hair. The thing I like most about her is that her cuts and colors get better with age. I get more compliments a few weeks out from my cuts and colors, rather than right after I get them. They are long lasting... and well worth any money or effort. That's hard to find.

Jack is my new worry. I've been taking him to Cookie Cutters where they go way out of their way to make the kids happy, with movies, fun automobiles to sit in and balloons and candy. But Jack has past the point of needing to be pleased/distracted while he gets his hair cut. I'm hoping I can just take him to the Sport Clips next to Quizno's and get the pieces he's cut with his safety scissors evened out- for around $6. I don't feel bad about the price, and they certainly won't be asking him to pick up his gross, severed hair off the ground to redeem it for something. Perhaps I can learn how to cut his hair myself...

I'll google it later.

Viva la Peedie.

2011-02-19T15:55:00.002-07:00

Our little Peedie is going on 3 years old. Typically when people revisit our house they ask "Is your fish still alive?" It is like he is some phenomenon. I can safely say he has lived longer than any other fish I have had. Or other water/tank creatures I've had. He is so tough. I've dropped him down the disposal 4 times. (Not while it was running, of course.)

I think another reason Peedie is still here, is his great relationship he has with Lucy. They have spent countless hours alone and Peedie is always left unharmed. In fact, Lucy prefers to get her water specifically from Peedie's bowl. I've never had to get her water, as long as I keep Peedie's bowl clean. She'll watch him, and she won't drink if he is eating. She's very polite. There has only been one occasion- and this is hearsay, that Lucy has ever dipped her paw in the bowl.

I'm not sure the record lifespan of a beta, but I wouldn't be surprised if Peedie goes for the record. He's a good fish.

Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week

2011-02-13T16:16:00.005-07:00

Congenital Heart Disease is considered to be the most common birth defect, and is a leading cause of birth-defect related deaths worldwide.

Despite the fact that CHD affects approximately 1.8 millions families in the U.S., a relatively small amount of funding is currently available for parent/patient educational services, research, and support.

By sharing our experiences and providing information, we hope to raise public awareness about conditions that affect approximately 40,000 babies each year in the United States alone.

It is our sincere hope that efforts to educate the public will result in improved early diagnosis, additional funding for support and educational services, scientific research, and access to quality of care for our children and adults.

This week has been another reminder to us that not only are we not alone, but there are SO many children born with broken hearts. I am asked all the time if we "know anyone else with the same condition as Jack" and I will answer with a gasp, YES! There are so many... and though it is a sad truth, it is also a comfort that people can understand how important this is. There is a lot of research out there being done, and needing to be done.

CHD awareness week is almost over, but it is not too late to help the cause.

Contribute Here.

Thank you to every who supports, not just financially, but emotionally.

"Wee"nagers.

2011-02-04T16:24:00.006-07:00

I know I've already posted about feeling old, but this is something that SEEMS like it has changed. I see kids walking home from school all over the place by our house and I always ask myself "does their mom know they are out there walking alone on these busy streets?"

But then it occurs to me that these kids are walking home from Cottonwood HIGH SCHOOL and they are well past the age of having their hands held by their parents. They LOOK like they are 10 years old- but they are really 16.

I walked to school from 1st grade through 9th grade, and the distance to the Elementary school more than doubled the distance to the Middle School. I remember when my mom told me I was "lucky enough to walk to school like Carter and Laura." It seemed plenty safe, however, they would leave earlier than I and I was usually on my own, unless I met up with friends. These paths lead through huge fields of sage brush then down a wide residential road that was still dirt, not yet paved, then you crossed 11400 S. (safely if you were timely enough to catch the crossing guard) then you'd slip through an open corner of the fence that ran the large perimeter of the school grounds.

When I imagine Jack walking that far at the age of 7 or 8 I feel TERRIFIED and possibly very PARANOID that he won't end up where he is headed, he'll get lost or someone will flat out take him before he can get there. I'm not sure if we just lived in a wonderful classic age of "keep your doors unlocked" and "your yard is our yard" but the idea of sending Jack down Highland Dr. to walk to Elementary School each day doesn't seem like a viable option. I'm hoping that I'm not going to be one those parents that builds the bubble around their one, precious child; I'm certainly failing at that now- but hopefully as Jack grows up, I will learn that he is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. (Right?) Cause that doesn't seem imaginable right now.

Then again, I remember thinking it was unimaginable that he would ever eat solid foods. So, I should gain some perspective, I guess..

Wordle

2011-01-26T14:23:00.001-07:00

These are the words that come up the most often in my blog, giving you a "glimpse" of my life via blog, via Wordle.

Cue the choir....

2011-01-20T13:18:00.005-07:00

AHHHHhhhhhhhhhh....................................

It is complete. 150 squares, make up my first granny square afghan. I'm thrilled to be done, but I am also thrilled to be starting a new one. Even though I am using the same pattern, I'm using different colors and that for some reason doesn't make the task as tedious as it had become with the first one.

There are so many people to thank, like my mom, for finally forcing me to sit down and learn how to crochet. My husband, for being patient whenever he'd walk in a room and see me crouched over yet another square with a needle, instead of cooking him dinner. My son, who bless his heart thinks this blanket is for him. And lucy, for keeping me warm while I sat on the couch.

On to the next blanket!

Yet another wreath..

2011-01-18T09:12:00.013-07:00

This actually doesn't look anything like it is supposed to. But most of you don't know that.

This was a test run for Craft Night. That's right, I am part of a craft night. Possibly the co-creator of it. But I have a great group of girls that all love to get together and make fun things. At least I hope they love it, they could all be humoring me.. which is sweet, but nevertheless we have gotten quite a bit done over the last few years.

To be quite honest I'm not sure how it began. But it picked up and we started getting some regulars, and most of the time we get a few newbies. Sometimes it's just not their bag...

I believe our very first official craft night was in October 2008. We did the most darling little pumpkin lanterns. They were glass votives

with oil painted inside and a jack-o-lantern face etched on the outside. Super duper cute. Halloween for some reason is the easiest holiday to come up with crafts for. I'm not sure why. But lately, Martha Stewart glitter has become a staple with our Halloween Craft, it is also known as the "herpes of the craft world."

It is certainly the most fine, and beautiful of all glitters, but it gets EVERYWHERE.

I've lost most of my crafts in the flood, but looking back at these pictures reminds me of what we've done and helps give me more ideas of what to do next. Plus I can make these over again... ugh.

Sometimes my craft nights spill over into my family. My mother-in-law was in town and she came with me over to my aunts where my cousins were gathered, and we all made the papier mache eggs.

Those are REALLY involved.. with the blowing out of the eggs, the intricate cutting of the delicate tissue paper, and the stickiness of the modge-podge-glue concoction they are held together with. One of the best treats from these activities is to see what everyone comes up with. Each person has their own style and preference and with one craft- can come so many different results.

Sometimes, Craft Night is help at other people's homes, and they come up with the idea. That is always fun, and sometimes a challenge... I enjoy planning them because I have a head start and I can make sure I actually know how to do the craft. Keisha through me for a loop with those eggs. But it is so fun to participate with everyone else, instead of being the instructor. However, I am a lot like my mom where I mostly enjoy watching everyone have a good time in a setting I provided.

Our most recent Craft Night was for Christmas, and every did an EXCELLENT job with their snowflakes. I still have hundreds of paper bags if you would like to make more..

Christmas was really fun because we had lots of snacks, Christmas music and new friends. I love these nights and I want to thank my good friends and family that attend them. It is so much fun not only to make something together, but to just get together.

Anyone wanting to participate in these is welcome. It is a pressure-free atmosphere where you can create what you want however you want.

Thanks girlies, for everything.

California Dreamin'.

2011-01-12T13:27:00.004-07:00

My husband is in California right now. It is 18 degrees here, midday, and I would possibly give my right arm to be in California. Granted, he is there for business, but nothing makes work better than warm weather and ocean air. I love to travel, but more so, plan travel and then anticipate it. Having something to look forward to give me strength each day to do my best and press on.

Because I understand there is a sweet reward at the end.

Right now, my 2011 is very open. Besides a trip to Houston, I have NO plans. That is like living with that vacant, empty hunger in your stomach, day in and day out. So I am going to make plans. I love adding people to my plans. So I have made a list of things I want to do with people. If you are interested in these plans, contact me- we'll make it a reality.

1. Disneyland with Kim and Nate Shaffer. I think it would be really fun to take our kids to the Magical Kingdom. I would suggest going in early spring, or around Halloween.

2. Visit Northern California with Amy and Allen Gardner. This trip is something I would like to do, but would need help with the details.

3. Alaska with my Auntie Jill and Uncle Lindsay, and anyone else in the family that would like to join. I know we have been talking about it, but it could happen. A Christensen Alaskan Cruise. Yes.

4. Vegas (with virtually anyone..I love vegas) but Laura and I would love a good Durham Cousin trip to Vegas so we could see a show and eat at Serendipity III.

5. New York with Lyndsey and Tyson. This may be a few years ahead- cause I'd like to do it without children... and it may take us a few years to find sitters.

6. Belize with my husband. Cause he owes me.

7. London with my mom and dad. Going to England with these two is like setting the cruise control and being comfortable that you will get everywhere you want to go.

8. CRUISE, with Keisha, Sara and Nat. It has to be done.

9. Many, many National Parks with Jen and Key. Preferably the Sequoia's and Grand Canyon.

10. Hawai'i, because Jack has never been. So we'll go visit Deb and her family, and maybe ride Bucket.

How boring was this post? So boring. But this is a list FOR ME. And if I send it out into virtual cyber space, I'm somewhat bound to sticking to it...

So we'll see. Where does anyone else want to go? Better yet, who wants me to come?

Resolutions.

2010-12-30T21:37:00.003-07:00

I hesitate using the word "resolution" in this matter; I have nothing to resolve, nor am I making any formal declaration of my intentions. I do however wish to make good effort to do or NOT do the items on this list. I enjoy grouping things into measurements of time, so the beginning of a new year seems appropriate for me to make these changes and stick to them knowing I could honestly tell myself that "I have done that since the start of the year."

Number ONE.

Call back anyone who texts me. For those of you who don't know, I hate texting. Not because it is a hassle, and DANGEROUS at times, but because I think it is completely diminishing the human interaction in this world, and ruining social behavior. (This obviously comes with some exceptions..)

- if someone is asking me a one-text question. ie, "What is so-and-so's phone number?"

- if I KNOW the person is in a place where they cannot talk on the phone.

- or if it is a joke that I don't need to respond to.

Number TWO.

Always order LESS than I think I want to eat at restaurants. Most likely, order an appetizer or split an entree. I'm tired of leaving paid for food on the plate and walking away. (and I don't do well with leftovers.) I don't need to eat that much OR PAY that much for that matter. Restaurants are wasting so much food. I wish we could pay by the weight of the food we eat.

Number THREE.

Make an effort to be considerate to strangers. Give people the benefit of the doubt and don't assume everyone is an idiot. I would wish that people would do the same for me when I make mistakes out in the world, like not gunning it immediately when the light turns green...

Perhaps I should add "use my car horn less..." but that can just be a sub-resolution.

I encourage people to not set out-of-reach goals for themselves in 2011. It's truly the small things that count and if we all try to make a SMALL effort to be better people, I think the small efforts could result in big change.

Happy New Year everyone. May 2011 be a cleansing year of growth and discovery..

The Reason I Let Jack Have Popcorn for Dinner.

2010-12-28T20:12:00.002-07:00

Because this was five years ago right now...

So he can have whatever he wants.

Dear Santa,

2010-12-21T13:00:00.002-07:00

... I've been really good this year. Please bring me this dog.

It's a Mario World..

2010-12-17T20:07:00.008-07:00

Today is Jack's 5th birthday. It was a WONDERFUL day, from start to finish. Jack and Josh went on a special outing to the Discovery Museum, where Josh tells me, Jack was on his best behavior. He also got calls from family and loved ones that are far away- thank you for your love! Meanwhile, I was whipping up a batch of birthday party back home.

Jack had a Mario birthday this year, though he was probably the only one who was familiar with phenomenon, but the other kids seemed to enjoy it nonetheless. First, all of Jack's friends played a game of Gigantic Mario Memory. Everyone did really well, taking turns and staying in tune with the game.

I made a the giant "Memory" game with foam paper, and printed out multiple characters from Mario World (2 of each, obviously) and the kids had to make matches.

(Jack, being Bowser..)

Afterwards, Jack opened his presents from the generous families that attended, and then we ate cake, Firepower cookies, and Star Power cookies. It was a great time. Jack had so much fun and it was so nice to have the adults be outnumbered by the children. (Barely..)

(It's hard to top the "Yo Gabba Gabba Cupcakes" of 2008..)

Each of the little ones got to take home their own Mario Star. Something Jack has a true love for..

Jack obviously has special place in this family, and on this earth. He is a living miracle and we are reminded every day. I love him more that anything and I'm so glad to be here, at this place, with a healthy five year old little boy.

Happy Birthday, Jack! Love.

And The Beat Goes On..

2010-12-14T08:58:00.005-07:00

Yesterday was our first cardiology appointment since Jack's "mini pleural effusion" in February. This appointment was a tell-all for the next LONG period of time.. so we were interested to see what news all the tests brought. Dr. Su said he looked, sounded, and felt fine. He brought up the subject of decreasing Jack's Lasix dosage to which all 3 of us said "Nah- let's just keep him on it...."

His EKG reading was excellent, no abnormalities, not to mention Jack was VERY cooperative, didn't struggle, fight or cry once. He went right along with each test, and seemed just as interested in the results as we were. His O2 levels read (at what I think is the highest he's ever had at a check-up appointment w/o supplemental oxygen) at 93. This is huge.

His x-ray's were beautiful, clear and showed how much he is growing. Even the radiologist expressed that it was nice to see him healthy, and nice to see us getting x-ray's in the afternoon, and not at 6:30am (which is an indicator that you are admitted to the hospital.)

Jack's chest is a flurry of debris.. So below this picture, I included the "key" to identify the foreign objects seen via x-ray. There are other strange things in there that the normal person won't be able to see, like the Gore-Tex tubes that are providing passageway to and from his heart, the complete lack of an entire ventricle, and other things us "non-medical students" won' t be able to view.

Needless to say, we are THRILLED with the results, Jack is doing so well, he is happy, eating a lot, active, smart, loveable, horrible, crazy, hilarious and all the other things you'd hope a soon-to-be 5 year old to be. The next post will most likely be his birthday... coming on FRIDAY! (I have a 5 year old????)

A BUFF one.

Weekday Project:

2010-12-08T16:30:00.003-07:00

Yay. Now I just need to take down all these dang Christmas decorations so I can hang it up.

;)

The Weekend

2010-12-05T21:31:00.016-07:00

My weekend was full of projects. Some are documented, and others are not- due to gift spoilers. One memorable activity we took part in this weekend was the Primary Nativity. For some reason Jack was EXTREMELY shy, and was turned off of the idea of dressing up like a horse. Despite all my efforts and attempts to connect him to the Charlie Brown Christmas Special when they do THEIR christmas play... I could not succeed and Jack just watched with the rest of the adults. Nevertheless, it was a wonderful production.

After the Nativity, we had a Judean feast. It was delicious. Jack also got to spend some quality time with his church buddy, Quinton. They get along GREAT and spent the whole time running around together. Sadly, we have to tear them apart to go find a Christmas Tree.

90% of our Christmas decorations were swept away with the flood this summer, so I had to reinvent our Christmas tree. We did our best. I must say, that we did get it for quite a bargain, it fit perfectly in it's brand new stand, and was just right in its expected corner of our family room. The colors are interesting... and it gives off a

whole new glow. But I like it.

Then, to humor Jack and hopefully fulfill his own inner-child needs, Josh went outside and helped Jack build a snowman. It was a really great one... I don't have a picture of the finished product, so you'll have to take my word for it. But luckily the whole neighborhood gets to enjoy him, being that he is in the community part of the yard. Jack was upset that there wasn't a mommy snowman, and a daddy snowman. But I know that if we continued in that fashion, there would end up being a snow-Dominic and a snow-Lucy, and perhaps a snow-peedie.

That evening, Josh whipped up a tasty batch of homemade Peppermint Hot Chocolate. It is very delicious and if you'd like the recipe.. I'll give it to you. But obviously it looks appetizing, you can imagine how yummy it is going down.

After that we all curled up to watch Toy Story 3 and prove to Jack, that it ISN'T scary, and that he would really like it the second time around. We were right, (thank heavens.)

Then I needed to get down and dirty with the pears and raspberries and make my neighbors gifts, Pear-Raspberry Jam. It turned out perfect and I may just keep it all for myself... we'll see..

Starting the Holiday Season off right, here's to a wonderful and productive weekend.

Poor thing didn't even know what hit it.

2010-12-02T09:14:00.002-07:00

"The Rabbit Died"

2010-11-17T12:51:00.004-07:00

I've been watching "The Dick Van Dyke Show" on Netflix this week. I'm completely inlove with the old shows lately, (probably because I can't find a whole lot on TV right now..) but I also have a great sense of nostalgia while watching them.

There are favorites, like the "Hypnotist" episode, or the "Giant Woodpecker" episode.. but one the really caught my attention was the "Rosebud" one, not only because of the hilarious plot and remarkable writing, but because of a scene I had to watch twice.

Rob and Laura are trying to explain to Richie why his middle name is "Rosebud"- but not really, because it is an acronym for "Robert Oscar Sam Edward Benjamin Ulysses David." But they show a flashback of when Laura told Rob she was pregnant. She told him she drove herself to the Doctor that morning. He was nervous that she had gotten the car in a wreck, and said "is the car ok?" and she replied "well, the rabbit died!" and he stopped and excitedly asked "the rabbit died?" then they began celebrating.

Dumbfounded, I sat there rewinding it to see if I missed something. But nope, it was the same when I watched it a second time. My mom, being a huge fan of the show was the only person I thought I could call to find out what this meant. She told me that back in the day, they tested for pregnancy in a matter that ended up killing a rabbit. So- to Google, and Wikipedia.

Wiki explained that in 1927 they would test for pregnancy by injecting the potentially pregnant women's urine on a female rabbit, and then check the ovaries of the rabbit. But the misconception is that ALL the rabbits died, because they had to cut them open to check the surgeries.

MY, how far we have come since the 20's, that all these poor rabbits had sacrificed themselves for the progression of humankind.

The fact that this expression was used for awhile after newer and better forms of testing were discovered was so funny to me, that after a woman told her husband "the rabbit died" immediate joy would follow.

You learn somethin new everyday.

Did I forget Halloween?

2010-11-10T09:21:00.004-07:00

Jack was Mario:

I was an Owl:

And Josh was House:

(Ok, this is the real House, but none of my pictures of Josh turned out. Just know he looked a lot like this, without the confetti.)

Our Halloween was cold and wet... but fun.

Brrrrr.

Muffin Day.

2010-11-08T11:02:00.004-07:00

These days when the light never seems to come, I wake up and it feels like it is 7am- ALL DAY LONG, the rain outside turns to a slushy snow and I can barely find any reason to get dressed....

I like to make these muffins.

What is YOUR "it's raining and gloomy outside, but warm and cozy inside" food?

This thing drives me nuts.

2010-11-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

3 Things I Did Not Know Jack Knew

2010-11-02T09:55:00.002-06:00

1. The Pledge of Allegiance. Jack threw it out one day, and took us all for surprise.

2. Owls see really well in the dark. This was announced at 4:30am one morning when Jack stood in the dark in our room and woke us up with this important nugget of information.

3. Cheezit Crackers are on isle 11. Shopping with my mom, Jack declared he'd like some cheese crackers, and my mom said "I don't know where they are" to which Jack replied, "They are on isle 11." ..And they were.

Where there's a Flo there's a way..

2010-10-24T15:51:00.014-06:00

A long, long time ago, our family took a trip to Florida with Josh's entire immediate family and all their children. I spoke of posting about it here, but sadly, was too intimidated to document this week long trip to a place I'd never been. There were 1200 pictures, many days in the sun, sporadic outings to various spots near West Palm Beach..... and I just couldn't bring myself to narrow it down to one blog post.

However, my father-in-law made a point to remind me that I hadn't finished what I started, and I needed to follow through with my promises. So here we go.

Toward the end of June, we flew out to West Palm Beach and met up with Larry, Mayetta, Tasha, Derek, Lori and Bruce.... and everyone's offspring. The resort was beautiful and the air was thick with smells of the ocean that was just a boardwalk away from our swimming pool.

Jack had a plethora of cousins to play with. He had so much fun and could name them all for you. All 9 of them. They ran back and forth from swimming pools to rooms, and playgrounds to the beach and really kept themselves busy.

I was asked to take a family picture, so I did what I could, and we came out with a few. Not to mention one of the very few pictures of our own little family..

There were many beautiful things around us. It was fun to have the lenses I did, and take such great shots.

Each and every day was spent at the pool. The extreme humidity and heat combined- practically mandated it. But it was a really nice pool and we always had a place to gather. It was great. Plus the resort provided lots of fun activities, like for example the Magic Show, which was truly hilarious.

It was Mayetta's Birthday on the 24th, and all the adults got to go to a nice dinner, while a couple of teenage strangers watch all 10 of our children. It was wonderful.

We got out of the Resort one day to go to a Water Park, my first actual waterpark experience. Jack was very hesitant at first, but once I pushed him down the slide and he saw how much fun it was, he was thrilled and couldn't stop going up and down repeatedly. These are my brother-in-laws... posing for next years calendar.

We rented a Kayak for an hour or so and took turns taking it out, which was fun.

All in all, it was a great trip, and a fun time to get to know Josh's family better. We are grateful that his parents gave us the opportunity to have such a fun time and enjoy each other's company.

Till next year!

Old Fogey.

2010-10-17T18:09:00.007-06:00

This is a list of the top ten things I frequently say that make me sound, feel, and probably look Old.

1. "Chew your food into small pieces."

I have to say this for a couple of reasons, one, is that I do honestly believe your body can absorb the nutrition it needs by helping out the digestive system by chewing your food well. Also, Jack once had a poopy diaper with WHOLE olives in it, and since then I've noticed he'll typically swallow things whole if he can get them down.

2. "Stay out of the street!"

I remember having this yelled at me. By all sorts of people. A also remember thinking 'Duh, I'm not going to get hit by a car.' But honestly not only is it dangerous, but it's just annoying. I hate driving down the street where there are a bunch of kids and it takes them forever to clear out of my way.

3. "Did you wipe?"

This is something that shouldn't even have to be asked. But for some reason, kids don't mind walking away from the toilet dirty. Nevermind the fact they don't flush, but they take part of the experience WITH them and I have problems with that. So I make a note to ask. Every time.

4. "Kids and their damn cell phones."

Every. Single. Time. I encounter a stupid move on the road, it's usually some teenager texting away on their cell phone. Or they are talking too loudly on it in inappropriate places, or on it during dinner, or any of the other rules I mentioned here.

5. "When I was your age.."

This often comes up when Jack's DS dies, or something. We'll be in the car and whatever entertainment he has gets old, or the battery dies, I have to pull out the 'when I was your age, we just looked out the windows.' Although, this comes out way MORE than just in the car.

6. "Walk! Don't run."

It freaks me out so much to see wobbly little kids who aren't aware of their surroundings, stumbling around on concrete or asphalt and about to fall flat on their faces. Ugh, makes my stomach turn. Road rash is no one's friend.

7. "Don't stand so close to the TV!"

We already have guaranteed Jack some horrible eyes, destined for lasik, but it's the SIZE of the television and the weensie-ness of Jack that makes me think that TV could smash him in a second.

8. "Because I said so."

You really don't understand this one, till you're a parent. Because when you are a kid, you want to know the REAL REASON WHY you were asked to do something. Like, "go wash your hands" for example. Forget the fact that you need to wash your hands, I am your MOTHER and I ASKED YOU to DO IT, and YOU DO WHAT I ASK. That's why.

9. "Don't go outside with your head wet."

I still don't know if this is a proven fact- that you will get sick if your head is wet and you go outside. But I'm not about to take any chances.

10. "Who is Justin Bieber?"

I still don't know if this kid is a singer or an actor or what. But I just figure he is a female version of Miley Cyrus and assume that is accurate.

Yellowstone/Tetons

2010-10-12T16:49:00.008-06:00

I could give every detail of this trip. I could. But I'm not going to. So for YOUR benefit, I'm going to narrow it down to the key, best moments. Completely in random order:

We were lucky enough to see Old Faithful faith it up TWICE in one day. Not many tourists do that.

These are the party animals Jack and I went with.

This is a picture I took, that I actually compare to an artist that Laura has showed me, Aron Belka, who Laura commissioned to paint a topographical image of Lover's Point for my dad, shown here:

I thought they were somewhat alike. Though one is my photo, and one is his painting.

Jack had a super buddy on the trip. He loves his Teagers.

This particular Bison strayed from his herd to spend a while rubbing himself on this pole. The kids loved it.

Jack is great at making pictures look like we are filled with joyous emotion.

This is one of those pools.

This is an old gas pump in one of those weird Wyoming towns.

And this is a bear, that we saw in virtually the same place that we saw THIS one last year. It may very well be the same one.

There you go.

The Weekenders

2010-09-21T09:16:00.010-06:00

I am now confident that if I were to run a marathon over the course of a weekend, I could do it. Though I haven't, I sure feel like I spent the weekend running around, huffing and puffing. But in the whirl of it all, I did manage to have a great time.

We spent the regrettable occasion of Natalie turning 30 at my cabin, in Midway. It was truly a blast, and a great way to blaze the trail for all the others of us turning 30 in the upcoming months. We discovered new species, ate kabobs, opened presents relived horrible moments in our past, ate rainbow cake and dug 1973 Jeeps out of ditches. Splendid times.

It was nothing but the luxury of Fall.

If ANYONE knows what this spider/grasshopper/potatobug/alien is, please contact me.

ANSWER: Jerusalem Cricket.

This cake was kind of the bane of my existence.

Our southerners.

Our welcomed new-comers.

Our islanders.

Our birthday girl.

Our fat dog.

Our skinny dog.

Our twins.

Our dog-lover.

Our hair-cutter.

Our candle-lighter.

Our wish-maker.

My masterpiece.

Josh's masterpiece.

Jeep getting stuck story: Josh, Jon and Jason decided to skip off for a minute to go four-wheeling in the Jeep (Mind you, we may be driving it, but it is not OUR Jeep..) I guide them of where to go to find a fun trail, and they disappear for a couple of hours. The sun began to nestle itself deep in the west, and I called them to see when they'd be back. Josh informed me in a high, squeaky voice that they were "stuck." Debating on whether it was serious or not, we decided to accept Tyson's generous offer to take his f350 up to see if he could help. I went with him to tell him where to go. The path quickly became narrow, being that the 350 was HUGE. We kept going further, and honking to see if we were close, but they could never hear us. Once the path was nearly impossible to get through, I started hiking in the pitch dark with my wee little flashlight to find them. They hiked down to Tyson's truck and we all took turns holding back trees so Tys could get through. Eventually we made it to the Jeep- which you see above, tucked in the mega-deep ditch. Turns out, the 4-wheel drive button is in the glove box. So they switched that on, cut down some trees, planted some logs in the ditch, hitched up the tow, and Tyson mightily pulled the Jeep out to safety.

Yep. The Jeep's OK.

Fairview, UT

2010-09-12T17:07:00.011-06:00

(I hadn't heard of it either..)

This weekend we took a family trip up to one of Joshs's partners' cabin in Fairview. Despite our efforts to gather a group to go up to this nice, accommodating cabin, it turned out to be just the three of us. Nevertheless, we had a blast, and spent most of our time on the ATV exploring the surroundings, doing our best not to bother "Sherm" the neighbor. Or the sheep we kept running into.

At first it took us a while to find some good trails, but we ended up taking a good hour trip up a mountain to the skyline, and it was beautiful. Jack was an absolute trooper, bouncing around on that ATV. He calls it, lovingly, the "motor."

I also got some excellent star shots after our marshmallow roasting session in the fire pit. There were millions and millions of stars, and my camera in fact caught more than my naked eye. So here is a taste of "Fairview" and we invite you all to come up next time.

(Love it up there with those leaves)

(Some cliffs we rode by)

(Jack loved the "motor" but had frequent stops, due the lasix)

(Some views from the skyline trail)

(A picture Jack took)

(Our picnic spot)

(Thank heavens for camera timers)

(The view from the trail when we finally realized we were getting somewhere)

(All those stars)

(Sheep- looking at us menacingly)

(Some surprisingly clear water)

(This is not the cabin. The cabin has doors and windows..)

(Our source of fun)

(the source of my fun..)

Seriously, come with us next time.

Fall

2010-09-02T20:01:00.003-06:00

Some things upon seeing them get me instantly excited for Fall. Here is a short list:

Pumpkins (not halloween related, seeing Halloween stuff too early makes me sad)

Sweaters

Caramel Apples

Raven's (these are hard to come by)

Mason Jars

Cabin's

Disneyland (last time I went to Disneyland it was in Oct, and was fabulous.)

Needless to say, I'm alright with Summer coming to a close. I feel as though the change of seasons always come at JUST the right time for me, right as I begin to think of how bored I am with the weather- Mother Nature keeps me on my toes and never ceases to keep things interesting. What reminds YOU of Fall?

I found out why Jack is speaking in a British accent..

2010-08-21T12:03:00.002-06:00

.... and why there is so much YouTube.com history on my computer..

He loves this. So much.

Facebook.

2010-08-18T15:33:00.004-06:00

I hate that I am a facebooker. I do. I won't lie, I "hide" a lot of things on my wall. However I am not a crazy facebooker; I don't rely on it for valid information and I wouldn't go there first to get any. I also don't like when people EXPECT me to know things because they "put it on their facebook."

"Oh, you're pregnant?"

"Um, YEAH, didn't you see the sonogram on my facebook?"

"Gosh, no, how insensitive of me to have called you before checking your wall."

But I sure do enjoy the frequent changes it has. It's certainly not like blog's or email. The turn over time for facebook is really quick. It's great. And I like being able to throw things out there to find out new things, like recipes, places to go, hobbies I can adopt. Not to mention being able to stay in touch and up to date with people you don't see very often. Just enough contact with them- but not too much..

I do have a Top Six Things I Hate About Facbook list, though. Kind of an etiquette list, as it were.

1. Post NO MORE THAN three status updates a day. Beyond that and we feel like we are invading your privacy, or are way too involved in your day-to-day activities.

2. Be careful with your vagueness.. it's fun to make people think, but not to make them guess.

3. Don't bring death to facebook. RIP'ing someone on your status grants more disrespect than it does anything else, and again, makes the rest of us feel uncomfortable. Seek sympathy elsewhere.

4. Stop it with the Farmville. It is facebook cocaine.

5. Please don't "heart" things. Unless you are twelve. Otherwise you just look stupid.

6. Do you REALLY have 1,497 friends? Really? Only accept friend requests from people you ACTUALLY care to read about. Not just as a point to add to your popularity list.

Now, I understand I may offend people with this post. But really, I am just trying to give and gain some perspective on the whole thing. So I apologize in advance to those that this post offends, but know that if you are my friend on facebook, we are TRUE friends... cause I'll accept nothing less.

The New Deal

2010-08-09T11:29:00.005-06:00

Being that we have been mandated to use Comcast in our little community, our family has settled for the mediocre service and cable provided by them. Our "bundle" which everyone is usually convinced is a better deal- was costing us over $200 a month. With recent changes in our home, and realizations that Jack's best friends are television characters, we decided to go a different way. A smarter way.

After joining Netflix, we hooked our Wii up to the internet and now have streaming videos from Netflix (a concept a lot like OnDemand, but a MUCH better quality and more responsive.) Jack has access to his best friends, but not on a 24/7 stream from Nick Jr, or Sprout. We have fun TV shows to choose from and the chains that tied us to our television have been cut. Granted- our DVR from Comcast certainly helped in that, but this way we don't have a backed up DVR that we feel we MUST watch before clearing.

So for $9 a month, we have become less dependent on the addiction that is television, and we are saving a heap of money. Not to mention the sweet Netflix options. So without cable we are treated to our local channels, and if we were to purchase an antenna, perhaps a few more. But I'm ok with that. I must say- I do miss Playhouse Disney. It was a cheerful way for Jack and I to start our day. TLC and the Food Network will be missed, but the continuation of my life doesn't depend on what is happening there. Thank heavens.

So anyone looking to loosen the binds that TV has on your, or fatten your wallet- give us a call, we'll tell you how your Wii can bring you utter happiness.

Durham Family Cedar City Trip

2010-07-30T19:37:00.004-06:00

Since I can remember, our family has gone to Cedar City for the Shakespearean Festival. I have gone through many phases of this trip. Phase one, not remembering anything except being dropped off at the childcare center while the adults went to plays. Phase two, staying at the hotel and running a muck around the hotel with the other kids we had there. Phase three, being old enough to GO to the plays, but not understand them or understand why I had to sit still for so long. And phase four, adult only trip, nothing but relaxation in between plays and an appreciation for Shakespeare and his poetic language.

Now we are on phase five, complete go-go-go trip with getting kids dressed, fed, to sleep, into swimsuits, to the festival, to the childcare, hurry to the play, pick up kids, back to the hotel.... etc.

Nevertheless, it was so much fun and I am truly grateful that my parents are keeping the tradition alive. Grandma was an excellent hostess, keeping the kids entertained with generous amounts of gifts and snacks and plenty of hugs.

The festival has changed somewhat, the accents aren't as predominant as they used to be, and the tart wenches look like they are fourteen years old. However I am pleasantly surprised by the talent and my ability to absorb the plays for what they are and how they were performed. We saw Great Expectations and Merchant of Venice.

Playing "Mrs. Haversham" in Great Expectations, was Ellen Crawford who has played many roles on television. I recognized her immediately as one of the witnesses on Boston Legal, because Josh and I have been watching season after season lately. She played the housekeeper that may, or may have not murdered her employer. She sure did enjoy the festival though.

We usually try to make a trip up to one of the MANY national or state parks located in souther Utah. This trip we went to Cedar Breaks. It was quite beautiful with the gray overcast clouds and the bright red rock. I always find the outdoors breathtaking and consider dropping everything to come be a ranger.

Unfortunately Jack hasn't learned that appreciation yet and was being quite a stinker. But her reminded me a lot of myself, the first time I went to Yellowstone and couldn't stop complaining about one thing or another. And Josh was stuck on a phone call for the entire visit to the cliffs. But I captured it all on camera... so they can all enjoy it LATER.

Again, the beauty is indescribable, hence the pictures. I truly enjoy the air, the quiet, the smells and the tiny wildlife than surrounds you in these parks. It's like my Disneyland.

Carter, Laura and Dad. There they are.

Then we had a picnic at Navajo Lake. It was very peaceful and everyone had a good time whether it was throwing rocks into the lake, hitting golf balls into the lake... or fighting over hostess cupcakes.

The kids really enjoyed the Green Show and had fun dancing around with the "players" or whatever they are to be called. I enjoyed my tarts. All apple, summerberry, cheesecake and raspberry ones.

This girl is super awesome because she has a brown eye and a blue eye. Tessa and I had some good times together. We watched Toy Story together till midnight. Her favorite character is Slinky, the dog.

And this is Sadie. She looks like she's been abandoned at the Lake, but she hasn't.

All in all it was a wonderful trip and I had a great time. I can't wait to move onto phase six, where my kids are old enough to either keep themselves company while Josh and I go to plays with other adults, or old enough to want to join us.

Perhaps that's phase seven. Or eight.

River Trip with a Bunch of Strangers

2010-07-19T15:08:00.008-06:00

This last weekend I was lucky enough to go on a "girl's trip" to Jackson, and raft down the Snake River. At the very last minute, the only person that I actually KNEW dropped out, and I was left to make my very own new friends. I made sure to take note of all 20 girls' names, memorize them, and ask them questions about themselves. Maybe if I did these things more often as a teenager, I'd have more friends. Anyway.

(This is Nicole, she is a neighbor of a really good friend of mine, she was such a sport for dragging me along.)

We rafted 7 miles down the snake river, three different times. Each time was VERY different from the other. Sometimes it would be very mild, other times people got sucked into the rapids, other times we didn't really pay attention and ran into rocks. All of it was very fun.

We camped at Wolf Creek, just 20 miles outside of Jackson Hole. One night we ate dinner at El Abuelito's. It's a really good mexican place- that may have been "really good" because we were all starving.

I cliff jumped, which isn't a big deal for me because I love heights and water, but since I have had a child, I have this crazy sense of vulnerability that stops me from doing dangerous things.

But I did it.

The rest of the time we cooked and ate our own food, (provided by wonderful Nicole and Natalie..) and the rest provided wonderfully humorous stories. It was so much fun and I was very lucky to be included. So who wants to get together and do this with me?? Anyone?

Our "Family Picture"

2010-07-08T12:06:00.002-06:00

We have never gotten a "professional" family photo before. So while in Florida, I had the tripod and my camera, I made an attempt.

Stay Tuned.

2010-06-29T17:58:00.003-06:00

There are so many pictures to go through from our trip- that it will most certainly take me a while to get them organized and posted. So in the meantime, here is a lovely collage of Josh and Jack during a very professional photoshoot at Serendipity in Vegas.

..This is where I've been..

2010-06-25T19:45:00.002-06:00

Where have all the sheet rock gone..

2010-06-14T21:52:00.003-06:00

This time last week our basement was a swamp. It smelled, had all sorts of toys, glass, and living creatures in it.

This is where we are now.

(the most interesting part about this picture, is how you can see through 3 townhomes. Our cats have expanded their territories..)

(Um, Elliptical for sale...)

So this morning Michael Waddoups, who is the owner of our property management company, informed us that the insurance policy only covers the costs of clean up. Meaning that carpet, paint, furniture, ALL losses- are not going to be replaced. This infuriated the residents and made us all wonder why the flood insurance was mandated upon everyone.

Marcus, from Crawford U.S. Property & Casualty came to assess our damage for the insurance. He basically looked at the walls, measured them, and told us to make a list of all our losses, value and age of them. He ALSO mentioned that he "wasn't sure what policy we had, so he couldn't tell us what was, or was not covered."

So we are all basically left with little hope. However, we finally got to throw everything that was saturated in river water that was smelling worse and worse everyday, into the dumpster. Josh and I filled the whole thing, alone.

For the record..

2010-06-11T08:36:00.000-06:00

It was more than a month ago that I went to pick up those bins. But I appreciate the Tribune caring enough about our community to come check things out.

"4827 got it the worst."

2010-06-08T17:56:00.008-06:00

(click on photos to enlarge)

As you all know, we were attacked by the flooding going around northern Utah. On Sunday night around 10:10pm, Jack and I were getting ready to take Josh and his partner (who was running a little late) to the airport for a flight to New York. We noticed a cop in our backyard with a flashlight and went out on our deck to ask what was up. We saw that the Jasmine's parking lot was virtually a lake, and the cop said "We are having some water issues." I asked him if was bad, and he said ".....Yeah." He had a very unsettling look on his face as though he knew that something horrible was happening, happening FAST, and there was nothing anybody could do about it. He told us we should get anything important out of our basement, and just then, water came rushing under the fence toward our house.

Josh and I ran downstairs and pulled our plasma TV off the wall and carried it upstairs. When we got back down water was running down the walls from the window and the window well was filling up FAST. We carried more upstairs and before we could get back down we heard a CRASH. The window broke and water was GUSHING in our house at about the same force of the waterfall you see above.

We FRANTICALLY kept running downstairs to salvage things. The sectional couch came apart and each piece was floating around, bobbing in the ever-growing river pit in our basement. I cut my toe on the glass from the shattered window and they told me to stop going downstairs, and that I was going to need a tetanus shot. Josh's partner John gave up HIS flight to NY as well and ran downstairs to help Josh. They brought up shelves and as much as they could grab. We began to fear that water was going to reach the main level since it was climbing the stairs.

The water filled up just above 4.5 ft. It blocked the door to our storage area which kept us from getting anything in there. The water was murky, muddy and leafy. Everything was floating around, all of Jack's toys were swimming into places they've never been and clogging up any sort of drain.

Once the water stopped flowing through the window well, it slowly began to recede. But they were worried about how long it was sitting and handed Josh a sledge hammer to bash the toilet in to open up the drain for faster water drainage.

Everything floated except for the elliptical machine. The couches, Jack's playhouse, the shelving units lifted and turned over. All toys were buoyant. The line of debris on the wall shows the waters' maximum level, which turns out to be the most water out of all of the units affected.

Our "creek" that runs alongside our home is almost road level. The picture on the right with the ducks shows the river last year, and the bank that the ducks chill out on. Now, there are no banks, you could dip your toe in from street level. They are concerned it will happen again. What HAD happened, was the creek running along where Cottonwood Mall used to be what widened in anticipation for the new mall. in hopes to improve that area. But construction stopped. No one thought about how the river bank had been widened, and the bridge it goes under by Highland Dr. is quite narrow. That night after the snow had melted all day and the rains hit the canyons, the bridge became clogged with debris, and the water went up and over the road. It flooded Jiffy Lube, The Jasmine, then our homes.

We were evacuated and slept at my mom's. The next morning after they had pumped the water out, we found our basement in complete devastation. It was muddy, smelly, dank, covered in shattered glass, broken wall, saturated cardboard, and gazillions of toys. The couches acted as sponges and just absorbed the brown water. The carpet is down dark brown due to the inch of mud on it. Our walls burst due to the weight of the water and many holes popped through walls.

The window was double paned and caused LOTS of glass shard in the carpet. It was decided to be unsalvageable, along with the walls and doors. They finally turned off the power, making us consider that we had been running around in water that contained active plugs and power cords. But the circuit box was in the storage room, that was blocked during the flood.

Once we got into the storage room, we found it as though it were a sink hole. It was the dead end for the flood, so everything was pushed into a corner. It was all my holiday decorations and crafts, all Jack's baby clothes and baby toys. The crib, a computer, a laptop and the boxes of childhood memories I had just taken from my parents house.

The bathroom was full of mud since that was where the largest drain was created. Broken porcelain was everywhere, and the bathtub was clogged with river debris. We think they are both going to be ok- but obviously, we need a new toilet.

My stairs are a muddy mess due to us running up and down them from muddy river water, and many OTHER people running up and down to check it out.

Our backyard became a dumpster and our garage has become a landfill. I would say 75% of everything is destroyed. Most of it is in garbage bags and the rest is left out for the insurance people to come see, if they ever show up.

The disaster crew working on our house is AMAZING. Being that our house is in the worst condition, it is impressive that we are further along in repair than anyone else. Many neighbors are becoming furious with the lack of care and concern coming from our property management. They aren't taking any action to help us with insurance or ANYTHING. We've been told to leave everything AS IS so the insurance can look at it, but we have stinky, wet, dirt filled belongings growing mold and creating ecosystems in our houses. None of us can just sit around and not clean up. So I have obviously been taking a lot of photos.

The line across my torso is the line that was created on the bathroom mirror from how high the water got, giving you an image of how deep I'd be in river water if I were there a day and a half earlier. Our house was the lucky one to be chosen to have the dumpster on it. It is good, since we don't have to carry our stuff far, but then everyone else is dragging their garbage across our driveway.

I've been interviewed by Fox 13 and the Salt Lake Tribune came in to get our story and take some pictures. That will be in Wednesday's paper. Everyone is still in fear of it happening again, the river is still high and there is rain in the forecast. But at least the worst is over. Thank you everyone who helped us out with Jack, it was truly appreciated. Right now we are just in the process of going through everything we found, deciding what is salvageable and what is not. I do know for sure that all of THIS stuff is gone- and I had just transfered it from my parents to our house. My yearbooks, dance pictures, Kirsten Doll, childhood school projects and most everything from the 2000 back is water-logged. Oh well.

Hopefully we'll get help from the insurance and we can rebuild. I'm just glad that I wasn't taking Josh to the airport when it happened, and that Jack wasn't in the basement when the window broke.

It could ALWAYS be worse.

Flood.

2010-06-08T08:24:00.003-06:00

http://www.fox13now.com/videobeta/3e1b3f33-8123-463e-ad92-07d5473994ad/News/Water-rushes-into-homes-near-Little-Cottonwood-Canyon

With Great Respect on Memorial Day-

2010-06-01T08:59:00.013-06:00

(written in great detail for posterity, so I can remember what a great trip this was..)

This time last year was a mess. So to be able to head down to St. George and romp around like a bunch of kids was SO much fun, and Jack loved every minute of it, and was very sad to leave "Curious George." We went with Jen, Key and Teagan, and Jen's brother Spencer and his girlfriends Hailey.

We left Friday and got there in time to relax and eat some food before the Midnight 5k that began at 11:00pm. Josh was the supporting husband who chose to run with me, just so I wasn't alone running out there in the dark. This was our route:

New 2010 Course Map

It was 3.1 miles in the nice cool air, but with a head wind on the incline. Josh and I finished at 31:18. Which was better than my race for the cure time, so I was proud. Everyone had glow sticks and flashing lights, it was really cool. Once we finished they had Gatorade and Pizza for everyone and we headed home to SLEEEEP.

Then it was time to chill out and relax- so we spent some time at the pool the next morning, after eating some delicious breakfast at the "Bear Paw" whose menu was EXCELLENT. Meanwhile, Jack and Teagan were having a blast together, making things much easier and more fun for all parents.

After the mega hot day at the mega cold pool, the kids took naps and Jen and I went on an excursion to find "Settler's of Catan" to play later. Little did we know Josh's hunger for it would grow so much as to call everyone he knew to play it when we got home. Jen and I also grabbed some bubble tea and some Jack in the Box Tacos for everyone.

It was around this time that the Wii playing become quite intense. We brought Super Mario Bros. Wii and it is proving to be quite addicting. I love it though. Really a fun game.

That night we ate at the Pizza Factory with the rest of the entire town, and had Frozen Custard after. It was a late night of Wii playin.

The next morning the whole family headed to Snow Canyon. Jack jumped out of the car and said "MOM! WE'RE IN RADIATOR SPRINGS!!" It was adorable... this is Radiator Springs:

We did the "hidden pinyon" trail, which was about a mile round trip. It was defnintely warm but not unbearable. Right of the bat Jack got bit by an ant that he tried to pick up and his finger started to bleed and sting. He was pretty hysterical, but more because his feelings were hurt. He couldn't understand why an ant would bite him for no reason. Once that saga passed we had a BLAST climbing around on rocks, finding caves, and exploring. It was really a great hike.

After the hike we went to this park right by our condo that was one of the craziest most dangerous parks I've ever seen. But the big kids had a BLAST. (As well as the little ones, just at a scarier expense..) Then it was nap time... or swimming time. The pool felt so nice cause the heat was getting intense. We decided to do homemade chicken tacos so we whipped up a meal and then Spencer and Hailey left. The rest of us played Settlers of Catan. It is quite involved- but we had our ice cream and magic shell- and we had a great time. I won, too.

The next morning we packed up and trekked home. GOOD TRIP. Thanks everyone who came, we all make excellent travel companions, let's do it again soon.

..But what COULD have Happened....

2010-05-23T10:18:00.003-06:00

Thank you to my husband for actually getting a surprise past me. I love surprises, he knows that, and I actually didn't spoil this one.

Thank you to all who came, I love everyone of you that was there!

SIX Years

2010-05-19T20:33:00.004-06:00

Is it weird that I still want to spend every minute with him?