Cross Country

2011-03-05T07:33:00.001-08:00

Hello, out there!

2011 is in full swing. It is the first week of March, and we can actually see the end of the school year approaching. So hard to believe-this school year has flown by.

Quick update on the kids:

Brad is in 9th grade and is currently enrolled in Electronic High School, an online high school for Utah students who want to either work entirely from home or who want to work ahead or make up credit. He is a full-time student, so all of his classes are through EHS. He is taking Algebra 2, English, Spanish, Earth Science, World Civilizations and Financial Literacy. His school days are usually about 8 hours long, but his grades reflect his hard work. He has a 3.8 grade point average! We just finished the registration process for him to attend NUAMES next year (Northern Utah Academy for Math, Science and Engineering) which is an early college high school. He is so excited! There are only a handful of these schools across the nation, and by the grace of God one of them is in our backyard! We are still working on his schedule for next year, but he will have at least 2 concurrent enrollment classes through Weber State University. College credit, paid for by UT, at age 15. Who would have thunk it? :) This picture was taken at Red Lobster on Brad's 15th birthday. Sorry about the red eyes, forgot to edit before I posted!

Lindsay is in 7th grade and is homeschooling. She is a woman of many talents! Her most current interest is writing adventure stories and illustrating them. She could definitely have a career in writing if she wished. Her stories are so well-written! So now I will begin pouring over curriculum choices for next year that would encourage her in this area. She is also very good at science, but alas, unlike her momma, this is not her greatest interest. I do believe she tolerates the rest of her subjects such as history and math. However, if I were to release this child on her own, she would spend her days buried in books and writing books of her own. I pray she continues in this, she has some real, God-given talent. In November she got braces and last week the orthodontist surprised us with head gear. (I can't help but see Anthony Michael Hall in Sixteen Candles every time I help her put it on) Fortunately, she only has to wear it at night. She is NOT a fan. :) In this photo she is showing off her science assignment...she made an orb web.

Nathan is in 6th grade at LCA. He is still our consummate student...the "do-it-all" kind of guy. He got a 4.0 last quarter! (6th grade is a middle school grade) The basketball season recently ended and chomping at its heels was the baseball season. Nathan is a gem. We are so thankful for his strong character, and his willingness to make good choices when others around him are not. He works hard, takes his responsibilities seriously, but is still a goofball and so much fun. He is officially my height, which he thoroughly enjoys. And, inevitably, in the next month or so I'm sure he'll be taller than I am. After all, he needs to grow into those feet! Size 9 in men's. Really?!?! Yep. This photo was taken after the Awana Grand Prix. He designed and painted his own car.

Kaylee is homeschooling and is in the 3rd grade. Having her dear friend Andrea here with us for homeschooling the last 2 years has been wonderful, and has met her social needs. :) However, the times, they are a-changin'. Andrea moved recently, and it is no longer easy for her mom to bring her to us. Fortunately, she is going to finish out the school year with us. We spent a lot of time praying and contemplating choices for next year, and have decided to send both Kaylee and Hannah to a charter school that opened not too far from us last year. We love the curriculum, and we know many families whose children attend there. Kaylee is our social butterfly, and she is definitely ready to spread her wings. The school also has a pull-out Bible Institute, which I will be helping with 2 or 3 times a week. Lindsay will also help out, and we are excited to do it together. This picture was taken at her 9th birthday party, which was an ice skating and sleepover party.

Hannah is also homeschooling and is in the 1st grade. It was a tumultuous decision for us to send her to school next year, what with all of her health and shyness issues. Her placement there was by far the most prayed over decision we've made in recent parenting years. She has been attached to my hip for 7 years (for better or worse!) and it will be hard to let my baby go. However, we do feel this is where God is leading our family. Her little bff is also going to be attending that school with her, so we are thankful she's got somebody there to tell the teacher when Hannah has to go potty, because it could be a good 3 months before Hannah will utter a word to her teacher. (She never did say a word to her preschool teacher, the entire year in her class...sigh!) I will be at the school at least twice a week with the Bible Institute, and then I will also help out in her classroom once a week. So, it is working out well for me to stay involved and still let Hannah's little wings spread, even if it's just a bit. This picture was taken on her 7th birthday. My little pixie is growing up! :)

So that's the latest with the kids. I love being a mom. It's not always easy, that's for sure. But I can say, with all honesty, that this has been the most amazing ride. Watching them grow physically, mentally, and spiritually is the greatest gift. I so enjoy my teenagers. The only part of raising teenagers so far that has been difficult is knowing this is their last stretch until adulthood. Keeping with the butterfly analogy, I do believe that will be the most difficult part of parenting...watching them fly away. And it is coming at me too, too fast.

Christmas 2010 and the Year in Review

2010-12-19T03:51:00.000-08:00

Hello, Dear Friends and Family!

Either you are stumbling across our blog today by mere chance, or you have received our Christmas Museletter and would like to find out what ACTUALLY happened in our lives this year. Either way, welcome! Many, many blessings be yours in 2011, and please know that each of you is a gift to us.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinner reconciled.

Amen!

In the News...

2010-05-17T06:30:00.000-07:00

Wow, two months again since an update. I think Facebook has commandeered my creative outlet, which is sad. Guess I need to stay on top of this more. With 5 kids, you know it's not a lack of activity around here that keeps me away!
I have to even look back at iphoto to even see what we've done in the last month.

The first week of April Joe's parents came for a visit. As always, it was so much fun. It was Spring Break so we did a bit of sleeping in, game playing, sight seeing, and the kids did a lot of ice cream-eating!

We also decorated Easter eggs...

And made Easter cookies...

Joe's parents were here for, among many reasons, the Living History Museum for our homeschool co-op. The girls worked hard this year. Lindsay read a full biography on Amelia Earhardt, and did a research paper. Her costume really came together, and she did an amazing job presenting her board at the museum. She was very animated, and stayed in character the whole time. We were so proud of her!!

Ain't she adorable?

Kaylee chose Cleopatra (following in Lindsay's footsteps from LHM of 2008 in AZ) and she read 3 books and helped prepare her poster. She wrote her notecards herself, and then didn't need to use them, as she knew her answers so well! She also did a great job. So proud of our girls!

Ooh-la-la!

Kaylee's favorite part of the whole thing was putting on the makeup and wearing all the jewelry. I think she'd take the job of Egyptian Queen simply for the fashion. :)

Here Andrea (I homeschool her also, she is Kaylee's good friend) is posing as Sacajawea. She also did an amazing job. They were so cute!

Gramma came out to support the girls. She also provided many pieces of each girl's costumes, including some of Kaylee's jewelry and Lindsay's scarf.

Daddy gets a chance to interview Cleopatra.

Josiah O as Isaac Newton, Daniel O as Neil Armstrong, and our girls.

In other news, Moo Lim Do continues to be a favorite activity around here. Look at that form! Brad is ready to test for his next belt. Testing fell over Joe's and my anniversary weekend, though, so he'll have to wait till the next time around.

Also in the news (literally, it made the paper!) Nathan was "Prince Edward" in our school's musical review and had a duet performance with the young lady who played Giselle. They were great, and though Nate didn't particularly enjoy his costume (being the consummate athlete-type, velvet just wasn't his thing), he looked wonderful.

Also also in the news, the girls each passed their next levels of ice skating. :)

And our friend Chris ran a marathon and raised nearly $2,000 for HopeKids!!

Lindsay and I helped at the HopeKids Dinner and Auction. She decorated 2 tables in honor of her best friend Abby, who passed away in 2005. I can't believe we forgot to take pictures of the tables. Lindsay did the work herself and she did an amazing job. The tables were filled with all things Abby loved- Ariel, pandas, Barbies, Polly Pockets, Jamba Juice...and she also filled Ariel gift bags with gummy bears and we gave each guest seashell candle holders as party favors. She loved doing it and hopes she gets to do it again next year.

My aunt Bobbie retired after 30 years of teaching preschool. Wow!! All of the people at the party could attest to how wonderful she was at her job.

Brad "graduated" from Awana this year, finishing his 9th year. So proud of all he has done, and all the Bible memory verses he has stored up in his heart! Gramma came to support the kids (she does a lot of that, doesn't she?) :)

Nathan (with his friends Tyson and Noah) finished up his 3rd year in Truth and Training. One year to go, then he will move on to Trek. Nathan gives 100% to everything he does, we are all motivated by him!

Kaylee was awarded "Sparky of the Year" because she was the only Sparky to complete all 3 books. We're so proud of her! She graduates into Truth and Training, and is excited to get the green t-shirt. (Kids are so funny!) Great job, Kaylee!!!

Hannah with her friends KaiLi, Darcie and Rachel. She finished her first year as a Sparky and finished her whole book and reviewed it. Yeah!

In case you noticed we were missing a kid, Lindsay doesn't participate in Awana. She was in it through her second year of Truth and Training, and decided she was done. So now she is my assistant (I am the Sparks secretary). She does a great job helping me out each week, and even helps the leaders when needed by listening to verses and helping with general tasks.

Well, there is certainly more to tell, but I'm done for the night. I will do "In the News, Part 2" hopefully sooner than later. Coming up- Nathan graduates from elementary school, Brad graduates from middle school, and good friends come for a visit. Plus some pet stuff...you don't want to miss this. hahaha

New Read

2010-03-29T19:06:00.001-07:00

My new book is quite intense. I'm about 100 pages into it, and I really have to tear myself away from it.

It is really good. It starts in Shanghai in 1937, when the Japanese begin their invasion of China. Her writing is exciting- detailed but not painfully so, and clean. (ie, I don't have to visually weed out gobs of offensive language) I have a hard time putting it down, which is why I shoved it under the bed today while I got ready for my in-laws' arrival tomorrow. Too much to do to get ready- if I'd have picked it up, there would have been no turning back!

The Birthday Downpour

2010-03-01T19:47:00.000-08:00

So this past 6 weeks has been a whirlwind of birthday chaos. Beginning with Brad's 14th, then Hannah's 6th, then my 38th, then Kaylee's 8th, and wrapping up with Joe's 40th and my mom's (well, she won't appreciate me writing that, now will she?) it was a virtual storm of wrapping paper, gifts, thank you notes and cake. I don't even like cake, but somehow I end up consuming what must be 3 lbs of it during this 6 week time period each year.

It's been a good ride, though, you know? Being a parent in a sizable family is undoubtedly exhausting, but I really wouldn't trade it for anything. Today I assisted my youngest daughter as she read her first "real" book, I taught my 8 year old her first multiplication lesson in math, laughed hysterically with my 11 and 12 year-olds over the content of our favorite website (cakewrecks.com) and watched as my 14-year-old gave me his most recent progress report, grinning from ear to ear, as it contained all A's and one B. Every day brings a new adventure- some good, some hairy, but all worth the ride.

Happy birthday, Brad! We thank God for every minute of the 14 years you've been with us!

This sweet little face has been in our home for 6 years now- our little Hannah-Banana!

This lovely crew brought me breakfast in bed on my birthday. (it was 7 am, which makes the gift all the more wonderful!) I love these kids!!!!!!

Last day as 7-year-old and 6-year-old! (can you believe there really are just 2 years between them? Talk about the tall and short of it! :)

Happy birthday, Bug! Kaylee was given the choice of 1) a full outfit from Justice, accessories included, or 2) an ipod shuffle. She chose the clothes. We are in for it, I think. :) She is such a joy, we are continually amazed by her multi-faceted personality.

So there is a glimpse of the last 6 weeks. To go along with all the celebrating, we also had one minor car accident, which left our car in better shape than it was prior to the accident, thanks to a great body shop and a great repair shop. Fortunately, the accident was not Joe's fault, and the girl who hit him wasn't cited because she slid into him when she was unable to stop in the snow.

Now that the Olympics are over, I am ready to resume my normal tv-watching routine. Sadly, I have one. I love the Olympics, so I was almost mourning its ending, but I look forward to The Biggest Loser (yeah, Jillian scares me, too), American Idol, Lost, Psych, and Glee. It's really ridiculous, I know. Last night we watched the Marriage Ref after the Olympics and we laughed hysterically. I have no time for any more shows, dang it! Oh, and Parenthood looks good, too. Sigh. Maybe I just need to pitch the thing out the window. Thank goodness for my DVR or I'd have to watch those shows when they actually come on, and then I'd really be in trouble. :)

Meet our new Yellow Belts!

2010-01-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

Recently Joe, Brad, Lindsay and Nathan passed their first Moo Lim Do testing, and are officially yellow belts! Woo hoo!!

The Resurrection of the TV

2010-01-13T21:04:00.001-08:00

So after finding out that the tv would cost $400 to fix, Joe resorted to banging it with his mag light flashlight. After four or five good smacks, he put the motherboard back in and turned it on.

It worked.

If that had been me, it would have burst into flames. I am thankful for a handy, if not slightly magical, husband.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T23:12:00.000-08:00

2009-12-14T09:06:00.001-08:00

Well, I have decided to reenter the world of blogging. My silence sure is not due to any lack of excitement around here; as a matter of fact, quite the contrary is true. We have had a whirlwind of a fall, and I am sorry I blew off my blog during those months. Oh well, what's done is done. I will post a slideshow at least for those months, even if I don't fill in the details.
Right now we are getting ready for Christmas, like the rest of America. The tree is up, the stockings are hung (using command poster strips for those 5 lb stocking hangers, those things are weapons!) and the baking has commenced. We were pounded with an amazing snowstorm a week or so ago, and the kids have had a blast building a new snow fort. One day they were out there for over 4 hours. I'll post a pic of their hard work, as soon as I trudge out to the back 40 with my camera.
Thanksgiving was amazing. Our dear friends, Chris and Ginger and their girls Alex, Audrey and Lily, came for a week from Arizona. They are such a breath of fresh air, and we had a blast with them! The entire time was exactly as we hoped-the kids were so happy to be together, the schedule was clear of almost all activity, and our time was joyful and relaxing. And the food was AMAZING. Chris put together a fabulous feast, with contributions from everyone else. We hosted, with CR, Amy, their kids, my mom, and our friend Sharon and her two kids, Jason and Rachel. Despite the number of kids (13!) and adults (8), we were able to set places for everyone and enjoy a sit-down, gorgeous meal complete with table decor and real dishes. :) Leftovers were great, too, with us going back and forth between our house and the Oldhams' to munch down all the yummy food over the next few days. The only sad part of the whole thing was saying good-bye to our friends, who left on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We sure weren't ready for them to leave!
This Christmas we will have the pleasure of hosting, and we will have all of Joe's family in town! We are so excited for everyone to come. We will have Joe's parents, grandmother, brother Kenny and wife Celia and Kenny's daughter Juliette, sister Annette, sister Theresa and husband Eric, and their 3 kids, Katelyn, Bethany and Ben. It will be the first time we meet little Ben (he was born in April 09) so we are all looking forward to that! Also, my mom will come, and possibly my family (Aunt Bobbie, Uncle Ray, Steph and Charlie), and maybe even Sharon, Jason, and Rachel. It will be a full house, literally, though the only overnight houseguests we will have are Juliette, Eric, Theresa, Katelyn, Bethany, and Ben. We are thankful for our big house, so the kids can run around in the basement and we adults can be unaware of the mess. ;)
We are hoping for no more home casualties, as in the last month we have replaced a dishwasher, toaster, 2 doorknobs, a furnace motor module, and our downstairs tv died, too. We aren't going to replace that, though. We'll just have to live without it for awhile.

Here are some pics from October, November and a bit of November.

Fall 09

Put Me in the Zoo

2009-08-16T18:35:00.001-07:00

Oh wait, I'm already here.

In the last week we have acquired two new pets. One is cute and fuzzy and soft, doesn't bark, and loves to cuddle. His name is Corbin. He is a dwarf something-or-other rabbit, and is so darn cute!

Meet Corbin.

Isn't he adorable??? I'm a bunny person, so I'm kind of partial to his cuteness.

Our other new pet is named Phoenix, after our former home. He is, well, not cute. He is scaly, squiggly, slithery, and most definitely not cuddly. He is red and orange (like a Phoenix sunset) and he eats mice. Little, hairless pink shrively mice.

Meet Phoenix.

Phoenix is a corn snake. Our children were first introduced to corn snakes at a friend's house, and we all were quite taken with them. They can grow to be 4 to 6 feet in length, but we're hoping this little guy stays smaller than that. Phoenix is 2 months old (same as Corbin!) and Brad paid for him with his own money, aquarium and all. He has been saving for nearly a year.

Add these two to our one mini schnauzer, Ivy...

And three fish (David, Lenny and Benny)....

And one visiting chihuahua, the "daughter" of my mother-in-law....

I do believe our pet quiver is full, thank you. We now own one more pet than we have children.

Yes, we've lost our minds. Thanks for asking.

I'm over it

2009-07-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Well, thanks to 2 fabulous ideas from friends (Thanks, Naomi and Christine...and YES, Naomi I want that chocolate cake recipe!) I now know where the final few zucchini on my counter will be ending up. So 'nuff about that.

I stayed up too late last night and finished The Reader. It was pretty good, but I kept thinking there was going to be more to it. More mystery, more depth of characters, more...anything. Perhaps it was the German to English translation that kept it sort of surfacey, but overall it was an enjoyable 2-day read. It's a post WW2 novel, about a German boy who falls in love with an older lady who has a secret. I haven't seen the movie but I suspect the screenplay was much more in depth than the book. Otherwise the movie would have to be only about 45 minutes long.

I didn't read the one pictured here, so I was unaware that it is an Oprah recommendation. No offense to anyone who relies on her expertise in literature, but I tend to snark at several of the books she recommends. I guess we just don't always see eye to eye. I can live with that. But I would love to be on her "Oprah's Favorites" show...dang, have you seen some of the great stuff she gives away? Plasma tv's, Dyson vacuums, every kitchen appliance you can think of (please, does she really cook, or does she just enjoy watching her 7 chefs use said appliances?) that at the end of the show I feel the need to repent for coveting EVERYTHING. :)

Now I'm going to start reading Empire Falls by Richard Russo.

I'll let you know how it goes. It's 483 pages, so I won't be finishing it in two days. :)

Twisted, slimy, bitter-skinned vegetable of doom....

2009-07-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

I don't like zucchini. I don't like it fried, fresh, chopped, sauted, or any other way in which the zucchini itself can actually be tasted. And yet, this time of year, thanks to gardeners all around and their generosity (!) toward me and mine, I never have fewer than 3 zucchini rotting on my counter at any given time. I make zucchini bread, which uses up at most 2 zucchini. How much zucchini bread should one person make in a lifetime, you ask? I don't know, but I'm thinking soon I will meet my quota.

Please, if you are feeling so inclined, skip me whilst you are doling out zucchini. For I am filled up with zucchini, and cannot make any more bread. Ever. Or at least until next year. But we have some new neighbors, perhaps you can unburden your zucchini load upon them.

Afterbirth: It\'s What\'s For Dinner

2009-07-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

As a doula I have embraced ideas I never thought I would. However, I have only one thing to say about this one. Ew.

I mean it, ew.

Afterbirth: It\'s What\'s For Dinner

I am not shooting the idea down, though. It's just, well....ew.

Be sure and watch the video...hilarious!

AZ, CA, and the Mouse

2009-06-30T19:27:00.000-07:00

We just spent a fabulous month traveling. It was wonderful! Of course, as with any long vacation, we were thrilled to get home, too. The kids and I spent about 3 weeks in AZ with Joe's parents and all of our friends. I have never done so much visiting in such a short period of time in my life! As an introvert, my "chatting" maximum was reached, but I loved every minute of it! My in-laws spoiled us sufficiently with numerous movies, dinners, trips to DQ and Starbucks, and so much more. We stayed with them the entire time, so the fact that they weren't booting us out by the end shows what a tolerant pair they are! :)

While we were in AZ, the kids participated in Choir Camp at Faith Church. The program was "First Action Heroes" about the heroes of the Bible. Lindsay and Nathan were leads, with Lindsay playing a present-day character and Nathan playing Joshua. Kaylee was in the chorus, and Brad (who was too old for the camp itself) was a stage hand and really enjoyed that. Lots of pictures to follow.

Celebrating Dad on Father's Day

Celebrating Grampa on Father's Day

Lindsay (in the blue flowers) as "Taylor"

Lindsay and Nathan (Joshua)

Grammy with our newly adopted bunny, Corbin (who will be coming to UT with his Grammy and Grampa in August)

Because he had to work, Joe joined us in AZ for Father's Day and the performance. After two weeks apart, we couldn't wait to see him! We stayed a few more days in AZ and then headed off to CA to stay with Joe's brother Kenny and his wife Celia. They graciously hosted us for four days while we did the touristy southern CA stuff, like visit the Mouse (twice) and the beach. Our friends, the Torlas, joined us for Disney and the beach, which was extra fun. Despite the magnanimous crowds, the time we spent in line was surprisingly short thanks to The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland. If you are ever planning to visit the Mouse during the busy seasons, BUY THIS BOOK! It will shave hours off of your standing around time. You just have to be willing to follow their plans, and be willing to WALK because you zip back and forth over the park to avoid the cattle herds of people milling around staring at their maps.

Kenny and Brad

Jessica, Lindsay and Kaylee

The Infamous "Ear" Gang

We seemed to be amidst a budding romance between Christopher and Hannah. The two were inseparable! They were like this when they were younger, but we thought with the move it might change...apparently not! Won't it be funny if they end up married? :)

There were countless more pictures like this one- arm in arm!

Lindsay and Hannah

Kaylee in the Blue Bayou restaurant, overlooking Pirates of the Caribbean ride

Cap'n Brad

Aaargh!

The littlest cuties

We also spent a glorious day at Newport Beach. The weather was perfect, and no one got burned. Yeah!

Kaylee and Hannah building...um...blobs?

Lindsay, Brad, James and Nathan

Look closely, you'll find a crab that Brad and James caught. With some coaxing from the adults, he was set free.

There are many, many more pictures from our wonderful trip, but those will need to be posted tomorrow. I'm off to bed!

Farewell, Our Little Friend

2009-04-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

Mowgli
September 7, 1994-April 13, 2009

We said good-bye to Mowgli, our 14.5-year-old miniature dachshund yesterday. We've had that little guy almost as long as we've been married, and longer than we've had children. Joe bought him for me for my college graduation in December 1994. He was a snuggly, sweet little 5-pound puppy that melted my heart immediately! Of course, I was working in a vet's office as a surgery assistant, so he had top notch medical care. We treated him like a baby. He slept in our bed, ate by us at dinner (on the floor, we weren't completely insane) and was treated like royalty. Until January 1996, that is. At that point he began to slip down the totem pole of our lives until after our third child was born, he was officially "the dog." I'm sure he wondered about his demotion, but you'd never know. He protected each of the babies, positioning himself between the sleeping baby on the couch and the front door. When cars would pass, he'd let out a low growl, just as a warning but not loud enough to wake the baby. He taught each of them to crawl by lying just out of reach, wagging his tail, so that each one would strive to get to him. As a baby, Brad made a regular effort to suck on Mowgli's tail, which if we hadn't bathed Mowgli so often, would be really, really gross. Actually, it's still gross. But Mowgli was a little four-legged family member, and we all loved him...I guess even germophobic I was able to look past that.
He used to sit up and beg, almost for the entire duration of our meals. Occasionally he'd tip over, but he sit right back up again as quickly as possible. Only my mother-in-law actually rewarded him at the table for this, and he was very, very grateful to her. :) He developed a fondness for wrapped presents and every Christmas would wait in anticipation for his gift. He'd wrestle the paper gently in his teeth and tear it from his gift...and then seem a bit disappointed when the paper was off. I got in the habit of buying a package of rawhides and wrapping them individually so he could unwrap each one. This past Christmas he did not open his presents, and we were all sad...we knew those days had passed. We will miss him very much, but especially at Christmas.

One other very funny thing Mowli did was make his "peanut butter face." When he'd eat peanut butter, his face would stick in this crazy position.

We love you, little guy. Rest in peace. And yes, we think dogs go to heaven. :)

It's been awhile...

2009-03-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Wow! A whole month and more have passed since my last post. It has been a crazy month, full of visitors and fun!
First, our good friends Tim and Naomi and their 4 kids Mika, Emily, Gabe and Tessa came for a whole week and we had a wonderful time. They live in Africa, so our visits with them are few and far between. The kids had so much fun playing in the snow (something their kids rarely see!) building forts and having snowball fights. The time was both relaxing and fun, my favorite combination.

Joe and Mom celebrated their birthday (same day). Naomi did most of the work for their birthday meal, and it was YUMMY!

Tim and Naomi's youngest, Tessa, 4, with our Hannah.

One magnificent snow fort! (a total of 3 were built throughout the week- the snow kept melting!)

Joe's parents came in the beginning of March, and we had a great time. Grampa sufficiently spoiled the kids with regular trips to DQ, plus an extra-fun adventure to Toys R Us with the money he so generously supplied (with the lesson that some is set away for college and some is tithed, that only a Grampa can deliver)

Grammy sufficiently spoiled me, too, with several Starbucks trips. :) We all played games and watched AI and just spent lots of quality time together. Joe and Dad built shelves in our storage room- yeah!! As always, it was wonderful and way too short. We are so looking forward to visiting AZ in June to pick up where we left off.

We were surprised and thrilled when Chris and Ginger called in late February to let us know they were considering a trip up here for their spring break. It had been 8 long months without them, and we were all feeling desperate to see them! The look on the girls' faces when we told them they were coming was priceless. The reunion when they got here on the 13th was even more priceless- we were all screaming and hugging and we felt like Christmas had come again! The week was wonderful, with fun activities like sledding intermingled with lots of easy-going board games and movie times. We did a bit of sightseeing, but I think we really just wanted to see each other! Of course, the time went way too quickly and now we're left to pine for our time together in AZ in June. Here are some pics of our sledding trip. We went to a friend's house up in Wolf Creek (about 25 minutes northeast).

Hannah was the only one who had a less than exciting time. Her sledding adventure ended as quickly as it began. Hannah's version went like this: "I was on the sled and it went fast and I fell off. Then I got up and Brad ran over me. And now I'm all done."

Above: Lindsay BEFORE she hit a tree and sliced her cheek. That's Audrey there on the left.

Ginger and Lily

Kaylee and Elizabeth with one of our host friends' children...her name escapes me.

Lily, Alex and Daniel

Kaylee and Lily, BFF's since birth

Afternoon fun- Lily, Kaylee, Elizabeth and Hannah

Chris and Ginger- our wonderful friends

Also BFF's Alex, Lindsay and Audrey

Hannah and Chris

It was sooooooooooo hard to say good-bye!

After the Trudgens left, we slogged back into our old routine of school and work. Homework resumed, I had stacks of papers to grade, and none of us could wait for spring break to come. Well, now it's here (this is my 3rd attempt at this post, so today is actually April 7) and we are all looking forward to a week of relaxing and enjoying each other's company. Let's hope we're not sick of each other by Wednesday.

In this last month, we have also made a huge, very prayed-over decision concerning school for next year. We've had a lot of confirmation from friends and family that this is the best thing for us, but it was still a tough decision to make. We are going to go back to homeschooling the younger girls and leave the older ones in their private school. Financially, it's the best choice, but more importantly, time-wise it is best for all of us. I am one of those people that does one thing really well and everything else halfway. Well, I've been pouring myself into teaching and parenting has gone by the wayside. We've seen concrete evidence that the kids aren't getting the attention they need from me as mom, and that kills me. So, it's back to the stay-at-home mom job for me, and I have no regrets. I learned so much this year, and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. But I have missed so much in the kids' lives and I look forward to being able to be room mom and field trip chaperone and all of that again. It's how I'm wired. :)
So now we are excited to turn our den (it's the room Joe used as his office when he worked from home, but now it just has a big desk and some bookcases...no computer or anything) into a homeschooling room. I didn't have one before, and I think this will be great. No more using the kitchen table for everything, I'll actually have a desk for me, and a table for the girls, plus places for all of our supplies in that room. It has a huge window, bright and cheerful, and we're going to paint it this summer. (the room, not the window) Right now it's a yucky (my opinion) khaki green.
Hmmm, what else is going on? Well, it's finally looking like spring around here. We've had a boatload of snow this winter. Twice my car got stuck in our driveway, and twice I fishtailed into a snowbank, causing damage in the form of paint removal to my front bumper. The van doors froze shut three times, and we went through 3 containers of "Red Hot Ice Melt" on our front and back porches. Yes, this AZ family is READY for spring!

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T21:35:00.000-08:00

What a great day! We dropped the kids off at my mom's and went out to dinner and to Barnes and Noble (predictable, since this is our all-time favorite place for a date). We drank lattes and read, uninterrupted, for nearly two hours. I know, we are complete nerds, but you have no idea how wonderful that sort of thing is to us! :) Joe's first week of work went splendidly, and this was the icing on the cake. I read a book in its entirety on that date, and laughed out loud on several occasions. This is what I read:

It's the true story of a woman who, ironically, lives here in Utah, so all of her references were amazingly relevant to me, despite the 30-year gap in our ages. She has a younger sister who is mentally retarded and all of the trials and humorous things they go through trying to give this lady a quality and dignified life. I wasn't really ever moved to the point of tears, but I laughed a lot, and it was definitely touching. It was about 175 pages, and I read it in an hour and a half, so it's an easy read.

I'm also reading

and it is also funny. At this time in my life, I guess I am really only drawn to the funny books.

I'll post soon about Brad's, Hannah's, Kaylee's and my birthdays. Joe's is next Monday, and then we have a break till October. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Prepare to be amazed....

2009-02-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Well, the unimaginable, illogical, only-because-of-the-grace-of-God thing happened. (This is true only because the market is so bad, not because Joe isn't 100% qualified for this job!...)

First, last Monday he met with the president and local director and they loved him. They talked immediately of hiring him to start a commercial land development team (a goal they had had for over a year...and were just now starting to entertain again). However, they needed the approval of other board members, so on Thursday he went to lunch with 4 more board members, plus the two that he met with on Monday. They grilled him for 3 hours and he came home exhausted. He of course scrutinized everything he had said and began second guessing himself. I had complete confidence that he had conducted himself well and had presented himself accurately. He's a very even-keeled and level-headed guy, so his answers are always very calm and deliberate. Besides all that, like 50 people were praying for him! :)

So later that afternoon, the director called back and told him they had a written offer for him. He talked to Joe about the offer over the phone, so we knew we would accept it. The money is just a bit more than he is making now, which is exactly what we had expected. We went down and picked up the offer (and Joe signed it) and Joe picked out his office. My head was floating above my shoulders the whole time. It felt so surreal, but once again I learned that God is faithful.

So now he finishes his time with his old job this week and he is taking Monday and Tuesday of next week to relax. I am also taking those days off, so we are looking forward to some quiet days. He'll start his new job on Wednesday.

We are so excited for this new adventure, but we find ourselves mourning some of the changes. We have both loved having him work from home because we've been able to eat lunch together everyday. However, the hours at his new job are 7:30-5:30 M-Th and 7:30-11:30 on Friday so we know for sure that Fridays we'll be able to eat together. Plus, his office is only 12 minutes away so we can always meet halfway. Anyway, those details are so minor compared to the absolutely wonderful gift of this job.

We stand all amazed! Thank you SO MUCH for your prayers!!!!!!!!!!!!

You want fries with that?

2009-01-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

I have a hard time being vulnerable on this blog, most of the time I just reveal humorous anecdotes from our funny children or relate events like a family newscaster. However, I decided that when I look back on this in 10 years or so I don't only want to remember the goofy things that happen around here, I want to look back and see how God moved in our lives...in good and bad times.

Don't worry, I'm not going to turn my little blog into a melancholy journal of droll ramblings. I like to laugh too much.

It turns out that Joe is needing to find a new job. Without too much detail, I'll just say that the working remotely thing is not working out anymore so he will be moving on. Moving on to WHAT? you might ask. Yeah, well, we ask that too. The last time Joe was let go was 6 years ago, and we had sold our home in Mesa the day before. We were in the process of buying our home in Chandler. I'm pretty sure we gave our mortgage broker indigestion that day! Well, that was a Tuesday and on Thursday he received a call out of the blue (hadn't yet had an opportunity to even spruce up his resume) with a job offer. This friend didn't even know Joe was going to be needing a job imminently! It was amazing... one of those "you know it was a God thing" things. Well, we are in need of a similar miracle. My salary allows our kids to attend private school, but not eat. :)

Joe went out yesterday to "beat the streets" looking for a senior level design/management position with a civil engineering company. Gee, that's not too specific, is it? :) Well, we don't want to get too excited, but today he got a call from the company he liked the best and they want to have him meet the president of the company on Monday! (he'll be driving in from Boise to meet Joe!) The job is in Kaysville, which would be about a 15 minute drive from our house. Please pray- how amazing would that be for him to get a great job in this market? (about as amazing as our house selling in the tanked AZ housing market...which it did!) We do know that if God wants this to happen, it will!

Thanks in advance for your prayers!!

Sunrise, Sunset? I'm not even ready for Sunrise!

2009-01-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

Hannah: (in a somewhat exasperated voice) "Mommy, when am I ever going to have a boyfriend?"

(let me remind you, she turns 5 this month, not 25)

Mommy: "Why do you need a boyfriend?"

Hannah: "I just want one."

Mommy: (trying not to pass out) "What would you do if you had a boyfriend?"

Hannah: "Play. Go to the park. Have ice cream together. Dippin' Dots."

Mommy: "Well, how about if we do that with the friends you have now?"

Hannah: "OK. I probably won't even have a boyfriend when I'm five."

I seriously can't stop laughing...

2009-01-03T22:51:00.000-08:00

I just sat and read this blog for the last nearly two hours (despite the fact that I had a hundred other things that needed to be done.) I don't think I have laughed that hard for that long...you have to check it out. Now, granted, I am a grammar geek who loves to mock grocery store signs advertising "onion's" and "pepper's" and can't get enough of the book "Eats Shoots and Leaves." Perhaps it is because my grandmother was an English teacher. Enjoy!

www.cakewrecks.blogspot.com

Good-bye, 2008, Old Friend! Welcome 2009...

2009-01-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

The 2008 roller coaster has come to a complete stop, and it's time to get off.

We had a year filled with change, and hopefully, growth. (in character, not girth...)

In January 08 we begin our journey to UT. We pack up a UHaul with various furniture, Christmas items, and a whole lot of whatnot (and half the Oldhams' whatnot) and Joe and CR drive it all up here to UT and unload it into Darren and Jill's garage. (very gracious of them to host our junk for nearly 6 months, don't you think?)

In Feb 08 we list our house and the showings begin. Ugh. I seriously NEVER want to do that again.

In March, April and May the showings continue. Meanwhile, the Oldhams sell their house and buy one up here.

In May we get an offer on our house. After some negotiations (but no love songs) we get a contract we can live with and we're all set. Packing commences.

June 5, 2008 we move into our new house. The rest of the summer is spent going back and forth from AZ to UT tying up loose ends and saying good-bye. We buy a lot of Kleenex.

July 08 we enjoy the cool climate, and adjust to our new life. No job opportunities on the rise for me, but we remain sure that God will provide something.

End of July 08, I apply at Starbucks in a last-ditch effort to make ends meet with upcoming tuition payments. Two days later I'm offered a teaching position at LCA. We rejoice in God's provision and wonder why in the heck we didn't trust Him more.

Aug 08 I begin teaching high school geometry and biology at LCA. Brad, Lindsay, Nathan, Kaylee and Hannah begin life at their new school. Homesickness is apparent, but all kids adjust over time and begin to thrive.

Sep-Dec 08 Family is in survival mode. First year teaching is difficult, but rewarding. Joe working remotely has snags and thorns, but God is faithful to bless his pursuits. We overdraw the checking account twice, and rearrange billpaying. Life stabilizes. Smiles are beginning to thwart furrowed brows with all of us.

Dec 31, 2008 Family says good-bye to 08 with Mom and the Oldhams at the O's with a yummy Mexican meal and a Wii bowling tournament. Hannah sweeps, beating all adults, friends and siblings to take home the victory. Perhaps we adults could learn from the "ballerina bowlers" just how it's done. Watch the second slideshow to see what I mean.

Jan 09 Resolutions are made, much-needed rest is taken, and preparations for the new year are made. Special time is spent with family, friends and neighbors, closets are cleaned out, and family gears up for new adventures.

Winter 08 I

New Album 1/2/09 11:04 AM

We are so thankful for each of you and the way you have loved and encouraged us along this crazy road. Happy New Year!

Santa Cookies and Premeditated Caninicide, Almost

2008-12-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

Before...

And after!

Some friends back in AZ had a cookie exchange and posted pictures on facebook. This was one of the recipes I fell in love with (the little Santa faces are soooo cute!). So in a moment of domesticity I baked and decorated. And decorated and decorated and decorated. I seriously underestimated the time it would take to make these puppies. But it was worth it, I still love them! There are about 40 cookies, so I have to be sparing upon distribution. Last night I spent another hour or two assembling teacher gifts to be taken to school tomorrow. Today, our dog Ivy (yes, the cute snowball-laden one from the last post) got up on the table and ate three of the teacher gifts and consumed at least 3 of said Santa cookies.

The evidence speaks for itself.

"Please forgive me, won't you?"
The jury is still out on that one...

S N O W !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-13T18:54:00.000-08:00

We had a great snowstorm today. It began this morning around 6:30 with lots of wind. By the time Joe and I got up (9:30ish...) the world was covered in a beautiful white blanket. By 10 all five kids were outside bundled from head to toe in snow gear, throwing snowballs and having a blast. Hannah was in by 10:10. The rest stayed out until noon or so. Even Ivy joined in! Her fur on her feet gathered up snowballs as she played, so we gave her a warm bath when she came in. (spoiled little dog) :)

Festivities, Merriment, and the need for a Maid

2008-12-10T00:21:00.001-08:00

Happy December! I am really getting behind in my blogging, and it certainly isn't due †o lack of activity around here. The holidays have swept us up like a tailwind and are carrying us along. Fortunately, I love the chaos of the holidays as long as it is punctuated by stillness. Still waiting for the stillness...

So far this season, we have had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Steph, decorated our tree (which, when purchased for our condo in '94 seemed so big, now seems almost Charlie-Brownesque) put up the lights, played in the snow (we've not had much, but I think God is easing us into the Utah winter- I'm not sure we own a shovel yet), spent a day at PCMC while Hannah had an endoscopy, attended the Festival of Trees, attended (and Brad, Lindsay and Nathan participated in) a live Nativity production called Journey to Bethlehem hosted by our church, scant amounts of shopping, and spent many an evening warming our toes by the fire. Still to come: an evening with the Tabernacle choir, caroling with our neighbors, LCA faculty Christmas Party, Zoolights, Elementary Christmas Program, Christmas Eve dinner and fun with family, hosted by the Cross Clan and HOPEFULLY, some good skiing.

We also were glad to have my friend Jen and her family here for a week. They are hoping to move up here soon, and we hope they will! They stayed in Park City so we spent a day up there. It started to snow a bit on the way up, but cleared up and was beautiful. The kids swam in the indoor pool and we ladies (CR and Amy and their kids came, too) lunched out. (Note: eat a big snack before lunch in Park City. Food is expensive and very small. Paid $12 for lunch. Drank water. Was still hungry. Helped kids polish off cheap snacks back in Jen's room) The guys went to see Quantum of Solace, and gave it pretty good reviews. Said no fun gadgets, though, which truthfully are my favorite part of Bond movies.

I hope I'll get better at blogging regularly. Teaching hs kids really is worth reporting- some crazy things happen! I feel like I'm managing two families, one with 5 kids and another with 80. Some days I wonder what the heck I'm doing, but today was the kind of day where I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Results from Hannah's endoscopy: eosinophils in the distal portion of esophagus, bad. No signs anywhere else (stomach, duodenum, intestines), good. No reason for flare-up, confusing. Medicines to keep flare-up from returning, expensive. Hearing Hannah remind us to give her said meds 3x/day, hilarious. Opinion of new GI Dr., very good. Opinion of PCMC, excellent.

Oh, and I won't post pics of my house, but the title of this post gives you an inclination of its state right now. Where are the Merry Maids when you need them?

I'm having trouble getting the slideshow to embed. Will post pictures later.

Staying Afloat

2008-11-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks, just like everyone else's, I'm sure. With all the chaos, I am definitely aware of those things in my life that keep me grounded. So here's the proverbial list of things I'm thankful for- and I'm sure it is far from complete.

God, who gives me all good things
My hubby, who is a source of constant love and support
My children, who give me joy beyond compare
My family, especially Mom, Ma, and Dad, who give to us so sacrificially
My friends, new and old, near and far
My job, my boss, and most of my students ;)
A wonderful school for my children
A new church with new friends and new experiences
Laughter, one of my daily fuels
Grande nonfat mocha half-caff from Starbucks (silly but true)
Snow-capped mountains

It's time to usher the children off to bed, so I'll close. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. I'm thankful for you!

A Loooooong Week

2008-11-08T22:40:00.000-08:00

This week felt like it lasted forever. For some reason, I was a stress case all week Why was that? Could it be because my husband was gone for a few days and my daughter was fed a cookie with eggs in it on Friday at school, leading to wonderful GI issues? Yeah, maybe. Could it be because I didn't vote? (long story) Or because I went to the grocery store 4 times and I still need to go back because I forget something every time I go? Or maybe because no doctor's office will call me back to make a stinking appointment for Hannah? Or perhaps it's the 1,563 assignments, quizzes and tests I just finished grading. Or maybe it's because Kaylee ruined a brand-new pair of pants being foolish. Who knows...but it was a long week.

Conversely, Joe came home safely. Hannah recovered. My vote wouldn't have made much difference. The grocery store is open 24 hrs, and Joe says he'll go for me. The appointment will be made, eventually. The papers are graded. Pants can be replaced, and 6-year-olds are supposed to be foolish.

So I think the main reason my week lasted forever was my attitude. I had a crummy one this week.

I'm ready for a new week.

I think.

Feelin' Fine

2008-10-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Hannah spent the day singing and drawing, her two favorite activities. She showed no real signs of illness today, which still amazes me. I did just have to wake her up to give her the meds because I am dingy and out of practice. She took them just fine, albeit groggily. :) She has preschool tomorrow and since she missed it on Monday, and had to leave early and abruptly on Wednesday, she is very excited to go.

Expect the Unexpected

2008-10-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

Still smiling even though it's been a long day!

This week began normally, but has taken a few major twists and turns. As you might know, Hannah has eosinophilic disease. Hers presents in her esophagus, which means that when these white blood cells get out of control, they eat her esophagus. We've had it under control for over 2 years, but it seems the disease is rearing its ugly head once again. After 3 days of vomiting (just in the middle of the night, so we were suspicious pretty soon that it was acid reflux, a side effect of eosinophilia) she started having acute diarrhea. So off to the children's hospital we went, as she was looking dehydrated, lethargic, her eyes were slow to respond and they were puffy. It was seriously a breath of fresh air to have doctors know all about eosinophilic disease and not have to explain what it is! I can see why Primary Children's is ranked one of the top ten children's hospitals. Despite the unpleasantness of having to be there at all, the staff made it so bearable and showered Hannah with gifts and love. (she accepted the gifts cheerfully, but she's less willing to accept "love" from strangers.) :) In all we were there for 8 hours, mostly because she needed IV fluids and meds. They gave her IV Prevacid, an acid reducer, and Zophran, an anti-nausea med. You wouldn't believe the difference in her by the time we left! The blood test results show that her eosinophil count is double what it should be, so we will be going in to see a pediatric GI doctor hopefully within the week. She'll likely be having an endoscopy soon, and I'm not sure if they'll test her entire GI tract or just her esophagus. Steroids are usually the treatment, but for some reason antihistamines seem to help also. So, for the time being we are giving her Prevacid solutabs and liquid Zyrtec. When we are able to physically see the damage to her GI tract (on the endoscopy scan), then the doctors will decide whether she needs the steroid treatment. She will also be seeing an allergist within the week to test for more food and environmental allergies. (she's been through that twice before, hopefully she has forgotten!) :)

All that being said, thank you so much for your love and prayers. We know God is taking care of every detail in Hannah's life. She was very brave today. She immediately told Gramma that she didn't even cry when she got her IV. (which is amazing, because she had already had 2 pokes from blood draws!)

October Fun

2008-10-19T07:09:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures from October, not including the Hopekids event. CR started a blog for HK so instead of duplicating, I'll just link to that website. Michael and Joanna took a lot more pics of their visit, and I thought Michael uploaded them to my computer, but I can't find them. I'll post those later.

Things are going pretty well. We are feeling the economic crunch, but we are also trusting God to get us through this time. We are loving the fall weather, and the first snowfall was amazing! It snowed all day on the 11th and the kids made snow forts, snowmen, and had snowball fights. We did have to rummage through many boxes to find our snow gear (purchased end-of-season last year!) but once the kids were outfitted they were on their way. A few days later the snow had all melted, but they eagerly await the next storm! It was especially fun to have the Torlas here visiting from AZ. To see all those desert kids out there in the snow was great. We'll be heading to Bear Lake soon for another HK event. The kids are really hoping there is still snow up there. As long as we don't have to drive in it for 3 hours, then it sounds great to me, too.

Hope all is well with all of you!

Insomnia

2008-10-14T00:33:00.000-07:00

Well, frustration from not having posted for awhile will now be alleviated and replaced with eye strain and exhaustion, as I am having one of my normal bouts with insomnia. It happens about once or twice a month, and after 3 or so years of this, I'm pretty used to it.

I didn't get a chance to post yet about our HopeKids event. It was on Sept. 27 and it was at Classic Family Fun Center (or something of that sort). It was a great success- over 100 attendees, 40+ volunteers, donations of time, money, energy, and a generous discount on pizza from a local restaurant. We had the whole place to ourselves for the majority of the morning and it was so much fun to see families connecting, kids laughing, and people serving. I'll post pictures soon. Please be in prayer for our second event, a weekend camping trip in a couple of weeks. Cabins were donated, as were meals, snacks, and again, time and money. Despite desperate times economically, people are still willing to give and serve and that is so encouraging!

This past week our good friends Michael and Joanna and their 3 kids (Jessica, James and Christopher) came up for a visit and boy, were they a sight for sore eyes! The children picked right up where they left off as if those 3 months had never passed. We enjoyed every minute of their stay. We spent Friday afternoon (Lindsay's 11th birthday!) at Antelope Island (for those of you non-Utahns, that is an island in the Great Salt Lake). The causeway is right off the road near our home so it was only about a 20 minute drive. The weather was chilly, but we had a wonderful time. Friday night Joanna, Amy and I were able to tour ye ol' Bountiful so Joanna could see where I grew up. We also went to dinner at Robintino's-mmmmm. Saturday was supposed to be spent touring SLC, the temple grounds, Fort Douglas Museum, etc...but instead we played in the snow! It started snowing early Saturday and didn't really stop until Sunday night. We had a record-breaking amount of snow. We had about 5 inches at our house and after we dug out all the Lands End boxes from last year (no stickers inside telling us not to eat them- I guess sometime in the last year that need came about...) the kids headed outside in all their gear and had a blast. Sunday, after church, we celebrated Nathan's 10th birthday and Amy's 40th birthday and then the kids spent even more time in the snow. Michael and Joanna left late that afternoon, and we were sad to see them go. It was a wonderful week, and now I'm yawning, just thinking about how busy it was! :)
We also were gifted with an afternoon touring the LDS cannery, dairy, and bakery in downtown SLC where they make all the food for welfare recipients and for charity. What an amazing operation. My neighbor is the overseer of all those operations and he graciously offered to take us on the tour. He even arranged for a large van to tote 3/4 of us together! All but Joanna, Lindsay and I were also able to tour the Kaysville LDS grainery and see flour and cake mix being made. Lindsay had an earache so we took off after the first tour. The kids all had a great time and learned a thing or two, also! This same wonderful neighbor had us over for a bbq (before it snowed!) and allowed the kids to pick melons and veggies from his huge garden. The next day we had a wonderful feast of stew made with his fresh veggies. Watermelon from his garden was dessert- it was delicious! Almost makes me want a garden...almost. I need to learn a thing or two about it, first.
Well, my eyes are actually getting heavy so I'll go to bed now. I'll post the pictures tomorrow.

Four (well, two) Weddings and a Funeral

2008-09-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a very full month. A few weeks ago, we spent a weekend in Wyoming for my cousin's wedding. Mom and I drove up with my cousin Dani and Lindsay and Nathan. We had a great time- the drive was uneventful, the accommodations were wonderful (we were in Jackson Hole) and it was so fun to see some of my Dad's side of the family. The wedding was small, and very "cowboy." Lindsay loved it. :) On the drive home we saw the most hilarious thing. I wish we had stopped by the side of the road for a photo opp, but we were laughing and stunned and didn't think of it until miles down the road. We were zipping down a stretch of highway on a steep hill and as we came around a bend we saw legs. Cow legs. Upside down cow legs, like a beetle that had been overturned. The cow was obviously dead, and rigor had set in awhile back. But the cow was flat on her back, legs (literally) straight in the air. We felt bad laughing at the poor thing, but we did anyway...for about 20 miles.
The second wedding we have attended recently was that of a boy, no man, that I used to babysit. So hard to believe he is 24- holy cow, how old does that make me? It was fun to see him and his family and to catch up on all that has happened in their lives. The family had five sons, one of whom was killed at age 11 by a truck with faulty breaks as he was crossing in a crosswalk. You wonder how a family survives a tragedy like that. I was so pleased to see them all doing so well. It all goes back to hope...
Unfortunately, along with the joys of recent matrimony, we also attended a funeral for a son of a family friend who was killed by police in a standoff situation. Even as I type that it seems surreal, like something you only see on tv. When hope is lost, desperation takes its place. Please pray for this family, I can't imagine what they are going through. I don't feel comfortable posting too many details, but God knows those details. Pray especially for his young son and wife who are dealing with so many issues right now.
Sorry to leave you with that, but I need to get off the computer and grade some papers. Our friends, the Torlas, are coming to visit for a week and I need to get ahead of my game so I can spend some time with them. I conducted my first parent-teacher conferences last night and they all went very well. PTL!

Advice for the Embicilic

2008-09-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

We recently placed an order with Lands' End and inside the shoe box was a sticker.

Look closely...........

It says "Throw away. Do not eat." I mean, is this REALLY necessary? As if without this warning, people across the world would sit down to a nice meal of dyed cardboard? One of my kids innocently said "well, maybe it's for people who are starving in third world countries." Well, perhaps...it's as good of an explanation as any. However, I sincerely doubt that many of those people are investing in squall boots from Lands End. Call me crazy.

A big congratulations!

2008-09-11T16:53:00.001-07:00

My friend Carley just had her first baby, a big bouncy baby boy named Colin Joshua. (big is right...10 lbs 1 oz and Carley is a pixie!) So happy for the new little family!!

Lofty Goals

2008-09-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Joe: Hannah, what do you want to be when you grow up?

Hannah: I want to be on the bus.

Well, a girl can dream...

Aaah...a break!

2008-08-31T15:06:00.000-07:00

I love 3-day weekends! After all the hustle and bustle of the week, today we are resting and relaxing (no Wii, no tv, no work, no housecleaning...). We are also enjoying watching the storm roll in from the west. I love this house because we have lots of windows and I can watch the weather from all directions. Here is a pic of the weather to the west...

and here is one to the east.

I love storms, and I hope this one is a doozy! The wind already blew our recycle bin over, which, fortunately was recently emptied. :)

Let the thunder roll!

Long lost update...

2008-08-24T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's hard to know where to start! The time has flown, but has been so full it seems like we've lived a year in the last few weeks.

House update:

With the help of many, many amazing family members our basement is now 90% complete. We still have a lot of touch-up painting to do, but the boys are settled into their new room and are loving the extra space. We now have a toy room (hallelujah!) so no more Polly Pockets all over the kitchen floor. We had plenty of floor space (no beds though) for all of Joe's family who came to stay last week. Joe's parents brought their RV so they slept in that, and Joe's brother Kenny and his wife Cecilia stayed in a hotel. So really, we just had Sandy, Juliette, Shawn and Annette in the house. Well, plus the seven of us. And three dogs...

Career update:

Joe has traveled for 8 of the last 14 days. This has made life challenging for us, but we seem to have survived. I have extreme sympathy for working single moms. But I am VERY glad we are all together again and I can see what having this job will be like under more normal circumstances. It was a good first week. (we started on Wednesday, which was a huge blessing) The students are great, for the most part. I will definitely have my challenges. I have half the football team in two of my classes. They are great kids, but I don't speak their language. I'm learning, though. Friday, one of them (who had just announced I was his favorite teacher) said, "Mrs. C, we're gonna keep it tight for you." I wasn't sure whether to thank him or not, as I wasn't sure what that meant. I'm very white. :) I am really hoping I can teach these kids, it seems last year they learned little. Whether that was more their fault or more the teacher's fault remains to be seen. They've all admitted they're scared to take geometry (understandable) but I want them to learn it and learn it well enough to feel confident to move onto their next math class. Keep praying. On a lighter note, my other geometry class is a very bright group of kids who seem very ready for geometry. Glad for that. Honors Biology is a good group of kids. They actually remind me a lot of the kids I hung out with in high school. However, I'm a lot more afraid to make a mistake with this group. I could lose credibility quickly. My regular biology class is full of basically the same kids as my challenging geometry class. Lots of cheerleaders and football players, some average kids, a few wallflowers...it's like I'm in the movie "The Breakfast Club," but without the fun background music and the foul language. Well, there's a little of that...yep, even in a private Christian school. Kids are kids are kids. Week two begins tomorrow and I'm not scared off yet. This is a good sign.

Children update:

Hannah: She began preschool this week. She goes M-W-F from 8:30-12:00. I teach from 8:30-11:50 so you can see once again how God has blessed us with amazing timing. She is home with Joe on Tuesday and Thursday mornings but she is the kind of kid who plays great by herself. She goes down into our toy room and stays for hours playing Barbies or Polly Pockets. She doesn't really like TV, so there's not much plopping her in front of that. She does like Wii bowling (ok, she beats all of us regularly) so that buys some time, too. We were very worried about sending her to preschool because she is so shy, but going with all the big kids and wearing the backpack, and packing the lunch- she just loves it! She is a little shy when we drop her off, but when it's time to pick her up, she's never anxious to leave. More answers to huge prayers.

Gotta love those little bruised-up bird legs. She is so active, but kinda in a clumsy phase. The red mark on her face is from walking into a chair. :)

Kaylee:

Kaylee started first grade. She was homeschooled for kindergarten, so "going to" school is a new phase of life for her. She loves her teacher and has a clan of friends already. On the first day of school, she came home and said, "Two boys say I'm their girlfriend." WHAT? IN THE FIRST GRADE? Sigh. Though I was pleased to hear that she denounced the relationships and on the third day of school she "broke up" with them. Oh my. She's only 6! She also lost her first top tooth this week, so it was a week of milestones. First day of school, first relationship, first break-up, first top tooth lost, the list goes on.... :)

Nathan:

Nathan began the fourth grade. He has adjusted nicely to his new life and new friends. He still misses AZ, but has done so much better than we could have imagined. He goes into a fifth grade classroom for math, which makes it nice here at home because he and Lindsay have the same math homework every night. He is thrilled with his new room (or should I say, his half of his new room- Brad has the other half) and is busily hanging his Suns posters and other basketball paraphrenalia. He is eager to start Junior Jazz this fall.

Lindsay:

Lindsay is back in school after two years of being homeschooled. She is really loving having lots of friends around, and is adjusting nicely to being "on her own." She is, for the most part, being very responsible and filling her fifth grade shoes nicely. (I say "for the most part" because we had a catastrophe of forgotten homework this morning- I doubt that will happen again!) Her favorite thing about her classroom is the bunny, Midnight. Each kid gets to bring the bunny home for a weekend (whoopee....can you sense the thrill in my voice?) and they also get to care for it each day at school. Amazingly, even with Lindsay's love of animals, she is able to focus in class. Hallelujah!

Brad:

Seventh grader already...so hard to believe! He is also really enjoying his new school and has made some new friends. He says the kids are nice for the most part and has had a relatively easy adjustment period. He is in 8th grade math (Algebra I), Honors Language and Honors Reading. So far he's doing well. He loves having a locker and is surviving not having recess anymore. He is also taking art, one of his favorite subjects. His side of the boys' new room will be done in a tiger theme, his favorite animal.

You can see the enthusiasm in Brad's face concerning being dressed like this. He literally groaned when the box arrived from Lands End containing 20 polos and shorts in a variety of sizes and colors. He is not my "tuck-it-in-and-wear-a-belt" kinda kid. He's more of a "baggy t-shirt, baggy shorts, anything with Tony Hawk or camouflage" kinda kid. I can feel his pain, can't you? :) Well, he can be a slob on the weekends. haha He also had to cut his hair for school to keep with dress code. That went over well. *snark* The lady did a pretty good job with it, though...at least he 1) can see where he's going and 2) doesn't look like a GI. Here is a picture we had taken of the kids with my niece, Juliette, the week before the haircut. I had to keep pushing the hair out of his eyes for the picture so he didn't look like a lhasa-apso. (however you spell that!)

This weekend Brad is up in the mountains camping with the other middle-schoolers. I like how they work hard to get the kids to know each other. Nothing says "get to know me" like sharing a tent or a small cabin. :)

Here is a slide show of our previous month. If you click on the pictures, you can read the captions.

There is probably so much more to say, but I'll have to get to it later. I have 2 tests to write and a hungry family to feed!

Blah.

2008-08-04T22:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been so inundated with transition that even change seems mundane? I know, it sounds weird, but that seems to be the place I'm in. As thrilled as I am with all that's happening around me, I'm locked in this strange place of fear and disappointment that I can't quite put my finger on. To be honest, I think it might be fear of failure. Will I be a good teacher? Will I relate to the students (I honestly do love teens, so there's no real fear of them, per se...) and, how will I deal with all the new relationships all at once (as I am in nearly every aspect an introvert...)? Will my new venture cause me to lose ground in parenting my own kids? I guess there really is wisdom in not borrowing trouble from tomorrow- but that is so much easier said than done! Boy, do I need prayer...if you have some to spare, toss it my way, would you? Thanks.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

2008-07-31T20:07:00.000-07:00

David Bowie references aside, once again God has rocked our world with change! It's a good, no, a GREAT change! Seems the original job at the school has opened up and today the principal called and offered it to me! I'll be teaching HS biology, honors biology, and geometry!!!! Yahoo!!! Seriously, every prayer we had concerning this issue has been answered! I'll be able to teach in the mornings so I can be home with Hannah in the afternoon. I'm so excited (though I'm not making definite plans till I've signed on that bottom line!)

So, no barista for me. Oh well, I still get plenty of practice at home. :)

Trying to take it one day at a time...

2008-07-30T03:34:00.000-07:00

I officially have news concerning our lives here, and I'm still reeling a bit from all the recent changes. First, it seems I will not be teaching at our kids' private school as planned. The principal (who told me he was really wanting to give the job to me) went on vacation for a week and while he was gone, the superintendent filled my position. Apparently another teacher at the school wanted the position, so that's the way it works, no matter how disappointing. After much prayer and petition, I have applied at our local Starbucks. I know, kind of funny, huh? I certainly don't see this as a permanent career move, but to get some extra help with tuition payments it seems a good choice. My goal is still to get my foot in the door at the school (I was offered a substitute teaching position, but with Hannah still at home most of the time that would be difficult childcare-wise). And since our school has all-day kindergarten (I'm not a fan) I might be homeschooling her next year and would need even more flexibility. You can understand why I am up at 4:45...I'm trying hard to give this all to God and trust that He'll take care of the details, but I am such a control freak sometimes! :)

Joe's parents have been with us now for almost two weeks. We have really enjoyed having them here. I wish this trip could have been more relaxing for them, but we're not in a relaxing place in our lives right now. We're the "new kids" in the neighborhood so our doorbell rings all day long. It will be nice when our novelty wears off and my kids have to actually pursue playdates. It starts around 10 am and at 9 pm we're booting kids out the door.

We have a very large unfenced yard. This is not ideal with 3 dogs (one belonging to my in-laws, we haven't acquired another) so Joe and his dad are building a fence around a small portion of our side yard so the doggies can do their business and not follow up with a jaunt around the neighborhood. Concurrent to this project, we are fighting valiantly against hornets and wasps who have decided every nook and cranny of our house is a great place to "nest" or "comb" or whatever it is they do. We're also still unpacking, fixing missing and broken sprinklers, making basement decisions (carpet, tile, paint, bedding, furniture, yada, yada, yada) and trying to carry on with normal life (what is that anymore?) Joe works from home now so when he emerges from the den I pounce on him like a rabid cat to help me with this or that. I'm sure some days he misses the hour commute where at least he could listen to NPR before being inundated with the "honey-do" list. Well, maybe not...

Hard to believe it is almost August. I usually really look forward to new months, like a new beginning every 30ish days. I can honestly say I'm holding onto July for dear life because I'm quite unsure of what's next. I know I can trust God, but will I? Stay tuned to find out, I suppose.

Our first HopeKids event will be in September. I am really looking forward to getting things underway, to see where we fit in in the scheme of things. I really enjoy behind-the-scenes planning, so I'm excited to be a part of it! I'm also looking forward to meeting the families and especially the kids. Please pray for them. Most of the kids registered right now are kidney patients at Primary Children's Hospital. Their lives are so tough, makes my bellyaching seem so ridiculous. It really does keep things in perspective.

I might end up starting a new HopeKids SLC blog when things get going. I'll have a link to it from my blog, but that will include prayer requests, stories, updates, stuff like that. I'd like to do it, so I guess it depends on how much time I have. I'll let you know...

Well, it's after 5 am and I've slept very little. I'm going to try to catch a few zzz's before the morning bedlam begins. :) Thanks for reading.

2008-07-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

My friend Christine tagged me with the following:

Rules: Find the book nearest to you with 123 pages or more. Turn to page 123 and find the fifth sentence on the page. Provide the title and author, and then type in that sentence.

Ok, so here goes. The book is A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle. The sentence is,

"Were there--there were--two other--men who resembled me?"

I'll tag Tiffani. As a homeschooling mom, I'm sure she has lots of books nearby. :)

The Gang's (sort of) All Here

2008-07-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

CR and Amy and the kids, plus Amy's parents and grandparents arrived this week. It's great to finally have them here and of course the kids are thrilled to pick up where we left off in AZ. A few days ago we all went to Lagoon (local amusement park) and we had a great time. Hannah has never been a fan of amusement parks, but for some reason she loves Lagoon. (this is good since we sprung for the season passes!) Today we are taking it easy, getting things done around the house (ok, I am getting things done- the girls are playing Littlest Pet Shop). We really are loving our new house (we'll love it even more when the basement is done and we can spread out a little!) Today will be filled with yard work and general tidying and tomorrow the rest of our gang arrives from AZ. I'm so excited to have us all here again! We'll have Joe's parents here for a couple of weeks, too, which will be fun.

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

2008-07-11T21:46:00.000-07:00

I was in the mood for a little Monty Python- this stuff still cracks me up. For those of you who don't appreciate Monty Python humor, my apologies. :)

Heavenly Scent

2008-07-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

The roses and my hubby- both heaven sent! (aw, shucks) Aren't they beautiful?

Out of the mouths of babes...

2008-07-09T15:41:00.000-07:00

So here's the latest funny from the Cross family. Over lunch at Taco Time (a local favorite) we were discussing the biology of tazing someone (I don't know how to spell it, but you know, the guns police use to zap you into submission). Anyway, Brad was curious to know exactly what happens when someone is tazed. All the children agreed they'd rather not ever be tazed, and Nathan, who had been quietly taking it all in up to this point remarks,

"I know who wouldn't mind being tazed...hobos! They don't have anything else to do anyway."

After 5 solid minutes of laughing so hard we were crying, Joe and I tried to explain that being homeless does not necessarily mean you are bored and willing to have your nervous system overloaded with electricity, rendering you incapacitated. Perhaps we're wrong on this one...

Interestingly, Nathan is really a very compassionate kid. He'll give you his shirt off his back if you need it. That's what made it so funny- just an innocent observation from a 9-year-old.

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

In celebration of America's birthday I changed all the songs on my playlist to be patriotic songs. Enjoy!! We're excited to light fireworks tonight ('twas illegal in AZ) and to celebrate with my family at my aunt's and uncle's house. Hope you all have a great fourth of July weekend!

I included the Star Spangled Banner by the Dixie Chicks. Though I certainly don't see them as examples of patriotism, it's a fun acappella version. Also, I realize that "Independence Day" and "American Pie" are not technically patriotic, they are fun songs. :)

Our basement is almost completely framed now. I'll take some pics and post them later. Our house smells like a forest with all the wood! :)

Blogging Blunders

2008-06-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

I read through the last entry and realized a couple of pictures had gotten nuked somehow. So here is a picture of me with my friend Joey and also another cute one with all the kids. You have no idea how many shots were taken, and no two were similar. Talk about squirrly kids!

Settling in

2008-06-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Because we are no longer a "family on the move" I've decided to change the layout of our blog. Just add that to the long list of changes we've had over the last month!

What an adventure! In the past few weeks, we have finished packing boxes, officially sold a home, officially purchased a home, driven a packed car to UT, unpacked boxes, packed suitcases, flown to AZ, stayed with very gracious family (Joe's parents), participated in Choir Camp, made Egyptian costumes out of pillowcases, felt and lots of baubles (see pictures below), enjoyed a going-away party hosted by our wonderful friends, cried, cried, cried (okay, that was mostly me), packed said suitcases, flown back to UT, attended Gramma's retirement party, unpacked said suitcases, and now we are all pooped.

But we wouldn't have traded that time in AZ for anything. I could write and write about all of the wonderful memories, but pictures are much more fun.

Happy Father's Day to the best Grampa in the whole world!

And of course, Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the whole world!

The kids decorated their own Egyptian collars

Walk like an Egyptian...

Hannah with her friend Allison at our good-bye party

Lindsay with her friend Jessica (Allison's sister)

Jennie and her friend Cathy (Allison and Jessica's mommy)

Audrey, Lindsay and Maddie

Bill (Maddie's Dad) and Joe

Jennie and Jennifer

Audrey, Lindsay and Alex (daughters of Chris & Ginger, except Lindsay of course) :)

A slew of kiddos...to think we've been friends since before any of them were born...

Our home fellowship group- the greatest friends ever!

Michael & Joanna, Joe & Jennie, CR & Amy, Chris & Ginger

Kaylee's BFF Lily (Chris & Ginger's youngest)

Joanna & Jennie (here we go with the random underlining)

Ginger and Jennie (underlining all done, I guess)

Jessica and Lindsay (nope, there's the underlining again)

Jessica is Michael & Joanna's oldest child. She has makeup on from the choir camp dress rehearsal. :)

Brad, Seth (Jennifer's oldest), James (Joanna's middle) and Nathan

Eat your hearts out, Rockettes!

Brad as "Herald," the assistant to the Pharoah

Josiah as Pharoah

Kaylee after the performance

Chris and Ginger...the girls' surrogate parents :)

Kaylee and Hannah smothering Lily with kisses

Brad, James and Nathan (Brad had to wear makeup too, eek!)

At the airport- it was 6:30 a.m.

Enjoying some chocolate milk from Starbucks

Kaylee's first time flying (well, she flew once in utero and once when she was one, but those don't count)

As we were waiting, she asked,

"When are we going to blast off?"

That's all for now. I have lots more pics but my kids are clamoring to use the computer and the laundry is calling. Also, I can't stand this crazy underlining! :)

Rocky Mountain High

2008-06-11T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's a shameless John Denver rip-off, but it is the perfect title.

We've been in our new house now for a week. We've unpacked over 175 boxes, met several neighbors, purchased new odds and ends for the house, attended church, perused all the local shopping, and enjoyed the benefits of once again owning our own mailbox. We've also seen several sunsets over the lake, a few rainstorms, countless green hills and snowy mountaintops.

Of course, at this time there are only 3 of us, which allows us to be MUCH more productive. The older kids are having a blast at their Grammy's and Grampa's house in AZ. We are looking forward to being together again this weekend.

Here are some pics from our adventures, including some "moving out" pics. The crew that did our moving was interesting...to say the least. But I can say our stuff made it here almost unscathed, so we are pleased. But one guy in particular...I think he was headed home to his laboratory, and not to do science experiments, if you catch my drift.

Pretending to cry on moving day (real tears have fallen with all of us, tho!)

I like it better empty, Mommy!

A small fraction of our over 200 boxes...

Dad, Joe and a mover hard at work (this isn't the guy I mentioned) :)

Home sweet home

New friends Kaia and Kayla with Hannah (when Kaylee gets into the mix, it'll get even more confusing)

The kitchen in the middle stages of being organized. I'm pleased to say I'm at about 95% with the kitchen now.

We can't wait to get the other kids up here to enjoy the cool summer evenings. We're so glad the good-byes have been gradual, though. It is really overwhelming to know we won't be seeing people daily anymore that have been an integral part of our lives for so long. We're still working on getting everyone to join us. :)

The Latest Update and More AI Musings...

2008-05-21T21:36:00.000-07:00

First, before I get to anything serious...my take on tonight's American Idol finale.

George Michael in Paris Hilton glasses and looking like an old, scruffy throwback from Solid Gold. (all that was missing was fringe on his sleeves). Ew.
Bryan Adams sounding the same and not taking himself too seriously (still makes him one of my favorites)
David Cook with ZZ Top (the geriatric version...pretty sure they were packing Lasix) though David sounded superb.
Some group (can't remember the name) with a guy playing the piano who sang ok. Then David Archuleta joined in and we all quickly realized how little we were enjoying the first guy.
David C. wins, and cries. David A. is gracious. Paula says something incoherent. Simon shows off some chest. David C.'s mom shows up on stage as if from nowhere. David C. calls David A. "Archie." It's all good.

Ok, now for the real stuff.

We move out of this house on the 29th. I'm not going to post all the details of our ins and outs, but I will be sending out an email with all of our new contact info and our itinerary. I was going to write more, but I just realized my eyes are only half open. So instead, I'll post some pics of our new house. Enjoy!

My aunt on the front porch.

Looking forward to relaxing on the porch. Never had a real front porch before...also never realized how strange the word "porch" sounds if you say it over and over again...

The view from the backyard. We have .7 acres...we figure Joe will start mowing on Thursday and be done sometime around noon on Saturday. There were 12 horses out when I took this picture. Lindsay is ecstatic, of course. Me, I'll take the mountains. :)

Title of my Memoirs...um....

2008-05-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I was "tagged" awhile ago by a friend to come up with a 6-word title for my memoirs, were I to write them.

After much deliberation, I think it might be titled,

"To Hear this Command Again, Press Two."

Does anyone else in the mommy world feel like you say everything twice? I think I'm just going to start talking like a myna bird and just say everything twice from the start.

Put it back, put it back.
On the shelf, on the shelf.
Not there, not there.
I said on the shelf, I said on the shelf.

I read like a bad Dr. Seuss book. :)

We're on the move!

2008-05-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know we have purchased a house, and we are officially moving! We'll send out all of our information sometime soon. In the meantime, we'll be buried in boxes, bubble wrap and packing tape. :)

On a side note, go Davids! My guess is David A. will win, but David C. will make all the money. (kinda like Chris Daughtry from a few seasons ago...Taylor Who?)

Joe says David C. will win. Devil's advocate....

Kinda looks like Good vs. Evil, doesn't it? Which one would you like to meet in a dark alley? I think they're both great, but I don't know about the image they're trying to create for David C. Is PR going to have him bite the heads off of live bats next?

The Waiting Game

2008-05-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

So we presented our offer on the home we'd like to buy, and now we wait. The house is priced high, and the owner's realtor realizes this. Let's hope the owner does, too, and will accept our offer or at least counter with something reasonable. I don't know how people do this every couple of years...I'm getting new gray hairs everyday! Here's a pic of our house with the sign in front. No "sold" sign yet, but all looks good with that. We're gonna miss this place.
Well, back to packing...

Moments You Just Have to Laugh...

2008-05-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hannah just came up to me and let me smell her nice minty breath. In a very proud voice, she said, "I brushed my teeth!"

to which I responded, "Wow! What a big girl!"

which she followed with, "I couldn't find my toothbrush...so I used yours."

Gotta love it. :)

Sale Almost Final!

2008-05-02T11:28:00.001-07:00

We are thrilled to report that we got an offer on our home and as of last night, it is SOLD! Hallelujah! Now the crazy packing process begins, and life as we know it becomes obsolete. We're ready for the adventure, and so thankful for the Lord's provision in all of this. It's been a crazy road, and I get the feeling it's just the beginning. :) Thanks for riding along!

And the Yo-Yo Drops Again...

2008-04-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Alas, the whole house-selling thing is an incredible test of one's faith, endurance, patience, stamina, etc. For what must be the zillionth time, a phone call came today announcing a client who would like to see my house...in 20 minutes or so. Today was a holiday for Chandler Public Schools, so all 5 kiddos were here, living, well, as children will do. There were crumbs in abundance under the table, various selections of dirty laundry pieces scattered hither and fro, and toys (namely Polly Pockets and Legos....the world's foremost producers of microscopic and seemingly self-reproducing toys) EVERYWHERE. We dashed, darted, and nearly flew from one room to the next, and I must say, the Cross family has become a well-oiled machine when it comes to showings. The house sparkled in 17 minutes flat. As we drove out of the neighborhood, we saw the realtor and the family turning onto our street. And, for the zillionth time, we have heard nothing. Sigh.
On the other hand, we sure are enjoying our pool and the nice weather. The kids have been swimming daily, sometimes twice in one day. I love the laughter- it seems children are just overall happier when they are wet. We are also enjoying having a "yard guy." We've never had a yard guy before, but what a pleasure it is to know we can enjoy our home this weekend and not spend all day Saturday weeding, trimming, etc. We could get used to this...but we'd better not. :)
So, I wish I had more exciting news to post. I am pleased that we've been able to see nearly every episode of American Idol this season (a family favorite). That tells me life is still simple enough to enjoy the little things. We are rooting for the David Duo this year. We love them both, though vocally David Archuleta is well beyond David Cook. Tho, David Cook is more versatile. David A. is a little limited to the more sappy love ballad. Did you ask my opinion on all of this? I'm sorry, somewhere along the line I assumed you were wondering where I stood on this whole thing. My mistake.
BTW, we are temporarily unable to access our old email address book, so if you check out the blog, email me at home so I have your address. We are re-compiling our addresses. Thanks!!

False Start

2008-04-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Neither of our potential offers seems to be panning out. Sigh. On the bright side, the weather has been warm enough to swim so we'll be enjoying our pool for longer. :)

Amazing

2008-03-31T21:11:00.001-07:00

Just a note to let you know the Oldhams' home sold after only 3 weeks on the market. The reason I titled this entry "AMAZING" lies in the fact that the AZ housing market is crashing, big-time. We were prepared to have our home on the market possibly for a year...yet we have two pending offers on our home also. I'll keep you updated. God never ceases to amaze us. When He wants something to happen, it does. Yeah!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I officially get the "lamest blogger of the year so far" award. Especially since I even had comments on my last couple of entries and I didn't even notice. (sigh) Stine, yep, it's true. We're returning to the land of milk and honey...oh wait, that's jello.

Actually, I have decent reason to be lame. Our computer died on February 24th. On February 23, we had been drooling over some things in the Mac store, and somehow our PC at home heard about it. There was no note, but we have ruled out foul play. It was a senseless death, and an autopsy is pending...

Needless to say, now we are just drooling over the money that we used to have. I'm thankful my father-in-law, Bill, and my friends CR and Michael are all Mac junkies, so I'm getting a crash course in using this thing.

Earlier this month Joe and I spent a week house hunting. The market up there hasn't crashed the way it has down here, so we we are patiently waiting for the real estate cloud of doom to reach the land of Zion. When it does, we'll swoop in with our pocket change and get us a 2- bedroom shack with outdoor plumbing. Ok, we hope not, but if I keep my expectations low...

We also registered the kids for school, found the two closest coffee houses (we'll deal with the trivial things like jobs later) and ate at the El Matador. I'm not sure why, but it seems nearly sacrilege for us to visit home and not eat at either Robintino's or the El Matador (which we did both). We also napped. Did I mention the kids stayed here with their wonderful grandparents? I do have some pictures to post, so I'll do that now so that I can get to bed. My eyes are nearly closed thanks to allergies (it hit 94 here today, so EVERYTHING is blooming...we must have 30 rosebuds on our bush in our Abby garden).

By the way, did anybody else feel a little gypped to have St. Patrick's Day and Easter in the same week? It was like a holiday 2-for-1. However, the story of the real St. Patrick is a fascinating one and I'm sure he would have been honored to share this week with the celebration of Christ's resurrection.

Here are some Easter pics.

Happy Easter, Everyone!

With lots of love from the Cross gang

Some forgotten shout-outs

2008-02-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

Joe read my blog and wanted to make sure I mentioned some other people who helped out with my party. My in-laws, Bill and Sandy, had a big hand in the decorating, as did my good friends Michael and Joanna. It was all so wonderful...did I mention that? :)

We had our first showing the morning after the house went on the market. The people loved the house, and said the only thing they would change would be the ceilings (in that they are not vaulted). Well, shy of removing entire rooms upstairs, that ain't gonna happen. I felt good about the showing, though. I have a hard time not taking those comments personally. I know when I look at listings, I'm very critical. In other words, I can dish it out but I can't take it. Well, actually, I knew that about myself. :)

Hope y'all have a lovely Valentine's Day. I have Valentines for the loves in my life....my hubby and 5 kids. I wish I had been more creative...the last thing we need is more chocolate after the mass consumption of birthday cake over the last month. C'est la vie.

For Joe's and my first Valentine's Day together, he took me to a restaurant in Phoenix at the top of the Marriott Hotel. Over the course of an hour, the restaurant revolves 360 degrees, revealing the Phoenix skyline, the surrounding desert, and distant city lights. We went at sunset, so you can imagine how wonderful it was. I was hooked...I knew he was a keeper! We went back for our fifth wedding anniversary (this time I was old enough to have a glass of wine) and it was still wonderful. But I think nothing matches the first time you spend a truly romantic evening with the one you love...am I right?

Did I just imply that I think it's all downhill from here? If I did, I didn't mean to. I love being a wife and a mother...and I fall more in love with Joe everyday.

Ok, I'll stop. Stop making gag noises and get back to what you were doing. :)

Long time no blog...

2008-02-07T10:01:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been almost a month, and it's been a doozy! Several of us celebrated birthdays (all 7 of us have birthdays between Oct. and February...how's that for planning?)

Brad turned 12. TWELVE? Seriously? If not for the sarcastic wit, hair that hangs in his eyes, and an appetite that doubles my grocery budget, I'd never believe it. He's a great kid. He's a lot like Joe...he's very laid back and very diplomatic. He also has very little sense of urgency. :) His motto in life? "Why do today what you can ignore until someone else does it or it just goes away?" He has no malicious intent...just very few things spur him to quick action.

As a baby, he was a mover and a shaker. The kid crawled at 6 months, cruised at 7 months, and walked at 9 months. He was into everything! He was a very happy baby, and we're thankful he's still a sweet, loving boy. Here's a little before and after. In the first photo, he is 9 months old. In the second, he's 12. To be honest, it feels like it went just that fast.

On the 31st Hannah turned four. I can't believe that, either. She's not a baby anymore...really not even a toddler! Her greatest accomplishments this year would have to be (in no particular order)
Learning her ABC song
Being able to remain, and participate in her ballet class. Whenever she is acting up, all we have to do is threaten to make her stay home from ballet and she's instantly sugar and spice.
Self-control...we're down to four or five tantrums a week now. That's down from four or five an hour.
Manners. Though we're not in the clear, I hear "thank you" more often than I hear "hurry up!" when I'm pouring the apple juice.
Eating. Now she can eat as many as 3 chicken nuggets in one sitting. We're up from licking one and then feeding it to the dog.
Sleeping. Though naps are a thing of the past, she no longer visits me at 3 a.m.
Social grace. She still speaks her mind, often at the expense of tact, but she is less likely to say "go away" and more likely to say "ok, I'll share." This is often accompanied by a bit of a "hmph" that she thinks we can't hear. We're working on that, too.
She's busy and sweet and cute as a bug. She's a bundle of fun, and we love her to pieces! Here are two pics of her. In the first, she is 9 months (thanks to eosinophilic disease, she is a whopping 10 lbs or so...). In the second, she is four. She and Kaylee had just gotten hair cuts. We are so thankful the e.d. is under control and she is a healthy, happy girl!

Four days after Hannah's birthday, I turned 36. Holy cow...for real? Despite my being on the downhill slide to 40 now, it was a GREAT birthday. Mom was here for two weeks and we did all sorts of preparations for putting the house on the market. Then on Saturday the 2nd, we did a little shopping , supposedly some relaxing "girls' night out" for my birthday. I should have clued in when suddenly mom was rushing me along like we had a plane to catch. We ran through J Jill, zipped through Dillard's and flew through the Gap. Still, I managed to find some fabulous things, all on sale. LOVE the end-of-season sales. But I digress...
When we arrived home, my home was filled with over 30 people! They yelled "surprise!" and sang, and I cried. I'm a serious boob anyway, but if you really want to turn on the waterworks, this is the way to do it. It was a wonderful night, and I still get giddy when I think about it. Joe spent weeks planning, and he and my friend Chris did the food (it was YUMMY). Amy did a bunch of the decor (including transporting 30 helium-filled balloons!) and the whole thing was wonderful. It's very humbling to know all those people set aside an evening for me. I still get weepy... My friend Joey and I tied for third place in the Wii bowling tournament. Eileen (my bunco buddy...she's quite competitive!) took second and CR got first place. It was great fun. I can't say it enough...the greatest people live here in AZ. Glad I'm married to the greatest, so I can take him with me. :) All of the rest of you...come along, won't you?

The house goes on the market tomorrow. Eeeek! Please pray for our sanity during this process. I have no idea how we are going to keep our house continually tidy for showings. Yeah, right! Did I mention I have 5 kids? Gimme a break. Only by the grace of God will we get through this move. I get nauseous sometimes thinking about it! :)

Thanks for reading...hopefully I'll be more faithful to post regularly!

Well, thanks for that...

2008-01-10T08:01:00.001-08:00

My daughter Hannah has become quite the fashionista....

Yesterday, as I was ready to fly out the door to begin my hour and a half of shuffling kids to and fro (I loathe the first Wednesday of the month...) Hannah looks at me with what I detected to be a bit of disgust and says, "Mommy, your hair is FUNKY!"

Well, first of all, THANKS... and second- "funky?" Where does she get this stuff?

A few days before this, she came into my bathroom as I was getting ready and said, "Oh, mommy, your hair is beautiful!" As I was about to thank her for her generous compliment, she followed up with, "But put some makeup on. You look prettier with makeup."

Again, thanks. :)

Happy New Year!

2008-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Christmas, and it would take me hours to write about it all! The highlight would be the time we were able to spend with our extended family, especially Joe's sister Theresa, her husband Eric and their girls Katelyn and Bethany. Kaylee and Hannah were in heaven with constant playmates. Though the girls hadn't been together for two years, (Eric & Theresa live in Alaska) they picked up right where they left off. We never heard a single argument out of them, which made it heavenly for all of us. :)
Our sweet niece Juliette was also here from Virginia. We were blessed to celebrate her 13th birthday with her on Christmas day. She is a charming young lady and we enjoy her so much.
We shared hosting responsibilities with Joe's parents- they hosted Christmas Eve and we hosted Christmas day. Joe's brother Kenny and his wife Celia were also here (the kids love Uncle Kenny- he spent Saturday with them at the park and a comic store!) as was Annette, Joe's younger sister who lives in Tucson, and Joe's grandmother "Gaga" (Merle) who is 96 and lives in Sun City. It was full, fun, busy, loud, and wonderful. Joe's parents also treated us to a night of theater...we saw "Annie" at Gammage Auditorium. So many fabulous memories!
We also had some very funny moments. Here are some funnies overheard in our home over the holidays:

When I tore the edge of the wrapping paper on my last gift, and I saw the word "Dyson" I screamed. Nathan, who had known all along what was in the package, watched me jump up and down shrieking, and said, "I don't think she knows it's a vacuum."
Hannah, enjoying pulling gifts from her stocking and marveling at the candy and goodies, asked, "What else do I have in my mitten?"
After a particularly rough episode with Hannah, Brad noticed I was a bit ruffled and said, "Mom, I think you need a vacation."
Kaylee, not realizing the reason behind our limiting video game time, had just finished her 30 minutes on her Gameboy. She pulled out a 10-piece puzzle, dumped it over, hurriedly put all the pieces back in and said, "Okay, I played with toys that don't turn on. Now can I play Xbox?"
Lindsay, in a moment of political aloofness, asks, "Mom, who is the president of California?"

We wish you a most wonderful 2008!

And we're back...

2007-12-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season has swept us away in recitals, class parties, baking, Christmas cards, decorating, caroling, and celebrating with good friends and family. I love this time of year! Of course, we have also recently experienced stolen mail, a broken digital camera, and a creepy cold virus, but c'est la vie. On to the festivities...

Here are some pics of us celebrating with the Oldhams, Torlas and Trudgens. We decorated cookies and went caroling. It was just the right amount of chilly outside to make it fun! Ginger played the guitar and lead the singing (she has a beautiful voice) and the rest of us joined in. What a great way to ring in the season!

We have no fireplace mantle, so we have to get creative!

Here is a video of Brad's and Kaylee's piano duet. Brad was so patient and really did a good job following Kaylee's lead so far as timing.

Here's a video of Nathan shooting a free throw (and missing) and then getting the rebound (and swishing it!)

Well, that's all I will post for now. I'm sure you're on the edge of your seats for our next installment. :)

Merry, Merry Christmas to you!

The Tooth Fairy Blows It...Again

2007-12-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

Kaylee lost her first tooth this week. With each of our kids, we have made somewhat of a big deal about the first tooth. With much pomp and circumstance, we put the tooth in a baggie and place it under the toothless child's pillow, and then give our Great Tooth Fairy Speech of 2001 (when it was first composed for a then 5-year-old Brad) and each child has been elated with the idea of waking up to a little monetary goodie under his/her pillow. This first tooth is always a success...we've never forgotten to leave money for that first tooth...until now.
The next morning, Kaylee came downstairs and, with huge tiger tears in her eyes, proclaimed the misdeeds of the tooth fairy. In a moment of quick thinking (I only have one or two of those a week now, so I'm thankful one came that day) I told her that the tooth fairy might have mistaken her top bunk for Brad's top bunk and maybe that's where her money was. Nathan, catching my cue, darted to the allowance bag, valiantly dashed upstairs to his room and placed the money under Brad's pillow, all while Kaylee was blowing her nose. Kaylee ran down the stairs moments later, saying, "The tooth fairy did put the money in the wrong bed! And I got a dollar coin, not a quarter!" Apparently Nathan felt the reward needed padding in light of the circumstances. :)

Winter Fun

2007-12-08T06:33:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday we continued with a tradition we started when Lindsay was 4 or so, and we took the kids to see The Nutcracker ballet. When Lindsay was little, it was just the two of us who joined several of our friends for this fun event. Eventually the boys reluctantly joined in (though now they look forward to it- perhaps mostly for the cannon shot and the intermission goodies) and last year I took all 4 older children. This year Joe got dragged along, as I didn't think I wanted to try to manage all 5 kiddos on my own in this setting. Joe spent a lot of time looking at the ceiling and muttered more than once that "men should not wear tights." While I enjoy the Nutcracker very much, I concede him this point. If nothing else, why can't the men's shirts be longer, just so we don't have to see everything? Has no one in wardrobe ever thought of that? Joe can just be thankful he missed the performance last year...let's just say that Nutcracker needed to shed a pound or two...ick.

Kaylee's Maiden Voyage

2007-11-25T20:58:00.000-08:00

The training wheels came off today! Kaylee rode up and down our street several times (and would have kept going, but Joe needed a break!) Kaylee was so thrilled to be on her bike without the training wheels, especially since her best friend Lily had just recently mastered riding also. Sigh. It seems like just yesterday we were marveling at her learning to walk, and now this...hard to believe she's almost 6.

Ok, I'll stop waxing nostalgic. Enjoy the video!

By the way, our house is the one on the left with all the kids and bikes in the driveway, for those of you who haven't visited.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Like the rest of America, we gorged ourselves on turkey and all the fixings, but our Thanksgiving was a little unique this year. We spent the earlier part of the day enjoying a lovely meal in Sun City, where Joe's grandmother lives. She is 96! We love her to pieces- she's sharp as a tack and still loves a good game of dominoes. We ate in the "dining room" though this place looks nothing like a mere dining room. It's very pretty, like a fine dining restaurant. Most of us had the turkey, though Brad stuffed himself on shrimp from the salad "spread" (way to big to be salad "bar") and then had a hamburger. Nathan had ham and the rest of us had turkey. Except Hannah. She ate cheese. Cheese from the salad spread, cheese from other people, cheese from her entree...and then about 150 grapes. She'd make a great Greek. :)

When our meal was done, we headed back to our house (a mere hour away) and engaged in a rousing game of dominoes, at which I was the big loser. Joe was the winner, and Mom C. and Gaga (Joe's grandma) were in the middle. There, I saved you from having to get Friday's sports section to read those results...stay tuned for Scrabble statistics later in our broadcast...

We also had our second meal (our first had been at 11:30) of turkey sandwiches. We all agreed that turkey leftovers are unbeatable, so I baked a turkey on Wednesday and we shared the leftovers with the family. Mmmmmmm.....

We wrapped the day up with a game of Scrabble and some funny t.v. We had a great day, and are so thankful for the countless ways we have been blessed as a family. We are still slowly seeing His plan for us unfold, and we are looking forward to all the exciting changes that will come our way over the next year. We wish you and your families the very best and please know how very thankful we are for each one of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

On to the photos...I tried to get them in age-order, but for some reason I can't get Lindsay's pic in-between Nate's and Brad's.

And the Grammy Goes to...

2007-11-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we attended the Desert Valley Music Teachers' Composition Festival for our second year. Children from several different piano teachers compose songs, and the songs are sent to a professional music composer for critique. Last year, Brad's song, "The Cat's Cradle" received very nice reviews. We haven't yet received the critiques for Brad's or Kaylee's masterpieces this year. But as parents, we give them two thumbs up, way up! Brad's song, entitled "Copper Mine" was very impressive and really showed his understanding of music theory and timing. He is, after all, at heart, a drummer. Kaylee's song, "Church Bells" incorporated a tune she made up on the piano when she was 3. She added to it and it's a lovely little diddy if I do say so myself. Both kids loved performing their songs, and were especially tickled with the trophies distributed to all the participants.

We are grateful for the music that resounds through our home. Even when the timing's off and the notes are sour, I enjoy watching their hands move and seeing the thrill of victory when they play their songs correctly. Brad is also in his school's band and his school's Jazz Band so he is "steeped" in music. :) Hannah enjoys watching Brad practice drumming and tries to imitate him. Who knows, maybe we'll have three drummers in the family! Bring on the earplugs! I'm ready!

Animals and Anger Management

2007-11-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

Today was a "holiday." Uh huh.

We got up early-ish and scurried around to get ready. We were going to the zoo. I'm not a big "zoo" person, but I have 5 children so I have still spent a reasonable portion of my life slogging around zoos. When we finally made it out the door, our home looked like a starving mob of dogs had torn the place up looking for raw meat. We fought traffic, dealt with a couple of wardrobe emergencies, and used 4 band-aids in the first 6 minutes after entering the zoo gates. We met up with our friends, and the children instantly forgot the horrors of the morning. I, however, needed more time to unwind.

A zoo filled with 400,000 children under age 5 is NOT the place to unwind. Who knew?

However, what gets me through motherhood is watching other moms. Seriously- I watched one kid go face-first into the sandy creek in the play area, another child spit and scream furiously at her mom, and another mom making a furious beeline for the bathroom upon realizing her infant's diaper was not all it was advertised to be...ew.

Now, perhaps you are thinking that what helps me get through a day is knowing someone else has it worse than I....that's really not it. What brings a smile to my face is knowing I'm not alone. I've been all those other moms! This too, shall pass. I'm working on abandoning my need to look like June Cleaver (let's get real...I've never fooled anyone!) and I'm learning to accept those days when one of my children leaves the house in mismatched socks, with a milk-mustache and blue fruity toothpaste clumped in his or her hair. As long as my kids leave the house knowing Mom is crazy about them, then the morning went a-ok.

Zoo membership: $100
Lunch, snacks and other miscellaneous edibles: $25
Spending a day with 14 of your closest friends: Priceless.

If you know a Veteran, please pass on my family's gratitude to him or her. My grandfather, father, father-in-law and my brother-in-law are all Veterans. Here's to you!

Boys in makeup and other nonsense

2007-11-01T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last night was great. In continuing with a tradition, we spent the evening with our good friends, the Trudgens. Chris and Ginger set up a table in their driveway with hot drinks and yummy snacks (no candy!) for the adults and we passed out candy together. Ginger and I both remarked about how much we love getting a chance to visit with our neighbors in this way. We live in a really great neighborhood with lots of kids (though I still have more leftover candy...grrr) and so our kids had a great time. Joe and Chris took the kids around the neighborhood and Ginger and I manned the table. Ginger also put together a great essay on the original meaning of All Hallow's Eve. When I get a copy of it, I'll post it. We passed this out with the drinks and snacks to the adults and we saw several people reading as they were walking.

Now for the pictures you've all been waiting for...or maybe not!
Hannah as Dumbo, Kaylee as Dorothy, Nathan as a pirate, Lindsay as Hannah Montana, and Brad as Cap'n Jack Sparrow. We had a great time giving the boys facial hair. :) Hannah was a great sport as Dumbo, since her tiny head had to support this big fluffy Dumbo head, and it kept tipping to the side or falling off. We joked that at times she looked a little like "Decapitated Dumbo."

Vacation, part deux

2007-10-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

One last picture of Lindsay on her 10th birthday- celebrating with Daddy

Time to celebrate Nathan's 9th birthday!!

We enjoyed a wonderful day at Thanksgiving Point with Gramma, the Oldhams, and Amy's parents. It was also Amy's birthday, so we had 2 reasons to celebrate! Here we are at the dinosaur museum where the kids had a blast creating dinosaur environments complete with rivers and trees at the water and sand exhibit.

Gramma, Kaylee and Hannah reading about dinosaurs

Such a pretty face!

Cheering on the dinosaurs?

Run away, run away!!!

We enjoyed a delicious lunch at the deli. If you ever find yourself at the deli at Thanksgiving Point, have a Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. Mmmmm!

Now we are in line waiting for the slowest horse-drawn wagon on the planet.

Nathan is such a great kid...every family needs a Nathan! He is so responsible, helpful, sensitive to the needs of others, and so very generous with everything he has. What a treasure!!

Still waiting...lots of time for pictures!

After our time at Thanksgiving Point, we had birthday brownies with Gramma, Aunt Bobbie, Uncle Ray and Aunt Stephanie. We also packed our stuff and prepared for our long drive home. I'm not sure why this is underlining, but I can't figure out how to make it stop. Gotta love computers.

The end...finally! Thanks for reading along. :)

Home again

2007-10-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

We're back in the desert again, and thankful the temps are cool and breezy! We had a wonderful time in Utah-it's a little rough adjusting back to the ol' schedule (homeschooling began today, which went over like a lead balloon). The boys go back to school tomorrow, and they are equally thrilled. :) We did, however, come home to a filled refrigerator (thanks, Mom, Dad and Ginger!) and beautiful flowers in our flower garden (thank you Ginger, Chris, Alex, Audrey and Lily!) which were both WONDERFUL surprises! Like I've said before, we have fabulous friends and family.
Here are some pictures from our trip.

Yummy lattes in Park City! It began snowing this day, so the hot coffee was very soothing! :)

Happy 10th Birthday, Lindsay!
She wanted a horse, but she settled for a Nintendo DS and a game involving horses. :)

Fun at Gateway outdoor mall in SLC. We went to the children's museum and some of us went to the planetarium.

We spent Lindsay's birthday at Hogle Zoo. The traveling exhibit was this rare white alligator. Uncle Charlie joined us as a special treat for Lindsay!

CR and Hannah

Nathan, Lindsay and Kaylee

The gang (including Amy's parents) at Training Table restaurant

What a pleasure to celebrate such a sweet girl. Hard to believe she's ten years old already. Ten is a funny age...kind of the border between "little girl" and "young lady." We're very proud of her.

Mom and Lindsay

Kaylee, Gramma and Lindsay

Kaylee and Lindsay

I'll post part 2 of our trip soon. Now that I can actually post pictures again, I'll try to keep up more regularly.

Vacations Rock!

2007-10-02T16:49:00.000-07:00

What a great way to spend a day. Today we lounged around all morning, which in and of itself was sweet. Then my mom, aunt and I went to lunch and shopping while Joe and the kids went to the park. We all met back up in the afternoon for board games and more lounging. We are looking forward to meeting up with friends and family throughout the week, as well as enjoying the local amusement park with CR, Amy and their kids this weekend. Next week, Mom and I are hosting a baby shower for my friend Joanna (I've known her since 3rd grade) and her soon-to-be-arriving baby boy, and we're looking forward to that. It's her first baby, which is always very exciting!

SNOW!!!!

2007-09-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

As one more answer to prayer, yesterday our kids enjoyed a fabulous display of winter weather! We were thrilled to see snow fall as we headed toward the Salt Lake area. All 8 kids were ecstatic (we drove up with Amy and CR and their kids) to see snow. Like Kaylee said, "I've never seen snow in a long time!" We thought about it and though grammatically incorrect, her sentiments were right. The older kids hadn't seen snow for more than five years, and Kaylee and Hannah had never seen it before. They were all giddy. Today the weather is warm and sunny and a beautiful 70 degrees. We have enjoyed a day of fun with Gramma, visiting a church in Roy (yep, ROY!), taking a beautiful drive through the hills in Layton, and soaking in the beauty of the orange, brown and green fall colors. The kids have been playing outside most of the day (a luxury we are just starting to enjoy again in the desert, as temperatures cool to a tolerable 90 degrees). CR and Amy and their family are enjoying a week in Park City, and I'm sure it's beautiful there. We hope to spend a day with them this week up at their resort.
Tomorrow we will go and tour the school we are interested in for the kids. We're looking forward to seeing the inside. Today we saw the outside. It is set in a very lush (with trees, not money) area of Layton and has gorgeous views of both the mountains and the lake. We did a lot of oooohing and aaaaahing. :) We'll also spend some more time driving around the area looking for potential neighborhoods. So far, we've also seen a splendid display of roadkill. We've seen 2 raccoons, 2 deer, at least 3 dogs, and some unidentified carcasses. We hope to see some living wildlife while we are here, too. :)
I will post pictures later...of our family, not the roadkill.

Treasured Friend

2007-09-10T17:36:00.001-07:00

Maddie and Lindsay
June 07

Today I had lunch with my good friend Joey. I call her Joey, but most of the rest of the world calls her Jo. I tried that once, but she's Joey to me. :)

Do you have a person in your life that you swear is your long-lost twin? Joey is that person in my life. We are both very opinionated and we find all the same things humorous, or annoying, or habit-forming, or fabulous...you get the picture. I'd be hard-pressed to find anything we ever really disagreed on, which means when we get to chatting, it can go on for hours. She moved to Fountain Hills several years ago and suddenly it took a lot of effort to trek the 30 minutes to each other's homes, but I'm so glad we do it. And, as you can see from the above picture, our daughters are thankful, too. They look so much alike that we mistake them for one another frequently when we're together. They're in the 4th grade now, and I remember bringing Lindsay to the hospital to meet Maddie when she was born. Time flies, that's for sure.

I'm so thankful that in heaven there are no good-byes. :)

The next step of our journey will be to go up to SLC to visit family, get a better idea of where we'd like to live, check out potential schools and churches, and so on. We'll be gone for two weeks. CR and Amy will be seeing the area for the first time, so I'm excited to show them all my old stomping grounds. The leaves should be changing, so it will be an excellent time to go. Of course, I'm always a little nervous about the drive up there. We have one daughter who deals with carsickness and another who deals with, well, general irritability. I won't name names. :)

Thanks for joining us on this journey. We're glad to have you along.

A Great Weekend

2007-09-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

I spent this weekend with 100 of my dearest lady friends (ha!) at a conference at our church. The topic of the conference was "Loving Well." I want to share with you a passage from Scripture that spoke...no, rather YELLED to me. It was one of the last passages the speaker (Beth Moore via video) touched on. The focus of this particular session was "Loving the Stranger." Considering what we are about to do with our lives, this passage should be our headlight. It is from Isaiah 58, verses 7-11.

Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.'
If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday.
And the Lord will continually guide you,
And satisfy your desire in scorched places,
And give strength to your bones;
And you will be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

It is our desire that God would bless our ministry- that we would be like a watered garden! I love that analogy. Here in the desert we see a lot of dried up, dead flowers. Lindsay asked for a flower garden for her 9th birthday, and we named it her Abby Garden. We even put in a sweet fountain that has two little fairies pouring water over flowers. Lindsay is very faithful to tend to her garden. However, it is always so sad when the flowers dry up in the scorching heat and the rose buds give way to empty branches. How thankful are we that with God our hearts cannot dry up like that summer's garden! Instead, He fills us up like that "spring of water whose waters do not fail!"

Lindsay in her Abby Garden. She's all fancy because she had a dance recital that day!

Big Changes

2007-09-07T16:20:00.000-07:00

So here's the deal. After much prayer, advice, reflection, joy, and tears, we are planning to leave the Valley of the Sun. In about a year's time, we hope (there's that word again!) to be living among the pines in my home state, Utah. It's funny to think of it, really. When I left Utah, I never had any real intention of returning. However, we have seen very clear leading from God that this is where He wants us. We will be setting up a new chapter of Hope Kids in Salt Lake City with CR taking the position of director. We are going to use the next year to prepare and build up the ministry, as well as using the time to wrap things up here in Arizona. The kids are surprisingly well-adjusted to the idea, and have shown little else than excitement for the change. Ministry and snow are two huge draws to Utah for them. Gramma is another! My mom has been amazingly neutral as we have been praying through our plans. That has made things a lot easier. We know she's been thrilled with the idea of having her grandkids nearby, but has wanted to give us our space to make our decision without putting pressure on us. What a blessing!
Gramma and Hannah

So now we begin the arduous journey of selling our home, searching for another home, making job plans, and, unfortunately, saying good-bye to people we dearly, dearly love. As much flak as I give Arizona for its climate, I can tell you sincerely, the greatest people live here. We have been blessed beyond imagination in our friendships, not to mention that I am the only person I know who cries at the thought of leaving my in-laws! We don't know what the future holds for others who are praying about joining us, but we say with all sincerity, if we could we'd pack everyone here up in our moving truck and take them along, we would.

Hope Kids

2007-09-07T16:01:00.000-07:00

After Abby died, we spent a lot of time wondering "Why?" We had our faith, so we knew Abby's life didn't end that day, it just continued in a much better place. In time, we began to thrive in the knowledge that we would see her again, and that when that day came there would be no more good-byes. We firmly believe Abby is with Jesus. It is that hope that gets us through those horrendous times. Without that hope, death would be unbearable! So we started to realize how many children's families were suffering without that sort of hope. I mentioned Hope Kids. Check out their website if you get a chance. The director, Rob, has such a heart for kids and for their families. Hope Kids was set up to provide monthly activities for critically ill children and their families. Giving these kids something to look forward to, to hope for, each month is such a blessing. The events are everything from Suns games to movie premieres, to musicals and carnivals. The kids are given a chance to forget about their situations and just be kids for a period of time. It is an honor to be joining Rob in his efforts to serve families like this. Ultimately, of course, our desire is to serve God with our time and resources. We can't wait to get started!

The 21st Century Family, Finally!

2007-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friends and Family!
I have so much enjoyed the many blogs you all have sent me along the way, and decided to begin one for our family. I hope to post regularly, but I'm finding that while homeschooling the only thing I do "regularly" is laundry. Those of you with large families know what I mean...and those who don't can imagine.
If you are reading our blog, chances are you already know a lot about our family. However, if you are less acquainted with us, pull up a cup o' joe and a comfy chair and read along!
Joe and I married in 1994. In 1996 we welcomed our first son, Brad. He was quickly followed by his sister Lindsay in 1997 and brother Nathan in 1998. We slept very little from '96-'99.

Brad, Lindsay, Nathan in 1999

In 2002 we joyfully welcomed our second daughter, Kaylee. We had 2 girls and 2 boys and we were sure this was our quiver. We were content. We were complete...except, we weren't. Immediately following the exodus of our baby furniture, newborn clothing, and the Exersaucer, we were more than astounded to find out that Baby #5 was on its way. Sadly, people rarely say "congratulations" when you announce your fifth child. (Can you imagine the looks that family who just welcomed #17 must get?) Most of the comments we received were modified fertility jokes. And yes, we do know how that happens.
The cherry on top of our sundae, Hannah, was born in January 2004. This is when our roller coaster began. Here is a pic of the gang now. The beauty on top is our niece, Juliette. Aren't they adorable? Thanks, we think so, too.

Brad (11), Lindsay (9), Juliette, Nathan (8), Kaylee (5), Hannah (3) in 2007

On a little less interesting note, we also have 2 dogs (a 13-year-old mini dachshund named Mowgli and a 1-year-old mini-schnauzer named Ivy). Mowgli was our firstborn of sorts. Joe gave him to me as a graduation gift when I graduated from college (that's ASU, BS in Zoology in Dec. 1994, for those interested) He was 10 weeks old and weighed 5 lbs. I won't disgrace him by telling his present weight, but he's no poster child for low-fat dog food, that's for sure.

Our daughter Hannah was born in January of 2004. She came out screaming bloody murder, and, at 3 1/2 years old, has just recently stopped. :) At 9 months old she was diagnosed with severe food allergies and eosinophilic disease. So the doctor both of us on a no-beef, no-dairy, no-egg, no-soy, no-wheat, no-gluten-of-any-kind (i.e. nothing that tastes good) diet. Suffice it to say, that was the end of nursing. And, following countless endoscopies, medications, trials and errors (there were plenty of those!) our precious little girl is healthy and thriving. She is a pixie, but makes up for her size with enormous spunk and vigor.

This little glimpse of childhood illness was the tip of the iceberg for what God had in store for us as a family. Though Hannah's illness was not life-threatening, the horror of knowing how much pain she was in, coupled with her constant, intense screaming and not being able to do anything about it, taught us some "big-picture" lessons we needed to know. More to come on that.

Our clan presently resides in the desert. It's hot here. I mean, really hot. I grew up in the mountains. Seasons meant actually using a jacket, a rake, an umbrella...those things are more or less obsolete here. We do get monsoons. These are fierce rainstorms. The joy of a monsoon, as I see it, is that you get anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes of flying dust so thick you can't see your neighbor's house across the street, 3 minutes of torrential downpour, enough wind to make your patio chairs take flight into the next yard, and then blue sky. In general, the whole thing wraps up in less than 15 minutes and then you can get back to risking your life to trim your 75 foot palm tree. Once a year you might get enough rain to actually fill up one of the 4 or 5 "water retention" basins around your neighborhood. The fun is to see if the water percolates into the ground faster than the mosquito eggs lying on top can hatch. If not, your HOA gets a hefty fine and a chance to play Russian Roulette with West Nile Virus.

Joe and I have been blessed with really good friends. I mean it...when it comes to friends, we lead a very charmed life. In 1994, just before we got married, we met several couples in a "Newly Marrieds" group at church. Most groups like this dissipate quickly, but somehow ours has hung on for all this time. We have endured A LOT together (for starters, more baby showers than any one person should ever have to endure). We've even vacationed together-the cardinal sin of friendship! We've lost parents, grandparents, and even a child together. This is the iceberg I mentioned. This is a long story, so it might be time to refill your drink.

Our very good friends, CR and Amy, have 4 children. We each started our families with a son, then had a daughter, then a son, then a daughter. We just happened to follow ours up with another daughter. Our children have been raised closer than cousins. Our oldest boys are 11 now and their interests are uncannily alike. As the world's foremost experts on Legos, they offer constructive criticism on each other's creations. (And, much to their younger brothers' chagrin, they offer the same critiques to everyone else's creations!) Our daughters, Lindsay and Abby, had the same sweet relationship from the beginning. Lindsay was born almost exactly one year before Abby (Abby and Nathan were born one week apart). Lindsay and Abby filled their time with dance lessons, Barbie Dolls, Polly Pockets, sleepovers, and all things girly. That is, until one scary day in May 2004 when Abby had a siezure. She was 5. It turned out Abby had a brain tumor. Life changed overnight. Suddenly our days were filled with fear, hope, hospitals, doctors, awful words like "chemotherapy" and "radiation" and, in August 2005, "terminal."

Abby left us to be with Jesus on December 6, 2005. Answering questions like "where do babies come from?" and "why is the sky blue?" became the questions we longed to answer. Instead, we had to try to explain to our children why Abby was gone. Why would God allow this to happen? Where is she now? What hope do we have of seeing her again?

Enter hope.

As Christians, we have always believed in the hope of eternal life, but until we were met face-to-face with the need to cling to that hope, we almost took it for granted. Now it is on our hearts and in our conversation daily. The children have become so unencumbered when it comes to discussing Jesus with their friends. He is so real to them, and we are so excited about that! They want to serve Him with their lives. And, we are thrilled that God is leading our family to a ministry that will allow us all to serve others and also to share the hope we have with other families in crisis. For more information about the ministry we are getting involved with, please visit hopekids.org.