This is a photo book I did for Sam's great grandparents. Hope they like it. They don't get to spend much time with him, but hopefully this will help them feel a little more included in his life.

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We've had a bit of fun lately. Wish it could last forever.

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Let him explain...

This was an interesting day in our house a week or so ago. I wasn't even sure if I was going to make a post about it, but then I figured it might actually be one of the more important "from the mouth of babes" moments.
So I say let him explain...
Ask him and he'll tell you about the homeless. He'll tell you where you can find them and he'll tell you just what you can do to help them. Now, in case you're wondering do we play "homeless child" at home, we don't. One afternoon he brought me this piece of cardboard from a box we had received and asked me to write a message on it. I asked him what he wanted me to write and he said he wanted me to write something about him. I wrote ADORABLE. At this point I didn't understand what he was doing, in fact I was completely clueless because I was attempting to read a book and let him have some quiet time playing playmobil. He then asked me to write that he wanted money on it....and then I got it. He said he wanted to play homeless person. After I let my eyes un-widen (is that a term), I played along a little bit thinking maybe he was just being silly and his ADD would kick in soon and he'd run off and play something else. Uh no, so I wrote on it and he toddled off. I then realized after a few minutes that he was outside and I found him sitting on the side of the road with a frown on his face and holding this sign. Now before you judge and think, "oh this extremely fortunate white child is making fun of the homeless", think again. I told him to come up on the steps and talk to me about it and I have to admit that I was a tiny bit shocked at him myself and I told him that it wasn't appropriate to do that. He of course asked why.

I then was educated by my 4 year old on how homelessness and begging appears to a small innocent child. I turned my micro recorder on my phone on and recorded his response. He says "I see the sign first, sometimes they are dirty and sometimes they are not, I like that they have cool doggies with them, the old ones look scary to me, but I know they are just sad, so that means they aren't really scary to me, they get lots of money...right mama? There are a lot of them in our neighborhood I think. Maybe I should be a friend to them, I also think we should go to the bank mama and get them some money and give it to them. Remember when we had dinner with that man, I wonder where he lives, can we go to his house and see him?" I then asked him why he wanted to sit on the street with a sign and doesn't he know that he has a home and a family and lots of really nice things, and doesn't he know that he isn't homeless and he's lucky to not have to be hungry and beg for money? He nodded and said yes, that he understood, but he followed it up with a quick "I can make money and then give it to the real ones". Hmmm.

I'm not naive. I know that many of the individuals in the Sugarhouse area are chronic and it's a great begging area because people give a lot of money on corners. I admit I am sometimes one of those people who give a handful of dollars to someone who appears old or overly obvious that they are homeless or in need. I also have taken them in to restaurants to get a meal and every single time we drive up near someone on the corner Sam requires me to read the sign to him. Should I be doing that? I don't know, should I have ignored it the whole time and not talked to him about it? I don't know. Should I tell him that they are probably drunks that beg for money for booze? Should I tell them that they are average citizens that are lazy and unmotivated and would rather stand on the corner and beg? Should I explain what homeless veteran means? The answer to all of these is unclear. It's very hard not to see these individuals and why would you anyway? They are apart of our society, they are not going to go away and some of them genuinely need help. Should I not give them money? Probably, but I am not going to stop. I wont stop because when I see anyone homeless, unmotivated, dirty, or otherwise, I think not so much of their plight, but that they are someones child and that what they do with my bit of cash is their responsibility, not mine after it become theirs. Am I perpetuating the problem? Maybe.

When registering my child for school there were papers to sign that stated that my child wasn't homeless, didn't need extra care or meals etc. I found this paper so disheartening and disturbing and it really brought me to a place of concern. I've known several homeless people and I am glad that I see them and read their signs and I'm grateful that my child is aware and sympathetic and understanding that many struggle and need help and we are searching for helpful ways to help. These individuals come in all shapes and sizes, all sorts of demographics and styles of circumstances and it's all so very complex.

According to  Comprehensive Report on Homelessness State of Utah  and Utah Division of Housing and Community Development State Community Services Office, on any given night there are estimated 9,038 homeless, attempting to find shelter for the evening 4,653 who are children, just in Salt Lake County alone. Shocking!

Have you wondered where I've been lately? Why I haven't shown up to your event or given you a call?

I have IA, Spontaneous Idiopathic Refractory Angioedema. Idiopathic meaning it's unpredictable and has no obvious cause, refractory meaning it's typically unresponsive to medications, and edema meaning, my auto immune system sends false information to my brain resulting in my C1 inhibitor malfunctioning and overproducing vasoactive kinnins, where the subcutaneous tissues self protecting themselves by swelling and hives.  Having angioedema means many things change, and a lot of them are invisible. Unlike having handicaps, certain cancers, or being hurt in an accident, most people do not understand even a little about angioedema and its effects, and of those that think they know,  are actually misinformed. It is painful, debilitating and potentially life-threatening.
These are the things that I would like you to understand about me in case you've wondered where I've been or why you haven't heard from me in a while or before you judge me, because let's face it, judgment is a normal part of how we process differences and problems we face or see in others. It's ok.

Please understand that being sick doesn’t mean I’m not still a human being. I sometimes spend my day in considerable pain and exhaustion, and if you visit, sometimes I probably don’t seem like much fun to be with, but I’m still me, stuck inside this body. I still worry about life, my family, my friends, and most of the time, I’d still like to hear you talk about yours, too.
Please understand the difference between “happy” and “healthy”. When you’ve got the flu, you probably feel miserable with it, but when I get the flu it sparks a chain reaction that lasts for months. I'm not miserable all the time. In fact, I work hard at not being miserable. So, if you’re talking to me and I sound happy, it means I’m happy. That’s all. It doesn’t mean that I’m not swollen, or in a lot of pain, or extremely tired, or that I’m getting better, or any of those things. Please don’t say, “Oh, you’re sounding better!” or “But you don't look sick!” There are days when I just cope.
Please understand that because I could do "it" yesterday, doesn't mean I can today. "it" meaning, cooking, cleaning, laundry, lifting my 4 year old up on my hip, gardening, or running errands. With a visible disease, you often prove to the world with one look that you're different. With this one, it gets more confusing everyday. It can be like a yo-yo. I never know from day to day, how I am going to feel when I wake up. In most cases, I never know from minute to minute. That is one of the hardest and most frustrating components of angioedema.
Please repeat the above paragraph substituting, “sitting”, “walking”, “thinking”, “concentrating”, “being sociable”, "allowing water to touch my skin" and so on, it applies to everything. That’s what angioedema does to you.
Please understand that angioedema is variable. It’s quite possible (for many, it’s common) that one day I am able to walk to the park and back, while the next day I’ll have trouble getting to the next room. Please don’t (help) me when I’m ill by saying, “But you did it before!” or “Oh, come on, I know you can do this!” If you want me to do something, then ask if I can. In a similar vein, I may need to cancel a previous commitment at the last minute. If this happens, please do not take it personally.
Please understand that “getting out and doing things” doesn't always make me feel better, and can often make me seriously worse. You don’t know what I go through or how I suffer in my own private time. Telling me that I need to exercise, or do some things to “get my mind off of it”, may frustrate me and garner a reaction. I can pretend and keep up appearances as good as the next person, but that's just to make you feel better.
Another statement that hurts is, “You just need to push yourself more, try harder, find a better Dr. or someone who will really help you, if only you lost more weight, you'd feel so much better and your illness will go away”. Obviously, angioedema can be experienced internally, such as in abdominal or bowel attacks, or can be visable, such as extremity and facial swelling. Sometimes participating in a single activity for a short or a long period of time can cause more damage. You can stub your toe and say ouch, I stub my toe and my foot swells, I get hives and can't walk on that foot. Angio also puts me at risk for a multitude of auto immune disorders that use my current disease as a pushing off point.  I have also developed arthritis and in-tolerances to wheat. Prednisone is my only saving grace, but is a devil in disguise. You gain weight, in my case it's 30lbs in one year. I have wild mood swings, hallucinations, thin skin, numbness in my fingertips, itching spells and sleep deprivation, not to mention the fact that you have to recover from your medication after you recover from your flareup. Most of the time I'm just self psycho analyzing and I feel crazy some days.  Many who suffer from my style of illness are on anti anxiety medications. For now I am not, but have thought it might help. I also am unable to take NSAIDS, many herbal medications and I react to animal bites, plant contact, injections and topical analgesics. I've been on synthetic auto immune suppressors for so long that they leave me with many side effects. You can’t always read it on my face or in my body language how I am feeling. I often feel as if I live a lie because I'm often not honest with family and friends how I am feeling. Lately I haven't been as good as it and it's become increasingly hard to hide my "secret" life. Angioedema may cause secondary depression, but it is not created by depression, obesity, or mental deficiencies. I developed my illness from a molecular change in my body due to a miscarriage in 2009. I have since had two more. I've also been advised not to try and get pregnant again because it will "probably fail", so the next time you ask me when we're going to have another baby, don't please. This doesn't mean that I am ultra sensitive to others having children, in fact I am always happy when hearing of babies and I love to celebrate it. It doesn't make me sad, it's just hard to explain when you ask and when I have explained it, that person typically feels terrible as if they've insulted me or they go on to feel guilty for asking.
Please understand that if I say I have to sit down, lie down, stay in bed, take these pills or get to my doctor or hospital, I probably mean business, but I've been known to work through anaphylaxis by meditation and holding and epi pen in my hand all because I dread the ER.
If you want to suggest a cure to me, please don’t. It’s not because I don’t appreciate the thought, and it’s not because I don’t want to get well. If there were something that cured, or even helped people with my form of angioedema, then we’d know about it.  Drug companies are working on treatments for us right now, but in the US, the options that are available have very negative side effects, and aren’t able to be used by everyone. I wasn't one of the lucky ones to get the hereditary version of this illness. I currently have 8 specialist physicians involved in my well being, non of which collaborate and some of which have to be reminded each time I visit the details of my illness. It's not easy to accept that I'm just a statistic and that there isn't a whole lot of research going on, on my behalf, which is why I do most of my own research on therapies.
Angioedema is hard for people to understand, because it is so rare. Even those of us with it may never meet someone else that has it. It wreaks havoc on the body and the mind. It is exhausting to explain my illness over and over to the same people. It is equally hard when those that are closest to you have no idea what it is or how to pronounce it. I am alone in this illness. I have no local chapter or support group, they don't exist. I do have fellow IA friends from all around the world and that is helpful. I am one of the lucky ones that has a husband who picks up the pieces and covers my deficiencies. He's constantly making up for my short comings. I also have a Mom who drops everything to be a babysitter.
The hardest part about my disease is the effect it has on my child who sees me flare and misses out on an energetic fun Mom when I am flaring. He also worries about me constantly and copes by making silly jokes about my huge puffy face or lips. He has had to become very independent because there are days when I can't brush his teeth or wash his hair, button his pants, buckle his car seat, pull his shirt over his head, spread his peanut butter and jelly, all because I don't have the use of my hands.
I like being alone to figure it out, I like not having to talk about it, but just this once I'll tell you like it is. I am more empathetic, understanding and caring because of this disease.

 These are just a few that I can actually show you. Face swelling from stress, fingers from accidentally pricking my finger on a thorn in the yard. The hand from a cat scratch, the other set of fingers from typing to long, the ankles from taking a mile long walk along a beach.

Air Show 2012

I am thinking this following post happened in Feb of 2012. I don't know the exact dates and I could look it up, but maybe tomorrow.

I surprised the boys with a trip to St. George for the Thunder Over Utah air show. The Blue Angels were in town which doesn't happen very often and I knew they would love it.

Jordan, my Dad and Sam headed down and enjoyed the show from the bombers club on the flight line. We thought Sam would be bothered by the loud jets and so we bought him some ear plugs, but it turned out that he was just too excited to be bothered. It was quite a long day of showcased aircraft and demonstrations. The weather forecast had been terrible, but it turned out to be just perfect. Fun was had by all. I got to stay home and enjoy a girls weekend with some friends and have a quiet house for a couple of days. Sam came home with so much knowledge about military aircraft and how the Blue Angels function and gear up for their flights.

Jordan hadn't been to an air show since he was with his Dad in his teens so I think it was a special time for him to take Sam and have by Dad go along. It was a little windy, hence the bundled child in this following photograph. 

 

 Sam thought all these military tanks were going off to war and he saluted them and waved. Sam felt very patriotic.

Pressured

Make gif

I've been pressured to get another post out so here it is Mom.

It's been a busy time around here well for the last 4 months. I can't say my time is always wisely spent hurrying around the house cleaning and organizing, making sure domestic life is taken care of and that children and a husband is fed and washed, but I try to keep busy. Lately more so than ever. I feel like I'm constantly in and out of the house, rushing around or trying to pick up the pieces in some area of my life. I also devote most of my blogging time to my other blog Keep It In The Pantry. I've noticed lately that I've had to devote some time to sleeping, since I feel like the last year has finally caught up with me and if I could I just might be able to sleep for a whole month straight with waking if I could. No doubt there has been a lot going on around here.

I haven't been good at taking very many photographs lately. Since having the iPhone growing out of my hand, I usually document through FB the majority of postable activity, but I'll have to go back through and double check my photographs to see if there are any worth posting that you haven't already seen. Here is a quick recap.

• So we had Thanksgiving dinner here and there. I made dinner for Jordan's family in 2011 with a very different menu of items. Non traditional. I hear it worked out and tasted good.
• December quickly approached and for some reason I loathed putting up decor and the tree in 2011. I felt the spirit of Christmas early on and continued it until the actual day of Christmas, when I was burned out and ready to become Jewish. I think we might have pushed to hard to make everything Rockwell. 
• We took the Polar Express trip this year and Sam really enjoyed it and we earned some good parenting points on that one. We made donations and contributed as best as we could and Sam expected that we would do that, so charity is a quality that has stuck with  him and I am very happy and grateful for that. He wanted to bring home every cardboard toting human being he saw for dinner and a meaningful conversation.
• Sam had his preschool Christmas program and it was fabulous. We quickly discovered that he knows more than he lets on. He had all of his songs memorized and was very animated and quirky as usual, because there really is no other way of doing it. One of the highlights of the month was helping out with our ward Christmas party. By that time the spirit was still in me. An authentic Bethlehem style town was built in our cultural hall and all the efforts that went into the activities and food and nativity was pretty amazing.
• We gathered with Jordan's sister Chelsea and her husband Bryan and Grandma CeeCee for a holiday outing of good food, a fun movie and some much needed togetherness. We don't feel we get to do that very often so when we do get together it's really nice and special. Sam of course is the center of attention and makes us all laugh. I am now convinced I only gave birth to him to bring humor and a good show most of the time. I am happy to report that Sam has been able to forge a personal relationship with each individual in the family and I think that's pretty unusual. Most kids melt into a family, but not mine, he's got a different and unique personality with each person. 
• The holiday's with my side of the family are familiar and comfortable. We didn't change anything up to much this year, not to say that there aren't changes going on in each of our families. The Roof dinner was peaceful and calm, it wasn't rushed and we were able to truly enjoy each other and have a delicious meal. We also had a small family gathering on Christmas Eve and felt spoiled. 
• Christmas morning was interesting. I think the Lord allowed me 1 hour to enjoy the day and watch Sam open presents and play. From then on until New Years, I was ill and lethargic and tuckered out. I had caught some terrible nasty bug somewhere and like a demon from Hell it dwelled in me and spawned the most horrible nastiness you could imagine. Then my family caught it and the helpless feeling of gloomy cold, gray and windy days filled with snot rags, no appetite and a whole lot of bathroom time consumed us all. I am happy to say that I did get a reprieve somewhat on my birthday where I was actually able to stand and enjoy half the day with my family before falling back into bed after presents and cake. Jordan also planned a trip to the Zermatt resort that I was able to enjoy for the first day before I became ill again, but at least I was able to relax in a huge suite with comforting surroundings while continuing my illness. I am happy to report the plague has subsided, but if I ever find out who almost killed me with their germs I will be locked away in prison for decades and if anyone wants to know what my last meal would consist of, here it is. Coconut fried chicken, red fingerling potatoes with lemon dill demi glace, fresh steamed asparagus and pineapple upside down cheesecake. Oh and a coke. 

• New Years was quiet and normal for us. We can't party goers and really it's just another day to us. I can't remember a time when I cared about where I was or who I was with on New Years Eve. Not being negative, it's just not our thing. We stayed in watched movies, drank some fake wine and seriously went to bed before midnight. The next couple of days was filled with ripping the decorations down, putting the tree with all of it's accoutrements in bins and shoved it down stairs for forever as much as I care. I don't want to hear the words Santa, frosty, elves, candy canes etc. I don't want to hear Christmas music or see anymore lights on houses or trees lit in windows. Put it away people! Jordan jokes that if I could find a truck large enough to pile up all the pathetically discarded Christmas trees on the curb, I'd build me a huge cabin and become a unabomber (uh by the way people, the city shouldn't have to pick up your lazy trees off the curb, that's what your brown refuse can it for, so chop that sucker up and shove it in there and leave that at the curb, not your planet killing, oxygen destroying, pine needle monstrosity).

• So it's January, it's unusually warm and I'm weirded out. It's kind of a nice change, but does that mean we will have a horrible Summer? Good news is that Valentine's Day is coming up and that is always a fun holiday in our house. I've got cheery decor up and we're getting the house back in order. We've started planning some vacations for the year and they can't come soon enough. We're planning Yellowstone and the Tetons and Vegas and trying to choose between a cruise to Alaska, Disneyland or a trip to the Hawaiian Islands to see much missed family.
• Apparently today was download day at our house. Sam woke up and just pushed that button to download all of his built up knowledge onto me. I ask him about school all the time and what he's learned, but he failed to mention that he knows the pledge, the first part of the declaration of independence and with a little help the first paragraph of the constitution. I didn't really know the first part of the constitution and I had to look it up. Did I just get swallowed up into a worm hole or did the world end or something? I think because boys are always pinned as unintelligent and mostly sporty and uber busy, we don't realize that we're the dumb ones. Girls are know it alls, they want everyone to know what they are thinking and feeling and how smart they are. Boys are just as smart, but they aren't stupid enough to let it all hang out and show. They are quietly intellectual and only use their knowledge when the time is right. In all of my days asking Sam what he's been learning in school, I've forgotten the first rule; assuming you know more about them, then they know about themselves. It is a total mistake. I just wasn't asking the right questions, but who thinks to ask, "hey so did you learn the three branches of gov today"? Their knowledge only comes out when there is a practical use for it. 
• I got some laundry done today
• I'll probably sleep in tomorrow morning like I get to most weekends because church is now later in the day and my husband always wakes up at 6am no matter the day and will play and do dude stuff with Sam until I decide to wake. See, life is good! I do wish my McDonalds would get fixed because I miss my fruit and yogurt parfaits on wed mornings after I drop the kid off at school.
•  We've successfully built a snowman in the front yard. He's not there now and he's melted into a little heap of buttons, sticks, a lowly carrot, scarf and soggy hat. Here's to more snow so we can go sledding some more and enjoy winter for what it is. 

Shootin With The Boys

 James and Ian enjoying an afternoon of shooting up Parley's with Jordan. There is something about these Brits and their change of behavior when they put a semi auto in their hands. Nothing says American hospitality like here's a gun right? Glad you guys came out.

 Got my eye on a little 22 myself and the next gun show that comes in to town I'm going to grab that pink cutie. Jordan has always been interested in shooting and practicing as much as he can. I on the other hand am an awesome shot, if I do say so myself, but I've never been to an established range and practiced. Of course it's our goal to get trained up and improve our skills for the future Zombie apocalypse. Jordan and I are putting Sam in archery lessons for his 5th birthday this next year. He's extremely interested in it and has also picked out a little red rider air-soft rifle. Naturally we need to watch "The Christmas Story" before we let him out back to shoot the bumpess' hounds.

In Your Hands

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19

A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million.

It depends whose hands it's in

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal

A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea

It depends whose hands it's in

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy

A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon.

It depends whose hands it's in

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in Jesus' hands will feed thousands

It depends whose hands it's in

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse

Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world.

It depends whose hands it's in

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because....... it depends whose hands it's in.

Fall Family Fun

It's been a very exciting time around here lately. We have been very lucky to have Jordan's sister Staci her husband Lt. Col. Rich Gordon and cousins Ruby and Charly for two weeks. Every one to two years, depending on where they are stationed, we have an opportunity to reconnect and learn all the new aspects of each others lives. They have been living in Illesheim, Germany for the past two years. Jordan was able to go and visit, but Sam and I had to stay behind. They are now heading back to Oahu, Hawaii which is very exciting. They are moving back upon special request, but he will be deployed in the new year. It has been a very unique and special time for Sam to get to know Uncle Rich and Aunt Staci. Sam loves his this little family like the air he breathes. He knew they were leaving today and that he would see them for a little while and this made him very upset. I did my best to distract him and keep his mind off of his sadness. Luckily he was able to go spend the day at Grammy's house and do chores to keep busy. When he came home today, he held my hand and said, "will they miss me?" I reassured him that they would and that it's okay to let people go on their way and that it's ok to be sad.  I also told him that it's important to remember that we can call and check in. It's times like this that I am forced to remember how sensitive Sam is and how attached he becomes to people.

It's always nice when the family gets together for a family photograph. We just set up a tripod this time, but it seemed to work out fine. There is such a great sense of cohesion and I'm very happy for that. We will miss them very much, but we are excited to start making plans to go out and visit Staci and the girls while their Dad is deployed. Hawaii holds a special place for us and we have such great memories there with them. Ruby and Charlotte have been so sweet to Sam. Ruby has always been such an amazing cousin and friend. She is so helpful with him and has looked out for him. She teaches him new things. Charly and Sam have a unique relationship. They both seem like old souls when they are together. Charly seems to understand Sam and his intent and his level of imagination. She giggles with him and Sam loves to make her smile. He thinks her insulin pump pack is super hero cool and he loves that she plays with him and adjusts to his personality. Jordan and I feel they are such a positive influence on Sam and because we are in a constant state of renewal and adapting to their changing lifestyle, it's as if we're evolving with them and gaining a better understanding of their lives and their path. It's been a very positive visit.

Little One

I don't know a lot of things, but I do know that I love this kid more than anything in this world. I am very glad that I get to watch him grow and learn. I am proud of him, believe he is a kind, exuberant, energetic, loving person and I am so glad that I have him and I am blessed to experience every bit of him. I know that he is fragile, vulnerable, sensitive and breakable. I know that he is strong, forgiving, accepting and truthful. I know he loves me and tells me frequently.  I know he wont be young forever, but even as each day begins and ends, he will always be my one and only little one.

If you haven't heard...

Please join us for our annual Halloween bash. We're going to have a fun night with kids and yummy food. Thought we would have story time along with some fun activities for the kids. The parents can mingle and enjoy some food. We're going to try and make sure that the decor out front isn't too too scary, but do your best to make sure that your little ones understand that our front porch isn't a scary place. We'll keep the scary noises to a minimum. We would like the kids to come in their costumes, but they don't have too. If you do choose to have them wear them, please don't put makeup on their faces. If you feel comfortable leaving your little ones here while we play games and do activities then that will be fine. They will be watched and taken care of. Despite what some might be thinking, this wont be a sacrificial black sabbath Halloween party. There will be no evil goings on and seances. We've started gaining a reputation for being ultra scary and that isn't the theme this year, but check back next year. Call me if you have questions.

You Can't Teach Creativity, Just Cheap Tricks

So...here is my complaint. I get that I'm creative and chipper. I get that I can throw a fab party with all the bells and whistles. I get that I'm just "super friendly, everyones friend and creative", but I don't just want that to be my calling in life. I want to do something that I have to work at and is a challenge to me. I got to thinking have I made my creativity my "golden ticket"? Is that the only thing that people see? Is that the first thing that people think when they hear my name? I continue to be pinned as the ultra creative, filled with ideas go to gal. I realize this is part of my doing considering I've always wanted to help others finish or accomplish a task, assist in the concept of an idea or find solutions to problems. I've become my own worst enemy.

 I was given a new calling at church yesterday which I'm grateful for. I'm not complaining about having things to contribute, but I was asked to change my current calling to another calling. While it's probably a larger calling and will require more time of me, it's a calling that few want and are good at and in my opinion wouldn't be terribly hard for me to accomplish or excel at. I could be wrong, for all I know it might be harder than I thought, time will tell. I have really enjoyed my current calling in the R.S presidency because I get to teach every 3 months and contribute to the newsletter and be apart of decisions that are made in the R.S. I keep reading and listening to Elder Uchtdorf's talk at the women's conference and trying to understand where my joy should come from and how I can make the best use of my righteous time. So far I'm still stuck in transitional thought.

 I understand the Lord gives you talents for your good so that you can bless others and teach them and I am certainly grateful for all those who have taught me how to cultivate my creative ideas. I can't help but wonder how useful my current set of talents will be in the end. If throwing parties in biblical times were useful then maybe I could tout that Mary would have had a heck of a baby shower and the last supper would have been the party of the season. I'd like to be known for more than the chipper, creative girl with all the ideas. "How I can influence people for good" keeps rolling around in my head over and over again. I doubt it's with creme puffs and tissue pom poms. 

Monkey

I can't get enough of this little fart. He has been so fun and playful. He sleeps with Sam every night, all curled up at the end of the bed. He's obsessed with the bathroom. He loves to sit on the counter and watch me put make up on or brush my teeth. He doesn't do this with anyone else, but it's as if he has a 6th sense about when I enter the WC and mosses on in. He's a little cross eyed which makes him special. He whines a bit and makes little squeaks when he runs. He's a ninja and ambushes you when you are walking through the dining room in the dark. He's jumped in to the garbage can for a can of tuna and couldn't get out on his own. He's lovely, so soft and purrs like a tiger. He's turned in to a great therapy cat for my Grandmother's rest home. Whenever he goes he brings a lot of joy and calmness to the people there. He allows them to hold him and at times squeeze his guts. He gets passed around a lot and a whole lot of love. He's a little stinky and has a lot of gas so we're going to be taking him to the vet to figure it all out. We hope it's not serious. He's cleared the room a couple of times, but we love love love him.

I've been a little busy....

Our garden has produced some amazing stuff this year. I'm very proud actually. I've grown all that's in this bowl, but the zucchini which came out of my parents garden. My peppers just keep coming and my tomato plants have grown in to monsters. I'm going to stop watering now so that they will all ripen up. If you need or want tomatoes, let me know. I've got a lot of green bells coming in too along with a huge amount of herbs. I've used up my basil, but I have chives, sage, flat leaf and curly parsley, 4 types of thyme, rosemary, Mexican and Greek oregano.

 

I've made three batches of Salsa this season so far. I imagine I'll do another one once the rest of the tomatoes ripen. If you want to can with me, let me know and you can take the salsa home. I decided to try making my very own pasta sauce. We got through a lot of pasta sauce in this house and I often make it just with canned tomato sauce and then add my own veggies and spices. I'd never cooked my own home grown tomatoes down and processed them in to canned sauce. I didn't have a recipe and I just winged it. It's not hard, but I did notice that you have to get the spices just right and balanced so that the tomatoes don't turn bitter or go brown in the pot. It was a bit of work, but it was my very first time making my own sauce and processing my very own tomatoes so I imagine it will be like a breeze the next time I do it. I have made some really yummy dinners with it. I make this below tonight with the mini farfalle pasta with salad and a dash of creme in the sauce. If you take 1 cup sauce and add it to 1 1/2 cups veggie stock or chicken broth it turns in to tomato basil soup. We used the sauce to make calzones and I put it on garlic toast topped with sliced turkey, red bell pepper, provolone cheese and spinach.

Reading, Writing and Arithmatic

Update:
Sam is doing so well in school. Already he has displayed some amazing talents. He's able to trace his letters and numbers and as they learn new letters and numbers each week he excels at recognizing them on signs, paper and on TV. He has enjoyed getting to know his little friends and often asks me at the end of class if he can go to their houses for play dates. He says "you need to get Harrison and Savannah's number Mom, we need to play after school". It sounds so grown up. He's starting to read words like So, Mom, Dad, Yes, No, To, Go, Stop etc. Mostly the short ones, but he'll get there. He had to sit in the blue chair (naughty chair) at school on his third day, but it wasn't because he used a bad word or was mean, but he kept touching the other kids art work. He hopefully learned from it and has seemed to considering the first thing he told me was that he had been naughty and to have him sit in the naughty place at home because of it. He must have really thought he disappointed his teacher. He gets to show his "all about me" poster tomorrow and he is so excited. We'll let you know how it goes.

Preschool 2011

 First day of Preschool 2011

My backpack is packed and I'm in my new duds. I'm on my way and ready to take on the world. Sam was so excited to get to school this morning. He was speaking a million miles a minute and had so many questions I had to finally just tell him to calm down and be still. He was the first one at the school and he found the star with his name on it and thought that was really cool.

Miss Jani came out to meet him and he immediately flooded her with 800 questions. "you have a boat to play in?" "I gotta take my shoes off", I have a cubby for my stuff?" "I might need to go to the potty...ok?". Man I hope he calms down and listens and has a good time. 

Annual Swiss Days

We enjoy Swiss Days each year. This year was even more jam packed full of fun. There were so many really unique booths and some new additions to the food selection.

When I was little my Mom would give us a very nostalgic treat of a halved lemon and a candy straw. I remember sipping and sucking away on those straws and loving it. Recently I was looking for the straws and hoping I could find them for a get together and was sad to not find the ones I wanted. The traditional candy straws are made of birch, sassafras, cinnamon and clove. You could sometimes find them in lemon. You can find the originals here Vermont Country Store.This year at Swiss Days, out of the blue I saw this fun treat and a flood of nostalgic happiness came over me. I almost cried when I saw them. There were so many flavors to choose from and Sam was so excited to have one. I was even more excited to have Sam enjoy one of these fun treats. He chose the Tropical Island Punch flavor.

We enjoyed a huge tasty scone and even sat near President Uchtdorf at dinner. Sam jumped and jumped in the bouncy houses and even saw a little person from church who snubbed him, but he brushed it off and had a ball jumping and jumping some more.

Sam is getting ready to start preschool this next Wed morning and he's excited to learn new things, make new friends and grow up. He's on his way.

Growing Up!

Sam will be turning 4 on Monday June 13th. We are amazed at how much he has grown and how much he's learned. We had a wonderful time on our trip to the Redwoods and Oregon Coast. He is quite the traveler and enjoyed exploring new things. We will be celebrating his birthday this year with his cousins Kailey, Liv and Tayten and he is very excited. As for Monday, cake and ice cream and some fun playing in the sun. Happy Birthday Sam, we love you.

BaBee Bliss

 My friend Christy is having a baby boy! I'm super excited and I was so happy to throw a babee shower for her with my friend Danielle. Her nursery for her little dude is Winnie the Pooh and so honey pots, bees and everything honey popped in my head. It was really fun coming up with all the special touches. It doesn't hurt to have a husband that helps so much. He cleaned the house and hung up all my poms. I love you HONEY!

Jordan made these amazing beehive cupcakes and they came out great. There were two flavors. French Vanilla and Almond Crumb. I also made this sweet fabric banner out of some really great fabric from Elane's Quilt Block. The cupcake pics matched the invitation and thank you notes.

 

 Tissue Poms are so easy to make. They take some time just to get them right, but they give such a big impact to the party. Dani and I made chicken salad on croissant, spinach salad with tangy poppy-seed dressing, beautiful fruit kabobs and crackers with cream cheese and pepper relish.

Sam was so kind to lend us his Wellington boots for the flower centerpiece. He didn't mind too much cause he got a cupcake out of it. I'll tell you a little secret though. He thought Christy's shower meant that she was going to have her baby that day and introduce him to everyone, that Sam would come back after the shower to find the little baby just hanging out. He was a little disappointed when I told him that she hadn't had the baby and that she had a little bit more to go. His sad face was priceless, but he'll meet baby Phillips soon.

We had a lot of fun!