AI: Results, Whooo!

*Fun Ford commercial, although it reminded me of the end of this literal video (slow-mo!).

*Man, I love the songs they did in the group song --and holy cow, are they doing it live? They sound great! I swear I was supposed to be born in the age of Big Band. I love this stuff.

*Dude. Today I was just thinking of ways to cut corners, and I was reading sites on how to start coupon-ing...so the cake fight made me cringe. All that food wasted --and crap food, at that. It just made me sigh (and not laugh). It's the responsible mother in me...

*Whoah! Adam is in the bottom three for the first time, eh? Wait --is it Kris' first time, too? I wish I could say I was surprised, but I'm not. American Idol has shown us often that sometimes America gets the voting wrong --and it happens every season. Every season.

*Natalie Cole --Whoah! She has short hair. When did she cut it? I love how classy she still looks after all these years, and I like her --she made me smile the whole time she was singing (and thank goodness she can sing, unlike the Disco-Disaster last week!). I mean, she's not amazing (the ending was rough), but she knew what she was doing, you know?

*Taylor Hicks --Ha! I remember just loving him in season 5 because he was so fun and original for the show, you know? But he's been kind of MIA the last 3 years. I did see that he starred in Grease in San Francisco or something like that (maybe it was just a concert version?) a few months back (the signs are still up all over BART). Ooh! Guitar AND harmonica, eh? You go, Taylor! (I'm only half joking, you know. I admire me the harmonica, and I love country music!)
I just wish the song wasn't so loud throughout (it only had one dynamic, and that's boring). OH! They just mentioned Grease! Ha! And Simon just rolled his eyes... that was not funny, but totally expected...

*Kris is safe! Good! But Adam is in the bottom two!?!? Now I know why Judi called me 10 minutes ago...

*Jamie Foxx --I don't like that voice-thingy-robot-changer-thing he's using. I hope he takes it off soon. I want to hear his own voice, you know? And HALLELUJAH!! Jamie Foxx doesn't need half-naked women dancing on stage with him! Could this be because he's a dang good performer on his own? Could it be that he respects women? Could it be that he has good taste? I don't know. I haven't seen any of his videos, so I could be totally wrong. Plus, this whole song could be about skanky women, I don't know --I'm not listening to the lyrics very closely. Still, it's just nice to NOT have women making complete skanks of themselves on stage for once (not that I have deep feelings about this or anything).

*And Ryan is right --Jamie was the best mentor on the show this season, and I just loved what he said! You're awesome, Jamie...even when you shamelessly promote your movies (*snort)...

*Who's going home?? WHO???

*OH, THANK GOODNESS!!!! I thought I was going to die for a second. Matt is gone and Adam is safe! Hooray! I think America got it RIGHT on this time (just because he wasn't going to win, and I'm okay to see him go over the other four). He will do well in this industry, I think. He'll find his niche and make a great album. Yeah. Matt will be just fine!

What did you think?

Another Crazy Dream Last Night

It has been 3 years since I finished The Biggest Loser. But everyone is still friends. Tara works at some film counter in the mall and Blaine and Dane went to see her. Soon, I uncovered Tara's plot to swindle everyone of their money. She convinced everyone to give her their rulers (literally --rulers) and she promised if they went to a certain website, they would be compensated accordingly for their rulers. But Dane was livid! Because the website was bogus! He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars! (Pricey rulers, I guess.) Luckily, I was brave enough to confront Tara (and some other girl who worked at the film counter) and after some smart thinking, I found all the bags of rulers hidden in the counters.
I'm still not sure what she was going to do with them.
But suddenly, I was in a cave on a mountain in Australia. Or some fantasy novel. Still not sure which. The mountain talked to me, and that's how I knew that we were going to have our Biggest Loser reunion there on the mountain. Which was slightly akin to Mordor...hmm...Anyway, I decided to go check out the other cave (that I apparently knew very well), but a family of Aboriginals were living in there (a man and his two sons). He invited me in (and suddenly there was a bunch of the other Biggest Loser people, including Blaine and Dane) and we saw that not only had he made his cave all homey (kitchen, living room, bathroom, bay windows), but he put in a back deck (and how he built that backyard is still a puzzle to me).
Then I woke up.

For more crazy dreams, go here, here, and here.

Any for you, lately?

AI: Rat Pack Era

Big Band. But with Jamie Foxx? Yeah, okay. I get it.

Kris: Ooh! I LOVE this song. LOVE it. With much LOVE. You know, LOVE.
And I LOVED Kris' version of it, too!
Hooray for Kris! That was fabulous.

Allison: Another favorite song. And Allison did okay --it wasn't the best song for her, but I think that has more to do with her style versus the style of the song. Because she sang really well, in tune, and it was well done, you know? The styles just didn't mesh perfectly --especially at the bridge. But the ending was fabulous! Good job, Allison!

Matt: Dude! They keep playing my favorite songs of all time! I guess they really are the "standards"...huh...
Jamie Foxx is a genius, you know. Matt sounds TONS and LOADS and MUCH better in his full voice --I have always HATED his falsetto. Hated it. But tonight? He did so good! It was great! But this was because he sang in his full voice. I don't care if he wasn't "as good" as the others at this point because he sang so well. Paula was right on --lowering the key was KEY.

Danny: Another favorite...and HOLY. CRAP. That was amazing! He was so good. Soooooo goooood. Better than Kris good, people. Sorry, but it's true. Yay, Danny! You sound like you did when we first fell in love with you back at the first auditions. Huzzah!

Adam: Holy Freakin COW! I want to see Adam in concert. He's brilliant. He. Is. Brilliant. There's nothing else to say, because like Randy, I sound like a broken record. Adam is the best. He deserves to win this whole thing (not that he will. I'm not sure --AI always has crazy twists and turns). He should win it. Love you, Adam!

Final Verdict: I have no idea who's going home. They were all awesome tonight! And Jamie Foxx is a freakin' musical genius. I've gotta give that man props for his talents and his amazing advice! He was right on...

What did you think? I've gotta watch Adam again, so see ya...

Only Three Things To Do

That's it. Just three things.

1. The sharing station at Women's Conference on Thursday.


2. #1's Baptism on Saturday.



3. The piano recital on Sunday.



Unfortunately, each one takes 5 gazillion preparation activities.
Seriously.
5 gazillion.
I counted.
---------------------------
Michelle is moving this weekend...to Connecticut!!
I'm so sad. So very, very sad.
The worst part is that because I've been so busy this month and she's been so busy packing, I literally haven't seen my friend for weeks and weeks. And she lives just down the street! *sniff
I'm gonna miss you, Mrs. Walker. I'll come visit as soon as I can!
-------------------------
I've blogged about this before, but I will blog about it again:
When mom is calm and happy = the children are more obedient, calm, and happy
When mom is angry and yelling = the kids are hellions

My mantra for today: Be calm. Be happy. Love and serve...love and serve....love and serve....

And Wharton Begins (it's long, but worth it!)

Saturday:

We flew into SFO in the morning, took BART to the hotel and checked into our room. We then had our last feast before the famine (seriously) at The Tadich Grill (California's oldest and longest running restaurant). It was divine! When we were finished with our fabulous meal, we walked to the outdoor markets and the outdoor farmer's markets along Ferry Plaza. This is where my brother (and his wife and two sons) picked us up.

We drove around for a while, and after realizing that everybody and their dog and their fish and their great-aunt Sally had taken every parking space available in Golden Gate Park, we went to Plan B: The Legion of Honor. We found parking there! The exhibits were fabulous --and after we took pictures of Golden Gate Bridge (great view!).

By then we headed to Fremont (where my brother lives) and we had a good time making dinner (and I had an even better time holding my 6 week old nephew!). Brandon and I had to leave by 8:30PM, though, since we needed to get back to our hotel via BART. Which we did. And called it a night.

Pictures of Saturday:

Sunday:

This day was the reason we had come!

And I'm not even sure how I should blog about it.

I mean, Saturday was pretty straight-forward --all chronological and fun and what-not. But Sunday? I'm not sure how to describe everything. I don't even know where to begin, really. However, I need to try because I really want to remember this weekend and what I learned and who I met and what it meant to both Brandon and me.

Frankly, it was amazing. 95 (94? 96?) students were there to begin their first week of classes. The diversity in ethnicity and gender is across the board --and almost 60? or 65? spouses/partners were there for the orientation. Here's an idea of how diverse the group was:

*Some had several degrees --some had just an undergraduate (like Brandon).

*The degrees were varied: law, economics, computer science, business, statistics, finance, etc.

*One was from Korea, and one was from France (although the man from Korea has moved to the Bay Area for school and the man from France is living in Seattle with his wife and kids).

*Only 30-35% had children.

*But about 70% or so were married.

*There were several from Washington State and the Los Angeles area; 2 from Utah (and only 2 Mormons, from what I gathered); one from Las Vegas, another one (or more?) from Arizona, and at least 50-60% from the Bay Area (I'm sure there were other places, but I don't remember them --but they are all in the "West"ern USA, so...).

*I didn't speak to anyone much about religion (just answered a few questions), but it was obvious the religions were as diverse as the ethnicity and education backgrounds. Which was AWESOME!

I honestly believe the diversity was my favorite part. I loved it.

They started the day out with lunch and mingling, introductions into the program and to some professors, a panel of recent Wharton West EMBA graduates (well, they graduate in a few weeks), and then we split up. The partners had free time and then our own Tea, and the students started class. We came back together for dinner later that night (I guess it was last night! Wow. Feels like last week for some reason...).

The partners were incredible.

That's the best way to describe them --honestly. Here are some examples of people I met:

*Camille --the other Utah wife who is also expecting a baby this summer. I'm so happy to know her and have a friend like her who will not only understand what it is like being the wife of someone in the EMBA program, but who will understand everything I'm about to live (being a minority religion in the program, having another baby this summer, being from Utah, etc.)!

*Michelle --a wonderful woman who lived in NYC and attended school in England, who adores the Opera and Ballet, and takes cooking classes for fun, but wants more than anything to have a baby.

*Jules --a beautiful woman who received her EMBA from UC-Davis last year, who is originally from NYC, is Jewish, has two children, and has the kindest eyes.

*Blythe --the wine expert (I think she's a writer for a wine magazine? Maybe?) who lives in The City (SF).

*Gina --the gorgeous woman (seriously, she has to be a model) who is about to have her second child in 6 weeks.

*Kads --A mother of two (the youngest is 2 months old) who honestly believed that nobody else in the program would have small children and was thrilled to meet three pregnant women and learn that the oldest child over-all was only 11 years old.

*Cheyene --The economist who owns her own company and has two children.

*Grace --the Stanford graduate from China who works for Google.

*Joe --the only one who asked me straight up if I was "LDS" and whose girlfriend (I don't think they were married) was the brilliant Russian student.

And this is just a handful! Aren't they amazing? I was so happy to meet so many intelligent, well-spoken, kind-hearted, and supporting spouses/partners. It never felt awkward (not once) and nobody was afraid to ask questions, or re-introduce themselves throughout the day. What impressed me the most was how inclusive Wharton West is with spouses. They genuinely want us around and need our support. The professors talked ad nauseum about trying to find the right balance between the three Huge Responsibilities: Work, School, and Home. Just the fact that they recognize how important this familial support should be speak volumes about the school. I'm very impressed, dear reader.

Also, Brandon loved his first day. I can't speak for him, but I know he was excited about everything and even the "hard stuff" (and holy crap, this program is going to seriously kick his mental butt --he is going to have to work hard!) is going to be do-able. I know this because he woke up at 4:30AM (CA time) this morning for more studying.

The man is dedicated, you know.

Plus, he's used to this juggling act. I honestly believe that the Church does a fabulous job teaching our youth skills earlier on than most --and in ways that will benefit long-term. Brandon already knows what it's like to wake early every day to study. He already knows what it's like to juggle family and work and church callings and studying. I really think he's going to do fine because of this --he already has it figured out. Does this mean it will be easy? No way. But it's possible. And I have nothing but peace when I think about it...

Oh! Funny stuff --the only thing that bothered me about this weekend was the reaction I received from everybody when they realized I was not, in fact, having my first child.

I tried to avoid it when I could.

But I couldn't.

At all!

And soon everybody knew anyway.

The conversations would go like this:

"When are you due?"

"August 2nd"

"Wonderful! Congratulations!"

"Thank you!"

"Is this your first?"

"Ummmm...no."

Pause.

Internal sighing and mental/emotional preparation for the reaction.

"It's our fifth."

"Fifth!?!??!?!?!?!??!?!"

"Yeah." Smile.

"Wow!"

And then they'd either be completely speechless or rattle on awkwardly for a bit. But by the end of the exchange, they would see I wasn't defensive (or offensive) about it, and we would both leave with admiration for each other. I was surprised at how many women just stared at me in awe --maybe like I was a Duggar? Probably.

Shoot! I hope they admire Duggars...

Oh, well.

In fact, we're a commodity in the Wharton Class 35, you know. Our children outnumber all the others by two.

Soon to be three.

They had a list of all the students, and on it they listed the spouses names, children's names, and ages. Nobody has more than two children (although our Utah buddies will have their third this summer. She got a lot of crazy exchanges, too!). We have four on the list.

And thus, no surprises from me about the reactions. I mean, I lived in the Bay Area for a year, you know --with four children. I'm already used to the stares, the comments, the accusations, the shocked expressions...

But all in all, it was awesome. The whole experience has me very, very, very excited for my husband, and for me! I love the new friends I met and I can't wait to see them again at further Wharton partner/family activities.

(Sorry, no pictures! I forgot to take some, darn it...)

------------------------------------------

NEWS: My Glucose test came back negative --no gestational diabetes. I asked the nurse what to do and she said "take care of yourself."

Easy-cheesy.

We'll see what happens at my ultrasound in three weeks...

Lots of Stuff Post. Lots and lots and lots...

#1 blowing out the candles on her cheesecake (on her actual birthday):

Some of the gifts she got at her birthday party today:

Cupcakes! (sorry, no shot of her blowing out the candles because it shows all of her friends and we say #1's name over and over. Just imagine it was fun.):

All of this was #1's idea --Earth Day for a Birthday! The girls decorated their own clay pots and then we planted some daisies in them. It was the perfect activity, and the perfect take-home birthday favor!


-------------------------------------------------
I'm leaving for San Francisco in the morning. [Thank you to Bekah and Jared (my SIL and brother) for watching the kids this weekend!]
Why am I going?
Brandon starts school on Sunday, and they are having a Partner Orientation, too. Since I'm his "partner," I decided I should be there. It's also nice to be going back "home" after a year of being away...
--------------------------------------------------
My crazy April month is finally starting to come to an end. I only have a few more big things to do until May 4th comes and relieves me from my chaos. Here's the list left to do:
*Go to San Francisco.
*Teach last week of piano lessons.
*Help put together awesome sharing station for Women's Conference (if you will be at Women's Conference next week, you will HAVE TO COME BY MY BOOTH! Well, it's not my booth, but I'll be there! I'll give you more details next week).
*Find babysitter so I can be at the awesome sharing station for Women's Conference (anyone wanna watch my babies from 1PM to 9PM?? Anyone? Anyone?).
*Change two piano lessons because of said awesome sharing station.
*Plan the meal and slide show for #1's Baptism.
*Have #1's Baptism.
*Get ready for piano recital.
*Have piano recital!
Then collapse with joy because piano lessons will be done, there are no family birthdays in May (except you, Tam! Didn't forget you!), and no big projects that I can think of...
-------------------------------------
I've been thinking a lot about the situation that happened on Tuesday (read here so you know what I'm talking about). Mostly, I've been pondering over the fact that I never felt prompted to go home.
I have mulled over and tried to remember my feelings to see if I had heard something or felt something or was told something about #3 needing me. But I didn't. I didn't feel anything in that way, actually. All I felt was elation that I was getting everything done so easily and quickly.
Why is that?
I have a few answers. My first thought was that Heavenly Father was very aware of #3 and of his plight --I have no doubt that He guided him home and made sure he was safe. I have no doubt that #3 was watched over and protected during the entire ordeal. In fact, my conviction of this is so strong that I made sure to tell #3 of it more than once this week.
The second thought was that I wasn't worthy or wasn't listening. Maybe I was so involved in my own day and my own rushing that I missed something. Did I miss something?
But I think it was the first thought. I do. Because I can't recall even an inkling, and I usually hear/feel those inklings.
On Thursday, I strapped #4 into the beco and walked to #3's preschool to pick him up. I wanted to know where he walked to make sure he really did know his way home. Before the kids came out, my friend Cristy mentioned that every day and every night she --and I would say all mothers do--prays that her children will be watched over and protected --especially when we can't be there to do it.
Those prayers work, you know.
When #3 came out, he was actually excited to walk home with me. I was so impressed with his memory and where he chose to cross streets (these streets are not busy, btw). I again told him how blessed he was and how Heavenly Father loved (and loves!) him so much and how He protected #3 from harm. I probably should have mentioned the Holy Ghost (in fact, I'm surprised it slipped my mind. Doh! I need to do that...), too. But it was a good experience for us both.
----------------------------------
Katie, without knowing it, told me (via blogging) about Little Dorrit. I've been recording and watching it all month.
I LOVE IT!
You need to watch it. Especially if you like Charles Dickens, or Jane Austen, or a good mystery, or some romance...
------------------------------------
My SIL and Aunt ran a triathlon last month (earlier this month?). I wasn't there, but I heard they did great! I just wanted to mention it because combined with their awesome new hobby/skillz, The Biggest Loser, and my own memories of losing weight (and not to mention a few friends trying to lose weight, and a new blog reader who contacted me with the same desire), I'm already planning my postpartum-get-healthy attitude (notice I didn't say routine. I said attitude. Because routine comes only after attitude, people...).
Is it too early?
Probably. I should give birth first, for sure.
But I don't think it's EVER too early to think about being healthy. Thinking is good, you know. Very, very good...

Bear Lake Weekend

I'm really busy this week, as you know, dear reader. And so I'm going to do something I rarely do when journaling my life.
I'm letting someone else do it.
See, we went to Bear Lake last week (Thursday through Sunday) for our last big family vacation before Brandon starts school next week. We might be able to throw in a few camping trips here and there over the next 2 years, but they will only be over-nighters and local. Chances of us doing something big again before 2011 are very, very slim, so we took this opportunity quick! We invited our awesome friends to go with us (we vacation well together, their family and ours) and we're so glad they came!
I'm even more glad they already blogged about it. Ha!

So, go here to read about our trip to Bear Lake. Please note that most of the pictures are of them (obviously), and maybe when I have more time in the next few weeks I'll post some of ours. Until then, enjoy Ann's description of our weekend --and how #3 got lost! (yes, yes. We seem to lose him a lot, lately. *sniff)

And thank you, Ann! You're the best...

Eight Years of #1!

(I had originally intended to post this on her birthday, but getting the old pictures has proved to be quite the feat. And I'm lazy --I am. Don't try to argue. Anyway, the only thing that would have been added were some newborn, baby, and toddler shots, and since I found some old family pictures, I decided it was okay to forgo those for now and do them later. So, here's the post without the old pictures. Still a good post, eh?)

#1 turned 8 years old on Tuesday (April 21st).
I still can't believe it's been eight years.
8 years?!
Where has the time gone? I still remember the pregnancy and her birth as if it were last week. Each day brought these crazy new experiences, and being her mother was the most insane, most wonderful, and most scary thing I had ever done. The poor thing was our practice child (still is!), but she has turned out (so far) to be just amazing.

My favorite things about #1:
Her talents --drawing, music (piano, specifically!), reciting, writing, reading, math (anything academic, actually), and being a great friend (she seriously loves and includes everyone).

Her desire to help and please --her concern for the younger kids.

Her sense of humor and her laugh.

Her maturity of knowledge and choices --she's never surprised at consequences (even if she hates them), and she tends to mill over hard choices before making a decision.

Her gorgeous hair.

Her reliability --knowing that I can rely on her to get her chores/practicing/homework done on time.

I love you, #1! Happy Birthday!

AI Results

Quick thoughts:

*The best group song EVER. I don't care if it was dubbed, the dancing was great! I'm impressed with Paula...

*So glad Lil is gone.

*Old disco singers should not sing live.

*David Archuleta sounded a little hoarse. Why is that? Love that kid, though...

*Matt's safe, eh? Well, you know Anoop was going to go soon --might as well be tonight. I'm just glad Allison is safe!

*Did they say what the theme was going to be next week? I missed it.

AI: Top Seven. Again.

Lil: I am not a Lil fan at all. But I totally disagreed with the judges. I think that for the first time ever, Lil was HERSELF. It wasn't karaoke, it was fun, it was in tune, it wasn't yelled (until the last phrase), and she was happy. Her vocals were just fine --in fact, this was her best performance. Maybe I'm just too tired to hear the bad-ness? I don't know, but I was impressed! Isn't that crazy!?

Kris: He's the black horse to win this, you know. I haven't always loved his stuff --mostly when he's out of tune or playing something that is contrived. But tonight? Awesome! LOVED this arrangement with the guitar and the percussion. It was so cool! Way to go, Kris --I was VERY impressed.

Danny: It wasn't bad --I think it was too loud through-out, but I'm thinking that's the song. It was fun, he was in tune (Kara is right --he's pretty much always in tune!), and the ending was way cool (I like abrupt endings on fast songs instead of riffing it out for 8 measures...). Not bad, not bad --it didn't blow me away, but I still liked it!

Allison: The only thing I don't like about Allison is that her diction is not always perfectly clear. Other than that? I love this girl. And I really love the way she changed up her song to reflect her rock voice. The weirdest part? The baby started kicking right in time with Allison when she sang "hot, hot, hot". Creepy, dude. Anyway, great job, Allison!

Adam: So, Brandon just sent me this article talking about how Adam was in Wicked, how he was super wholesome when he came to LA, etc. Very interesting, eh?
About his performance, it was awesome. It didn't move me to tears like it did the judges (wow, they fawn over him), but it was still really awesome. I find it incredibly ironic that they are FINALLY telling a musical theater performer that they are a "star". Of course, he deserves it!

Matt: I think that his save might have given him back some of his confidence because for the first time in WEEKS, the boy actually sang the entire song in tune. The ending was CRAP, though. But we already know I hate 8 measures of riffing just for the sake of doing it. Blah. So...it was good. Okay and good. Not incredible, though.

Anoop: He has a really great voice! His last note was way off, though. Ouch! But hey, his middle note was really, really good. I'm so happy for him! It was really good and I liked that it wasn't super slow --that there was some up-tempo in it because I was worried he was going to go for just slow. And I had to agree with Paula --he looked great! And I totally disagreed with Simon. It wasn't AMAZING, but Anoop did great!

My Favorite:
Kris

Who should go home:
Lil and Matt

What did you think?

The Craziest Day I've Ever Had and It's Not Even Half Over, Yet

I was up late talking with Brandon, and so when my mind told my body to wake up just after 7AM this morning, I was not willing to comply. But I had to. Today, like yesterday, is one of those days that has five gazillion things on the agenda. These days are less frequent now that I've let some things go, but they are still around. In fact, when I looked at my April calendar, I realized that I would have to do the crazy-day-marathon until May. Seriously --after May 3rd, I have basically nothing to do.
No complaints here!
The irony is how much I love these days when I accomplish a gazillion things. Perhaps it's because it makes up for the extreme-lazy days? Maybe...
Anyway, this is how my morning went:
*Woke up
*Tried to blog about #1's Birthday (because TODAY is #1's Eighth Birthday! Happy Birthday beautiful daughter!) but my cruddy laptop wouldn't let me into my picture site because of some security thing (and the "picture site" where we have our "pictures" is through Brandon's "company" and so it's not some lame-o one that could "easily" be hacked "into" and don't these quotes make you think fondly of Chris Farley? Huh...).
*Sent the girls off to school
*Got myself and the boys ready --but not soon enough. We were 4-5 minutes late for preschool, and when we got there, the front door had a sign on it explaining that the new preschool room in the basement was finished and to please use the basement stairs on the side of the house. I stayed in the van, yelled at #3 to go around the side and down the stairs. I saw him go to the side of the house and I drove to that side and didn't see him, so I knew he had gone down the stairs.
*I drove like a madwoman to my Midwives' office.
*I drank the glucose test in less than one minute (I rock, yo).
*I drove like a madwoman back to my neighborhood for a visiting teaching appointment at 9:30AM. Enjoyed pleasant conversation.
*When that was done, I drove back like a madwoman to the Midwives' office and got some blood drawn.
*Drove back to my neighborhood like a madwoman to my 2nd visiting teaching appointment at 10:30AM (why they were apart like that takes too long to explain here --just know that it was needed and I was glad because how else could I have done this glucose test?). Once again enjoyed pleasant conversation.
*Noted that #4 was a perfect angel through all of the crazy back and forth appointment things.
*The second visiting teaching appointment is right around the corner from the Preschool (NOTE: The Preschool is a woman's house and she lives in our ward, which is very convenient!), and so #4 and I walked around the corner (with both my VT companion and the lady we VT --her twins are in the preschool, too).
*Get to the Preschool.
*Notice we are a few minutes late.
*Notice that only the twins are there.
*#3 isn't there.
*Wonder about it without panic until the preschool teacher says: "Was #3 sick today?"

A MOTHER'S WORST NIGHTMARE BEGINS

*I freaked out. Total freak out. Turns out, #3 never even showed up through the door. His teacher just assumed he was sick. I had assumed he went inside and then DROVE OFF.
*In sheer panic and sobs wracking my body, I grab #4, run back to the car, throw him in and race back to our house, sobbing the whole way and begging God that #3 was at home. I pulled into the driveway, grabbed #4, hauled up to the locked front door, unlocked it, opened the door, and saw #3 sitting on the couch watching the Disney channel.
*Collapse with relief.
*Grab #3 and bawl my eyes out and hug him and tell him I was scared.
*Finally calm down enough to call his teacher and hear #3's story. It went like this: Apparently, he didn't know he was supposed to go down the stairs. He went to the backyard. When he didn't seen anyone, he decided to go home. He figured I had gone to "Costco" (his words). He walked all the way home (just two blocks) and when the front door was locked, he went to the back sliding glass door.
Thanke all that is holy and just that I forgot to lock it this morning when we left!
He came inside, took off his stuff and watched TV for the next two hours. He said the phone rang once but he didn't answer it.
And thank all that is holy and just that nobody came to the door!
So, he was fine.
*After calming down, we had to get in the car and go up to get some Krispy Kreme doughnuts for #1's class (for her birthday, remember?). My VT companion was on her way to my house worried about #3, and luckily I caught her just as we were leaving.
Isn't she so sweet? I could tell she felt that same panic and we talked about how losing our kids is seriously our worst nightmare come true.
*Realized the irony--We lost #3 at Bear Lake this last weekend for about 15-20 minutes. Turns out he went to the wrong condos after playing outside. But I'll tell you about that one later.
*Got the doughnuts.
*Drove to the school, dropped off the doughnuts in the office, picked up #2 and the rest of the carpool, drove home, fed the kids lunch, and wrote this blog post.

And I still have to go to Costco, clean up the kitchen/living room, take #2 to Theater Class, make sure I have everything for #1's birthday, go out to dinner, cake/ice-cream/presents, make sure the Neighborhood Newsletter is ready to go, reserve the building for my piano recital (why do I procrastinate?!), color and cut out some things for #2's Kindergarten teacher, watch American Idol (dude, this one is pure pleasure!), blog about AI, finish the Happy Birthday blog about #1 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, #1!!!), pray that my glucose test confirms the doctors concerns, and collapse into bed.

I swear, this poor fetus has felt every range of emotion today.

Have you ever lost your child?

Amniotic Fluid, Baby!

Ultrasound Results:
I have massive amounts of amniotic fluid that is bordering on way-too-much/scary.

What it means:
I have to take another glucose test soon (tomorrow or Wed) and come back for another ultrasound in 4 weeks.

If I have gestational diabetes:
I watch my diet, take it easy, and continue to have the baby monitored.

If I don't:
The doctor kind of gets worried because we need to find out as to why I have so much fluid.

Worst Case Scenario:
If I don't monitor carefully or change my diet (or they can't figure out why I have so much fluid), then the uterine wall may thin out, the placenta may detach, it may induce early labor, the umbilical cord may fall out of my cervix before the baby has a chance to enter my pelvic area, which would all equal: Preemie baby via C-section.

However:
Baby looks fabulous. He's nearly 2 1/2 pounds now, moves around a lot, still has all major organs (that are working perfectly), and is still a boy (haha!). Anyway, the doctor is confident that the worst-case scenario is very unlikely because my midwife caught the massive measurements so quickly.

So, there you go! I'm happy with the results and am feeling very peaceful about the situation. But I think I'm going to try and eat more veggies and lay off the sugar for a while...

P.S. Thank you guys so much for caring about this! I really appreciate all your concerns and kind words...

No time to blog today!

Too much to do, including:
*Ultrasound to determine why I'm measuring 6 weeks ahead of my due date.
*Closing on the refinance of our house (whoo-hoo!).
*Cleaning the house
*Piano Lessons
*#1's Birthday tomorrow (so much to do, so much to do, so much to do)
*Unpacking and cleaning up after a fabulous weekend at Bear Lake with even more fabulous friends!

Later I will post about all the things above (except the cleaning of the house, I'm sure) and give you updates on my huge belly. Until then, have a happy Monday!

Soothing the Soul

This is what we woke up to this morning:

Yep. That's my beautiful tree in the backyard, weighed down to almost the breaking point with snow. The streets are slushy and icy, and the skies are a gorgeous blue. Ironically, even with my snow hatred, I couldn't' help but see how peaceful and beautiful (and quiet) it made the world --and the sun shining on the ice crystals...well...you know what I mean. I appreciated the beauty. And now that it's melting, I'm appreciating it even more.

But here's hopin' the roads are clear all the way to our destination tonight!

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Yesterday I wrote about how I get obsessed with music. However, most of those CD's are in the car. So, when I'm in the house and I need to clean said house or make dinner or need a break or need to wind down or need to stop myself from selling the children, I turn on some music. Sometimes it's Pandora, but usually I just go to my friend's photography website and listen to the same Enya songs over and over and over (I used to just turn on a Jane Austen movie --that was an obsession for about a year, dear reader. I swear, I'm like a 3 year old who will only eat mac & cheese and watch the same movie 547 times in a row!).

My new favorite Enya song (I have been a fan of Enya since the days we "Sail(ed) Away" together) is Wild Child.

And since I love you, dear reader, here is a video with the song (the video's pretty, but nothing amazing--just listen to the song). The lyrics are awesome and they always lift me up out of the depths of my sort-of despair. From the very first line ("Ever Close Your Eyes?"), I'm drawn into the song and the music.

It rocks my world. Or soothes it. Whichever I need at the moment.


What song, lately, has meant a lot to you, or lifts you up out of your sort-of (or real) despair?

Oh, and have a great weekend! See you on Monday...

AI: Top Six Revealed! Ooh!

*Freeze Frame!

*Kara is a classier dresser than Paula. Just sayin'.

*If this group song is dubbed, it doesn't really look like it. I think this may be the best group song so far. And now I just realized that te staging is more complicated with lots of stairs --is this because Scott is gone? Makes me wonder. But anyway, like I said, the dubbing doesn't look as fake, either. In fact...is this one even dubbed? Somebody's voice cracked on the last word --was that Matt? Crazy! It might have been live. What did you think? Was this one live?

*Ooh! Zac Efron! I like that boy --and I want to see the movie, too. I've seen the trailers for it and it looks like fun. OOH! Zac is there! You cute boy, you!

*Aaaaand Anoop makes the walk again...

*That Jennifer Hudson is a classy girl. What I've always loved about her is that she is sincere and real. When I heard her sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl I remember thinking that she's easy to love because of that humility --and the professionalism! She's so good at what she does and you can tell she's worked hard for it, you know? Love her!
--Did you notice how she kept playing with her earpiece? Good for her! Better to fix that and hear the band than to screw up just to look like nothing is wrong. ;) Man, that girl can sing!

*Aaaaaand Lil makes the walk again...

*Aaaaaaand Matt makes the walk again...

*Hooray! Anoop is safe!! And so now we are down to the two I predicted would leave. Hey! Maybe I'm getting my vibe back again...

*Miley Cyrus. Hmmm... I've always hated her voice. Blah. She's just a kid with massive money, confidence, and a bazillion opportunities in her path because of her dad. Which is AWESOME. Who gets that? But the sad part is there are probably a thousand other kids out there with much more talent who will never have the chance --and all they need is one, you know? But Miley was born to this and so she gets the first chance. Makes me sad, in a way.
(what's up with her hair in her face?)

*Oh, blah, blah, blah. I don't hate Matt --but I don't love him either. But he is not obnoxious and at least he's trying to follow the judges' comments, you know? I'm just tired of Lil, and so I was hoping she was finally done. Sigh.

*Paula and Kara are so weird. At least Randy and Simon are talking about whether or not to save him (and with the way he sang that, please tell me he's going home. Please? Please?)

*Holy Cow!!?!!??! They just saved Matt! They just saved him! They used their ONE and ONLY save and kept Matt! WOW!
I bet you a gajillion dollars that if it had been Lil they would have said No.

*Can't wait for Disco night! I'm betting it will be awesome because nobody is expecting it to be...

Interesting turn of events. What did you think?

Snow, Twilight, and Vacation!

Spring Break started today (who heard of a 3-day Spring Break? Obviously our school district) and it's SNOWING.
Big-flaked, cold, wet SNOW.
It's snowing all over my tree that has blossomed into beautiful flower-i-ness. You know the picture on my heading now? That's the tree! The beautiful tree! Now completely covered in cold cruelty.
*sniff
Oh, the humanity!!
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How do you listen to your music?
I just realized today that I get obsessive with my music --I tend to listen to the same thing over and over and over and then completely change styles and move on to something else. Examples:

*One month all I listened to in the car was a mix-CD Bythelbs made me. The mix wasn't super eclectic, as the songs were similar in style.
*For almost 2 months I would only listen to Josh Groban.
*One time, I only listened to the Romantic Slow Songs mix I made from my brother's honeymoon.
*Then, for a time, it was all Country.
*Next I went for Enya.
*And now I'm obsessed with the Twilight soundtrack (another gift from Bythelbs. Yes, she loves me. I'm okay with that).

Please note that all this music-listening-time is only spent in the car (mini-van) because my kids don't allow me to listen to my music for very long in the house. Plus I don't like taking music back and forth from the car to the house and I don't use my iPod or an mp3 player (I know, I'm completely insane. Whatever). So, I settle.
I'm not above settling.
Anyway, the point is (there is a point!) that right now I'm listening to Twilight, and I realized --I still haven't seen the movie. How could I not have seen the movie?!
What is taking me so long!?
So, I asked Brandon to buy it for me for Mother's Day. He scoffed and said "you don't want that. Why buy a movie you haven't seen and may not like?"
And so I thought about it.
And I still want it.
The books were good for me because it gave me a chance to let out my 16-year old fantasies (what? You never fantasized about true love with a Vampire before? Huh.) without actually indulging in those type of selfish, crazy, unrealistic fantasies, you know? (because the chances of running away with a 17 year old vampire is so likely...) The books themselves weren't great literary pieces, but the story was Fun.
That's the point.
(Although Annette, that smart woman, gave a really great reason as to why young girls should not being reading these books and how grown Women are going crazy with obsession over the whole thing and how Edward displays all the classic signs of an abuser, and how will our girls know the difference when they meet an actual abuser and they think he's just like Edward??--You should read it here. It's very, very good!)

And now that I'm obsessed with the soundtrack, I want the movie to complete my fun-ness. So, everybody convince Brandon he should get me Twilight for Mother's Day. I know most of you have seen it and actually liked it, right? I'm pretty sure I'll like it, too.
Cheesiness and all!
[FYI --No, I cannot just "get" the movie myself. Where's the fun in that? And financially, if I buy it for myself, it's a waste of money. If Brandon buys it for me as a gift, then it's not a waste. See how this works? So, don't convince me to buy it, because I just can't bring myself to do it...]
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Speaking of Twilight, as I was listening to Muse (and I don't know their music that well), I realized that Adam from American Idol sounds a lot like Matthew Bellamy (the lead singer). Like a lot, lot. Did anyone notice that before? I'm wondering if Adam is going for that...
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Tomorrow we are going on vacation! We're heading north for three days with some friends (they have four kids...we have four kids...we're both expecting our fifth...boo-yah!). It should be fun. I'll let you know when we get back!

AI: Tarantino, Baby!

Well, I'm not really a fan of Quentin Tarantino. How could I be? I don't watch his movies. So, I guess I have neither fan-ness or un-fan-ness. I'm a Tarantino Neutral. Like Switzerland.

Allison: Besides the fact I always thought the lyrics of this song was lame (who in the world would give up sleep just to hear someone breathing!? Get him a breathe-right-strip, already!), I think this song is kind of too low for her --which makes it kind boring, at least at the beginning. But then it got pretty cool at the end; and it just got better and better and better. Dude, she can rock!
Great job, Allison!

Anoop: Ooh! Bryan Adams! 8th grade, man, 8th grade! Those were the days...Anyway, I'm liking the different way he's taking the melody on this. Interesting how he's not taking Tarantino's advice on how to sing the song. It was kind of safe, you know? But it was in tune, it was romantic, and it was sweet! I was lookin' in your eyes, Anoop...
Ha! How hilarious that Randy just said "he was in tune" because I just said that, too! I rock, yo! I rock!

Adam: Oh, Adam. You were definitely born to be wild (*shameless giggle)! I just realized he has really white teeth. I need whiter teeth. Huh.
I'm sorry --but he is just the coolest thing ever. I would pay to go to one of his concerts just to see what he would do and I can see myself as an Adam Groupie. What is it about him that I love so much? I was so creeped out originally, and now I'm so in love with him. It's trippin' me out, this 180 degree turn of mine...
Paula's an idiot. Where does she come up with these quotes? "Look at me! I'm so poetic!"
Simon has a point.

Matt: I LOVE this song --the lyrics are amazing. I hope Matt does it justice --he's back at the piano, so it's possible, you know? Oh, crap. He went out of tune there for a second...okay...chorus coming...good! Good! The chorus is good so far --OH, NO! His voice cracked so bad and then it got worse and worse...crap! Voice cracking is NOT good.
Sigh. I've never been that impressed with Matt, and it's not working anymore, either. Poor guy.
And they are being WAY too nice to him right now. Oh, well.

Danny: Okay, people. What bugs me is that just like Scott, Danny is getting a sympathy vote. He is! He's the widower, so we're supposed to like him. I didn't say it was right --it's just what it is --and the whole love song thing, you know? Sigh.
A Harp? Okay. Oops! Didn't hit "my" on the second phrase. It's getting better...and better...ooh! Keep going, Danny! I can feel your endless love!
Oh, I got kind of teary there. I get the whole sympathy for the widower, now. Darn it.

Kris: I don't recognize this song --I'm gonna have to google it afterwards. It's kind of low...oh, it gets higher. That's good --he's better in the upper register. Oh, it's beautiful!
Not bad, Kris, not bad! I just wish it was a little bit longer --because it didn't get going enough before it ended, you know?

Lil: Oh, blah, blah, blah. This is one of my all-time favorite songs, and it sounds better sung straight. But Lil can't sing straight, you know? I mean, the Gospel turn on it isn't a bad thing --it's what she does best. But not WITH THIS SONG. It makes no sense to me. Maybe it's just my Lil prejudice comin' out? Maybe. However, she was all over the place. Nothing made sense. There was no uniformity to it and I didn't like it.
Paula, just be quiet!
Simon rocks the world. He got it right, you know? He always gets it right.
Soooooo glad my TiVo cut off in the middle of Lil's ranting...

Who will go home:
Matt or Lil

Who's the most obnoxious:
Lil

What did you think?

So, When is the Baby Really Due?

I've been pretty lucky with my pregnancies. No gestational diabetes, no pre-term labor, no massive swelling until the last month, no complications with labor and delivery (although I do bleed pretty heavily, but it's easily remedied). I have nice, big babies [8lbs 3 oz; 8lbs 6 oz; 9 lbs 11oz; 8lbs 5oz], and I recover rather quickly.

Today was the first time I've ever felt fear. And I have all week to think about it.

I had my regular 24 week appointment today. The nurse measured me and was very concerned (I was measuring a good 30 weeks). She tried 3 times and got the same result. The midwife came in --she also tried about 3 or 4 times and got 30 weeks, too. However, the baby is moving around just fine, the heartbeat is healthy and strong, and I actually feel great! But the midwife is concerned about fluid levels --which could mean gestational diabetes or just too much amniotic fluid (which equates preterm labor). Of course, I'm known for HUGE placentas, so it could easily be just that.
Who knows?
Which is why I'm going in for another ultrasound (it's on Monday).

I'm not feeling massive fear --the baby feels fine and I feel fine --but this is the first time something has "gone wrong", you know? So, I'm kind of nervous. Should I be? Has this ever happened to you? Not necessarily the fear part, but measuring SIX weeks ahead? I mean, the ultrasound at 20 weeks was 7 full days ahead --could they have been mistaken? Could he be even further along? Is it probably just my placenta? I mean, it could be a big uterus, too, right? I have had five other pregnancies (although only 4 made it past 9 weeks)...

Pictures of Easter Weekend

Dying Easter Eggs using this method (with cousins from Canada!) --realizing the silk needs to be REAL silk for it to work (but we got some good ones)!


Waking up to Easter baskets --with visitors, we had Nine baskets and Eleven people:


Cousins and Kids in their Easter outfits for Church:


Easter Egg Hunt in the backyard after dinner:


Spring has sprung in my backyard!


Celebrating Grandma's Birthday (which is today --HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!)


Random photo from Thursday or Friday: #4 loves yogurt, but loves to eat it with his whole body, apparently...

How was your Easter Weekend?

I Stand All Amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

Text and music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856–1932



I know that my Redeemer lives, dear reader. I love Him --and my gratitude is indescribable.

Have a Happy Easter!

More Brain Dumping

*It's raining. I'm so glad! No need for the sprinklers to be working this week.

*Brandon is going to Paris today. As in France. As in the most romantic city in the world and he's alone. I almost feel more sorry for him than I do for myself --but not quite!

*Brandon and I have already decided that in May of 2011, we're goin' to Hawaii alone for a graduation celebration. What are the chances I'll be pregnant again by then?

*I love Macey's grocery store. I've never had a bad experience there, ever! The food is good, the produce is pretty fresh, the employees are polite and helpful, the sales are great, they bag my groceries and don't give me a nasty look for using paper, they always have free candies at the check-out for the kids (whoever thought of this is a GENIUS), and today they were passing out balloons. And they are closed on Sundays! My kind of grocery store, people.

*I'm so tired. Late nights and no naps have not been kind to me --and now I'm beginning to realize that I'm pregnant. I mean --it's starting to get hard, now. Not sick, no heartburn, no swollen feet or hands --just hard. I'm bigger. I'm tired. This realization is hard for me to accept because I was anticipating summer and hiking and picnics and camping and...it's probably not going to happen in the way I want it, too. Have I just been in denial? Or kept the mentality that an August due date means the END of summer, when in reality August 2nd means I could actually have the baby in July? Crazy! I need to get crackin' --baby clothes, diapers, bassinet, car seat, etc. There's so much to do! And only...3 1/2 months to do it! Okay, I guess I have time...

*I've been crying everyday this week. Like sobbing crying, and silly crying, and the swelling of tears at random moments. It started Saturday during Conference and I can't seem to shut it off! The thing is, I'm really not that sad. Stressed, yes --frustrated, a tad. But not depressed or anything. The hormones have just kicked into overload, I guess!

*Anybody know a great recipe for Deviled Eggs?

*Okay, tell me your favorite color and flower. Ready...go!
(Why? I don't know. It's my brain dumping out random info, right? So, you can join me in the randomness!)

AI Results this week (top 8? Top 7? What do we call it?)

*Awesome! I just loved it at the beginning when they showed Frankie Avalon singing in the video and then he came out singing LIVE!
Oh, that was just a treat. I was grinning the whole time --I loved it! Hooray for Frankie Avalon!

*Whoah, how come it took me this long to realize that there are only two girls left?! Holy cow! Now I predict that Allison will be left for a while --probably like the Season Two Top Three with two guys and a girl.

*The group singing is so dumb. Why do they do it? Oh, yeah --so they have something to do together on tour...

*I liked what Danny said about how TV is different than a live show --it's like the difference between theater and TV (ummm...duh...) because in TV you can make mistakes and fix 'em for the final shots. Or do several final shots. What's also crazy is all the work that go into a 30 second (or less?) spot...

*Oh, Adam! I love the new look you've been sporting these last few weeks. You've kind of moderated it all --not too scary, not too clean (thank goodness). It's perfect!

*Anoop in the bottom three again! Darn.

*Who? And what's up with this re-make of Dead or Alive? It might be fun (it kind of is) if the girl wasn't wear turquoise spandex. And if the other girls were wearing clothes that covered at least parts of their bodies. See, now the main guy is wearing pants and a jacket. This is what my feminism HATES --men dressed like they respect themselves, and the women dressed like sluts. Where is their respect? I hate it. Hate. It. The blatant sexism! Oh, never mind, he took off his jacket. That's it --I'm fast-forwarding through this crap.

*Scott in the bottom three! Yay!

*Lil is FINALLY in the bottom three! YAY! I'm so over her. Blah.

*Kelly Pickler, eh? What is up with her trying to look like Carrie Underwood? Awkward. I've never really liked her --did she get a nose job? And she's actually singing flat...okay, I don't have time for this, either. Fast-forwarding.
Am I just being mean tonight? Oh, well.

*BLAH! I wanted Anoop to be saved! Not Lil --Lil is so...frustrating. And what they said to her last night about just pretending to be the different singers each night rather than herself? That was spot on! She's just a karaoke singer.

*Please be Scott...please be Scott...YES! It's Scott!! Phew! Well, it's about time, you know. Now, the question remains...will they save him? If they do, I will be so mad. So mad!

*Phew! Thank you, Simon for having a level head.

*Good-bye Scott! You're a great guy and I'm impressed with your musical talent --I can see you as the next Barry Manilow! (and that's not a bad thing, you know)

What did you think?

Random Venting So My Brain Doesn't Explode Post

Have you ever had one of those days when you had so much to say but you didn't know how to say it? My brain is on overload, I'm tired, my legs hurt, the weather turned cold, and I have five gazillion things to do before Friday. I'm having loads of company for the weekend, and Brandon doesn't get home until Saturday --and now I'm thinking it would be nice to just skip April altogether.
Sigh.
So, I'm gonna make this post a random one, okay? Just to get the overloaded brain some respite:

*My oldest daughter is turning 8 --since it's an even year, she gets a friend party. I asked her to think of what she'd like to do (what theme she would want) and she came up with the best idea! Her birthday is the day before Earth Day, so she wants to do an Earth Day party. We're going to buy flower pots, decorate them (that was actually bythelbs' idea), and then plant flowers. Then the girls can take them home. That's it! Flower pots and cake/ice-cream/gifts. I'm so proud of her for coming up with something so unique and fun.

*I'm almost 24 weeks along now. It's strange, because I feel the baby moving around constantly now, but I keep forgetting how big I'm getting. And I'm starving! I can't stop eating. I need to slow down at least a little bit so I don't gain TOO much weight this time around!

*#3 is finally registered for Kindergarten! Yay! They had a new rule this year that the kids couldn't even be put into the system until ALL their immunizations were done. I had no idea that could be done before they are 5 years old --why didn't they say anything? So, yesterday, I took #3 to get his shots. He was not happy about it and I had to physically hold him down so the nurse could get the shots in his thighs super quick (she was fabulous, btw). He cried and screamed, but when it was over, he was just fine. Me, on the other hand? I couldn't stop crying! I cried the whole way home. Just holding his body down KNOWING it was causing him pain was enough to open the floodgates of tears. Plus I'm hormonal. And I love him.

*I'm so nervous for the piano recital on May 3rd. I hate it! Every time I have a recital, my students somehow become the biggest slackers. It doesn't matter how much time I've given them to learn the songs or memorize; it doesn't matter how much I emphasize the importance of such an event --every time (every time!) I have at least 5 or 6 students who humiliate themselves. Sure, they do great all the rest of the year, but put "recital" in front of a song? It's like a subconscious alarm goes off and they turn off all effort.
Sigh.

*A friend of mine I haven't seen in YEARS drove up to my house the other day to say hi! It was so awesome to see her! Even better, she reads this blog --isn't that crazy? I had no idea. So, here's a shout-out and hello to Amber M.! Hello! :)

*I'm very excited and mostly terrified of the new Critique Group I was asked to join. It's Thursday night, and I have the chapters printed out (9 copies!), ready to go. But I'm so nervous! And shoot! I haven't got a sitter, yet...

*What the heck am I going to do about the lawn? I cancelled our lawn service for financial reasons, but our sprinklers aren't working, there's no WAY Brandon can do the lawn this summer (what with school and work and callings and travel) and I'm going to be a little too pregnant for it...but what else can I do? And who do I hire to do the sprinklers? And how much will that cost? And what do I do about the lawn? Do I hire a neighbor kid to do it? Do I just put on my big girl panties and do it myself? Oh, if only our children were old enough to do it themselves...

*We did the Easter FHE Monday night --and it went really well! I had forgotten about these FHE kits I had made in the last ward we were in, but I found them when we cleaned out the office. I was so happy! The Easter one was all ready to go. The kids loved it and took turns holding pictures and opening the eggs. Did you have an Easter FHE? What did you do?

*My calling is so frustrating. I spend a lot of time editing and putting together a fabulous newsletter for the ward, right? It comes out twice a month, so I am thinking about it a lot. Then I pass it along to the distributor who prints it and gives it to the boys in the ward to pass out. That's it. That's all this calling entails --printing and passing. And yet month after month after month it doesn't get done --and if it does? Never on time. Never. And so, all of my work is usually wasted. This time? It was done a WEEK late. If that --I don't even know because I still haven't gotten my own copy! I shouldn't vent about this here, but I'm just tired, that's all. I've spoken with the Bishopric about it, but nothing has changed, so I just do my job, and pass it along. It doesn't help that this person refuses to take phone calls from concerned neighbors who never get their newsletter --so I'm always flooded with phone calls (as is my assistant editor). I just don't know what to do anymore. I think I need to pray about it more...

*There's so much more to talk about. Like the stuff I need to clean, and the shopping I need to get done, and our vacation next week, and how my Burt's Bees lotion from my SIL (thanks, Bren!) works so much better on my sunburn then cheap aloe vera sticky gel --but I'm sure I've already bored you all to tears (if you even read this far, eh?). So, I'll just stop there.

Do you need to vent or get stuff out? You are welcome to do it here --go for it! (Just maintain a sense of decorum and respect, okay?)

AI: Baby Pictures!

I watched it all before typing, so this will be my after-the-event-thoughts (sorry they are so short!):

1. Baby pictures rock. Awww!

2. My favorite performances of the night were Anoop's, Allison's, and Adam's (The Triple A Threat!).

3. Danny, Kris, and Matt were okay. Matt was flat on that high note, though (ouch); Kris was forgettable, and Danny was good, but not super good.

4. Lil and Scott didn't do so hot and I LOVED everything they said to Lil! Scott was out of tune.

5. My DVR didn't record Adam's performance! AACK! Did you miss it, too? If so, go here and watch his part in it's entirety. I'm so glad I found it!

Who should go home:
Lil or Scott

What did you think?

Ten Things

I was tagged and got the letter "W" because I'm so witty! Well, at least Bythelbs thinks so... :)

Oh, and the rule is you are to list 10 things you love that start with a certain letter. If you want to play along, let me know in the comments and I will give you a letter!

Wikipedia:

I love that I can get free almost accurate information about almost anything!

Walking:

I love to walk, hike, and r...walk. Running is okay when I've got motivation and am in training, but I truly would rather enjoy a calm pace so I can enjoy what's around me. Like looking at my husband walk. *giggle

Where the Streets Have No Name:

I love U2's music. I have to admit I'm not a fanatic, nor do I own all their music. But I have never heard anything by them I didn't like! (don't you love this old-school poster?)

Water:

Love it. Love to drink it (prefer it over anything, really), love to swim in it (snorkeling is preferred), love to watch it (waves, baby, waves!), love to hear it, and love to smell it (rain!).

Wall-E:

Okay, the movie wasn't that awesome for me --too much "save the Earth or we'll all end up in outer space for 700 years! Do it NOW!" And that bugged me. However, I like being Green. Not fanatic-green. Just doin'-my-duty Green. I recycle, I turn off lights, I buy organic, I buy local (try to), and I love the Earth. I think the last one is it. I don't do any of the above because it's "cool" or because some famous person told me I should or because it's all political now. I do it because I love nature. It's kind of my favorite thing, really. Green's my favorite color, too, btw, but it doesn't start with "W". See why I picked Wall-E?

Wisdom:

I love learning from people. Smarter people --people who KNOW. Like prophets, seers, and revelators. Also, I enjoy learning from my parents, teachers, old ladies in my ward, blogger friends, Wikipedia (see?), the scriptures, my children, authors who write awesome books, and many, many other people and things.

Wishing:

I love to wish upon a star...but more importantly, I try to be optimistic. That doesn't mean I'm not good at complaining (holy cow do I complain!), but I always end my rants with hope and looking at the positive side. Optimism and hope are things I love, and I'm always reminding myself to remember it. Life without wishes (and watching them come true?) is depressing. I'm depressed enough without adding to it...

Windows:

Windows are awesome. I especially like old ones (this one above was taken at the Tower of London in January by yours truly). There's just something about windows that make me happy. I love looking out our kitchen window above the sink at our old, old tree-which-has-a-name-I-don't-know. The seasons change this tree dramatically, and I love to watch the changes. I also love a house with open curtains and lots of sunshine. And then, I could wax philosophical on ya' and talk about windows to our souls, etc. and so forth, but I won't right now...

Wheat:

100%, that is! Rolls, breads, tortillas, oatmeal, etc. I love it natural and tend to dislike the white stuff now (I'll still eat it, but I prefer the wheat).

Warmth:

I am always cold. Always! In winter I die, in summer I wear pants. People think I'm strange, but that's how it is. Brandon is naturally warm, so he does pretty good all year round. So, I like socks, pants, jackets, and gloves. And Hawaii. In fact, the picture is of the Na Pali coastline in Kauai --somewhere I've been several times. I love it so much! It's warm there, dear reader. Always warm! Not deathly hot-shoot-me-now --just warm! Sigh...

So, there you have it. Let me know if you want to play!

I Used to Tan

When I was a little girl, I never sunburned. Ever. I have this awesome olive skin that has always given me a beautiful tan --even now in my old age! However, after I turned 18, I realized I needed to sunscreen up as much as the next girl --no matter how pasty white.
I forgot that today.
In March.
When we finally got some sunshine after weeks of miserable cold and wind and snow.

Alison (whom I love, because she likes me for me, and not because I hang with Leonardo...) came down to visit me, and we went to the park (because I had, of course, scheduled the carpet and upholstery cleaning guys the same day. I'm not one for thinking ahead, dear reader, especially when I'm with child-who-robs-me-of-my-nutrients-and-brain-cells). It was the perfect day! 60 degree plus weather, no clouds, happy children, great pb&j, fabulous conversation, etc.
But I forgot about sunscreen.
Until I noticed #4 was getting slightly pink. The poor kid already has sensitive skin, so I was worried, but Alison had some in the car. We got the kids covered, I remembered to cover my lower legs (I was wearing capris) and forgot my arms. I think. But we were out there for a good 2 hours before I thought about sunscreen!
Needless to say, I am a lobster right now. My legs AND my arms AND part of my face AND probably my hairline (gah! Don't you hate sunburns on your scalp? It's like you have massive dandruff!) are red.
Luckily, I have aloe vera.
Not so luckily, it's hurting, which is not a good sign (meaning the burn-age has totally beaten the don't-you-realize-it's-March-you-cursed-Sun?!?).
Sigh...oh, well. I shall live and learn.

You know, I used to always have sunscreen on hand in the car. In fact, Alison and I were laughing because we both had car blankets --and I told her how in California I would have everything in the car so we could go at a moment's notice: sunscreen, sand toys, water toys, blankets, first-aid kit, umbrellas, strollers, hiking stuff, kites, etc. And now? In Utah? In winter? I don't even know what's back there.
But the sunscreen goes in tomorrow!

Hey, but I have some questions: Are you guys good about the sunscreen? With you and/or with your kids? Do you slather them up before you get in the car to go, or do you slather them up upon exiting the car at your destination? Do your kids wear hats well? Do you? Do you remember to sunscreen yourself? If you are awesome at sunscreen-ing, please help me! Tell me how you remember! Because I'm looking at a long, hot summer before me...

*I meant April. It's April! Not March. April! ~sigh~

Crazy, crazy dreams

Last night:

There were about 4 or 5 of us and we needed to get to northern WA to visit bythelbs. We'd been planning this trip (this other guy and two other girls --no idea who the other people were) for a while, and we were leaving on a Friday. But I got a phone call early Fri. morning before we left from Amanda, saying she and her husband wanted to go out to dinner with us Sat. night because they were going to be in town. I asked Brandon what he thought and he said, "yeah! Let's do it!" So I told Amanda, yes. Then I got into the car with the other people to head to Bythelbs' house --only it wasn't just ANY car, it was Kit! From Knight Rider! And I dropped the bad news to the people that I had to be back by Sat. FOR SURE to be at this dinner. They were confused, since it takes like 12 hours to drive to Bythelbs house in the first place. But then I reminded them we could FLY. This was Kit, was he not? And so we flew for a few minutes and knocked off about 200 miles. Boo-yah! But then one of the girls reminded the guy driving (now I'm thinking he was Michael Knight, but not Hasselhoff, the new Michael Knight who I don't know his name and can't stand anyway because that re-make sucks --although just as cheesy as the first show) that we would get into BIG trouble with the government if they caught us flying. So, we started to drive. Then suddenly we were in Montana at a rest stop, and I was confused because Montana isn't on the way to WA (from UT, anyway). But then suddenly we got back in the car and we told the driver that we really needed to get to Bythlbs' house asap --so we flew the rest of the way. When we got there, for some reason, Bythelbs had a huge communal (and unisex) dorm and bathroom in her house and we were all expected to shower. But all the showers with curtains were taken and there were tons of frat guys in there and I refused to shower in front of them (because some of the showers were out in the open, but nobody was using them, thank goodness!). So, I went and talked to Bythelbs instead and she said she had some Spanx for me and asked why we couldn't stay longer than a day and I explained my dinner-date. Right then someone said the bathroom was all clear, and I went into the communal shower/bathroom and NOBODY was in there at all! So, I prepared to have a shower, and then the dream changed but I can't remember to what...

Sorry for the "buts" and run-on sentences --I had to type fast to remember it!

For other crazy dreams, go here, here, or here.

Have you had any recently? Crazy dreams, I mean?