November Give away

As any of you who know me knows that my favorite necklace of all time was made by this creative genius. I know Angela not only from her one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry but also because she is the sister of one of my all time favorite people and across the street neighbor, Amy Kroff. Amy was wearing a necklace that was three strands, one of pearl, and one had charms attached with each of her kids names and one in the middle with herself and Paul's name. I immediately coveted this necklace and wanted it for my very own ( with my own kids names, of course, and minus Paul and Amy). What could be better than wearing a fashionable reminder of all the things most important to me? I inquired about the price and knew that it would not be mine any time soon. Not that it's not worth it, you get what you pay for. I kept seeing her necklace and I knew it would be the perfect one for me that I could wear EVERYDAY with a t-shirt or to church. I think it only took two years of hinting and a strategically placed suggestion from Amy to Dave that I finally got my necklace for my birthday, and I wear it EVERYDAY. Mostly.

It was a sad day when we moved from our favorite neighbors. We crammed alot into those three years. We were pregnant together, had beautiful baby boys together, played outside, vented, philosophized ( I use the term very loosely), cried, laughed (well, Amy snorted) and enjoyed every minute of it. I watched Amy's love and talent of photography grow into a flourishing business. So many great things about the Kroffs. I can honestly say there wasn't one second of those three years that I ever had any negative feelings for Amy and Paul for any reason.....at all. We loved every single second. Good neighbors are so hard to come by which is why we felt so blessed to live across from them for 3 great years! We love the Kroffs.

(Thank heavens it was BEFORE Paul became bishop, wink wink. He's still just Paul to us.)

*Pictures to come when my camera gets back

When did my mom become Elaine?

I was in the shower today and heard someone out of the bathroom door talking to me. Now I could tell right away that it wasn't my 3 year old, Trigg because he just barges in and says what ever he wants: fruit snacks, juice box, Dora, go to Addie's to play etc.

It was not Trigg but I did recognize the voice. I said, " What, is that you Sherry?" Thinking it might be my sister Sherry. The mystery person answered, "no, it's Elaine." What? When did my mom become Elaine to me? When did that happen? I purposely don't call my my mother in law (as much as I love her), I don't call her mom because that is not her name to me, my mom's name is mom. It would be like calling my husband "Frank" when his name is actually Dave, (or Mr. Mantastic.)

So as I finished my shower, I asked "Elaine" to wait 5 minutes until i got out, which she did. But for the rest of my shower (all 5 minutes of if it) I wondered why she identified herself as Elaine and not my mom. It was a ilittle distressing but now I am over it, kinda. I'm really not trying to make her feel bad, she is the best "Elaine" ever and always will be to me. But she is also the best mom ever and always will be to me. Even if she starts to call herself Elaine, I will always call her mom.
Hormonal today? Probably, probably every day. Love you Elaine.

Nie to the Nie

Ok, maybe reading the Nie Nie Dialogues is the most stereotypically mormon mom thing to do but I don't care.

Every time I am feeling sorry for myself for one trial or the other, sitting at my computer in my pajamas feeling sorry for myself for one thing or another, all I have to do is read her blog, any post will usually do. Immediately I feel guilty, inspired and incredibly moved all at once.

When I first started reading her blog, I would find myself driving down the road, thinking about how I really shouldn't have eaten all those cookies after lunch or how I am really sick of all the running around I have to do or do I really have to make dinner again tonight? Suddenly all I have to do is think: guess what? I have all my own skin, and all my hair and I can make dinner tonight. I can get in and out of bed without any help ( even if I'd rather never get out). I look in the mirror and even if my body is a couple of pounds heavier than I like (ok, more like 20) at least it's my body, and I have control over how it looks and how I feel.

The trials I have that seem so colossal to me are almost laughable compared to hers, and I'm sure so many others, that all I need to do is try a little perpesctive. My very worst day, can't even be compared to what she has been going through EVERY DAY. I can relate to what I believe her life was like before the accident. The ups and downs of being a mom with 4 small children, being married to a husband who you absolutely adore, trying to be the best person you can be and sometimes falling short. I can't help feeling like, why did she have to go through this and feeling horribly guilty that I am so relieved that I didn't.

Any time I relay the insights or epiphanies or laughs I get from reading her blog to my husband he says, "do you even know this person?" No, I don't know her. That is, I've never met her. But I do feel like I know her. I know her as well as anyone who has read all of her blog posts, past and present, and followed the lives of her sisters and children going on through life while she slept.

Every time I read of the simple mom things that moms do that she didn't get to do for so long its like a giant wake up call to do those things, all of them, and not try and pawn them off on my husband because I am sick of doing them every day. Reading books, working in the kids class rooms, T-ball games, family vacations, skip-bo games, walks in the sunshine, pinewood derby, birthday parties, even enduring the unbearable heat that never seems to end in Arizona. Sadly, I still hate making dinner, even if I am grateful that I can make it.

Stereotypical or not, I check her blog everyday and it's not always life altering but somedays it is just what I need to change my attitude and perspective. Now in the interest of time saving, I try to limit my blog surfing to family members and very close friends....and Nie Nie, who I have never met in my life. But it would be really cool if I did. Well, I guess I also read Seriously So Blessed, but that is a wake up call of a different kind.

Sorry no pics, I hate posts with no pics! Here is a super awesome picture of me and Dave at Prom.
Check out the sleeves on that dress. What. Was. I. Thinking?!?!

This post came out today. Case in point: My Perfect Life

Happy birthday Janee!

Sadly, this will be a short post. I am bad at capturing timeless moments on my camera. In fact, she's lucky I got any at all. She wanted cheesecakes which if you've ever tried to make my mom's recipe, you know it is tricky. So I left it to the expert and made Jannalee make them for me. I did make the crusts though. Boy were they delicious, thanks Jan. Unfortunately, Janee had a really bad case of strep throat so we had to save them for her. She also was lucky enough to have her birthday fall on Father's day which she thought was really cool. No pictures of that because I was STRICTLY forbidden to get ANYTHING for Dave. I did make a really nice dinner though if I do say so myself. I had to take care of Greg that day too since Bek was in Utah. That's ok though, he's one of my favorite dads too.




Some of her presents were tickets to see Wicked with her mom and Gramma, a Nintendo DS (secretly handed down from her brother) and some fun games. She also has a cute necklace waiting to be made by her aunt Rebecca. I gave her a pack of classic books that I think every little girl should have, Gramma Proffitt gave her the book Heidi and tapes with Gramma reading it to her. Gramma Dunyon gave her an adorable dress for church which she loves. She is getting harder to buy dresses for since I want to put her in ruffles and lace and she isn't really going for that anymore.

It's really sad. Anyway, my baby girl is 9 and I love her more and more each year. Selfishly, I am glad I only have one girl but if I could give her anything just for her, it would be a load of fabulous sisters just like my own. I don't know what I would do without them. Luckily, she has some pretty fabulous cousins which I hope will serve the same purpose. Love you Janes!

Guest Appearances at the Beach Houses

We had so much fun visiting with all the family that rotated through the beach houses. Mostly Beks but I got Mom and Callie sometimes.
Mama ginger came and stayed with a friend for a couple of days and then came to Beks house and made us all manner of boiled peanuts......delish!
After several days of coaxing and cajoling, we talked Cassie into braving a 12 hour car ride with a 3 month old and a 2yr old who apparently gets car sick after a while. Way to tuff it out Cass! You are die hard! I loved loved loved seein the girls!



Jannalee came with just Zanya and Samantha or as Trigg calls them "Zammy"

Clark and Margs and there cutest little family!






Sherry, Wendall and all of their kids. This one is my favorite. Love the little queenie!




We had my sister in law Sarah and Austin come on Memorial day with Dennis and Chris.
They also came to visit with Brooke, Aaron, Emma and Heidi but we have no pictures of that day, it was too cold!

Last but not least, we had Spencer and Zephyr come visit which was a personal treat to be able to let Trigg have so much fun playing in the waves with Zephyr. I enjoyed watching so much that I completely ignored my camera. I am trying to get pictures from Spence. So much fun having my brothers come!


Coming Soon: Strawberry Fields Forever!

I want to be More.....and less

I want to be.....
(not in any particular order)

more mother
more wife
more sister
more daughter
more daughter in law
more grand daughter
more visiting teacher
more latter day saint
more assistant webelos leader
more friend
more P90X
more citizen
more girl
more student
more neighbor
more aunt
more teacher
more widget completer
more dancer
more creator
more inspiring
more blogger
more leader
more homemaker
more problem solver
more baker
more sister in law
more companion
more missionary
more listener
more talker



I want to be .......

LESS ME!!

Why is that so hard?

Beach House '09

Ahhhhhh, the beach house. Even as I sit here blogging about it I get teary-eyed that I am not still there. As many pictures as I took, there are thousands more I wish I would have taken to catch all the great memories from that month. For the whole month of May, Dave "let" me get a whole beach house to myself, well, and the kids, oh and my mom too. The kids alternated between school and the beach for the month of May and Dave made it for most of the weekends and the whole last week. My sister Rebecca had one just up the street and our friends, the Johnsons, had one a couple houses from them. What can I say, a dream come true for all involved, except for maybe Dave who has to stay home by himself and work for most of the month. I didn't get picturess of some of the best things about the beach house, since I was too busy enjoying them all, but don't worry, they will definately get an honorable mention.

Here is our humble little "Beach Cottage". That is what the plaque says under the light. This was taken just after church as I actually had the foresight to take a photo of it. I love it.

This table alternately had puzzles and laptops on it consistently depending on who was there for the week. My mom and I prefer the puzzles, everyone else....laptops.
My mom and Callie and Trigg on the short walk from my house to the Johnsons for S'more night.
Sand Castles!
Chez Kylee and Kinsey complete with a K inscribed on each sand mold. They got 2nd prize because theres had some serious style and class but the big pit in the middle of the city did pose a few problems for the sand town. Two scoops of Thrifty ice cream.
The fortress of doom bulit by the boys. They won the first prize for function which was defending the sand town from sand bad guys. They got 3 scoops of Thrifty ice cream but Tate only go two for poor sportsmanship. He's a smack talker, nobody likes smack talk, Tate.

These are our Beach house BFFs the Johnsons. For the whole month, these guys are like family for us and we wouldn't have it any ohter way. Girls and kids during the week so we can be moms, all the husbands come up together on the week ends so they can be the moms and the girls can be the wives....after all the kids are in bed. This is a serioulsy fun family that we just can't spend enough time with. This is S'more time at their place. This fabulous fam taught us to put strawberries on our S'mores...delish! We taught them how to roast and eat starbursts at the fire. This is how our communication goes:

Kristina: are we running or p90X today? Lets get goin, I've been up since 5:30 with Peyton.

Bek: ok, meet at my house at 8:15

Joy: I really don't want to be awake yet, can't we sleep in today.

NO

Bek: Do we want to do bathroom burrirtos this morning or walk to get donuts?

Kristina: Lets do donuts so we can do bathroom burritoes with the boys.

Joy: Mmmmmm ...donuts!

Bek:who needs a soda?

Joy and Kristina: I do, meet you out front.

Bek: Whose sand are we sitting at today? Where is the sun?!

Kristina: working on hair flowers for the girls tonite if anyone wants to come.

Joy and Bek: of course we want to come!

Communication between husbands:

Joel: you guys wanna play games with us so we can whip your trash?

Greg: Maybe, what kind of treats will you have?

Joel: The treats are only for the winners so you cant have any cuz me and Kristina are gonna totally beat you and the Dun-unyons.

Dave: I'd love to play games but Joy gets kind of scary when she plays so she might just watch. That's some serious smack talk Joel. Nobody likes smack talk, but we do like Dr Pepper so as long as there's plenty of DP, we're in.

Something like that...those boys text more than we do.
They even sat out on the beach with us on our last day even though it was FREEZING cold .
We suffer serious Johnson withdrawals for weeks after we come home.


This is the only picture I got of the view from the window. Can you believe that?
More S'mores

Trigg

Trigg is my surprise.

You think your done having kids and then one day, surprise. By that I mean that the single last lonely sperm left in Dave, fought his way through latex, into my fallopian tube and ripped out an egg that wasn't supposed to be out yet, and attached itself to my uteran wall. Sorry if that was too graphic for you but seriously! Not only that, but it had to be a boy sperm. Boys 4. Girls 1. Way to go Mr. Mantastic.

I was okay with this.





And I loved this.



Not so much this.




or this.

Trigg, or Trigg-saster or Trigg-zillla, is mean.

Not so much mean-spirited, I don't think but still mean. He hits, he scratches, he pinches, and yes, he has been known to bite on occasion. Sometimes, unprovoked.

He has been written up at the gym SIX times. He has been grounded from the gym for weeks and months at a time. Most of the time his cousin Dax has been the victim but still, SIX times.

He tackles Jarem and pulls his hair for no reason. My gramma can't watch Trigg and Addie at the same time for fear of Addie's life.

He adds so much more stress to my life.

Sometimes I look at him and think, why?

Just why?

But once in a while, usually when we are alone, I look at his brown/green eyes that are exactly the same color as my dads (not attractive, but familiar), and I know why I love him.

I still don't know why I had him, but I know why I love him.

Most days, I want to tie him up in a chair, or just tie his hands together (which I have tried).

Maybe, one day, I will know why I had him. But at least sometimes, I know why I love him.

I dream about his graduation, from medical school, and a letter I will get in 17 years from just one person that has learned about the gospel, or has had a better day because of Elder Dunyon.

I dream about a temple marriage to a sweet little girl, that lets me take her babies, and of a perfect fatherhood to at least 3 children.

Then I will know why I had him.

Or maybe Addie just learns some mad self defense skills and it saves her life one day.

Or that. Something, please?