Vacation!

At the first rest area after entering Vermont

Day one: Joseph Smith Memorial- We got up early to make it there at 9am.  We arrived after 11am.  It's a long drive, 2hrs and 40 minutes.  So we needed to stop for a potty break and to give the drivers a chance to stretch.

After the kids used the facilities, then they also had to play on the playground for a few minutes.  Which it wasn't until after the kids were leaving that we noticed the sign that said "No Pets!"  So my Dad says to the kids, "Uh oh!  We shouldn't have let you guys go on the playground!"  Jordan looks at him quizzically and asks, "Why not?"  And he points out the sign saying, "No pets allowed"

The sign on the left is not that playground sign, but another sign that I thought was humorous enough to take a picture of.

The Memorial was great!  We got the tour by Sister Elder Peterson.  Sister Peterson accidentally grabbed her husbands name tag, so though she introduced herself as Sister, we teased her about being Elder.  She had a good sense of humor about it.  Her husband showed up later and he didn't notice, even after Sister Peterson showed it to him.  We all got a good laugh from that as well.

Not as funny now as it was then.

Dad made a face, mom didn't smile.  If it's not the kids it's the adults!

What I like about this picture is that Madison and Grandpa didn't know that they were going to make the same silly face, yet there they are.  They are so lucky we love them!


When choosing the picture of the spire for the blog is was difficult.  I didn't want the best picture that I plan to reserve for my website.  But I also didn't want a bad picture.  So this is the worst picture with the bluest sky.  So I think that is a good compromise.

Not the best of the many I have, but the sky is the bluest.

The kids were doing several things here. But first, this  is the 2nd most sacred place in the world.  The first being where Christ was born. -According to a Prophet, but I now forget which one.  This spot is where the corner stone of the house where Joseph Smith was born.

So the kids either contemplating spiritual matters or praying.  I'm sure none of them were thinking anything but the most positive spiritual thoughts.  (Yeah, I can be delusional occasionally)  But they did want to pray, so we did as a family.

I want one of these!

This stretched limousine of a golf cart was the most fun part of the day!  We got to ride up and down hills at break neck speeds of up to 15 miles per hour! (I'm really just guessing, I don't know the actual speed) But it was so much fun we all commented on how we all know why they don't have the young Elders doing the tours.  We didn't request the ride, I think Sister Elder Peterson just really enjoys going on the ride.

So what good is a bridge if you can't jump off of it?  None at all if you ask my kids....

Why do the kids enjoy this?  I don't know, but they insisted on pictures.  It was fun watching them enjoy themselves pretending.

My mom caught Jordan praying on her own.  She left the group and went to the opposite side of the monument and knelt down to pray.  Mom went looking for her when she didn't pop up on the other side, then she motioned for me to come over quickly.  And here she is.  Madison and Bailey saw her and they too came over to pray silently.

I love my family!  My kids are amazing.  I don't know what I did to deserve such fantastic people for my own, but I am ever so grateful for them!

For my own ego, I hope it's good parenting.  But I also know that I'm just the second set of parents my kids have had and the previous set were perfect, which I am not.  So I can't take too much credit.

Getting on in years...

I'm 35-ish.  -ish because I will be before the end of the year, but I'm not there yet.

I have been thinking for a few months now about my mind.  And the mind of my husband.  Not that we are insane, but we aren't totally like everyone else.  So possibly not totally sane either?

We don't think the way other's do.  When I'm at the mall, I have two things go through my head.  Either, "Let's get the heck outta here!"  Or "Look, toys!"  I hate clothes shopping, grocery shopping, shoe shopping and all that adult stuff.  It's depressing.

I also find that when I'm at adult meetings I get bored quickly and my mind wanders.  After some meetings I feel that I wasted my time because I couldn't keep my mind on the subject being discussed.  And I've wasted the teachers time by being distracted.  That's part of the reason I'm hesitant to go to Time Out For Women.  I'm going to pay all that money and just be bored or distracted.

I have spoken to other women about my age, give or take, and they don't have these same issues.  And then again, a few do...I'm not naming names, just in case.

I don't relate to adults very well.  I usually put my foot in my mouth because I'm blunt and to the point with little reservations.  Except with kids, I know I have to keep my thoughts to myself.

I noticed this for the first time while at girls camp.  I don't want to give the wrong impression, every person I met was fantastic and wonderful!  The other leaders were so sweet!  I loved spending time with them.  All ten minutes of it!  Because I spent most, no, ALL my free time with the girls.  If not my second years, then it was the third years or the YCL's.  I did try to talk to the other adults, but I just faded in and out and got bored quickly.  I'm not even sure what they talked about.

About a month after girls camp Taylor tells me that I'm not like other mom's.  Jordan pipes in and agree's.  They say I'm a "Cool Mom."  I don't want to be my kids best friend or anything, I don't want them to think they can go out and get drunk and call me and I'll be just peachy with it.  But I kinda like that we can talk openly with out feeling uncomfortable.  I am on the fence of whether the Cool Mom label is a compliment or a doormat label.

So at 35 should I have to think like an adult?  Should I be relating more to those my age?  Or is it okay to enjoy the company of my kids and their friends?  Do I have to start thinking more about how the neighbors think than how much fun I'm having with the kids?
Is that really how adults think? (Bills, keeping up with the Jones', who's got the smartest kid, etc) I hope not.  Cause you can't make me!

6th Grade

Hi, everyone! It's me, Jordan! Well, 6th grade is only six days away and I have HR 103 and Math teacher Mrs. Herring.So does Avery [:)] and Sierra[<:(]. I am worried, that when I don't answer Sierra, the next day she will ask me why, and I will have to think of new excuses evryday. :(.

Please remind me to DO MY HOMEWORK. I didn't do a lot of my homework last year and dropped my grades by a LOT because of it. Oh, well. Mrs. Herring is supposed to be nice and give no homework. Let's hope she doesn't change over summer. Fingers are crossed.

The S.S. teacher's name is a mouthful. Something like Mr. Haghendashunzzah-Stacey, or what ever. Let's hope we get to call him Mr. H. :). G2G. TTUL.

All came crashing down....

J and I went to the Temple yesterday. It was great, as always.  Nothing special or exciting to report, just being there is great.  So we are on our way home and we are starved!  We were going to eat at the temple, but we really needed to get on the road.  The missionaries are coming and the house needs to be cleaned.  But we are STARVING!  So we stop by a Burger King, order and pay with the debit card.  I had just deposited $50 the day before, which means that I should have a little over $50 in that account.  NOPE.  Not my bank.  I write a check and it's deposited into someone else's account and presto! The money is removed from my account the same day.  I deposit money from someone else's account to my own (we both use the same bank!) and the money takes 3 days to be deposited into my account.  So we had to use our cash, which meant we didn't have toll money.  So now we have to take the long way home.  (Instead of 1 hr 15min it takes 2hrs)

So we are about 15-20 minutes from home and we get a phone call.  Jordan is upset because the bathroom cabinet fell off the wall.  Bailey was searching for toilet cleaner in the toothbrush cabinet and suddenly bang it fell on her!  I'm guessing she planned on putting toothpaste in the toilet?  I don't know.  Taylor is on a walk because she got really mad and Madison is crying because he thinks he is going to get spanked.  (We rarely, as in once a year, maybe, spank the kids so I don't know why he's so afraid of getting spanked.)

Bathroom cabinet on floor of hallway and a bag full of medicine and toiletries

The back of the cabinet is still on the wall.  Hey, maybe this means Jason will finally paint the bathroom!

No time to clean up!  We have to get the house cleaned up because on our way home we ran into the missionaries and they are moments from the house!  And our friend Jonas is also coming over.  So I'm able to do nothing before the missionaries arrive.  So we start dinner and talking.  With the bathroom and house a mess.  The sister graciously help me clean up the kids breakfast, because even though they are quite old enough, unless I tell them they won't put their dishes in the sink.  And they'd never even think to put them in the dish washer. (Which was empty, by the way.)

After the sisters have left Ben needs help with his bike pedal.  He needs to transfer it from one bike to another because he is doing another charity ride, but on a new-to-him bike.  After struggling with the pedal for a little bit I suggest they are going to wrong direction with the screw threads.  I'm ignored.  So a little while after that I see that the pedal moved tighter, so I told them what I saw and suggested trying the other way.  J gave it a half hearted effort and went back to trying the first direction.  Finally, after a while longer, J finally decides to give the other direction a shot, and it takes about a minute to get it loose.  After 15 minutes the wrong way.  At least it came off! 

Ben's friend Joe comes over to give a donation to Ben for Tour De Cure, he's still shy by about $600, and the new benefit ride he's doing (I think he needs only $100?, not really sure though).  If you know us you know we are very social people.  Joe and Jonas are also very social.  So we talked to about 1am, Joe left and J and I walked Jonas to his car at about 1:15am, then we proceeded to talk some more.  It was a great talk!  But what's said after mid-night, stays in Vegas....??? You get the point.  Maybe I'll blog about it later.

Jason had to work, and so he was off quickly and I was off to bed.  Then about 2 or 3 hours later I'm woken up by the awful sound!  It's Ben's alarm going off getting him up for his benefit ride.  I HATE alarms.  So now I can't fall back asleep.  Eventually I do.  But then I don't wake up to my own alarm.  At 11am I wake up because Jason came home.  

And I just remembered that Jason invited the guys over tonight to game!  And I have only a few hours to get the house clean and the bathroom cabinet repaired before everyone comes over!

So when we get home we see this.

A sweet 16 in planning....

Taylor is 14, I know.  But I like to plan things WAY in advance.  Madison and Bailey didn't get birthday parties this year because I didn't plan early.  Jordan and Taylor got one each.  I know, I'm a bad mom.
So I am starting Taylor's Sweet 16 early.  I had thought about doing it at 15 like a Quinceanera, but I think I'd rather party like it's 1999, than go through the ceremony.  Quinceanera's have so many traditions and I'd rather not mess up a beautiful thing, so I'll do a typical American Sweet 16.  Most American traditions have been thrown out for the "modern America" so the Sweet 16 that used to be similar to the Quinceanera in it's coming out ceremony and tradition, it's crumbled into a bratty-rich-kid-slut-fest.  Or at least the one's on MTV are.  Which of course, we won't be doing.  But a lack of tradition, just have a good time- thing is perfect for me.

This is Taylor and Bridget after doing makeovers.  It's so much fun experimenting with makeup!

So I thought Taylor would be against this.  She doesn't dance, she doesn't like boys, she doesn't like parties- she is focused on preparing for her mission and graduating high school. (I know!  What happened!  I think she got mixed up at the hospital because she couldn't be MY kid!  It must be Jason's fantastic genetics.)  Taylor is not only for this party, she is excited for it!  Shocker!  Our theme is Midnight Owl Blast.  I don't know why Blast has to be in the name, other than Midnight Owl sounds dumb.  And at this point it is too late to change the name.  Because I bought a sign on the cheap.  (I love finding excellent deals!!)

Big sign for in front of the DJ on the stage.

Since we have a theme it is fairly easy going waiting for a good deal then buying the stuff.  I was able to find stuffed owls for about $4 each, most places were asking $10 for the same stuffies.  Taylor about died when she saw them.  They are cute.  No pictures of them, I recently ordered them and they haven't all arrived yet.

So she wants a candy buffet, that's when you have a table with all sorts of jars of candy.  The those who choose to can make little party bags of candy as take home gifts.  It should be really fun for everyone.  Google Candy Buffet Images and you will find 100's of pages of images to look at.

We will also have a Sundae bar.  That's basically where you are served ice cream and the toppings are put out for each person to choose what they want.

And one last thing, on each place setting I want a chocolate truffle.  Again, I'm friends with a woman who owns a chocolate store.  I don't think I could get anything but a bulk discount.  But I have 2 years to work on her. ;P

Taylor's colors will be light green, ice blue and silver. The sign is not the colors, but it's close enough.

I hope to have a corner where we can take pictures with Taylor and her friends.  I have a friend who is a photographer, so I'm hoping she will give me a deal!

I don't know if this is possible, but I'd love to get what is called a BOGO light.  It's a spotlight with a design, you see them at expensive weddings usually the initials of the couple.  They are called "Inexpensive" online, but that means about $200.  So I'm not sure if that is going to happen or not.  But a big 16 or an owl pointed at the floor would be awesome!

We will also need signs.  I found signs for free!  Only $12 for shipping....not so free.  But anyway, I can get two lawn signs with stands and shipping all together $12.  Not bad.  Those will go outside the church building at the two entrances.
And a sign for when you first walk in.  I was thinking I'd have the kids sign in on the sign itself.  But that idea is great, but who keeps that stuff?  Is she really going to be interested in it when she's 30 and having babies?  Not really, but another idea I have- that takes the party planner idea that I borrowed from online and tweeks it- Get a photo album each guest signs one page, or half a page, except in the center where a 4X6 area is blocked out.  That way when we are putting the pictures we had taken into an album (which is much more portable than a 24x36 poster) we know exactly where the picture goes.  Again, it's an idea.  We'll see how it goes.

Assigned seating is an idea I'm toying with.  It would be nice, but not necessary.  Balloons are a must!  Owl, moon and star theme center pieces, and painted cardboard cut outs to hang from the ceiling, that shouldn't be too hard.  I was also thinking of having a donations box at the front door.  Have each guest bring a new unwrapped toy to be donated to a local charity.

Another gift that we want to give out are tiny buttons.  You see teens with them all the time.  They are about 1" and have all sorts of sayings, the kids usually put them on their backpacks.  Taylor wants to stick with the owls.  Again, expensive.  So we will have to see about the buttons.

We'll have buffet style foods.  That's a can of worms I have yet to even think about!

And I have a DJ already lined up.  He is a member of our stake, so he gives discounts to his LDS family.  Yeah!

So that's what I have so far.  We have yet to purchase 99% of what we need, but I still have 2 years to save up, plan & buy.

Photography Class

So I teach a monthly photography class.  I thought it would be fun for the sisters to be able to learn how take close up of flowers at different angles, capturing interesting backgrounds.  So we went to a nursery.  It was kind difficult, because of the green house ceiling, to get certain angles.  But over all there were many nice pictures.  My camera battery was dead, so, No Problemo! I grabbed my other battery.  It was also dead!  I must have forgotten to charge them!  So I got off one picture and them helped them with the rest.

Overall I'm happy with the image.  The flowers are beautiful, the color is excellent, and the background neutral.  The grout in the bricks are actually leading the eye to the center, in a way pointing to the flowers.

I have convinced my students to take their best images and print them to be entered into a local fair.  As well as to show them off during Relief Society.

RPG's

RPG stands for Role Playing Game.  And if you know Jason then you know he loves RPG's.  When we lived in Attleboro we knew one guy who played RPG's, in our new ward, half the men in the ward play RPG's and one woman, other than me!  Can you believe it?  Don't worry guys, I won't let out your secret geekdom.  But I do have a picture of the boys that were at the house tonight.

Arthur- left, Joe- middle and Blake- right.

I and Jason also played, it was really fun!