Five Years Later

Life is Beautiful...and Exhausting

2009-10-20T15:01:00.007-06:00

It is soooo wonderful not to be pregnant anymore! Also wonderful is the fact that my recovery this time has been so much easier than last! But before I go into the whole story I really need to say thank you to my AMAZING husband. Unfortunately, he did not marry a Super Mom. He married a Holy-Crap-I-Don't-Know-What-I'm-Doing Mom. Ryan has been a lifesaver in every way! He had a week off after Gaby was born and he spent the week mostly trying to give Tyler as much attention as possible. But he also never stopped asking what he could do for me and how he could help with Gaby. He even took her to the doctor by himself when she needed to get her bilirubin level checked a couple of days after we came home. He helps with her when she wakes up during the night, he changes diapers, he does laundry, and he is so cute with both of his kids. So, despite my lack of "Super Mom-ness" I am well aware that I married a Super Husband/Dad and I am so grateful for everything he does for us! I love you Ry!

This is one of Ry and Gaby's first daddy-daughter chats. He's teaching her important things like:

how he's going to look at ANY boy who comes looking for her. And...

that the only types of kisses that will be allowed until she's at least 21 are Eskimo kisses.

Poor Tyler has to compete a little bit for attention now and he does get a little jealous some days, but he is such a sweetheart and has been so cute to his little sister.

"Mom, what's this?"

Profile of cheeks

Pondering the mysteries of life.

So for anyone who is interested in the labor story, here's how it went:

9:00 am - arrive at hospital
9:30 - check into room
9:35 - am asked to pee in a cup and for the first time in 9 months, am unable to pee.
11:00 - hooked up to Pitocin, mild contractions, am still smiling
1:30 - doctor arrives, breaks my water
1:40 - contractions getting much stronger, am no longer smiling
2:00 - anesthesiologist enters and I immediately become terrified because it is very obvious that he is the "all-business, no talk" sort of doctor
2:20 - anesthesiologist leaves after having successfully STABBED me in the back and SHOVED a tube into my spine, not even asking if I was ok after I burst into tears
3:00 - my legs are completely asleep but I can still feel the contractions
3:30 - turn down the nurse's offer to call the anesthesiologist
4:40 - doctor returns and it's time to push
4:56 - Gaby is born!

Things are good, but I'm still not sure how to carry on with normal life with two kids. Unlike another amazing person I know who came to get Ty the other day and carted him around along with her own three boys as if it was no big deal (thank you AGAIN!), I HAVE NO IDEA how to take multiple children to a grocery store or anywhere out of the house. Maybe I'll figure it out sometime in the next year or so. For now we're just trying to survive through these sleepless first weeks and I guess the rest will come.

Gaby's Finally Here

2009-10-03T21:06:00.005-06:00

We have a new little girl! Welcome to the party, Gaby! Check out the photos in our Facebook gallery by clicking on the chubby-cheeked girl below.

Megan's Book Club

2009-09-29T14:20:00.014-06:00

Nope, no baby yet. Three more days. To pass the time today I decided I would post on the many great books I've read (also to pass the time, mostly late at night when sleep wouldn't come) in the past couple of months. The list is pretty random, but I have some great recommendations if you're interested (in no particular order).

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This is probably my favorite of the whole bunch. I just finished reading this for book club and I LOVED IT! It's written completely as a collection of letters and is about an author who corresponds with a man who lives on the island of Guernsey in the English Channel. He tells her about this society that was formed during the time of the German occupation of the island and she becomes interested in writing and publishing something about them. In the process she becomes friends with all of these people and becomes really involved in their lives.

It's interesting, funny, happy and sad all at the same time. I loved that there was nothing trashy in it. It's definitely one I'll be buying for my own collection.

What's So Great About America?
This book was written by an immigrant from India who has lived here for 20 years and is now a citizen. It was written after September 11, and he talks about the reasons why the terrorists did what they did. He presents their point of view, and those of others outside as well as inside of the United States who claim that this country is evil. He talks about his own opinions of the U.S. as well, and certain things he dislikes, but then goes on to affirm the reasons why America IS in fact great and why all of the arguments that the U.S. is evil and what those arguments are based on are absolutely and utterly incorrect. It not only gives a great lesson in the history of our country and those of several others (where relevant), but also reminds us that we are truly blessed to be citizens of this country. I think everyone should read this, and I would especially like to send a copy to Michelle Obama who, during the election stated that for the first time in her adult life she's proud of her country. Yep, that's our First Lady. I won't continue with how I feel about that.

Wake Up to a Happier Life
This is Amanda Dickson's book and it's just another that I simply loved. Simple ways to CHOOSE to be happier no matter what is going on in life. The next book kind of goes along the same lines:

Toss the Guilt and Catch the Joy
Same kind of thing, but she focuses on not worrying so much about things that really don't matter. Great book!

Princess Academy

Everyone has probably heard of this one. I had too, but hadn't read it until last week. It was so cute! Simple and a really quick read, but it had some great themes and a great ending! Well, I thought so anyway. I hear there's a sequel. Does anyone know if that's true?

Recovering Charles
I got this one free with a purchase at Deseret Book. It's by the author of The Wednesday Letters which is also a really great book. This one is about a man who goes to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to try to find his missing father. It's all about forgiveness and understanding, but it also made me want to go back and reread the news stories and see the pictures of what New Orleans was like after the hurricane. Although it's a fictional story, it was really interesting to read about what life might have been like during and after Katrina.

Freakonomics

Another book club read. A lesson on cause and effect in this country and why it may not be what it seems to be. I thought it might be kind of boring, but it wasn't. It really kept my interest and made me look at certain things in a different way.

Common Sense
Oh yes. I read it. And it's now on the top of my list. For all of you who think Glenn Beck is the face of Republican propaganda, I recommend reading this. Yes he is conservative. But he's made it his business to uncover corruption in government on BOTH sides and if you've watched his show lately, you'll see that he's been very successful. Not that any media outlets are giving his discoveries ANY coverage at all, which was SO upsetting to me when he recently broke the stories of outrageous practices at Acorn. Yes, the Acorn that is funded by the government and endorsed by Mr. Obama himself, caught on camera encouraging prostitution, illegal immigration, and tax evasion among other things. I was absolutely stunned when I saw this video. And they uncovered it not just at one Acorn location but at eight.

*To appease Ryan, I'll note here that currently there ARE numerous media outlets covering this story. About time.

But this isn't just about President Obama. This book is about the corruption that has been infiltrating the government for years! The fact that there are no term limits and so corrupt people can stay in office until they die. About the fact that the American people, when polled, say they are extremely dissatisfied with congress but then we all elect the SAME people back into office. It's about the fact that BOTH Democrats and Republicans are allowing things to happen that the founding fathers NEVER intended for this country.

Ok, sorry...didn't mean to get up on my soapbox, but there it is. And this is a good lead-in to my next recommendation.

The Great and Terrible series
This series has six volumes. After I picked up the first last month, I could not put them down. The first book is set in the pre-existence and introduces the characters as brothers and sisters. It's so interesting because of how life there is described. They live in a beautiful city, ruled by God and they now have a choice to make because two plans have been presented. Many choose to follow Lucifer, and it tells about the war in heaven and how Lucifer and his spirits are cast out. The following books follow the characters from the first book during parts of their earth lives and the setting is the last days. The main conflict being war in the Middle East and corruption in the governments there and in the United States that causes disaster here.

These books are fiction, but what happens in them is so possible, and maybe even probable, that it made me start checking off a list in my head of things we still need to be prepared for this kind of a disaster. It was scary to think about things like this actually happening, but inspiring to see how the characters in the book got through it and continued stronger than before. I felt like the prevailing theme was that since the beginning we have had the strength to overcome Evil, and we always will, no matter what happens in the world.

Names of all the books: The Brothers, Where Angles Fall, The Second Sun, Fury and Light, From the End of Heaven, and Clear as the Moon.

The Chosen One
Carol Lynch Williams was one of the organizers of the writing conference I went to this summer. I hadn't heard of this book until I went to the conference and picked it up there. It's about a girl living in a polygamist colony. Interesting to read about how a community like that works, but I guess the most prevalent emotion for me while reading this book was anger because of the way they treated anyone who would not conform. And I felt sad to think that there are children having to accept this. But it was also interesting to get an idea of how the wives felt about each other and their situation, and what the husbands' feelings were towards their wives and also the leadership of their community.

So, aside from three David Baldacci books that I permitted myself to indulge in, I think that's about it. But let me show you what I'm reading now, at the risk of being laughed at:

I know. Totally random. But I'll let you all know what I think about it when I'm done!

Nine Months

2009-09-18T17:45:00.003-06:00

Well here it is, the middle of my 9th month. I feel like I'm a total wimp when it comes to pregnancy anyway, and so it doesn't really help that this time has been even harder than the last. I'm a whole lot bigger (and NOT just in the stomach area), I'm retaining a whole lot more fluid, and I have pains that I didn't have before. But I've also realized how humorous the 9th month of pregnancy can be. I thought I would share some of these things.

YOU KNOW YOU'RE NINE MONTHS PREGNANT WHEN:

-You seriously weigh the pros and cons of getting up to go to the bathroom. Is it going to be more painful to heft yourself out of the chair you've settled into than to just deal with the "gotta go" feeling?

-Your emotions take a rollercoaster ride daily. One person you see says you are a whole lot smaller than she ever was, and the next asks if you're having twins and wonders quietly to herself (or sometimes not quietly at all!) why you're not at the hospital in labor instead of at the checkout counter at Shopko.

-You go to bed with one chin and wake up the following morning with two.

-Your stomach hangs out the bottom of almost every maternity shirt you own.

-Your little boy gets hurt and is screaming but since you don't see any blood, you stay where you are, figuring he'll get over it.

-If the phone isn't right next to you, whoever is calling is going to be ignored until you're forced to get up for your next bathroom break.

-Your doctor tells you you only have two more weeks to wait before being induced, and you feel so relieved. Then you get in your car and burst into tears because...YOU HAVE TWO MORE WEEKS!

-You wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath as if you're in the middle of running a marathon. (Not that I will EVER know how that really feels.)

-The bras that are a cup size bigger than the ones you wore before you got pregnant are TOO SMALL!

-You feel like you're a toddler all over again because you're constantly tripping, running into things or people, walking around with some sort of food all over your shirt, and spilling whatever you happen to be trying to drink. In fact, you do all of these things more often than your child who IS a toddler.

-When you prepare yourself to get up from your chair or bed, your little boy starts to imitate the grunting noises that he has gotten so used to hearing.

-Sneezing is extremely dangerous and may require a change of clothes afterward.

-You eat ice cream multiple times every day and still feel that it's not enough (ok, maybe this isn't so much a pregnancy thing as a ME thing).

-You have wardrobe malfunctions daily. There's always something showing or sticking out that should not be showing or sticking out. Unfortunately, it is very probable that you've stopped caring.

Just a few of the many joys. Feel free to add to this list. Well...hopefully I won't be blogging again until Gaby is here. October 2 will not get here quickly enough.

Summer Project

2009-09-09T13:14:00.004-06:00

Something I forgot to include in that last post are the pictures of a project I started in June sometime. I decided to make Gaby's blessing dress. I wasn't sure how it would turn out because I haven't sewn for a very long time, but I thought I would try. My grandma had a pattern for a few different blessing dresses, but I ended up making my own design. I used a pattern for the bodice of a casual play top and put it with the long skirt from the dress pattern and came up with this.

t

I'm extremely happy with how it turned out because I was imagining to final product to not look anything like a dress at all. So I'm very satisfied!! On close inspection, it's definitely not perfect. Uneven and strings hanging out everywhere. But I'm ok with it. I'm sure it'll be slightly too big for her, but I compared it to my blessing dress and mine is even a little bigger, so I think it'll be all right. I can't wait to put her in it!

We're Back!

2009-09-09T08:09:00.014-06:00

So I guess I took a little bit of an extended vacation from the blog. I was going to update back in July and then got lazy because there was so much to post about! So eventually, I'll get back to the beginning and middle of summer, but right now I'll just post the most recent events.

First of all, I am pregnant. Still. It's so strange how the time can go so slowly, but yet pass quickly at the same time. It's like the time passing while I was on my mission. The days feel like weeks, but the weeks feel like days. I don't know how else to explain it. When I was 30 weeks Gaby DID try to make an appearance. Out of nowhere one night I started having major contractions every three minutes for a couple of hours. Ryan and I were both freaked out because it was still way too early. Even after taking the medication the doctor gave me to stop contractions, they didn't stop. So she got a late-night call which I'm sure she was extremely excited about (I could tell from her groggy, monotone voice that I was her best friend that night). She told me to take a little more medicine and to head off to the hospital in an hour if they hadn't stopped. Luckily they stopped. I guess Gaby realized that the first few months of her life weren't going to be fun and games if she continued with that behavior! So, here we are...it's September. I'm larger than I was with Tyler so most of my maternity clothes from last time don't fit anymore and I had to get things in a bigger size. That's always a good feeling. I'm 36 weeks now and I'm pretty ready for her to come any time now.

I think Ty is ready for her to come too. He's got to be sick of his boring mommy that can't play with him for more than ten minutes before needing to lie down. He's so patient though and he's such a sweetheart.

He loves to give Gaby kisses.

Monica and Jorge had their third little boy last month and they named him Mason. He's a little cutie and so tiny! Well, you know, in comparison to Aaron, Cameron and Tyler. I forget how small they are at first!

Last month we went camping for one night with my extended family up at Monte Cristo by Pineview. It was beautiful there and we had a great time that evening just chatting by the fire, eating dinner and roasting marshmallows. The next morning, however, the rain had started and wouldn't let up. Ryan and I were supposed to make breakfast, but it just didn't happen. Everything was soaked and so we packed up and headed home...and then it stopped raining. Of course.

Tyler loves Amy's husband, Aldo. Ty followed him around everywhere!

Tyler sleeping peacefully in the morning after having kept me up all night, rolling on me, whacking me with arms and legs, etc.

Me the next morning as a result.

At the campfire that night Ty took turns sitting with everyone. I got some time, then Ryan, then he climbed up with Aldo's daughter Sophie, then Aldo, then Lori, then Grandma. I guess he just wanted everyone to feel the love.

He sure loved the S'mores!

Last month was also my birthday. My dad made his famous carne asada and we had a big yummy dinner that night! Then we went to Park City to hang out at the condo Carla and Craig had for the week at the Canyons. It was fun! Thanks guys!

I had one broken green candle on my cake. It was Sunday and no one realized the supply of birthday candles was on it's last leg, literally. I hope lone, broken birthday candles aren't bad luck! :)
Guess what I got! BIGGER maternity clothes!

Tyler having fun in the huge bathtub at the condo. He loved it!

The day after my birthday Ryan took Tyler and Linda and me out to dinner at Bandits. After dinner we stopped at the grocery store to pick up some ice cream. Linda and I got out and left Ryan and Tyler in the car. When we got back only like 5 minutes later, there was a big vase of red roses on my seat in the car, and Ryan and Ty just sitting there grinning innocently. The second we had gotten out of the car, he and Ty ran in and bought me flowers and were back before we were. It was so sweet of him!

A couple weeks later was Monica's birthday, for which she received NORMAL clothing and gift cards to buy NORMAL clothing. Can't wait for that! And NO Monica, two weeks doesn't count for much. Especially when we get in our 50's or 60's. Me turning 68 two weeks before you isn't going to mean a whole lot! :) Happy Birthday!

The kids pretty much took over the cake.

Ty and Grandpa taking important phone calls.
Next came Carla's birthday at which Ryan took a million pictures on a camera he borrowed from a friend...meaning I have none of those pictures, but I will soon! Happy Birthday Carla!

Last but not least, on Labor Day we went to a Luau at Thanksgiving Point. They do it at the outdoor amphitheater at the waterfall. We spread out blankets and had some great food and then watched the Polynesian dances. It was lots of fun. Unfortunately we had to leave halfway through the show (at about 8:30. It was a LONG show!) because I couldn't sit anymore. Sorry guys!

I don't thin Mason liked the roasted pig.

Just in case you were wondering what the inside of my nose looks like. Thanks Ry :)

It's A New Era

2009-09-02T22:40:00.001-06:00

The Utah State Aggies broke into the top 90 this year in Sports Illustrated's annual preseason ranking of NCAA college football teams. My team moved all the way to the 88th spot this year. Their reward for moving up is a season-opening game with the University of Utah Utes. Where do they rank on that list? A couple of spots above us. I'm not worried, though. As a matter of fact, I'm downright confident. Why in the world am I admitting that I have such faith in my team? Let me give you a few reasons to help you poor Ute fans to be less shocked than Alabama fans were when you beat them a few months back.

We didn't just take one coach of yours. We have eight. Urban left because your MUSS was a mess, and now more of them have seen the light and gotten out of Dodge.
You can't pick a quarterback. Ours started nine games as a sophomore. Neither of yours will start nine games this season.
The Utes have been so worried about not getting a chance at the title last year that they forgot to get ready for this year.
The PAC-10 helped distract the Utes even more with talk of adding you to their conference.
Your offensive line will be better than BYU's, but your quarterbacks still won't be able to find one of those million receivers you're supposed to have on the field.

Bring it, Utes. Go, Aggies!

Toddler Tyler

2009-07-17T12:05:00.006-06:00

It's been a long time since I've posted an update on Tyler. Like I say every time, I can't believe how fast he is growing. It's kind of sad. But the new things he does also make me excited. It's so fun to watch how he learns things.

Ty continues to speak his own language for the most part, which is hilarious. He talks with so much emotion and so many expressions on his face. Sometimes he's super excited, sometimes very serious, sometimes sad...I always wonder what stories he's telling, because he sure has a lot to say!

His favorite real words, in the order of frequency of use, are as follows:

-No
-Mas (more)
-Agua (water)
-Yum Yum
-Yes
-Elmo
-Hot
-Moo
-Meow
-Woof
-Duck

I love the way he says No most of the time. Occasionally it's an angry 'no' if he really doesn't want to do something, but most of the time, it's said so sweetly and accompanied by a smile and a shake of the head. Like, "Oh, you're so sweet for asking, but NO!"

One of Ty's favorite things to do is dance when he is pleased with something. Especially if he's eating something he really likes. If he's sitting, he puts his hands up, palms facing forward, fingers spread (almost spirit-finger-like) and shakes his whole body while waving his hands around. If he's standing, he puts his hands in the same position, does a slight squat, and dances in a circle. It's the funniest thing I've ever seen!

For the last couple of months Tyler has gotten the chance to go to nursery! The first day we took him, he stayed the whole time without us. The Sundays following were hit and miss, but last Sunday was the best. Ry and I are working in the nursery now and last Sunday was our first day. Ty had such a good time and I loved watching him! He played nicely with the other kids, and ate all his cookies during snack time (as well as all the other kids' leftovers) and tried to do the actions to the songs during singing time. He's also getting very good about helping to clean up when it's time. It's so fun to see him learn, and I'm so glad there is a nursery in this ward!

Tyler's favorite TV shows right now are Sesame Street, Sid the Science Kid, Super Why, and Barney. I know! Barney?? I swore I would never let my child watch that show. But he saw it once and he loves it. He really likes all the singing. So whatever. The show is annoying, but I really don't think it's going to scar him or anything. Maybe when he gets older I'll teach him the "Barney's hanging from a tree" version of the song. ;)

One of the most exciting things that happened this month was that Ty went poop on the potty for the first time. I was in the bathroom getting ready to go somewhere and Tyler came in and stood next to the toilet and pointed to his bum. I didn't really think he wanted to use the toilet, but he kept pointing and then lifted up the lid. So I took off his diaper and set him on the toilet. He pushed and pushed and nothing happened, so I asked if he was done. He said no. So we sat some more and he smiled and did his little dance while we sang "Poop on the potty is fun to do." And then he went! Then he grabbed the toilet paper and swiped his back with it and threw it in the toilet. It was so cute! He was very proud of himself. I have to admit that I shed a couple of tears. It's a big deal, and it means my baby boy is not a baby anymore! The next day we went and bought a little potty chair for him. We haven't started formal "potty training" yet, but he loves sitting on it. I think he'll be ready pretty soon.

Tyler also loves to walk around in his daddy's shoes.

And he's just as mischievous as ever.

One of the funniest things that happened last month was at Matt's farewell. We were eating in the backyard and Ryan thought he would be funny and pour a little water on Ty's head. Ty laughed and then about ten minutes went by and Ryan went and lay down on a blanket and closed his eyes. Tyler came and got my water, walked over to Ryan...and calmly poured the rest of the water on Ryan's head. It was hilarious!

I think my favorite thing about my little boy right now is that he is so cuddly and loving. He loves giving "besitos" (kisses) and hugs. Sometimes he'll be busy playing and he'll stop and want to sit on my lap and give me hugs. It melts my heart. He's so precious.

OH NO!!

2009-07-14T16:59:00.004-06:00

What's the best way to get a pregnant woman to stop eating junk food?

Lower the temperature on the freezer.

SOMEONE turned it down last night and the ice cram was ROCK HARD today! I only had enough strength to dig out two small scoops, when what I really wanted was five or six LARGE scoops. I'm feeling slightly sad now. And extremely weak. MUST HAVE ICE CREAM!

Our newest family member

2009-07-03T23:48:00.003-06:00

So although we're still sad about the loss of Thelonius, we HAVE moved on. Yesterday Ryan and I made our first major purchase as a married couple. We bought this 2005 Honda Pilot and we got a GREAT deal on it! It had been rear-ended and so it has a rebuilt title, but the damage was so minimal and was completely fixed. It looks and runs like new (yes, we took it to a mechanic first who said that it's great) and it only has 32,000 miles. So we are now officially SUV owners...which does mean no props from our current president, but uh...ask me if I really care. Until the "Czar of Transportation" (aka the "Czar of try-to-force-everyone-to-drive-a-smartcar-or-a-hybrid) decrees SUV's illegal, this is what we'll be driving. And guess what? I'll be using it to go through the drive-thru at Wendy's too. Until drive-thru's are banned as well, that is, at which time I'll probably form a support group called MIDASDT - Mothers in Defense and Support of Drive Thru's. If you would like to join, just let me know. ;)

On another note, Happy 4th of July! I love this country. I love that I was born here and that I have all the rights that I have. I'm thankful every day for the freedoms that I enjoy here and I pray that we'll continue to be able to enjoy those freedoms always. Of course, as you might surmise from the sarcasm above, I do feel slightly nervous about our future. I find myself wondering all the time what the world will be like when my children are teenagers and adults. I wonder if they'll know the United States that we know now, or if it will be a completely different place. I hope they'll continue to be able to enjoy little things, like having a barbecue and going to see the fireworks on the Fourth of July. And I hope they will always have many reasons to be proud of their country. We live in a wonderful place and I hope to never take it for granted!

Car Trouble, Confusion, Conferences and a whole lot of COUGHING!

2009-06-16T20:15:00.002-06:00

Ok, I have decided that I will never again say anything about ANYTHING before it's final EVER again. Remember how my last post was about how nice it is when things just "fall into place"? Weeell let's just say that things fell out all over the place right after I posted that.

Ryan and I have both owned Honda Civics for the last few years and have really liked them. They're great cars! Very dependable, good quality, etc, etc. Well, this year our cars decided to play a little game with us called "Let's Take Turns Getting Sick." So at the end of last year Ryan's car needed some very minor repairs. No big deal, his muffler just FELL OFF on one end as we're driving through Park City. Ok, fine, not a huge problem. We both use my car until it's done, end of story. Except THEN my car decided that it would be fun if her passenger window got stuck in the down position in the middle of winter. We didn't have the money to fix that one right away so Ryan custom-built a "Vote For Jim Matheson" window replacement. I mean, not that I don't LIKE feeling like white trash driving down the road, but it was a LITTLE hard to see through. Besides the fact that it was after the elections were over so it's not as if we looked like die-hard Jim Matheson supporters. No, we really just looked like white trash (for the second time that year if you count the muffler-dragging episode).

So we finally get that fixed somehow and we have two working cars again...for all of about one week. Thelonius (Ryan's car) remembers that it's his turn and decides to do something a little more exciting. The transmission...and about a zillion other little things. We almost decide to just part with him rather than spend all the money it will take to get him back in working order, but then we decide, "Aw heck, let's just fix him. We'll get another couple good years out of him and avoid a car payment." So, we do that. He's fixed. Two working cars again. For two weeks.

I bet you know who's got problems now! That's right! Little Goldilocks! Everything's good and then one Sunday after having already gone and come home from church in her, I go back outside to go to a meeting...and the car won't start. But it DOES start beeping and all the blinkers and tailights start blinking. Well, turns out, there was an alarm installed in the car before we got it, but it wasn't activated, nor did we have a control for it, it was just there. Well it picked this particular day to think I was breaking in (seriously? I mean did I like SMELL different or something?) and didn't let me start the car. And it messed up a bunch of other electrical stuff and killed the battery. AHHHHH!!!!!

Lucky for us, a friend of a friend that happened to come to our house that day was able to fix it a couple days later at very little cost. YAY! And things started to look up! That woman popped up out of no where when we needed someone to buy our contract, we got everything moved and got settled smoothly.

Two days after we moved, I'm headed up the canyon to go to a doctor's appointment and wrap some other stuff up. I'm in Ryan's car (yes, it is his turn at this point, but I thought the game was over!). Rattling noise...starts softly and then gets louder and the car starts shaking and I barely have time to pull over before it dies completely. Stranded at mile marker 173. Wonderful. After being rescued by AAA and my aunt I finally get into Park City (after having missed my appointment completely) and I get a phone call from the management company saying that this lady can no longer move in. Again...just wonderful.

Two days later we find out that the engine in Ryan's car has blown up. The mechanic tells me he'll buy the car from me for $200. Instead I opted to sell it on KSL and got $650. So, Thelonius now belongs to a man from Armenia. Happy trails Thelonius.

On another note, I went to the Writing and Illustrating for Young Reader Conference at BYU last week and it was awesome!! Every morning we met in small groups of 13 (and with and author) to read each other's manuscripts and give feedback. I had a wonderful group and our author was Lael Littke who is just amazing! She looks like Ryan's Grandma Pat. She's written and published 43 books and is still going. Besides getting great feedback about my own book, I learned so much about the publishing process and what it takes to really be successful as a writer. I feel completely driven now to do what I need to do to make this book great and try to get it out there! I've also been able to expand more on the ideas I already had for my second book, which is going to be completely different from my first one. So, it was definitely a successful week and really worth it.

But...this week I have the flu. Go figure.

Moving Stinks

2009-06-01T10:20:00.002-06:00

So here we are. It's Monday morning and I no longer live in Park City. Yesterday we went to our branch for the last time and got released, which made me cry more than I expected to. Then we had to speak, and I cried some more. So silly! It's not like we moved to a different state! Changes just make me sad. Well, sad, disappointed and worried...but also happy, giddy and excited to see what's going to happen next. It's just a roller coaster.

What was amazing is that we found someone to rent our place so quickly. We still had 3 months left on our contract but felt we should leave now. I had tried to get a hold of the management company since the beginning of May to know what we should do and NO ONE called me back until like 2 days before we were going to be moving. Of course the nice woman told me we would have to continue to pay rent until we found someone to take over (even though they didn't keep up THEIR end of our contract in SO many ways...but that's a story for another day). So I freaked out for a day and then posted it on KSL. The next day I got a call from a woman who was interested. She came to see it that day, and wanted to move in the second we moved out. AWESOME! It just made me that more convinced that this is what we should be doing right now.

We are currently living in my grandma's basement while we're looking for a home just for us! So we have stuff here, and at Ry's grandma's and today the rest goes in a storage unit. I hope we find a place we can stay in for at least 10 years because after we move all the stuff in, Ryan will probably refuse to ever take it all out again. I'll have to negotiate the 10 years. Thanks to everyone who helped us so much this last week!

My Last Twenty

2009-05-25T09:14:00.001-06:00

This weekend we celebrated my twenty-ninth birthday. Yep. Twenty-nine it is.

Megs treated me to a quick trip to the Great White (and Aggie Blue) North that was looking quite green this time of year. I love Logan. I think it's a great city. I don't think it needs two WalMarts, but they didn't ask my opinion. I digress.

We did lunch at Pita Pit before playing with Ty in the park for a couple of hours.

We went out to eat at Cafe Sabor (which recently closed its Park City location and opened another on Bear Lake). I know it's not the most authentic Mexican food you can get, but I enjoy eating there quite a bit. It's tough for me to visit Logan and not eat there. I had a great pollo con crema, Megs had the taquitos, and Tyler ate some of both. The addition of horchata to the menu was long overdue, and we liked it. I think Ty expected it to be milk, so it wasn't his favorite.

We took Ty swimming at the hotel. It took him a bit to get used to, but he was jumping off the edge once he got used to the water. One time he was playing on the stairs into the pool, and he decided to slide down to the next stair. He does the same thing at home, so I don't think he realized that the water wouldn't just move out of his way. Instead he slid down to the second stair and got a mouthful of water. Lesson learned. No more sliding down the stairs in a pool.

Saturday morning the three of us went to the Logan River Golf Course to hit a bucket of balls. I hadn't brought my clubs, so I borrowed a few from the aptly named clubhouse. For the most part, Ty enjoyed running around on the grass behind the practice tees. I thought for sure that he was going to run out to the range to grab all the balls, but he was content to play with the ones in my bucket. He and Megs both got a few swings in, as well. It didn't take long for me to remember that I still have not gotten better in twenty years of golfing. Like we saw with my skiing with Heidi Voelker and Picabo Street, it doesn't really matter who tries to help me. Sometimes you're just not going to be really good at the things you like to do. Not that I'm giving up. I love both golfing and skiing, and I'll keep learning as I go.

We also took a quick trip to Bear Lake for some raspberry shakes and a walk on the shore--the shore of a freshly melted iceberg! There were a lot more people than I expected, but it was still a lot of fun. It's funny that I live just off the shore of one lake (the Jordanelle) but I travel two hours away to visit one that I can't even get in right now. Such is life, I suppose. If the Jordanelle had a place to drive right onto the shore, I'd probably do so. It doesn't, so I can't. Aside from the great shakes we got, Megs also claims to have found the best french fries in the world. Tyler didn't care much for them. He was more interested in throwing (and eating) rocks.

Short as it was, we had a really good time. It was nice to have a staycation for my birthday. Thanks, love.

After coming back from Logan, we did cake and ice cream at my mom's. It was fun to have both sides of the family together even though we missed having Kel and Jodi's families there. Megs continued to hone her skills as a cake artist. This time she paid homage to my favorite candy bar. Nice job, sweetie. It was mmm, delicious.
Now that the birthday fun is over, anyone want to help us move on Saturday? Bountiful, here we come...

MegRy 2.0

2009-05-19T10:25:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had our ultrasound and found out that we're having a Gaby, not a Ben! We would have been excited either way, but I am definitely super happy that Ty's going to have a little sister! The doctor said she looks great and she's growing right on schedule to be born October 9th. I'm crossing my fingers that she'll be smaller than her brother was when he was born, but she's actually bigger than he was at this point. Great. I don't know that I could physically DO a ten-pounder. Eight pounds was hard enough to recover from! Come on Gaby, think SEVEN! We like that number!

Good Eats in Park City

2009-05-12T22:49:00.002-06:00

No, I'm not giving away where I think the best eats in Park City are. I'll reveal that later. For now, it's your turn. Many of you have been here to eat. Vote for your favorites with This Week in Park City's annual Best of Dining contest. What did you like in PC (or elsewhere on the Wasatch Back)?

http://www.thisweekinparkcity.com/

Something new for Mother's Day

2009-05-11T09:48:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was Mother's Day and Ryan gave me a Hot Wheels ice cream truck. I hugged him tightly for being so thoughtful and then felt like I wanted cry.

After Ryan and I got married, I moved into the apartment Ry already lived in here in PC. We lovingly dubbed the apartment complex Little Mexico because of the feeling that we were truly living in a different country there. Loud music, people ringing bells to sell things, the bread man in his van with the loudspeaker on top, and the ice cream truck showing up at all hours of the day and night. We laughed about all of this stuff a lot, but there were also times, usually when it was past 10 at night, that I felt like screaming and throwing things at the ice cream truck or at the person who decided to crank his car stereo full blast because he thought everyone in the complex needed a good night lullaby. When I was pregnant with Tyler I got especially irritated and there were a couple nights I made Ryan go outside and ask the ice cream man to turn off his music. I have vivid memories of my pregnancy and Tyler's first year in that apartment. It was hilarious and frustrating and special all at the same time. For the past 9 months or so we have lived in a different, much quieter place that is only seconds away from that first apartment, but seems a world away. We joke about missing the ice cream man and all the mariachi music, and actually feeling at home when we went to visit family in Mexico for Christmas.

This has been our home for close to three years, since we got married. This is the married life that I know. I don't know what it's like to be married and be in a big ward. I only know what it's like to be married and feel like I'm still serving a mission in a small branch where everyone speaks a different language. All I know is what it's like to have sacrament meeting in the old Park City seminary building, and what it's like to feel so happy when more people show up than can fit in the room. All I know is what it feels like to be absolutely needed in every way and how fulfilling that is. All I know is how wonderful it is to be able to attend baptisms sometimes more than once a week even here in Utah. All I know is how much I love the people I have met here and how much I will miss them.

We're moving at the end of the month, and I've been crying every day since the day last week that we really felt it was the right thing for us to do. We'll only be an hour away, but life will be so different than it was here. This time has been challenging in so many ways, but so wonderful and fulfilling in many others. I'm so grateful for the time we spent here and for all that I've learned because of it. I know that there will be other "ice cream trucks" and many more good memories and experiences to come. But I'm sad that our new baby won't share in this special time we had here.

I hope all of you wonderful women had a great Mother's Day full of whatever may be meaningful to each of you!!

1,000 Days and Counting

2009-05-04T10:03:00.002-06:00

Last week Ryan told me not to plan anything Thursday night and Friday during the day because he had a surprise for me. All he said was that Friday was a special day. May 1st. I couldn't figure out what May 1st was. Not a birthday, not our anniversary, not the day we got engaged. I had no idea. But Ry arranged for someone to keep Tyler and he took me to dinner and to the Anniversary Inn. We stayed in the Dodge City room, which was so cute! The bed is a covered wagon and there's like a storefront with the swinging half doors and the shower comes out of overturned bottles. It's the cutest thing! He finally told me why we were there over breakfast at our barrel-converted table in the morning. He gave me a card that said Happy 1,000 Days! Of course I burst into tears and couldn't believe that he had been so thoughtful. Then that afternoon we went the dollar theater and saw Confessions of a Shopaholic. I thought it was great!

The funny thing was that the day before I had watched the Ellen show and it was her 999th show. Her 1,000th would be on the 1st, and I started thinking, "how long is 1,000 days?" But then I had to go stop Tyler from throwing the cat's food into her water and stopped thinking about it. Good thing or I may have figured it out. So we celebrate our 1,000th on the same day as Ellen's, but I think we win. We don't get weekends off, or certain seasons off, and we're 24/7. And it has been the best 1,000 days of my life! Thank you for being such a wonderful husband Ry. I love you!

March, April...February. Who knows.

2009-04-17T11:09:00.012-06:00

I realize I haven't posted pictures for a while, so I decided that today I would. Only my list of pictures that I want to post is really long. So you may get all of them, or you may only get a couple. I'm not sure if I'm patient enough today to upload and then place all of them where I want them in the post. But here, let's get started.

Tyler continues to grow. I know, amazing, isn't it? I'm glad he's growing because, yes, that's what's supposed to happen...but it's happening so quickly!

l

Ty already owes us his first bag of M&M's (you know, you get ice cream for kissing, M&M's for hand-holding)

We were at Molly's baby shower (CONGRATS Molly and Vic! Peter is beautiful!) and Ty made a phone call.

A few minutes later, little Xanti shows up and she and Ty get friendly. I'm pretty sure she made the first move though.

Here's the proof:

Ry has started to teach Ty some very important things in life, one of them being that he should always be a gentleman and open doors for ladies. Whenever we go outside to get in the car the first thing Ryan does is to take Ty to my door, where Tyler will help turn the key and lift the handle. Then they'll swing the door open together, I'll get in and Ty will push the door closed. It's really one of the cutest things I have ever seen! This picture really has nothing to do with that story...I just like it.

So my various food cravings have been really random. One day I was craving a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and hard-boiled eggs. I think Ryan's been watching a bit too much of the Food Network because he brought me this. Or maybe it's just all of his work fundraisers featuring really fancy food. Either way, it was beautiful and tasted perfect!

So, we really already have two children. Cleo, our lovely kitty, is probably the weirdest and most OCD cat that I have ever known. She follows me around the house and the second I sit down (no matter where it is, bathroom included) she has to jump into my lap. Not only that but she has to put her face as close to mine as possible. If I don't pet her, she'll nibble my hand until I do. If I'm not in the mood to hold her and put her on the floor, she'll attempt to jump back up at least three more times, and each time I will place her (or toss her, depending on my mood) back on the floor. Then she'll sulk away and find another comfortable place to settle, usually with Ryan. If I'm holding Tyler, that only increases her desire to sit right on me. So she gets to participate in Ty's bedtime routine.

Ty loves playing on the stairs. His favorite activities include jumping off the second or third stair into my or Ryan's (hopefully) waiting arms, throwing balls from the top landing to dad at the bottom, throwing balls up the stairs from the bottom, or just choosing a stair and laying on it. He also likes to go upstairs into his room, choose a random toy or other (sometimes heavier) item, and then launch it down the stairs. We might have to talk about that before the baby gets here.

Ty really enjoys his rocking chair. Lately it has been his favorite place to sit in the mornings while eating breakfast and watching Sid the Science Kid. It seems that that has become one of his favorite shows, along with Sesame Street and the Ellen show. If I ever have the TV on when Ellen is starting he'll immediately start dancing and clapping and laughing. It's quite interesting.

My favorite thing will always be cuddling with my little boy.

Feliz Pascua

2009-04-11T08:48:00.005-06:00

Happy Easter, everyone! Tomorrow I'm speaking in our church meetings, and I am basing my talk on Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's from last week. I guess my thought to do so wasn't extremely unique since the church turned part of his talk into a video. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will too.

Quick Thoughts

2009-04-01T23:38:00.002-06:00

I have lots of things running through my head right now, and I don't have the time to elaborate on any of them. If you don't care to hear me vent, come back tomorrow. Thanks. Love ya.

March Madness:
Why can't my Utah State Aggies do any better than 'almost' in any post-season basketball tournament? I don't understand. Cougar and Ute fans are not invited to post any negative comment about my basketball team. You all played worse than us against lower ranked opponents, so don't bother. Regardless of your opinion of my teams, Big Blue can take any of your mascots down. Just ask Pistol Pete.

March Madness, Pt. II:
This year I had my worst first round of picks ever. I managed to get killed by just about everyone who filled out brackets by throwing darts, picking favorite colors, letting mascots eat each other, or just having a one-year-old drool on a sheet of paper. After the first round, I was in something like 800,000th place in the CBSSports.com pool. That was embarrassing. Luckily, the picks I did get right kept going, and now I'm in the top 90,000 in that same pool. I have three of the Final Four teams in it, and I could win my Facebook pool if UConn wins the whole thing. Awesome.

March Madness, Pt. III:
Each year, my aunt Connie (when are you and Ed coming to golf with me?) calls me to have me give her my picks for her law office ($$$) pool. Each year, we discuss the pros and cons of my picks, and she usually makes me realize I've made some bad decisions. This year I thought she was up in the night with the number of picks she wanted to reverse. I was wrong. She might not watch a lot of ball, but she's in second place. Her lawyer bosses are dying at the fact that she might win this year. Last year, she cleaned house. No one was even close to her bracket. The question is, why the heck don't I call her for advice instead of her calling me? Next year. Next year.

March Madness, Pt. IV:
I love March Madness because it extends to more than just basketball. Don't get me wrong, basketball is king, but there are great sporting events in March that make this a great sports month. I watched the longest lacrosse game in NCAA history last weekend with Maryland and Virgina. The wrong team won, but it was a fun game to watch. The Frozen Four is always fun to watch, as well. Outside the college realm, there is the chase for the playoffs with my Utah Jazz. I wish the schedule looked a little easier for the next two weeks, but I'll stand by my pick to see them in the Finals with Orlando either way. Last but not least is The Canyons' Pond Skimming. If you haven't been before, I highly recommend it. It's a blast. I wanted to take Ty this year, but it didn't happen. Maybe I should wait 'til he can actually remember.

Cell Phones, Pt. I:
I want an iPhone, but I'm not in a position to pay for an unlimited data plan. Plus, if I get one, Megan gets one. That's two unlimited data plans. Plus, if I get one and Megan gets one, then Tyler's going to need one. That's three unlimited data plans. Lest you think I'm kidding, I believe Tyler makes more calls, sends more messages, and uses our mobile web more than we do. Do I really need another gadget to waste my time with, though? Not yet.

Cell Phones, Pt. II:
I am mad at Sony Ericsson. I believe they make some of the best, most reliable cell phones on the market today. Yes, I've had my issues. My W600i was fun--at the store. It would have been a good phone if they had used something better than four, one-millimeter-long screws to hold the thing together. I burned through two of those fast enough to earn my own special customer service representative with Cingular/AT&T for a while. That was fun. I told them I was going to take my business back to Verizon if they didn't give me the phone I wanted--the W810i. That was a phone that didn't get much love here in the states, but it was the best phone I've ever owned. Sadly, I let Tyler play with it one time too many. He called people, texted people, used my internet time, played Tiger Woods, and took pictures. None of that bothered me. The bad part came when he remembered he isn't even 18 months into his sojourn on earth yet, and he tried to use the phone as a teething toy. Slobber and copper connections don't mix. I ended up using Hershey's Kiss wrappers to get the phone to charge a couple more times after that, but it was no use. The connections were toast. The W810i had to be retired.
I moved on to the W760 on Black Friday. It seemed like a good move. This was the new generation of the 600 I mentioned earlier but without the fatal screw flaws. This one was a slider instead of a twister (the 810 was a candy bar). The screen was bigger. It came with 3G. The camera was 3.2 MP. It had bluetooth (a requirement for any of my phones). And Sony's media player capabilities put other phone companies to shame.
Then came the disappointments. You can unlock the phone without sliding it open (say, to read a text message from your cute wife in the middle of staff meeting at work). But you can't lock it without opening the phone and sliding it closed again (thus drawing attention to yourself for doing more than checking the slowly passing time in said staff meeting). That's a small complaint, I know, but stay with me. I tried to sync my phone with my computer with the Bluetooth only to find out that the computer and phone didn't want to get along with each other without being hacked. If one has Bluetooth and the other has Bluetooth, shouldn't they work together? Son of a... Luckily, I have a data cable from one of the previous phones (yes, the connections have stayed the same through each of the Sony phones). That let me sync most of what I was trying to get. Then came the camera. The w810 was 2MP and had a flash. This one had better resolution, but there is no flash. I didn't think that would be a huge deal, but I hate it. I used that flash a lot more than I realized. It was great even in the brightest of situations because it served as a fill-light (evening out shadows on faces and such). Harsh shadows don't matter when your pictures are all blurry, though. The shutter on the w760 is horribly slow. Slow shutter speeds and fast-moving children do not mix. Kids don't pose for camera phones. I need something better than this for taking pictures. Even the photos that turn out OK aren't great. The w810 never failed me as a great back-up camera. I have printed numerous photos of the fam and scout trips with that thing. You'd never know they were from a phone. The w760's photos automatically look like they were taken by some crappy camera no matter what I do. On the flip-side, it does take good video. If you haven't seen the video on my Facebook page, take a gander. It's good stuff. Of course, any video with Tyler is going to be great. I digress. The other thing I was looking forward to was the music capabilities of my phone. I don't always enjoy carrying my iPod with me. iPods don't have easy sharing capabilities. They don't have speakers. They are just another thing that I will lose if I carry them around in my pockets. I had loaded a bunch of music on my w810 without incident. This time around I got a bigger card (2GB) to have a bigger selection of music to choose from. Sadly, Sony won't let me use my existing MP3 files. What the heck am I supposed to do? I think I've tried every digital music codec I can (at least through iTunes) to no avail.
I want my w810i back! I still have the phone in case I come by a cell phone repair shop that doesn't want one of my arms or legs to fix my problem. I'm open to any other suggestions.

Snow:
I like snow when I can do things in it. I learned to enjoy skiing when I moved to Park City, and the winter sucks when I can't be skiing a bunch. One day this season was not enough--especially since Megs couldn't come that day. If I'm not going to be skiing, it needs to be time for green grass and blooming tulips. Snow, I love you, but I think we need to take a break from each other. It's not you; it's me. I just don't have time for a steady relationship right now.

TV:
I want a la carte programming for my television, and if I don't get it, I'm ready to just not have television. If I can customize my websites and my magazines, why can't you let me have only the channels I might ever watch? My ISP gives me ESPN 360, so I can watch all sorts of sporting events at any given hour (Real Madrid and Olimpiacos are playing in Euroleague basketball here in a couple of hours). ABC has made Lost available online back to the first season, and Megs and I have watched from the beginning even though they are in the sixth or seventh season by now. Networks who don't think this is a good idea don't understand that people like us wouldn't have bothered to jump in to a program a few seasons in. We wouldn't have understood what was going on. This way, we have been able to see a cool show in its entirety (with limited commercial interruptions) even though we weren't fans when the show originally aired. How hard is that to understand? We have also enjoyed Monk and Burn Notice on USA's website. We tried to catch up on 24 but couldn't because Fox didn't have (at least that we could see) the first episodes from the season we needed to start with. They had limited episodes available on their website. Why? Does that make any sense? I don't think so--especially not for a show like that. If it were a sitcom, I could maybe understand. For a drama, it doesn't work that way.

I've got more on my mind, but it's time for bed. Before I catch my Z's, though...

Economy:
No company deserves a bailout. When small restaurants close, the government doesn't bail them out. If they fail, the owners, investors, employees all have to find something new to do. Banks, auto companies, insurance companies, all deserve the same treatment. If your business model sucks, you lose. Such is life. I don't feel bad for union-dominated automakers. The workers contributed to their mess as much as the executives did. Everyone was to blame. Get over it, and either help fix the problem or find a new place to work.
Homeowners who can't afford their payments don't deserve a bailout, either. My wife and I have waited because we knew we couldn't afford things even when the banks said we could. Our common sense prevailed. The math didn't seem to work, so we didn't do it. If homeowners are now getting my taxpayer money to help them pay back loans they shouldn't have gotten so they can stay in homes they shouldn't have been approved for, I'm gonna be pissed. It's not right. It's cheating. Cheating is bad.

On that note, I feel I can sleep a little better tonight. Goodnight.

Pizza

2009-03-27T10:44:00.005-06:00

I enjoy pizza. Pepperoni pizza mostly, but there is also a place in my heart for the Pizza Hut Meat Lovers, artery-clogging variety. There's even one at Main Street Pizza and Noodle in Park City called The Cholesterol Hiker that I absolutely adore! Ok, so I guess the most important ingredient for me is meat. If the pizza doesn't have meat on it in some variety, don't expect me to put it in my mouth.

I've tried pizza in many different places, and it's so different everywhere. You would expect pizza in Italy to be the best since, supposedly, that's where it hails from. And maybe Chelsie would disagree with me since she doesn't like meat, but the pizza we had in Italy...NOT the best. In fact, I was quite disappointed. It was nothing much more than a thin crust, sauce and cheese. I might need a second go around with it to change my opinion (hint, hint husband).

Pizza in Brazil was interesting. Tuna pizza, corn pizza, corn and BACON pizza, shrimp pizza, palm heart pizza, etc. Some were not the best, but there was one that I absolutely ADORED! Frango e catupiry pizza. Chicken and catupiry cheese. Now Brad will tell you that this kind of cheese is gross. "It's nothing but nasty, white Velveeta." I, Brad, will respectfully disagree. It is SO GOOD! Nothing like Velveeta! And it was great on pizza with chicken! Maybe YOU need another go around on this one Brad! :)

There is another kind of "pizza" that is close to my heart and that is the Mexican Pizza from Su Casa. It is my FAVORITE fake Mexican food. Ground beef (it has to be ground beef or no deal), and beans inside two crispy flour tortillas, covered with melted cheese, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole (again, NO olives, or NO deal). It is divine!! Even my dad, who complains about every single Mexican restaurant he has ever been to that is NOT in Mexico, enjoyed the Mexican pizza. He SAID he didn't when I brought one home for me after work one night and then HE ate it all. But then the next time I worked at Su Casa he called asking for one. Yeah, it's good.

Well, last week I almost had a heart attack when Ryan brought home three different kinds of leftover pizza from a lunch meeting he had.

#1 - The Pesto Pie - parmesan, pesto and SOY NUTS! Uh, WHAT?
#2 - The Jupiter Pie - olive oil, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and FETA. Again...Uh, WHAT?!

and the winner...

#3 - Artichoke Heart Pizza - no description needed.

I wanted to call Fuego Pizzeria and ask them what business they have putting artichoke hearts and bird food on a pizza! Who ARE you people?! Ok, I know, no disrespect to all you who love this stuff (Chels, if this sounds good to you, GREAT! I'll give you the address later), but SERIOUSLY?

After seeing that, I made Ryan take me to Pizza Hut where I ordered the meatiest pizza I could stomach. And I enjoyed every bite! For three days.

...I don't think I belong in Park City. I don't eat hummus and I don't shop at Whole Foods and I don't eat birdseed pizza. Even so, much love to all of you who do. I'm off to the kitchen to find something fattening to eat.

P.S. Yes, I'm going to be that old lady who has people sneak food that the doctor has forbidden into the nursing home

Texting Faux Pas

2009-03-24T11:08:00.005-06:00

Lately Tyler has been getting more educated about how to use a cell phone. If he's going to play with it, it has to be a real phone, it has to be on, and it has to be unlocked. Otherwise he wants nothing to do with it. This morning while playing on our bed he saw my phone and started playing. I was still half asleep and therefore happy that he had found something to keep him occupied for a little while longer. A few minutes later I looked over and noticed that the "sending picture..." screen was up. A couple of seconds later I saw that this was the picture he had sent...

...TO THE MISSIONARIES!!

I'm not quite sure what to do here. They already knew I was pregnant so it's obviously not an announcement of any kind (and NO I wouldn't announce it this way to the ELDERS anyway!). Do I just call them and explain that my 17-month-old son just randomly figured out how to send THEM this particular picture? That it's not a threat of any kind, and that I will gladly talk to their mission president should he have any questions about this highly irregular picture that is now taking up space on their phone? Or do I just wait until I see them on Sunday and see if they ask about it. At this moment are they wondering which of their companions (there are three of them) Sister Jensen was directing this picture to? Are they arguing over what it's supposed to mean? Are they glaring at each other accusingly, trying to remember if any one of them has been alone for any amount of time in the past couple of months?

...excuse me, I think I have a phone call to make.

It's About That Time

2009-03-16T22:38:00.004-06:00

You're all invited to participate in my March Madness bracket group. I went with the Facebook version this year. I don't plan on managing any other groups, but I'm open to joining any of yours. Here's the link for the group. Feel free to join in the fun. Nothing on the line but some school pride. If you don't have a Facebook account, I don't know if you can be in or not. But why aren't you on Facebook? Don't you need someplace to waste more of your time? A little Facebooking can't hurt that bad, can it?

GO AGGIES!

Mommy Memos

2009-03-16T12:23:00.007-06:00

When I was younger I was never a "kid lover." You know, one of those people who just LOVES children, loves to babysit, loves to always be playing with kids. Not that I didn't LIKE small children and babies. They were fun to hold and talk to and play with for short spans of time, but not hours! I would read the Babysitters Club series and love the idea of being in a babysitting club, and my next-door-neighbor and I even started a babysitting service and handed out fliers and all. But every time I had a babysitting job I wouldn't look forward to it. I would dread it! I thought that maybe it was because at that point (when I was 12 or 13) I already had a little brother at home that I had to take care of at times. But that wasn't really it. There were people with multiple brothers and sisters I knew that had to help take care of them and LOVED it, AND loved babysitting. So I decided that I just wasn't one of those people who would make a great mother one day. Those people who seem to be BORN to be moms. Like my sister-in-law Monica. She's amazing with kids and always has been (plus she's not boastful about the fact that she's a great mom, which I LOVE and which I think makes her an even greater mom!).

Anyway, before I had Tyler I was genuinely afraid that I would suck as a mom and not really know how to take care of him, or maybe even (GASP!) not enjoy it! But the very second that Tyler was born and placed on my stomach, something inside me clicked. The tears came and I instantly knew that I would be fine and that I would love my time with him. And I have. Not that there aren't moments when I go nuts and feel like screaming. No, there are plenty of those. But I'm so thankful that for me, the "mothering instinct" did actually turn on and didn't stay dormant for the rest of my life. I did finally gain confidence in myself as a mother, though it is definitely challenging and even though I know I will have so much to learn at every stage of my children's lives. I know I'll try and fail and have to try again, but it's something I'm excited about.

I think my favorite blog posts to read are those of friends and family who talk about the new things their children are learning. I've become so fascinated with how children's brains work and how they learn new things. Each child is so different and learns new things at different times than others, but no matter when those new things start, I love hearing about them. I love hearing about the funny things they say and how they interact with siblings or other children, and how the characters of their parents can start showing through them so early!

Recently I read about a book that was written (I don't remember the title) about how parents really don't have any influence over what their child will be like because children are just born with a certain character that can't be changed. That's the biggest load of BULL that I've ever heard! Yes, every kid has a character that is different from others, but every kid is also influenced by their parents or those around them every single day. The act of NOT trying to teach them something because you believe they can't be taught or molded is in itself teaching them something. Something harmful, but it's teaching them something nonetheless.

One of this woman's main points was that it doesn't do a thing to teach a child religion at an early age because they'll just go off and do whatever they want when they get older. This part was utterly laughable and unbelievable to me. Yes, eventually kids grow into adults that make their own decisions, and some don't follow the same things their parents believe. But...really??! Kids that are taught morals, values, and respect and love of God turn out no better than those who were taught NOTHING? Kids who are taught to pray when they're young don't generally keep up the practice and teach their own kids to pray someday? Even if they don't continue in any religion, the values they learned don't help them AT ALL in life? I think it's so sad these kinds of lies are being propogated today. The lie that parents don't have any responsibility for their kids. How awful is that?

The past couple of months Tyler has been starting to fold his arms when we say prayer (only for the first few seconds at the beginning and then maybe somewhere in the middle or towards the end for a few seconds), but this last week I've noticed his understanding grow a little bit. Ty and I were at a baptism on Saturday. During the song he was playing with something and not paying any attention to what was going on (other than to dance for a couple seconds when the music started). The second the song was over he put down what he was playing with and folded his arms. Before anyone had even gotten up to start praying. The same thing in Sacrament meeting. After the song ended ( he was sitting with someone else because I was playing, but I saw him do it) he immediately folded his arms. Even during the sacrament, after having folded his arms the first time after the song ended, he folded his arms again when it was time for the water to be blessed. Such a simple thing, but it melted my heart because it made me really realize how impressionable they are even at such a young age. Lately Tyler is nuts during Sacrament Meeting and it's been really hard for me to get him to stay in one place for longer than a couple of minutes, but he's starting to understand that prayers are special. If he can understand that at 17 months, how many more important things will we be able to teach him in the coming years that will hopefully help him throughout his life? Even when he does ultimately make his own choices.

I'm so thankful for the gift of being a mother. It's so precious. I feel sad for all those who have children that they aren't thankful for. But I'm so thankful for all of YOU who are wonderful examples to me as you raise your children! There are so many out there who haven't been blessed with this gift. If you have children, go hug them, be grateful for them and teach them every good thing you can while you have the chance.

You've Got Mail

2009-03-09T22:23:00.003-06:00

Yes, I did get mail...and it was one of those envelopes that I dreaded seeing. Like a bill, but worse. It was addressed to me, yet that same address had been typed on my own computer. I knew what it was the second I saw it. I prepared that envelope myself and included it in the package just as they instructed. For "notification," they said. Well, I've been notified. They are thankful that I shared my work with them, but it was not chosen (among the 600 entries) as this year's winner.

I was disappointed for the rest of the day because I truly had gotten my hopes up. And the truth is, I don't think getting your hopes up is a bad thing! It was only my hopes that even got me to write 30 chapters of a book in the first place. So a little disappointment after the first try is ok. The next day, I got myself out of my disappointment and started looking for my next step. And I found it!

Every summer BYU hosts the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop. It's a week-long conference for anywhere from beginning to advanced aspiring writers. Authors, editors and agents come from all over the country to teach seminars and workshops and even to find new writing talent, which, according to an article in the Boston Globe, they have in fact been finding there. I registered and will be attending in June! I'm so excited! It's five full days of writing, learning, sharing, and getting feedback on your work. The mornings are dedicated to working in groups of 13 with an award-winning author. I'll be working with Lael Littke, who has written a total of about 43 books, mostly for young adults. We're supposed to have at least a few pages of a book started to share with the 12 others in the group. I'm so excited to get feedback from an author about what I've already written!

So, my plan is REVISE, REVISE, REVISE until June and then after the conference (and hopefully after making some great contacts and learning a bit more about the whole process of getting a book published) REVISE, REVISE, REVISE some more, and then see where I go from there. In order to get published with a big company, it's necessary to have an agent, so that would probably be the next step.

Anyway, in the next month or so I would like to have a couple of people read my manuscript to get some feedback that way as well. I'm probably going to ask my little brother and cousin to read it since they are in the target age group, but I would also like to get some suggestions from adults as well. I would like it to be an interesting book for any age group. So let me know if you would be interested in helping me out that way. Just a warning. The book has a lot to do with something that's a little bit of a controversy right now. Immigration. One of the main reasons I wrote it is because I feel it important for specifically American youth to see a side of this issue that is not normally seen. The personal side of it. The human side that requires us to be a little more compasionate. So, I'm asking that if you read it, you leave aside any and all predisposition or judgement you may have on this subject now and have an open mind. Keep in mind that most of the characters' experiences that I incorporated into my story are true.

So, there's the plan! I'm excited to go forward with it and I'm so excited to learn all I can in June. After all, I'm not an English major, or anything even CLOSE! So I do have a lot to learn. And education is never a bad investment.