Fun Times with Good Friends

Melissa's Baby Shower -- Melissa & Alysia were two of my very best friends from high school. We are all having boys this year. I love these girls.

This is the Day family. I talk about them regularly around here. I love this picture -- each of our kids has a twin in their family -- Chloe & Lisa, Angie & Lily, Jared & Brigham, Cannon & Joseph. Nate's still waiting for his twin. Patiently.

In Case You Were Wondering

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes. In moderation.
2. Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Negative.
4. What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic? I like the cranberry limeade. So I guess cranberry and lime?
5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointment? No
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Only acceptable at campouts.
7. Favorite Christmas Song? I am a fanatic about Christmas music. I'd say 85% of my iTunes purchases are Christmas music. I make new mixes every year.
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Chocolate Milk
9. Can you do push-ups? Yes. But they're not pretty.
10. What is your favorite movie? Of all time? La Vita e Bella. Of right now? Dan in Real Life.
11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelry? My wedding ring. And all of TaLaisa's jewelry she's made for me.
12. Favorite hobby? I have crafting ADD. But I love paper crafting and sewing. But not the real sewing with patterns and such.
13. Do you work with people who idolize you? That's an odd question. But probably yes.
14. Do you have ADD? Only in regards to crafting.
15. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself? That I feel like I have to justify myself and my choices.
16. What’s your middle name? Rose.
17. Name three thoughts at this moment: 1. What shall I type here? 2. I'm very disappointed in Congress. 3. The kids are in bed, I refuse to have thoughts.
18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday: Nothing. Having a fourth child is an excellent way to curb spending. I hardly ever shop anymore. Oh, but day before yesterday I bought an armband for my iPhone. I really like listening to Hollaback Girl and SexyBack while I run. And Hips Don't Lie. And I realize I'm about 2 years behind on my workout music mixes, but these songs are new to me. I am a lover of the acousticness of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Sondre Lerche, and Norah Jones -- but they are no good for running. Believe me, I've tried.
19. Current worry right now? That I will alienate my family and friends.
21. Current hate right now? Sound bite news.
22. Favorite place to be? Home. And Hawaii.
23. How did you bring in the New Year? Slept. I might have seen a ball drop maybe.
24. Where would you like to go? New York City, England, Hawaii
25. Name three people who will complete this? I haven't invited anyone, so I guess I can't say.
26. Whose answer do you want to read the most? Anybody.
27. What color shirt are you wearing? Har! I'm just sittin' here in my undies. So, white.
28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? Yucko. No way. I have a weird skin weird thing. I don't like silky things touching me.
29. Can you whistle? Yes. But not the really loud variety.
30. Favorite color? Pink, but I'm a fan of all colors.
31. Would you be a pirate? I was just yesterday.
32. What songs do you sing in the shower? That's odd, I was just in the shower and I don't sing. Why don't I sing in the shower?
33. Favorite girl’s name? Chloe, Lily
34. Favorite boy’s name? Brigham, Cannon
35. What’s in your pocket right now? No pockets.
36. Last thing (Person) that made you laugh? Myself telling Stanton about how I am in love with the iPhone and I feel like I live in a "This is going to change everything" commercial.
37. Best bed sheets as a child? Superman.
38. Worst injury you’ve ever had? I've never experienced a major injury. But I had menigitis 3 years ago and it was pretty not great.
39. What is your favorite snack? Lunchmeat, cheese, and crackers.
40. Favorite thing to do on Sundays? Take my kids to nursery.
41. Who is your loudest friend? Me.
42. How many dogs do you have? Zero. See this post.
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Stanton definitely. Also, a guy who saw me as Eliza Doolittle in New York.
45. What is your favorite book? Pride and Prejudice.
46. What is your favorite candy? Dark chocolate. Twix. Reese cups.
47. What is your favorite sports team? Ohio State Buckeyes, Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? I haven't thought that far in advance.
49. What were you doing 12 AM last night? Sleeping.
50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up this morning? Cannon slept till 5:45 -- what a good boy! Aw, 5:45? Now I have to stay up....

MIA and a Giveaway!!!!

I've been MIA from blogging for a while and sporadic at best for the weeks previous. For the next little bit, I'm going to just accept that this is the way life is going to go. I probably won't post much at Scripture Sisters, although I'd LOVE if some of you who participate there would be willing to guest host (wink wink, nudge nudge). Email if you'd like to at julierallen (at) me (dot) com. I've found it very difficult to find the time to post, study, and comment there. I think if we all took turns, though, we would be able to keep it going, which I'd really like!

As for here -- the posts will continue to be sporadic. But they'll be worth reading sometimes. Like this one...this post is TOTALLY worth reading! Why? Because my sister in law, Emily, is having a giveaway....right here on my blog! Isn't that fun?

You might remember Emily from this post. She's done pictures of my kids and she's coming up next weekend to take family pictures for me!!! Have I ever mentioned that I love family pictures? We've taken one every year since we've been married and I plan to continue that. I love seeing how our family has grown and changed from year to year.

I think Em's real strength in her photography is her creativity. She's so good at capturing little candid moments with either a child or an engaged couple. I also love that she is able to photograph the personality of her subject. I think that's a unique talent.

I'll let Em tell you all about the giveaway...Take it away, Emma!

Hey guys, Emily here. I’m excited for this giveaway, especially with the fall colors coming on! So, here are the details...
I’ll take pictures for one lucky person, at a location of your choosing. This includes my time, editing, and the digital copies. You get to do the prints on your own or I can do them for you off my pricelist.
I do not do studio photography, just in natural light (that means outside unless you have some killer windows in your home).

Your photo shoot will include one of the following:
1. Family pictures (up to 6 people)
2. Individuals
3. Bridals
4. Engagements
5. Anything else you want photographed (except clowns, I’ve never had a liking for them) such as your pet, home, favorite place, theme photos for home décor…
I have to limit the area to Cache, Davis, Weber, and some areas of Salt Lake. Sorry about that but fuel prices are out of control. If you live out of those areas, you could meet up with me in one of these counties.

Here’s what you need to do to enter. Tell to me about the following:
1. Describe your all time favorite personal or professional photograph? (post it on your site with a link for us to see if you like!)
2. When was the last time you had family pictures taken (I’m not talkin’ about the point and shoot against the backyard fence in your Sunday best)
3. What’s your style of photography? creative, traditional, vintage, BW, color…

If you post about this on your blog, you can earn an extra entry. If you put Emily Allen Photography on your sidebar, you can earn an extra entry. For every referral you send over here, you'll earn another entry.

After the giveaway is completed, anyone who entered can have 50% off the session fee.

Doesn't this sound fun?! If you don't live in the area, you could enter and give the shoot as a gift to a friend or family member who lives around here. Now, get entering and referring!

The giveaway will be closed at midnight on the 10th. Emily and I will choose a winner on Saturday morning, October 11th.

I'm Just Going to Admit It...OFFICE SPOILER ALERT

I totally cried when Jim proposed to Pam tonight. I cried, okay? It was awesome.

Other things I loved about tonight's premier:

Stanley's photograph in his thinner days "look at those biceps."

Angela's list of wedding location requirements "1000 year old castle (it was castle, right?) in the continental US. 24-hour veterinary care."

That Dwight had to think about splitting the fake commission with Phyllis.

That Apple computers were everywhere! My Apple computer was everywhere. I am so hip.

Ryan coming back as the temp -- the receptionist temp! Eat it, Ryan! (Oh, no offense, Pam...)

The fruit flies in the vending machine.

There were so many awesome moments I know I'm missing -- why is my brain so mushy nowadays? What were your faves?

1 Dad + 2 Daughters +1 Ringling Brothers Circus + Lots of Cousins = 1 Fun Night

Stanton & the girls went to SLC for the Ringling Brothers circus. All day long the girls and I had been talking (squealing) about their trip, so when Stanton got home, they were definitely geared up for the event. What I didn't gamble on was that Brigham had been listening all day, too (yeah, I know, I'm an idiot). He got so excited when Stanton came home -- he kept saying, "Cihcus, Daddy, Cihcus!" He even got in the van and sat in his carseat. Lily made sure he knew he wasn't invited, "Get out of the van, Brrigham." When Stanton explained to him that he wasn't going, oh, man, he was devastated. Tears, puppy dog eyes, utter disappointment. Stanton called later just to see how he was. Thankfully, the babysitter (I was getting my hair done when they left) just scooted him inside and fed him his dinner (a pb&j can really mend a broken heart) and he was fine. It really was sad, though.

According to Stanton, the drive down was great and the girls totally enjoyed the circus. When Chloe got up this morning, I asked her to tell me about it. She couldn't stop talking about the clowns, "There was one with a big hat and a nose and the other one couldn't find his hat and guess where it was? In the other one's hat! (Laughing) Isn't that SO funny?" "Mom, there was a guy on a motorcycle and he rode across the string and the lady was under it. It was SO cool!"
I would report on Lily's interpretation, but she's still sleeping.

Some photos from the eveningLibby, Lily, Chloe, Rachel, Julie, Jessica

Lily

Chloe

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm pretty sure, based on this video, that if there's ever a Seinfeld remake, Chloe could land the part of Elaine. She's got the "Little Kicks" down pat...

Those Puss in Boots eyes mentioned here.

Canning, Gardening, etc. Your Questions Answered.....

This has become its own post. I'll answer your questions here...but with a disclaimer. My peaches and pears would NEVER win a ribbon at the county fair. I am not an expert canner. I only know what I've learned from my mom and mother in law (two good sources, but when it gets to me, it gets dumbed down a little). So, with that in mind...your questions answered.

I've heard that you can just not water the tomatoes for 10 days straight and they will be forced to ripen, no hanging room necessary. 18 bushes is a whole lotta tomatoes, I did 6 and that's a lot, but I've never canned so maybe that isn't enough for canning. - TaLaisa
Okay, so this isn't a question. But here's what we've learned: not watering your tomatoes does indeed cause them to ripen more quickly. But ours have been without water for a good two weeks now and still aren't ripening quickly. It's been a strange year for tomatoes. From what I can gather, even commercial farmers around here are having a late harvest because the tomatoes aren't ripening.
And 18 bushels is a whole lotta tomatoes. But I don't think I'll actually have 18 bushels. I think the picture on the last post is probably 1 bushel and that's from two plants. Two pretty fruitful plants. So, I'll get about 9-11 bushels total, probably. My spaghetti sauce recipe uses 1 heaping bushel of tomatoes for about 24 quarts. I like to make twice that, as we use the spaghetti sauce for so many different things: spaghetti, lasagna, cacciatore, pizza, meatballs, etc. We really do go through almost all of it every year. Also, I like to freeze several quarts of diced tomatoes. I use them in soups, stews, black beans, tacos, etc. Finally, I am planning to do tomato juice this year to use in Bare Soup, a recipe from my friend, Trudy Day. It's a simple, healthy soup that my kids love. I'll do that on a Wellness Wednesday one of these days. I'd like about 24 quarts of juice for that. So, all in all, I think I'll be pretty close to on target with the tomatoes we've planted. 2 heaping bushels for spaghetti sauce (4 plants, approx.), 1/2 - 3/4 bushel for freezing (1-2 plants, approx.), 1 - 1 1/2 heaping bushel for juice (2-3 plants, approx.), plenty for frying about 1/2 bushel, plenty for enjoying sliced with salt (1/2 bushel), and lots for sharing. Okay, I'll probably have way too many, but if I allow the stragglers to ripen on their own time, I might be enjoying garden fresh tomatoes into November....

Tell me about your tomatoes. There is no way ours are going to ripen before the frost, and I'm sad! Do you just sit them out on your counter tops until they ripen? Please share! - Julie P.
Again, I'm no expert, but we do two things.
First, we put a blanket or tarp over our plants in the garden whenever we think there will be a frost. This insulates them so they don't freeze.
Second, we pick them and put them on newspapers in the garage. To get them to ripen more quickly (since we'd like so many for canning), we'll put a towel over them. This traps the ethlene gas, which is what causes all fruits and vegetables to ripen. It's the same concept as putting an avacado in a paper bag. The USU extension guy shared that tip at my MIL's enrichment night. We've done things similar in the past and they've worked out okay.

1. Does your family ever end up eating all those peaches? When do you serve them with dinner or as cobbler?

2. Do you think it is any better tasting than store bought canned peaches or tomato sauce?

3. Do you end up throwing out a lot at before the next canning season to make space for the new stuff?

4. Where do you store the cans when they're done?

5. Do you feel like you want to die while doing this?

Julie P. please advise as well. Apparently my family emigrated to CA too many generations ago to pass on any canning genes.

And tomato ripening advice? I am so lost... If we had to live without a grocery store or run our own farm we'd surely die. - Janelle

1. Yes, eventually. I try to do enough peaches and pears to last 2 years because it's a lot of work.

As for how I use them, I've never made cobbler with them. Maybe I'll try that. I feed them to my kids for breakfast with toast. They go through a quart easily in one meal. I often serve them with dinner as a side or a dessert. Yes, they like them enough to eat them as dessert sometimes! They're also a snack time staple for us. I will admit, though, that I go through spurts where I totally forget about them and we don't eat them for a couple of months. When I remember to bring them upstairs, though, we eat them like mad.

2. Yes. Yes. Yes. I think home canned peaches and pears are absolutely better than the store bought variety for a few reasons: one, they're fresher tasting; two, since I canned them myself I can control the amount of sugar in them and I know we're getting a more healthful product. As for spaghetti sauce -- there is no comparison. Our recipe (thanks to my SIL for that) is amazing. And once again, I can control the amount of sugar and salt in the finished product. If I had to choose between canning my own fruit or my own spaghetti sauce, I'd choose the spaghetti sauce.

3. I do not throw out the old ones, as they last for several years. I just move them to the front and put the new ones behind. We still have about a dozen quarts of peaches from '06 downstairs, but only 1 quart of pears.

4. I'm fortunate, living in Utah, to have a basement with a cold storage under the porch. I store the fruit on the shelves in there. The empty bottles get stored where the full ones once were. Also, if I have extra bottles (which I did this year -- I didn't can fruit last fall) I store them in an empty cupboard I have downstairs. Also, I store them with the old lids and rings on them so they don't get dusty inside -- that way I don't have to wash them a second time before canning.

5. Sometimes. I feel like I want to die when I look at the 6 boxes of fruit waiting to be done. I feel like I want to die when I look at that very long table of tomatoes that will have to be cared for. But once I get going, it is a pretty enjoyable process. My kids are usually fairly cooperative and like to help pour the sugar in the jars, etc. They also love eating fruit as we go along. A lot of people I know stay up late at night after their kids go to bed to get the canning done. I have tried this, but I am not a night person, so it's miserable for me. I have to just do it during the day with the kids awake -- and amazingly, when they figure out that that is really what I am going to spend the afternoon doing, they find ways to entertain themselves. I don't even have to turn on the tv for the most part. Finally, seeing the bottles of fruit and sauce and juice and bags of veggies in the freezer is very rewarding. I like knowing that I have a useful skill (I didn't graduate from college, so my bar is probably set pretty low...). I like seeing that I've laid up produce in store for a time of hardship. I like how pretty the darn things are, okay?!

Here's a tomato plant hint. Since I can see that some of your tomatoes are a little on the green side. :) If you have a place, you can hang the plant itself upside down and the tomatoes will continue to vine ripen. It makes them very yummy. - Brooke S.
This is a great hint. Since I'm planning to can most of mine, I probably won't do this, but I have heard of this from a few different sources and I think it's great. Try it!

Now, a question...would anyone be interested in a canning tutorial? I didn't take pictures of the fruit process, so that'd have to be addressed in another way, but I could do a spaghetti sauce tutorial. Any interest?

And Janelle, you would not surely die. You'd figure it out. I grew up on a ranch and when we moved to town my parents continued to garden, so I have a natural love for such things. It's not for everyone, but it can be learned and even loved. :)

The Deluge of Photographs....

Now that I've found my camera cord, I'm a picture taking fool again. Bear with the next few posts which will certainly be more photo, less word. Perhaps that's a welcome relief?

I canned 3 bushels (total) of peaches and pears this year -- I'm so glad to have them all done. I still can't believe I did most of it by myself this year -- that's a first.

We harvested 2 of our tomato plants last night -- only 16 to go. I think it's safe to assume we'll have enough for spaghetti sauce and tomato juice.....Note to self: next year, trust Stanton when he says we don't need 18 tomato plants.

Brigham entertaining himself this morning. A few things I love about this picture: I love his concentration. I love that, for the most part, the bowls are arranged from smallest to largest. I love his little diapered bottom and that red hair.

He caught me taking the photo and stood up to say "Tsees"
He's been enthralled with puzzles lately (you know, the wood kind with peg handles) -- pretty fun to watch him use that little brain of his.

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Tri Training Update - spun for 40 minutes on Monday. Swam 200 meters then ran for 30 minutes on Tuesday. The running is getting easier - the training program only suggested running for 20 minutes, but I felt good enough to go an extra 10 - wow. When have I ever felt good enough to run an extra anything? The only thing that bothers me when I run is that my joints (knees, especially) get achy.
And I can now swim halfway down the 25 meter lane without coming up for air. Woot! I know, I've got to get a lot better than that, but it's progress... Today: spin again.

While telling Chloe our schedule today:

Me: You have preschool this morning, then we'll have lunch, then you'll go to the Kids Klub (the day care at the gym), then dad will come home and take you to the circus.
Chloe: We have to go to the Kids Klub again? It's like we're going there every day.
Me: Did you even hear the part about your daddy taking you to the circus? Hello!
Going to any kind of day care (and really, she's only there for about 1 hour maximum) is going to take some getting used to.

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We scored $10 tickets to the circus (thank you, Julie W.!), so Stanton is taking Chloe and Lily tonight. It's 2 hours away and starts at 7 pm, so they're going to have a late night. Worth it for a little Daddy-Daughter time, though. Stanton is a hero because he starts seeing patients tomorrow morning at 6 am. What a dad.

I Found My Cord!

I just found my camera cord! And I learned that all the camera/video camera/gps/etc. to computer cords are the same -- I now have 3 within a foot of me. Bah.

So, for my momma, here are some recent photos...

Chloe & her Dora puzzle

What happens when a child has had just that much too much unsupervised television

How fast they grow

Day one of preschool for Chloe

The whole crew follows along

Lily's "backpack"

Want to Talk Politics?

I'm still nervous to go there, so I think I'll avoid it for another day. But I am going to put my views and thoughts out there one of these days....as soon as I can articulate them to my satisfaction.

For today, though, another long update-style post.
As I've mentioned before, Brigham's had a total vocabulary explosion lately. He went from maybe 10 words to now over 50 within 2 weeks. And he's forming new and more complete sentences every day. It's so incredible to watch. Our girls talked so early that the change to sentences was gradual and not very noticeable. With Brig, it's been sudden and marked. Incredible. Anyway, today I was getting him dressed and when we finished I said "Gimme five!" He gave me five and then said, "Gimme bones, Mom." At first I didn't catch on to what he was saying, but then I looked down at his hands and he was making a fist so we could give "bones." I don't know what you call that fist pump thing, but we call it "bones" around here. It was so cute.
Some other favorite Brigham phrases of late:
"(Chloe/Lily/Mommy/Daddy/whoever) huht me" (huht = hurt)
"I bonk my head, Mom"
"Cannon cying, Mom" (cying = crying)
And he's saying little prayers now, too. We have to help him, of course, but he's repeating all the words. Darling.

And I'm obsessed with Brigham's eyes lately. I need to find my camera cord -- I need to even look for it. Haven't done that yet. But just think of Puss in Boots from the Shrek movies -- that is Brigham to a T. His eyes are shaped exactly like a teardrop and his lashes are getting so stinking long. When he's gotten his feelings hurt in any way, he looks up out of those eyes and completely breaks your heart. And makes you laugh your head off at the same time. I can't get enough of those eyes lately.

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Cannon -- oh, sweet Cannon. This little person is a joy. He's decided to wake up recently. I love when they decide they want to be here on earth. Don't you think that's why they sleep so much in the beginning? I figure they have just come from such a beautiful place and get here to earth and think, "this is what I signed up for? Maybe if I just close my eyes I can go back to where I came from..." It takes them a few weeks to decide they want to stick around. He's made that decision recently and now just looks around his new home trying to figure it out. I love it. He's not sleeping through the night again, but I'm not minding it too much. He usually just eats and goes back to sleep.

Oh, and how could I have forgotten that you have to shield a newborn from their sick siblings? He's got a mean cold and cough that he hasn't been able to kick. All the kids have had it. But I'm a jerk for letting him get it. Oh well, what doesn't kill him will make him stronger, right? Does that apply here? Anybody? Anybody?

If I had my camera cord, you'd see how much he's changing. It's crazy how quickly they go from squishy little newborn to looking like a real baby. He's a beautiful little person.

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Chloe is learning about butterflies in preschool. She brought home the "life cycle of a butterfly" in pasta today. So cute. I am so glad we put her in preschool. It's just the thing she's needed.

Today during quiet time she came upstairs to show me how she'd dressed up. I have to record this because it's the first time I've seen her really go all out with the accessories. She looked just like Fancy Nancy -- every necklace in the box, gloves, purses, tiara, the works. I like to see her expanding her imagination. She's never been particularly imaginative, but I see it developing more lately.
For example, she painted a rock she found the other day and when she was finished told me its story. It was called "The Ladybug of Destiny" and her rock lady bug went on all sorts of adventures. I love that name.

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Lily got to go run errands with our neighbor Trudy Day this morning. You'd think she'd won the lottery! She was so thrilled. She got to look at the fish at Walmart, buy a fish book at the dollar store, put the pennies in the machine at the bank and get a lollipop. She was so thrilled and took me through the entire morning with animated detail. Thank you, Trudy, for doing that with her. She's needed something that's just for her.
I put a bandage around her thumb today to help her remember not to suck it. It was a rough day. I have to stay strong on this one, though. I'm typing that so I can go back in 3 years and laugh at myself for thinking I could actually get her to stop by putting a bandage on her. It worked today, though. Rough, though. Rough.

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Let's see, what else? Oh, what was I thinking? I drove to Brigham City on Monday and bought 1 1/2 bushels of peaches and 1 1/2 bushels of pears to can. Seriously? What was I thinking? First of all, the price of fruit has skyrocketed. Highway robbery...literally. I don't think it's even a cost savings to home can anymore. I think I'm going to plant a peach tree and a pear tree next year -- that or just start shopping the case lot sale. I got peaches finished today -- and even though it was a complete pain in the rear, I do have to say that those 30 bottles of fruit sitting on my counter are quite lovely. And thanks, Stanton, for staying up on Monday night to work through the first 2 boxes with me. Now I have to do the darn pears. Why do I do this to myself?

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Ooh, one more thing. I have to update on my triathlon training. I've been working out for what? A week and a half now? I really like the tri training because I have a purpose and also because I don't have to run every day. I am falling in love with swimming and cycling. When I put on my swim cap and goggles, I feel like I'm Michael Phelps. That is, until I can't breathe after only 25 meters. I'm getting better, though. Now I can make it 27 meters without feeling like I'm going to die. And cycling -- I guess at the gym you call it spinning. Anyway, it's amazing! If you haven't tried it, you totally should. It's an incredible workout and you don't feel like you've been hit by a truck the next day.
Joining a gym was one of my better decisions of the last few years. They have a kids club (day care-type thing) I can take the 3 older kids to (and Cannon once he's 3 months old) -- and it's only $.50 an hour per kid. If only real babysitters were that cheap. Having the kids club totally negates all my previous excuses for not exercising. And I have to admit, it's nice to break up the afternoon with a trip to the gym. It's good for all of us. And I'm planning to be ready for a Sprint Triathlon in the spring. I'll probably do weekly updates on my progress here. Who am I kidding? I will not. But I'll wish I did, at least.

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One more thing - I actually played with the kids today. Like went into the toyroom and sat down and played "orchestra" and "camping" and had a blast. I need to do that more often. Chloe sort of led the way and it was fun to see what she came up with.
Of course, later today the kids were all outside while I was canning. Chloe came up with the great idea of spraying Lily and Brigham with the hose and then dumping sand on them. That wasn't nearly as cute. But there's not much a bath and a time out can't fix. Maybe I should've forgone the time out...it's hard to recognize that the peaches will wait and a bath won't hurt right in the moment, though. Maybe I'll do better next time.

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These mumbo jumbo posts are all I can muster up lately...one of these days I'll get my act together and write something real and coherent. Like why I am rather pleased with the Obama sign in my neighbor's yard. And the sign for the democrat who's running against Rob Bishop in my own yard. For you Utahns -- his name is Morgan Bowen and he's opposed to nuclear waste storage in Utah -- enough of a reason to cast your vote in his favor.
All that on another day, though....

Where Chicken Comes From

Eating dinner tonight:

Chloe: Mom, chicken comes from chickens.

Me: You're right -- it does.

Chloe: Yep, chicken comes from chickens because chickens poop chicken.

Me: Uh...wha?

I must not have described this well. She wasn't talking about eggs at all -- she thought that the chicken meat we were eating had been pooped by a chicken. Now I wish she actually was talking about eggs.....I've retitled the post to clarify.

TaLaisa's Giving Away More Goodies!

Have you visited TaLaisa's Bead Drawer yet? She's being featured in a beading magazine in February! Yeah, she's that good. And she's having another giveaway! I won the last one and my bracelet is worn constantly! Could I get lucky twice? Well, I'm already lucky infinitely because TaLaisa is not only my personal jewelry consultant, she's also one of my dearest "real life" friends! We were even roommates once upon a long time ago!
Go enter the giveaway, would ya?

And if you live in the Utah/Idaho area, you aren't going to want to miss my next giveaway, either. For a little taste of what's in store, visit Emily Allen Photography!

Scripture Sisters is Going Again...

We're back up and going over at Scripture Sisters. Come join us!

There's One for the Blog...

I have noticed lately that I am a profuse user of ellipses points...that's what these "..." are called, right? Ha! Look I used them in that sentence without even noticing it! I'm obsessed with them like others are with LOLs and exclamation points. I'm not pointing this out because I'm planning to change it...I just want it to be known that I know I am a freak with them...there I go again....Aaah!

Tell me, is an hour a reasonable assumption of time I should expect to spend at a doctor's office? This morning I got Chloe off to preschool at 10:00 then headed to Brigham's 2 year check-up at 11. I figured we'd easily be back by noon to pick Chloe up...after all, the doctor's office is only 5 minutes away. I arrived at 10:50 with Lily, Brigham, and Cannon in tow and we got signed in by 5 till. We weren't called back until 11:30 and after spending another 20 minutes waiting for the doctor (who is a personal friend and we love and would never consider leaving), I knew that I wouldn't be home in time to pick up Chloe. I pulled out my cell phone to call a friend and discovered the battery was dead -- Murphy's Law, right? So, I told Lily and Brigham to stay in the room while I went out to use the phone at the desk. I called several friends, but no one was home, so I finally called her preschool teacher and made sure it was okay if Chloe stayed late while we finished the appointment. After 3 or 4 minutes of phone calls, I went back to the room where the kids were....but, wait for it.....the door was locked!!!!!!
Lily had locked the door. This room had recently been turned from an office to an exam room, so it had a deadbolt and Lily turned it. I was calmly trying to get her to unlock it with no success -- it was more difficult to unlock than lock. The med assistants must have heard my voice growing more and more frantic and they came with several different sets of keys -- none of which worked. They went outside and tried to open the window. No luck. They tried to tell Lily how to unlock the door. No luck. Finally, they called the locksmith. How many times have you had to call a locksmith at a Dr. appointment? I bet I'm part of an elite club on that one. I whispered a silent, urgent prayer that everyone would stay calm inside that room (Cannon slept the whole time and Brigham just played and smiled and laughed and waved at us through the blinds) and that Lily would be able to unlock the door. Miraculously, about a minute before the locksmith showed up, she got it unlocked and was, of course, showered with hugs and cheers. One of the MAs, Deon (another family friend) told me, almost in tears, that she'd had a prompting to remove that deadbolt about a week earlier and hadn't followed through. Bless her heart, it was not her fault that Lily locked the door! I had a little chat with Lily afterward about locking doors. I asked her why she did it and she told me it was because Brigham had tried to get out, so she locked it to keep him safe. Well, can't get mad about that now, can I? I hugged her and we came up with a new plan if Brigham ever tries to leave the room. One that did not involve locking the door. Yes, I do realize I shouldn't have left them in the room unsupervised. But come on, I had to get Chloe taken care of too, right? And I'm not about to promise I'll never leave them alone again...

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And a quick funny from the appointment. Brigham's head is in the 80th percentile, while in weight and height he's only in the 15-20th. Dr. McKenna and I were chuckling about this when Lily walked up and said, "My dad has a big head." Maybe it was the pent up tension from the previous lock out, but Russ and I both laughed until we cried.

Whoa, that was LONG!

That last post was l-ong. Sorry about that.

So, Here's the Thing....

I haven't gotten on the computer much lately...and when I do, I spend the entire allotted time catching up on everyone else's blogs. By the time I'm done reading, commenting (very little lately, sorry), and bookmarking, someone needs to be fed, changed, read to, wiped, reprimanded, loved...well, you get the picture. As a result, I am so behind. In fact, I feel behind in everything. Behind on the laundry, behind on the dishes, behind on the bag orders, behind on the other sewing projects I want to do, behind on birthday cards, behind on thank you cards (for the record, I did receive your gift, and thank you so much), behind on scripture study, behind on blogging, behind on grocery shopping, behind on meal planning, eating right, and cooking, behind on exercising, behind on personal grooming (although I have kept my resolve to shower every day -- I've only missed once since Cannon was born)....I'm behind on life. It took me almost 3 weeks to return the dishes in which people brought dinner to me. One neighbor even sent her son over to get the casserole dish from us. Embarrassing. And I returned everything without thank you notes. Double embarrassing.

To even out the scale just a little, though, here are some things I have done:
*Made visiting teaching appointments for the month.
*Froze beans, corn, and tomatoes (not a lot, just a few quart bags of each, but hey, I did some).
*Got four bag orders in the mail last week.
*Put away my maternity clothes and organized our bedroom closet.
*Had Family Home Evening tonight.
*Called most of the family to let them know when we're blessing Cannon. Most. If you haven't gotten a call from me, your phone was either busy or you don't have an answering machine or I don't have your phone number. I'm working on it.

Well, that's not bad, I guess. But there's much to catch up on. Here's the attempt at one of them...skim as you please. And I can't find my camera cord (that's a perfect example of my "behindness" lately -- I always know where that is. It's always in the basket on the top shelf of the kitchen desk cupboard. Really. But it's not there. Sigh.....), so just imagine what cute pictures might have accompanied these items.

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We're blessing Cannon on the 12th of October. Our Sacrament meeting starts at 1:00 pm.

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Chloe started preschool on the 2nd of September. She goes 3 days a week for two hours. She loves it. She goes T, W, and Th, so every day since then, she's been asking when she gets to go back. Thank goodness Tuesday is almost here again!
It's been fun to see her come home with those bright eyes and so willing to share everything she did. I can't remember why I fought so hard internally about sending her to preschool. I am glad I waited till the year before kindergarten, though.

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Cannon is sleeping through the night most nights. That is, if I feed him from 9:30 - 11:00 pm and then rock him to sleep. Totally worth it if he sleeps until 7:00 am.
He still has all of his dark thick hair and a little acne to go with it. He is holding his head up so well and is really starting to look around. He spends a lot of time cross-eyed, but his focus is getting better. He's also starting to be awake a little more. Not too much, but a little. He's still a little angel and the kids are loving him. Brigham even learned to say his name.

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Saturday we got a little spontaneous and drove to Jackson with the kids. We decided to drive over and cheer our brother-in-law, Don, across the finish line for LOTOJA. He and our cousin-in-law, Jon, rode the race as a relay and did the whole 206 miles in about 10 1/2 hours. How crazy is that? If you know the terrain from Logan to Jackson (get it, Lo to Ja?), you know that this is a seriously gruelling race.
Anyway, Stanton recently bought a road bike and has totally loved riding it. He's actually enjoying exercise, which I love. Since he's, like, totally into cycling now, we had to follow the route of the race and see the die-hards racing. It was actually a lot of fun and the kids did remarkably well...thanks in no small part to the DVD player. There was a lot of Blue's Clues, Leap Frog Letter Factory, and Strawberry Shortcake playing throughout the day. And there may or may not have been some Benadryl involved in the drive home. For 4 hours in the car, followed by 1 hour out of the car, followed by another 3 1/2 hours in the car, we had a fun time and the kids were great. It's good to be a little spontaneous, even if it requires a stop at the Jackson Hole Albertson's for binkies, sippy cups, milk, snacks, drinks, and possibly drugs. Totally worth it.
And Don & Jon, you are the men.

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My good nutrition habits have completely fallen by the wayside. I am finding myself snacking on garbage, drinking soda, eating far too much, and far too often than I ever have. It's ridiculous. And as a result, my clothes are not fitting at all the way they once did. I finally put my maternity clothes downstairs and am forcing myself into my jeans only because I hope that if I'm miserable for long enough, I'll change my ways. That reminds me, though, that I have made some progress on the exercise front. Not really, but maybe I've gotten closer to making some progress? You decide:

Friday was a bad day. I was tired, the kids were fighting, and our upstairs looked like a tornado swept through it. I had asked the girls to go down and clean up the toy room about 15 times already when I totally lost it and screamed at them. I don't mean I raised my voice. I mean I screamed. And loud. And then, of course, I cried. So I went downstairs with them (leaving the upstairs a disaster), and started helping them clean. One thing led to another and I got obsessed with dejunking it. Of course the kids wanted little to do with that, so they started playing with and fighting over everything I pulled out. I was about to lose it again when Stanton came downstairs. Miracle! It was only about 11:30 in the morning and he was home for the day! He just looked at me with a smile and said, "Rough day?" I totally broke down in tears and he scooped up the girls (Brig was, thankfully, down for a nap) and took them to McDonald's and the park for lunch and to the mountains for an adventure. He had them for about 2-3 hours while I got the toy room cleaned out. I had 2 bags of garbage (do your dress-ups get ratty and nasty, too? and how do all those junky little toys make it into the house? I swear we do not frequent McDonald's, but our toybox looked like a Happy Meal toy breeding ground) and a DI box when I finished. I also put away several toys so I could rotate them later.
When Stanton got home, he let me go (with Cannon, of course) out to drop off the DI box and have some time to myself. I ended up being gone for 3 hours. It was so nice. I went to the mall to find some jeans that would fit comfortably. I made the mistake of going to Aeropostale. That store is not made for mothers of 4. Or anyone over 25, for that matter. I grabbed a couple pairs of jeans 2 sizes over my normal (Old Navy sizes, not Aeropostale -- why can't these companies just make a size the same all the way across the board?). I got to the dressing room thinking surely this size would be comfortable and get me through till I was back in my normal jeans. Wrong. I couldn't even zip them. It was at that moment I realized I needed to stop shopping for in between jeans and start getting back in shape. So, I quickly left the mall and headed over to Sports Authority where I bought workout clothes and a good pair of shoes. And I decided I am going to train for a triathalon. (Sara, what advice do you have?) So, this week I'm getting a membership at our local gym (they have childcare, so I can go during the day). I'm no athlete, but I'm excited to see what I can do.

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Oh, how could I forget this? Stanton and I celebrated our 6th anniversary on the 30th of August! We went to dinner at Hamilton's and then went to Shopko and the DI.
I don't really know how I feel about 6 years of marriage. It seems like such a short period of time when I look at that number. But when I look at the last 6 years of my life, it's been anything but short. We've done so much in those years -- enough that it feels like we've been married forever. In six years we've finished dental school, finished a residency, moved 6 times (and we've been in our home for 2 of those years), had 4 children, started a business, the list goes on. I hardly remember the life I was living before Stanton. And I love this life. Stanton and I are definitely a great match. We are both quite stubborn which has, at times, made for some frustrating arguments and fights, but that stubbornness is also what makes our relationship so good -- we really temper one another. As the years go by, too, I've noticed a mellowing of our personalities. We let go of things more readily, we laugh about little quirks, we are more aware of one another's needs. It's been such a great experience thus far -- I'm really grateful we have so many years ahead of us, too. I love him and am privileged to be his companion. Even if he does take me to Shopko for our anniversary.

Tell me this, though, wouldn't a great 10th anniversary celebration be the London Olympics in 2012? I am already planning it...in my head.

Stanton just came in and told me Michael Phelps is on Jay Leno -- now that's true love.

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I would really like a vacation right now. Just me and Stanton. Cannon will have to come along, but I'd really like it to be just the two of us.

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Brigham is talking! He turned 2 and magically he's talking! He still grunts plenty, but every day he's saying new words, phrases, and early sentences.
Stanton started pulling out of the garage without me on Saturday and Brigham flipped out, "Daddy, wait. Mommy. Wait Mommy, Daddy! DADDY! WAIT MOMMY!!!" Stanton ended up having to pull back into the garage just to get him to stop screaming. It's nice to be loved.

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Lily learned two hilarious songs in nursery and has been singing them around the house lately. One is about little hot dogs frying in a pan. She is so hilarious to watch sing it. She gets so intense frying those little hot dogs -- she ends up looking like she has some sort of tick. Okay, I need to video it and post it on here.

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The girls started gymnastics once a week! They are loving it and I'm considering adding a second day to their classes. It's amazing what a difference it makes (for everyone) to have "stuff" to do. I don't want to get our lives too packed with activities, but having something to do a couple times a week is awesome.

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I'm going to post on Scripture Sisters tomorrow. Really. I am.

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The end.