Happy Birthdee Lady Coach!

This is the picture I came up with when I google imaged "Lady Coach." Isn't it fabulous?

First, I'm sorry for going all Kanye on your b-day post Courtney but I do have to divert all of our attention for one minute to apologize to Dale. I missed his B-day post b/c everyone was out here for Thanksgiving and I got distracted but I've been meaning to do it ever since. I have a plan though. I haven't forgotten you, oh wisest among us kids. I will post for your b-day on a "specially appointed day" if you will...and I think you will. OK, sorry. Back to you, Taylor Swift. I mean Courtney.

To the younger, cuter version of me. The girl who has already or will tomorrow surpass every accomplishment I ever achieved in my life, why do you have to be so dang loveable? It'd be so much easier on my self esteem if we could balance your laundry list of ridiculously amazing strengths with some annoying trait or another. But you don't even have one. Even your perfection is endearing! How do you do it?

Ah, Coach. Let's recall some of your finer nicknames. Cutsey boots. Corky. Coco (I know, we are not all authorized to use this one, but I thought I'd throw it in for the sake of full disclosure). Shoot shoot, you're cute. Mommies. Curtains. Brothers Sisters Uncles Cousins Niece Nephew Mommies. Am I leaving any out?

I miss hanging out with you. And Felicity. And Thai food during mandatory law school graduation meetings. And sleepovers. And St. Patrick's Day. And Sunday Dinner. And Rice Pudding. And green rice krispie squares. And annoying Star Wars reinactments. And pretend drunken parties courtesy of orange creme sodas in glass bottles. And all of my male neighbors fawning all over you at my apartment. And Moogock. And 7 mile long post-it notes on my desk. And the Alien Baby. And my roommates wishing you'd move in and secretly probably liking you way better than they like me. And the world's most intense kick boxing glass followed by the nuzzle variation followed by a collapse on the floor in convulsions and laughter. And scotch...scotch scotch scotch, down down down, down into my belly. And Andrew's break up depicted in gruesome detail on my whiteboard. And only you and Natalie getting each other's jokes. And the blood drive. And pregnant male platupi. And teaching toddlers to say "Tiffany." And planning Matty's surprise B-day par-tay. And you being the first person I ever turned over full control of my baby to so I could go take my very first post baby nap. And you getting her to fall asleep when no one else could. I love you internally. :)

Mostly I miss you all the time. It kind of makes me want to sulk if I think about it too long. So hurry up and move here. Meanwhile, who remembers another Coach nick-name? Or another awesome memory that will make Courtney snort with laughter?

Happy B-day Coach. We love you. A lot.

Remodel

You may recognize this...it's where the fridge used to be...lovely, don't you think???


And this is the downstairs bathroom that used to be wine colored...


And...finally, the front and garage doors where wood flooring was previously.

It's a work in progress folks, but I can see it in my mind and it's breathtaking. The travertine will be ripped out shortly and replaced with a lighter version...but it is lovely. I mean who doesn't love doing dishes in the bathroom sink and walking by all the lovely new appliances in the living room? Can't wait to see it when it's done.

Folks, Folks, Merry Christmas!

I have the best Christmas present you all could ask for!

No, I will not be nannying for your children indefinitely...

No, it is of not of monetary value...

No, I will not be moving to Fresno, Dallas, or Queen Creek...

Instead, I am giving you all the link to my apartment blog! We've been spending the last couple weeks working on it and we're almost up to date. If you want the full effect (and I think you do Trebek), I would start at the bottom and work your way up instead of starting with the most recent and working backwards.

Enjoy:
http://apartment141.blogspot.com/

Xmas Vacation day one...

I went visiting teaching, got a phone call that things weren't going smoothly at home, ran home to find everyone yelling at each other. Scratched the plans to go out and find some fun crafts to do and made them clean their bathroom instead. Carter and Bella were fine...Jake and Malia freaked out. Nothing new. Carter got to have a friend over. They played Wii. Jake was practicing his clarinet (please get me some ear plugs and FAST!). The girls are doing ez bake and making a mess out of the kitchen. Lots of laundry folding to do...

So far, not my idea of a fun Christmas break. Maybe I should have another diet Coke...

Brittany is on a roll

OK, so if you haven't already read the post before this, read it first.

We were sitting here enjoying another family tradition (watching America's Funniest Videos). As we sat there, one of the kids on the TV hit another kid in the face. The girls asked why the boy said he was sorry. I said it was because he hit somebody in the face. I said we don't do that.

Brooke responded that we only do that to bad people when they are really bad.

Brittany then chimed in that we can kill bad people.

Wow, sounds like they have been taking their cues from one of my nieces who shall remain nameless that used to have some imaginary friends (until they "fell" off a building) and may or may not have bound and gagged her toys.

Family Traditions

So, this evening, Brittany, Brooke and I were carrying on one of the family traditions. We were making brownies. (No, that is not the family tradition.) Then, we licked the bowl. (THAT is the family tradition.) As I was getting ready to take my first lick, Brittany said, "It's brown like poop." Thanks for that Brittany. Thanks for being the only one in 30 some odd years who could make licking brownie batter less than exhilarating (except maybe for the time Justin and I licked the bowl when I used olive oil to make them).

Mackenzie is in love...

...with her baby sister. She doesn't want to put her down. She staggers into my room this morning and the first thing out of her mouth is "where's Charlie?"

Day 2 big obnoxious flower on my head. Everyone at the pediatrician's office this morning was in love with her~ can't blame them!

Welcome Home Charlie!!

The kids are excited to say the least! Kol keeps trying to share his teddy bear and blanket with her, and play hide and seek. Mackenzie and Stephen are fighting over who she looks like- Mackenzie says Charlie has her nose.

Stephen and I before we left NICU! Do we look dead tired or what and we haven't even gotten her home yet!

Exhibit B

A day in the life of Malia and I...

This morning, I woke Malia up. Her response was, "Why can't you just come back later?" Fair enough. I get the other kids out the door and then attempt to wake her up again. I told her that it was her Christmas party at preschool and asked if she wanted to get up so she could get ready. Her response was, "I'm just tired still. I'll go to the Christmas party next year."

Though I completely understood her willingness to give up some holiday party for another blessed hour of sleep, sorry kid, no can do today. Places to go, people to see. I picked her up, brought her downstairs, got her dressed and let her eat a cookie for breakfast to cheer her up. Elizabeth came to get her and she was clinging to me for dear life...but I put her in the car anyway.

She arrived home, having had a great time at preschool. I had to run to Costco to pick up some pictures. She saw someone walk out with a Barbie dollhouse and started asking to get one today. I told her not today and she proceeded to MELT DOWN. This is one of the first meltdowns I have seen from her in awhile. In my head, I'm thinking, this kid must be exhausted. I told her if she would stop, we could get a treat on the way out (aka my diet coke fix and something for her too...)She continued the whole time SCREAMING. Of course I couldn't get her (or me) a treat, so we walked out the door and she realizes she's not getting a treat. Now she really freaks out...ALL THE WAY HOME. When we get home, I pick her up, grab her blankets, and lay her down in my bed. She closes her eyes, puts her thumb in her mouth and goes to sleep. I lay down next to her and also doze off to dreamland. No words were said. We both knew she was tired. I was tired too...so, we simply took a nice little nap...until I was rudely awakened by pounding on the front door. You guessed it...Wednesday, early release. And so, Malia sleeps on as I referee between the other three.

Seriously, this kid just gets me...

Nana is here!!!

This is me- having my hearing tested. Good news- I can hear!

Isn't this such a great pic?

Yeah! Nana is here!

I'm sure you're getting sick of all my posts, so I'll try to cut back. Charlie is doing really great- she just needs to learn to eat (too bad I don't have that problem!!) Hopefully she'll get to come home on Thursday. I am so excited for her to get to meet her siblings- and aunts soon too!

Charlie Update

Look at my big baby yawn... I love this pic. It is so nice to see her face without it being covered with tape and tubes.

Charlie's IV in her foot went bad and her right leg is swollen because of it : ( So they had to put another one in. Her nurse today was fabulous and got it on her first stick! Check out her party hat (scalp IV).

This is daddy, changing Charlie's diaper for his first time (I went easy on him, no poop, just pee). Stephen was amazed at how fast she could get her baby hands in her diaper.
Charlie's first attempt at bottle feeding- didn't go so well. She only had to take 10cc but just couldn't. Even though she likes to suck on her pacifier, feeding is a lot more complicated. You have to remember to breath and swallow. She got too tired and started breathing to fast so we had to stop the feeding. She did much better with the second feeding- it took her about 25 minutes but she managed to take the whole 10 cc (with a little help from mom and dad).
The night nurse said Charlie took her entire 6 p.m. feeding. If she keeps this up, she could be home in a couple more days. Yeah!!

The horror of it all

Just thought I'd give u an idea of what Stephen got to go home and clean up today.

These are pics of the trail of bloody footprints I left while getting to the car. I was wearing several folded up towels as a make shift diaper at the time I walked out to the car.

The inside of my house looks like a crime scene- but I decided to spare you those pics.

Here are some pics of the little pain in the butt! She is a feisty one- wonder where she gets that.

Charlie extubated herself after being transferred to Chandler Regional NICU. She is suffering from a little respiratory distress due to prematurity. She got one dose of surfactant and remains on CPAP to help keep her little lungs inflated. Her respiratory rate remains high but she is not requiring oxygen now- yeah!

She has an OG tube (oral gastric tube) to help decompress her stomach because the CPAP fills her tummy with air. They aren't feeding her by mouth right now. She is getting fed through her IV (it took them 3 sticks to get one in her). Charlie is on 2 IV antibiotics just in case she has an infection. If her blood cultures are negative after 48 hours and she has no signs of infection they will take her off the abx.

The NICU nurse said Charlie is a sweet baby and loves her pacifier. Sweet! Put a cork in it baby!

I am so thankful for all of your prayers and concern. The last 24 hours have been a nightmare. I lost a considerable amount of blood and it is truly a miracle that Charlie and I survived the whole ordeal as well as we did. This is not the way I had planned her to arrive in this world, but let's be honest- she has been a bad baby from day 1 so why should I have expected anything different when she made her grand appearance on earth?

I can't wait to get out of this hospital so I can go see her at Chandler and hold her for the first time. Hopefully sometime tomorrow.

Why Malia and I get along...

It's morning...I leave her alone until the last minute possible. When I go to wake her up, she replies..."I'm not done sleeping yet."

I'm with ya sista...

I carry her downstairs and put her in the car to take the kids to school. We take the kids to school and get back. I turn on the t.v. for her, cover her up, and go upstairs to do my workout. She doesn't interrupt me...not once! I don't want to talk and neither does she...When I'm done, I get my diet Coke and she has some breakfast.

Later in the morning, if she's not at preschool, she'll generally say something like, "Mom, how about we go to the store and you can have a diet Coke and I'll have a treat." Great idea! (She is a well trained child...knows just where my soft spot is).

It is not uncommon in the afternoon for her to say, "Mom, I'm tired, let's go take a nap together." Are you kidding me? LOVE IT! We go upstairsFor and have a nice snooze...she doesn't try to talk to me, she just lays down (on my pillow, of course), and loves her blankies...one over her eyes and one where she can poke her little fingers through.

When I ask her if she's going to get dressed today (on a non-preschool day), she generally says, "Not today mom." I am a p.j. girl. I would never get dressed if it were up to me. There's nothing like some nice warm pajamas and a sweatshirt, especially in the winter...

On preschool days, she melts my heart when she says, "I don't want to go to school today, I just want to stay home with you." (Of course I make her go anyway). Some days after we drop the kids off, she'll say, "Yeah, now it's just me and you, all day."

For our surprise baby, Malia has been a very enjoyable child...we just understand one another. That's what makes me nervous...girlfriend has a mind of her own and is as stubborn as her mother. Heaven help us when she's a teen.

Almost there...

Today is the last day of the challenge that I have been doing for 12 weeks. It has been a thorn in my side, but also good for me. I have had to read my scriptures for 15 minutes every day. I haven't done that so faithfully since my mission. I'm grateful that it is now a habit for me. I put the scriptures on my ipod and I listen to them as I walk in the morning or drive places. It is a fabulous multi tasking tool. And...it gives me something to think about without the distraction of kids running through as I'm trying to read. I have exercised 45 minutes six times a week for the last 12 weeks. That has been good for me too...I think I will try to keep that up too. What I'm not going to keep up? The no diet Coke. Rick even told me he thinks I should start drinking it again. He said it makes me happier and more productive. I agree. Don't judge people. Everybody has their happy place...you know, shopping, exercise, reading...mine just happens to be diet Coke. I have already put one int he fridge for tomorrow so after my walk I can start the day off right. Boo yeah! I'm looking forward to waking up! So, thanks Dionne for starting it and I'm so glad to be finishing it!

Humility...

Malia asked me the other day, "Mom, what did you look like when you were a girl?" I replied, "a little bit like you." She answered, "You looked like me, and you didn't have spots all over?" (She was referring to my freckles). I said, "Well, I looked like you, but with spots." Malia, "Oh." And she walked away.

It's funny because I don't think of myself as having freckles but I really do...a lot of them. Nothing like a kid to point out the forgotten obvious...

FHE old school...

So, tonight for fhe, we will have a Christmas centered lesson. At the end, I'm going to ask the kids to create a "program" for rick and I since we will be here on Christmas. I can't wait to see what they come up with! Frosty the Snowman, dance to Oh Lamore (no idea how you spell that), a nativity where Mary was happy but sad, Saturday night live style skits...the sky is the limit people. I just wish I had the infamous videos to show them how fun it is to make fun of yourself 20 years later!

Thanksgiving Break...

I'm getting smarter...I've learned my kids function much better with structure. So, I planned things for Thanksgiving break. I had one craft for each day, one outdoor activity and mandatory normal bedtimes. It has left me sane after a week of the kids being home! We did some fun crafts - we made oreo turkeys, decorated t-shirts with bleach pens, painted wooden letters, and painted cans for a totem pole. For our outdoor activities, we went to the park, or just played outside on the trampoline (beautiful weather!) or played in the street. Carter could kick a soccer ball back and forth to me for HOURS and Jake was practicing basketball and the girls played on their bikes or hung out with the neighbor kids. And, bedtime was MANDATORY with the exception of Thanksgiving. The kids went to bed late but Carter didn't get up til 8:30 and Malia didn't get up til 9:45 (that's my girl). The other activity we did every day is reading outloud from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The boys both wanted to read it to get AR points at school, so we decided to do it together over vacation. It has been a great read. I think we will do another one over christmas.

Anyway, that's how I survived Thanksgiving break with no diet coke. It is truly a miracle...and they go back to school on Monday so I can finish up my Christmas shopping and get ready for the holiday season. I plan to do what I did last year...the bare minimum. Meaning...I won't volunteer for everything and I will take time to enjoy the season and my children. This will be one of our first Christmases ever spent in our own home so I'm determined to make it memorable for them and THAT takes planning!

Pregnancy Pics

For all you non-facebookers. A couple weeks ago I went to Cali to have Judy take some pregger pics. Isn't Judy fabulous? It only took 3 days of airbrushing to make me look presentable! Thanks Judy!

If you want to check out a few more, you can go to http://judyphan.blogspot.com/2009/11/maternity-portraits-with-kristin-part.html

It's official...

I've gone bananas! As of 5 minutes ago, I have registered for my first (and most likely last) marathon. Wednesday, January 13th I will be flying out to Pheonix, Arizona with the intent of running PF Changs Rock N' Roll marathon that will be taking place on Sunday, January 17th. I told myself that I needed to run a 20 miler before I'd commit to a marathon and on Saturday I did. I nearly died doing it but with the correction of some rookie mistakes (not eating before, not drinking water during, running in the snow, running by myself) I am crossing my fingers my next attempt will be less torturous. Wish me luck family and friends because I'll be needing it around mile 20 when I decide I'd rather run myself into oncoming traffic than continue the upcoming 6 miles.

I said what????

At work on Friday, my boss called from a conference room. Knowing it was him, I answered and said, "Nobody's home." I then answered his question and hung up.

I heard chuckling in the background. So, when I went into the room a few minutes later and he wasn't in there, I said to the other attorneys in there, "You liked that, eh?"

They said, "Yeah, especially when you said 'Love you' before you hung up."

My jaw dropped! I could not believe it. So much for being a wise guy.

I'll let you know what the pink slip says on Monday. :)

FHE

Tonight's FHE was given by Carter. It was on the first vision. At the end, I asked if anybody had any questions. Malia raised her hand. Her question was, "What was the earth when we were still in Valencia?" My response..."Uhhh....what should you do if you have a question we can't answer?" Malia's response "The clouds are white, the sidewalk is yellow, the grass is green and the sky is blue."

All righty then. That concludes this FHE.

Congrats to Jake!

Jake came home from school today with the biggest smile on his face...he made the Varsity Basketball team at school. He was practically giddy. So Mark, if you still want the job as his manager, drop out of school and move to Fresno and get your game face on!

Malia's questions...

Malia: Mom, who was my mom when I was a baby?
Me: I was.
Malia: You were my mom when I was a baby?
Me: Yep
Malia: Then how did you get so old?

Nothing like a little humility for breakfast.

Antics...

It's good to see my kids doing the same crazy stuff we did. I still have horrid memories of Dale ripping the head off my stuffed Minnie Mouse on Christmas Eve. Remember those scenes from Toy Story where the crazy kid did all sorts of stuff to the toys that made them look like psycho toys? Well, last night I found a baby doll with stitches all over it's face (drawn on, of course). I started laughing and asked Jake who had done it? He admitted to doing it. Then he lifted up the arms and showed me he had drawn armpit hair on the doll too. I thought it was hilarious...until poor Bella noticed and started to cry. She hasn't played with that doll in forever...but she was deeply disturbed at it's appearance. Every brother much torture his sister, right? It's like a right of passage...

Important Updates

I can't remember the last time I posted on the blog. There has been a lot going on in my life but I try and save blog posting for the really special occassions. So guys, lets forget about my breakup, new job, new apartment, or new calling and focus on what really matters...

HALLOWEEN

In case you can't tell by the picture, my roommates and I made ourselves some black widow spider costumes. Seeing as I have been called this creature since I was first eligible for dating, I thought it was entirely appropriate that I openly declare myself as such...at least for one night of the year.

Ash showed up dressed as swine flu. Freaking hilarious. I'm not sure what is happening in this picture but knowing Ash and I, I'm thinking we were about to have some kind of dramatic embrace of the poisonous spider and infectious virus.

And of course, for the sake of maintaining my character, I had to act the part of the black widow. Poor guy had no idea what he was in for. (This may or may not have been a metaphorical foreshadowing of actual events to come.)

It's all fun and games till someone busts out the can of Raid.

These pictures were all taken at the Halloween party we threw. Socially, it was a success - tons of people, treats, and dancing. Physically, it was a disaster. We loaded ourselves up with junk food and partied until 1am when we had to be up at 6am for a half-marathon the next morning. Oh to be young, single, and completely irresponsible :)

HALF MARATHON

This was my roommate Ash and I at 6am on our way to the bus, before we got all nastified.

And here are Nikki and I at about mile 3, still convinced we were having fun. You can tell we were tired by how funny we thought we were for holding hands in the picture.

After marathon completion. Nikki and I came in together at 2 hours 2 minutes. That averages out to be about a 9 minute mile which I hear is pretty decent for your first half. I don't know if I would have done so well if it weren't for Nikki. She's the one who inspired me to run in the first place, convinced me I could do a half, and then somehow motivated me to sprint the last mile of the race.

It ended up that a couple of our ward members, Melissa and Brett ran the half as well, only they were tons faster than us.

The roommates.

Harold, part of my fan club. Ashley Gardiner was there to support as well but the picture of us is a really sick one of me so I chose not to include it. Just know that she was there, like the best friend that she is.

Well family, it's been real. Until next year when I decide it's time to post again...

Dallas Halloween

Ash Brittany and Brooke at their preschool Halloween party. They are so cute together, they love seeing each other at school.Nate was a shark, I just loved his costume. Mostly because I like hearing him say, "Shark!"
Emma and her friend Kylie who lives around the corner from us. Kylie practically lives at our house, and comes to lots of activities with us.
Camille picked her costume and then got mad because it was awkward and hard to trick or treat in. She looked so great, but decided to change costumes for Halloween night. (This was taken at our ward party on Friday.)
Ashley was a complete animal at the trunk-or-treat. She must have made ten laps of the parking lot. She had at least double the candy of the other kids, Justin couldn't keep up with her. She had such a great time this year. She decided early she wanted to be a rock star and stuck with it. We sprayed her hair purple, and got her an animal print shirt which she loves. She loved her whole costume and worked it baby! She got it all on and strutted around like a real diva. She even gave a private concert by request to Ms. Jill, the director of her preschool.
You'll all have to bug Tammy for more pictures, and especially of Rosie's adorable costume. Justin and I had stake conference on Halloween night (wasn't stoked about that one but it was a great meeting) so Adam and Tammy graciously watched the kids and took them trick-or-treating. Thanks guys!

Parent/Teacher conferences...

Parent/teacher conferences come around this time of year every year. This year was a great year for my kids...I'm always a little nervous about what their teachers will say...but this round was by far my kids' best set of conferences...

Jake is doing great, as usual. But, for the first time, his teacher told me how confident he is in his own abilities. I think that is so important for kids because their confidence gets ROCKED through their junior high and high school years. I'm glad that he is comfortable with who he is and what he can do. He has turned out to be quite a little leader in his class which is kind of surprising too, considering how shy Jake is...

Carter is my first child to ever make the Principal's Honor Roll aka straight A's. Jake always gets very close, but he has never actually done it. Carter did it! I'm so proud of him. He has worked very hard and is feeling very competitive this year. He has been reading books in record times and passing off his math facts quickly. Apparently there's some sort of competition going on that involves pizza and it has been enough to motivate Carter to all new levels.

Bella's conference was truly surprising. She is doing fabulous, which I knew, but her teacher has decided it is time to challenge Bella. She has some extra little science projects and book reports that she is going to give to Bella to encourage her creativity and her love of writing. Her teacher has put a lot of time and thought into how she can challenge her because she gets bored quickly. She reads everything she can get her hands on. She is a prolific writer (just ask our neighbor who has gotten notes from her asking when they will bring their dogs out to play or Nana or her teacher who gets daily notes). I'm excited to watch her mind work. She is at a stage where she wants more to do and soaks up everything like a sponge...

Then there's Malia. I'm just grateful when the preschool teacher doesn't ask me to stay after class to inform me of Malia's latest antics. She only has to be removed from circle time occasionally now. She's pretty good as long as nobody makes her mad or rubs her the wrong way...She is one feisty little girl. My favorite thing about her is that if I wake her up and she's not ready, she'll tell me, "I'm not done sleeping now" and she will refuse to get up. I think she may be my first afternoon kindergardner.

Halloween and stuff...

Of course I must post pictures of halloween...so here you go. This year was a different sort of Halloween...

Here are the troops...I told them I wouldn't pay for their Halloween costumes this year, so we had to get creative. Jake was UCLA football player (though he almost wore his Reagan uniform when UCLA was SUCKING at half time...). Carter was a storm trooper (costume I had in the Halloween box). Bella was a cheetah (a dance costume I borrowed from Beth). Malia was Ariel. Yes, I broke down and paid for that one, but the kids didn't know that...


Jake decided he didn't want to trick or treat at the last minute. He is sort of a health nut (wonder where he got that from...)and didn't want any candy so he didn't see the point in going up to the doors. He walked around with us but was kind of like a wet blanket..

Carter...ahh, how we love carter and his glutenous appetite for food. He wanted to trick or treat all night long. Then, though I specifically told him like 10 times not to eat any candy because I didn't want him to be sick...apparently ate too much. I got woken up at 2:00 AM by Jake telling me Carter was throwing up. He slept through the whole thing. We woke him up, told him to get up and go wash his face off. He looked at us and said, I don't even feel sick. Great! Luckily the vomit was all contained on his sheet. Rick said, "Let's just incinerate that." For some reason, I thought that was very funny at 2:00 AM.

And then there's Bella. She had a great time trick or treating but more fun counting her candy and checking out her loot. She didn't eat very much of it but she was ready to start right in the next morning when we woke up.

It was a good Halloween...it was the first time I can remember my kids all telling me while we were out trick or treating that they were ready to go home. Last year, "the great pumpkin" took all their candy the night after Halloween. So, tonight, when I tucked the girls in bed, Bella and Malia told me they hid their candy from the great pumpkin. They have good memories. Then, a few minutes later, Malia told me she was scared of the Big pumpkin in her room. She wanted me to sleep with her. She said she would scoot over so there was plenty of room. I thought it was funny...I guess I created my own monster.

Hope everyone had a good Halloween!

My New "Mom Car"

It was a tough decision, but the Escalade won out. We found a 2007 with only 9K miles on it in mint condition- and the price was considerably less than the Suburban and Navigator we were looking at.

You know what this means? I've got plenty of seats to transport ya'll to and from the airport when you come and visit! So feel free to schedule your flights anytime...

A little unconventional, I know...

But when has that ever stopped me? Every year on this day, I find myself getting really nostalgic and revelling in some of my great memories of Grandma Vivian. It occurred to me the other night that some of our younger readers might not have the luxury of looking back on their memories of Grandma because they were too young to remember. So, I thought we could do a birthday tribute of sorts for Grandma this year and think back to some of our greatest and most endearing memories of her.

Though I haven't practiced in ages, I remember Grandma teaching me to knit. We were at her house in Canyon Country I think, and I was in her big overstuffed rocker. I thought for sure I'd be knitting blankets and mittens in no time... not so much. I'm still sad I've forgotten how to do it.

I remember the Easter that Grandma came over and had made for each of us a Faberge type easter egg out of sugar with and entire easter scape inside, bunny and all. I remember being simultaneously confused and disturbed when mom tried to explain to us that they were just pretty to look at and that we weren't supposed to eat them. It was made of pure sugar and icing. What on earth do you mean we don't eat that??? They were an amazing artistic feat, though. I can't imagine how she ever did that or where she found the time or patience.

I also remember how Grandma cooked everything in the microwave. At sleepovers, she'd make us steak in the microwave for dinner and then eggs in the microwave for breakfast... and I for one thought they were delicious. And the hot dog steamer? Mmmm. Soggy bread never tasted so good. I think we can all see where I get my cooking prowess and unrivaled microwave ninja powers. I remember the smell of her house and the green and yellow sheets on the guest bed in her room. I remember Schotzy (sp?) and her(his?) nub of a tail.

How about her porcelain dolls? I just loved the one she made for me. She had long brown hair and blue eyes and I was absolutely convinced that she looked just like me. I was in Jo-Annn's the other day and saw googly eyes and remembered all of Grandma's googly eyed dolls. I honestly wish I still had mine.

I remember there was one time when she colored her hair a different color than we were used to. In my memories, I can only see her with red hair but that day she arrived with dark brown tresses. She showed up at our house for a visit and nobody recognized her. We all went in to tell Mom that there was a strange lady in our house. Mom thought it was hilarious!

Kristin, do you remember when we decided we didn't want to stay at softball practice so we took off and walked to Grandma's? What was the big fuss about? Just because 2 pre teen girls decided to walk alone across town to Grandma's house without telling anyone? What? At least it's not broken yet! I don't see the big deal!

And, like all grandmas, she let us get away with just a little bit more than we probably would have been allowed at home. I recall that she let me put olives (because what little kid doesn't think that's fun?) on my fingers when mom wasn't looking and she let me do it as much as I wanted. Once, she stuffed the olives with cream cheese and I thought she was like the next iron chef america. It was da da da licious! And she seemed to always have candy on her. In her purse, around the house, whatever. I can still hear her laugh in my head. I can still hear her voice, but it's funny how when I remember her voice, I can only hear her saying Mom's name. She always called her Dee Dee and I don't think I've heard anyone call Mom that in years. And have any of you noticed that Mom now says goodbye just like Grandma used to when she gets off the phone? I don't know when she made the switch from how she used to do it to how she does it now, but it's fun to hear a little memory of Grandma when I talk to her.

So happy birthday, Grandma. We miss you lots but we know you're never far.

Anyway, because I'm the sentimental sap of the family, I could go on and on and on and on but that's probably enough from me. What sentimental memories do you guys have of Grandma?

Tam-o-rama-ding-dong

So let's give it up for Slammy. So many fond memories of Tams. I remember as a kid that I was envious of how well she did in school. We actually shared quite a few classes over the years. The first was Mr. Getskow. (is that how you spell it?) Remember when he used to dump out James's desk because it was always a mess? How about running a mile at like 10am and then having to go back to class all sweaty for the rest of the day? Who does that? Then who can forget the Math classes we had in High School? Mrs. Davidson's pants are probably still on. I don't thing she'll ever get those things off. Mrs. Yoda, I think my voice might actually be lower than yours now. Remember playing calculator baseball with our graphing calculators. If I recall correctly, over your head was the homerun marker. Study session with Kyle Jolley anyone? "Buffy, get out of here!" Those were good times. Then there was the added bonus that Tams was a cheerleader and had inside knowledge of fellow cheerleaders that were either single or about to be. It's all about timing folks.
Tams hard work got her in to BYU, but then she took on the challenge of serving a mission, getting a law degree, passing the bar and becoming a big-time attorney at a well respected firm. With all that in the bag she answered the higher call and became a mother of a sweet littel girl.
So Tams from the days of the infamous "Super Curl" to now being Rosie's Mom, we are all proud of all that you have accomplished. Here's to 29, again and again and again.

You know that saying...

We are only one phone call/email away from our knees... how true it is.

This morning I opened an email from my attorney letting me know that Justin has retained a Beverly Hills attorney and has filed a motion for out original custody hearing to be set aside because he claims he "didn't understand" it and wants to REDO the custody evaluation.

I am waiting to hear from my attorney as to how we are going to proceed...

Happy Birthday, Papas!

It's no secret that Dad is a pretty funny kid. One of my favorite things in the world is to hear Dad crack himself up so much that he cries and has to take off his glasses so he can wipe the tears away. I think it's clear that Dad is to blame for the trademark Lisonbee trait of finding yourself so amusing that you can barely get through your joke to the punchline. And Dad is also to blame for the patented Lisonbee look on one's face when said Lisonbee is quite proud of oneself. Well, thanks for those Dad. It's been said that no one finds the Lisonbees funnier than the Lisonbees do. Is it our fault that not everyone has such a refined sense of humor? I think not!



He's so funny he got Elizabeth to smile the very first time he met her, a feat he replicated several times that visit and she was a teeny baby then. As if I was surprised by that. The man is a riot. You can't not laugh with him. He thinks he's so funny, it's impossible to disagree!

One of my favorite occassions is watching Dad and Aunt Sherry together telling tales about the antics of their younger days. I remember being in Sacramento at her house staying up way too late listening to those stories they told and absolutely being in pain because I was laughing so hard.

So this year's activity to pay tribute to one of our dear young Dad's best, most endearing qualities will be to remind everyone one of either one of Dad's trademark jokes/ pranks OR to retell one of Dad's legendary stories that crack him up every time.

I'll start:

Q: What's blue and goes clang clang?
A: A blue clang clang
Q: What's green and goes clang clang?
A: A green clang clang
Q: What's red and goes clang clang?
A: A red clang clang?
Dad: (insert twinkle in eye and snickering) No! A firetruck!

Q: What's green and has wheels?
A: Grass, I lied about the wheels. (A la la la)

P.S. Extra points for the person who can recite the parrot and the pirate joke! Or the lady on the bus with the dog!

What we've been up to...

Jake has been playing football. He plays defensive back and loves it.

Malia is in preschool and they went on a fieldtrip to the Fresno Met. It was lots of fun. There were lots of things for kids to do and touch and build.

Bella's been playing soccer but her favorite thing to do is hold a baby...any baby. This is Elizabeth's baby Elise who Bella absolutely adores. Too bad she's getting too big for Bella to hold.
And last...Carter got baptized last weekend with his best buddy Sammy. It was a wonderful day.
Carter was so happy that Rick baptized him. Check out the grin on his face.
Nana and Papa and Judy and her kids came up for the event. It was a great weekend. Wish you all could have been there!