Life is Greener

"Here's a stick to beat the lovely lady with..."

2012-01-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Ok so we don't REALLY want to beat anyone with sticks... That is a quote from one of my favorite movies, "The Quiet Man". It is from a scene where John Wayne has decded that Maureen O'Hara has avoided being his wife for long enough and he marches across their Irish village to bring her home with him. A helpful villager offers the Duke a "stick to beat the lovely lady with." Greg and I often (jokingly) repeat this line when one of our girls gets into a full on rant or some other kind of misbehavior...

I found this on Pinterest today and aboslutely had to share it! We are having all of the same problems with discipline that families have when they have kids the same age as ours. The problem is we have a couple of kids that "traditional" discipline simply doesn't work for. These ideas are fantastic and I think they will definitely help cut down on the mom-screaming-and-yelling part of the day... :)

Disciplining our children takes dedication and effort. It also helps to mix in a little creativity when needed. The consequences below from parenting expert, Lisa Welchel, might seem a little strong, but let them inspire you to come up with your own.

1. If time-outs don't work, try a "time-in." This can be accomplished by sending your child to a designated spot where he must complete a task that has a definite beginning and end. This could be putting together a small puzzle, stringing 50 beads on a piece of yarn, or tracing the alphabet. A time-in diverts his energies and encourages him to focus on something positive.

2. Timers set definite boundaries. For example, with a timer, you can say, "I'm setting the timer. I want your room cleaned (or your shoes on, or the dishes unloaded) in 15 minutes. If you haven't finished by then, your correction is…." This method not only spurs on easily distracted children, but it also leaves little room for arguing about a job that isn't finished and whether the correction is warranted.

3. Make a homemade "Correction" can and fill it with tickets or slips of paper with various consequences written on them. Instead of giving your child a time-out, send her to the can for a slip. A few ideas might include no TV or computer for a night, early bedtime, or an extra chore. Toss in a blank piece of paper, a "mercy" ticket. This gives you an opportunity to talk about how God gives us mercy even when we deserve punishment.

4. If you repeatedly open the door to your child's room only to catch him in an act of disobedience, take your child's bedroom door off the hinges. It sounds harder to do than it actually is. And it works wonders!

5. Adjust bedtimes according to your children's behavior that day. For each infraction, they must go to bed five minutes earlier, but if they've been good, they can earn the right to stay up an extra five minutes.

6. An especially tough but effective correction for teenagers who forget to wear their seat belts is to add an additional day past their sixteenth birthday before they can take their driver's test. Hey, it's important!

7. If you have dawdlers, try this: Whoever is last to the table at dinnertime becomes the server. But there's a catch. Even if you're first, your hands must be clean, of you'll end up serving the food, pouring the drinks, and fetching the condiments (after washing your hands, of course!).

8. If your children are constantly turning in sloppy schoolwork, get a few photocopied pages of printing or cursive exercises. (These can be found at any teachers supply store.) Then ask your haphazard child this: "What takes longer: a report done neatly in 15 minutes or one you've sped through in 10 that must be redone and warrants a page of handwriting practice?"

9. You've heard the reprimand "Hold your tongue!" Make your child do it-literally. Have her stick out her tongue and hold it between two fingers. This is an especially effective correction for public outbursts.

10. My friend, Becki, tried a variation on this idea in the car. If things got too raucous or there was too much fussing between siblings, she would cry, "Noses on knees!" Her children then had to immediately touch their noses to their knees until she determined that they had learned their lesson.

11. Next time your child "forgets" to put something away, like video games or sports equipment, put it away for him. When he asks where it is, tell him that he'll just have to look for it. Believe me; he will learn that it's a lot more trouble to find something that Mom has hidden than it is to put it away in the first place.

12. If you have younger children who are messy, try this: Put their toys in a "rainy day" box to bring out later. This has the added benefit of making an old toy seem new again. Or set the toy somewhere out of reach but within sight for a predetermined number of days. This increases the impact of the correction by keeping the forbidden toy fresh in their minds.

13. I heard from a mom who had tired of her three sons' ceaseless noises and sound effects—so she got creative. If her boys did not take their commotion outside, she would make them sit down and listen to the "Barney" theme song cassette for 10 minutes. For adolescent boys, it's torture!

14. If your little one gets too hyper, come up with a code word to remind him to stop the action without embarrassing him. Whenever Tucker started getting too rowdy in a group, I would yell, "Hey, Batman." He knew that he needed to calm down before I had to take more drastic measures.

15. Does your child slam the door when she's angry? You might tell her, "It's obvious that you don't know how to close a door properly. To learn, you will open and close this door, calmly and completely, 100 times."

16. If your child likes to stomp off to his room or stomp around in anger, send him outside to the driveway and tell him to stomp his feet for one minute. He'll be ready to quit after about 15 seconds, but make him stomp even harder.

17. The same goes for throwing fits. Tell your child to go to her room to continue her fit. She isn't allowed to come out and she has to keep crying for 10 minutes. Ten minutes is an awfully long time, and it's no fun if your parents tell you to cry.

18. Another way to handle temper tantrums is to simply say, "That is too disruptive for this house. You may continue your fit in the backyard. When you're finished, you are welcome to come back inside." When there isn't an audience, the thrill of throwing a temper tantrum is gone.

19. If a job is not done diligently, have your child practice doing it. She'll learn to be more thorough if she's made to sweep the floor three or four times because her first effort wasn't good enough.

20. When one of my children is acting disrespectful, disobedient, or defiant, I will instruct him or her to choose a chore from the Job Jar. The jobs include scrubbing the toilet, organizing the pots and pans, moving and vacuuming underneath the furniture, weeding the garden, matching up odd socks, defrosting the refrigerator, and cleaning the closet, garage, or under the bed. And those are just a few possibilities. You could add ironing, vacuuming the refrigerator coils, scrubbing the inside of small wastebaskets, polishing the silver, cleaning the window wells, brushing the animals, cleaning the fireplace, shaking the kitchen rugs, vacuuming the couch, alphabetizing the spices, and using wood cleaner on the dining room chairs. Not only does the Job Jar help to get my house clean, but it also keeps my little ones from complaining that they're bored. They know that with the Job Jar, Mom will always have an antidote for boredom.

21. I have a friend whose son's morning chore was to get the pooper-scooper and clean up the doggie gifts littering the backyard. The boy was not doing this job with much diligence, so his father came up with this creative solution: After the boy had completed the task, he would be required to run through the yard barefoot! From then on, their lawn was perfectly clean.

Taken from Creative Correction by Lisa Whelchel.

So, what was one of the best "punishments" you have come up with? One that really was effective? Or maybe one that you were on the receiving end of? I need ideas here... :)

Whatever helps you sleep at night...

2012-01-11T10:50:00.001-07:00

I found a giveaway that I really hope to win! As most of you know I don't usually sleep. I want to, but it isn't until about 4 AM most nights that my body finally gives in and lets me. I am hoping to learn a little more about my sleep patterns using this:

The Zeo Sleep Manager will track your sleep habits and sleep quality and then sends the information via blutooth to your smart phone. From there it will give recommendations specific to you to help you have better sleep, be more rested, and just be healthier overall. It is like your own private sleep lab right there in your home! So wish me luck and hopefully sweet dreams!

Whew better catch up!

2011-12-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Time gets away from me so dang fast!!

So a lot has happened since my last post so quick recap:

August: Everybody went to school! Ethan is in 5th grade at the brand new Technology Magnet School! (Go Techno Dogs!) His teacher is our friend Allen Leonard and we love that! I remember being at NAU with Al and thinking "I cannot picture Al as a teacher!" But holy moly he is truly amazing at his job! Ethan has also started playing the trumpet this year and he is actually pretty great at it and even better than that he LOVES it! Emma is a big ol second grader this year. She is at Jefferson School with Mrs. Mitchell. Emma loves her and her class and her favorite thing is going to GATE. The Twinners started Kindergarten this year. They love everything about school and especially their teacher Mrs. Sutphen. They are also following in the tradition of being just way too smart for themselves like their brother and sister before them. I started school again too. I took a Chemistry class and a Psychology class this semester. I am working on all of my prerequisites for the Nursing program at NPC.

September: I RAN THE DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON!!! Yeah, I actually made it and I loved it and am planning on another! My parents were so amazing and they took the kiddos for the weekend and Greg, Michelle and I went to Anaheim for the race weekend. Longer post about this to come...

October: We moved offices! The time finally came to shut down Patton and Green and open The Law Office Of Gregory D. Green, PLLC. We moved into an actual office complex and we love it! It is exciting and we think it will be a great thing for our family.

November: Thanksgiving was great. I love time spent with family, we missed those who couldn't come but enjoyed those we were able to spend it with. The Twinners also turned 6! They are so big and so sweet and I love them every single day! The best present of the day: Boots!!

December: So far has been a fun packed month! Emma Jo was baptized! Beautiful day and wonderful time with family and friends; longer post to come... Got to go visit Greg's family before Christmas and had an awesome few days with them. Came home to a beautiful Christmas Day. Wonderful musical numbers and my parents were the speakers (I always enjoy when they speak). Hated spending it wthout my brothers and their families but somethings can't be helped. Attended the beautiful blessing of my brand new baby nephew Dylan Adair DeWitt and I couldn't be more in love with him!! Spent an entire day with 2 of our very favorite people: THE NEENI CAME HOME!!! Well for the day anyway... We love them and miss them all the time and were so happy to have a normal day playing games and laughing and talking with them. Today we will head to Safford to meet our two brand new nephews! Kelly and Kevin are adopting two amazing boys tomorrow and then we will all head to the Gila Valley Temple to witness their sealing. What a blessed December!

So there ya go, all caught up again and hoping to do a much better job from here on out! Happy New Year to you all!

Changing Perspectives

2011-07-16T22:29:00.001-07:00

I saw this: Why I'm Raising My Son To Be A Nerd, on Facebook this morning and it got me thinking about a conversation Greg and I had the other day. You see I have been doing this for a while. I wish I could say that I recognized the importance of playing up my son's intelligence over his athleticism on my own but I was kinda forced into it. You see boys with asperger's are often a bit, well, uncoordinated. I had my baby boy and bought him cute little baseball outfits and tiny toy gloves and soccer balls and thought about how fun it will be to sit at his high school football and basketball games, to watch him at little league as he learns to be the little all star my brothers and husband were.

Then we put him into soccer.

My poor son hated it! He cried on the field, sat and played with dirt, ate the dandelions, threw screaming tantrums, HATED it. I thought "ok well, soccer isn't his game, besides he is barely 5 lots of kids his age aren't into the sports yet."

So we put him in t-ball.

Slightly better but he couldn't get the basics down. He couldn't swing the bat hard, (sometimes his swing was barely one handed), couldn't run, the sun in his eyes made him simply walk off the field because he didn't like being out there. Doesn't look like we need to worry about all-stars.

Ethan tends to not like anything he isn't instantly good at so sports have kind of fallen on the wayside. And to tell you the truth as I have gotten to know my son, I don't even mind.

Ethan is amazing. He is so incredibly brilliant. I laugh every time we tell another therapist, psychologist, teacher, principal, etc., that he is REALLY smart and they look at me with that "yeah-every-parent-thinks-their-kid-is-super-smart" look and then, after meeting with Ethan they try to convince me that I don't get how truly intelligent he really is.

He gets things so completely so quickly and so easily. I love that his teachers have been able to use him as kind of a teacher science project: "How much can I throw at this kid before it is finally over his head?" At one point in kindergarten he decided to memorize all of the bones of the body... because the anatomy book was interesting to him. (Not so fun when he explained the anatomical reasons why his 3 year old sister was not capable of becoming a mother yet... :S )

He can tell you the entire history of the Apple corporation. When each product was introduced, how long it was sold for, how much it was sold for. Was it a success or a failure? What did the new version change from the old one? How was it developed? Who worked on it? If you have ever wondered any of these things, Ethan has your answer.

The other day I came in and Ethan was on the Mac and hurried and slammed it shut when I walked up. As a mother of a little boy in this day and age I was immediately concerned what youtube was introducing my baby to. I opened the Mac and found that my then 9 year old was comparing and contrasting the computer engineering and programming programs at U of A and BYU. Yep, planning college... He not only loves the Apple corporation but is constantly planning the ways that he will some day take them over and buy them out with his even better programs and hardware. Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, watch your backs because Ethan is coming for ya!

I have learned to cheer him on in this arena. He shines here. He is an all-star all the way. He is going to be so successful and amazing that if he decides one day that he is interested in baseball, or soccer, or basketball, or football or whatever the sport may be, he can just buy the team he likes.

Am I still gonna sit on the sidelines and watch him as he swims, or runs, or jumps, or throws, or kicks, his little heart out and cheer until I am hoarse? You'd better believe it! Am I going to be disappointed if he decides that world isn't for him? Heck no, because my kid is amazing in all of the best ways already! So I agree with the article I linked to above, we need more nerds. We need people to run this world and make it easier and better for us, and the nerds of the world are the ones with the true power to do it.

I have something to say!

2011-05-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

I think we have too much access to public forums. We are way too able to express our thoughts and opinions for everyone to read, comment on and either hate or defend. The irony that I am using my own personal public forum to express this opinion is not lost on me.

But here is something I have to get off my chest:

Last night some U.S. Navy Seals flew into Pakistan on a helicopter to take out the mass murderer and terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. The helicopter they flew in on malfunctioned outside of the compound and they were forced to land. They tried to figure out the problem with the helicopter unsuccessfully. They chose to continue with the mission knowing that there was a chance they would be unable to leave due to the faulty helicopter. They stormed the compound and killed this evil man and took custody of his body. After confirmation was made that it was, in fact, the man responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands and all of the necessary documentation was created, he was buried at sea as soon as possible according to his muslim tradition that burial be done as swiftly as possible.

Yep that happened, and while I don't wish for someone else to suffer or die I am unbelievably grateful that an evil destructive cancer has been removed from this world, making life a little bit safer for all of the other inhabitants of the earth.

What disturbs me is all of the blog posts, Twitter feeds, Facebook status updates, Facebook comments, Twitter responses, blog comments, etc., that have villianized our U.S. military and the methods used to eradicate this very real and dangerous threat. Think that Obama took too much credit? Not enough credit? Think he thanked the troops enough? Not enough thanks? Believe that this has become a political posturing platform? Believe that it has nothing to do with upcoming elections? I really don't care!! But I have seen literally dozens of posts and comments calling our military men and women "barbaric," "heartless," and even flat out "evil!" These men and women and their families sacrifice so much to defend our liberties and offer those liberties to those who might want them, let's not take away their dignity as well.

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine.

The Plan

2011-04-29T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have had quite a few people ask me if I have a training plan for the Disneyland Half Marathon that I am running in September. So I thought I'd post it here. I use the one that Disney put out but I am tweaking it just a little... I can't do the run 10 seconds walk 50 seconds thing. I basically run until I have to walk, walk for about a minute and then start running again.

So far I have gotten to where I can run for three miles without stopping to take walk. I have loved all of the little changes running has brought to me. The extra energy, the sense of accomplishment, more patience, the looser jeans... I really am blessed to have a body that is healthy and strong enough to let me try this and enjoy it too.

Still going!

2011-04-14T22:38:00.001-07:00

Another run tonight! I am so getting into this running thing.

The 19th of April is my official start date for the 20 week training program for the Disneyland Half Marathon. I am considering quitting pop or at least seriously cutting back while I am training.

I usually prefer to read Kindle books on the iPad while I run but sometimes that isn't possible so I am also working on a new playlist for running to. Anyone have any suggestions? What kind of music helps pace you? What gets you fired up? What helps you keep going?

Thanks for your suggestions! :)

OUCH!!!

2011-04-11T23:39:00.000-07:00

VS.

My poor Emma had a terrible battle the other night and she lost. It was Emma vs. The Pinewood Derby Car. She was playing with Ethan's car running through the house and she tripped smacking the thin edge of the wedge right into her throat and chin. It swelled up huge and hurt like crazy... I didn't get a pic of the worst swelling but you can imagine something a little like this:

Ok that may be a slight exaggeration, but only slight!

Well today the swelling has started going down but the bruising has started coming out and she looks like a prize fighter. My Emma is one tough girl and I might mention that she is pretty dang gorgeous to look that pretty even with a bruised and swollen jaw...

Stupid Smart Bryn!!

2011-04-11T23:11:00.003-07:00

Well I haven't wanted to admit it but our super awesome friends the Neeni are moving... all the way across the country... You see my friend Bryn is a smartie. She applied to grad school at Georgetown University and was accepted, so off they flit, tra la la la la, all the way to Washington DC.

While it sucks for me and I will miss her and Jason like crazy (not to mention the fact that my twins who are in Bryn's primary class might never recover) I am really happy for and proud of her. It is an amazing opportunity and quite an honor as well for her. So in the spirit of being happy for Bryn I did a Google search for The Top Ten Things about Georgetown University. Here is what I got:

Best Things

International students and teachers
Washington, DC
Awesome speakers and presenters on campus
Cherry Tree season
The Exorcist stairs
Free movies on the weekend
Balance of academic and social life
Hanging out on the lawns
School spirit
Hoya basketball

Happy Students

96% of students return after their first year.

Commitment to Teaching

There are 10 students for every member of faculty on campus.

Proven Success

93% of students will complete their education and graduate with a degree.

Big Dorms

91% of students surveyed felt that dorms were more spacious than average.

Campus Pride

50% of students surveyed love everything about the school and have a
lot of campus pride.

Highly Satisfied Students

100% of students surveyed would make the same school choice if they
could do it all over again.

Help Finding a Job or Internship

80% of students surveyed said that the career center is very helpful and provide
services to students beyond help landing a job.

Strong Alumni Network

50% of students surveyed say the alumni network is very strong and involved
in activities on campus.

Vibrant Social Scene

60% of students surveyed agreed that there lots of popular activities around
camps every day.

Genders equally represented

A male to female ratio of 749/822 means there's a pretty even balance of
students on campus.

Learn from the best

89% of faculty have earned the highest degree in their field.

Help to succeed

The school has academic and career counseling available to help
you when you need it.

Get AP Credit

If you took AP classes in high school you might be able to get
college credit for them.

Work part-time during school

Employment services are available for students.

Help getting hired

Placement services are available to graduates.

Extremely diverse

One of the most racially diverse campuses, 45% of students are minorities

So there it is. All of the best things about Georgetown. And to quote a wise man, "huh, well, I guess that's fun." ;)

Congrats, Stupid Smart Bryn! :)

Pine Wood Derby Time!

2011-04-11T22:43:00.000-07:00

We had the pinewood derby again and Ethan did awesome! He went with the wedge style again and it was a super fast car that took him through four rounds of competition!

Special thanks to our crack team of engineers who stayed up late helping him finish the car for FHE: Lacy, Jake, Tom, Tayna, Bryn, Jason, Michelle, Mom, Dad, Emma, Rory, and Bailey. It was truly a team effort and we can all be proud!

But what made me the most proud was the amazing grace and sportsmanship Ethan showed, win or lose. I am so proud of my son!

I think this face says it all! :)

My super amazing new laundry robot!

2011-04-11T16:16:00.002-07:00

Well maybe it is just a washing machine, but it seems like an amazing robot! We have always been plagued by laundry around here. I am talking like a giant pile in the laundry room that tries to eat me when I open the door.

Around a year+ ago my "expensive, top of the line, never need another one" GE frontloader just flat quit working. Lame. But to my rescue came my wonderful friend Teresa. Teresa had had a similar problem that week in her house, her dryer had given up the ghost. She sent me a message that they had decided to buy a new set and that if I would come and get it, I could have her fully functioning washer! She is amazing!

Well, we used that poor thing into the ground! (Teresa and I both tried to clean those years of stuck on laundry soap but no luck, anyone have a tip for that?) For the last few months we have only been able to fill the washer 1/3 of the way with clothes or the poor tired agitator wouldn't/ couldn't spin. So I started the search on craigslist, ebay, freecycle, etc., etc., and couldn't find anything that looked functional in my very very low price range. On a whim we decided to go see what they had at the Furniture Bowl here in town. Long story (slightly) short(er) he made us an offer we couldn't refuse! I am now the proud owner of this beautiful thing:

It is enormous! I can literally fit two completely full laundry baskets (the big full size ones) into one load! I have at least one friend (no names Chelle) who wouldn't be able to reach the clothes at the bottom of the tub it is so deep! We have finally conquered the mountain of laundry! I <3 my new washer!

They are always watching!!

2011-04-11T10:57:00.003-07:00

So, the other day Ethan was telling us about a friend of his who "has some friends who are game testing the new Halo game." We played along and said, "wow that is cool, how did Brodee meet them?" to which Ethan responded:

"I don't know, I don't know his life..." :D

I need this!!

2011-03-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

It is Silhouette giveaway season again and I so want to win! Go here REMODELAHOLIC and check it out!

On your marks, get set, HELP!!!

2011-03-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

So I did it. I am excited and terrified at the same time. I REGISTERED TO RUN THE DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON!!

I know some of what I was thinking and I want to write it down so that I can remember this process. I love Before and Afters so this is going to be my own personal "Before."

Before: I have never been an athlete. I played little league softball and my coach told me not to swing because they would most likely walk me and that was best. I always wanted to be good at sports but I was afraid to really try because I would look even more stupid when I failed if I was giving it my all. I love to play volleyball but opted to be the manager instead of try out for the team because I wasn't one of the sports girls and I would just look like an idiot. I lettered all 4 years in track by throwing the discus. I wasn't big enough to really be good at it but not many other girls did it so I could always qualify on our team and go on the away meets.

Do you see a pattern here?

Every day at track practice we would begin with a warm up lap around the track and everyday it would almost kill me! One lap. A quarter mile. And I would finish with a stitch in my side and totally out of breath. Everyday. So yeah running was NOT my thing.

Fast forward to now: last October Greg and I signed up for the gym, and then didn't go... Typical right? Our friends the Neeni talked to us about the gym and we had set them up with guest passes when we had signed up so we decided to go try it out together.

I started on the treadmill and was just going to walk. But the speed was faster than was comfortable to walk and something in my body told me it would be easier to run than to walk that fast so I tried it. And it was easier. And it felt good. So I decided to keep trying it. And it kept feeling good.

The first time that I ran a mile without stopping I was ecstatic! That is 4 times the track warm up lap that almost killed me! And I was comfortable running it; I wasn't out of breath, I could still talk while I ran, no stitch in my side... It was actually kind of easy. We had developed a plan with the Neeni to go every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday so I kept running. And I kept improving: 1.25, then 1.5, then 1.85 and I so wanted to break through the two mile mark without stopping but no luck.

I talked to my older brother who is a great runner and told him of my frustration trying to break the two mile mark. He gave me some great encouragement and advice and I felt like I could keep trying. The next time I ran I had committed to passing 2 miles mo stopping. I just kept thinking about how I wanted to be able to tell Brian I had done it. I made it to 1.75 miles and felt like my legs wouldn't go any farther. My breathing was great but my legs were wobbly. And then a car pulled up in front of the gym. It was a silver HHR, the same kind of car my brother Brian had been driving every time he came to visit while he was stationed in Tucson. I took it as a sign and kept going. That day I made it 2.1 miles without stopping and I felt awesome! I wasn't sore, out of breath, or even very weak in the legs. I did it and it was kind of easy... Over 8 times the dreaded warm up lap!! This is the beginning of a new thing for me and I don't want to stop.

A few years ago some friends of mine did their very first half marathon and we got to go down and cheer them on. It was amazing! I was so impressed by and jealous of them! I wanted to be able to do that but I knew that I never would be able to, I mean, REMEMBER the warm up laps? But now I realize that a lot (if not all) of my athletic ineptitude has come from my own mind. So I have decided to do it. I AM going to run a half marathon. You know how I know? Because I ran 2.1 miles no stopping and, for all that I believed I could, it might as well have been 20.1 miles. I SO can do this!

Watch this...

2011-01-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

Wow is it already 2011?!

2011-01-10T14:39:00.000-07:00

So this year I want to do better about something, well several things, ok, a LOT of things but I want to narrow it down to just a few to make this self improvement thing manageable... How many of you have already made "New Year's Resolutions"? I'm sure most of you have, and I have meant to but there have just been so many things to get done... which brings me to number 1:

Stop Procrastinating: I have always been a procrastinator. I like to claim that I do my best work under pressure (which I do) but a lot of the time it is really just that I haven't gotten to it yet. So how do I go about this? It is one thing to say I am going to stop procrastinating and an entirely different thing to make a plan and then put that plan in place.

I have heard a lot of ideas as to how to start. "Make a to do list" (tried it, I even have TWO apps for that... :S ), "keep a calendar" (I have one on my phone, computer, AND iPad), etc. I think my biggest stumbling block is feeling overwhelmed and so I don't WANT to start.

So I plan to start by breaking my to do list into teeny tiny parts so that I get to cross things off more often and feel like I am making actual progress. For example instead of entering "clean the kitchen" I will enter "empty dishwasher," "load dishwasher," "wipe down counters," well you get the drift, you know how to clean a kitchen... :) So I will see how it goes and I will report back here. I will start with my resolutions: I am going to do a series of posts here talking about each resolution one at a time and hopefully I get some good advice from all of you out there. Maybe doing them one at a time won't be as hard as looking at a giant list. :)

But what do you guys think? Have you ever had a problem with procrastination? Did you overcome it? How did you do it? Or if you don't have the problem, what is your system?

Why Shelter Your Kids?

2010-12-20T13:36:00.001-07:00

Seriously? That is really a question someone would ask?

On Facebook the other day a friend was talking about letting her preteen get her own Facebook account and was asking for opinions on it. See, she believes her daughter is too young but was willing to listen to arguments for or against. One of her friends responded asking "Why shelter your kids?" I was astounded by that question. (Now as far as the whole how old is old enough for FB debate my opinion is YOU know YOUR kids and what YOU are willing to do to police their FB use, so YOU know what is right for YOU)

But really? Why shelter your kids? Have you seen what is out there in the world? I want my babies to always be the sweet, innocent, trustful, caring, people they were the day I brought them home from the hospital. I know that isn't possible but why not do everything I can to make it last as long as I can? How could you NOT shelter your kids? There is so much hurt, anger, fear, and danger in the world how can you throw them out there without your protection?

So I am sorry kids but you might as well get used to the idea that I am going to be there. I will always stand as the goalie trying to block all of the pain, hurt, disappointment, heartbreak, fear, and danger that tries to get in. And I know I can't possibly block them all but I will also be there to pick up the pieces, to hold you and love you and tell you it will all be ok again. I will make sure you are where you said you will be, I will demand to know all of your friends, I will check up on you, I will ask your teachers about you, I will give you curfews and demand to know your plans for the evening, I will require you to clean, do homework, be responsible, attend church, and help others who need it.

So I guess the answer I would give to the question "Why shelter your kids?" is "because I love them."

I Heart Winslow!

2010-12-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

We are a tiny little town, no movie theaters, shopping is Wal-Mart, no big chain restaurants besides fast food and Denny's, we aren't green and lush, we don't have a community center with classes and such and our parks are small at best. Despite all of these cons, I love living in Winslow.

I grew up here and I had an amazing time doing it. I went to elementary school, Jr. High, and High School here and was able to go through all of that with the same people and thereby develop friendships that still exist today. I received a great education, went on to college and did well, graduating with honors from my university. So did my brothers. One graduated from ASU and the other is a graduate of The United States Air Force Academy. We are the first generation in our family to go to college.

While growing up in Winslow I learned to play the piano, the violin, the cello, and the bass. I took voice lessons and dance lessons. I was involved in several plays and competed in both speech and drama. I was able to participate in the sports programs in Winslow. I played soccer, basketball, volleyball, and was on the track team. I was a cheerleader, THE Bulldog ;), and a photographer for the yearbook thanks to my friend who happened to be the editor. Every guy and several of the girls I grew up with served honorable missions. I am still friends with the people I played with in Primary, whose families and mine got together almost every Sunday for games and ice cream. I still look at their parents and know that if I ever needed anything I could ask Marshall, Curtis, Gary, Loren, Kathy, Charlie, Joe, Gene, Jeff, etc., etc., and they would help me. Because they are that kind of people. And that, right there, is why I love Winslow.

Now that I am the parent I am excited for my kids to have the foundation that I was blessed to have growing up here. Now we are the ones who invite others over for games and food, trying to develop those kinds of life long bonds that are formed in a small town where you have to interact with each other to be entertained. We have amazing friends here. We have wonderful family here.

Our kids have had teachers who have gone above and beyond to provide all that they can for my children. Our kids' school principals know every kid in their school by first name and make a point to interact with each kid daily.

Are there downsides to Winslow? Absolutely. But I have yet to find a place that didn't have its cons. My husband has a job where we could live anywhere in the state and probably make more money there too. But we will not leave Winslow, by choice. I love the security of being surrounded by family and friends who feel like family. That is why I Heart Winslow. :)

I wanna win!!

2010-11-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

I have seen the Silhouette SD all over blog land and now one of my favorite blogs is giving one away! So go to Thrifty Decor Chick and enter, but if you win remember who hooked ya up! ;)

Totally and Completely Plagiarized

2010-10-22T15:04:00.001-07:00

Yep I will admit it... I stole this from my favorite blog "Better After". I have been editing wedding pictures for what seems like an eternity and had to take a break since everything is looking the same now. I love how a few clicks of the mouse can take an "OK" picture and turn it into WOWZA! So here you go:

Do you despair when you see makeup ads featuring pore-less faces? Or smirk at the Victoria Secret models splayed across the catalogue, like, do they even NEED push-up bras? Ever wonder why Madonna, at age 51, barely looks a hair over 21? Well, she doesn't.

Seriously, whatever you do, don't let some pretty image in a magazine get you down, because only about 5% of the images we see in print have any sort of basis in reality. I just made that statistic up. But it's probably true.

Tyra: not flawless, but still fierce!

Riiiiiiiight.

Jessica Alba is so slender and well-lit in the magical land of Photoshop.

Even the wrinkles on her clothes disappear!

If you want to be on the cover of a magazine, prepare to have half of your arm shaved away. Click for a bigger look.

And no, it's not just the ladies!

Oh, Justin, don't be mad at me. You know I love you.

Rowr.

Happy Halloween!

Things That Are Awesome

2010-09-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

It is my birthday and I am a whopping 32 years old! I remember when that was so old! I mean when my mom was 32 she had a son who was already a deacon and a 7 year old and a 4 year old, I had better get cracking! I have been spoiled rotten today (or as my Grandma Nita used to tell me, "No CJ you are just well loved") and had a lot of fun!

I so far have learned a little about life, a lot about myself, my kids, and my strengths and not-so-strengths. I am usually a pretty positive person but I have my moments and the other day was one of those. I asked all of my friends on Facebook to help me make a list of "Things That Are Awesome" so that I can reread it anytime I need to be reminded just how good life is! This is what you guys came up with, if you want to add to the list just post a comment below. :) My dad used to tell me, "The scripture says 'men are that they might have joy' not 'men are that they might wade through it all and endure'" So here is to at least another 32+ years of joy! :)

- Corie DeWitt Green I will start: Clean Sheets, Dr. Pepper, Watching Funny Movies With My Bothers, My family, Hot Showers. . .
  September 21 at 3:45pm ·
- Yvette Weisheit Nightly baths, REM sleep, hearing your favorite song on the radio when you requested it in your head, getting flowers from my husband, when my kids say something funny and I can brag about it to friends and family....
  September 21 at 3:59pm · · 1 person
- Heather Ely Carrell A husband that does laundry=AWESOME :)
  September 21 at 4:13pm ·
- Brooke Greenstreet The moment your kids are in bed- awesome. Cheesecake Factory- awesome. Cool fall evenings- awsome. Bubble breaker app for the blackberry- way awesome.
  September 21 at 4:14pm ·
- Chelsea McKinney You are awesome.
  September 21 at 4:17pm · · 1 person
- Ashby Stringham Hatch The beach, autumn weather, newborn babies lathered in Baby Magic lotion, sleeping in....
  September 21 at 4:32pm ·
- Michelle Simmons Having movies memorized and someone who knows the reference immediately, game nights, making me laugh so hard I double over and want to cry, picking on Tom, playing Rook with your brothers and Dad.
  September 21 at 4:38pm ·
- Michelle Simmons Ooh and my personal favorite today....being able to take a shower!
  September 21 at 4:38pm ·
- Sheri Sadler Giles Desert rain. Clean babies. Cherry limeaids on a hot day. Cookie dough on a bad day. Kids laughter. Home. Naps. Music.
  September 21 at 4:40pm ·
- Trisha Hardy The church, ME!!, your children, not having homework, chocolate cake, pools, having you in my life as a role model,the next harry potter comes out next month. hope that helps.
  September 21 at 4:53pm · · 1 person
- Jason Neenos Your cake, Me, Agricola, Glee, The smell right before it rains, Greg strutting around like a Peacock, Bleach (for you), the smell of a freshly struck match, tomato soup, deep-fried turkey, 5 player ticket to ride, Android phones, Your friends.
  September 21 at 5:10pm ·
- Susie Brown I think your freaking awesome!
  September 21 at 5:20pm ·
- Kelli Smithson Vogt Anything that makes me smile, my kids, family, and friends!
  September 21 at 5:57pm ·
- Karl Kauffman Kittens, flowers, the smell of fresh cut grass, sunsets, the company family and good friends.
  September 21 at 6:13pm ·
- Amber Eilertsen Jarvis Long hot showers, getting new clothes that look fab, hilarious movies, your amazing cake and crack... love you!
  September 21 at 6:32pm ·
- Mike JoAnn DeWitt You, cuz you are such a good example to others!! Luv ya Corie Jo !!!
  September 21 at 6:46pm ·
- Chantel Fleming Family, friends, deep fried turkey, Burn Notice, Glee, Music, Baseball, Ultimate Frisbee, authentic Mexican food, Chuck, Curling up in front of a fire on a cold day while drinking hot chocolate and reading a book, llamas, the smell of campfire and pinetrees, games. :)
  September 21 at 7:13pm ·
- Greg Green tacos, kids, ice cream, cloudy days, snow days, not windy days, fast cars, 4-wheelers, the 4th quarter of a close football game, that moment when the kids are in bed and don't get up, having the laundry done, not having to change any more diapers, ceiling fans, Dr. Pepper, putting on lotion, not being short, fishing, that time my mom couldn't get back in the boat, new teeth, air conditioning . . .
  September 21 at 7:56pm ·
- Hazem H. Qawasmeh a family reunion that is not planned, camping overnight in dreamland aqua park, waking up next to my wife, my kids, my Mom and a really funny joke you pull outta the air
  September 21 at 8:18pm ·
- Lacy Range Phones, electricity, indoor plumbing, the gospel, kids because they are funny and some even like to eat dirt (my nephew) :)
  September 21 at 11:01pm ·
- Michael Shumway I am awesome!!
  September 21 at 11:13pm ·
- Michael Shumway And you are awesome too!! And your kids are awesome, and your hubby, and the rest of your family! And your friends, and watching movies, and playing games, and watching the Cats beat Iowa, and watching the Cats beat Cal this week, and being healthy, and .....
  September 21 at 11:14pm ·
- Kim Bratt Henling Your photographs, El Rancho, a good run, Ohio State football
  September 22 at 8:23am ·
- Rachel Larsen White A clean house, quiet, working out so hard you can't move anymore, a baby moving in my tummy, kids that are too cute and melt my heart, spring, fall, beauty in nature.
  September 22 at 8:32am ·
- Jamie Hays The kids falling asleep in the stroller while you are on a jog, eating pizza, eating cookies...okay who am i kidding...eating just about anything, finishing a good book and listening to MoTab on Pandora.
  September 22 at 11:15am ·
- Tracy Hardy Turley Being married to your best friend, having a forever marriage, knowing your children are your forever.
  September 22 at 6:35pm ·

100th Post!!

2010-09-16T10:08:00.001-07:00

So this is my 100th post. I have put it off because I felt like the 100th post should be something special. Well I was online today and watched this video and realized that this is probably one of the most important messages I could put on here for myself and for my kids in the years to come. I hope you watch it. (Scroll to the bottom to stop the music player so you can hear the video)

Whew!!!!

2010-08-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

When mom spends hour after hour making pretty pictures like this:

Then the kids make the house look like this:

And then Mom starts to feel a lot like this:

Luckily if Mom bets the kids frozen yogurt at Maverik that there is no way they can have the whole family room and kitchen clean before dad gets home it takes less than 30 minutes to clean it all up! :)

Yay Friends!!

2010-07-01T18:19:00.001-07:00

So this was awesome to hear as the mom of my cute son :D

Ethan and his friend are having a sleep over and playing Halo 3 together.

Ethan: Aw man why did you kill me?

Friend: Because we are against each other and don't like each other. But just in the game, if it was real life, I'd take your side for sure.

:D Great Big Mom Grins!!

These are the days (times 2)

2010-06-03T18:09:00.004-07:00

Sometimes when I am having a bad day I go back and reread old posts of mine to remember good things and get a better perspective on my life. I wrote this back on September 9, 2008. I have accomplished even more now than what I listed here and I am grateful for the chances and blessings I have been given.

I love this quote:

“The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less”
-Anna Quindlen

So I just went to Shauna's myspace page and I heard her song and I got to thinking. Her song is "Don't Blink" by Kenny Chesney. It talks about how fast life passes and that if you blink you will miss a lot.

Now with all four kids quietly sleeping in their beds the song makes me all choked up. It is so true, they change so quickly, life changes so quickly. It has been eight years that I have been married to Greg. I have finished college, watched Greg go through Law School, moved to Kansas and back, seen Greg as a prosecutor, and as a defender, bought a law firm, bought a house, sold a house, built a house, and most importantly been pregnant three times with four beautiful children. I have seen the first day of kindergarten, been called into the principal's office because my kid was in trouble, learned how to deal with ADHD and Asperger's Syndrome, attended Parent Teacher Conferences that have left me so depressed and down I couldn't stop crying and ones that have left me so proud and happy that I couldn't stop hugging that poor kid. I have taken kids for stitches, been to countless soccer and tee ball games, sat through tumbling class and Kung-fu classes so that when they ask "mom did you see me?" I can say yes and mean it. I have carried babies so small through the store that people have stopped me to tell me that they "thought that was a real baby." I have potty trained two kids and am working on two more. I have been a substitute teacher which has made me contemplate being an actual teacher. I have given up on my dream of Med. School thousands of times only to pick it up again a thousand more. I have kissed more owies, rocked more sick babies to sleep all night long, cleaned up more play-doh, broken up more fights and been thrown up on more times than I can count. So yeah, a lot has happened in those eight years and sometimes when I have three toddlers screaming at me all day it is hard to remember that these are the times that when I am old I will look back on and say "those were the days, I miss those times."

I go back to having the four kids all sleeping quietly in their beds and if I don't look around at the mess that is my house I can feel that these are the days.

So my point is that I am making a resolution to try harder to remember that these are the days when my kids are awake and rowdy and messy so that when they are grown they will look back and think, "those were the days, I miss those days" and they will come home to me, because as Emma told me today "even when I am a grown up you will still be my mommy and daddy and I will be your baby girl."

I think I will re-resolve to try harder and be the happier, more patient, and more content wife and mother that this beautiful family deserves. :)

My Better After!

2010-05-09T23:38:00.004-07:00

I love this blog called Better After. They have some of the most amazing transformations of what most of us would just throw out as junk into beautiful home design. I have been inspired to try and see the potential in the ugly stuff as how it can be remade into something beautiful. This is actually my second project but I am pretty proud of it.

I bought this poor ugly broken table at a local thrift store for $2. The top was split and coming off of the base and the side rails were split and twisting. The hinges and pulls were just stained and varnished over when the table was made and they were so dark and streaky and ugly. But with a little sanding, tons of wood putty, several L-braces, and a lot coats of paint (the color is called Sage Blue and I LOVE it!) I was able to get the perfect end table for my family room that I am slowly working over to get rid of the reds that I hate! All in all the entire project cost me right around $9. That is definitely Greg's favorite part!! :)

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

2010-05-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

Gila Valley Temple Open House

2010-05-05T07:53:00.003-07:00

Last Saturday I had the chance to take my Young Women to visit the Gila Valley Temple down in Central, Arizona. We had quite the drama being able to go. Our first plan was to go with the YM and YW and stay over night with my sister-in-law in their brand new house but the Young Men decided they didn't want to go and thanks to HUD my sister-in-law's house didn't close in time so we had to rethink that plan.

My counsellors and advisors really felt strongly that this activity was worthwhile and important so we began working out a plan where we do the entire trip in one day! We left at 4:30 AM and we were home before 7:00 PM and it is 4 hours drive each way! We had some rules: two adult drivers per car, and we needed priesthood.

We have such dedicated priesthood! My sweet husband was willing to get up at 4:00 AM and load up all four kids and drive them in our car so he could serve as priesthood so that the girls could go. Jason Neenos was also as kind. He had plans to go to Phoenix with his wife Bryn but before I was off the phone with the Stake President he had already volunteered to miss the trip with Bryn and serve as our second priesthood holder. Add to that President Spencer loaning us his Beast (their Excursion) and Jenny and Jeff being willing to drive it we were good to go!

We had 10 young women, 4 kids, and 6 adults up and at em by 4:30 AM to head to the temple! The temple was beautiful, like every temple is, but this was even more so to me because I was able to experience with and through my children Ethan and Emma. I loved the joy I could watch in their faces as they felt the spirit walking through that holy building. Emma whispered, "it feels like God is walking behind me everywhere we go, and that makes me want to dance and sing!" After we left the temple we were escorted to the chapel next door for refreshments and oh was it crowded. The Cultural Hall there was stuffed to bursting with happy people discussing the beautiful building we had all just seen. Ethan said to me, "Mom it is very crowded in this room and very loud. It is much harder for me to hear and feel the spirit in this loud place. The temple was quiet and peaceful and I could feel the spirit everywhere. I can't wait to go back there." I love that my children love the temple and know that the spirit of God dwells there and that they want to return as soon as possible.

I love the temple. I am grateful for the work that is performed there by the power of God. I am thankful to be sealed to my beautiful family for time and all eternity. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who made that possible for us. I am thankful for a Savior who made it possible for me to be worthy, through his sacrifice, for those blessings.

Holy Creepy!

2010-04-29T13:17:00.004-07:00

So I thought I wouldn't just creep out my Facebook friends but that I could spread the creepiness around! Today the twins and I rode to Sanders with Greg and on our way home Bailey needed a potty and NOW!!! Luckily we were right by the exit for this little rock shop/ tourist trap so we thought we would pull in and let Bailey use the restroom. Doesn't look too terribly bad right? Right? (please don't judge me for taking a four year old here.)

So we pull in and something seems just a little off about this place. The cars have all obviously been there FOREVER and there is nobody in sight. Then we saw her, peeking around a cactus skeleton:

And then, up in the sky, we see this armless beauty trying to tame this, umm, dinosaur?

We step a little closer and there she is, the shy girl from the cactus skeleton in all her, er, glory!

So those red cups are all empty and glued to that bench. Do you think that she drank them all and if so, is that why she needs to be tied to the bench? To keep her from falling over?

Well there you have it, a short chronicle of our adventure into Creepy Town. I'm telling you if had heard a banjo start up I was freaking out of there!!

ECLIPSE!!

2010-04-26T21:17:00.001-07:00

MEAN MOMMY!!

2010-03-04T13:27:00.003-07:00

So the other day I was doing pictures for Michelle (since she is looking awesome!) and Bailey would not stay out of the "studio". So I had to put Bailey into time out and oh was she not happy about that. She looked so pitiful I had to get a picture!

I showed Rory the picture and she said, "Hey you didn't take a picture of me!" I answered, "well you weren't crying." To which she replied, "Yes I was. I'm ALWAYS crying!"

Funny girls!

Yay me!

2010-03-04T12:45:00.003-07:00

Just a quick note: actually started my running today. I have been walking but not really running.

But no more!

It was a small start but I had to start somewhere right? I have placed marks on the dike behind my parents' house every half mile. It is an awesome place to run, no people to watch me pant and wheeze as I crawl along, nice flat trail, pretty scenery, it just works for me. Today Greg and the twins dropped me off at one end and drove about halfway down and waited for me. There was no going back after that. Greg slept, the twins played with a whoopie cushion, and I trudged along. I made it a mile and a half mostly running but with some good long stretches of walking so that I wouldn't die. It was only 20 minutes but I was excited to have accomplished that much.

I really feel excited and happy and like this is going to work (and sore, ouch). So there it is, the start of my journey to the Disney Half Marathon.

Anyone out there who runs and has some advice or motivation for me lay it on me, I am so gonna need it!

Yay me! :)

New Shoes!

2010-02-23T10:58:00.006-07:00

So I got new shoes. Not just any new shoes, new running shoes, for running. Yeah, I know.

You see I made a choice nearly 26 years ago to become friends with Michelle. Little did I know that it would bite me in the butt 26 years later. [In my defense I was 5 and in kindergarten, I didn't know better ;)]

Ok let me clarify, I love my friend Michelle, she has been an amazing, thoughtful, loving, caring, dependable, and FUN friend for the last 25+ years and try as we might, we couldn't get rid of each other. But Michelle did something amazing for herself this year. You see Michelle has always struggled with weight. I mean really struggled not like "ugh these last 15 lbs just won't drop off!" So this spring she had gastric bypass surgery and has lost an entire person! And she is still going. She is like the incredible shrinking woman.

Well before she had the surgery she made me promise to help her through this, to be her support system, the person she is accountable to, and to keep her grounded. I told her I would absolutely do that for her. You see I really wanted her to go through with the surgery, I'm selfish, I didn't want my friend to die. I still need her. Well she has called in that promise.

Michelle wants to run the Disneyland Half Marathon in September.

And she wants me to run with her.

And I said I would.

That is where the new shoes come in, you know the running shoes, for running. We have 193 days to prepare. So I'm gonna get off the computer and my butt and maybe go running, if I am not back in an hour send help. :)

Life Before Cell Phones

2010-02-09T21:34:00.003-07:00

Stole this from a friend on Facebook but it made me laugh:

If you are 30, or older, you might think this is hilarious!

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill... Barefoot... BOTH ways… yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way in heck I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a damn Utopia!
And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the dang library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog!!

There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to kick our butts! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself!

Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled, Baby! Dig?

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it!

There weren't any freakin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a damn call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY GOSH !!! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!!! And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your drug dealer, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your butt and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh, no, no electronics to soothe and comfort. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were luckily, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!

Regards,
The Over 30 Crowd

Michelle's Quelf Makeover

2010-02-03T15:00:00.002-07:00

Most of you know that we have game night every Sunday at our house. We play some pretty awesome/ weird games. The weirdest being Quelf. Michelle drew a card that she couldn't complete and the only way to avoid the penalty was to allow one of the other players to do her makeup. Well as my son says "Tom is more girl than boy" so she picked him hoping he'd be nice. He wasn't. :D

Five Successes (just a little late)

2010-01-21T12:19:00.003-07:00

This week is a tough one so bear with the ones I'm stretching a bit :)

Shampooed the Family Room carpet! It looked awesome, until yesterday and the girls and the mud. . . But this post is about successes so. . . :)
I got more than 50% of the laundry washed, dried, AND put away. First time in a long time. Laundry is my own personal dragon to fight. :S
I cleaned out the coat closet. After all of the games, old mail, papers, random junk fell on my head. I'm talking like on a corny TV show where the deluge of crap just keeps falling out of the closet around the character's ankles, except in real life! LOL After I quit laughing I got cleaning and got it done! :)
Beat Michelle and Tom at Rook 1000 to -15. Yep that says NEGATIVE 15, not a typo. :D
Made it out on another walk/ run. Wish I had a treadmill or that it would quit raining/ snowing/ freezing so I could go again!

So there it is, what do you have to brag about? :D

5 Successes!

2010-01-12T16:06:00.003-07:00

Alright round two, hopefully it is easier to find 5 successes as this progresses. :)

Took the twins to go visit my mom. She has been sick for a couple weeks and really missing her grandkids. I think it made her feel a lot better to see them.
Got excited about running again! Michelle told me that she wants to run the Disneyland Half Marathon this September and I agreed to run it with her. I am really looking forward to this and can't think of anyone I would rather run it with! That means we have 235 days until race day so I realized I had better get started!
Made 4 different dinners last night. No every kid didn't get their own special meal, THEY EACH ATE FOUR DINNERS!!! I am afraid we are smack in the middle of a big ol growth spurt again.
Had a really fun Photo Shoot with Kim and her ADORABLE kiddos! Have I mentioned I love this job?
SCRUBBED my bathroom. I mean yeah we do the pick ups and wipe downs but I haven't SCRUBBED it in a while.

So how about you? Any successes you want to brag about?

“The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.” - Sven Goran Eriksson

5 Successes!

2010-01-05T08:04:00.002-07:00

So my amazing friend Lynsie has inspired me to be better since the day I met her. She is one of those people who always seems to have the right attitude even though she has gone through things that are harder than I can really imagine. She was the one person who could ALWAYS settle down my son Ethan when he was fussy as a baby. She is always giving service, smiling loving, teaching, inspiring, beautiful, etc. etc. you know, one of those women you want to hate but just can't :). Well she has inspired me again. On her blog she did a post about her 5 successes for the day and I thought that was a great way to help me be more positive. I am not sure that I am quite successful enough to post 5 everyday so I have decided that on Tuesdays I will post my 5 successes for the last week. Here goes:

Had all of the kids' rooms clean at the same time, for like 5 minutes but hey, we are looking at the positives here. :)
Put away the clean laundry. All 52,478 loads of it!
Had fun playing Hungry Hungry Hippos with the twinners! And didn't even get upset when they kept knocking the marbles all over the floor.
Got both kids dressed, fed, medicated, and on the bus on time WITHOUT yelling at them!
I found time for a shower everyday for the last 5 days!

So there you go. I love looking at the little successes, it helps me feel like I'm doing pretty well at this whole life thing. :)

Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith. - President Thomas S. Monson

UGH! [or maybe not SO ugh :D]

2009-12-09T10:42:00.007-07:00

So this is my blog and it is where I write down what things are happening in my life. I love how when you read blogs it sounds like everyone has perfect lives with perfect homes and perfect kids and time to decorate and craft and bake and cook and learn new skills and have super duper wonderful friends who they always think are great etc. etc. etc. Now don't get me wrong, I love my life and my family and my home and my friends but, it is soo far from perfect.

Right now my kids' rooms are trashed, I'm talking can't close the playroom door because of the dirty clothes and trash (eww I know) all over the floor.
My carpet in my family room has spots all over it that need to be cleaned and I have a carpet shampooer but I also have 4 kids that I have to have out of the way for the SEVERAL hours it takes to dry afterwards so I keep waiting for a good time to do that.
I haven't done my hair in 3 days.
Or worn makeup.
Hey I'm just happy to have showered! LOL
Dishes need done.
The Christmas decorations I have out have been completely rearranged and/or broken by my kiddos.
Oh and I haven't even put the tree up yet.
Not done Christmas shopping.
Don't have the stuff to wrap the presents I HAVE gotten.
My bedroom has about 52,000 loads of clean laundry on the floor next to the bed that need put away.
I have no idea what to make for dinner.
My car looks (and smells) like homeless people have been living in it.
I get grumpy with my kids even when I know I shouldn't.
I yell at my husband.
I let stress get me angry.
Sometimes my friends hurt my feelings and I don't know how to tell them.
So I just pretend they didn't.
I let Ethan's Asperger's make me cry, alot.
My twins hardly ever wear shoes. They hate them and I don't make them.

So there it is, my life isn't perfect it is worse than some people's and a lot better than a lot of people's and I am so grateful for it and for the "problems" I get to deal with. Because I have a house to be messy, kids (who ALWAYS love me even when I am grumpy) to make those messes, a husband to yell at (and who still loves me even though I do), a car to let homeless people (or maybe just me and my kids LOL ) "live" in (I swear we are in that car more than my house!), friends that love me even though I hurt their feelings sometimes too. I have a Savior whose birth is the reason I have all of those misplaced/ broken Christmas decorations. I have a Savior who understands all of my problems and not only loves me anyway, but is the help I need to make it through them so that I can so thoroughly enjoy and love my "not perfect" life. So never mind the "UGH", I think I've changed my mind about that. :D

Pictures anyone?

2009-10-06T14:40:00.002-07:00

I am dying to go out and take some pictures. I have a few projects in mind that I want to get started on and I just need some inspiration. I'm starting to feel stagnant in my photography and want to try some new techniques out. Anyone have some ideas for what I should go shoot? If you are into photography what is your favorite subject(s) to take pics of?

My Girls

2009-09-29T20:50:00.004-07:00

My girls have been more than willing to be mommy's little models lately. I am loving it and got some pics I want to hang on the wall, especially since the last portraits of the twins were from when they were 2 weeks old! : S

Grandma Nita

2009-09-29T15:58:00.004-07:00

July 9, 2009 was one year from the day that my Grandma Nita passed away. She was incredibly important in making me who I am and I miss her very much. This summer we got her headstone and my Dad, Mom, Aunt Jan and brother Brian all set it into concrete at her gravesite. Watching my mom as she first viewed the headstone when it was delivered and then again as it was finished at the gravesite was kind of beautiful to me so here is a peek into those days.

First day of school X 2!

2009-09-29T14:43:00.002-07:00

So this year was Emma's first year of school and she was so excited to be a kindergartener! She had to have a new pink backpack and she simply had to wear her Twilight shirt for the first day, because everyone knows it is all about the first day fashions! :)

Yeah she was a little nervous walking into Mrs. Schuetta's (FANTASTIC Kindergarten teacher FYI) class, but mostly excited. I asked what she was the most excited about and she said, "I can't wait to learn to read like Buddy." I love that girl!

She looks up to her brother so much and wants to be just like him! I love him for taking that responsibility so seriously and always trying to be a good example to her. He takes time every afternoon to show her what he is learning in school and to help her with her homework. They are truly best friends, most of the time! ; )

Ethan Started 3rd grade this year. This year Winslow School District went to Grade level schools so he is at a new school and also a different one from Emma. He likes it because the third grade is the highest at his school so he is one of the BIG kids there! LOL His teacher is Ms. Gonzales and she has been absolutely amazing! We have loved her as Ethan's teacher and Ethan has had a fantastic time learning from her so far this year. He even has made a great little friend named Andrew, they play together almost everyday and they get along fantastically! It is awesome to watch my son make friends. He is truly loving 3rd grade!

As you can see he does NOT, however, love mom taking pictures ALL the time! LOL!!

Ethan's Baptism

2009-09-29T10:44:00.004-07:00

Wow it has been a long time since I have posted so I am working on catching back up. (Thanks LeAnn) One of the major and best things that has happened since the last post was Ethan's baptism. He was baptized on July 10, 2009. He had so many friends and family able to be here and we really appreciate everyone who made the trip. His Grandma and Grandpa Green gave the prayers and his Grammie gave a talk on Baptism and Papa gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. They were all amazing. Greg was blessed to be able to baptize and confirm his son. I love this picture because it shows how truly thrilled Ethan was to make this covenant. I love Ethan and I am so proud of his example. With all that he has to overcome everyday he still finds time to be kind and loving. He has amazing patience with those he teaches and he loves to teach. He has a fantastic sense of humor and is one of the most intelligent people I have ever known. I am so proud of him for his desire to always do what his right and for his joy in the gospel. I am blessed to be his mother.

Ha Ha Ha!

2009-06-08T22:13:00.002-07:00

I just washed the carseats today and put them back into the car. Now my car smells like laundry detergent! (my new favorite smell Gain!) This event triggered the following:

Mom: (jumping back into the car where the family is waiting) OOOOH it smells all Gain-y in here!

Emma: I don't smell nothing. All I smell is toots!

I laughed so hard it took awhile to catch my breath!

America The Beautiful

2009-05-25T09:51:00.003-07:00

(lyrics by Katherine Lee Bates;
music composed by Samuel A. Ward)

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassion'd stress
A thoroughfare for freedom beat
Across the wilderness.

America! America!
God mend thine ev'ry flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law.

O beautiful for heroes prov'd
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life.

America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness,
And ev'ry gain divine.

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears.

America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea.

A Little Bit of History....

The lyrics to this beautiful song were written by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) an instructor at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, after an inspiring trip to the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1893. Her poem, America the Beautiful first appeared in print in The Congregationalist, a weekly journal, on July 4, 1895. Ms. Bates revised the lyrics in 1904 and again in 1913. In addition to those changes in the words, it is notable that the poem was not always sung to the tune presented on this website ("Materna," composed by Samuel A. Ward in 1882, nearly a decade before the poem was written). In fact, for two years after it was written it was sung to just about any popular or folk tune that would fit with the lyrics, with "Auld Lang Syne" being the most notable of those. The words were not published together with "Materna" until 1910, and even after that time, the tune to be used was challenged to some degree.

We sang this song in church yesterday and I am never able to make it all of the way through. I do ok until I hit the third verse and then I fall completely apart. I think of the "heroes proved" that I know. Not the least of which is my older brother Brian. After High School Brian left home for the Air Force Academy. Only the very best are accepted there and then they are put through the toughest training experience while also being held to Ivy League academic standards. He took 2 years off to serve a mission and then returned to the Academy after going through the rigorous admissions process all over again, where he finished his degree and graduated as an officer. He has served in Afghanistan and Korea, he has spent years both being trained and training. He is an amazing officer and a fantastic soldier. Even more than that he is an amazing dad and husband. I think my brother is a hero.

But I also think his wife is a hero as are his children. They bravely watch their dad and husband leave for weeks, months at a time to parts most dangerous not knowing for sure that he will come back. My Sister-in-law loaded kids up to and from school everyday, she cleaned house and made meals, fulfilled a calling, comforted her children, prayed for her husband, and worried night and day. But she was proud of her husband and supported his commitment to help others. My nephews and niece had dad miss things, worried about dad AND mom, went about their day to day responsibilities and helped mom as best as they could.

It is heroic to me to share the ones we love with the world as a whole to promote freedom and opportunity to those who can't fight for themselves. So this memorial day I am thankful for all the men and women of the United States Military. Including those who don't wear uniforms, the wives, children, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and friends who sacrifice their time with their loved ones so that others can be guaranteed long, happy, safe, fearless lives with theirs.

Wanna take some pictures?

2009-05-19T17:13:00.001-07:00

Ok , for everyone who has been asking about pictures: For the month of June I will be doing 1 to 1.5 hour shoots, editing approximately 20 shots, and then putting ALL shots (edited or not) onto a disk and providing a release so that you can order prints wherever you'd like for $45. This helps you get pics and me build a portfolio. Let me know if you're interested.

Having fun!

2009-05-18T10:44:00.003-07:00

So I have gotten to do some pics lately and I am loving it. I have created a photography blog where I have been posting my favorite shots. The link on the right side for Live Shots will take you to it. So go, check out the pictures and tell me what you think!!

Vote Early and Vote Often!

2009-05-01T16:36:00.002-07:00

Frosted Flakes has a program called Plant a Seed where athletic fields are nominated that are run down and in need of some help for a complete rebuild courtesy of Kellogg's and Frosted Flakes. Winslow's Multi Purpose fields are in a sad state, there are holes everywhere, the infields are hard packed clay, and the grass is mostly a sad patch of cleverly mowed weeds. These are the fields we use for the city soccer leagues, Little Leagues, Men's League Softball, Co-Ed Softball, and the city Lacrosse team. Someone nominated our field and by some amazing chance we made it to the top 100 semifinalists!! So here is what you can do click on the link below and vote for our field! You can vote 1 time per day per email address. Voting started today and will be open until May 31st. So vote early and vote often, Winslow deserves this!

http://www.frostedflakes.com/PLANT-A-SEED/FIELD/75220/FIELD.ASPX

Thanks so much everyone!

Like Having A Friend In The Business

2009-04-23T10:36:00.002-07:00

That is the slogan of Spencer's TV and Appliances. Sounds great right? But they don't tell you that it is more like that friend from High School who secretly was always jealous of you and kinda hated you and has just been waiting to exact their revenge! LOL

A little less than 3 years ago we broke ground on our new house ( I still LOVE it!!). It was a custom build so we got to pick every last thing, except the faucets but that is another story. We had always heard what great prices Spencer's had and when Greg was down for a CLE he decided to go in and check it out. It seemed fantastic so we went in together to order a whole house appliance package.

We looked at EVERY appliance in the store and our salesman was very helpful, or so we thought. We ended up going $3000 over our budget and paying that out of pocket. But we had gotten the "top of the line, best buy for our money!" The salesman even told us about our $1200 Washer that he "had just purchased this exact model for his mother because it is THE best!"

We purchased 6 appliances in all. Now 2 years after moving in 3 of those are broken. The main burner on our stove won't heat, the drawer handle on our refrigerator/ freezer is falling off, and the kicker: my washer is locked with the door open so I can't close the door which is quite the problem on a front loader! Also the main computer panel is fried and the drain pump needs replaced. :S We called GE to see if they could set up a service call and after sitting on hold for 30 minutes I got a recording which told me that "there are no GE service providers near you, please try your local yellow pages."

So Greg called Spencer's to complain that half of the "top of the line" appliances they had sold us were broken in less than 3 years. Their response was to call a service agent in Pinetop who is going to charge me $150 just to come look at my machine and see what it needs to fix it. After that and parts and labor and the second $150 service call I could just buy a whole new washer!!

SOME FRIEND!

But on the bright side I DO have an amazing friend who was replacing her washer and dryer because her dryer was broken and she so kindly just gave me her top loader washer. And you know what? I LOVE IT!! I have decided that in my laundry room set up I will NEVER get another front loader because the top loader fits so well and so conveniently!! So I guess that is a good thing that came out of this story.

Rant over, thanks for listening! :)

Thanks so much guys!

2009-04-20T08:44:00.004-07:00

I love all of the mommy funk cures you all sent and you all have amazing ideas (that is probably why you are all rocking good moms!) I decided to use them all and compile them together into this blog. If anyone has an idea to add come back and comment on this post and I will continue to edit this one. This is my own personal mommy survival wiki! :)

1.) Try to plan ONE fun activity a day and then DON'T expect it to go perfectly. That way, when your kids watch TV for the rest of the day and make huge messes, you can still feel like you accomplished something with them.

2.) If we go out to a park or just for a nice walk the sunshine and fresh air are good for everyone. BUT, in cases where you can't go outside- I let my kids pile up all the pillows and jump off the couch. They love it and think I'm fun and they are darn tired after 30 minutes of it.

3.) I find myself getting the most frustrated with life and my kids when I can't get anything done. SO, I change my list- all I have to do today is play hi-ho cherry o and read to my kids....and if I do that-I did a good job.

4.) Know that you are not alone.

5.) When we are feeling bored and grouchy we go to walmart and buy some new small toys, like crayons and coloring books, a board game, new t-shirts, or Pillsbury cookie dough to make cookies.

6.) One thing we do is go to Dairy Queen for ice cream, then drive around town till we are calmed down. Just getting out of the house for a few minutes seems to help...

7.) STICK WITH IT--- ONE day, one hour at a time. Looking at the whole picture is just too overwhelming.

8.) Be proud of the little accomplishments you can make in one day whether that be getting your teeth brushed, controlling your urge to beat your children, or whipping up some boxed mac and cheese.

9.) Sometimes I get so caught up in what needs to be done around the house or yard or whatever, and forget that my little ones need me! We have had story time, me and my daughter every day, she dresses up like a princess and we read a princess story. It is something so simple and yet something she loves so much.

10.) Laugh. Even when you don't really want to. :)

11.) I always need a break to get away from my mommy funk. Plan something fun for yourself or with your husband. You will have something to look forward to and you will be refreshed from a break away from kids.

12.) One word: TOBLERONE! :)

13.) I don't know how I got out of my funks, it seemed sometimes like just one big 20 year funk!! But I'll tell you this -- seeing/hearing my grown kids talk and laugh and tell stories together is the most wonderful reward for all those fights and fits.

14.) It helps to go out or have someone over (every day if at all possible). This solves the not wanting to get dressed thing I have going on sometimes.

15.) Sometimes when we get in a funk and need to get away we go to La Posada and sit in the swing in the back and watch the trains go by.

16.) Another place that we spend alot of time at is McDonalds when it is cold, the kids can play, eat a 99 cent cheeseburger and a 35 cent ice cream cone and they are happy!

17.) Girls Night Out (because, well, see number 4!)

Keep giving me those "Mommy Funk" cures!

2009-04-06T22:24:00.002-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has posted a cure to the "mommy funk" I have found myself in. If you haven't left a comment please do, I am going to use them later! And they don't have to be "mommy funk" only cures, any kind of "funk busters" are welcome! So all of my single friends and my DINK (dual income no kids) friends that means you too!! I had to post this because one of the best "Funk Busters" I know is a good laugh, so go ahead, check it out and then scroll down and leave me a comment! Thanks!

Funk is right Leann!

2009-03-31T10:09:00.004-07:00

I don't know what it is, maybe the wind, let's blame it on the nasty wind, but I am in a funk. This was not in the brochure. At the Motherhood store and Babies 'R' Us and babycenter.com they sell you the idea of the beautiful mother (no body fat, perfect make-up, hair always done, super cute clothes, etc.) and her lovely well dressed, well behaved, impeccably groomed offspring on wonderful day trips to the museum/ library/ craft class/ dance class/ science clubs/ advanced private schools you get the picture. Then they head home for the tiny tot gourmet meal they so happily and lovingly prepare together in the sparkling gorgeous kitchen (that mom just remodeled herself by the way). They never show you when the kids dump a box of whales on the carpet and then proceed to crush them down into said carpet and pour the contents of their sippy cups onto said ground crackers to make "indoor mud" :) (ok so that's kind of funny) or how hard it is to get out of your pajamas some days let alone dress the kids in their super cute clean never stained with grape juice outfits. :) And forget leaving the house! Museum/ schmooseum I am just grateful Ethan can ride the bus so I can even get him to and from school from the safety and comfort of my pajamas at home! :D We have had some crazy bad wind here lately and our swingset was one of the casualties. now it looks like this:

Which makes it really hard to send the kids outside to play even when it isn't 60 mph winds. So they have been cooped up inside and bored. And the only things you get when you have two bored 3 year olds and one bored 5 year old are fights and messes! And that makes for a mom who doesn't get anything accomplished. Which starts the vicious cycle of too much to do so you don't want to do ANYTHING. So I am looking to all of you, how do YOU break this cycle and keep from feeling overwhelmed by this "adventure" (wink wink) we call motherhood? Or if I am the only one living in this CHAOS how do you all avoid it and keep it all so together?

Thinking Funny

2009-03-15T20:19:00.003-07:00

So I know I am late but it has been a busy week. I have been trying to think about things that have been funny in my life this week, nothing on quite as grand a scale as last week but the little funnies help too, right? There were the 3 times we couldn't find the twins this week and then we looked in the bathroom. There they were, butt naked, one in each sink, taking a bath! Then there was Friday when we walked into Best Buy and Emma saw the "Twilight" poster. Emma gasped excitedly and exclaimed, "Mom look it is Bella and her Vampire!" Also there was the really great one this week when Greg asked me to look on my calendar and let him know what day of the week "Thursday, July 9th" will be. He is a busy guy, I really should cut him some slack. :) Well that is it for this week, I will try and do better about being on time next Friday! Think Funny!

HELP!!!

2009-03-12T10:31:00.004-07:00

So I need some help. In Young Women's we are making time capsules and this month we want to work on "planning" the girls' weddings. You know, cakes, dresses, rings, colors, flowers, etc., etc., and I need pictures for this, so here is the favor I am asking:

Does anyone have any Bride/ Wedding magazines of any kind that they would be willing to donate to our project?

If you do please leave me a comment with a way to get in touch with you so we can set up the pick up. Thanks in advance everyone!!

Thinking Funny

2009-03-06T10:57:00.002-07:00

So we have this dog, Cole. He is an adorable, sweet black Cocker Spaniel that none of us wanted. :) He was my Grandma's and we more or less inheirited him. Don't get me wrong we love him but we didn't want a dog (with four little kids we had enough animals to take care of). Well poor Cole hasn't been groomed in forever so his fur had gotten so many mats in it and last night I researched online the best way to get them out. I went out armed with scissors and dogbrush to cut them out. Greg stayed inside with the kids while I worked away. When it came time to trim Cole's face I needed help holding him still so I asked Greg to come help. A few minutes later Rory walks to the back door and she is drenched. Greg and I thought "oh no they were playing in the shower," so he hop up and run in. They HAD been playing shower, except it was in the kitchen and living room with the sprayer from the kitchen sink!! My kitchen was flooded (I'm talking an inch deep), there was water in the cupboards, all over the counters, all over BOTH computers, everywhere. I started drying the counter and noticed it kept getting drops on it so I looked up and the entire ceiling was dripping with water too! Imagine me standing in my kitchen sink reaching up with towel in hand to dry the ceiling off, I was laughing so hard I kept slipping, I don't know how I didn't fall and break my neck standing barefoot on those slippery wet counters. :) To make it all better they had taken the Sam's Club sized can of Country Time Lemonade mix and filled up my brand new Miche bag purse with the powder, my Scentsy warmer was full of lemonade powder and the rest was dissolved into the water all over the room, so it wasn't just wet but sticky too. It took so many towels to clean up the mess that I had to run to my mom's and borrow some of her towels to finish the job. But it is true, crisis + time = humor because now all I can imagine is how they must have looked standing there spraying the water into the air and playing in it. Come on who hasn't thought that would be fun at some point, right? Nothing was permanently damaged and I needed to mop anyway so all's well that ends well right? :)

Think funny!

Choose Happiness

2009-03-06T10:32:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday our stake and the Holbrook stake had a combined women's conference with Sister Barbara Barrington Jones. I learned so much and it has entirely changed my attitudes and outlook on life. She was outstanding, smart, and really funny. I thought I might share a little bit about what I learned. First there are three rules for living a better life;

#1 Choose Happiness

She said that our number one mistake is trying to live in the future. That we are always "getting ready to get ready" instead of living the life we are in. She told us that the only thing we are really lacking today is gratitude. To fix this mistake she told us to choose happiness, start by thanking, everyone for everything. Be thankful you have a dishwasher to load, be thankful your kids love you enough to want you to read to them, and don't just feel thankful, thank. We need to stop thinking about the future so much and quit the ideas that "when I (fill in blank here) I will be happy." And finally, smile when you talk. It is that simple, but you will get back what you put out. If you are smiling and friendly those around you will be drawn to do the same.

#2 Get Back To Basics

This is very simple, learn the difference between wants and needs. Take care of your needs and stop focusing on our wants. Learn what things we can do without and learn to love that which we have been blessed with. Learn to be satisfied.

#3 Take Time For Yourself

She pointed out how on an airplane the flight attendants tell you to put your oxygen mask on first and THEN help your child with his. This is because if you don't have oxygen you won't be able to help others even your own children. This applies so nicely to life if you are struggling emotionally and physically what good are you to those you are trying to help. Some ideas she gave for how to do this are: Plan your meals ahead of time, create and implement an exercise program, simplify your life, and inspire yourself. She told the story about how a woman was being sent to earth and Heavenly Father gave her piles and piles of gifts to take with her. She lives her life and it is good and then when she returns and sits down with Heavenly Father he pulls out two scrapbooks, opens the first one and says "this is your life and it was lovely." She looks at her children and husband and grandchildren and basks in their glory until Heavenly Father opens the second scrapbook and tells her, "this is a book of all of the things I had planned for you to accomplish and experience with all of those gifts I gave you, why didn't you develop and use the gifts I sent you with?" So start looking for those gifts God gave you and try to use them to your fullest potential.

Finally she talked about thinking funny. That men are that we might have joy, not just endure. She gave a formula for humor; Crisis + Time = Humor. She challenged us to start thinking funny, instead of taking everything so seriously, try to find the joy and humor in every situation especially the bad ones. So I am going to start a weekly post every Friday titled "Thinking Funny" where I am going to look at the funny side of the things that have happened to us throughout the week. I hope that you can take anything from this post and use it to better your experience here on Earth, I know it has helped me.

Crisis + Time = Humor

2009-03-05T19:28:00.002-07:00

I am trying to remember that at this very moment. A much more explanatory post is on it's way later. Oh and be glad you don't have my kitchen right about now! :)

OUCH!!

2009-02-24T21:16:00.005-07:00

So we have had bonk, after bruise, after owie lately! Sunday Emma was playing outside and she kept falling down until finally she ended up in tears and looking like this:

Emma was so upset and crying so I was holding her and she sobbed to me, "it - is - all - over - for - me." I held back my smile and I asked her what she means it is all over for her. She replied, "Running around and playing was the best thing in the world for me and now it is all over for me because I keep falling down, don't you understand? That means it is the end for all of my running and playing!" Oh the drama!!

What I love best about this picture is that it is exactly like a picture my dad still carries of me in his wallet, skinned nose and all! :)

Then today we were at playday and all of the kids were running wild, which is normal and kind of the point, but then Rory walks into the gym crying, sort of, and saying, "I have an owie." So I said "oh no come here." She kind of stumbled around and kept saying "I have an owie."

Then I saw the blood dripping down her hair.

I ran over to pick her up and rushed her into the kitchen where Allison and Lani and I tried to check out her head and then we saw the awesome gash in her tiny noggin. Allison just looked at me and said, "go, take her to tom's (Dr. Greenwood, aka world's most awesome doctor) office right now we will take care of your other girls." Which I did. And yep she needed stitches, well glue to be more exact. The girl never cried! She even sang to Dr. Greenwood while he glued her head shut. She is amazing. And so are all of my friends who were at playday and so willingly took my girls home with them so that I could focus on helping Rory. Here are some pics of her owie, they are gruesome so remember I warned you!

The gash is close to 2 inches long and so deep it was probably as deep as my pinky nail is wide! Such a trooper! I am thinking we might want to bubble wrap Ethan and Bailey before this trend continues! :)

Updates!

2009-02-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hooray! Robin is out of the ICU!! She was moved yesterday and after a little scare and then some more improvements they have decided that they are no longer fighting a disease and so she can be moved to the rehab unit. She will be having 6 hours of therapy every day and the doctors are confident that all is going well. Yesterday she raised her left arm as a reaction to her yawning, when they asked her to do it again she wasn't able to, it was an automatic response not a controlled motion. Her left foot has also started to wiggle a little under her sheet, once again it is something she isn't controlling but the doctors say that these spontaneous movements show them that the nerves are still there and waking up and working and that now they just need to teach her brain to use those connections again. She also has had feeling return to some of her toes in her left foot. So basically all is going well, we are excited about her progress, there is still a long way to go but we are so grateful for how far she has come and for all of the ways the Lord has and continues to bless us all. Thanks everyone for checking on her, it really helps to hear how much people care. :)

Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis

2009-02-15T23:34:00.000-07:00

Yep, try and say that 10 times fast. That is what my beautiful amazing sister in law Robin has right now. Last Thursday she was flown to Barrow Neurological Center because she had lost the ability to move. This is where they found out that she has swelling in her brain that is causing her to lose motor function and other painful symptoms. (For a better description click here.) She has been in the ICU for the past 12 days. She has been undergoing a procedure called plasma pheresis which basically functions in a way similar to dialysis. Basically they stick an in tube and an out tube in Robin and they take her blood out and into this machine that cleans the blood of the extra proteins and other things that the doctors believe are causing this swelling. The doctors have said that they feel they are seeing vast improvements! Yesterday we finally got some more good news. She has been able on one occasion to move her left eye on purpose and to move her finger on her left hand as well. There is an excellent chance that she will be leaving the ICU the first part of this week. They will move her probably to the telemetry unit where she will be monitored 24 hours a day but there aren't tubes and craziness everywhere. The doctors expect her to be in the Hospital for the next 6 weeks though. The doctors are very optimistic about her prognosis she has some serious physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy ahead of her but with the prayers of the MANY wonderful friends and family who love and care about Robin we have faith that all will be well.

Oh man, these kids crack me up!

2009-02-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

So the kids have given us some more funnies that we wanted to share.

The other day Ethan was really frustrated because I told him no about something so he declares, "I am getting so mad I am about to start cussing!" After I stifled a giggle I asked, "Oh yeah what cuss words do you know?" Then with all the anger he could muster he tells me, "I know Stupid, Shut-Up, Duh, and Dumb."

Whew! That was a close one! :)

Then this is an oldie but a goodie:

When the twins were little we had to have a talk with the older kids explaining that under no circumstances were they EVER supposed to wake up the sleeping twinners.

Greg: OK guys, rule #1 is NEVER wake up the babies. Now tell me what is Rule #1?

Ethan and Emma: Never wake up the babies.

Greg: Right! Good job guys.

Emma: And Rule #6 is never wipe boogers on your shirt, (short pause) ONLY on your pants. Right mom?

I can't wait until she has kids and they are disgusting and I can read this back to her!

Digital Photography 101

2009-02-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

So I have been taking a digital photography class in Holbrook and I have been learning a lot! I thought I would post some of my favorite photos so far.

The Waterfall in the parking lot of the Snowflake, Arizona Temple

Ethan when we asked him what he thought of the pigs at the Navajo County Fair.

Playday with Tatum

The coolest pig at the Navajo County Fair

My very first shot with my new camera

Addy rockin big sunglasses like a rock star

This is getting really fun and I am learning a lot.

Out of the mouths of babes.

2009-01-29T20:44:00.000-07:00

Today we were driving in the car and the kids were just yelling and screaming. Greg and I were continually telling the kids to sit down and be quiet so we could talk. Finally Emma gets right in Greg's face and screams "Dad have you ever read the scriptures?" and Greg replies, "Yes Emma, now sit down and be quiet!!" to which Emma answered "then why are you so mean sometimes?" Greg and I cracked up at that point and I politely pointed out to Greg "ooh burn!!"

Sometimes I need these reminders

2009-01-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

*Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

*Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

*Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

*Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

*Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned

*Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

*Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

*Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

*Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

*Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

*Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

*Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

*And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.......... ...

Grade Level Schools

2009-01-26T12:46:00.000-07:00

So here in Winslow there is a large upheaval about the idea of grade level schools. Let me start by saying when all is said and done I am in favor of grade level schools. But I am not in favor of all of the proposed budget cuts for Arizona's schools. I have mentioned before that I have a son with Asperger's Syndrome. It is incredibly difficult and painful for him to make and keep friends because of that. My hope is that with 5-6 classes of 3rd graders all at one school the odds for him finding other children who will be kind and friendly to him will be in his favor finally. He has really struggled the last three years and I will try anything that can make it easier for him.

That being said I hate the idea of losing teachers either because we cut their jobs entirely or because we cut their pay until they can't afford to work here. I don't love the idea of having my children spread out across town either. Ethan loves to be driven to and from school everyday. It is a special time that we get to visit and spend together. I won't be able to do that anymore because unless they figure something out with this whole space time continuum thing there is no way for me to be at 3 elementary schools at 3:10 everyday. I suppose they could have staggered release times. But then you still have the problem of every school having a kindergarten.

I think the biggest problem is our resistance to change. Hopefully we can all work together and find a way to make this successful for the kids.

Kids say the darndest things

2009-01-06T15:27:00.001-07:00

This one is just for fun (scroll down, I have kinda been on a blogfest! The Christmas Break post has some great pics!)

The other day we were going for a ride and we passed the 9/11 memorial here in town and Ethan and Emma had the following conversation:

Ethan: Emma when I was 2 months and 2 days old some bad men crashed airplanes into the twin towers and made them completely crash. A lot of people died in the crash. And they did it on purpose.

Emma (completely appalled): They should be ashamed of theirselves!

Ethan (a little sad and incredulous): I don't think they are.

I am amazed at how well they grasp what happened that day even though they are so young. I know adults who are still struggling to understand it.

Shauna should love this:

At church on Sunday, Emma was called to win the FHE lesson to take home and when she heard her name she jumped up and did "spirit fingers"! LOL I thought of Shauna at softball cheering "go tigers!" I am just glad she didn't try and do a kick, she doesn't wear bloomers over her undies at church! :)

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

In the time honored tradition of picking out all of the things you don't do well and then publicly promising yourself that from this day forward you will now do them perfectly in order to become the perfect person, I've decided that I too will list my failures and frailties in an attempt to shame myself into being better.

#1 I am going to be organized. I would say more organized but that would be assuming that I have any organizational skills at all already being employed. This will be a tough one. You might think that with my ridiculous obsessive compulsive behaviors this would be easy but you'd be wrong. :)

#2 I am going to be a funner mom. {Yes I have an English Degree and yes I know that "funner" is not a word but I don't edit your blogs so let it go this time! :)} I read your blogs and I look at all of the classes, outings, art projects, park days, etc. that you all do with your beautiful children and I feel a little sad for my kids who do none of those things (well maybe not "none" that may be hyperbole.) But I am going to start. I know paints are messy, I know play-doh doesn't vacuum out of carpet, I know I am terrified of going out to nice quiet places like libraries with all 4 kiddos but I am going to make an actual effort to do this.

#3 I am going to cook dinner at least 5 nights a week. My family eats out so much it is absurd! My children can't drive past McDonalds, Taco Bell or Sonic without asking if "ooo is it time for dinner?" This hasn't been good for our bank account or our waistlines, so, no more! I will teach my children to eat at home at the dining room table. I may be biting off more than I can chew here (pun intended!)

#4 I am going to invite a family over to dinner once a month. And I will call them on the phone to invite them! Many of you know that I am TERRIFIED of the phone! My parents cannot understand this after watching me sit on the phone for hours with boyfriends as a teenager but oh yes, I would rather walk across town in the rain to your house to ask you a question than have to dial the phone and talk to you. Weird? Yes. Sorry.

So there they are, my New Year's Resolutions. Forgive me as I frequently break mine and I swear to never mention any of yours! Happy New Year!!

Christmas break!

2009-01-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

So, long time no post. We really have been up to a lot. Christmas was really great. My brothers were both here for several days which meant several nights up late bowling on the Wii! :) We had our DeWitt family Christmas on the 23rd. It was great fun and everyone really enjoyed playing together with their marshmallow guns!Any good excuse to shoot each other right? We ended up leaving for Coolidge a day early because the weather said there was a 100% chance of 8 to 12 inches of snow all along the rim. So Christmas eve we had breakfast at Grammies and then rushed back home where Santa had conveniently stopped by because he had heard we were having to leave early. The kids opened presents and then Mom and Dad busily crammed clothes clean or dirty (hey Grandma Green has a washer) into suitcases and loaded kids and car and jumped on the road. We had almost an entire week down in Coolidge which was an amazing break, I could have stayed for a month!! We had our annual Green Family Christmas Karaoke. It was so much fun, like always! Greg's dad was the clear winner, he got a song he didn't know so instead of just fumbling through he decided to just full on rock it out! He was awesome! This year we are preparing in advance, I'm thinking costumes! Ok maybe not. :) We came home relaxed a few days and then I got to go to the YM/YW New Year's Eve party and it was a lot of fun. Now we are back to work and school and real life. But with such a fun break I think we are ready to handle it again! :)

Does anyone else do this?

2008-12-18T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have been doing this all of my life. As long as I have realized there was music I have been running a soundtrack in my head. Little things set it off, they mention someone's birthday and in my head starts You say it's your birthday, na na na na na na (it's by the Beatles). What really sets it off is reading stories. Every time I have ever read a story it has played in my mind as a movie and what is a movie without a soundtrack? Every time I am listening to the radio or sampling songs on itunes I am thinking "oh this song would be perfect for that part of the story" or "this is perfect for that time in college when I..." I realized that I am not the only one who does this as I read Stephanie Meyer's website about the Twilight Series and saw that she had posted for each book a playlist of songs that she heard in her head as she wrote the story. So the question is I guess, does anyone else do this? Come on I told you I'm crazy and hear music that isn't there, you can comment anonymously, I don't judge. LOL

Kids can be so mean!

2008-12-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Isn't it true? I am so tired of mean kids. My son Ethan has Asperger's Syndrome which is a mild high functioning form of autism in which their social interactions are what suffer. For a better description check out this previous post here. My son is one of the sweetest most trusting kids I know. He loves anything to do with technology and because he doesn't know when he is getting annoying he can go on and on about the same thing for way too long. Well the other day at school Ethan had been going on and on about computers and telling these two boys (who he says are his best friends in his class) that to find his favorite files you go to c:/computer/mydocuments/myfavorites. These two "friends" started laughing and told him "uh c:/ you're a dork!" and ran away laughing! I asked Ethan what he plays with these two when they play and he said "well I try to talk to them but they always just ignore me when I talk." And these are the kids he thinks are his best friends. In fact when he said they called him a dork Greg and I asked if he told the teacher and he said "no they are my best friends, it would be mean to get them in trouble." We told him that he needs to tell the teacher because that is bullying and if they don't get told to stop they will bully more kids and his answer was, "no they aren't bullies, they only make fun of me so it is ok, I don't want to get them in trouble." It breaks my heart that these are the only kids he thinks are his friends and they are so mean to him and he protects them for it! I wish I could find some nice boys who will play with him and understand him. Any advice?

Thanksgiving

2008-12-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah so I know Thanksgiving was a while ago but I got some great pictures that weekend that I have been wanting to share. Unfortunately my camera had died and I lost the charger. But I have a new charger and now I am ready to update this neglected blog of mine.

My brother Jesse and his wife robin and daughter Shelby came for Thanksgiving this year and that is always so fun and shelby is too stinkin cute. We were all sitting around Thursday morning chatting and letting the kids play. My brother Brian wasn't able to come because he is in the Bishopric in Tucson and he had to be at a youth temple trip he had organized. So I text him to say Happy Thanksgiving and his answers were just a little off. Now he has been known to surprise us and the first thing I thought was I bet they are on their way here and they are surprising us all. Well a couple hours later there they were and it made a great Thanksgiving even better. There is nothing I love like having my brothers and I all together. It had rained pretty well which out in Ames Acres makes for some excellent mud! When we were little my dad had a few 3-wheelers that we would ride all the time in the big empty lot next door. And if it was muddy it was even better! Well given the excellent mud and my dad's two quads the oppourtunity for fun was way too irresistable even though none of us had changes of clothes for us or our kids. Here are some pics of all the fun!

For the Moms

2008-12-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Ok so you all know me and have met my very busy children. I am always looking for ideas that make my life easier or even just something that encourages me and makes me feel like I can do this. I found a website called www.executivehomemaker.com that has some great ideas and tools. But I really loved this article I found and I thought you all would enjoy it too. It is written for stay at home moms but I think it works for everyone! :)

Managing Your Household:
11 Ways To Do Less And Feel Great About It
by Carol Bryant

"Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing." --Phyllis Diller

You made the decision to become an at-home mother. Somewhere along the way, however, the duties of full-time housekeeper, errand boy, secretary, chef and hostess have all been added to your repertoire. You go to bed at night envisioning a sunny picnic in the park with your kids and by mid-morning you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending list of chores. Sometimes it feels as if you are digging a hole in sand, with new chores constantly filling in the spaces of completed ones. Your children are spending more and more time in front of the television while you placate them with, "I’ll be there in a minute. I just have to…."

You can take comfort in knowing that you’re not the first to fall into this trap. Many of us who have chosen to stay at home to raise our children have at one time slipped into the same mindset that we have to do everything ourselves. The difference between feeling overwhelmed and finding satisfaction as an at-home mother comes from recognizing what is important and letting go of the rest.

If you hope to ever find the time to do the important things, like activities with your children or pursuing other interests, it is essential to find ways to do less while discovering more efficient ways to do what is absolutely necessary. Most of us feel better with a certain amount of structure in our lives. Once your household becomes organized, your days feel less like a never ending list of chores. Getting household chores "under control" also gives you a feeling of accomplishment. But how can you accomplish this?

"The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook." --William James

1. Identify your priorities

These are the years when you must decide just how much housework is really necessary. Do you have to clean the house from top to bottom every week or it is more important to spend time with your children? You can vacuum every day or you can take the kids to the park. Which would make your child feel more loved? You’ll have plenty of time after the kids have grown to keep your house in perfect order, if it still seems that important. For now, give yourself permission to do less and then be OK about it.

It’s also important to prioritize your children’s time. Ballet lessons, soccer practice and art lessons at the museum on the other side of town may sound like wonderful opportunities for your multi-talented children, but do you really want to spend your life carpooling? It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of signing your children up for every activity offered. We don’t want our children to be left behind by Susie who has been taking tennis lessons since she was three. But children need some downtime too. Wouldn’t a free afternoon spent discussing the mysteries of life over milk and cookies enrich your kids in equally important ways?

2. Set Goals

Working toward short-term and long-term goals increases your sense of accomplishment. It allows you to focus on what you have done rather than on what is still left to be done. Your long-term goal may be to have all of your Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. Or it may simply be to have the summer clothes packed away by then. Short-term goals may be to make appointments for everyone with the dentist or to pick up the dry cleaning on your way to the post office after you drop the kids off at preschool. Be sure to make a list of your goals each day so that you can experience the sublime pleasure of checking each one off.

3. Schedule

Write up a schedule for household activities. Following a schedule increases efficiency and decreases the time required. Planning which job is to be tackled when, is more efficient than frantically going from room to room, trying to get it all done at once. If you know that you have set aside time to vacuum on Tuesday, you will not waste time on Monday agonizing over not getting it done. Remember to be flexible and leave room in your schedule for the unexpected. Two-year-olds can be masters at knowing just when to spill the grape juice.

4. Delegate

You aren’t showing love for your children by fostering dependence. Remember that your long-term goal is to mold independent adults. Assign, or have children choose, chores that are appropriate to their age level. Toddlers can help by putting their toys into their toy box each night. Preschoolers love to dust. Older children can become quite good at vacuuming, washing the car and even planning and fixing meals. Rotate chores periodically, perhaps on a biweekly or monthly basis. Allow and insist that all family members do as much as they can for themselves. Don’t forget to include your husband/partner. It sets a good example for your children to see Dad help and makes you feel less like the family maid.

5. Have a laundry basket available for each member of the family

Each person is responsible for putting dirty clothes in it and taking it to the laundry room on wash day. Clothes that don’t make it to the basket don’t get washed. Eventually, that favorite shirt behind the door will be missed and will find its way into the basket. When the laundry is done, fold the clothes, place them in their assigned laundry basket and return them to their proper owner. Don’t despair if the clothes never make it out of the basket and into the closet. At least they are clean, neatly folded and out of the family room.

6. Plan Meals

List a month’s worth of meals and recycle the menus each month. Plan a weekly menu and shop for all of the ingredients at once. That should enable you to limit grocery shopping to once a week. When you eliminate those time-wasting extra trips for one or two things you also save money on those extras that always seem to catch your eye. Make a list of grocery items purchased on a regular basis in the order of your grocery store aisles. Make copies of that list and post it where you can easily circle needed items as the need arises. With good planning, you can coordinate other shopping with weekly grocery shopping to save trips.

7. Hire a baby-sitter while you run errands to save time and
frustration

The money spent on a sitter will be far less than money wasted on hurried purchases and extra treats promised to appease your impatient brood. When my children were little, one of life’s greatest luxuries was going to the grocery store alone. For that one hour I would casually stroll down the aisles, read labels, check coupons and even browse through magazines. If you don’t want to hire a sitter, trade time with another mom friend. Your time spent watching her children will pale in significance to the luxury of running solo errands. Think of how many stops you can make when you’re not dealing with car seats and strollers.

8. Plan the night before for the following day

Make a list of things to do. This will help you to organize your day and keep you from lying awake all night trying to remember what you promised yourself you wouldn’t forget. Have your children get their clothes and backpacks ready for school. Math homework is less likely to get left behind if it is put in the backpack the night before.

9. Clean and pick up as you go

Any time a mess accumulates or is left undone, it becomes harder and more time consuming to clean up. It takes far less energy, both physically and mentally, to put away one load of laundry than to face a week’s worth. It takes no time at all to clean up after a snack, but the thought of facing a sink full of dirty dishes can be overwhelming. If your children learn to put away a toy when they are finished playing with it, they will never again have to spend an entire morning cleaning their rooms.

10. Do two things at once

Fold laundry, iron, or clean out the kitchen junk drawer while watching TV. Make those phone calls that are guaranteed to involve being placed on hold while you work in the kitchen. You can clean up after breakfast, unload the dishwasher and put away groceries in the time it takes for "a customer service representative to be with you shortly." A portable phone is a good investment, allowing you to do even more. You can water the garden while you leave fourteen messages about the soccer party. You could even relax in the hammock while you patiently listen to your mother’s account of her latest root canal.

Last year I discovered the advantages of having my own carpool backpack. I put my Christmas cards and address book in a backpack as I headed out the door to pick the kids up from tennis lessons. During the fifteen minutes that I waited for practice to finish, I wrote five cards. That may not sound like a lot but between soccer practice, dentist appointments and an oil change, my Christmas cards were finally sent out on time. Sometimes my backpack has thank you notes. Other times it has that novel that I never find time to read. I have even organized my photo albums during basketball season.

11. Learn to say NO!

Your husband promised to stay home with the kids so that you could get your hair cut but now his brother has an extra ticket for the game. Couldn’t you reschedule your appointment? Your church bake sale is tomorrow and the cookie chairman forgot to make her calls. Could you bake eight dozen cookies tonight? There won’t be a Girl Scout troop this year unless someone volunteers to be leader… It’s Patty’s turn for playgroup but something else has come up…again.

It’s great to be flexible and wonderful to be helpful, but sometimes you just can’t do it all. Just when you’ve set your priorities and organized your day, you can almost count on some unexpected crisis to demand your time and attention. Trying to be all things for all people can distract you from what you really want to accomplish. When you become burdened with things you don’t want to do, you no longer have the time or energy for the things that are most important. Once you’ve identified what’s most important to you, stand firm. Practice saying "no" if you need to. You don’t need to offer excuses. A simple "No, that won’t work for me today. Maybe another time," is all that is required. You can’t take on everyone’s problems without cheating yourself. You matter too.

Remember, when you choose to be an at-home mother, the emphasis is on "mother" not "home." Don’t lose sight of why you stayed at home in the first place. It may be a cliché, but it always catches us by surprise when we see how quickly our children grow up. The housework will be there long after the children are gone. You have the opportunity to make these years special. Enjoy them.

Giveaway!!!

2008-11-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

So Ashby is having a giveaway on her bow blog, and let me just tell you the girl is amazing. I promised I would spread the word even though I am doing it begrudgingly, I want to win! :P Go here and leave a comment with your email addy and good luck to you! :)

The Man In My Life

2008-11-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by my friend Lynsie and I thought it was cute!

1. What is your husband's name? Gregory Denton

2. Where did you meet your husband? At Josh and Paul's apartment in Flag. My roommate and I were good friends with Josh and Paul and they told us "you have to come over and meet our new roommate, he is soo old!" They told Greg that we were coming over and it would be really funny to tell us that he didn't invite us and this was his house too now and that he wanted us to leave. He did and I thought he was the biggest jerk!! I went home and called my mom and told her what a jerk he was and that I never wanted to talk to him again. After we hung up she went in and told my dad "I think Corie is going to be getting married soon"

3. How long did you date before you got married?
Met January of 1998
started dating October 4 1998
Engaged January 15 1999
Married May of 1999

4. How long have you been married? going on ten years

5. What does he do that surprises you? He surprises me when he knows exactly how to make a fun day for the kiddos, or he thinks to finish up the laundry for me when I am at YW. He surprises me how dedicated he is to his calling.

6. What is your favorite feature of his? I love his eyes!

7. What is your favorite quality about him? His sense of humor, Greg and I laugh ALL the time..

8. Does he have a nickname for you? no real nickname

9. What is his favorite sport? he loves all sports, baseball football basketball softball. I'm earning to deal with it. :)

10. When and where did you first kiss? At my apartment in Flagstaff. I had had a crush on him for awhile and he showed no interest. I was talking about greg again that night before the institute dance and my roommate told me to "get over it Greg doesn't like you." She had already gone to bed while the rest of us watched movies after the dance and so when he kissed my goodnight that night I had to wake her up and rub it in! LOL

11. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? we really do enjoy watching all of our favorite TV shows we've tivo'd after the kiddos go to bed. We also love to go watch shows (we had one amazing time at the bottleneck in Lawrence Kansas) or even just play around sampling music on itunes.

12. Do you have children? Four of them!

13. Does he have any hidden talents? Greg can do one amazing Robot Dance! LOL

14. How old is he? OLD!! He is seven years older than I am.

15. Who said "I love you" first? I really don't remember :)

16. What is his favorite music? He loves real 80's punk and johnny cash, weird huh.

17. What do you admire most about him? He is so forgiving. And he is so smart. And he is soo hard working. He hates going to work but he can do anything for his family.

18. What is his favorite color? He likes reds sometimes and others it is blues and greens but if he could decorate his house it would be white walls white furniture white floors.

19. Does he do laundry? Oh he does it all! He rocks!!!

20. Will he read this? I doubt it. :)

I tag Jenn, Ashby, Corri, and anyone else who wants to do it! :)

High School Tag

2008-11-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

So LeAnn tagged me. I guess that's what I get for making her do this tag in the first place. :)

1. Did you date someone from your school? Yes I did. I had my first boyfriend ever starting in my Freshman year he was a jock and a senior and everyone liked him, except my parents. For some reason they didn't like their 15 year old daughter dating an 18 year old who had a kid. weird right? :) The end of my Freshman year I started dating Chris and that was a giant mess he was also a senior and a skater and so cute and so a bad boy, (I think that was kind of my thing lol) I dated Chris until the end of my junior/ start of my senior year when I realized that I wanted a temple marriage and that would never happen with my anti mormon boyfriend and I was just so sick of fighting with my parents ALL the time. Then I dated a few other guys, Ike, Norm, and then was right back into the boyfriend thing with Josh. Really nice guy, a year younger than me and kind of immature. Then I met Greg and he was really the first LDS guy I ever REALLY dated. I kinda always knew that I wasn't going to marry a guy from Winslow (nothing wrong with them but it'd be like marrying my brother) so all those boyfriends were just time fillers! LOL

2. What kind of car did you drive? My first car was a 1979 honda accord hatchback. It was 5 different colors of primer, the stereo hung from the dash by a wire there was a hole in the floor on the passenger side and the best part, you had to hit the fuel pump with a rock to start it. Seriously :) And I loved that car!!! Except that it was tiny and the guys loved to pick it up and turn it sideways in the parking space so I couldn't leave until the lot emptied or stick it in the grass by the picnic tables. jerks! After that my grandma gave me her 91 ford probe so sporty and fun and I didn't need a rock to start it which was super awesome! :)

3. What was your most embarrassing moment? Oh I had a lot, my Freshman year I was on my way back to school from the rootbeer stand at lunch with my 32 oz 7-up. I was walking up the stairs to go to my popular, cool senior boyfriend's locker on the senior floor with all of his popular, cool senior friends standing there and as I got to the top step I tripped and fell flat on my face and threw 7-up everywhere. Yeah, I was cool that day! :) Then Junior year I was on the drama team and we were doing our two person acting performance for the finals of the tournament and in our piece I was supposed to change out of an evening gown into pajamas and since you can't have props I had to wear the shorts and tank top under the dress and take off the dress and tada I was changed. Well the dress was a straight skirt and the shorts were a little big and as I pulled down the dress I also took off the shorts!!! I didn't realize it and was merely wondering why I couldn't take a step and why the kids from the phoenix day school for the deaf were grunting and laughing at me, until I looked down and realized what I had done :-0 But I pulled them right up and didn't miss a beat and we got first place that tournament! :)

4.Were you a party animal? No, but I was friends with the party animals lol

5. Were you considered a flirt? I would like to say no but that would be lying.

6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir? I was in Orchestra until High School and in High School I was in choir and show choir.

7. Were you a nerd? What do you mean, i am still a nerd

8. Were you on any varsity teams? Track four years and Cheer one year

9. Did you get suspended or expelled? No but I remember a LOT of detentions

. 10. Can you still sing the fight song? Yeah baby! We are the Bulldogs we are the best! We are the Bulldogs, pride of the west! Working striving for our fame, come on you Bulldogs win this game! We never boast and we never brag. We're out to win and never to lag! while our royal varsity goes onward to victory!! I told you I am still a nerd :)

11. Who were your favorite teachers? I loved Mr. Howell, I will always have fond memories of Aaron Hopper asking him if he believes there was a second shooter on the grassy knoll. What a way to get out of any work for about three weeks:) Mr. Watson was great too.

12. Where did you sit during lunch? Usually I was at work at the rootbeer stand so no sitting for me! :)

13. What was your school mascot? Bulldogs!! yeah way less gay than a trojan guys! LOL

14. Did you go to Homecoming? yep I did! My Sophomore year the homecoming game/ dance was also my sweet sixteen. They called me out to the 50 yard line and the whole stands sang happy birthday to me and my mom had balloons and flowers delivered to me there. All day I had thought everyone had forgotten my b-day! yay!

15. If you could go back would you? Sure, don't get me wrong I don't sit here dreaming about how life was so great in high school but if I had to it wouldn't be terrible, I had a lot of fun. plus I have seen how it ends so far and I like where my life led me.

16. What do you remember most about graduation? The marbles, and Ryan's laser pointer making amber so mad! LOL

17. Where did you go for your Senior Trip? My brother's graduation from the Air Force Academy, hot guys in military uniforms, way better than stupid sun splash! LOL

18. Were you in any clubs? yeah a lot actually Honor Society, OutDoor Ski Club, W club, etc. etc. We have already established I'm a nerd didn't we? :)

19. Have you gained weight since High School? stupid stupid question

20. Who was your Prom date? Sophomore year Jeremy Wilson, Junior Isaac Larsen, Senior Josh Steward

21. Did you go to your 10 year class reunion? No we didn't have one. I would have though :)

22. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Don't always have a boyfriend. Mr. Howell is Not really preparing you for what college professors want, tell mom the truth and you get to do a lot more stuff, and lots of girls aren't cheerleaders their senior year so don't be sad but you do get to be the football photographer so while the cheerleaders are cheering on the track you are on the sidelines with the cute boys so who's the real winner anyway? LOL

So I guess I get to tag people. I tag Crystal, Sheri, Traci, Brooke and Ashby and Ash tag Ryan for me ok? I am sure he won't remember but let him try and if he needs help I will be here! LOL

and now for the rest of my life. . .

2008-11-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

So the election is over. Barack Obama is our president. And as Greg just said, "i am not nearly as disappointed as I thought I would be" I really hoped that he wouldn't but I can't change it now. President Hinckley always used to say that "eventually everything works out." Don't get me wrong I am not really pro McCain but I am definitely anti Obama. Well actually anti Obama's plans. We had to explain to Ethan that Obama is not an evil man and we don't hate him we just disagree with his plans. :) I am happy to realize that our president is not an all powerful leader. We have checks and balances for a reason. Barack Obama will not be able to run through our country doing whatever he wants. Just like I believe we can't blame or praise our current president for any one thing that has happened during his presidency. So here we go, I guess we will see how it plays out and hopefully he can't do any permanent damage. :) I am proud of our country for electing a black man to the office of president. Although I wouldn't have minded seeing Palin make a little history herself! So good job America, I hope we can all work together to make the best of these next four years and that we all can learn from each other. :) Oh yeah and good job AZ for passing Prop 102!!

Blockages and Blokus (I know ewwww!)

2008-11-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

So I have been out of the blogging world for a week. Many of you know that my mom has been in the hospital and because of that so have I. Two Saturdays ago Emma and I went on a mommy/ daughter date. We got her a High School Musical shirt and jewelry and loaded up on candy and went to watch High School Musical 3 with Susie and Crystal and their girls. It was a FABULOUS time, the movie was even pretty great! Most of all Emma and I had a great time together being silly. We hit Target right before we left Flagstaff and my poor Emma leaned on me and asked, "Momma, do we have to stay up all night?" So cute that my little go getter was out for the count at 9:30! She is her Papa's girl! :) Well Susie was sweet enough to run the girls back into the store to go potty since they all decided that they needed to go about 2 seconds after we all got in the car. ( GIRLS!! LOL ) While she was in there I checked my messages and saw that my dad had called about 5 minutes earlier. My dad is never up past nine so I knew something was up so I called right back and he told me that he and my mom were at the emergency room in Winslow.

Needless to say I hurried home dropped off all the girls including my own and headed to the hospital. I sat with my mom that night and watched her in more pain than I have ever seen my poor mom in! And that is saying a lot with her kidney troubles. Well they finally decided that she had an obstruction in her small intestine and so they admitted her to watch and see how things go and to decide if she will need surgery. She had to have a tube up her nose to pump out her stomach and IV fluids and oxygen and she was just a mess of tubes and pain. They thought Monday night that she was looking like she wouldn't need surgery which was great news! Well Tuesday morning it was obvious that surgery was necessary. :( But luckily she had Dr. Greenwood in on the Surgery and my great friend Susie was in the OR with her too. It made all of the difference in the world to me to have them be with my mom for that. She took a few more days in the hospital and was able to go home Friday afternoon, not quite good as new but definitely on her way there! I have to mention how much we appreciated the Winslow Hospital. It gets a bad rap but my mom was so well cared for while we were there, they treated her so well and treated me and my dad fantatstic! It was so nice to be here where I could visit my mom every free minute (and thanks to Greg and Charn and Crystal for making sure there were lots of free minutes and to Jenn and Crystal for watching my girls for me and for all of the others who offered too!) Everyone would call my dad and ask "so how long are you going to be up there?" My dad would chuckle and say well we are here in Winslow and EVERYONE responded "Really?!?" LOL But a great big thank you to the staff at Little Colorado Medical Center, you guys were great, we are lucky to have you in our community!!

My little brother Jesse and his wife Robin and their little girl Shelby (blog shout out for you guys! :) came up on Friday and stayed until Sunday. Saturday night after the Stake Adult meeting Steve and Kim came over with us and we all played Blokus. I love that game now!! It is so addictive and so simple and I can't wait to get my hands on it to play again, come on over Kim and bring your game! :) So that is how we got from Blockages to Blokus I hope you enjoyed the trip! :) lol

For Greg and For Shauna

2008-11-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Apparently Greg isn't the only one freaked out by mice so until I get a chance to put up a new post this will have to do. I am removing the picture of the mouse so that all of my friends can look at my blog without covering their screens. :) Hope that helps Shauna!

MICE!!!

2008-10-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

So this is a story that many if not most of you have heard but since this blog is also the closest thing I have to actually keeping a journal I am going to record it here. :) My husband Greg is a tough guy. But he is deathly afraid of mice. Now I don't like them either but with Greg we are talking absolute and utter fear. When we lived in our old house I had been gone one Wednesday night at Young Womens and so when I came home we were sitting in the family room watching tv together when, for just a tiny second, I thought I saw something jump out from behind the entertainment center and then back behind it again. I of course say, "oh crap Greg I think we have a mouse!!!" and he responds, "Shut up!" I say, "no really I think I saw it just run behind the tv!" and he again replies, "Shut up! I saw it earlier and I was just going to pretend that I didn't, but now that you saw it too, I can't!!" :) We both agree that there is no way we can go to sleep knowing that this vile creature is running loose in our home! So Greg goes in search of weaponry. He comes back with racquetball racket and the hunt is now on. We lift the 2 ton entertainment center and slide it gently away from the wall, which of course sends the mouse running for safety, which causes Greg to throw his end of the entertainment center a good 3 feet in the air! So we follow the little bugger to the pantry, where we slowly start pulling out camping equipment and the other crap that is all over the floor, to find the filthy little beast. And find him we did! Of course, once again, he takes off running back to the family room, prompting Greg to throw the racket at the fleeing pest. The entire time Greg has been utterly silent, jaw clenched and eyes steeled in intense concentration. The mouse is now cowering like the vermin he is under the couch in the family room. So we devise a plan of attack, I stand on the front edge of the seat and grab the top of the back of the couch, leaning backwards slowly so as to tip the couch forwards and expose the hiding mouse. When I do this Greg has a view of him finally and suddenly, at 11:00 p.m., with my children in bed asleep, he raises his weapon and begins to attack while screaming a war cry like I have never heard! He hits the mouse with the racket at least 15 times, so hard that he bent the racket. The entire time he is attacking he is screaming, never once pausing for breath. At this point I am not sure which of them I am more afraid of. He finally stops and I peek over the couch to survey the carnage and I see a tiny little brown mouse that looks almost like he is sleeping. I told Greg to go get a shovel so we can scoop the mouse up and toss him outside. He leaves, silent once more, and returns carrying a very large pipe wrench that he has already begun adjusting. As I watch him I am thinking to myself, "now that is stupid, if he has to pinch the mouse in that pipe wrench he will have to get way closer to it than if he used a shovel like I suggested." As I am just finishing this thought the war cry begins again as my husband, the sweet loving man who cradles my babies so snug and secure begins to pound the dead mouse once again this time with the pipe wrench. He only takes about five hits this time to satisfy his desire to eradicate the threat. He then proceeds to very calmly get the shovel, scoop the mouse up, and chuck him out the front door to the middle of the street, where he is given a proper burial the next day when the city chip sealed over him. After Greg calmed down, knowing the mouse no longer posed a threat to him or his family, I asked him what he was thinking, screaming like that with the kids asleep and why did he need to hit the poor thing so many times? He looked at me puzzled and said, "I screamed? and I only hit it like twice didn't I?" I guess fear and adrenaline can really blind us sometimes and luckily for the rest of us it will provide for a hilarious story that cracks your spouse up for years to come! :)

I Bake Bread!

2008-10-16T10:37:00.001-07:00

If you smelled that yummy homemade goodness yesterday it was coming from my house! Crystal came over yesterday and helped me make my first ever batch of bread. They turned out awesome and her recipe is really easy! I think I need to make it everyday though. My kids tore through the first loaf in about 20 minutes!! My mom offered to give me a jar of her homemade raspberry jam in exchange for a loaf of bread. Unfortunately by the time I got over there with her loaf we had eaten ours so I didn't have anything to put the yummy jam on!! I guess that means I will have to make more! ;) Darn it right?

Check out this blog!!

2008-10-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

So the North Park Ward has made a recipe blog and the food they list sounds AB-SO-LUTE-LY delicious!!! Click on the link on my side bar and check it out. I was just saying to a friend of mine that I want to get the girls together for a recipe exchange! I love to cook and I have an enormous kitchen but I get so sick of cooking the same thing over and over and over that it gets to be eat-out-night every night and that isn't helping my waistline or my wallet! So YAY for new recipes! I can't wait to try them all!

2008-10-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

I Got Tagged
I was tagged by Crystal Murdock

Rules:Link the person who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Tell 6 unspectacular quirky things about you or your family. Tag 6 fellow bloggers by linking them. Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they have been tagged.

1. I love gadgets. Any kind. I love new kitchen tools, and power tools and ANY kind of electronics. If it is new and improved I so want it.

2. I love to drive Greg to court. Several times a week we will load up the girls and cruise on over to Holbrook so that we can be with Greg a couple more hours during the day. We wait in the parking lot, go vacuum out the car, hit McDonald's playland, or just shop at Alco while he battles it out for his clients.

3. I had a great time in High School. I know a lot of people who talk about how they are so glad to be done with it and that you could never pay them enough to go back to it. Not me, don't get me wrong it isn't like it was the best time of my life and I miss it everyday (or ever for that fact) but I had a great time. I wasn't one of the popular kids but I was friends with a lot of them and I really enjoyed myself. Plus I learned some life lessons in High School that I would never give back.

4. I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I have had so many possibilities from the time I was little and I still haven't settled on a single one, Doctor, Nurse, Teacher, Lawyer, Writer, Photographer. What do you guys suggest?

5. I loved turning 30! I really did, it helps that my husband is seven years older than me so I always have him to make me feel young, but it feels so exciting and new. Like I am finally moving on to REAL adulthood.

6. I am so excited for the twins to start school August of 2011! Yeah I know I will miss them terribly but I will be able to do the things that I haven't been able to do for the last 7+ years, like run into Circle K and get a soda. Or drop in on a friend without dragging in four little kids. But for now I am more than happy to have them with me all the time.

:)I hope you enjoyed this brief look into my quirky life! Now it is your turn, I tag Jennie, Monique, Lynsie, Shauna, Heather, Ashby & Anyone else who wants to do it!!! Go do it!! :

I did it!! :)

2008-10-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

Just a quick follow up, I DID IT. Ethan was at practice yesterday even before coach got there. Apparently we can be on time!

Always Late?!?!?

2008-10-09T10:25:00.000-07:00

So the Ponytail Challenge this week is to be on time for SOMETHING this week. I used to always be early for everything. I was kind of compulsive about it. Maybe it is the four kids in four years thing but I have really struggled with it lately. It really hit me this past Tuesday. A group in our ward is making these AMAZING quiet books for church. They are beautiful and and really well made and something I am so proud of. (I will have to start blogging our progress they really are cool) Well I walked in, late of course, and one of them said, "well Corie's here it must be 6:45." We start at 6:30. :S It was obviously all in good fun and I so don't get my feelings hurt over stuff like that but I thought, "wow, is that what I am reliable for, being late?" So I have decided to do better, push harder to be on time, all the time. The soccer coaches might freak out if my kids are there before they are halfway through practice. :) But next week Teresa I am beating you to the church!! Oh and I will have done my prep work too this time. :) LOL