Eating Woes

Anyone that knows us knows that we often have trouble getting our kids to eat. In the past few months, I've learned not to take it personally, to deny snacks and to just let them eat at their own pace. For the past few days, however, neither of them have eaten ANYTHING! Frank has literally eaten about 6 bites of food in the last 30 hours. He's still drinking, and is otherwise healthy, he just doesn't want to eat! Emma, as usual, just picks at her food and plays like a little monkey at the dinner table.

My dinnertime conversation with Emma tonight:

Mom: "Emma, you have 5 more minutes to eat and then it's bedtime."

Emma: no response

Mom: (watching Emma build a bridge from her cup to her nose with her fork) "Emma, it's almost time to get down. Can you eat a bite for me?"

Emma: no response, playing some sort of patty-cake game

Mom: (giving up and just staring at her)

Emma: "Mom, don't you like my show tonight? Don't you like my clappy feet and my clappy hands?"

Mom: BIG SIGH

Is it time for bed yet?

A Mission Fulfilled

Last night we learned of the passing of the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, President Gordon B. Hinckley. We weren't really shocked, since he was almost 100 years old and has served for decades in the leadership of the church, but the sadness fills us just the same. I have to say, I was surprised that I wasn't more upset when we found out. Instead, I was instantly filled with an assurance that he is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in a heavenly sphere that we can not even imagine. My testimony came to mind and comforted me in a way that I never even thought possible. I am so grateful that we as members of the Church have a true understanding of life after death, and of our Heavenly Father's eternal love for us. I think of President Hinckley, (or any of us) returning home to our Father, and the happiness at that moment, and it brings tears to my eyes. I can only hope and pray that I can live the gospel in such a way that I can be worthy of that most supreme of all blessings as well.

Something that comforts me even further is the knowledge that President Hinckley is finally together with his eternal companion Marjorie. Even though he has tried to be strong, anyone who has seen him in person or on television these past 3 1/2 years since she passed has been able to see the toll that her absence has taken on him. What a joyous reunion that must have been!

I love this picture. Don't they both look so serene and pure?

I am so thankful for my testimony of Jesus Christ our Savior. I know that he died for me, and for you, and that if we can live worthily every day, we can someday return to be with him and our Heavenly Father. I know that our Heavenly Father knows each of us personally and wants only happiness for us. Although we each have our own trials, the Lord gives them to us as a way to make us stronger and to encourage us to come to him in our times of greatest need. May we all recognize his hand in our lives and thank him for all of the amazing blessings that he has given us.

Popcorn Poppin'

Last Sunday we were sitting at the dinner table discussing what to have for dessert. When Emma suggested popping some popcorn, this is what happened. He did it all on his own, and every time we asked him to repeat it, he did the same. Enjoy!

I looked out the window and what did I see?

(This is the only part he wouldn't do, but he does it now.)

Popcorn poppin' on the apricot tree.

Spring has brought me such a nice surprise.

Popcorn poppin' right before my eyes.

I can take an armful and make a treat.

A popcorn ball that would smell so sweet.

It wasn't really so.

But it seemed to me.

Popcorn poppin' on the apricot TREE!

(This is his big finish)

I had to find the nursery music leader yesterday and tell her that she's doing a great job. Frank knows this song, Itsy Bitsy Spider, and almost all of Jesus Wants me for a Sunbeam.

Amazing!

Big Dreams

Last week I was running around like a crazy person trying to get ready to leave for Young Women's Soccer. I was anticipating standing out on the soccer fields for 4 hours on the coldest night of the year, and I was not enthused. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE MY CALLING! But when it's 25-30 degrees outside and you have to just stand there and freeze while you watch the girls play, it can be a real test of how much you're willing to do the Lord's work. I know you're thinking, sports, the Lord's work? But trust me, being out there for these girls is really important.

Anyway, I had been grouchy and was packing everything in the car and getting my hot chocolate in my thermos when I turned around and saw this.

Who knew that my kids want to be astronauts?

These are the packages from the new soccer balls I bought for the Young Women. I would have never thought to use them. In fact, I had thrown them in the trash. But to Emma and Frank, they were a mysterious new toy just waiting to be played with. Emma told me all about how they were going to fly to outer space, and they even had some practice orbiting around the kitchen table. That is, until Frank got stuck in his and lay on the floor screaming "Help me, Help me," until I could detangle him from his astronaut suit.

This is why I love this blog. It makes me stop and appreciate these cute little moments because I'm always on the lookout for things to share. I tell you, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Through this marvel of technology I have learned to slow down and really LIVE life. So often we just rush through life and forget to just BE IN THE MOMENT. My goal is to savor these moments whenever I am blessed with them.

Yum!!!

I am having the most pleasurable experience right now. I'm eating the best thing ever!

My mom came to town today, and the kids and I rode along while she ran errands. At Costco, she bought me a bag of Snyder's of Hanover pretzels. Yummy, right? It gets better.

These are little round pretzels made into peanut butter sandwiches. Kind of like those Ritz Cracker sandwiches. Ok, but it gets even better. These little peanut butter pretzel sandwiches are also drenched in chocolate fudge!

So it's kind of like heaven wrapped in chocolate.

I feel a little bit guilty, because I fully intend to hoard the whole bag and eat it all myself. But not too guilty. These things are amazing! If Andrew is really nice, like rubbing my feet nice, he might be able to pry 1 or 2 out of my hands.

Aahh, the simple joys in life!

Family Time

This weekend we went to the Barrett-Jackson car show in Scottsdale. I love car shows, but was not exactly thrilled to go to this one. For those of you who are not familiar with the whole car scene, Barrett-Jackson is the best of the best. They auction off the rarest, most expensive, and most famous cars in the world. For instance, this year they had the original Batmobile and the truck from the Beverly Hillbillies TV show.

I think that selling cars for 1 or 2 million dollars (yes, million) is just insane, and a huge waste of resources that could be used to really do something for our country. However, I consented to go with Andrew and we dragged the kiddos along.

This is them having lunch while being pushed by Grandpa.

Frank's reaction upon walking into the building was "Car, WOW!" He immediately tried to climb out of the stroller and was very upset that we wouldn't let him play with the cars. Eventually he kicked back and just enjoyed the ride like the cool kid he is.

Emma liked all of the people and found the 1 car that I think was absolutely made for her. She said, and I quote, "I definitely need one of these for Christmas!" Honestly, she could probably drive this thing within a couple of years, it was so small. But, a yellow one just like it sold last year for $74,000 so I don't think she'll be getting one any time soon.

Yep, it's the real thing!

We were so tired by the end of the day that we didn't even go see our friends or family that live up there. Sorry, Tammy, Tanya, and Gina, we wanted to come see you but just couldn't make it. We got on the freeway and didn't stop until we got to the Cracker Barrell in Casa Grande.

My 2 handsome men.

All in all, it was a great trip, and I really did enjoy myself. The car show wasn't quite as pretentious as I thought it would be, and the kids were amazing (considering we stuffed them in a stroller and made them ride all day long). We didn't get home until almost 11 pm because there was construction on I-10, but we did get home safely. We are very lucky to have a daddy who really loves us and wants to spend time with us. We love you, Daddy!

Robosaurus

Emma's favorite part of the whole car show was Robosaurus. We were standing along the railing on the side of the demonstration area, and ended up being less than 30 feet from this fire-breathing maniac. I'm sure some of you have heard of him, but in case you haven't, here's a rundown of his act.

Robosaurus picking up a helpless little Saturn.

(What'd this car ever do to him?)

Robosaurus having a little afternoon snack.

Robosaurus likes his metal extra-crispy.

The aftermath. Apparently Robosaurus' mother never taught him to clean up after himself. The fire department had to take care of his mess.

Emma screamed with fright/excitement the whole time. She kept saying how scared she was, but was peeking through her fingers to catch every moment. She's an adrenaline junkie like her mama.

I was holding Frank while he was sitting on the railing in front of me. He was shaking, but I thought it was because he was wobbling sitting on the fence. Not so. He was such a little trooper being face to face with that monster. He was watching with fascination but was apparently terrified. He literally quivered for 20 minutes afterward. Poor little guy!

I am an 80's Child!

Ok, so I feel like a totally new woman. I went to town all day yesterday and accomplished a lot, but I didn't feel like I did. I ran tons of errands, but my favorite part of the day was lunch. I sat in a restaurant for 1 whole hour and READ A BOOK! I just sat there and nibbled on my food (with no one bothering me or asking "bite peeese") and read. I truly felt like I might have been transported straight to heaven. I felt so good when I got home that I even got up the nerve to take my kids to a basketball game at Empire High School. I felt so brave (anyone that knows my kids knows why) and the kids were actually great. We went to watch my little brother's girlfriend play (Go Safford!) and her family helped entertain my little monkeys. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and have thanked my husband repeatedly for letting me have a little recharging time yesterday. He doesn't seem to understand why it's such a big deal, but that's because he's not a mom.


Anyway, I found this on the internet and thought I'd share it. I could answer yes to every single question- OH, MAN, I FEEL OLD SOMETIMES! The girls in my Young Women's sports program weren't even born in the 80's!

Take the test yourself and see how AWESOME and RADICAL you are!
You know you were an 80's kid if...
1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton
3. You know that 'WOAH' comes from Joey on Blossom
4. If you ever watched 'Fraggle Rock'
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side.
9. You played the game 'MASH'(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House)
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of ' WAX ON , WAX OFF'
12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (some of us...head-to-toe)
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off and his cheeks shifted.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pailkids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say 'NOT' after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying 'I know you are, but what am I?'
23. You remember 'I've fallen and I can't get up'
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot. (I have to admit, Doogie Howser is why I watch 'How I Met Your Mother' today!)
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool...and don't even flinch when people refer to them as 'NKOTB'
31. You knew all the characters names and their life stories on 'Saved By The Bell,' The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing 'We are the World'
35. You tight rolled your jeans.
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember 'Where's the Beef?'
38. You used to (and probably still do)say 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'
39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

A Whole Morning of Freedom!

I am more excited tonight than I was on Christmas Eve!

Andrew just called home and told me that I can go to town tomorrow all by myself! So, until 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, I will be by myself, driving around Tucson listening to adult music, eating out someplace other than McDonald's, and doing whatever in the world I want!

I know that most of you are reading this and wondering why I'm so happy. Let me enlighten you as to what the past couple of weeks have been like.

.

.

My daily requests of Emma:

.

Emma, will you please not beat your brother with that pretend

hair dryer?

Emma, will you please not let the dog in the house?

Emma, please don't do ballet on top of the kitchen table.

Emma, please stop screaming.

Please stop screaming.

Please stop screaming!!!

EMMA, STOP SCREAMING!!!!!

.

.

And this was bedtime tonight:

.

Emma: MO-MMY!

Frank: MO-MMY!

Emma: MO-MMY!

Frank: MO-MMY!

Emma: Stop that, Frank! MO-MMY!

Frank: MO-MMY!

and so on and so on and so on!

.

.

So, you can begin to understand why Mommy needs a break! Casey took the kids for me for 2 whole hours this afternoon, and it was heaven. I felt like I didn't even know what to do with myself, I was actually giddy. But I think it was just a drop in the bucket, because by the time they'd been home 30 minutes, I felt like ripping my hair out again. Thank you, though, Casey, it helped me make it to bedtime without yelling! And trust me, that is a huge accomplishment these days.

The test is over- put your pencils down!

OK, OK. Andrew and many of you probably think I'm crazy or starved for attention. I promise, I'm really not.

When Andrew saw my last post, he told me that no one wants to read a blog if they think that they'll be checked up on! So, I'm sorry.

Honestly, I was just trying to see how many people actually look at this page. I had tried to take an informal poll by asking my friends and family, but the only answer I got was "No, not lately." or "I have your address somewhere, but haven't looked at it." Even Andrew, who actually asked me to start blogging after he read some of my friends' blogs, doesn't read this!
I kind of felt like the village idiot!

Now I know that at least a few of you are checking up on us (even if it's not who I originally created this blog for). So, I can get back to normal posts, and you don't have to feel like you're being tested every time you come to our page. Thanks, though. We all like to know that someone somewhere gives a crap what we're doing.

VOTE!!

I started this blog for my friends and family that don't live near us. I thought they'd enjoy keeping up to date on our daily lives, and seeing how cute my kiddos are every day. I feel that I might have overestimated the amount of people who would actually be interested.

I feel kind of like I'm just typing out into space with no audience!

I like blogging, it helps me to put my life in perspective and enjoy the special little moments in life, so I'll keep updating my page for my own enjoyment. I just thought I'd take a little poll to see exactly how large my audience is. (Or if I even have one!)

Participate in my poll (located just to the right) and let me know if you're really out there reading about our family.
Thanks, Kris

Building a Dynasty

Today we returned one of the Christmas gifts we got for Frank because it was broken. So we got to choose a brand new toy for him. (I think Daddy had something to do with this! I think he's hoping for a star athlete in the family- as a retirement plan.)

Somehow, he is a total natural and knows just what to do. Unfortunately he's still a little short, but he'll grow into it.

Emma was playing for a little while and was pretty good, but she's demoted herself from player to cheerleader. You should see those hips shake while she dances!

Also, somewhere in the middle of the chaos Frank discovered how to do somersaults. He was playing around and did 1, and then just kept rolling over and over and around all over the floor. He was so cute!

NIce booty, buddy!

We took a trip to Safford/Thatcher this week to take down Christmas presents and play a little. While we were there, I canned 60 pounds of chicken and 2 turkeys from Thanksgiving that my dad had smoked for me. I spent the whole day up at my grandparent's house doing that, and had a great time. Thank you Grandma Joy and Papa for all your help!

Then on Wednesday we went up to Mt. Graham to play in the snow. We all had a blast except Frank, who apparently doesn't like anything cold! Unfortunately we had trouble tubing and making snowballs because the snow was so icy, but we still managed to have some fun.

Emma only really cared about being able to do snow angels.

We stopped by the family cabin to warm up a little, and were surprised at the hundreds of bear tracks that were everywhere! Aren't bears supposed to be hibernating right now?

Emma and Frank love the cabin- we're going to go stay for a while this summer and see the millions of ladybugs at Ladybug Saddle. Oh, I miss the warm weather already!

Little Boy Blue

Andrew calls Frank his "Little Boy Blue", and last week Frank took it literally.

We took down the baby gate on Christmas, so now Frank can get to the tree. Apparently he stole a colored candy cane from the tree and got it open all by himself!

(What was Mom doing while this was going on?)