God Be With You...

If you have not yet heard, the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Gordon B. Hinckley, passed away tonight. What an inspiring man; I loved that prophet! He always had a kind word, a funny joke, and inspiring insight to share. I loved teaching people about him as a missionary, not only because of the good news of living prophets in general but also because of the wonderful example of this prophet specifically. How sweet his reunion must be with his dear wife, who passed on a few years ago. I am certain that I will meet him, and many other loved ones, again!

Happy 5 months, sweet Baby Gabe!!

Oh What Fun

And this was even a TWO-horse open sleigh! Hey!


The kids loved taking turns being pulled in tubes behind the sleigh! Poor horses...look how hard they're working. There was steam coming off their bodies as their sweat mixed with the wintry air. The sunny January day was nice for us, though...just perfect for being out in the snow.


Thanks for inviting us, John & Wendi!!!!

I'm It

So, I was tagged, and here goes:

10 years ago: Studying at BYU, teaching at the MTC, about to meet my sweetheart.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Take Gabe to his doctor's appointment (he's sounding pretty congested)
2. Make today miserable enough for Jonah that he'll stop begging to stay home, rather than go to school. (wish me luck on that one!!)
3. Finish cleaning urine-covered bedding & steam clean someone's mattress...again (you're getting jealous, aren't you??)
4. Dinner
5. Watch a movie/snuggle with C.R. (he just loooves it when i call him C.R; okay, maybe not. But maybe in another 9 years, he'll come around!)

Snacks I enjoy:
1. Graham crackers dipped in hot chocolate
2. sweet oranges
3. Wheat Thins or Triscuits with cheddar cheese
4. veggies & tortilla chips with hot artichoke dip
5. Grandma Firth's/Marianne's homemade caramel

Things I would do if I were suddenly made a a billionaire:
1. Give it all back...i was raised around a lot of really rich people & affluence sort of freaks me out
2. Well, maybe i'd keep a little for a rainy day
3. And i'd probably contribute a bunch to our state's education fund...tightwads
4. And i'd finish paying off our house
5. ...then i'd give the rest back! :)

3 of my bad habits:
1. Staring off into space like a zombie, while contemplating the complexities of the world (this worries my children)
2. Laughing about things Moms are supposed to get mad about (you know... the same stuff that makes my boys giggle)
3. Impatience/stressing when it's time to go someplace (which has recently been replaced with being late everyplace, as i've tried to curb the impatience...argh!)

5 places I have lived:
1. Southern CA
2. Provo, UT
3. Jerusalem
4. Spain
5. Kensington, MD

5 jobs I have had:
1. staple puller-outer at the BYU Accounting Dept. (a job i was roped into when my pleas for a tuition late fee reversal were heard, but not in the way i'd hoped!!)...i think the official title was data entry clerk
2. Preschool Teacher
3. MTC Teacher
4. Elementary School Teacher
5. MOM! (with a side of computer-part shipper)

5 things people don't know about me:
1. I locked my sweet Grandma out of the house when i was 2 years old...intentionally.
2. I shattered my babysitter's windshield with a rock at the age of 5 (rough early childhood!)
3. I once called 9-1-1 to report my entire family had been kidnapped. (Turns out they were just in church; i'd stayed home sick & woke up a little bit disoriented)
4. During high school, I went for 3 years without any junk food (with the exception of a couple birthdays, Christmas days, etc.) No fried stuff, sugar, etc.
5. I once called 9-1-1 to report my husband was being beaten up. (Turned out he'd stumbled upon some film students, as they were taping a movie scene, in the alley-way of a thrift store in Orem, UT...no joke!)

I am tagging: any of my VAST readership who has not done this already, and is looking for a post idea!

Rat Infestation

After reminding Jonah to brush his hair twice this morning, I looked out his window as I was driving to his school. The fact that he had not paid any attention to my advice became crystal clear the moment my gaze settled in on the back of his head. Either that, or his head had become home to a family of rats shortly after the hair-brushing took place. After a third reminder, he began applying spit to his hand, then fruitlessly attempted to tame the wild nest. He left with a plan to drop by the bathroom before heading in to his classroom (not wanting to cast an abrupt end to the crushes of an allegedly large number of first-grade girls).

Upon our return home, I noticed the rodents had somehow made an even bigger and much wilder nest in the hair of J's younger brother. See for yourself:


Here's where the little fiends really went to task:

Mommy-in-training

Autumn has developed a new habit. Every time she notices me sitting down to nurse Gabriel, she runs to fetch a baby doll so that she can feed her baby, too. Normally, it's a doll Nana gave her last Christmas, named Sara. Occasionally, she gives a token feeding to one of her dozen or so other starving dollies. I asked Clint to grab the camera the other night, so we could document her cuteness. Give thanks that she decided to grab a bottle that time. (Half the time, she feeds the babies au natural.)

Exer-saucing