Mardi Gras Dinner Dance

Our pizza dinner at the school dinner/dance.

I LOVE this one - Natalie's expression and lack of eyeballs is priceless!

The girls' school has a fun tradition we were new to this year called the annual dinner/dance. It was held last Friday and since I am on the Booster club, I helped out with some of the preparations. Mainly, helping decorate for the par-tay all afternoon. It was a little stressful decorating and keeping an eye on the girls - who understandably, kept complaining about wanting to go home. It was all pretty tiring and by the time we were done, I had time to go home, change and turn right around for my first shift helping serve pizza. Luckily, Bo* arrived shortly after to help with the girls. (o: Even though it was a bit crazy leading up to the evening, we had a really fun time! I haven't been to a "dance" in a long time. After our lovely pizza dinner, we put some raffle tickets in the awesome theme baskets that each class donated. (Which, unfortunately, none of them we won.)

Then we danced the night away. (o: The girls all participated in a hoola hoop challenge.(Something I've never been able to do - but somehow Sarah and Natalie got better coordination in their cute little genes.) The girls were so cute dancing - Angela especially kept right on dancing until the very end! We did the Macarana - or tried to do the Macarana and had a blast. Good times. (o:

Here's a cute video of Natalie and friends boogy-ing. I finally got one on! (o:

Let the Good Times Roll

We love to go bowling and it is always entertaining to watch the girls and their technique. We always play with the bumpers. I can't even remember the last time I bowled without them. It will be interesting to see how we do when the girls get big enough that we can't justify using them.

I got a strike! Wahoo!

Below are some videos of the girls - just ignore my dorky voice, laugh and comments. They were still entertaining enough that I thought it was worth sacraficing my pride. Angela's is my favorite. When she bowled it always took FOREVER for the ball to get down the lane. Sarah's throwing technique is cute and Natalie is cute because she gets excited about everything. (o: Fun times!

Blast to the Past!

I discovered a way to travel back in time...

Go to a roller skating rink.

Be sure the lights are down low and the disco ball is on making little lights swirl around on the rink in psychedelic patterns. (I think this is the part that causes the time travel.)

Skate around the rink in circles, going faster and faster.

Turn on any song from Michael Jackson's Thriller album.

BAM! You will be back in the 1980's in a matter of seconds. It really works!

Natalie and Sarah's school had a family roller skate night a couple weeks ago. Having recently attempted ice skating, we were ready for the challenge. The girls actually thought it was harder than ice skating, but we had fun. As mentioned above, when I had a chance to skate around for a little bit by myself, I had a total flashback to 1987 - 12 years old, skating around the rink to Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Pat Benatar (sp?) - it was LIKE TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE. (o:

We had so much fun, we ended up going roller skating again the following weekend. This time Hal* and I took a turn going around just the two of us and it was just like we were dating again! One of our first dates was roller skating at the 49th Street Galleria and it was the first time we held hands. We had fun and even attempted one of us skating backwards (very clumsily). The girls did much better the second time around. Natalie and Angela liked to hang out in the kiddie rink where they weren't so nervous about all the big people going around. Sarah got pretty good and I'm sure we will be going back again soon.

There's No Place Like Camp 18

We love Camp 18. It is one of our most favorite places to go out here in the northwest. About 80% of our travels to/from the coast include a stop at this incredible restaurant. We have so many wonderful memories there as we always try to take family and friends who visit for a meal.

One of the most memorable was when we stopped there after our awesome family reunion at Tolovana on the way back to Portland. We filled up the whole table made to seat somewhere around 30-40 people. (The top of the table is made of a huge and I mean HUGE slab from a ginormous tree trunk.) Then there are other fun memories with our parents, the time we went with Andy and we laughed our heads off at his gigantic hamburger - the bun was the size of a loaf of round bread. (Everything there is big) I remember going there when I was pregnant with either Natalie or Angela, feeling sick, but the French toast there hit the spot and made me feel better. (They have the best French toast ever.) Camp 18 is a happy place for us filled with years of good family memories. My family is hooked and always asks to go there when they come out.
This particular night was January 10th. We stopped on the way home from an afternoon at Cannon Beach. I took some engagement pictures while my nice family tagged along and tried to keep warm as they played on the beach. We were all pretty cold and nothing sounded better than a cup of hot chocolate at Camp 18.

We hadn't been there for a while, but the lady that hosts there remembered us. We have kind of a funny history with her. I think her name is Laura. She managed a bakery in Cannon Beach a couple years ago. One afternoon, we walked into her bakery and bought a peanut butter cookie. We split the cookie amongst ourselves and continued walking along the main street. But the cookie was so good, we turned back around to get another one to share. This time we sat outside the bakery and enjoyed the cookie together. We just needed one more. So I went back in again. Laura thought we were funny and I'm pretty sure was flattered that we enjoyed her cookies so much. She loved the girls and talked to us for a while.

We brought Kip's* parents the following week to have one of her yummy cookies. The next time we went there, a few months later, it was a deli and not a bakery anymore. Laura was gone. Maybe a year later, we walked into Camp 18 with my family and I couldn't figure out how I knew the hostess. She remembered first - the peanut butter cookie addicts. Now every time we go there she asks when we're moving to the coast. She is always so sweet to the girls and this time she took them over to the fireplace and let them each pick one of the giant pine cones they were playing with to take home.

Camp 18 is a HUGE restaurant/museum dedicated to the history of the logging industry here in the northwest. The building is built of huge logs (imagine a gigantic log cabin). The log that spans the ceiling must be 70 feet or more across and at least a dozen feet in diameter. There is a huge fireplace that is lit in the winter and all kinds of old time pictures, logging tools, animal horns, stuffed mountain lion, etc. The outside of the restaurant has several bigger than life size carvings out of logs of animals, people, bigfoot, etc. And all around the building and in the parking lot are old gigantic logging equipment/tools, train cars and signs. It is a very cool place. We also enjoy perusing the little gift shop and finding fun little trinkets and souvenirs.

Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy

"Here's a suggestion for a new animal, if some new ones get created or evolve: something that stings you, then laughs at you."

Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy

"I think there probably should be a rule that if you're talking about how many loaves of bread a bullet will go through it's understood that you mean lengthwise loaves. Otherwise, it makes no sense."

Love Hate Relationship

This picture is hilarious of Twilight. I guess even cats have dorky faces and blink for pictures. It goes along with my topic well though because she looks so sinister.

So as many of you know, we were very spontaneous one night in October and came home from a school festival with a kitty; wild and crazy people that we are. (o: Now that we've had Twilight for a few months, we are into a nice little routine and I have learned many things I never knew about cats. I wouldn't call myself a cat person, so some of the things that cat people love has taken some getting used to. (I don't know if I'm necessarily a dog person either - I don't get why you have to be one or the other.)

So here's the nitty gritty - the whole truth - no fluff. If you want to know what it's really like to own a kitten, here you go - the good, the bad and the ugly...

Kitten's meows don't actually sound cute. They sound like a whiny baby. It is annoying.

Kitten's scratch and bite. We clip Twilight's nails, but unfortunately, can't clip her teeth. Kitties use these weapons for self-defense (which heaven knows Twilight needs when she is being malled or treated like a toy), but these weapons are also used when they are feeling "playful", which for a kitty is about 70% of the time. We have had to invest a lot more money in Bandaids and Neosporin. I am embarrassed sometimes how many Bandaids Natalie goes to school with.

I read in one of our cat manuals that owning a kitten is like having a toddler that can jump up to 4 vertical feet high - therefore giving them access to all kinds of additional trouble that you can keep away from a toddler. Everything on the tables, counters, bookshelves and even walls are easily accessible to a menacing cat. Cat-proofing is almost impossible. See below what she likes to play with behind my kitchen sink. I noticed one day when I came home that the little, red cacti had some little prickly parts missing. (insert evil laugh) Served her right.

Cat's poop. While I am very happy that cat's have that instinct to bury their you-know-what so that they go in a litter box. You still have to deal with the litter box. And you have to realize that even though cat's are inherently very clean animals, they can still have microscopic things you don't want to think about on their paws, etc. I've never seen anything gross on Twilight, but I am a little bit of a germaphobe so I can imagine.

Kitty Litter is messy. We have itty bitty pieces of kitty litter that get out of the box and on the floor daily. Little pieces all over in our laundry room and upstairs bathroom. I am constantly having to vacuum them up.

Cats like to be RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of everything you are doing. If I am reading, Twilight wants to either play with my bookmark dangling from my book or sit right between me and my book so I can't see the words. If I am working on my laptop, she sits right on the keyboard. If I am putting clothes in the dryer, Twilight wants to climb right inside and be a part of the excitement. If I am folding clothes, she jumps up at every piece of clothing I pick up. If someone comes over, she wants to be right on their lap. If I am cooking, she tries to get on the counter. And that leads to my next gripe...

Because of the aforementioned microscopic yuckies that I imagine all over Twilight's paws, I have been insistent that she not be on the table or counters. And guess where her favorite place to be is? So we have used the squirt bottle method. I think we have squirted upwards of 10 gallons of water on that cat and she STILL gets up on the counters and table. Sometimes immediately after experiencing the wrath of the squirt bottle. I think she actually enjoys the punishment. And that leads to my next item, that I think is one thing that makes Twilight unique...

We think that she loves water. Not just to drink, but to get into and play with. Whenever a sink is turned on, she comes running. Whenever the shower or bath get turned on, she is right there. She gets as close as she can to the water, without actually getting/falling in (except for two times). Until recently. She will actually get in the tub when it is just a few inches high now and get her paws and legs wet. She loves to curl up in the master bathroom sinks. Luckily, the toilet has not seemed to intrigue her, but I still insist the lids always remain down, just in case!

So with all these gripes, why do we still have her?

She is fun.

She is always making us laugh.

The girls LOVE her and Twilight makes them happy.

I love when she follows me around the house to do chores - she keeps me company. Especially those rare times when I am alone

She is fun to cuddle with (when she is not 'crazy cat').

She is teaching me to chill out.

She loves us and she needs us.

That's why.

Even More Reveling...

I know, some of you might be tired of hearing about Utah football and may have hoped I would be quiet about it now that college football is over, but I just had to add one more post (however, I won't make any promises).

Inspired by the incredible season that my dear U of U football team had, I knew that something red would be truly meaningful to my family for birthday gifts this year. My aunt Amy, (Hi Amy (o:) one of my most favorite people ever and very talented, might I add - helped design the boards above for my red-blooded brothers who both have birthdays this month. (In fact it is Andy's birthday today! Happy birthday Rooney!) Hopefully, they don't look at my blog until after Wednesday which is when their presents will arrive. These turned out so cute, however, that I had to make one for Chris (see below) and my parents and myself. Mac* was even gracious enough to help me cut the wood and said I can hang my board up as long as it is on my side of the bedroom or office. What a good sport. Anyway, I just HAD to share how cute they turned out and do a shout out to my dear Amy of "Language Art". (That's the name of her company and if I drum up enough business/interest out here she can make a trip and do a "show" to show off all her awesome ideas. And then I can play with her! (o: So call me if you want some gorgeous ideas for vinyl wall art. Now back to our regularly scheduled program...)
Okay, these are only two of MANY pictures my sister e-mailed me yesterday and I just HAD to put them on my blog (don't say I didn't warn you Chris!) This is exhibit "A" and "B" to share just how big of Utah fans my family members are. I laughed my head off when I saw them. The cute boy on the left in the above picture is my cousin Will. He looks truly scary, but he is the sweetest guy you could ever meet, got the President's scholarship (if I remember correctly) and will soon be leaving for a mission in Japan. (Will, Angela pointed to you and said, "That guy looks weewd! (weird)) If I ran into him looking like that I would definitely keep my distance! Next in line is my dearest sister. My uncle told her she looked like death. Many people think we look a lot alike - what do you think? (o: I think she still looks way cuter than me even with all that white paint on. (Crazy tangent story - my friend out here, Tina, happened to be at Lagoon (an amusement park) in Utah on the same day as my dad and sister. She saw Christine and knew she was my sister because of the resemblance. She was confident enough in her assessment that she walked up to Chris and asked if she was my sister. Crazy eh? Or maybe Tina just remembered what Christine looked like. I like to think that it was because we look so much alike.)

Anywho, that guy standing next to Christine is the totally awesome Brian Johnson, then some other girl I don't know, but looks nice and then my cousin Hailey. Now Hailey, it might be hard to tell in the pictures, is a GORGEOUS girl! (o: She looks a little like a devil with all that RED makeup! (Sorry Hailey - I love you lots and lots!!), but trust me, she is the sweetest girl you'd ever meet and an absolute doll. I laughed so hard when I heard the red makeup did not wash off completely either. Silly kids! But what do you do when you are a die hard Utah fan? Physical beauty, the outer appearance and all that fluff don't matter - looking like a kook for your team is what it's all about. That is true fansmanship.

Another fan picture with Robert Johnson - there were about 10 more such pictures with every other football player. By the way, this was after the big win over BYU. Sorry for the reminder of that disappointing game, Coug fans. I know I'll be getting a comment from Dave. (o: Don't let me down Dave! (O;

Super Cutie

It's Angela's turn for a little update. Angela does adorable and funny things daily, but I'll give you just a sample. (o:

Angela got to move up to Sunbeams in primary this year. She was sad to leave nursery. Angela was the only one of our kids that liked nursery (the class for the 18 month to 3 year olds at church). She was a little hesitant to go to her new "big" Sunbeam class especially when she saw that all the other kids had their mom or dad with them and a few were crying. I was very proud of her for sitting by her teacher and being brave . I was helping watch Natalie's class for a bit, so I got to sit right behind and watch her first time in primary. She loved it! When the kids did the primary motto that they repeat every week, she spoke right along with them. She'd never heard it before and didn't really know the words, but she watched the lady up at the front very closely and mimicked her words. During singing time, she just stared hardly blinking the whole time. She was so into it she forgot to sing (usually singing is one of her most favorite things to do.) She's only been a little Sunbeam for about 4 weeks now, but she already LOVES Sister Goodpaster, her teacher. She gets so excited whenever she sees her teacher (who leads the music in sacrament meeting too). You'd think that she was a celebrity. And all week long she is remembering little things from her lessons and telling me about them. "Mommy, Jesus in my heart, he love me." and "I don't see Jesus, but He in my heart. He take care of me". Yesterday, Angela informed me, "Gampa (grandpa) in Utah and Jesus is in Gampa's heart".

It is so sweet how much she is learning and remembering. She also loves the primary songs and gets excited when "I Lived in Heaven" comes on her primary songs CD. They are learning that one this month and she says to Natalie, "Hey, we sing dat one!" She also tells me of fun things that she gets to do like color and sing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" I love that at 3 years old, she already knows so much. The other night, she reminded me to say prayers and knows it is important. I believe little children are so innocent and so close to heaven still, they understand so much more than we give them credit for. Angela is always amazing me with the things she says.

I love this picture, even though there is a random arm at the bottom. (o: It was from when Sarah took Angela up for show and tell at school out of the blue. (Angela and I happened to be there to help with a little New Year party.) Sarah was so excited and proud of her little sis and Angela felt so loved and a little embarrassed (she sticks her tongue in her cheek, like she's doing in the picture, when she is feeling a little shy). Cute sisters.

We took the girls to Build a Bear this weekend. Sarah got a gift certificate for her birthday that we've been meaning to redeem for a long time. We made a family date of it and let Natalie and Angela choose an animal too. They loved the whole process of getting a heart for their stuffed animal, kissing it and making a wish and then helping put the stuffing inside. Angela called that part, "blowing it up". (o: Natalie and Angela spent a long time at the grooming area brushing and "showering" their adopted friends. I tried to keep them occupied while Sarah picked an outfit for her doll with Matthias*. She had money left on her gift certificate to get a little outfit. I was so grateful when Angela saw all the clothes and simply said, "I just want my doggie naked." (o: Luckily, Natalie was a good sport and decided that was just fine too. Phew!

As we left the Build a Bear store, we walked right by a formal dress store. It was full of "princess-y" looking prom gowns. Angela was in total awe. As I walked by the store, I noticed Angela had taken a turn right into the store and was looking all around with wide, starry eyes and mouth open. A magnetic force was pulling her into that store, she didn't even realize that she wasn't following us anymore. (o: I think it would be fun to bring her back, just for a fun "date" and let her look through all of them and pick her favorites. Not that she'd fit in any.

We have a princess book that she looks through at least 2-3 times a week and goes right to the pages where there are different princess dresses and accessories. Her favorite thing to do is choose her favorites and have me pick my favorites. Angela is a princess at heart. She has been playing dress ups since she could walk and she's known all the Disney characters since she could talk. Older sisters helped indoctrinate her early on!

Angela has the most infectious laugh ever. Once you get her laughing, you can't stop doing whatever made her laugh because you want her to keep laughing because it just sounds so happy. It is a vicious cycle. Luckily, Angela is also very patient with those who can't stop tickling her or doing silly things to keep the laughter going. She never gets mad, she just keeps laughing and laughing and laughing. We went to the Halls on Friday night since the dads had gone for a guys night out. The boys could not stop doing crazy and silly things to keep Angela's belly laughs going. One of our babysitters said she could not stop tickling Angela because her laugh was so cute. I state these cases as evidence (because moms are ALWAYS bias!) Angela's laugh is irresistible! My goodnight kisses to Angela always end up in big ticklefests, I just can't help myself! What an adorable, silly girl.

Recipe for a Teddy Bear

Ingredients:

Soft, soft skin in the shape of a bear, bunny, dog, etc.

One heart...
10 Cups of stuffing...

And just a "pinch" of loud noise (little ones may want to cover their ears.)

Give the heart a kiss and make a wish. Put stuffing and heart inside the "skin". Close the back with some string and tie shut. Then groom.

Give your new friend a name and if your parents are really nice pick an outfit to wear. But they will be really happy if you decide like Angela that you just want your stuffed animal "naked".

Give your new friend lots and lots of snuggles. (o:

Angela's new friend: "Twila" the dog.

Natalie's new friend: a bear with multiple personalities; "Hug" then "Grace" then "Anna" (subject to change)

Sarah's new friend: "Sofie" the bunny.

Girlfriends

As I type this, Angela is telling me. "Hey I never went to that party! Where Sarah and Natalie and me?" Angela is seriously sad that she missed out on "the party" in this picture. (o: Laying on the guilt about me having a party without her. Awww. But she doesn't know how therapeutic girls' nights are for mommies, yet.

So every summer around June and every Christmas Nancy, Rose and Joanne and I try to have a girls' night. The summer one is to celebrate our birthdays which all are within two weeks of each other. And the Christmas-time outing is halfway through the year and seems like a good time to get together - except it often gets to busy and then we just do it in January, which happened this year. This time we met at Macaroni Grill and had a lovely time. We talk NON-STOP the entire time. We laugh, we cry we catch up on everything and often we reminisce the days when we were running around like chickens with our heads cut off in primary together. (FYI - we served as a primary presidency together 4 years ago and we really bonded through that experience.)

I love these ladies and I'm so grateful to be blessed with such wonderful girlfriends in my life. I admire these ladies for their talents and the way they handle trials and for their great sense of humor and faith. I always feel so happy when I leave one of our girls' nights and hope we can continue for years to come. After our dinner, as we left the restaurant, Rose and I ended up chatting in my car for another hour! If we didn't have to get back to real life, I wonder how long we would all talk before we ran out of things to say? (o: Hmmmmm...

Miss Natalie

Natalie told me recently, "Mommy, you know why I want to be a dolly?" Hmmm, I wasn't sure, "Because then I won't have to lose any teeth or have a baby." (o: Natalie worries about unpleasant things a LOT. She asks almost weekly when she has to get shots again. (It's 11 years old, by the way - 6 years away, not including flu shots.) And apparently she is also concerned about losing her teeth. Sarah and Natalie are both fascinated and terrified of how babies get out of a mommy's tummy. I try to be honest with them without giving too much infromation. The bottom line is that they know it hurts and they don't want anything to do with pain. No matter how much I tell them the pain is definitely worth it - they don't believe me. (o: And that's okay - I don't want them to change their minds for at least 16 or 17 more years!
I think I've mentioned this before, but Natalie's latest fashion statement is rolling her pants up to her knees. She insists on this even though it secretly drives me crazy. I try to give her some fashion freedom and let her express herself. She says it looks cool. My only stipulation is that she rolls them down when she is outside so her legs don't freeze.

Natalie is learning to write and read. She is learning so much this year in Kindergarten. Her favorite thing to do is to write letters and cards to people. She is such a sweetheart and hardly a day goes by that she doesn't draw a picture or make a card for one of us. Here is a cute sample of her sentiments in their original spelling...
"dad u (with a line over the u indicating it is a long vowel) or ufishule the best"
translation: dad, you are officially the best. (o:
"mom I lik slepeen"
translation: mom, I like sleeping. (o:
"mom, I luv u. u or the best."
"Anjgula I luv u Bcuz u or the best"
"Gramo I (heart) u bcuz u mac the best cuc"
translation: Grandma, I love you because you make the best cook
"Sarah u or the best"

My sweet Natalie woke up not feeling well today. She has had a few days here and there this year where she's wanted to stay home with me rather than go to Kindergarten. Sarah went through the same thing (and frankly, I don't like the separation either - I love having my girls close). I have to do the tough love thing and tell her she's fine and she'll have a great day. Some days I am almost pushing her on the bus. It makes me so sad, but I know that if I drag out the goodbyes, Natalie will get more clingy. She always does just fine - the first few times she did this, I e-mailed her teacher and discovered that Natalie was always her usual, happy self by the time she got to school. Anyway, I thought this morning was just one of those days. She told me her tummy hurt, but she was giggling and laughing with Angela just minutes before she shared this. She had no temperature. I told her she was just hungry and her tummy needed food, but she did not want to eat her breakfast. We had a rough morning because this put a kink in our plans for her playdate, getting Angela to preschool on time and made me miss the class I wanted to attend at the gym. I figured Natalie just needed some mommy time, so I went along with it.

We snuggled on the couch and read a book together. About halfway through Hop on Pop, Natalie told me her stomach was gurgling funny. Then she asked so sweetly for me to please move the cat so she wouldn't get throw up on her. Isn't that the cutest thing ever? I suggested rather than moving the cat that we head right to the bathroom. (o: And we got there just in time. Poor little thing. When she was done throwing up, Natalie looked up at me and said, "See mom, I told you I was sick." Ugh - I felt soooo bad! Needless to say, Natalie got the royal treatment and I took very good care of her to make up for not really buying the sick thing. She was so cute and loved all the coddling - the big blue, soft "sick" blanket, the microwaveable heating pad, the special juice in a bottle, jammies, a movie, the whole nine yards. I know it might sound weird and don't get me wrong, I hate when the kids get sick. But I love to mother them and spoil them when they are feeling crummy. Luckily, Natalie's "yuck" only lasted a couple hours. We are pretty sure Natalie had some funky food or a really fast virus. We threw the PB crackers out that were recently recalled, so it wasn't that. Who knows???

Natalie LOVES her new robe from Santa. She wears it all the time. Sometimes she'll wear just the robe instead of pajamas to bed. And she looks so darn cute in it.

I got to help in Natalie's class last week. She was sooo excited. It made me feel so good that she was so excited to see me. We kept waving to each other while her teacher read a story. (o: Kindergarteners are such a cute age. It was fun to be sort of a fly on the wall and see how Natalie is at school. She is so cute. I noticed a lot of times she is kind of in her own little world, I can tell she's thinking about things and using her imagination - like I see her do at home. She is a wiggly little thing and was very distracted by her bandaid at one point (something she wears a lot of lately thanks to Twilight and Natalie's insistance on holding her constantly). But Natalie does a good job on her work (especially her coloring and artwork), is a good little friend and interacts so cute with the teacher and helpers. She is just a fun personality and I love to see her enjoying school and her friends. She loves everyone. I never really see her consistently with any one or two classmates even though her two best buddies from the neighborhood and church are in her class.

A Historical Day

Despite my last comment on the previous post, today was an exciting day. I still think there has been a lot of hype and people trying to make lots of money off of the excitement of Obama being our next president. That has been kind of annoying and over the top. On the other hand, I think our country really needs something to hope for and something to be excited about. Obama has a gift of 'rallying the troops' and pulling people together. I love the fact that he is the first African American /Caucasian president. (Although the Caucasian part of him is apparently so boring it's not mentioned very often. (o:) I'm proud that our country has come so far in just a few decades in overcoming racial prejudice. I think it must be so inspiring for those who lived during the years when blacks suffered so much persecution to witness the inauguation of a black president.

I love that Obama has been doing things his own way and starting new traditions (honoring McCain last night was very classy). I also really appreciate the balance of optimism and seriousness he has exhibited so far. He seems to understand the heavy weight that he now carries, especially considering the state of our country right now.

So although I did not vote for him, I respect Barack Obama, I respect the office of president and I will support him as our new president. I look forward to seeing the good things he will do for our country and will pray for him as he works to lead our country. We are so blessed to live in such an amazing country.

When the girls came home from school today, they were excited about and got to watch some of the inauguration. Sarah asked a very poignant question as we talked about our new president. She said, "What if someday a person pretended to be good and got everyone to vote for him. Then when he got to be president he wasn't good anymore and did really bad things." Wow. It was neat to talk about the way our country is set up with checks and balances. She was excited that if a bad guy ever became president that he could be "fired" or impeached. (o: It made me appreciate how lucky we are. Our constitution was truly inspired.

Vote for Sarah

I will get on to Natalie and Angela's posts soon, but I had to post this very cute writing assignment Sarah did at school and brought home yesterday. It is in a nice, patriotic cover with a self-portrait and stars and stripes. This is what it says inside, (I'm keeping the spelling true to her writing)

"I am a great lisaner and don't want any body to be left out. i would make shore that most things are fair and care for one another. I would bring peace to all over the world. The new law would be that every one was trying to also bring peace. I am trying to make the world a better place. I would make a graet president. I think everyone (including me) could do better, but to be a good president I will help you do that and on our way to the good life we will spread joy everywere. Vote for Sarah!"

Isn't that adorable? I love the "on our way to the good life" part. Not sure where that came from, but it sounds good to me. Her slogan could be "Vote For Sarah: The Good Life". (o: Too cute. This assignment is going in the filing cabinet. And given this uncertain time, I think I'd be happy to vote for someone like her. I'm a little skeptical right now about all the near-worship that is going on presently with Obama before he has even been put in office. I am optimistic and happy with several things I see him doing, I really am, but the way he has been put on a pedastal as a hero and a savior of sorts so soon is really weird. But that's just me . . .

Deep Thoughts By Jack Handy

This one is dedicated to one of the sweetest girls ever - Kaitlin! One of my cute YW that has become a big Deep Thoughts fan! Wahooo! I'm glad to pass on some spiritual wisdom that my girls can take with them for the rest of their lives. (o: Hey, laughter is the best medicine, right?

Here's to you, Kaitlin ...

"When I found the skull in the woods, the first thing I did was call the police. But then I got curious about it. I picked it up, and started wondering who this person was, and why he had deer horns."

(I tried reading this one to my sister on Christmas day and couldn't get through it because I was laughing so hard I was crying.)

Fortunately for Sarah . . .

I wanted to do a little entry for each of the girls to highlight cute things about them lately. I've been so busy writing about football, snow and Christmas that I haven't had a chance to write more specific things about the girls.

Sarah started reading the "Series of Unfortunate Events" over Christmas break and got to #6 before school started! She is HOOKED! She is gaining a larger vocabulary and surprising me with words she has learned from those books. (Some I haven't even heard of before.) It will be a sad day when she finishes #13. We'll have to find another intriguing series for her.

Sarah is also doing very well in math. She is in the highest math group at school and I have been amazed at how quickly they have whizzed through concepts. One stressful time was in November, when Sarah was learning multiplication facts. I remember learning these in 3rd grade, not 2nd. I also remember spending a whole week learning my 6's or my 9's. In Sarah's class they started times tables and by the third day she was coming home with sheets that covered multiplication facts up to 9's! Some of the kids in her class learned them already on their own so she was VERY stressed out about not knowing them as well. The perfectionist and competitive sides of her struggled in class when the teacher would hold up cards and two boys would always shout out the answers first. I talked with the teacher about it and we practiced a lot at home with Sarah. After two weeks, she knew every multiplication fact by heart. I can't believe how quickly she went from only knowing a handful to every single one! Their class is now multiplying things like 784 x 9. At this rate, what will they teach these kids in 6th grade? Calculus?? Howie* would be estatic!

Sarah is LOVING her new room all to herself. She loves reading by her lamp, getting her "desk" all organized (we moved in a little folding table) and having a place to go where she can be alone to do homework or play with her SpongeBob Legos. I will have to get a picture of her hilarious Rules she has posted on her door.

At Sarah's New Year's class party yesterday (to make up for missing the Christmas party because of the snowstorm) Sarah raised her hand when it was time for the show-and-tell at the end of school. I didn't remember her putting anything in her backpack. When it was her turn, she took Angela's hand (who came with me to help at the party) and led her to the front. Angela was her show and tell! It was pretty cute.

Speaking of school, Sarah's teacher Mrs. B. cannot say enough nice things about Sarah. She always tells me what a good parent I must be, but I seriously don't think I am that fantastic. Sarah is just a good girl at heart, always has been. She reminds me so much of how I was in school. I loved my teachers and loved being praised by them - sometimes other kids called me the teacher's pet. (o: I always wanted to do a good job - just like Sarah. She is really thriving in Mrs. B's class this year. I am proud of the young lady she is becoming. I am noticing her coming out of her shell more and more lately - Sarah's confidence is growing as she has conquered multiplication, discovered a talent in piano and has made so many new friends at a brand new school this year.

Sarah loves to invent and think of ideas for inventions and stories. She had one of her oldest and best friends, Paige, over for a playdate this week. They are two peas in a pod and took a bunch of recycled things up to Sarah's room to "invent" something. Unfortunately, several minutes later Sarah came running down to get the DustBuster. Luckily, I stopped her and found out one of the glass baby food jars broke. So Sarah and Paige spent the rest of the playdate on Sarah's bed while I cleaned up the minefield of glass fragments. I didn't mind though - next time I'll just make sure their inventing doesn't include any glass objects!

Sarah also has a best friend at school. Monica. She was invited to Monica's house two Sundays ago for a surprise birthday party. I was heart-broken because in our religion there are several things we try not to do on Sunday. They include things like shopping, eating out, watching movies or going to non-church or family events like birthday parties. Now we aren't always perfect - we sometimes give in and watch a movie or TV show together as a family. (we try to pick more uplifting shows than our usual SpongeBob episodes, however. Little House on the Prairie is a favorite) And there are some situations I would be fine with doing on Sunday - like going to a small birthday or other gathering with the whole family. The idea is we try to focus on things that help us #1 worship Christ and #2 be with our family that day. Anyway, I felt so torn, but I felt it was important to stick with the standards we have set and taught our kids. As I explained this to Eva, who is one of the sweetest people I know and has ALWAYS been so supportive of us - even coming to Sarah's baptism with Monica on a day when it was very inconvenient. I hope that she could tell how sorry I was.

I explained the situation to Sarah also. While she thought it would be so fun to be there to surprise Monica, she hardly bat an eye and agreed that doing something special with her on another day was the best choice. I was proud of her. We ended up going with Monica's family to Out of This World, a huge indoor playland, last night and we had a blast! Sarah and Monica counted the days until they got to go. They played for nearly 4 hours, minus just a few minutes to eat their pizza. And I had a great time getting to hang out with Eva. The siblings all got to run around and play too. Even Howie*, Mark and Michelle joined us later. It was such a great night and I think Sarah and Monica got some good girl bonding!

One funny side note. There were some boys from their school that happened to be there too. I didn't notice until the boys' moms pointed it out to me, but apparently the boys were making quite a game of chasing Monica and Sarah around during the night! (o: Wow - has it already come to that? (o: My baby???

Utahk About a Team!

There's been a lot of buzz about the Utes this last week - more than ever in the history of Ute football. They may have single-handedly broken the BCS bowl system (if we BCS cynics get our way), only time will tell. Last night Florida was hailed as the number one team in the country. As I watched all the hoopla after the exciting game, (it wasn't a blowout like the Sugar Bowl) and as a Ute fan through and through, I felt a little sick that Utah never had the chance to have that title. Maybe we would have won, maybe not - but it would have been an awesome game and I believe they had a pretty darn good chance. Florida was good last night, but I think it would have been awesome to watch Utah play against them. Especially considering Urban Meyer (the Florida coach) was the coach that took the Utes to the Fiesta Bowl in 2005 - the Utes first win in a BCS bowl. If only... But we didn't get that chance, so we'll settle for our #2 in the nation - as announced today. #2 is pretty dang awesome, but when you never even have a chance to get to number one it kind of stinks.

The title of my post has a link to the best article that perfectly describes how I feel - and it's hilarious too! Below are several quotes from Rick Reilly of ESPN (P.S. thanks to Aunt Danna for the great "motivational" pictures and Shannan and Dan for the link to the awesome article quoted below. (o: ) Because this is a family-friendly blog I edited one of the "posters" below. You can fill in the blank with "rear", "behind" or other words depending on how strongly you feel about it. There is, however, one swear word I left in the article quoted below because the way the swear word was used was creative and made me laugh my head off.

"Some gifts people give are pointless: Styling mousse to Dick Vitale. An all-you-can-eat card to Kate Moss. The BCS Championship given to Oklahoma or Florida. (written before last night's game)

It means nothing because the BCS has no credibility. Florida? Oklahoma? Who cares? Utah is the national champion.
The End. Roll credits.

Argue with this, please. I beg you. Find me anybody else that went undefeated. Thirteen-and-zero. Beat four ranked teams. Went to the Deep South and seal-clubbed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. The same Alabama that was ranked No. 1 for five weeks. The same Alabama that went undefeated in the regular season. The same Alabama that Florida beat in order to get INTO the BCS Championship game in the first place.

Yeah, that's how it is now in the shameful, money-grubbing world of college football. If you're Florida and you beat Alabama, you get a seat in the title game. If you're Utah, you get a seat on your sofa.

Hey, remind me: What do they give out for one of those BCS things anyway? It's been so long since I cared. Something from Sears? This is the sixth year in the past 10 that the title has been in dispute under this cash-grab, fan-dis, monopoly that the BCS has created. Which is why the title game just doesn't matter anymore. It's like being named Miss Ogallala. Or Best Amish Electrician.

Just take a look at the teams that think they're worthy of being called national champs:

USC? Great year. Wonderful. Let's all go to SkyBar and celebrate. But it lost to Oregon State, a team Utah beat.

Texas? You think beating Ohio State by a nubby three points gets you the title? The Big Ten was 1-6 in bowl games! That's like pinning David Spade!

Florida and Oklahoma? They lost. Utah never did. So that's it. Utah is the national champion. The Utes should probably have two now, actually. They went undefeated in 2004, too, and their coach still thinks they were the best team in the land. Smart fella named Urban Meyer. Coaches Florida now.

Above: Utes will always be #1 to me! We took the kids to Sherry's at 10:00 p.m. to celebrate the Sugar Bowl win on January 2nd. I have an awesome hubby - who despite his strong BYU-fan status - celebrated the huge win with me whole-heartedly. If BYU ever finds itself in the same position, I will do the same for him. (o: Thanks hon! It was fun cheering for the same team!

on with the article...

"This is not how we normally do things in America," says Utah president Michael Young. "In America, quality usually wins, not conspiracy. And there's a reason people usually enter into a conspiracy. It's money. You make money doing it. And those that are in on the conspiracy want to stay in and keep everybody else out."

Sure, BCS blowhards will hand you schlock about how the college football season is like a playoff, how it's an elimination tournament every week. Really? Well, how come Florida and Oklahoma weren't eliminated with their losses? Utah ran the table, beat everybody set in front of them, including Ala-damn-bama in no less than the Sugar Bowl, and gets the bagel.

Oh, by the way? It was Utah's eighth straight bowl win, the nation's longest streak. Among the losers during that run? Let's see USC, Georgia Tech, Pittsburgh, and now the legendary Houndstooth Hats.

"What else do we have to prove?" asks Utah's magical quarterback, Brian Johnson. Good question. He and the Utes essentially whipped Alabama at home. Handed Nick Saban a garlic necklace to wear the entire offseason. Stepped on his team's neck 21-0 in the first three possessions and never looked back. Let's see. Who was it that was losing to Alabama until nearly six minutes into the fourth quarter? Oh, yeah. Florida. (insert: the #1 national champions barely beat the team that Utah CREAMED)

Until all these people do the right thing, I'll be celebrating with the true national champions — the undefeated, untied Utah Utes. (Our new slogan: Utahk about a team!)

Lemonades for everybody!

Tragedy Strikes Hillsboro - Say It Ain't So!!

We've lost a dear friend . . . we may need grief counseling to work through this tremendous loss. I'll never forget where I was when I heard the tragic news. At Joann's standing in the Valentine aisle, encircled by hearts and happy, lovey dovey stuff. Kind of ironic. My cell phone rang, Tina had bad news. Someone standing nearby listening to my end of the conversation might have thought that a loved one had just passed away . . .

January 8, 2009 was a sad day for Hillsboro or at least for our family as well as many of the other "regulars" at Costa Vida. It was the day that I received the devastating news that our favorite restaurant, nay, our family's home away from home is closing indefinitely. If only there was something we could do - win the lottery, call out from the rooftops that our dear restaurant needed patrons from far and near. I wish the owner would have filled us in on his financial situation. (o: We could have helped market the best sweet pork this side of Utah! I would have stood on corners with a sign - I would have dressed up like a sweet pork salad (although I may have been kidnapped). Oh, the would have's. But by the time we got the news it was too late. The only thing we could do is join the hundreds of other regular clientele and stand with pitiful expressions on our faces in the line that rivaled Disneyland ride lines (45 minute wait to place an order) and recall the many memories we had at this establishment and our sadness at seeing it go. We mourned with the many friends we already knew and the friends we stood in line with and said things like, "We would have come more if we knew... oh wait, I guess coming more than once a week is a little much." and "Where are we going to get sweet pork?" and "It wasn't just the food, it was the laid back and fun feeling of Costa Vida" and "The only good thing I can think of is that I might lose this." (a man said as he patted his belly) "Yeah," I said in reply, "But I'd rather be fat and have my Costa Vida."
The girls were disappointed too and were so amazingly well behaved as we stood in line to order our food. It felt more like we were there to pay our respects, like everyone else. One more time to smile and greet the friendly employees. Honestly, I didn't know their names and they didn't know ours, but we knew each other. I almost asked to take their pictures, but they were in such a hurry. (And I worried they might think that was a little too weird.) I will always remember those smiling faces that asked so kindly, "Black beans or pinto?" They will be etched in my memory forever. Last night was their final night serving dinner, but today they were open for one more lunch. I thought of an excuse to go to Fred Meyer and drove by one more time at 2:00 p.m. I saw the "open" sign and just had to go in one last time. It was much quieter - I walked right up to the counter and ordered a flan and queso and chips. There was one man behind me, but I think I was one of the last people to place an order. I am keeping my receipt for my scrapbook. (o: The feeling inside was a little mixed - kind of somber and sad, but also a feeling of gratitude. We felt grateful for everything that Costa Vida represented - yummy food, a great place to hang out and really, really nice people. And the owner and all his employees seemed touched at how many people showed up for one last meal and told him how much the place meant to them.

It will be hard to move on. Hanging out at Baja Fresh or Chevy's will never be on our agenda, although we like the food there fine. And to all those locals, don't even think of "On the Border" it's decorated all cute, but the food is awful. Sigh. I guess I will have to actually cook more at home. Blah. (o;

Above: Sniff, sniff - the surfboard-looking sign welcoming us to tell the employees which delicious menu item we felt like eating that night. My last order was a sweet pork salad with cilantro lime dressing - my personal favorite. Oh, and blue Powerade with the yummy, crunchy ice. I took a picture of it below.
I told the nice lady during my last visit today (I'll call her Mary), that the thing I loved best about Costa Vida is it was kind of like the bar in "Cheers" for Hillsboro. (o: Mary laughed and had to agree (even though neither of us actually knew each others' name like they sing in the opening song). The employees knew us when we walked in, even sometimes knew what we would order, and we always ran into someone we knew there. I'm sure if they would have stayed in business just a little longer we would have reached "Norm!" status. Hillsboro will never be the same without our Costa Vida.

Will these be in heaven? In my personal heaven, the whole Costa Vida - including the employees will be there. But wait, maybe we'll all have to take turns cooking, because it wouldn't be fair for the employees to be stuck working all the time in heaven. (o:

Just a little tidbit that some people might not know. Costa Vida was owned by a nice Mormon couple, the Cochrans, from Utah. And when you are a Mormon in Oregon, everyone who is LDS is only 3 degrees away from Steve Young. (o: (You know the 7 degrees from Kevin Bacon theory?) In other words, if we don't know each other, we know someone who knows them or at the very least we know someone who knows someone who knows them. Even the Cochrans were two degrees away from us. I heard from my cousin years ago that they were leaving Logan and coming here to start a new Mexican restaurant. Anyway, that is one of the reasons why we always knew someone who was there - all those Mormons! (o:

As I have told several people while I've mourned the last two days . . . (I'm taking it pretty hard as you can tell.) My life is pretty darn good if the hardest thing I am going through right now is the loss of my beloved Costa Vida restaurant. So I'll be grateful for that!