Did you know there are 34 people in my family?
2 parents
6 kids
6 spouses
20 grandchildren
Did you also know that I am 34 years old this year?
Did you know that Mark and I were friends for 5 years before we dated and got engaged?
Did you know that we’ll be celebrating our 10th anniversary this December?
Did you know that Baskin Robbins boasts of 31 flavors?
Did you know that Mark’s family has 20 people?
2 parents
4 kids
4 spouses
10 grandchildren
Did you know that I have no idea how many first cousins I have on my Dad’s side of the family? I think it’s 30 something. If I bumped into one of my cousins at Temple Square in SLC, I don’t know if we’d recognize each other.
Did you know that I only have 1 Aunt and 1 cousin on my Mom’s side?
Did you know that I was 14 when I became a “woman”?
Did you know that I was 24 when I got married?
Did you know that I have 2 sets of shampoo/conditioner that I rotate depending on the day of the week?
Did you know that I spend over 300 minutes driving to and from Detroit every week?
Did you know that the price of gas and groceries is making my checkbook look like this…0000000000?
Did you know that I have 2 children born 21 months apart?
Did you know that Maryn has 2 missing teeth right now?
Did you know that Avery is now 2 inches taller than Maryn?
Did you know that I only went on 3 dates in high school?
Did you know that Mark has been in school for over 22 years of his life?
Did you know that I changed my major 2 times?
Did you know that my wedding ring has 5 diamonds?
Did you know that I served in 4 cities in the Czech Republic on my mission?
Did you know that I helped to convert 4 people on my mission, and they were all women?
Did you know that a half-marathon is 13.1 miles?
Did you know that I have a Visiting Teaching appointment tonight at 7?
Did you know that I have 30 registered blog readers?
And 1 of them is you!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
I Heart RS
Do you remember last year when we all got blown away by Sister Julie B. Beck? When she laid the “smack-down” on us, the sisters of the Relief Society? I do. It was a powerful talk and has remained one of my faves throughout this past year.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from her talk, “What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable” at last year’s Broadcast:
“Knowing and defending the divine roles of women is so important in a world where women are bombarded with false messages about their identity. Popular media figures on the radio and television set themselves up as authorities and spokespersons for women. While these media messages may contain elements of truth, most preach a gospel of individual fulfillment and self-worship, often misleading women regarding their true identity and worth. These voices offer a counterfeit happiness, and as a result, many women are miserable, lonely, and confused.”
“The only place Latter-day Saint women will learn the whole and complete truth about their indispensable role in the plan of happiness is in this Church and its doctrine. We know that in the great premortal conflict we sided with our Savior, Jesus Christ, to preserve our potential to belong to eternal families. We know we are daughters of God, and we know what we are to do. Women find true happiness when they understand and delight in their unique role within the plan of salvation. The things women can and should do very best are championed and taught without apology here. (…)”
“Because families are eternal, we cannot afford to be casual or complacent about those relationships. Much of the great work of this society in the past has been centered in helping Latter-day Saint women strengthen families, with emphasis on improving our nurturing skills—homemaking skills, parenting skills, and marriage skills. Families mean work, but they are our great work—and we are not afraid of work. This is what we do best; no one does families better than the sisters of this Relief Society. We uphold, nourish, and protect them.”
“Notwithstanding the important relief efforts of the past, the greatest and most important work for the women of this Church still lies ahead. The earth must be prepared to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must help with this preparation in the midst of wars, turmoil, natural calamities, and an increase of evil. There has not been a time in the history of the world when a full-scale relief effort was more needed. Because we are disciples of Jesus Christ and we have made covenants with Him, we are already committed by covenant to participate in that relief effort.”
“Every leader knows that families are being hit hard by the storms of this world, storms such as addictions, debt, unfaithfulness, and disobedience. The Savior saw our day as “the beginning of sorrows,” when many would be deceived. He told of wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences. This describes the world we live in today, and it is essential that the women of this Church take hold of their responsibility to be prepared in all things.”
Hope you enjoy the session this year…I know I’m hoping to.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from her talk, “What Latter-day Saint Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable” at last year’s Broadcast:
“Knowing and defending the divine roles of women is so important in a world where women are bombarded with false messages about their identity. Popular media figures on the radio and television set themselves up as authorities and spokespersons for women. While these media messages may contain elements of truth, most preach a gospel of individual fulfillment and self-worship, often misleading women regarding their true identity and worth. These voices offer a counterfeit happiness, and as a result, many women are miserable, lonely, and confused.”
“The only place Latter-day Saint women will learn the whole and complete truth about their indispensable role in the plan of happiness is in this Church and its doctrine. We know that in the great premortal conflict we sided with our Savior, Jesus Christ, to preserve our potential to belong to eternal families. We know we are daughters of God, and we know what we are to do. Women find true happiness when they understand and delight in their unique role within the plan of salvation. The things women can and should do very best are championed and taught without apology here. (…)”
“Because families are eternal, we cannot afford to be casual or complacent about those relationships. Much of the great work of this society in the past has been centered in helping Latter-day Saint women strengthen families, with emphasis on improving our nurturing skills—homemaking skills, parenting skills, and marriage skills. Families mean work, but they are our great work—and we are not afraid of work. This is what we do best; no one does families better than the sisters of this Relief Society. We uphold, nourish, and protect them.”
“Notwithstanding the important relief efforts of the past, the greatest and most important work for the women of this Church still lies ahead. The earth must be prepared to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, and we must help with this preparation in the midst of wars, turmoil, natural calamities, and an increase of evil. There has not been a time in the history of the world when a full-scale relief effort was more needed. Because we are disciples of Jesus Christ and we have made covenants with Him, we are already committed by covenant to participate in that relief effort.”
“Every leader knows that families are being hit hard by the storms of this world, storms such as addictions, debt, unfaithfulness, and disobedience. The Savior saw our day as “the beginning of sorrows,” when many would be deceived. He told of wars and rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, and pestilences. This describes the world we live in today, and it is essential that the women of this Church take hold of their responsibility to be prepared in all things.”
Hope you enjoy the session this year…I know I’m hoping to.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
2 Good 2 B True?
You know that thing that Dr. Evil does when he's intrigued at the thought of something...raising a backward pinky to his puckered lips, raising an eyebrow, and emoting.
That's what I did when I saw today's post over at Make-n-Takes.
Behold the possibilities:
Chocolate Cake in a Mug in the Microwave in 5 Minutes (Seriously???Can it be true?!?)
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug
Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:
Spoon in 1 egg
Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!
I think a little homemade frosting or even the can kind sounds delish with this. I think you know what me and the girls will be whipping up for dessert tonight.
Crossing fingers...will report.
Platapoos Out.
*Update: We made these little babies last night and they were good. Kinda chewy and dense though. We used regular flour, and I bet the cake flour would make it fluffier. It was really rich. We split 2 mugs worth 4 ways. I also made a chocolate butter-cream frosting and the girls added sprinkles. It's definitely a fun way to get the kids cooking in the kitchen!! And don't worry, it looks like it's going to overflow in the microwave, but it doesn't. And it pops right out of the mug, no need to spray or grease. Saweet!
That's what I did when I saw today's post over at Make-n-Takes.
Behold the possibilities:
Chocolate Cake in a Mug in the Microwave in 5 Minutes (Seriously???Can it be true?!?)
Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug
Instructions:
Mix flour, sugar and cocoa:
Spoon in 1 egg
Pour in milk and oil, and mix well
Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt)
Wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug
Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!
I think a little homemade frosting or even the can kind sounds delish with this. I think you know what me and the girls will be whipping up for dessert tonight.
Crossing fingers...will report.
Platapoos Out.
*Update: We made these little babies last night and they were good. Kinda chewy and dense though. We used regular flour, and I bet the cake flour would make it fluffier. It was really rich. We split 2 mugs worth 4 ways. I also made a chocolate butter-cream frosting and the girls added sprinkles. It's definitely a fun way to get the kids cooking in the kitchen!! And don't worry, it looks like it's going to overflow in the microwave, but it doesn't. And it pops right out of the mug, no need to spray or grease. Saweet!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tag...Remember These?
Been awhile. This one's from J. Vos.
I am Suzanne Marie Day Brown.
I miss girl’s camp.
I think about where we will be in the next five years.
I love Fall/Autumn.
I know how to make people laugh.
I want QDoba for dinner every night.
I have too much guilt.
I wish that money grew on trees.
I hate insensitive, crazy drivers.
I am scared of my kids being kidnapped or prey to CM’s.
I feel it all, I feel it all…the wings are wide, the wings are wide…(Feist!)
I hear the clickety-clack and hackity-hack of my boss, whose cube is just over the wall from mine.
I smell something funky coming from the office kitchen area.
I don't always remember birthdays.
I wonder who our next President will be.
I care about the environment and global warming.
I am not afraid of having to move again, if it happens.
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I am alone, I believe in God even though I cannot see Him (this was a quote that hung on a corkboard in our laundry room growing up).
I dance like a child of the 80’s.
I sing off-key on purpose just to get a laugh out of my kids.
I write technical documents, and blog posts, lots and lots of blog posts.
I win at Tic-Tac-Toe with Avery...not as much as I used to though.
I lose at Apple to Apples…mine never gets picked.
I never want my kids to grow up, even though I know they have to.
I listen to the River, 93.9 lately.
I can be found at cube 6W-2525, or in my van commuting, or in the kitchen, but not enough in my bed or on the couch.
I read all day, most days.
I am happy most of the time, but mostly when I am with the ones I love.
I tag anyone.
I am Suzanne Marie Day Brown.
I miss girl’s camp.
I think about where we will be in the next five years.
I love Fall/Autumn.
I know how to make people laugh.
I want QDoba for dinner every night.
I have too much guilt.
I wish that money grew on trees.
I hate insensitive, crazy drivers.
I am scared of my kids being kidnapped or prey to CM’s.
I feel it all, I feel it all…the wings are wide, the wings are wide…(Feist!)
I hear the clickety-clack and hackity-hack of my boss, whose cube is just over the wall from mine.
I smell something funky coming from the office kitchen area.
I don't always remember birthdays.
I wonder who our next President will be.
I care about the environment and global warming.
I am not afraid of having to move again, if it happens.
I believe in the sun even when it is not shining, I believe in love even when I am alone, I believe in God even though I cannot see Him (this was a quote that hung on a corkboard in our laundry room growing up).
I dance like a child of the 80’s.
I sing off-key on purpose just to get a laugh out of my kids.
I write technical documents, and blog posts, lots and lots of blog posts.
I win at Tic-Tac-Toe with Avery...not as much as I used to though.
I lose at Apple to Apples…mine never gets picked.
I never want my kids to grow up, even though I know they have to.
I listen to the River, 93.9 lately.
I can be found at cube 6W-2525, or in my van commuting, or in the kitchen, but not enough in my bed or on the couch.
I read all day, most days.
I am happy most of the time, but mostly when I am with the ones I love.
I tag anyone.
Monday, September 22, 2008
I said a “Boom-Chicka-Boom”!! (now you repeat)
So this weekend, I took a serious walk down memory lane. It was so monumental, I just have to share. These pictures may look like nothing more than a bunch of broken down cabins and overgrown nature to some of you, but for me and my peeps, they are history...deep, meaningful, and important memories of our lives together. You see, girl’s camp is kinda sacred for me. Many of my happiest and important memories from my youth happened there. I was lucky enough to have attended all four of my years at the same campground…back then it was called “Waterloo” Recreation Area. Now it’s changed hands a few times, and is called “Cedar Lake Outdoor Center". The name may have changed but the place was like walking back in time. Very few things have changed and it even smelled exactly like I remembered it. Join me for a walk down memory lane with my bestest friends of all time: Becky (Ursem) Yawney, Sheila (Fisher) Southerland, and Casey (Hicks) Clark.
(from left: Sheila, me, Casey, and Becky)
I met these girls (except Casey) when I was 12. In this cabin. Becky asked us to cut her hair. It took Sister Freeman hours to even it back out. Her Mom was not happy when she got home with short hair.
Our 2nd year, we met up again in these cabins. Sheila asked if I remembered being pen-pals after camp ended this year. I did. I also remembered that she bore her testimony 7 times that year.
(The picture below is the trail that led up to the 2nd year cabins. We remembered being so scared when we had to walk it in the dark that we'd sprint from the Lodge all the way up this trail, and feeling like our lungs would collapse because it was sooo far. After walking it yesterday, I was amazed at how short it actually was.)
Our 3rd year we went back to the cabins we were in our 1st year. I told the puppy dog story at this very campfire circle. It made me famous. When we saw this campfire circle, Becky pointed and said, “That’s where you told us about the puppy.” And we all laughed.
Our 4th year, we stayed in this cabin. We were Adventurers. It was a big deal…WE were a big deal. Becky said this was her favorite year. She said important things happened in this cabin that year, and had to get a peek inside.
We wandered down to the lakefront. “Do you remember the year we made a mud pit right over there and had mud wrestling?” (If that doesn’t give you an idea about how fun girls camp was for us, I don’t know what will.)
We wandered back up the trail towards the Lodge, where we sat and talked some more. We talked about leaders we had (Sister Freeman, Sister Black, Sister Mendenhall, etc.), friends we had (the Swanson sisters, Emily Cook, Lana, Heather G, and the Stamper girls), how they affected us then, how we remember them now, where they are at. We remembered the craft cabin, first aid classes, getting lost on pretty much every hike we went on, and camp songs!! Stan, Stan the lavatory man, Waddlay-Achay, the song about petting my cat named Grace (a bit controversial), and ESPECIALLY leading the group in rousing renditions of “Boom-Chicka-Boom” right where we were sitting.
It was such a full-circle moment for me. Here I was with these women I love, at this place that brought us together (and we’re still together!!), and we have these wonderful lives and have grown into such amazing women each in our own way (if I do say so myself). I wonder if our leaders knew the potential that we had back then. Or if WE did. If I could tell those girls we were then (at 12 years old…we were babies!!) that 22 years later, they would still be friends, and would return to the same cabins one Sunday afternoon (kids, husbands, and lives on hold for a few precious hours), I don’t know if I would’ve believed it. And I still kinda don’t believe it. It was surreal. And awesome, and I relished every moment of it.
Thanks for a fun weekend Becky, Sheila, and Casey! And let’s KIT this summer! Stay sweet and cool! Peace Out! (or as my daughter Maryn would say, Platypus Out!)
It was such a full-circle moment for me. Here I was with these women I love, at this place that brought us together (and we’re still together!!), and we have these wonderful lives and have grown into such amazing women each in our own way (if I do say so myself). I wonder if our leaders knew the potential that we had back then. Or if WE did. If I could tell those girls we were then (at 12 years old…we were babies!!) that 22 years later, they would still be friends, and would return to the same cabins one Sunday afternoon (kids, husbands, and lives on hold for a few precious hours), I don’t know if I would’ve believed it. And I still kinda don’t believe it. It was surreal. And awesome, and I relished every moment of it.
Thanks for a fun weekend Becky, Sheila, and Casey! And let’s KIT this summer! Stay sweet and cool! Peace Out! (or as my daughter Maryn would say, Platypus Out!)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Your Love is Better Than Chocolate
(10 points to whoever can name the singer of this tune…one of my favorite songs of all time.)
I just had a “Whatchamacallit” candy bar. It seems rather an odd sort of craving, doesn’t it? I can’t tell you the last time I had one, or even if I’ve ever had the distinct inclination to buy one. I don’t think it’s ever happened. But there was a reason for it today, and it seems kind of strange, but I thought I’d share it with you anyway. You see, the “Whatchamacallit” is the favorite candy bar of Alex Murphy. Some of you may know who Alex is, others may not. Alex is the grown up daughter of my visiting teacher and friend, Teresa. And she is so cute, and spunky, and makes me laugh almost every time I talk to her, or Teresa tells me stories about her. She was our ward chorister for a long time before she went off to BYU-Idaho and I always loved watching her lead the music, mostly because I was always interested to see what daring outfit she had chosen for the day. (Did I mention she is really spunky?) She is always full of color and light. (I kind of half designated Alex as a girl that if given the opportunity, I might arrange a date with my equally darling and spunky nephew, Collin. Alas, he is on a mission for two years and kind of out-of-the-dating-scene.) Well. Like I already mentioned Alex went off to BYU-Idaho in January of this past year. It was her first semester of college and her first time flying the coop. She had a great time, and while she was there…mere weeks, or maybe months after getting there, she did what many young Mormon girls do when offered a plentiful smorgasbord of RM’s to date…she got engaged! And her wedding is set for December of this year. Whewee, right? I think Teresa is slowly coming to grips with the fact that her first-born is actually getting married, and is now furiously trying to assist and plan with preparations. And I have to admit, I’m quite fascinated with the whole thing. When I found out that she was engaged, I was thrilled and delighted for her (albeit a little disappointed for my nephew Collin). And I loved hearing the details of how it all played out. Well, my wonderful visiting teacher Teresa graced me with her presence last night, and I got another slice of voyeuristic romance through the latest goings on of the “Alex and Lawson” engagement story. So I hope they don’t kill me for sharing this (I doubt they would), but I couldn’t help but just get all those giddy butterfly-ish feelings when I remembered what “young and engaged love” felt like. Anyway, this is the story:
Apparently when the semester at BYUI ended, they agreed to both go home and work and save lots of money and prepare for their wedding in December. (They said their goodbyes in July…that’s over 5 months of apart-ness.) They had planned a rendezvous at the halfway point…the beginning of October. And pretty much that’s what they’ve been living for ever since. Alex is so smitten. It’s all she can think and talk about. It occupies her every breath, it seems. If you are on Facebook, and she is your friend you will see that Lawson is about every other word and her profile is loaded with sweet love notes and other momentos of his affection for her. It’s so cute, it’s sickening. Anyway, she’s been a trooper to hear her Mom and Dad talk about it. But the thing is, her Mom and Dad are really cool, and hip, and totally in love themselves. And they remember what it was like when they were young and engaged, and how being apart felt like you were dying a slow, tragic death. I guess Alex was having a little talk time with her Daddy a few weeks ago, and trying to put on a brave face. The conversation went something like this, (insert heavy sigh) “oh, Daddy, I miss him soooooo much. I just don’t know if I can go on like this. I love him sooooooo much.” And her Daddy, being her “Daddy” melted, and on the sly, he devised a plan to reunite his love-sick daughter and her far-away prince. He bought a plane ticket and made arrangements with his future son-in-law. He exclaimed to his wife after making the purchase, “I just can’t stand it anymore!” Isn’t that adorable? Then he called Alex’s boss to get the day off work for her. So the whole thing went down yesterday. I guess Alex was at work when Lawson’s plane landed in Detroit, and he was met by Teresa, Darrin, and Lauren. (The little brothers were not told about the plan, because well, they’re little brothers and surely would’ve foiled the whole thing.) They met for the first time and hugged and drove him back to their home. After visiting for awhile, Dad suggested they go do something nice for Alex while they waited for her to get off of work. (She still didn’t know he was there.) Lawson picked up a Whatchamacallit (her favorite) and placed it on her dashboard, along with vacuuming and washing her car. I guess when she got in her car at the end of the day and saw it, she thought of him and how he was the only one who knew it was her favorite and thought, “maybe, just maybe, it was from HIM!!” She drove home and walked through the front door, and her charming young groom-to-be turned from the couch and said, “hi honey!” And Teresa said Alex’s mouth dropped, and her eyes filled up with tears, and she could barely squeak out “what are you doing here?!?” as she charged into his arms. And the whole family giggled and squealed with delight. It was just so stinking sweet.
And it is, isn’t it? Just about the sweetest story you’ve ever heard? Doesn’t it just make you swoon? And long and yearn for the days when you were so young and so in love and so obsessed and hopelessly useless to anybody or anything other than HIM? Being apart was tragic. You needed him to “complete” you. HA! I totally remember the days.
It reminded me of a roommate I had at USU (Cindy Robertson…Diane will remember her). She was engaged and she and her fiancée would hide behind the couch to play their shmoopy love games. They’d crouch down so nobody could see them and sit facing one another, touching and caressing each other’s faces. It was disgusting to me, and I (was not dating or engaged at this time) vowed NEVER to act like that when it was me.
And I didn’t, gosh darnit. I don’t think Mark and I ever sat across from each other and caressed each other’s faces during our engagement. (We were too busy doing other things…ahem!! Just kidding!!) But all those same feelings that I know they must have had that caused them to want to do that…well, I could relate. I wanted to be with him 24/7. We lived in different states (Utah/Idaho), and it was grueling. I remember doing irrational things, saying and writing sappy things on the phone or by email…the whole bit. And her “Whatchamacallit” candy bar reminded me that Mark did the same thing…bought me boxes and boxes of Junior Mints every time he saw me, just because he knew they were my favorite. Awww.
Not like things have changed that dramatically from then (10 years ago this year). I guess it just takes seeing it manifested in somebody so young and fresh to be reminded of it. It’s fun to watch and live vicariously. And remember what it was like. If anything, it’s a good way for us to celebrate our own engagement coming up in a couple weeks. (I’ll write the whole sordid tale later.)
So go buy yourself a Whatchamacallit or some Junior Mints or whatever is your favorite, and remember your own sappy love story today. And if you see Alex and Lawson at Church on Sunday, don’t tell ‘em I told you!!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Back Online
Hooray!! Power's back!! Not sure exactly when, but as Mark pulled into the driveway last night, he clicked the opener and the garage door went up. The girls and he started cheering and called me to share the happy news...I was still on my way home. So our stint with pioneer living is over. We have heat, light,working appliances, and most importantly...TV!! We were even able to catch a bit of "The Biggest Loser" last night. Anybody else on board with that show this season? I love it. It helps keep me motivated in my own weight loss/maintenance journey.
Speaking of which, my half-marathon training is going well. "Well" in the sense that I'm on schedule and getting my runs in. If things seem off on my "log your run" sidebar it's because I'm doing things a week behind. When I was sick a couple weeks ago, I didn't do anything and started where I had left off the next week. Now instead of tapering at the end for 3 weeks, I'll just taper for 2. And sometimes I switch up the days I run depending on my schedule at work, etc. So, it's all good. I'm getting it done. Today was a first for me. The 5 milers were taking too long to do at work, so I woke up at 5:30 today to get it done before work!! I NEVER thought I'd see the day that I actually woke up on purpose in the wee hours of the morning to exercise...never!! But the day has come. It wasn't so bad, but a little dark and chilly. If I do it again, I should probably run on a road that has more light. And if you think that's hardcore, listen to this...last Saturday I did my 9 miler in the rain!! Mostly it was just drizzle, but when you're out in it for over an hour and a half, you get pretty soaked. I actually improved my time from the week before because I think I subconsciously just wanted to get the dang thing over with. HA! Whatever works, I guess. This Saturday I have a 10-miler scheduled. I kind of dread it at first, and then when I'm actually doing it I just keep saying to myself, "don't stop, don't stop,..." the whole time. And somehow I get it done. I can't say it's been a load of fun. It's been hard. And I haven't really loved it like I thought I would. But it's one of those things that I just have to do now. I've come this far, and I can't just stop now. What I'm learning more than anything is discipline, perserverance, and pushing the limits. I know that's what I'm doing, and I hope I can keep up with it. Still taking it one mile at a time.
Speaking of which, my half-marathon training is going well. "Well" in the sense that I'm on schedule and getting my runs in. If things seem off on my "log your run" sidebar it's because I'm doing things a week behind. When I was sick a couple weeks ago, I didn't do anything and started where I had left off the next week. Now instead of tapering at the end for 3 weeks, I'll just taper for 2. And sometimes I switch up the days I run depending on my schedule at work, etc. So, it's all good. I'm getting it done. Today was a first for me. The 5 milers were taking too long to do at work, so I woke up at 5:30 today to get it done before work!! I NEVER thought I'd see the day that I actually woke up on purpose in the wee hours of the morning to exercise...never!! But the day has come. It wasn't so bad, but a little dark and chilly. If I do it again, I should probably run on a road that has more light. And if you think that's hardcore, listen to this...last Saturday I did my 9 miler in the rain!! Mostly it was just drizzle, but when you're out in it for over an hour and a half, you get pretty soaked. I actually improved my time from the week before because I think I subconsciously just wanted to get the dang thing over with. HA! Whatever works, I guess. This Saturday I have a 10-miler scheduled. I kind of dread it at first, and then when I'm actually doing it I just keep saying to myself, "don't stop, don't stop,..." the whole time. And somehow I get it done. I can't say it's been a load of fun. It's been hard. And I haven't really loved it like I thought I would. But it's one of those things that I just have to do now. I've come this far, and I can't just stop now. What I'm learning more than anything is discipline, perserverance, and pushing the limits. I know that's what I'm doing, and I hope I can keep up with it. Still taking it one mile at a time.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Dry Run
I know things could be much, much worse. I am grateful that it’s only our power that we lost, and not more. Although annoying and inconvenient as this whole power outage is, it has taught me a great deal in a short amount of time (this is day 3). So bear with me while I share some various lists that I’ve compiled (with no TV, I've had a little extra time on my hands, gimme a break!).
Items We Still Need In Our Home Storage:
Batteries for those flashlights…every size and lots of them. Why does one flashlight require 5 C’s and the other require 2 D’s? Anyway, I had plenty AA and D’s, but didn’t have any C’s. A couple more camping lanterns with brighter wattage bulbs. I have one, but it just wasn’t bright enough to sit on the kitchen table so we could eat. I also have great big halogen spotlights that were sadly uncharged and required 15 hours to charge them either from an electrical outlet (doh!), or car battery. I didn’t want to risk using my car battery and have that die on me as well. Unscented candles. I was pretty solid in the candle department…although I should get some more sturdy sticks and bases, so I don’t have to use the crystal ones…they are hammered now. But the thing that bugged me after awhile was all that scent...no more Vanilla and Blueberry Pie please!! I have a few unscented candles, but I didn’t want to use them first. I wanted to burn through my old ones. But now I know better. Blech. A few hand-crank flashlights would be nice. Brother G. let us borrow 2 of theirs and those are the ones I let the girls “play” with and use because it doesn’t matter if they leave them on and walk away. A better battery-operated radio/cassette/CD player. I have a radio from when I was 15, but the tape deck doesn’t work and it doesn’t have a CD player. The girls also have one of these, but there again, I didn’t have any C batteries for it. And before you ask, yes I have a hand crank radio and it doesn’t work. You have to crank it repeatedly for it to work and you can barely get any reception on it. A bunch of wasted effort in my opinion. A better battery-operated DVD player. The one we have doesn’t hold a charge very well, so when we needed it the battery was already dead. Other options to this would include a laptop with a good battery, etc. which we also don’t have. As sad as it is that we’re addicted to TV, when you don’t have it, it really does throw you off of your routine. Mark and I had trouble sleeping because we didn’t have the TV in the background. I know, I know…sad, but true. And yes, NPR is a great station to listen to, but just not the same. Purchase a grill and a propane stove to cook on. We have a mini-propane stove (but no propane, shhhh) that would probably boil a small pan of water or fry a couple eggs, but not feed an entire family effectively. I want one of those standing ones with a double burner (camp-style). We also need to get a grill…doesn’t have to be propane but that would be nice. (We don’t have one because we’ve been renting.) And either charcoal or propane depending. Our food storage is pretty solid, but always stands to improve. My goal for this year is to learn to make wheat bread using my mill and actual wheat. It’s one thing to buy whole wheat flour at the store, another to actually grind it yourself. We’ll see how it goes. Need to rotate items in our 72-hour kits. I know the clothes may be too small for the girls and some of the food items may be expired. I should buy some backpacks in the after school sales for the girls at least. I still want a Kelty for myself, and I guess Mark too.
Items We Still Need In Our Home Storage:
Other TidBits That We Have Learned In the Past 3 Days:
Other Items That I’ve Been Thinking About:
Anyway, lots of things going through my head right now. I’m not really able to focus much on work these past couple days. My boss knows what’s up, but isn’t as sympathetic as I would have hoped. He didn’t tell me to go home early (I can hope, can't I?), but at least a “golly, I sure hope yer power gits turned back on” would’ve been nice. Whatever. It’s ironic that September is “Food Storage” month for many Wards and Stakes. It’s been fresh on my mind and I’m glad I was somewhat prepared for emergency. Like I said, it’s not as bad as it could have been, but it’s definitely not fun either.
Thanks for all of your concern and offers for dinner!! Hopefully our power will be back online soon, but if not I’ll let you know if we need anything!!
Monday, September 15, 2008
The Story of Avery Jane Brown
Everything about Avery has been like a surprise waiting at every turn. From the moment I discovered I was pregnant with her…wha??? This soon? We weren’t really “trying” to get pregnant, but the pink plus sign don’t lie, ya know what I mean? And we ran with it. My pregnancy was fine…craved taco salad from Wendy’s and Little Debbie snack cakes. She had lots of hiccups in utero and I had lots of Braxton-Hicks contractions. It was late summer when I got really large and in charge with her, and we didn’t have a/c in our little white Boise house, so I switched all our living room furniture around so that the couch (with a hide-a-bed) was directly in front of the swamp cooler and Mark would fetch me food and water (and Little Debbie’s), and Maryn learned every word to the Winnie the Pooh song (from watching the video a million times), and enjoyed playing peek-a-boo over my gigantic belly. Finally, the day arrived in early September (my due date was October 6th) that I was informed (at 35 weeks) that I was dilated to a 4 and over 70% effaced. It was early, and if I could slow things down a bit, that’d probably be a good idea. I was so scared that my baby was just going to “drop” out of me, I remember I walked really slowly out of the dr’s. office with my thighs pressed together tightly until I got to my car, and then drove very gingerly back home. I quarantined myself because that night I had crazy, bizarro (pregnant) dreams that she would pop out and just start walking around on her own! So I stayed home for 2 weeks straight…hoping that she could cook just a little while longer. Even though I was hot, and even though I was uncomfortable, I wanted her to be safe and healthy. But things weren’t meant to be predictable with her, or so I’ve learned. At 37 weeks, I awoke early in the morning to use the bathroom and heard an audible “pop” from my uterus and felt the gush. My water had broke and all systems pointed to Baby. Coming. Now!! I yelled to Mark in our bedroom, “it’s time to rock ‘n’ roll!!” Knowing not to doubt me (refer to Maryn’s birth story), he jumped up, grabbed my bag, the carseat, and the phone. He called his brother Dave and wife Melanie and they came to stay with Maryn.
By this time, it was about 4:30 in the morning. We got to the hospital around 4:45. In the triage, they finished breaking my water, and were checking things out when they declared I was at a 10, and it was time to push!! The nurse felt something “bony” starting to crown. Although that bony thing wasn’t her head like it should have been, it was the ball of her foot and she was coming out the wrong way!! They didn’t have time to tell me what a c-section was before I was whisked away into an operating room. Mark was in the bathroom of the triage and didn’t get to see me go. They shoved a gas mask over my mouth and nose and I was asleep before I even knew what was going to happen. (A general anesthetic for a c-section is not the ideal option. That meant that when I came to, I’d feel everything below the waist. But I’ll save that part for later.)
I was having an “emergency c-section”. The doctor told me later that Avery’s foot had crowned and that she (my dr.) had to push it back up the birth canal, and tried to pull her out by that foot and the other…except she couldn’t find the other foot. All she could recognizably feel was her bum. So she pulled her out by that, and when she did her other foot and leg came flopping out from being folded up by her head (she was basically in the splits position). Despite the tangled up ball she had been in my uterus, she was perfectly normal and healthy. She let out a cry and Mark said he heard it from out in the hallway. The nurse took some pictures of her having her cord cut and being weighed (6.14) and dried off. I was still out cold. They took her out to Mark and she stopped crying. She was still and with her wide eyes, studied his face for the whole elevator trip upstairs to the maternity ward. He had to give her to the nurses in the nursery and return downstairs to be there when I woke up from my anesthetic.
When I woke up, I could feel everything and it was incredibly painful. They had started a morphine drip, but I was allergic to the morphine and started throwing up. They had to switch it to something else and it took a long time. And I fell back asleep. When I came to again, it was much later in the day. I had given birth at 5:30, and it was probably after 1 pm when I woke up. I was groggy and disoriented. Mark stroked my hair and asked me if I wanted to see my baby. “Baby? What baby? Where am I?” I stammered. I was so overmedicated at that point I seriously didn’t know. But then it hit me, and I remembered. He wheeled the little crib in and lifted her up to me. I looked at her and was still a bit confused. I think I expected her to look like Maryn and I couldn’t place her face for a few moments. She was quiet and just let me study her. Eventually my brain made the connection and I knew she was mine.
The next morning, our pediatrician brought some issues to the attention of the doctors and nurses on staff. Avery’s leg was out of the socket. Actually, there was no socket. Because she had been in the splits in utero for awhile (possibly the last few weeks of the last trimester) she had a dislocated hip joint. She would need to be outfitted with a harness to encourage ligaments and muscles to form around her hip socket in order for it to not pop in and out all willy-nilly. They told us she’d be fitted before we left the hospital, but it never happened.
We stopped by a pediatric orthopaedist on our way home after being discharged and they rushed us through a fitting and quick explanation on what to do and how to care for it. It was awful. We were told not to remove it or move her too much. How are you supposed to do that with diapers and bathing and trying to nurse with this bulky contraption on? Needless to say, it was stressful and my post-partum emotions kicked in starting that day.
When we got home, Mark’s Mom and Maryn had decorated the house and things were warm and inviting. It was so good to be home. If it hadn’t been for Laurie for those first 2 weeks, we would’ve been in bad shape. She stepped in and took over, and cared for me and Mark and Maryn wonderfully. But then she had to leave, and with my c-section scar things were hard for another couple weeks. I was a mess of emotions too.
But then we had planned her blessing for the first weekend of October so that my parents could be there. And much to my surprise and delight, all 5 of my siblings showed up in wacky, surprise birthday party variety to celebrate the birth of my baby girl!! I seriously had no clue about any of them coming and was ecstatic and humbled beyond belief! It was the best surprise I could have ever imagined and immediately pulled me from my baby blues. I mean how could I be blue when my petite older sister is popping out of a red suitcase on my living room floor, or my older brother practically breaks his neck hanging from my front yard tree. I will always remember that day and how much it made me love and appreciate my siblings.
And I will always remember how my life changed when Avery came into it. I’m glad she’s my daughter and I hope she has an awesome sixth birthday, even if it’s by candlelight!!
By this time, it was about 4:30 in the morning. We got to the hospital around 4:45. In the triage, they finished breaking my water, and were checking things out when they declared I was at a 10, and it was time to push!! The nurse felt something “bony” starting to crown. Although that bony thing wasn’t her head like it should have been, it was the ball of her foot and she was coming out the wrong way!! They didn’t have time to tell me what a c-section was before I was whisked away into an operating room. Mark was in the bathroom of the triage and didn’t get to see me go. They shoved a gas mask over my mouth and nose and I was asleep before I even knew what was going to happen. (A general anesthetic for a c-section is not the ideal option. That meant that when I came to, I’d feel everything below the waist. But I’ll save that part for later.)
I was having an “emergency c-section”. The doctor told me later that Avery’s foot had crowned and that she (my dr.) had to push it back up the birth canal, and tried to pull her out by that foot and the other…except she couldn’t find the other foot. All she could recognizably feel was her bum. So she pulled her out by that, and when she did her other foot and leg came flopping out from being folded up by her head (she was basically in the splits position). Despite the tangled up ball she had been in my uterus, she was perfectly normal and healthy. She let out a cry and Mark said he heard it from out in the hallway. The nurse took some pictures of her having her cord cut and being weighed (6.14) and dried off. I was still out cold. They took her out to Mark and she stopped crying. She was still and with her wide eyes, studied his face for the whole elevator trip upstairs to the maternity ward. He had to give her to the nurses in the nursery and return downstairs to be there when I woke up from my anesthetic.
When I woke up, I could feel everything and it was incredibly painful. They had started a morphine drip, but I was allergic to the morphine and started throwing up. They had to switch it to something else and it took a long time. And I fell back asleep. When I came to again, it was much later in the day. I had given birth at 5:30, and it was probably after 1 pm when I woke up. I was groggy and disoriented. Mark stroked my hair and asked me if I wanted to see my baby. “Baby? What baby? Where am I?” I stammered. I was so overmedicated at that point I seriously didn’t know. But then it hit me, and I remembered. He wheeled the little crib in and lifted her up to me. I looked at her and was still a bit confused. I think I expected her to look like Maryn and I couldn’t place her face for a few moments. She was quiet and just let me study her. Eventually my brain made the connection and I knew she was mine.
The next morning, our pediatrician brought some issues to the attention of the doctors and nurses on staff. Avery’s leg was out of the socket. Actually, there was no socket. Because she had been in the splits in utero for awhile (possibly the last few weeks of the last trimester) she had a dislocated hip joint. She would need to be outfitted with a harness to encourage ligaments and muscles to form around her hip socket in order for it to not pop in and out all willy-nilly. They told us she’d be fitted before we left the hospital, but it never happened.
We stopped by a pediatric orthopaedist on our way home after being discharged and they rushed us through a fitting and quick explanation on what to do and how to care for it. It was awful. We were told not to remove it or move her too much. How are you supposed to do that with diapers and bathing and trying to nurse with this bulky contraption on? Needless to say, it was stressful and my post-partum emotions kicked in starting that day.
When we got home, Mark’s Mom and Maryn had decorated the house and things were warm and inviting. It was so good to be home. If it hadn’t been for Laurie for those first 2 weeks, we would’ve been in bad shape. She stepped in and took over, and cared for me and Mark and Maryn wonderfully. But then she had to leave, and with my c-section scar things were hard for another couple weeks. I was a mess of emotions too.
But then we had planned her blessing for the first weekend of October so that my parents could be there. And much to my surprise and delight, all 5 of my siblings showed up in wacky, surprise birthday party variety to celebrate the birth of my baby girl!! I seriously had no clue about any of them coming and was ecstatic and humbled beyond belief! It was the best surprise I could have ever imagined and immediately pulled me from my baby blues. I mean how could I be blue when my petite older sister is popping out of a red suitcase on my living room floor, or my older brother practically breaks his neck hanging from my front yard tree. I will always remember that day and how much it made me love and appreciate my siblings.
And I will always remember how my life changed when Avery came into it. I’m glad she’s my daughter and I hope she has an awesome sixth birthday, even if it’s by candlelight!!
Yikes Ike!!
If you haven’t already heard how our weekend went, read here.
Yeah, good times.
I am counting our blessings though. It literally touched down around the corner from our house, and we were generally unscathed. Besides not having power for several days (possibly up to a week is what I’m hearing now), things could’ve been much worse and ARE much worse for people in Houston. Yikes Ike!! A few shout outs to people who’ve helped in our post-hurricane clean up efforts: Don and Catherine Gauvreau for use of their “extra” fridge/freezer in their garage so that my recent Costco trip wasn’t in vain, Erin and Ben Griswold for a delicious “mexi-fiesta”, shelter from the rain, light, tv, and conversation!! And to Mom and Dad with their quick-thinking tips and watching of 11 o’clock and 6 o'clock news to see if school was closed today. (It wasn’t.)
Agh!
The worst part about the whole thing is that today is Avery’s birthday!! She has been stressing a bit about how we were going to remember it and celebrate it properly in the dark…with no means of making her favorite “magic fish” dinner, or being able to bake a cake, or cupcakes to share with her classmates for that matter!! Perfect, it may not be, but MEMORABLE for sure…her 6th bday, the day she blew out her candles in utter darkness. But whatever.
Now…I was planning on writing about happier things today, so I’m stickin’ to my plan. Besides, I’m at work, I have light, power, my computer, access to the internets, etc. Life is good. Even if DTE is not. So stay tuned for my birthday tribute to my birthday girl later today.
Yeah, good times.
I am counting our blessings though. It literally touched down around the corner from our house, and we were generally unscathed. Besides not having power for several days (possibly up to a week is what I’m hearing now), things could’ve been much worse and ARE much worse for people in Houston. Yikes Ike!! A few shout outs to people who’ve helped in our post-hurricane clean up efforts: Don and Catherine Gauvreau for use of their “extra” fridge/freezer in their garage so that my recent Costco trip wasn’t in vain, Erin and Ben Griswold for a delicious “mexi-fiesta”, shelter from the rain, light, tv, and conversation!! And to Mom and Dad with their quick-thinking tips and watching of 11 o’clock and 6 o'clock news to see if school was closed today. (It wasn’t.)
Agh!
The worst part about the whole thing is that today is Avery’s birthday!! She has been stressing a bit about how we were going to remember it and celebrate it properly in the dark…with no means of making her favorite “magic fish” dinner, or being able to bake a cake, or cupcakes to share with her classmates for that matter!! Perfect, it may not be, but MEMORABLE for sure…her 6th bday, the day she blew out her candles in utter darkness. But whatever.
Now…I was planning on writing about happier things today, so I’m stickin’ to my plan. Besides, I’m at work, I have light, power, my computer, access to the internets, etc. Life is good. Even if DTE is not. So stay tuned for my birthday tribute to my birthday girl later today.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Whad 'ja do this summer, huh?
(Picture taken in the backyard of the Vos's...thanks again for a fun night Jennifer!)
Well, it's official. Summer's over. We've had temps in the 70's and chilly nights all week. The leaves are changing and Fall has arrived. I have to admit, I'm not too broken up about it, I LOVE Fall, and was pretty much done with our crazy summer schedule. The girls are back to school, with calendars and schedules and homework coming home regularly. The theme in Maryn's SACC class this week was all about "What I Did This Summer". Do you remember writing essays about summer vacations and stuff you did after returning to school in the Fall? I remember writing an essay in Doc Goldberg's (my senior year writing teacher) class about taking a trip to Utah and Oregon to visit family. She told me in a quiet moment that I should be a writer someday. I wished I could. Anyway, the SACC theme made me think for a moment this afternoon. "What'd I do this summer?" We had lots of fun times, but one that stuck out to me comes on the eve (okay, not technically until Monday) of my second daughter's birthday. So here's my little essay about "what I did this summer" in letter format to my little Avamus Jones, who will be turning 6 very soon.
_______________________________________________________
September 12, 2008
Dear Avery,
One of my favorite memories of this past summer (2008, you were 5 ½) was getting to ride in Uncle Jeff’s boat with you. I discovered a new side to your personality that day, one I didn’t realize you had. And it thrilled and scared me a little. You see, as a baby you were kind of a chicken. I distinctly remember taking you to Grandma and Grandpa Brown’s in Rexburg for a weekend of Aunts and Uncles and crazy cousins running around and having a good time. You were probably only 3 months old at the time. Aunt Mindy was holding you and heading downstairs into the basement, and all of a sudden we heard this infant cry (unmistakable)…panicked and repetitive and loud. You were freaked out and wanted none of the noise and chaos. You must have been really sensitive to it as most days we hung out in a pretty quiet and calm house (despite your older, raucos-y sister). I remember discovering that you had a sensitive little spirit that day, and that you would always cling to me, your Mommy when things were a little too much to handle.
That continued for the next several years. One summer, when you were probably around 2 ½, we took you and Maryn to a fair in a small Idaho town (I think it was Jerome), and we placed you on a kiddy ride to go around and around a circular track. You freaked and wanted nothing to do with it, insisting that you be picked up and kept close for the next few hours. Maryn wanted to go on every ride and did so with Dad, and we figured she was our little “daredevil”. Well the tables have turned, so I’ve learned.
This past summer, Uncle Jeff invited us on their speedboat for an afternoon of rides, swimming in the lake, and an awesome picnic lunch. We took our first spin with you at the helm, me clutching your waist so you wouldn’t go flying off into space, Dad and Maryn were in the back, both looking a little green. You shrieked and giggled at every bump and jump from getting some air off of the waves. You loved every second of it, and I could tell you just wanted me to let you go. When Uncle Jeff offered to blow up the raft, you squealed with delight and shot your hand in the air to “be first, PLEASE!!” It was you, me and cousin Alec. Uncle Jeff says he took it easy on us, but I was freaking out a little. You, on the other hand, LOVED it!! You held on with both hands (more for my sake, than yours), and laughed and grinned from ear to ear, yelling the whole time, and giving Uncle Jeff the thumbs up sign (to go faster) repeatedly. I’d immediately make you put your thumb down because the ride was already fast enough for my tastes. I remember at times feeling like I couldn’t wait for the ride to be over, but never wanting that happy moment with you to end. I loved sharing something so new and exciting with you. It was joy to my soul, beyond measure.
I saw my life flash before my eyes for a moment (no, not because Uncle Jeff was racing us like a maniac), but because I was so caught up in the moment with you. I imagined us doing the same thing 20 years from now. You would be 25, I would be 54. We’d be out on the lake and your husband or Maryn’s would be pulling us around on a giant, inflatable raft and we’d be bumping and jumping along, laughing, giggling, grinning from ear to ear, and yelling our heads off. And my heart would leap because that too, would be joy to my soul beyond measure.
Avery, I am so grateful for you. As I learn more about you and watch you grow and change, I am in awe of what a powerful and wonderful Spirit you have and thank my lucky stars and Heavenly Father for bringing us together. Hopefully the ride won’t always be bumpy and jumpy like our boating adventures, but then again, I sure hope there’s lots of laughing, grinning, and good times with you to come!
I love you Avery Jane!!
Mom
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Where Were You?
I can’t help but get a little emotional today. As I drove in this morning, they were already replaying news stories from 7 years ago, with the DJ’s sharing personal stories of how they found out the news; where they were, and what they did in the hours that followed that September morning. We all have our own story, and we all remember it with alarming clarity. It was a sobering, tragic event of such magnitude…how could we ever forget? So in light of that, I thought I’d share where I was, and what I was doing on September 11, 2001.
We were living in Boise, Idaho in our little white and blue turn-of-the-century house on Latah street. (This was the first house we ever bought, and with lots of help from Mark’s Dad worked to fix up over the course of 3 years.) I had gotten up early to get ready for a meeting I had at work (S&T) in the morning. As I listened to the radio on my drive in, I was catching little snippets of information, but not really focusing and understanding what they were talking about. I walked into my office, and there was a weird silence. Nobody was sitting at their cubes. Instead everyone was congregated in a conference room around a little, portable TV. That’s when I saw the image for the first time. The first tower had been hit and flames were billowing out of it. And then…I saw what appeared to be a speck on the TV screen approaching the second tower and wham! It was hit, and I saw it happen in real time. My coworkers gasped. We were all stunned. People were either speechless, hands over their mouths, or muttering expletives and pacing the room. One woman left the room in tears. I stood against the wall in the dark conference room for a few minutes, until people started dissipating. It seemed like all anybody could think about was getting out of the office, going home to their families, finding safety and shelter until all the pieces would be put together later on. And that’s what I did. Assuming that the meetings would be cancelled for the day, and that normal work would be suspended, I walked back out to the parking lot towards my car. While I walked, I remembered feeling scared. The parking lot looked different, the sky looked different, and I was different. I felt the distinct impression that I needed to prepare for war. That our country was no longer safe, that we were being attacked and that everything had changed that morning. I drove towards home to make sure that Mark and Maryn were okay. I walked in through the back door, and found Maryn crawling around on the floor in front of the TV (she was about 9 mos. old at the time). What a strange scene that was. Here was our baby Maryn, happily playing, so young and innocent, with a backdrop of utter devastation and chaos playing on screen behind her. Mark sat on the couch in his pajamas, glued to the images and reports playing on the TV. He seemed to have more information than I did, and filled me in on what was being reported. We sat on the couch for what seemed like hours, trying to figure it out. We called our families, we huddled.
That night, I remember I went to Wal-Mart after putting my baby to bed. I bought food storage. We had a little bit already, but not enough and I was being driven by my initial impressions. I needed to prepare. I was convinced that there would be more attacks, and after the war began, counter-attacks. It was a stressful time for many, many months. But slowly, the fear and the stress of it began to fade away. It wasn’t at the forefront of my thoughts like it had been, but it also wasn’t resolved or over by any means.
What’s crazy to me is that it’s still not over. Our troops are still fighting the same war today…7 years later. For what? They’re not there for what they were in the beginning. There WERE no weapons of mass destruction, and Osama is still at large. I’m not quite clear on what this has turned into to be quite honest. All the while, soldiers are dying every day. Not from hand-to-hand combat, but from suicide and road-side bombers who know when and where our soldiers are going to be at any time on any given day because they’ve been patrolling the same streets for months, years even. It’s senseless and unnecessary in my opinion. Other countries soldiers have been gone for years…then why do we remain? I’ve tried to understand our President’s rationale, but I can’t make sense of it for myself. And that’s why I hope that whatever candidate is elected this Fall will make some sense of it for us. Any change, at this point, will be better than no change.
The message that I continue to take away from 9/11/01 is that of hope, solidarity, service, loyalty, compassion, faith, and freedom. I’ve never been more proud to be an American than when I saw people, regular people like you and I, stop what they were doing and find something they could do to help. It didn’t matter who you were, a lot of people stepped outside of themselves and became heroes that day and the many days that followed. It made me proud and hopeful that there is still so much good in the world. That people will still continue to fight to preserve life, freedom, and our country.
The impression I still take away from that day that is very personal to me is to prepare. I not only need to take my food and home storage seriously, but I also need to be prepared spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for tragic and difficult events. If I’m strong before tragedy happens, I stand a much better chance of being able to help others because I have enough to give. And that is what I can do to honor that day. Continue to prepare and be ready.
Where were you and what message do you take away today, 7 years later?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Extra’s
I’m in a quandary right now about whether or not to sign the girls up for “extra-curricular” activities this Fall. We took the summer off, mostly because with the extra costs of daycare, I couldn’t afford the fees of any “extra’s”. Last Winter/Spring, they took Karate (remember that?), and it didn’t go well. I probably hated the class more than they did. Anyway, now it’s time to register for stuff starting up in September and I’m on the fence.
On the one hand, I know it’s important to expose kids to extra stuff to see where their interests and talents are. It offers them a way to grow and express themselves. It burns off some steam and offers exercise in some cases (sports), and in other cases helps them develop habits and self-discipline (music, dance, etc) that serve them throughout their lives. So, I know all that stuff. I do see the positives. I have many fond memories of being able to participate in extra’s growing up. When I was young, it was Brownies, Girl Scouts, dance (jazz mostly), piano, and finally playing the viola. When I was in high school I didn’t really do the organized “extra” thing. Instead I took advantage (mostly out of financial necessity in our BIG family) of things that were free…I played Church sports, was in the HS Choir, and loved all things Girl’s Camp. I also worked from the time I was 15 because earning money for myself became more important than my dreams…did I really just say that? Not really, but I learned young that sometimes we have to sacrifice “playtime” with more practical things. I’m glad I learned this lesson young. It made entering the workforce much easier for me as an adult. But that’s a topic for another day, and I digress.
(Back to enrolling my girls in “extra’s”.) On the other hand, aren’t we busy enough as it is? Aren’t church leaders and our Prophet telling us to do without all the extras in favor of spending more time at home, together, as a family? Because I work I only get a few hours with my girls in the evenings during the week. If we were to add an hour class in there once a week, with additional time necessary for practicing during the rest of the week, or add a class or sport on Saturday mornings, that is precious time that is being taken away from us spending time together as a family, talking, relaxing and enjoying our time together.
So here is my dilemma. In the past we have enrolled the girls in classes on either a weeknight or Saturday morning, and it’s been okay while it lasted but the whole time both Mark and I can barely wait for it to be over. We have to juggle schedules and sacrifice mealtimes at home or Saturday mornings lingering in our p.j.’s so that one or both of us can take them to their gigs. And some nights the girls are so worn out after being at school and after-school care, they don’t even want to go. They’re pooped and rightfully so. So in some cases, we let them skip and ultimately waste money spent on so many sessions over a certain period of time, and also send the message to them that it’s okay to “skip out” on obligations, and quit something before finishing. So there’s all those financial and moral issues to consider as well.
Do you see why I’m in such a quandary? I really don’t know what the best thing to do is. I know that whatever choice I make would be fine, it’s not like it’s THAT big of a deal, but I just don’t want to add another straw to the camel’s back, if you know what I mean. We walk a fine line in our lives of having too much on our plates and becoming STRESSED very easily. I know the warning signs, and I know what happens when we’ve crossed over to the dark side, and it’s not pretty. You all know what I’m talking about, right? I don’t have to paint the ugly picture for you.
I don’t want to whine and complain about how busy we are, because I know that everyone is. In their own way, everyone has a lot of stuff going on in their lives. I know that our situation is different from many, but for us we feel like we’re dealing with a lot right now. But I also don’t want it to seem like it’s all about Mark and I and our busy schedules, or that our girls interests and education aren’t a priority for us, because they are. So much so, that I worry that not signing them up for something this Fall is somehow going to impede their growth and ability to function in society as adults. I’m their Mom, my children will constantly occupy the forefront of my thoughts and worries forever.
So here’s my little plea for advice, nuggets of wisdom, and personal opinions on the topic of “extra’s”. I know that we all do it differently, so I’d like to hear about how everyone handles it for their family. Just so I can get a sense of how we should approach this not only this semester, but down the road as well.
Thanks in advance!!
On the one hand, I know it’s important to expose kids to extra stuff to see where their interests and talents are. It offers them a way to grow and express themselves. It burns off some steam and offers exercise in some cases (sports), and in other cases helps them develop habits and self-discipline (music, dance, etc) that serve them throughout their lives. So, I know all that stuff. I do see the positives. I have many fond memories of being able to participate in extra’s growing up. When I was young, it was Brownies, Girl Scouts, dance (jazz mostly), piano, and finally playing the viola. When I was in high school I didn’t really do the organized “extra” thing. Instead I took advantage (mostly out of financial necessity in our BIG family) of things that were free…I played Church sports, was in the HS Choir, and loved all things Girl’s Camp. I also worked from the time I was 15 because earning money for myself became more important than my dreams…did I really just say that? Not really, but I learned young that sometimes we have to sacrifice “playtime” with more practical things. I’m glad I learned this lesson young. It made entering the workforce much easier for me as an adult. But that’s a topic for another day, and I digress.
(Back to enrolling my girls in “extra’s”.) On the other hand, aren’t we busy enough as it is? Aren’t church leaders and our Prophet telling us to do without all the extras in favor of spending more time at home, together, as a family? Because I work I only get a few hours with my girls in the evenings during the week. If we were to add an hour class in there once a week, with additional time necessary for practicing during the rest of the week, or add a class or sport on Saturday mornings, that is precious time that is being taken away from us spending time together as a family, talking, relaxing and enjoying our time together.
So here is my dilemma. In the past we have enrolled the girls in classes on either a weeknight or Saturday morning, and it’s been okay while it lasted but the whole time both Mark and I can barely wait for it to be over. We have to juggle schedules and sacrifice mealtimes at home or Saturday mornings lingering in our p.j.’s so that one or both of us can take them to their gigs. And some nights the girls are so worn out after being at school and after-school care, they don’t even want to go. They’re pooped and rightfully so. So in some cases, we let them skip and ultimately waste money spent on so many sessions over a certain period of time, and also send the message to them that it’s okay to “skip out” on obligations, and quit something before finishing. So there’s all those financial and moral issues to consider as well.
Do you see why I’m in such a quandary? I really don’t know what the best thing to do is. I know that whatever choice I make would be fine, it’s not like it’s THAT big of a deal, but I just don’t want to add another straw to the camel’s back, if you know what I mean. We walk a fine line in our lives of having too much on our plates and becoming STRESSED very easily. I know the warning signs, and I know what happens when we’ve crossed over to the dark side, and it’s not pretty. You all know what I’m talking about, right? I don’t have to paint the ugly picture for you.
I don’t want to whine and complain about how busy we are, because I know that everyone is. In their own way, everyone has a lot of stuff going on in their lives. I know that our situation is different from many, but for us we feel like we’re dealing with a lot right now. But I also don’t want it to seem like it’s all about Mark and I and our busy schedules, or that our girls interests and education aren’t a priority for us, because they are. So much so, that I worry that not signing them up for something this Fall is somehow going to impede their growth and ability to function in society as adults. I’m their Mom, my children will constantly occupy the forefront of my thoughts and worries forever.
So here’s my little plea for advice, nuggets of wisdom, and personal opinions on the topic of “extra’s”. I know that we all do it differently, so I’d like to hear about how everyone handles it for their family. Just so I can get a sense of how we should approach this not only this semester, but down the road as well.
Thanks in advance!!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Cider Mill Nemesis
It's that time of year again!! One of my FAVORITE Michigan rituals and pastimes of F-A-L-L is going to the local cider mills for fresh cider and hot, greasy cake donuts. On Saturday, we made our first trip of the year to Parmenter's Cider Mill in Northville. This is a local favorite because it's close and they have a fun wooden train for the kids to climb on.
They also have a stream that meanders through some trees in the back with about a million ducks that love to eat your donut crumbs and anything else you throw their way. But the one thing that is NOT our favorite thing about Parmenter's is the enormous amount of bees that swarm and divebomb your head for a taste of the sweet cider goodness. That part is not fun.
That is why we spent exactly 10 minutes at Parmenter's on Saturday afternoon. Avery got stung on her hand, and her arm immediately started swelling and turning bright red. We jumped in the car and raced home for Benadryl and ice. Luckily it didn't turn into a full-blown anaphylactic episode, but it did cause concern. Now, she never wants to go back. But I'm not so sure. I think those donuts and cider will be calling our name before too long!!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Not quite sick
So last week, I was sick. At first I thought it was my allergies (tis the season, and how!), but it turned out to be a cold…a summer cold, which is the worst!! And I rested and took the week off from running and it did me good. I did get past the cold (in stages), and even ventured out on Saturday morning for a 5 mile run through my neighborhood.
But I still sound really nasal. I have this really irritating whine to my voice this week, and it’s not the cold anymore. It’s the allergies. They’ve left me with occasionally itchy eyes, and a pretty constant nasal issue. It’s either running like crazy or stuffed up and I. can’t. breathe.!!! And it’s buggin’. Nothing’s worse than being unable to breathe effectively through my nose. It’s like somebody is trying to slowly suffocate me. It brings up all kinds of repressed (really?) feelings like I’m slowly dying a slow death by way of not being able to breathe out of my nose. And it may cause you to wonder…why would I have repressed fears of not being able to breathe out of my nose, what kind of a freak?...
Weeeellll…see, there’s this little tiny secret that not many of you may know about me. It’s extremely embarrassing and also kind of a delicate subject with me. Only the closest inner circle of peoples in my life know about this touchy little hidden morsel of shameful truth. So if you already know what I’m about to confess, know that it’s because you’re already in the circle. If you’re reading this now (you’re on the edge of your seats, aren’t you?), know that I’m inviting you into the inner circle, and you must hereby cross your right hand over your heart and repeat the following, “I promise to never tell Suzy’s shameful and highly embarrassing secret that she is about to admit to me, her faithful blog reader.” Did you say it? Do you promise? Okay, here goes…
My name is Suzy, and I was addicted to nasal spray. Yes, you read me right, I was addicted to nasal spray. Totally and utterly nerd to the core was I. It was my secret burden to carry, and only those who know me really, really well had any clue about my closet struggle with the spray. The circle included my family (parents, siblings), Diane (roommate, year 1), and Andrea (roommate, year 2). Occasionally boyfriends and close friends (Erin, Carley) knew (if I had to squirt in their presence, but for the most part I kept my secret pretty well hidden. Can you believe this stuff?!?
So here’s the gist…you may have never heard of nasal spray addiction. It may seem paltry and insignificant. Nerdy probably. But let me set the record straight. Nasal spray is a highly addictive substance that is NOT to be handled lightly. This is serious stuff, folks. Read the label if you don’t believe me. FDA warnings caution, “Do NOT use for more than 2-3 days…May become habit-forming”. I wish I had heeded those sage words long ago. I am wiser now. I live to tell my tale.
It all started one fateful winter (or maybe summer) day when I was about 16 years old. I had a cold. Much like the one I had last week. My passages were completely blocked. I was completely unable to breathe through them, and I panicked. My Mom in her loving compassion bestowed upon me the spray. She gave me a brief tutorial on how to squirt and sniff and told me to only use it when I absolutely needed it. It was like the heavens had parted and offered manna to my poor, swollen nose. I breathed again!! But then the passages closed up again. I sprayed again, I breathed again. This went on for a couple days. I should have stopped; I should have relinquished the spray. Instead I hid the spray in my nightstand, and sometimes my backpack. But then the spray ran out. I tagged along to the grocery store with my Mom and bought the spray with babysitting money, embarrassed to admit I was still “using” the spray. I kept this going for several months. This turned into years. I’m not kidding. It was my secret addiction. I don’t know how or why I kept it all that time. I don’t know why I never sought help or alternatives. I just kept buying it and using it. It became my normal.
Then I got my mission call to a 3rd world country in the middle of nowhere. My spirituality was at an all-time high. I was praying and receiving direction, guidance, and whisperings of the Spirit on a daily basis. One day, I felt a prompting. “Serbia will not have nasal spray.” (I’m cracking up writing that sentence!) But it was true. I knew the time had come. I knew what I had to do.
At the time I was living with my sister Shauna (also a former spray addict, sorry I “outed” you Shauna). She knew of my struggle…she was in the circle of trust. I decided to go “cold turkey”. I was working 2 jobs at the time and was so busy I didn’t think I’d have time to notice. One afternoon, I came home to change clothes for job #2, and I was sniffing and snorting and talking in my “nasal” voice. Shauna noticed. She asked me if I had a cold. I confessed everything to her. Told her I had gone cold-turkey, it had been a week. “Keep going!!” She implored. “Only 1 more week and you’ll be free!!” She promised that breathing would slowly return through my passages and that I would be able to breathe on my own some day. I trusted and persevered.
And she was right. In another week I breathed easier, and that became a month, and that became the subsequent years of my life. It was true that there was no spray in Serbia (hee hee), but more importantly there were no secrets or tethers either. My spirit (and not just my nasal passages) were free again. And I learned many important lessons. It seems ridiculously silly and I can’t help but laugh at myself about the whole stupid thing. I mean really…nasal spray?!? But it’s true. I’m not proud of it, but it’s part of my story now. That is mine to tell. And now you are in the circle. Tread lightly. And it’s okay if you giggle a little if you want to, I understand. I was cracking up writing this.
Amen.
P.S. Fielding questions should the need arise...you know where to find me.
P.P.S. Have a fun weekend!!!!
But I still sound really nasal. I have this really irritating whine to my voice this week, and it’s not the cold anymore. It’s the allergies. They’ve left me with occasionally itchy eyes, and a pretty constant nasal issue. It’s either running like crazy or stuffed up and I. can’t. breathe.!!! And it’s buggin’. Nothing’s worse than being unable to breathe effectively through my nose. It’s like somebody is trying to slowly suffocate me. It brings up all kinds of repressed (really?) feelings like I’m slowly dying a slow death by way of not being able to breathe out of my nose. And it may cause you to wonder…why would I have repressed fears of not being able to breathe out of my nose, what kind of a freak?...
Weeeellll…see, there’s this little tiny secret that not many of you may know about me. It’s extremely embarrassing and also kind of a delicate subject with me. Only the closest inner circle of peoples in my life know about this touchy little hidden morsel of shameful truth. So if you already know what I’m about to confess, know that it’s because you’re already in the circle. If you’re reading this now (you’re on the edge of your seats, aren’t you?), know that I’m inviting you into the inner circle, and you must hereby cross your right hand over your heart and repeat the following, “I promise to never tell Suzy’s shameful and highly embarrassing secret that she is about to admit to me, her faithful blog reader.” Did you say it? Do you promise? Okay, here goes…
My name is Suzy, and I was addicted to nasal spray. Yes, you read me right, I was addicted to nasal spray. Totally and utterly nerd to the core was I. It was my secret burden to carry, and only those who know me really, really well had any clue about my closet struggle with the spray. The circle included my family (parents, siblings), Diane (roommate, year 1), and Andrea (roommate, year 2). Occasionally boyfriends and close friends (Erin, Carley) knew (if I had to squirt in their presence, but for the most part I kept my secret pretty well hidden. Can you believe this stuff?!?
So here’s the gist…you may have never heard of nasal spray addiction. It may seem paltry and insignificant. Nerdy probably. But let me set the record straight. Nasal spray is a highly addictive substance that is NOT to be handled lightly. This is serious stuff, folks. Read the label if you don’t believe me. FDA warnings caution, “Do NOT use for more than 2-3 days…May become habit-forming”. I wish I had heeded those sage words long ago. I am wiser now. I live to tell my tale.
It all started one fateful winter (or maybe summer) day when I was about 16 years old. I had a cold. Much like the one I had last week. My passages were completely blocked. I was completely unable to breathe through them, and I panicked. My Mom in her loving compassion bestowed upon me the spray. She gave me a brief tutorial on how to squirt and sniff and told me to only use it when I absolutely needed it. It was like the heavens had parted and offered manna to my poor, swollen nose. I breathed again!! But then the passages closed up again. I sprayed again, I breathed again. This went on for a couple days. I should have stopped; I should have relinquished the spray. Instead I hid the spray in my nightstand, and sometimes my backpack. But then the spray ran out. I tagged along to the grocery store with my Mom and bought the spray with babysitting money, embarrassed to admit I was still “using” the spray. I kept this going for several months. This turned into years. I’m not kidding. It was my secret addiction. I don’t know how or why I kept it all that time. I don’t know why I never sought help or alternatives. I just kept buying it and using it. It became my normal.
Then I got my mission call to a 3rd world country in the middle of nowhere. My spirituality was at an all-time high. I was praying and receiving direction, guidance, and whisperings of the Spirit on a daily basis. One day, I felt a prompting. “Serbia will not have nasal spray.” (I’m cracking up writing that sentence!) But it was true. I knew the time had come. I knew what I had to do.
At the time I was living with my sister Shauna (also a former spray addict, sorry I “outed” you Shauna). She knew of my struggle…she was in the circle of trust. I decided to go “cold turkey”. I was working 2 jobs at the time and was so busy I didn’t think I’d have time to notice. One afternoon, I came home to change clothes for job #2, and I was sniffing and snorting and talking in my “nasal” voice. Shauna noticed. She asked me if I had a cold. I confessed everything to her. Told her I had gone cold-turkey, it had been a week. “Keep going!!” She implored. “Only 1 more week and you’ll be free!!” She promised that breathing would slowly return through my passages and that I would be able to breathe on my own some day. I trusted and persevered.
And she was right. In another week I breathed easier, and that became a month, and that became the subsequent years of my life. It was true that there was no spray in Serbia (hee hee), but more importantly there were no secrets or tethers either. My spirit (and not just my nasal passages) were free again. And I learned many important lessons. It seems ridiculously silly and I can’t help but laugh at myself about the whole stupid thing. I mean really…nasal spray?!? But it’s true. I’m not proud of it, but it’s part of my story now. That is mine to tell. And now you are in the circle. Tread lightly. And it’s okay if you giggle a little if you want to, I understand. I was cracking up writing this.
Amen.
P.S. Fielding questions should the need arise...you know where to find me.
P.P.S. Have a fun weekend!!!!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Firsts
Yesterday was the much anticipated first day of school for the girls. Some of you may have already seen these on Mark's blog, but for those of you who haven't, here's a few pics of the exciting event...
(sporting their new outfits from Justice, compliments of Grandma Day.)
(Avery wearing her favorite color!!)
(Walking to school with Mark...can't get there fast enough!!)
(Maryn can't wait to get inside...that's her teacher leaning over behind her.)
Other firsts from today...my first mammogram. A "little" pressure? Really?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Happenings
The girls finished up their summer at the CDC on Friday. Avery was in the “kindergarten” room, and Maryn was in the “school-age” room. They both had a pretty fun summer. Both of them made some new friends and played with old friends from their days here over the past couple years. Maryn was able to go on many cool field trips with her class including Cranbrook Science Center, a Nature Center, a local Orchard to pick peaches and pet animals, the Zoo, and some other places. Because Avery isn’t 6 yet, she wasn’t able to go on any of the field trips. We had much drama and jealousy in our house concerning this injustice. To celebrate the last day, they had lunch out at Pizza Papalis downtown, and finally, the kindergarteners were able to go. Mark and I joined the girls for lunch, and it was very loud, but fun.
We had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. We finished up back-to-school shopping including a trip to Target for supplies, and Kohl’s for gym shoes, socks, and a couple of “hip” shirts. We also attended a couple of parties on Saturday. On Sunday, Mark was able to give the girls their back-to-school blessings. It was a special experience for all of us, and hopefully will help them not have so many jitters about starting a new year. (If nothing else, I felt some of my own jitters subside.) That night the girls had a special FHE for our family wherein we pretended to be a pioneer family and re-enacted a trek “west” to the local schoolyard playground. They both packed their scriptures in their backpacks and “preached” to us from the top of the play structure. Stories included Noah and the Ark, Alma baptizing in the waters of Mormon, “Ramoni” (Moroni), the brave Nephite captain. It was quite cute and fun and I think they felt really good about themselves. At one point, Avery said, “because I love the gospel SO much, I’m going to share it with people when I’m a missionary.” I hope she continues to love the gospel soooo much. It makes my heart happy to see them find joy in the gospel and living it.
On Monday, we decided to get out of town for awhile. We drove up to Frankenmuth and wandered around, sampled some cheese from the “Cheese Haus”, ate the traditional chicken dinner at Zehnder’s, and finished our afternoon with fudge and caramel popcorn from the Frankenmuth Fudge Factory on our way out. It was a fun getaway, and I even taught the girls a few words of German from my high school days with Frau Anderson. (I think the last time I went to Frankenmuth was with my German class in high school.)
On Monday, we decided to get out of town for awhile. We drove up to Frankenmuth and wandered around, sampled some cheese from the “Cheese Haus”, ate the traditional chicken dinner at Zehnder’s, and finished our afternoon with fudge and caramel popcorn from the Frankenmuth Fudge Factory on our way out. It was a fun getaway, and I even taught the girls a few words of German from my high school days with Frau Anderson. (I think the last time I went to Frankenmuth was with my German class in high school.)
That night we got together with my family at the Condo and enjoyed a nice BBQ on the deck. The weather was so nice, and we were able to just sit and eat and visit and enjoy one of the last nights of summer. It was a great way to cap it off for us…thanks Mom and Dad!!
This week’s happenings include:
This week’s happenings include:
Tuesday—Breakfast with Grandpa, and a day of shopping and lunch with Grandma, followed by playing with cousins in the afternoon. Mark starts “MTO” with a new batch of students at YDB. This includes daily pat-downs at the door, early mornings and long afternoons of orientation and group-bonding activities. Now that everyone has either quit or been fired, Mark’s 2nd in command…wish him luck!!
Wednesday—First day of school!! Mark will drop them off, and I will take a ½ day to pick them up. Hopefully there will be no bus drama (refer to last year’s post about Maryn’s first day of 1st grade…ugh!)
Thursday and Friday—First full day of all-day school for Avery…she’s starting first and won’t get that nap anymore. It’ll be interesting to see how she does. Maryn will be starting 2nd and pretty much knows the drill. SACC starts on these days, so they will be able to catch up with their friends there too.
Saturday—I think everyone will be passing out from all the newness and exhaustion of the week. We are officially into another school year!!
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