Confessions of a Closet Wal Mart Junkie

Ok, it's out in the open. Despite my best attempts at socially responsible shopping I have to confess that right now Wal Mart is my go-to place. I kind of soured on Target after trying to return some items after Jill was born, items I had purchased there myself and simply needed to exchange. Needless to say, Target's return policy STINKS. Anyhow, when you live out in the middle of nowhere and there's not much else available, you get drawn further and further into Wal Mart's sticky web and suddenly they've become indispensible. It's no wonder they're the only company still meeting their quarterly earnings projections. I even had my Christmas cards printed there this year. In the words of Master Yoda, "Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny." Help! I am succumbing to the power of the dark side!

Mr. Incredible!

Josh has become downright domestic since being released from the bishopric. He spent all week last week building me some storage cabinets and a window seat in our playroom. "Storage cabinets" seems hum-drum compared with what he has made. He's made floor to ceiling, built-in cabinets that match the linen closet in the hall. I can't wait to see the finished product. He's been super-dad lately, doing everything that has been asked of him without complaint. And tonight, to top it all off, he made caramel frosting that brought tears to my eyes. Anyone who knows me well, knows of my penchant for really good caramel. I've been eating the frosting in big scoops all night, no cake necessary. I'm pretty sure I've died and gone to heaven. I love you Mr. Incredible!

Early Resolution

I am finding myself in an early holiday season running slump. So, I am putting my running goal out here in the ether of cyberspace. If I post it on my blog, maybe I'll have better luck hauling myself out of bed to run in the mornings. ( I guess three weeks of really nasty upper respiratory infections don't help.) So....I am shooting for "London's Run" on the last day of January 2009, just the 10K, not the half marathon (yet). So, sisters, cousins and friends, I expect you to hold me to it and give me plenty of grief if I come up with lame excuses. There, I've done it. Now I better go to bed so that I can get up when the alarm goes off. "Dream bum" here I come! (My Beehive advisor had a picture of a really nice backside that she'd cut from a magazine and hung up inside her pantry door for motivation--she called it her dream bum.)

GO UTES!!!

Well, tomorrow is the big smack down. The blood runs deeply RED around here. For all you Felts up there lucky enough to go to the game. Cheer your heads off for us!! I don't know if we'll be able to find any way to watch the game down here, but we'll be wearing red and checking the live scores on the net. GO DOWN COUGARS!!! I am a Utah man, sir....

Heidi Strikes Again!

Heidi did our family photos last weekend. I just thought I'd put some on the blog. It kind of spoils the Christmas Card, but oh well! Josh doesn't look like a guy with pneumonia, does he? We've all had a nasty cold that we've had a hard time shaking, but Josh just kept getting worse and worse. He went to the doctor on Wednesday and was sent home at once to take some nuclear anti-biotics and get some rest. We'll hope that takes care of it.

Alex was worried when I told him that his dad had pneumonia. I told him that his Dad was young and strong and should be all right with some rest and medicine. He must not have been convinced because he jumped into Karissa's car Thursday after school and said, "My Dad has pneumonia. It can kill you." We're sure glad that Doctor Bapa is on his way down for Thanksgiving (after running his eighth marathon of the year in Vegas). I'm pretty sure that no one will die on his watch!

"Goodnight sweet prince..."

Today should be Luke's second birthday. Happy Birthday my boy!

Not in this world to see his face
Sounds long, until I read the place
Where this is said to be
But just the primer to a life
Unopened, rare, upon the shelf,
Clasped yet to him and me.

--Emily Dickinson

Undecided?

Well, for all you undecided voters out there, I have finally found the information you will need to make your decision. Follow the link below to the best youtube video I've seen in a while!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzyT9-9lUyE

Halloween

Jillian the Ballerina (many thanks to Chira!)...

Rhino as Obi Wan Kenobi (surprise, surprise--I think that kid lives and breathes Star Wars)...

And Alex, as Peter from the Chronicles of Narnia (his school requires the kids to dress as literary characters)...

Well, here are the obligatory Halloween photos. We had a really nice time with good weather, good food, and good friends. The corner by the Atkins, Christiansens and Householders was blocked off and the kids were able to play. Everybody brought yummy food for our potluck and Josh and I made doughnuts again. Believe it or not, I was actually able to offer a cop a doughnut and not get arrested. A couple of Pinal county sheriff's deputies stopped by to make sure we weren't making a lot of trouble. I walked up with a plate of fresh doughnuts and asked, "Is it really wrong to offer a cop a doughnut?" No takers. As soon as they saw the casseroles and that there was no beer, they let us be.

I thought Ryan's white vampire pumkin was pretty good, but I think it is eclipsed by my brother Greg's pumpkin "Ralph." Kudos to Greg for the best Jack since Doug's Bill Cllinton pumpkin a few years ago.

Happy Halloween!

Bob the Builder and Life with Boys

Well, Josh has been at it again. He got tired of having laundry baskets full of towels around (clean and folded, but still homeless), so he ripped out my linen cabinet and built me a new one that holds about three times as much as the old cabinet. He grabbed a cabinet catalogue from Home Depot, asked me which door style I liked and then disappeared into the garage. This was the end result. The picture hardly does it justice. It makes me wonder what else he could do if not for that pesky, full-time job that pays our mortgage.

The little boys have been on a roll lately. Every day they say something that just cracks me up. While we were on our trip, Josh's mom overheard this conversation when the boys were supposed to be sleeping. (Keep in mind we had been to the dinosaur museum that day):

Alex: Hey Ryan, do you think dinosaurs ever puked? (giggle, giggle)

Ryan: Yeah, and then you could fill a whole BUCKET full of puke and dump it over their heads! (peals of hysterical laughter)

They announced to me last night in the car that we needed a pet. I proceeded to tell them that their Daddy is allergic to a lot of animals, but maybe if they came up with a good idea we could discuss it. After deciding that fish and frogs sounded totally dull, each boy came up with his ideal pet. Alex wants a cheetah and Ryan wants a were-rabbit. (Yes, a were-rabbit all you Wallace and Gromit fans out there.)

So all in all, life with boys may be tiring, but it is at least entertaining, as long as you think puke and belching the ABC's qualify as entertainment.

I came, I saw, I (eventually) conquered...

I have finally finished it! Josh gave me this book for Christmas two years ago and between life with three kids and several shorter intervening books, it has taken me this long to finish it, but finish it I did! It was excellent. Much to the chagrin of my Grandfather, "Give 'em hell Harry" has always been one of my favorite presidents. So for any of you biography readers out there, this one is well worth the time investment (the book is nearly 1,000 pages, hence it is truly an investment).

Just a funny side note: When Gordon B. Hinckley, at age 97, met David McCullough he told him that he had read all of his books with great relish, except this one. President Hinckley said, "A man of my age doesn't begin a book that large."

Homesick!

Well, we've had a few days to get over the Grandma withdrawal and to get used to being back at home. I love my home, I love my dear friends here, but Oh! how I miss our families. We had a wonderful time being home again. Last Sunday, we gathered most of our families together for the blessing of our baby daughter. (We were only missing my brother Ken and his wife Alison and their kids.) Josh's mom was kind enough to host all of us, and our numerous small children in her home. There is something so tender about a father pouring out his heart to his infant child while surrounded by a fortress of strength. Jillian was blessed by her Father, assisted by both Grandfathers, all but two of her Uncles and several dear and close friends. It is a lovely way to set parents up on a sure foundation as they begin the process of rearing a new little one. It gives you such a sense of continuity. Jilly wore a lovely dress that was made by Josh's grandmother for the blessing of his sister Abby (seen with Jillian below). I have a weakness for things that are traditional and still meaningful, such as the dress and Jillian's middle name. We named her Alice in honor of my paternal grandmother, Alice Ann. I hope she'll be a presence in Jillian's life the way she has been and continues to be in mine.

The rest of the week was a whirlwind of great times. We played outside, the kids had cousin-fest and a couple of massive sleepovers in Grandma Shell's basement, we did some shopping, the boys went hiking, we played games every night, we went to a really cool dinosaur museum, we ate frozen yogurt at Uncle Rich's new shop--Yozone, we went bowling, Josh did numerous fix-it jobs for both sets of parents, and we didn't get nearly enough sleep. I'm just going to post a few of the pictures that I have, trusting that it won't do justice to the trip. We were all set to get up and leave in the very early hours of Sunday morning, but when we woke up, there were four inches of snow on the ground. The little boys had been praying for snow all week, so Grandma Debbie bundled them up and out they went. They played for an hour or so, and we took the morning easy. It turned out to be a much better way to end the trip than just leaving and racing home.

I'm glad we made the move to Arizona. It has been good for our marriage and our little family, but it makes my heart ache a little every time we pack up to leave our loved ones and head home. My little ones still ache for the snow, and in my heart so do I. I love being able to shop with my mom and sister, to watch our nephew Jackson walk around smacking anything that looks like ball with a spatula, to have my little niece Grace decide she likes me and call me her "buddy," and to stay up late playing card games with my brothers and sister until 2 a.m. Well, you can never foresee the future. Maybe events will lead us closer to home sometime. Until then, we'll have to enjoy our trips home as much as we did this one. And now for us, it's back to the rat race....

Ode to the Old Man

I've always been a Daddy's girl. This post is a salute to my wonderful Dad. On our way up to Salt Lake to visit with our families, we stopped off in St. George to watch Dad finish his 21st marathon, the 7th one he's finished this summer. (He'll be running number eight in Las Vegas just before Thanksgiving!) My Dad is sixty-seven years old this year. A few years ago one of his dear friends, upon hearing that he was running yet another marathon, jokingly told him he should"act his age." That friend has since passed on, sometimes I wonder what he would say now.



My Dad is inspiring to me. He inspires me to run, to stay active, to have an open mind, to read good books, to study the gospel and to try my best to live it. For me he exemplifies true Christianity. He loves Jesus, he never ceases to learn about Him, and he tries his best to live in accordance with his beliefs. Dad has learned through hard experience to respond to his children with love and understanding, no matter the circumstances or choices we have made.



I do my best to run in his footsteps (even though I know there are not likely to be marathons in my future). I love you, Dad. Keep on trucking old man!

Out of Town

We are in Salt Lake letting the kids get their Grandma and Grandpa and cousin fixes.  We'll have lots of pics to share later on.  Jillian was blessed on Sunday.  Our families made great efforts to be there and to provide exceptional food for the event.  Uncle Alan got in on the act and you should have heard the groans of pleasure as we bit into his pastries.  It reminded me of the party scene in "Chocolat."  We're having a ball and we'll be back next week.  

Better Late than Never

My Alex turned seven this month and I've not had time to write a nice post for his Birthday, so now that I've recovered some of my sanity, here it goes! Alex was born the morning the towers fell down, September 11, 2001. We named him Alex because it means "protector and defender of mankind." Right now we are deep in the midst of the struggle to turn a little wild one into a protector and defender.

When I think about Alex, the first thing that comes to my mind is his incredible sense of humor. For a seven-year-old he is a very funny guy. He's always got a wry observation or an appropriate movie line to crack his mum up at the right moment. When being put in time-out, he looked up and in the perfect imitation of Mr. Tweedy said, "Nooooo chicken escapes from Tweedy's farm." Just after we moved into our new house my neighbor called and asked him if I was home, without skipping a beat, he said, "Heidi, I'm five, of course my mom is home."

Alex is also extremely loving. I know this won't last forever, so I try to enjoy it while I can. He's been growing up a lot this past year. It's been interesting to watch him change from little boy into just plain boy (along with all the smells and belches). I love his freckles and his Monchee-chee hair. I love the way he plays so well with his little brother. He's been a great big brother ever since Ryan was small. I love his active imagination. (Alex is the one that organizes the make-believe games with his brother and his friends.) I love his Lego building prowess.

Alex has the heart of a warrior. He is brave and strong. I hope that I can guide him and help him become a fine young man despite the fact that I have yet to figure out my own life. I guess that is the ultimate challenge of all parents: trying to avoid loading your kids up with your own baggage. I love you big boy, Happy Birthday!

What do y'all read with your kids???

I am requesting some help from you parents out there. Alex is seven. He loves it when we read aloud together but I am running out of ideas. Many of the books that I want to share with him are a little too advanced still. Please let me know what books you and your children have enjoyed reading together. We've read Treasure Island, The Wind in the Willows, The Witches, The BFG, The Candy Shop War, The Indian in the Cupboard, Stone Fox, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in the last few months. I don't want to read the Harry Potter books out loud to him. That's a pleasure I'd like to save for him when he can read independently. Please give me your ideas!

Also, for those of you who know my sister, she's created a new blog that she actually intends to keep current! I've updated the link on my list. For all you Staker cousins with private blogs, send her an invitation so she can join us in the blogosphere. It has been a real pleasure to be in contact with you all again.

A Little Bit of Light and Magic

My dear friend Heidi is a magician with a camera. She did a photoshoot of Jillian today and these photos are a small sampling of her work. Mind you, Jilly was grumpy and not at all cooperative and look at what Heidi managed to pull out of her hat! Thank you dear friend, what a wonderful shower gift. Heidi is a very talented photographer. Her website is www. heidimixon.com. I am grateful that she's my friend because my kids lives have been documented so beautifully since she's been on the scene. Thank you kind friend.

Finished Project

Yesterday I finally finished the sweater that I've been working on for my little niece, Jane. I wanted to send it home with my parents and so I needed to get it done before they left. It also helped to have two extra sets of hands around to tackle the kids while I sat on my bum and knitted. Thanks for coming to visit Mom and Dad, it was short but sweet.

It never ceases to amaze me that my knitting projects actually look good when they're finished. The pattern wasn't great, so I changed a few things about it. Then there is always a moment of doubt when you look at the pieces that need to be sewn together. All you can do is hope that you've done everything right. When I finished the yellow sweater I thought it looked a little boring, so I added the pink blanket stitch, the colored buttons and the flower. Thank goodness Jane lives in Utah and not Arizona--she may actually get some wear out of the sweater! I can't wait to see her in it.

Fun Questionnaire

So, my friend Amy posted this list of questions on her blog and I had so much fun answering it that I decided to post it here too. If you know Amy, make sure to send your responses to her by email.

The last time my child made me laugh had to be the morning Alex told me he was sure that he actually had the force, see previous posting for details!
I carve out time for myself the same way Amy does, by running at 5:45. In addition to being quiet, it's also not 4000 degrees outside before the sun rises.
The television mom I'm most like has got to be Mrs. Incredible/Elastigirl: I'm married to a guy who does it all, I occasionally lose it, and boy do I wish I could stretch like that!
My favorite outdoor activity to do with my child is going for a great hike. Alex has been a hiker since he was a baby. All my kids learn to love the Kelty backpack at a young age.
The one thing I wish I had known about parenting before I became a parent is the sheer volume of poop that is involved! Actually, I wish I'd known how much I needed to learn all those lessons about patience that God was trying to teach me. I never considered myself an intemperate person until I had kids.
The most important life lesson I want my child to learn...well there are lots of candidates: You don't have to agree with people about everything in order to get along and be friends, Never be afraid to admit you don't know, Women deserve your respect just because they are women, but not all of them will deserve your trust (for my sons), God ALWAYS keeps his promises....
The invention I wish I could create to make my life easier is a laundry folding and pressing machine. I hate folding laundry and I hate ironing. I never feel like the laundry is actually done..
My most embarassing parenting moment is the time that the lady at Target had to ask my kids to behave themselves. You know things are bad when an employee at big box store notices anything, let alone how poorly behaved your sons are.
The future parenting moment I fear the most is the boys first encounter with pornography. Will I have taught them well enough that they'll make the right choice, or will they ruin their lives in that brief but fateful moment?
My proudest moment as a parent was just last week. We were out for a walk and Ryan crashed on his bike about 100 yards ahead of Mom and Dad. I watched with wet eyes as Alex jumped off his bike, scooped his brother off the ground and held him close until Mom and Dad could get there. Oh, he also moved their bikes out of the road so that they wouldn't get run over!
The thing about my younger self that I'd like to reclaim, other than my waistline, is my ability to let the yellow come out in my personality. I don't spend as much time just laughing, enjoying where I am and doing spontaneous and silly things.
If I could change places with anyone, living or dead, it would be...still a mystery, I couldn't come up with someone.
The most fun thing about being a Mom is being able to be at home with my kids. I know all about them. I know what little things they like, I know their favorite foods, shirts, toys, movies, songs, etc. I know what makes them happy and sad, and how to read the emotions on their faces (most of the time). I get to watch them as they learn life's lessons and learn lessons from watching them.
The hardest thing about being a Mom is wondering if you've spent the time the way you should. There's never enough time for everything and I sometimes wonder if we've done the most important things..
I realized I had turned into my mother when I look at my calendar. My Mom is the world's busiest lady. She tells me she does it to avoid the family curse of laziness. I think I'm doing the same thing.
I get my kids to eat fruits and vegetables by cooking good food. I don't have to twist arms, they've just learned to eat good stuff. The other night, Josh looked at me weird because I told Alex he had to eat his meat before he could have any more carrots!
The last books I read to my kids were, for Alex: The Indian in the Cupboard, The Witches, Treasure Island, The Tale of Despereaux and Stone Fox; and for Ryan: Honey, Honey, Lion, The Berenstain Bears, The Little Duck, Eating the Alphabet, and Dr. Suess's ABC Book.
Before I turn off the lights at bedtime, I say to my boys: "Don't get out of bed again unless there's a fire." Then after I calm down, I go in and say, "Good night, Mama loves you."
The favorite traditions I share with my children are celebrating Birthdays, including Luke's, watching Star Wars on sick days, and Family Home Evening.
My favorite place to take my children is home to my Mom and Dad's house.
Something that no one knows about me.... is still a secret. What you think I'm going to tell you?
I hope my kids inherit the guilt-free attitude that I inherited from my Mom. What a gift! I don't spend a lot of time feeling guilty, being depressed or agonizing. I just get up and get going and hope to do better today than I did yesterday.
The kids toy or game I will never understand is Candyland. That must be the dumbest game ever invented! I also don't understand how boys get so into video games that nothing else in life matters.
The most ingenious invention for kids is the "Toothtunes" toothbrush. I love that thing! No more arguments over brushing.
The kids snack that I am most likely to be caught eating is Cheez n' Crackers. I can't help it, even with the processed cheese!
If I had an "I'd rather be" bumper sticker on my car, it would be... naturally gorgeous! Wouldn't it be nice just to pop out of bed and skip the morning routine, not to mention slog through the night-time routine before you fall into bed?

Peach Fuzz

I've been trying to get a good picture of Jilly's hair. It cannot be tamed! It sticks up all over around her head, no matter what you try to stick it down with. This seems to be my best shot-- although it hardly does justice to the 'do.

I'm also up to my elbows in peaches for real. I picked up about 60 pounds of peaches from the "Fruit Lady" in Mesa. She trucks Utah fruit down to the Phoenix area for those of us that still remember living somewhere where things grow. We are eating, freezing and making jam this week as the peaches ripen.

Jililan has also begun to smile occasionally, when she's not crying. Here's a picture of one of the first smiles.

Anecdotes and Accessories

Well I have some great stories from my boys this week. Yesterday was my first day at church alone with the boys. I got up and going early so that I could get everything done and be on time. I did pretty well, got everyone dressed, bags packed, teeth brushed, hair combed and baby bathed. We left just at the right time and made it to church. Just as I was lifting Ryan out of the car I looked down and saw that he was wearing two different shoes and not just any shoes, he had on one camoflage croc and one blue and yellow striped flip-flop. He had put his own shoes on to be helpful that morning. He told me he just felt like wearing two different shoes.

Later on that night we had our friends, the Rosens, over for dessert. When he heard about Ryan's accident, Matt had brought over a Lego set for Ryan, the very first one that he's ever had. He and Alex had a grand time putting it together, and then arguing over who got to play with it! Anyway, when the Rosens came in yesterday, I asked Ryan if he had something to tell Matt. He walked right up and said, "Thanks for the Lego, Matt, I wish you'd get me Obi Wan Kenobi." Mom promptly crawled under the couch and said, "That's my boy!" Ouch!

This morning, Alex ran right up to me first thing and said, "Mom, I think I really do have the Force!" When I asked why, he told me that last night he really wanted the door open, but he was too tired to get up and open it, so he just reached out and used the force and sure enough, the door opened! Way to use the force, my son.

I wanted to put some pictures up today of the accessories my kids have been sporting lately. This is Alex in his camo hat. We bought it for his water day at school and he's been wearing it all over the place since then. He tried to wear it to church one day, but his mean old mom wouldn't let him.

Jillian and Jane are wearing the sunglasses that Grandma Shell and Aunt Carrie sent them. Sunny took this picture during the ten seconds that both babies weren't screaming!

These fabulous sunglasses were Ryan's prize for being good at the dentist. I tried to get him to choose the yellow, star-shaped ones but he had his heart set on the hearts. Much to my chagrin, he wears them all over the place. Whenever he sees me get out my sunglasses, he runs to his drawer to get his too!

And last, but not least, are the flip-flops that Alison bought for Jilly. I love those baby toes. I can't decide who's having more fun shopping, Aunt Alison or Aunt Meggan! Thanks to her Aunties, Jillian will always be well-heeled. But, as Meggan says, "What girl doesn't love shoes and accessories?"

Cousins!

My sister took some great photos of the kids and their cousins when she was here last month. I just thought I'd post a celebration of cousins. For some reason the kids seem to know instinctively that they're supposed to love each other. They can go for months without seeing each other and still play like best friends. I have so many good memories of my own cousins. So to all you cousins out there, I am thinking happy thoughts of you today. Hooray for cousins!!

This is Jane and Jill, born six weeks apart.

The boys--Alex, Nate, Caleb and Rhino, headed off to battle.

Alex and Ryan and Kate: the newewst additions to the list of famous western bandits.

Alex, Kate and Ryan wearing the hats they made. Talk about haute coutoure!

And last of all, the original "Goon Brothers", or cousins in this case.