Thanksgiving

I LOVE THANKSGIVING! This may be because my favorite food is mashed potatoes and gravy. I would be perfectly happy with a plate full of mashed potatoes and gravy and nothing else.

Mainly though, I love spending the day with family. We were at Bryan's family's house this year and had a great time. It was fun, relaxing and yummy. We ate, visited, and watched movies. The kids had a lot of fun with their cousins. It was a great day!

I also like Thanksgiving because it forces me to think of all the things I am thankful for. I know that during day-to-day run of life, it becomes easy to want instead of just being thankful. I know I am guilty of this. So I like just being thankful. There is so much to be thankful for, but some of the things that come to mind are:

I am thankful for my knowledge of God. I know he exists. I know he loves me and wants me to succeed. I know he hears my prayers and answers them. I think he is anxious to answer our prayers, and sometimes I have been suprised at how specifically he answers them. I think this world would be a far scarier place without this knowledge of God.

I am thankful for my trials. In the 10 years that Bryan and I have been married, we have had our share of trials - some large and some small. Looking back, I have learned something from every one of them. I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained through these trials. I am grateful for how I have grown through these times.

I am thankful for my family. First, my husband and children. We have so much fun together. I love being with them. Bryan is the best husband I could ask for, and I never knew that being a mom to two boys would be so great. I am also grateful for my family and Bryan's family. We are both very close with our families, and I don't know what I would do without these relationships.

I am thankful for great friends. I have friends that I can talk to, have fun with, and count on whenever I need them. Great friends definitely make life easier and a lot more fun.

I am thankful for all the material things that make life easier - cars, televisions, cell phones, computers, etc... We live in an amazing era, and I take these things for granted most of the time.

There are so many things to be thankful for. These are just some of the things on the forefront of my mind. It is my goal for this coming year to recognize more readily the things in life to be thankful for.

Redneck Ladder

We have lived in our house for over four years and have never bothered to purchase a ladder. Why? We know enough nice people who own ladders who let us mooch off them. It was time to put up the Christmas lights today, and what do we need? A ladder. Bryan didn't feel like bothering any of these nice people today so he got creative. I went outside to see if he needed any help, and this is what I found.

Yes, that is my car. And that is a step stool on top of my car. Who needs a ladder when you've got a brain that thinks of this genius idea?

Bryan made it to the roof, but it became apparent that this is not the normal way of doing things. Our neighbor who lives a couple of houses down was driving by and saw my car with a step stool on top of it and Bryan on the roof. He put two and two together and stopped - partly to laugh and partly to offer some help. Bryan told him he was fine, but our neighbor was not convinced. He parked his car, walked to his house, and brought over his ladder. (He's one of the nice people we usually borrow from).

A few minutes later, our next door neighbor came over and tried to give us his ladder. Thank you, really, but the car and the step stool work great, and make us look really smart and resourceful to the rest of the neighborhood. I think maybe it's time to invest in a ladder - for the sake of our nice neighbors.


The lights got put up, and both Kevin and Trey got to get on the roof and hang with their dad. Bryan got done quickly (our lights are simple and boring - but very straight), got off the roof and took the stool off the car. Then we heard a voice from above. "When do I get to come down?" It was Kevin. On the roof. We forgot about him on the roof. We're good parents...

Husbands, Take Notes...

Ugh, yesterday was awful. Not fun at all. But it did make me realize what a stud of a husband I have. I woke up not feeling well at all - sick to my stomach, massive headache, sore throat, achy all over, fever, chills - the whole deal. I got up and did my best to get Kevin ready for school. Bryan got ready for work. I couldn't even stand up long enough to make Kevin's lunch. Bryan saw this and sent me back to bed. Then he took the day off work.

Yes, I actually got a sick day - you know, the kind of sick day where you stay in bed all day and someone takes care of you. The kind that happens when you're little and have no responsibilities. That's what Bryan gave me, and it was heaven. (Well, not heaven because I was sick, but you get the idea).

Bryan got Kevin ready for school and breakfast for the kids. He drove Kevin's carpool to school. He got Trey ready and took him to work with him to pick up some things to take home. He made Trey's lunch. He played games downstairs with Trey. He brought me juice. He picked Kevin's carpool up. He went to the store. He took Kevin to a birthday party. He put the kids to bed. All while I was in bed doing nothing. I got to stay in bed all day long. I don't remember the last time I've been able to do that. Then later that evening when I was finally feeling well enough to eat, he came home with a Cafe Rio salad (my favorite) just for me.

Am I lucky or what? I really didn't know how I was going to make it through the day, and Bryan came through big time. There is always more giggles and fun (and messes and bruises) when Bryan is home. The boys had a great day with their dad, and I was in bed, blissfully unaware of most of it.

Bryan, I LOVE YOU!!! Thank you for always being there. XOXO

I Am Thankful For...

1. I AM THANKFUL FOR MY HEATER. As I turned it on last night, I thought how lucky I am to be able to set a temperature, push a button and my house stays warm. I don't have to chop wood and build a fire. I don't have to sleep in the cold. I just push a button. And pay my gas bill.

2. I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE LEAVES ON THE GROUND IN MY BACKYARD. Cleaning them up is not all that fun (Bryan does most of that anyway), but Kevin and Trey get so excited whenever they see the leaves start to fall. Their simple joy found jumping in leaf piles is something I look forward to every year.

3. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE GUY WHO LET ME INTO HIS LANE ON THE FREEWAY SO I WOULDN'T MISS MY EXIT TO MY HAIR APPOINTMENT ON FRIDAY. I was running late and would have been really late if I missed that exit. Granted, I may have forced my way over into his lane. But nonetheless, at least he braked to avoid hitting me.

4. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE FULL MOON WE HAD THIS WEEK. We were driving home one night and noticed it. It was huge - twice the size it normally looks. It kept creeping behind the mountains as we were driving. The boys were in awe and took a few moments when we got home to go in the front yard and stare at it.

5. I AM THANKFUL FOR ALL THE STAIRS IN MY HOUSE. I usually complain about having to go up and down the stairs all the time. Looking at the positive side, my butt is extremely grateful because it would probably be a little bigger without the stairs.

6. I AM THANKFUL FOR TWO BOYS WHO ARE EXTREMELY GOOD FRIENDS. They are running around the house right now, making a lot of noise, and laughing hysterically at each other. I can tell when they are laughing at each other because their laughs are different when they are together. Kind of like a laugh only reserved for each other. I love that sound.

7. I AM THANKFUL THAT TREY DOESN'T CRY WHEN I WASH HIS HAIR ANYMORE. Seriously, this is a huge milestone for us. Better than when he started walking. Trey is extremely sensitive to anything that he looses any bit of control over. Up until 3 months ago, he screamed at the top of his lungs at every bath time. I would make sure all the windows in the house were shut because if neighbors heard him, they would probably report us for child abuse. He screamed like I was burning him with a hot curling iron. He would even warn me before his bath that he was going to cry. "Mom, I'm going to cry when you wash my hair." Who does that? Then all of a sudden, it was done. He realized that getting his hair washed wasn't the end of the world and there are far better things to save his lungs for. My blood pressure is now at normal levels during bath time.

100 things about ME...

This has serious potential to be a very boring post. I've seen this on a few blogs and thought I'd try it out. Plus, I'm bored and don't want to clean the house at the moment. I'm not sure if I can come up with 100 things about myself, but we'll see. I'll throw a few in about my family also. They're kind of important too.

1. I was born almost 8 weeks early and weighed around 5 pounds.

2. I love cereal, and could easily eat it for 3 meals a day.

3. The only time I've lived outside of Salt Lake City was when I went to school in Jerusalem.

4. I got my degree in Recreational Therapy (yes, that is a degree), but if I were to do it again, I would probably go into Accounting or Human Resources.

5. I am terrified of heights.

6. I cannot do the dishes without rubber gloves on. Even if it's just a few. If something happens to my rubber gloves, I will leave dishes in the sink until I go to the store and get gloves.

7. Once, I had a job where I had to ask a mother if she knew that her barely-deceased 19-year-old son had his "area" pierced with a tattoo that said "porn star" above it. She didn't. It was an awkward conversation.

8. I just asked Bryan for another word for "area" and he came up with about 10 right off the top of his head. "Area" seems to be most appropriate.

9. Kevin was born with a cleft lip and had surgery at 3 weeks. His poor hands were tied to his diaper for 8 weeks after that so he wouldn't touch his face.

10. Trey cried almost his entire first year of life. Stopping only to sleep and eat. Consequently, I also cried most of his first year of life.

11. Bryan writes really great poetry but hasn't written anything in a really long time. I'm thinking I don't inspire him anymore.

12. I have more hair than any two people should be allowed to have. I am always trying to find ways to make it look like I have less hair.

13. I can type really fast.

14. I have carpal tunnel syndrome.

15. I used to be kind of a daredevil. Now I am a major wimp. A few years ago at Lake Powell, it took me 20 minutes to jump off a 12 foot cliff.

16. I grew up with a boat. Sadly, I still cannot slalom ski. I can double ski. Sometimes, I can get up on a wakeboard.

17. I tried an air chair at Lake Powell a while ago and it was the funnest thing I've ever done on a boat. And I only stayed up for 7 seconds.

18. I really want to learn how to air chair.

19. I'm not very coordinated. Or so I've been told.

20. When I was about 20, I tried to do a backwards somersault down the stairs. I couldn't. I slid down the length of the stairs upside down and on my back. Major rug burn. I still have a scar.

21. I loved high school. My senior year was my favorite.

22. I could not go to any dances my sophmore year because I was not 16 at the time.

23. My sister and I have totally opposite personalities.

24. One day, I would like a jeep wrangler. Preferably yellow. And automatic. (I know, I know, it defeats the purpose).

25. I can't drive a stick-shift. Too much to think about at one time for me.

26. Bryan is almost always the first to apologize when we have an argument.

27. Bryan has kissed way more people than I have.

28. I'm okay with that. My kisses meant more.

29. No matter what I am eating, I always leave one bite on my plate. I don't know why. It drives Bryan nuts.

30. I have great in-laws. I'm pretty sure Bryan thinks he has great in-laws too.

31. I love to read. I love political fiction books, mysteries - all kinds of books really.

32. I always fall asleep on road trips.

33. I love to go fishing. Bryan needs to learn to fish.

34. I really want to learn how to like running. I think it's boring. I need a treadmill in front of my television. Then I would run more.

35. I also really want to learn how to like vegetables. I hate most of them. Especially tomatoes.

36. Bryan was my date for my first dance in high school - Homecoming my junior year. I still have the corsage.

37. I tried really hard not to like Bryan when he came home from his mission. I told myself over and over that I would not even go out with him. It didn't work very well. He sucked me in.

38. Bryan and I only dated for 3 weeks before we were engaged. I don't know what we were thinking.

39. We did know each other in high school though.

40. We also lived in the same ward growing up.

41. Kevin has taught me more about ocean animals than I ever thought I would know. He can look at a shark and tell you what kind it is, how dangerous it is and whatever else you don't care to know. It's awesome.

42. When Trey was an infant, I really thought his purpose on this earth was to test me for the rest of my life. I am glad that I didn't give him away when I was tempted. Now, he is the sweetest little boy and I can't imagine life without him.

43. I love having boys. I wouldn't know what to do with a girl.

44. Bryan gives great shoulder massages.

44. I hate wearing a bra.

45. My favorite foods are my grandma's tacos, my grandma's roast and mashed potatoes, and chocolate.

46. The first roast I ever made, we both took one bite and threw it away. It was awful. I'm not even sure I bit into it. I might have just looked at it.

47. I love 80's rock bands like Aerosmith, Guns N Roses, Poison...

48. I used to love scary movies. Now I hate them. "Scream" was on the other day and I tried to watch it, but I had to keep changing the channel at the scary parts.

49. If anyone ever came to my door with a "Scream" mask on and it wasn't Halloween, I would hurt them without waiting to find out if it was a joke.

50. If somebody broke into my house and I was home, I would not hesitate to shoot (if I had a gun).

51. I hate shows when a woman is being attacked and she finally hurts the guy but then runs away too soon. He always gets back up and gets her. I would stay there and hurt him some more while he was down. Kick him in the face a few more times. Stab him in a vital organ. Shoot him again. Something like that. He would not be getting back up.

52. I believe in the death penalty.

53. I really am a nice person.

54. I like getting dirty and doing projects around the house. I could totally be a handyman if I put my mind to it.

55. I installed our bathroom light fixture - figured out the wires and didn't get electrocuted.

56. I painted and cut all the baseboards for our living room one day while Bryan was at work. I had a lot of fun with the miter saw and learned a few things about geometry. (Don't tell Bryan this, but they're the best looking baseboards in the house).

57. Bryan has gotten really good at painting our house. I keep changing colors. He's doing the basement next.

58. Bryan can paint walls without needing any tape. He has a very steady hand.

59. The night before 9-11 happened, I had a really weird feeling that something very bad was going to happen the next morning. It was creepy.

60. I once got kicked out and banned from a laundromat. (It was a classy place). The owner didn't speak a lot of English, but the reasons seemed to include a condom on the floor (not mine), a stolen quarter (again, not me) and something about "you people." Whatever that means.

61. I don't use shampoo on my hair.

62. My hair is clean.

63. I desperately want a king-sized bed. Bryan is too tall and hogs my side.

64. My boys are great sleepers. Long naps and 11-12 hours of sleep every night.

65. I have a little bit of OCD when it comes to cleaning my house. For example, if something gets spilled on my kitchen floor, I hate to clean just that spot because that spot will be just a little cleaner than the rest. So then I want to clean the entire kitchen floor. Then I have to clean the rest of the floors in the house because if not, it would be uneven. But I don't want to do the floors without dusting the furniture first, because dust might fall on the clean floor. You see the dilemma. So, my house is either really clean or really messy.

66. I can't stand the smell of catsup if it has been on a plate for longer than 30 minutes.

67. When I was pregnant with Kevin, we were at a Utah basketball game and Swoop, the mascot, came up to us, called Bryan and I by name and started talking to us. To this day, we don't know who it was. Any ideas?

68. I love my job. I can do most of it in my pajamas.

69. Planning parties stresses me out big time. Even if it's just a little party.

70. I love, love, love being a mom. Especially to two boys.

71. Kevin and Trey are very good friends. Their personalities are totally opposite.

72. Bryan is an awesome dad. The boys laugh with him way more than they laugh with me.

73. I almost forgot to pick up carpool the other day. I forgot once last year.

74. In sixth grade, nobody at school could beat me in tether ball, except for one of my best friends. Bryan doesn't believe that, but it's true.

75. I have a problem with calling people names when I am driving. Like the grandpa I was behind yesterday driving 15 in a 30, and the idiot behind me who was a foot away from my bumper. Like I could go anywhere.

76. I have been in love once before Bryan.

77. I have very vivid dreams.

78. I have a lot of recurring dreams. One is that I am in high school and I can't remember my locker combo, can't remember my class schedule, forget all of my History assignments, and fail Gym. It's a stressful dream.

79. When I was in college, I thought about joining the ROTC or the Peace Corps.

80. Once I was in an airplane that was struck by lightening.

81. I cannot edge our lawn. I tried it a few times last year and it looked like Freddy took a chain saw to it. I have since been banned.

82. My favorite band is U2, but I have never been to a concert. Next time they are in town, I am going no matter how expensive the tickets are.

83. I hate mushrooms. My brother-in-law once offered me $50 if I would eat a stuffed mushroom. I tried and failed big time.

84. I used to be able to read in the car on road trips. Now I get major motion sickness.

85. I can still do a backbend.

86. I hate watching sports on TV. Unfortunately, Bryan loves it.

87. A few years ago, Bryan tried to do a double front flip off a high-dive. He over-rotated and got a bloody nose. The next day he had two black eyes.

88. When I was in ninth grade, I broke my nose into many pieces. I had two black eyes for about a month. I got teased forever about that.

89. I wish I could sew as good as my mom. She's an awesome seamstress.

90. The two times that Kevin has been in the emergency room have been caused by his dad.

91. Bryan is no longer allowed to swing our boys by the forearms or send them down the stairs in cardboard boxes.

92. Before I had kids, I never needed an alarm clock. I would think about what time I needed to wake up the next morning, and I would always wake up exactly three minutes before that time.

93. My last semester of college, I worked 30 hours a week at my normal job, 30 hours a week at my internship and took 12 credit hours of class. I saw Bryan in bed between midnight and 5AM.

94. Bryan didn't work his last semester of college. I was his sugar mama.

95. One of my pet peeves is when people take 11 items in the "10 item" checkout line. I always count to make sure I don't go over.

96. I think my fingers look like witch fingers.

97. No matter how hot I am, I have to have a blanket over me when I sleep. I can't sleep without one.

98. I am terrible at bowling. But I just found out that bowling balls are made for right-handed people. Really, they are. I knew it had to be the ball and not me.

99. I am left-handed.

100. Feet are my favorite part of my babies. They are my favorite part up until they turn about four, then they turn into stinky boy feet. Trey is almost at the stinky-boy-feet stage, but not yet. I still kiss them all the time.

Where's The Love?

My conversation with Trey this morning went something like this:

Me: I love you, Trey!

Trey: I love you, Mom!

Me: I love you more!

Trey: I love you more!.....(pauses thoughtfully for a moment).....Oh, wait.....No, I don't......I love dad more.

I Am Thankful For...

I thought I would write seven things I am thankful for each week. One for every day.

1. I AM THANKFUL FOR MY BATHROOM SHOWER. To be honest, I despise my shower. I curse it every time I use it. But as I was showering today and thinking how I would love a shower that isn't twenty years old, I also thought of how lucky I am to have a shower at all. Water comes out of it how it is supposed to. The water is hot how I like it. The water is contained in my shower like it is supposed to be. It gets me clean. Really, what more do I need?

2. I AM THANKFUL FOR RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. When we were first married, Bryan's car was this piece of @#$% that slowly inherited more and more problems. My favorite memories with this car are: towing it up and down the street in the wintertime at least three times a week to get it started in the morning (our neighbors loved us); and having both outside handles break (it was a two-door) so you had to climb in the hatchback to get in. Oh, there are many others - these are just the highlights. I am grateful for two reliable cars.

3. I AM THANKFUL FOR THE WEATHER TODAY. It snowed last week and today was really nice. We worked in the yard and the boys played outside for a long time. It was great.

4. I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE OUR FAMILY HAD TO CLEAN THE CHURCH BUILDING TODAY. It gave us a chance to teach Kevin and Trey how to work hard and to teach them respect for the building we worship in every week.

5. I AM THANKFUL FOR SCREAMING BABIES. When Kevin had his surgery when he was a baby, he cried for most of the next night in the hospital. He shared a room with a baby that did not make one sound the entire night. I apologized profusely all night to the other mother for the noise Kevin was making. She said that she actually liked hearing the sound of his crying because her baby had never cried once. They were testing to try to find out what was wrong with her baby. I am grateful that my babies have been healthy enough to cry. Believe me, I've heard my fair share of screams. I am Trey's mom.

6. I AM THANKFUL FOR A HUSBAND WHO GIVES GREAT SHOULDER MASSAGES and who offers to give them on almost a daily basis.

7. I AM THANKFUL FOR FACEBOOK. It let me do something that I would have been too freaked out to do in person.

Here's Your Sign...

Last night, I made chicken noodle soup for dinner. I asked Bryan to dish up soup for the boys. Here is how the conversation went...

Me: Bryan, would you dish up some soup for Kevin and Trey.

Bryan: Yeah, should I put the soup in bowls?

Me: Um...unless you think a plate is a better alternative...???

After not being amused at all by my sarcastic comment, he informed me that he meant their smaller bowls instead of our bigger bowls.

"Here's Your Sign" comes from this video. It's about people who should wear a sign that says "I'm stupid." Every time someone in my family does or says something dumb, we say "Here's Your Sign." I'm pretty sure I've been given the most signs.

Sorry, Bryan - but it was funny. Just laugh.

Halloween

Kevin starts thinking about what he wants to be for Halloween months in advance. This year, he gave me three top choices for costumes (after I shot down being a shark for the third year in a row). They were: Spinasaurous, Megaladon (that's a prehistoric shark), and Giant Squid. Why can't he be a pirate, or a mummy, or Superman? Until he was about three years old and taught me all about these weird creatures, I had no clue they even existed. After searching for costumes, patterns, and ideas for any of these costumes, I came up blank. I finally convinced him to be a scuba diver. After all, he does want to be a marine biologist. Scuba divers swim with sharks and squids. I made the costume for really cheap, and he ended up loving it! He's already warned me that next year he wants to be an octopus or an aligator gar - yes, that's a real fish. I didn't believe him until he showed me in a book.

Trey, on the other hand, is not a costume type of person. I can't even put most basic clothing articles on him without him finding something wrong with them. He doesn't wear hats. He hates layers of clothing. He won't wear belts. Anything g that isn't your basic t-shirt and jeans is a no-go for Trey. It's just not worth it to even try. But he is a sports freak. So I put a jersey on him and called him a basketball player. He was estatic and wore the jersey five out of the seven days before Halloween.

We had great Halloween, but I am glad that it's over. Between church, family, friends and school, the boys had 7 different occassions where they wore their costumes. I will be happy not to see those costumes anytime soon. Or ever. The night before Halloween, we had a party with their Salmon cousins at our house, which was a lot of fun. Then Halloween night, the boys went trick-or-treating and we had family over for chili and cider. Yummm...

I finally caved...

So, I feel like I'm the last person I know that doesn't have a blog. Until now. Maybe it's because my life is not all that exciting. I mean, I have a great life - AWESOME family, have a lot of fun, learn a lot along the way - but I'm not sure it is compelling reading material.

However, I am a HORRIBLE journal keeper. So I started this blog kind of as a journal - for myself. A way for me to keep track of the crazy, mundane, fun, happy, sad, and everything-in-between things that go on in my life and the life of my family. So this is my way of keeping track of my life and thoughts. Yes - my thoughts too. I am normally kind of a private person. However, I do have a lot of opinions and thoughts about things. What better place to share my thoughts than a place where no one can tell me otherwise.

Also, a warning. I may be kind of long winded. At least that's what my family has told me. When I was in Jerusalem, it was not uncommon for my emails to home to be around 3 pages long. I guess I just don't know what to filter, so I include everything. I'll try to be better here, but I can't promise anything...

So basically, this blog is for me. But I would love to share with anyone who is interested.