What a View!

It is so exciting to get free things. In this case it was free tickets to see Phantom of the Opera. Pretty awesome huh? It was fabulous show and I could hear it really well. I just didn't bring my glasses and we happened to be in the very back row in a very large concert hall. I fell asleep at one point. Don't get mad. I had no idea what was going on onstage because everyone was singing their own song at the same time and I am not all that familiar with the story. It was still a fabulous night. Good Fun!

Peas in a Pod

We got a new used Desk top computer so we gave our beat up laptop to Joshua. He has been a little detective finding out what every program is and what it does. He has actually made some pretty cool "movies" on Power point and has explored things we would have never let him touch on our computer for fear of him busting it. He actually messed up our Word program pretty bad and I didn't even know that was possible unless you have a term paper due in 5 minutes. He might become a computer nerd like some family members. Who knew? Good Fun!

A Couple Pictures

What kind of person are you? Do you take pictures and leave them on your camera for years? Do you take pictures, print them and leave them in boxes? Do you half hazardly put them in albums? Or do you go all out and have a scrapbook that is out of control? Do you still use film???

During General Conference this weekend I organized my pictures to get them ready for putting in albums. The kid's pictures have been organized but my pictures since birth are either badly organized or are in boxes. Here are a couple I thought might be of interest to a few who read my blog. If you are in my pictures and do not want to be on my blog let me know!

Have you watched Pushing Daisies?? It will probably not be on again until the Fall but you can catch episodes on the web. I thought it was hilarious and creative but then I again I am biased. I love Kristen Chenowith and know the main character Ned, otherwise known in real life as Lee Pace. This picture is the year he moved to my junior high and this is the theater class we were in and mercilessly teased. He was teased for actually doing theater in the class full of jocks and I was teased for. . .well. . .not being well endowed. Did I use the word "well"? I mean just endowed. Good for you Lee for ignoring the teasing!!

Here is part of my family at age 13. Big and blended. I can't remember if we all lived under the same roof at the same time but most of us did. Good fun is two words for what happened there and there are a lot more! Everyone is all grown up now and all over the place. Miss ya'll!

Lastly here are some pictures of me with short hair my sophomore year of college. These were my college girls! Love ya girlies!! I loved having short hair but I can't see doing it again. I met Roger this year.

Good Fun!!

You Can Take My Man Out of Boise. . .

. . .but Boise will never come out of him. Not that I am trying to eradicate that huge part of him either. We love it here in Irvine.

It happens starting in January every year. He starts getting a little antsy. I get a call from him at work "Um. . .how would you feel if I went to Boise for a weekend?" Doesn't he know that I have come to expect it? And yet he always sounds surprised when I say yes; even with the busy weekends.

How could I not? He was born and raised there. His parents still live there. He LOVES the snow (which is fine if I don't have to live in it). Its good for him to go alone and work/chill/thrill seek with his family. His parents built a cabin out there and they let Roger work in it when he comes no matter the weather. So here is his well deserved Roger time. Working outside! He loves the cold. The cabin looks over a lake.

The Cabin last October

Going into a cloud on the way home from the cabin.

30 is Fabulous!

At least that is what I would like to think. I have been telling people I am 30 for a little while now because I almost am. . .well, in November. Never in my life did I think I would want to be 30, yet I also did not think I would look 16 at this point either (with only the addition of lots of little lines in places you will never see). 30 just sounds old enough to have 3 kids in this day and age. Here are some pictures at that age to show I look the same.

(This is for you Kim, who still looks the same age too)

Most people think I should take it as a complement that daily people ask in shock "Those aren't your kids, right?!!" More often than not, people do not say it in a complementary way. I read between the lines "There is no way you are mature enough to have kids. You are a baby yourself."
I know I was young getting married (20) and young starting my family (22) but I also know that a lot of people that young do not know what I know. I know who I am (a child of God), I know what I am doing here (creating a family and living the best life I can for me and my family), and I know where I am going (back to Him to live with my family forever). I have heard people who do not know these things say that they are still finding themselves at 40 and that they were stupid for marrying so young. That's not me. I am so happy living my life the way I am at any age!

Cough it Up

Josh was sick last week and Simeon this week. I took Simeon to the Doctor yesterday and she was so sickened by his throat and bad breath (another story) she decided to put him on antibiotics despite his quick throat culture coming up negative for step. She took another swab at his throat and it came out bloody (sorry for the image if you don't like yuck stories, don't read).

He had a fever so he knew he was sick but his fever was gone by the time we went to the doctor and he said his throat did not hurt. Of coarse he does not think he needs medicine because "I all better. I not sick". He tried the medicine yesterday and ended up spitting out the last bit I was trying to stuff down saying "I don't want a lollipop!"

He just earned a Webkinz today and as we sat down for lunch I said "Simeon, you need to take your medicine or I am taking away your webkinz". He let me pour it in and he let it all come out along with other bits of food in his mouth. I picked him up and put him in bed where proceeded to cry. . .cough. . .cry. . . cough . . .spew!

I threw him in the shower, took off his sheets and put them in the wash, put new sheets on his bed thinking "What a Punk! How RUDE to throw up! I have heard of kids doing that but not my kids!" I calmed a little bit and tried to see it from his shoes. "Mom wants me take this nasty medicine and I don't think I need it. When I just could not stand to swallow it, it just came out. Next thing I new I was being taken upstairs with out my beloved new pet. I lay down upset and I threw up. Maybe she was right maybe I am sick. Why is she so mad about being right?"

I took him out of the shower and put his clothes on while explaining why I was not happy. I put him in bed and he went to sleep like an angel. Good Fun.

On a Tree

We were so excited last Monday! Our family went on our first official bike ride with everyone riding. Simeon was such a big boy! We road a couple miles to a nearby toy store and he never stopped to take a brake nor did he complain.

Naturally we had to wait for him a bit. One of those time we were on a fairly busy street on our way home. Roger, Josh, and Rory rode up to the stop light and got off their bikes to wait. I left Simeon behind a little bit and met up with the rest of them since the sidewalk was separated from the road with grass and trees. After I caught up I turned around to look at Simeon. There he was, off his bike peeing on a tree near the street with cars and bikers passing him. He walked away from the tree with his pants still at his ankles and fell over in the grass. We were too far to help but close enough to die laughing. If only that were the first time he has bared all in public to relieve himself. He never even gives me warning. He just whips it out.

On a similar note, last Sunday Roger took him to the bathroom during Sacrament meeting (yes- we took him before). Our building has 2 chapels and the side of the building we were sitting on we have to walk down a long hallway to get to the bathroom which is next to the other chapel with a meeting the same time as ours. They were gone for a long time and I had to leave for a Stake meeting (yes- I had to leave Sacrament meeting for a Stake meeting- kinda weird).

Finally Simeon came in without Roger. I asked where Papa was and he said "I dunno- he's lost". I left the kids with someone sitting on our row and told people in the foyer to let Roger know where Simeon was. I walked down the long hallway for my meeting and someone asked me if I found Simeon. I guess other people were looking for him too. He had left Roger at the water fountain, walked into the wrong chapel, walked past "our pew" on the other side of the room, not seeing us he walked to front, walked out the door in the front of the chapel, walked down the long hallway on the other side of the building walked across our chapel and sat down with me. Poor Roger kept looking for him in the other chapel until I let him know. I can hear my sister already! "You left his side- what if he ran into the street!" Well, I believe he would not run into the street because he is afraid of cars. He is just not afraid of baring all. "Didn't you guys learn from my son when he was 3 and you took your eyes off of him for second and you lost him at Provo Towne Center wearing a batman costume!" Yea well, its not the first time we have lost a kid who we thought was right next to us. Chances are, its not the last. Good Fun!

IUD birth control

Sorry guys for this post. Without being too technical I wanted to voice my opinions of IUDs with and without hormones.

I love IUDs! They are the best solution for easy birth control. You have it inserted (only mild discomfort) and then you are done. No taking demonic pills daily or what nots. I had the Paragard (lasts 10 years with no hormones) between Rory and Simeon and then after Simeon I started researching Mirena (lasts 5 years and has a small dose of hormones). Knowing that I do not handle hormones well I was skeptical but found very little about women having a hard time with the small amount of hormones. I liked the sound of little to no periods and possible blemish control. My OB had never heard of anyone having problems either and actually preferred it. I decided to try it.

My OB distracted me while doing it by asking how life was. I said "I can not imagine life being better! I love everything!" She was surprised but I was really that happy!

I did not tell Roger I was getting the one with hormones because I new he would blame every bad mood on it. I wanted to test it first. After a few months I was fine so I let him on the test.

Shortly after life got hard for no good reason. I was yelling at my kids ALL day and was very unhappy. The only good thing was Roger but he was major concerned about me. He majorly wanted me to take out the Mirena but I did not want to blame my bad behavior on it. I made sure I was doing EVERYTHING I should do physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially. When Roger I started to not get along I thought back to the question the OB asked me and my response and here I was 8 months later hating everything for no reason.

I switched my iud to Paraguard much to my OB's dismay. She could not figure that was the problem. Within days I felt SO much better. I have never gone back to feeling that way. At a subsequent visit my OB told me she has heard of others complaining too.

So I will say, I LOVE PARAGUARD IUDs. If you have never had issues with hormones than you should not have a problem with the Mirena. Good Luck!

Good Idea #1,267,948

Just kidding. I don't keep count. I have noticed that even though I think my ideas are fabulous, I don't think many people try them out. That is what seperates my blog from other more useful blogs.



Here is one that has been fantastic for our townhome dwelling family.

I took (from a sport's store)

and added (from Ikea)

and made (in my bedroom)

for hours and hours of

Good Fun!

Oh to be 100!

I have said time and time again that I would not want to live to be 100. Its really too old and way too many things could be wrong with your body. My great grandmother died a few years ago at a whopin' 101. Poor girl still had her brain intact but could not see, hear, or walk. Not a fun body confinement. I was SO happy for her to be done with the mortal life. On Roger's side, the brain is the 1st to go (sorry grandma t). Their bodies are healthy but they can't remember anything that has happened recently. I just don't think I want to be around that long.

There are the special few who have it all up until the end. How does a 97 year old man still travel extensively and keep his schedule full of meetings and activities? He has the mantle of the Lord. Our prophet on the earth today passed away last Sunday. President Gordon B. Hinckley lived a very full life until the very end because Heavenly Father needed him to.

I have been trying to write this blog all week and I do not feel like I can express myself well. I loved this man. I felt like I new him personally but when I think about it I realize I have never sat down and had a conversation with him. Honestly even though I have been in the same room as him it has only been with thousands of other people too. He was an easy man to follow because it was easy to see him as a prophet. I have a testimony that he was a prophet of God and the things he taught were true and came from Heavenly Father.

That said I was happy to see him go. Don't get me wrong I cried the mourners cry but I would not want to live to be that old especially if Roger has already passed on. I know that he is happier where is and that makes me happy for him. I also know that a new prophet will lead us. We will not be left alone and will be well cared for.

Here is a tribute to President Gordon B. Hinckley Prophet Seer and Revelator.

Sleepy Head

Simeon is a sleepy head. Today, for instance, he threw a fit at 11am because he wanted a nap and I told him he had to wait until after we picked up Rory from school. Daily this child asks to take a nap. Who does that? When he is asleep, nothing wakes him for a couple hours. I often send Josh to wake him and Josh returns saying "Simeon says he does not want to wake up." On an off day last week he did not take a nap until 4pm. We tried to wake him at 5 and 6pm. At the 6pm time I jumped on him, tickled him, kissed him, talked to him to only hear "I'm not done sleeping". I asked "Do you want to sleep for the rest of the night?" and he said "Yes". And he did. Until 5am. On a Saturday.

When I say sleepyhead I do not mean he like to sleep in in the morning. On the occasion he wakes up around 7am but usually wakes up around 6am. That puts a hamper on my waking up early to read the scriptures with peace and quiet. Thankfully we are morning people and even more thankfully ROGER IS NOT COMMUTING 1 1/2+ HOURS TO WORK DAILY ANYMORE! In fact the commute is closer to 10min most days.

I am changing colors because I am changing subjects because of this commuting business. Roger has never ever complained because of his commute so neither will I but I want to share the positives to the temporary change.

1)Leaving between 5 and 520am is not necessary to beat the traffic. Mostly I never heard him leave. He also will not come home hours later than he should because the train doors closed on his face or the parking lot called the 5 freeway overly backed up.
2) Now HE can be the one to take Simeon downstairs, plunk him front of the TV,and give him his morning milk. Better yet, he can give him a shower,
3) He may even actually see Josh and Rory before he leaves too.
4) He can coax me out of sleep to read my scriptures at 530am. One morning I mumbled under the covers I threw over my head "I can't sleep with you rubbing my back" Yeah, I think that was the point.
5) With him being close, if he forgets his phone he's not screwed for the day. Likewise, if I forget my wallet in his car its not the end of the world.
6) He may be able to break away from work to come to school for say the holiday show or whatever. I won't always look like a single mom because I look so young and I forgot my ring at home. That's priceless.
7) Although we live in a very very safe city and I have a great network of friends I really do feel a little more safe with him nearby in this big world.

This short commute will not last forever so I do not feel guilty that I am enjoying this time. What can I say, I love this man and like him nearby.

My Baby is a Sunbeam!

He up and became a sunbeam! What was he thinking!?! He is a baby and has no right. I guess he is 3 and all but still, come on. When Josh went into sunbeams he was 4 days from 4 years old not just turned 3. He had 2 younger siblings already too. Simeon is doing great and is sitting in his seat and folding his arms and such. I guess he is allowed.

PS. Yes, people laughed at me for taking pictures in the hallway!

PPS. I don't imagine there are people reading that do not know I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints but I thought I would mention it any way. If you want to learn more go to www.mormon.org

Anonymity

FYI- I have just figured out how to change color and size. That and I want to make sure that everyone that leaves comments and/or links to my page knows that we don't want our last name or our city known. Publishing our family to the web has some risks and that is my way to lesson it a bit. Thanks in advance!

Grandma Robyn will you leave your comment again with out saying our last name please?

Happy Birthday Joshua!

We have been calling this fantastic kid Jt for a while and Joshy even longer so calling him Joshua was almost weird. We have a Joshua? What a normal name. Kind of like Kelly.
Anyway, somehow we talked him out of a friend party for the second year running and instead celebrated with cupcakes at park day, dinner and cake with the family and then Roger took him to Boomers the next day. I think he still felt special and that is what the celebration is about anyway right?
Jt has always been a serious kid (unlike his siblings) very much interested in learning and becoming like his Dad. He is the kind of kid that changes very very slowly almost imperceptible. These pictures are 1 a year from 2 on and I can barely tell a difference (except 2007 because those are already on the blog). He recognized all the letters by 2, folded his own laundry by 3. was asking about neurons by 4, reading well by 5, going on miles long bike rides by 6, and playing the piano very well by 7.
He is also very giving. He earned a $50 bill a couple months ago by being a part of a panel asking questions about grocery shopping. I never heard more about the money until I was reading a paper he wrote on the wall at school. He said he donated the money to the American Red Cross collection for homes that had been burned here in Cali. The teacher said "You didn't know? He marched right in and donated it. Is that ok?" Of coarse, if you don't mind the tear coming from me.
He is a very special kid spiritually too. He reads his scriptures daily and always has great questions. He has no fear in bearing his testimony about things he is learning. He truly is a fantastic kid.

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After Christmas Week of Party

Right after my brothers left Roger's sister called to say she was coming! She brought her husband and 4 kids which my kids LOVE to play with. It was a week of non stop playing. The kids have never gotten along better including between siblings. Roger's parents were already planning to come during that time and came for alittle longer. We felt truly blessed to have a houseful and I think they enjoyed warm weather and lots of things to do
His parent's gave us all tickets to the Discovery Science center.


We took a ferry to Balboa Peninsula and played on the beach.
That's Simeon on the crazy high ropes. That was the only place he wasn't cranky that day.




We also went to Irvine Regional park and climbed lots of trees. I am still waiting for those pictures. We played lots of games and ate lots of fun. Good fun!