A New Calling

So, I haven't had a calling at church in like ev-uh! And today, Brother Conners approached me after sacrament meeting. A more accurate description might take on the image of a run-down, Ha! And I knew, just as everyone knows. It was my turn. My turn to answer, to plan, to prepare, to serve. So a new calling it is, but I must admit, I feel rather spoiled. This calling definitely allows me the best of both worlds: to interact with the youth of the ward and to regularly attend Gospel Principals AND Relief Society. Any guesses? Send me a comment stating what you think my calling is and the winner gets a prize. Hint: Rachel, your mom was this to me when I was growing up.

Grace in your Face!

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.

~ Henry Ward Beecher

As Thanksgiving is approaching, I have began to reflect on my own personal graciousness (or lack thereof!) I am married to probably the most gracious person I have ever met in my whole entire life. Like, totally! Seriously! I know I make fun, but it is only to make light of how inept I really feel when compared to this esteeming quality he so easily possesses. I stand in awe of his gentle, sincere gratitude; the sweet graciousness that guides and directs his life, his soul. In my search to become more gracious, Mark and I had the following conversation...

J: I wish I were more gracious, but I always feel on the spot or unprepared. Grace, not the I-can-dance-like-a-ballerina kind but the other kind, just doesn't come naturally for me.

M: I think you are a very gracious person. (He went off on a tangent naming other admirable qualities I possess, but are too embarrassing in a modest sort of way to mention.)

J: But I am not!

M: Yes, you are.

J: No, really I don't think I am.

M: Okay, now is when you say 'Thank you!'"

J: See! Case in point. (did I mention, I often HAVE! to have the last word, too.)

Can I Pull Off "Retro Chic"?

Or will I just look old and/or silly? My swim suit and swim dress came in the mail today. I am reposting the pictures from online instead of modeling them myself (um, ya - no!) SO - I tried them on and now I am wondering will I look "retro-chic" (definitely the look I was going for) or just plain old lady? Will this really work for me?

I Just Gotta Say...

…that I’m very proud to be an American today. I hope you are too, no matter who you voted for yesterday. I woke up with a similar feeling to the one I had in the days following September 11, 2001. I am sobered by the challenges that lie ahead, but filled with an overwhelming sense of hope that we are capable of the task if we all work together on common ground. I truly believe that there is more that unites us in this country than divides us. One more thought. To the credit of both candidates, I don’t believe this election was about race. My skin is white. In the winter, buried under the layers of my warm clothes, it is pasty white. And for that fact alone, my American experience for the last thirty years came with a set of advantages and opportunities that I will never be able to count or comprehend. And I acknowledge that for generations, the American experience for people born without white skin came with a set of disadvantages and limitations that they were forced to comprehend all too well. I believe that yesterday a man was elected president of the United States on the content of his character and not the color of his skin. Whether you voted for him or not, we all deserve congratulations for participating in a historical election that was not about race but by default will impact the previous advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and limitations once defined by race. That alone is cause to celebrate!!! I wanted to say something funny here (as I am holding back the tears for the um-teenth time today), to wrap things up and to remind us all not to take ourselves too seriously, but I’m coming up blank (who knew?). I’m just too busy being proud to be an American today.

Off to the Store...

...to buy cereal

and maybe a few other things.

A Bright Idea

Mark and I have decided to finally, and I do mean finally, finish the basement. A project that we have started too many times than I can count. I am wanting a really fun light fixture for the "kids area" and I think I found it. Cute right? Love the colors, love the concept!

Hating the price. Not sure - okay definitely know, I will not be dropping $300 for this sassy chandelier. Curse you, Pottery Barn! So does anybody know if I could buy the wiring mechanism to whip up something like this? I am pretty crafty and could manage the details; I just don't know where to get the hardware.

Happy Halloween!

Though, it really, truly isn't Halloween (that is tomorrow) Trick-or-Treat in Grandma and Grandpa's village was tonight. So, we joined Josh and Alyssa in some good ole Halloween candy collecting. And, boy oh boy, did we have a blast.Brendan has been planning his costume since November 1, 2007. I was actually surprised at just how many hippies were out in our neighborhood this year. Jillian wanted to be a Star Wars family, but couldn't convince Brendan to give up his year-in-the-making hippie attire, so she settled for Cinderella. Not that Cinderella is that bad of a consolation costume. Karigan fell in love with Daisy. She laughed, she cackled, she loved, and she hugged that costume so we knew that was the one for her. That is, until we discovered the bill actually quacked. That kind of freaked her out. Okay, it really freaked her out. So no quacking! After we collected our loot, we headed back to Grandma and Grandpa's for our Halloween tradition: pizza, subs, and veggies from JR's. yumyumyum!

Gobble Dee Gook

Tonight our pumpkin's fate would be sealed. They would become the most dramatic piece of artwork our hands could muster, our knives could carve. Even Karigan would not suffice with simply being a spectator. Brendan dove in, sleeves up, but did not spare us the comedy of his expressions. Jillian watched and managed and instructed, but refused to do much herself. Goodness knows, pumpkin carving is dirty work.

The finished products.

From left: Karigan, Brendan, Mark, Jillian, and Jennifer

To Swim or Not To Swim?

Okay, so this was no easy task for me because winter is approaching and the selection of swimsuits to purchase locally is null. So, I have no other choice but to buy online - which absolutely terrifies me. Agh! Every girl out there knows that a swimsuit is not an easy purchase, in fact, it borderlines torture. Finding the perfect fit, the right amount of coverage, and the proper support is the triathlon of swimsuit shopping. Once achieved, it is the trifecta! Add the additional battle of need vs. function and finding the suit to compliment both, now that is a real dilemma. I don't really feel all that self conscious in a swim suit. Maybe I should feel more self conscious because this bod ain't what it used to be (not that it was all that to begin with.) But for some reason, the way I look or don't look, for that matter, has never really bothered me all that much. I know I could drop a few (okay maybe more) pounds. I know I could tone up, but I am not going to sit on the ship (or at home during the summer) just because I don't look like a supermodel in my bathing suit. So, these are my choices. We did not actually "swim" on the ship during our first cruise, but we did do a lot of lounging (aka sleeping for Mark) in our suits on the deck. We did go snorkeling in St. Thomas, though I don't think snorkeling will be on the agenda this time around, we do plan to spend a lot of time on the beach when we are at the "private island." I definitely want a suit that I will feel comfortable walking around on the beach, probably more of a swim dress, and another suit for soaking up the rays on ship. Suit 1 and 4 are also available in scarlet red and steel blue. Which ones do you like, what are your picks?

Like Pulling Teeth

The tooth that came out of Jillian's mouth today was "like pulling teeth!" I TELL YA! Literally and figuratively. I now know and truly understand the origin of this cliche because my, oh my...She wouldn't let anyone touch the tooth as it dangled from a single strand of gum. Once, she was convinced to part with her little ivory, I pulled quickly so she couldn't change her mind. Sadly, this one was a bleeder. More blood than I am comfortable seeing come from my own child. Jillian cried - a lot. For some reason this time she felt like she was losing a part of herself that she would never get back. So she mourned and grieved and fell out all over herself about a tooth. She asked if the Tooth Fairy could leave her tooth behind (I guess she thought she was going to construct a shrine for this little ole tooth of hers.) So she and Daddy wrote a note requesting that Jillian's tooth remain with her "for always." Then her tooth and note were placed her little bag. And, just like Jillian, she was fine. She got it all out and was ready for the tooth fairy to come because this time she was convinced that the tooth fairy was going to bring her a new Barbie.

~

"Bye little tooth. I will miss you."

Toothless?

~ Well, I am not sure if one missing tooth qualifies for the description of being toothless, but for all dramatic purposes (we are talking about Jillian, after all) that wiggly tooth of hers finally got the yank. And, better yet, she has declared herself as becoming toothless (the one next to it is loose, too.) A big shout out goes to Poppy. He bought Jillian this Tooth Fairy bag when they were here a few months ago. How did he know, our Tooth Fairy days were coming so soon?

~

"Can I call Poppy?"

To the Nines

So we haven't even decided where exactly we will be cruising, and I am already picking out dresses for our formal dinners. Go figure. I mean really, would you expect anything less from me? All I really need, clothing wise, is a couple of dresses and the inevitable swimsuit (I will post more about that when I get the courage to actually look for one.) So, these are my choices. I really can't decide on the two that I would like. The first one is my absolute favorite. Very classy and elegant! The remaining three are shown in different colors than I would pick, but these were the only photos available. The second dress would be smoke in color; more like a titanium. I like this one because it is cute and sassy. The third dress would be a wine color. It is very plain in the front and detailed with bustling in the back - a perfect bridesmaid dress. The fourth dress Mark chose and the color would be "sterling orchid" which is lavender with a metallic sheen. The criss-cross is joined with a faux crystal broach - very exquisite. Now the tough part...A Decision. SO - let me know which one you like. The best part is...each dress is on sale at David's Bridal for a mere $39. How great is that! A beautiful dress and a bargain. Heck, I might buy all four. Woohoo!

We're Cruisin'

Today was my day to volunteer in Jillian's class. Oh, how I have missed working in the classroom. Mark and Karigan were going to run a few errands, so they dropped us off and then picked us up. As I climbed into the truck, Mark had this sheepish grin on his face and our favorite song just so happened to be playing on the radio. Yet, I suspected nothing, nothing at all. So, about the errands he had to run. "Just what were those errands, Mark?" Well lets just say, they involved planning a cruise and securing childcare during said cruise for our up-and-coming anniversary. And boy, oh boy was I ever so surprised. I love, love, love surprises. Unfortunately, I am not so easy to surprise, but oh my gravy was I ever so super dee duperly surprised. I can't stop saying how surprised I was, still am, and probably will be for a while. This man is the absolute love of my life and the idea of spending five days with him on a beach, on a boat, under the sun, and under the sea is just H-E-A-V-E-N, Heaven. Now, if only I can make it the five days without my other loves, our kaddos.

Conked Out

“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap." ~ Robert Fulgham

Sunday afternoons couldn't be any better

High-Ho, High-Ho

This week has been all about opposites. Megan and Bailey went home yesterday. So hopefully a little calmness will find its way back into our lives. One day the weather was sunny and gorgeous and warm. The next it was raining and absolutely freezing. FREEZING, I tell ya! Which left Megan in an angst. She wanted more than anything for the weather to be cold and just plain dreary while she was here. For me it just emphasizes that I am not ready for winter, but that's Ohio for you! One week we were all healthy and happy-go-lucky. Fast forward to later in the week and we're all sick and miserable. Mark was gone most of last week. Working craaazzzy hours, and I thought summer, aka golfing weather, was over. But now, (thank goodness!!!) he's back and full of quality family time. And I'm thinking at some point, once upon a time, my house was clean. I may be imagining that. Something about that third child just makes all things only possible for about 5 minutes. And in the back of my head I am remembering how my mom told me having a third child is just another baked potato in the microwave. I would share my potato if only I could have a clean house. However, it's a disaster today. Perhaps I can muster some motivation and scrub a toilet or two. Too bad those scrubbing bubbles really don't do the scrubbing for you. Wish list: a maid. If only 4 times a year. Ya know to get those nooks and crannies I have been neglecting. Oh and to dust, I despise dusting! Something about all those knick knacks my mom had when I was a child. And what was my chore. The dusting. My mom says it was because I did it so well. Well, now - I can't stand it. Anyway, I am wasting precious time I could be cleaning. High-Ho! High-Ho!

Sleepy Heads

Today is Megan and Bailey's last day in Ohio and I couldn't, just couldn't, resist this photo op. Waking up this morning and seeing the boys like this conjured so many, many memories. Meggie and I have several pictures of the boys like this from over the years. Maybe in a few days I will dig some out of my photo boxes and post a few comparisons.

Candied Apples

Buckeye Candies

1 c. (2 sticks) butter

5 1/4 c. confectioners' or powdered sugar

2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla

12 oz. chocolate bits (or chocolate almond bark)

1/2 bar paraffin

Knead all together and shape into balls the size of walnuts. Melt the chocolate bits with the paraffin in the top of double boiler. Stick toothpicks into the balls and dip into chocolate so all of the ball is covered except top where toothpick is. This is what makes them look like buckeyes. Set on cookie sheet or wax paper in refrigerator until cold. Take off with a knife. Keep cool.

The Pumpkin Patch

Growing up in Oklahoma, I never experienced a true "pick-your-own-pumpkin" pumpkin patch. What I did have as a child was a plethora of church parking lots, enclosed by square hay bails, full o' pumpkins. Little did I know, that authentic pumpkin patches require you picking your pumpkin from the vine in the field the seed was sown, the seed that rain watered and the sunlight nourished. AND, apparently I was not alone.

On our way to dinner the night before we went to "our" pumpkin patch, we drove by another pumpkin patch. Megan says boldly, "oh, look they hid the pumpkins for the kids to find in the field." The entire truck roared with laughter. Then I gently explained to Megan, "No, that is where they grow." Keep in mind, she is an Okie too! But that there little statement is one for the record books, aka one I won't allow her to forget. hehehe!

The quest for the perfect pumpkin. Anyone who knows Karigan knows that she is fas-cin-nated by balls or anything and everything resembling a ball. She kept repeating Bah! Bah! Bah! and pointing everywhere around her. Our L-O-O-T,Loot!

The sign says it all. The trick: the person carrying the pumpkins has to make it from the sign to the crates, about 50 feet, without dropping any of the pumpkins for the carry to count.

Mark carried 8 pumpkins to the finish line last year. His goal this year was 10. Did he make it?

GOAL!

(you can't see the two little ones Karigan is sitting on)

Strappin' em down for the ride home.

Poor, poor pumpkins. If only they knew what was coming.