The State Fair

It's state fair time again!!!! We went yesterday, along with Cory's brother, sister, and sister-in-law and all our families. We have gone together the last several years and loved every minute of it!!!!! We got to the fair about 10am and ate, looked at rabbits, rode rides, ate, rode more rides, ate, held baby chicks, ate, looked at cows, huge pumpkins, fresh veggies, and ate some more. Did I mention we ate lots of good food? :) We had the most heavenly grilled corn on the cob. Its so amazing & could almost be considered healthy, if it weren't for the two pounds of butter it is drenched in. But, hey, that is what makes it so good! We also had gyros with cucumber sauce, honey buns, hot dogs, pizza, frozen lemonade, cotton candy, candy apples, ice cream, and my personal favorite--frozen cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate. My goodness, have you ever heard of anything so wonderful in your whole life? We finally left around 5:30pm, exhausted, dirty, stuffed and very, very happy. It was lots of fun and here are the pictures to prove it. :)

Here are Elise and Emmy at the start of the day. They already found something cool to look at.

The kids riding one of the many rides they were able to enjoy.

Our state fair has one of the biggest midways in the country, so there is so much for the kids to do.
Are they getting a little green around the gills, or is it just the light?

The boats were a big hit, but seriously, what wasn't?

The Phone Curse

I don't know what it is about phones, but I have a knack for losing, destroying or otherwise ruining perfectly good phones. Here's the history with them: I've left them out in the rain, dropped them down stairs onto a cement floor, dropped them in chocolate milk, dripped syrup into the mouthpiece making it totally useless for talking into, cut the cord, messed up antennas and the list goes on. The latest incident involves the charger for my cell phone. It is completely missing in action. It is nowhere to be found. So now I once again have a phone that is completely useless to me and anything I'd want to do with it. All it is is a fancy looking paperweight. Oh well. I should have known....

They didn't inherit my sweet tooth

When it comes to eating sweets, Elise and Ian certainly didn't get my genes. I made some homemade peanut butter and chocolate chip toffee sprinkled cookies a few days ago. One day after lunch I asked Ian if he wanted one for dessert. He paused, then shook his head. "No thanks," he said, "but I would like some grits for dessert." I also packed Elise a cookie in her lunch box as a special treat. When she brought the lunch box home in the afternoon, it was completely empty, except for the cookie, completely untouched. I, on the other hand, would rather just skip lunch and eat 15 cookies. :) Lucky for them, they'll never be a slave to chocolate.

Ian's Morning Antics

So far today we're already down a laundry basket. Here are the remains of what used to be a nice container for holding my white clothes. Unfortunately it got in Ian's path this morning...

This is how it happened. He launched himself off the bed and onto the laundry basket. The basket was no match for the strength of the amazing spiderman. We were both quite stunned that this happened and Ian was very apologetic for destroying my basket. By the time I got my camera, he was smiling and a little less alarmed than when it first happened. Thankfully, he's fine, although I can't say the same for my basket. :)

Is there an award for giving your child Doritos?

Last weekend, Cory had basketball games at church. The games were early and the kids hadn't eaten a good breakfast beforehand. We were almost to the church when Ian started complaining that he didn't feel well. That's our cue to get some food in his tummy. If he does too much before eating, he throws up. Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often, but its happened enough for us to know what to do. So we were in a hurry and just stopped in at a gas station to pick up some snacks. Gas stations, of course, are not known for their health food sections, so I ended up with a bag of sour cream and onion chips, a bag of doritos, a donut cake, a container of tic-tacs, a diet coke and a raspberry lemonade. During the game my three kids, plus my nephew, were huddled around the snack bag, scarfing down the food. At some point I looked over at another group of moms and their kids: there was a mom holding a ziploc bag of baby carrots, and her toddler eating them--happy as a clam. YIKES!!! I was sure wishing I'd thought to throw in a banana. Oh well, maybe doritos will let me be their spokeswoman. :)

Has Ian been too quiet?

It's been a while since I've posted any of Ian's escapades, so lest you think he's settling down, here they are. One morning before school we were looking for Elise's water bottle. Not finding it anywhere, we sent her with something else. Sometime during the day, I founded in the bedroom while doing laundry. I asked Ian to please take it into the kitchen and put it on the counter. A few minutes later I heard what sounded like Ian spitting out water. I heard the sound a few more times, thinking he must have stopped off in the bathroom and was spitting the water out into the sink or tub. At this point, I just got that little prickle, thinking maybe he was up to no good. So I called out to him, "Ian! Are you spitting that water out into the sink or the tub?" And he responded, "I'm not in the bathroom!" Uh oh. I took off down the hall and walked around the corner into the kitchen just in time to see him pour out the rest of the 12 or so ounce water bottle onto the floor. No matter how many times I ask the question "Why?" I get nothing. Who knows? What I do know is that he was promptly put in time out until I could get it together. (It ended up being about 10 minutes, but hey!) Then we got out the mop and cleaned up the mess.

Yesterday was Elise's dental check-up. Of course, I had the other two children as well. Just to set the scene, the dental office we go to is fancy. Almost opulent. Expensive furniture, high ceilings, chandeliers, marble floors, everything you can imagine. When we walked in the first time Elise commented, "This is the dentist? This looks like a princess castle!" So while in the waiting room, the fun began. Because of the layout of the building, there is a nice echo in the lobby area. Naturally, the kids (Ian in particular) were testing out their voices--loudly. Keep in mind there are probably 8 other people in the waiting room--no other children--and before we got going there was complete silence. Once I calmed down the hootin' and hollerin', Ian began running back and forth between two leather couches, flipping up on each one and doing a handstand. It was chaos. And since most everyone's attention was on me and my crew, its a little difficult to get things under control without causing more of a scene then we already were. It was also one of those awkward moments where everyone is feeling hopelessly sorry for you and even sorrier that they were scheduled for cleanings at the same time we were. Sometimes the kids are places and being, well, just being kids and other folks around smile and sympathize and you feel that, while they are glad it is you and not them, they don't really mind that things are crazy for you. This was not one of those times. It was so bad that when one of the kids bounced down on the couch beside this one older guy, he got up and moved to a chair. :) Fortunately, once the newness of the adventure wore off, the kids got pretty well under control and we survived the whole ordeal. I just think, some people actually 'just go to the dentist'. I feel like I went to the dentist, participated in a three ring circus, tamed a chimpanzee, fought off a kangaroo attack, and came out with my lipstick still in tact.

Fun with Numbers

The other day Elise was wanting to do something and Cory said, "You'll have to grow a few more feet tall before you can do that." Elise responded, "Daddy, that will take me, like, 600 weeks." It took Cory a second before we realized she was exactly right. :)

For family night tonight we were playing hide and seek (Ian's choice). Cory, Elise & I had all taken turns counting to 35. When it was Ian's turn, Cory asked him, "Ian what is the highest number you can count to?" Without even so much as a pause, Ian said, "Four. I can count to four." We all laughed. He can actually count a bit higher than that, but since his birthday, four is his new favorite number. :) (He counted to 20 with only a few numbers reversed and mixed up.)

You've gotta love this song...

A full day and then some

It started with a dental check-up for Ian on Tuesday. They found a small cavity on the back of his front tooth. I know it was the apple juice he guzzled for years, before we finally bit the bullet and stopped buying it. Unfortunately, this particular dental office didn't want to fill it because of his age and worrying about how he would do. I feel sure he would have been fine, but they referred us out anyway. The only appointment the referral had available was one the next morning at 7. YIKES!

We took it, so the next morning found me waking up two sleeping children, dressing them, and packing breakfast in the car. We got to the office and after some paperwork they took Ian back. I have to admit, I wanted to go back with him. I don't think it would have been upsetting to have me back there and I could totally have handled it. But that's their policy. I especially wanted to go back after reading their policies on "hard to handle" children. I mean, I can only imagine trying to work on a kids teeth, who has probably rarely used a toothbrush, who may be in pain, and is afraid of the dentist. (There were a few kids I saw in the waiting room who had extreme dental work, so I'm sure that must be a challenge.) But I was a little freaked out reading about them using something called "pediwrap" on an unruly, unmanageable child. I was sure Ian would be fine, but I really wanted to be around to check on him. :)

Anyway, cavities and sealants and 3 1/2 hours later, we were finally finished. Ian actually did magnificent, as did Merry Grace, who had to spend the entire time in the waiting room. I was so relieved. When I asked him how it was, he said, "Well, it was a little bit not fun." In my head I was thinking, "Uh oh. Here it comes." But I asked, "So what was 'not fun'?" "That little girl wouldn't share that toy with me and she had it for a long time.", he said. I almost laughed. I couldn't believe after all he'd been through that day that the most traumatic thing was not being able to play with a certain toy.

Unfortunately, our day wasn't over yet. We then had to go to the doctor for well-child check-ups and immunizations. So two hours and 7 shots later, we were done. Miraculously, neither one of the kids cried with their shots. Ian got four, and MG got three. I could hardly believe it. They did so, so, so good throughout the day. But we were exhausted by the end. At least we crammed all the "not fun" stuff into one day, rather than dragging it out. How's that for a positive spin?

Beauty Refresh

A few things about me: I love clothes--both buying them and wearing them, I love make-up, I enjoy primping and looking nice, even if I tend to be on the low-maintenance end of the spectrum. That being said, I was in the car this morning and happened to glance in the mirror. I was on the way to take Ian to the dentist & it was early, but this is what I saw: unwashed, slightly unkempt hair, half-done make-up (partially due to the fact that Merry Grace emptied my compact and blush onto the bath mat while I showered yesterday), no earrings (the last time I went anywhere without earrings was when I had gallbladder surgery 5 years ago, and if I know myself I probably took them off in the car before going in), and the wrong shade of lipstick (I had tried to put some on, but I'd left my favorite kind at home). I realized, somewhere in the last few weeks, I had let myself go. I never leave home like that!!!! Fortunately I caught it before it got really serious, but it was real nonetheless. So as soon as Ian's appointment was over I replaced the make-up MG destroyed, came home and colored my hair and made a commitment to take a little more time for myself. Even if that just means doing my make-up before I leave home instead of while I'm waiting in the carpool line, or ironing that cute shirt I've been wanting to wear but haven't done yet, I'm starting fresh today. So if you happened to see me out this morning or in the last few weeks, it was just a fluke, and I apologize. The real me is back. As my friend & I used to joke when we were teens, "Kristen Barnett, you beautiful thing, don't you ever die!!!"

I've always wanted to be a superhero!

Just a few minutes ago, Ian was looking for a clean pair of shorts to put on. Not finding any in the clean laundry basket, we made a last ditch effort by going down to the laundry room, in hopes that the dryer would have a pair in it. I was unloading the laundry into a basket and, sure enough, there was a pair of shorts. When I found some and handed them to Ian, he enthusiastically cheered, "Oh Mommy! You're a super hero! I love you! You are soooooo the best!" I couldn't help but laugh. Its nice when just a clean pair of shorts garner that kind of praise. I'm pretty sure no boss could ever dole out compliments that well or sincerely, for that matter. Once he got the shorts on and we were walking back upstairs, he continued, "Mommy, you are sooooooo a genius for getting me these shorts!" And you know what, after talking it up that much, I did kind of feel like a genius. What a sweet kid!

In other Ian adventures, this morning, around 6, he and Merry Grace had both woken up and found their way to our bed. They were playing while I was trying to eke out a few more minutes of sleep. In my dream-like state I heard Ian say, "One little pig was a pig. Two little pigs went home. And one little pig said wee, wee, wee, all the way home." It was so cute. They had a fun time.

And of course, here is an Elise story. She certainly has her own fashion sense, and flaunts it with pride. Last Sunday, when I had early meetings, she came flouncing into church in last year's maroon Christmas dress, and completed the outfit with a sparkly, furry, turquoise scarf. She also had a bag chock full of a hundred different odds and ends. Cory told me later that on the way to church he had had to borrow something from her out of her purse. She told him, "It's like I always say, 'A girl is always prepared!'" I don't know if she always says that or not, but it sure sounds good. :)

Where do you belong?

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Cuter than Cute

Here are some of the goings on around our place here lately. Elise and Ian discovered the pillowcase. I've decided I'm going to write a book: 50 reasons to never buy your children toys. This will be chapter 12. :)Is this baby the cutest thing you've ever seen, or what? She'd had pigtails in earlier in the day, but had taken them out for bath time. In her continuing move toward independence, she decided to wash her own hair. Unfortunately she only managed to wet the middle section. She is certainly a mess...but too cute for words!
Elise came home from school the other day covered in some sort of red stuff. I have to admit when I caught a glimpse of it in the rear view mirror on the way home, my first reaction was to think it was blood. Upon further inspection, thankfully, we realized it was marker or paint or dye or something. Elise has no idea how this happened or what she is covered in. I can't imagine that is the case, but who knows. It was all over her shirt, skirt, tummy, neck, arms, and hands. She was pretty sad that we had to throw her clothes away. There's just nothing you can do with that much red. :)

Kid Communications

Last night, Elise was reading the book "Are you my Mother?" for a bedtime story. If you aren't familiar with this book, it involves a little bird who wanders around thinking different animals and objects are his mother. She was having a grand time reading it and getting into the whole act of engaging Ian. Here is how the communication went:

Elise: "And Ian...Guess what he came to next?"
Ian: "I don't know."
Elise: "It's an animal and it lives on a farm and it eats hay..."
Ian: "A bird!"
Elise: "And its black and white and milk comes from them..."
Ian: "A pig." (pronounced pid) :)
Elise: "And it is big and nice..."
Ian: "A cow!!!!" (pronounce tow)

It's so funny how they interact. I just love the way they talk to one another. Sometimes I wonder how they ever make sense of anything. And that is probably what makes it so sweet. To the outside observer, their conversations are coming from two different planets. But they are happy and love talking to one another. And I love listening to them!

Watch out for flying objects

Today the whole gang went to eat lunch with Elise. It's the first time we've been to her new school for lunch, and everyone was excited. We were sitting at a table, enjoying our meal, when this other class walked in and began getting their food. We were at the table closest to the front and watched this new class go through the line. The last boy in line grabbed a milk carton from the refrigerator and held on to it. This boy, probably a second grader, began talking to a couple of boys at the table behind us. Somewhere, in and amongst our conversation at our own table, we lost focus of what was transpiring around us. About that time, the little boy in line picked up the milk carton he had just dropped and hurled it at the two boys behind us. Fortunately no one was hurt, but YIKES! I had no idea I needed to wear protective clothing to lunch at an elementary school. Frankly I was pretty surprised. But what surprised me even more was the lack of response by the teachers around there. Maybe they are just used to things like that happening, maybe they dealt with it after lunch, maybe they thought it was a battle they didn't care to fight. I'm just not sure. Needless to say, lunch was an adventure--and fortunately one we survived. :)

So who are YOU?

Which HP Kid Are You?

Grateful

Last night I had Presidency Meeting and was gone from soon after dinner until after bedtime. When I got back home, the dishes were done, the counters and table were wiped down, and the kitchen floor swept. The kids had been fed and all the supper stuff was cleaned up and put away. The kids had taken baths, brushed their teeth, done homework, and were tucked into bed. It was the best feeling ever to come home and find all the projects I had left to do, already done. Cory is so wonderful to be supportive of me and what I have to do. I have to say, I'm a pretty lucky gal.

Time for a little rant

My source for news are the headlines I read on my google and yahoo home pages. If you browse through the headlines like I do, maybe you happened to come across the one about Britney Spears' performance on the MTV awards (or whatever they are called) the other night. Apparently the lip-synching was off, her dancing was bad...blah, blah, blah. I guess what really got to me were the comments in the article about how fat she was. Give. Me. A. Break. Being the mother of a little girl, I despise the emphasis--almost everywhere you turn--on being thin. I'm all for eating healthy, exercising, and having all around good health. There is a problem with obesity, both in adults and kids. But some stuff is just ridiculous. I would post a picture to prove my point, but they're just a little too revealing for this family-friendly blog. I know Britney chose to go out on stage in a skimpy, next-to-nothing-bikini. Certainly she is by no mean a model of morality, or almost anything else you'd want to emulate. We try very hard to keep Elise away from so much of this "in your face" weight stuff. We are careful about what we say, how we act, what we do. I just despise the attitude that is everywhere in the world that thin is good, that it's better, that your worth comes from looking good. I think so much of it is subtle, and that even when its not directly "said" it is implied enough that even a 6-year old girl could pick up on it. Bah. It makes me mad.

I guess this leads up to my next rant. Maybe you've heard about this too. The girls who plays the lead in the High School Musical Movies has gotten "busted" because of nude pictures of her on the internet. She has admitted they were hers and apologized. Granted, she didn't post them herself...she was betrayed. Whatever. Again, this was a show my little girl loved. What a mess. I'm just disgusted.

I'm not sure this makes any sense. Maybe I'm too frustrated to get my thoughts together. But I'm sick of it.

Kids just crack me up

Elise is the funniest little thing ever. She was in the car yesterday and we were talking about the effort at her school to name the mascot. She was really wanting to name the mascot "America" because "that would make it for everybody", but others in her class had different ideas, one being the name "Justin". "Justin", she said, "That's the weirdest mascot name I ever heard!" Apparently her class didn't make the final cut in the "name the mascot game", and she was a little frustrated. "It's probably because some people in my class voted for the name Snowball. What were they thinking?"

She's just a funny mix of sassy and sweet and her interests always surprise me. Each day since the first week of school she wants me to draw a small heart on her palm so that she can remember that I love her. We started it one of the first days when she was feeling a little apprehensive about school. Now its tradition. Ian & Merry Grace follow suit, as well, wanting matching hearts on their hands. This morning Elise drew the hearts on her siblings hands instead of me and told me that she had drawn her "special ones". When I asked Ian about it later he said, "Elise drew me this special heart." "What does it mean?", I asked. "It means 'I love Elise when she is at school.'" How precious is that?

This is the same girl that checks out the books, "Bats" and "Vampire Bats" from her school library and watched an entire Animal Planet special on "Boxed Jelly Fish", or something of the sort. What in the heck?

We were going to Emmy's yesterday for a bit and needed to take back some shoes she left over here the other day. I told Elise to get them from her room and bring them with her. A few minutes later, I she her walking around with this aluminum foil packet. "What is that?" I asked her. "Oh...", she said with a sheepish grin, "these are Emmy's shoes. I wrapped them up for her, so they would be pretty."

Who can figure. All I know is that I love her to pieces. :)

And a few more pictures for good measure...

This was Ian's "surfer" pose.

My little family.

This makes me want to take a bath.

Wishing I Were There....

When my brothers came down a couple of weeks ago, we went to the beach. It was a beautiful day--practically perfect in every way. Today I'm just wishing I were there again.

A Great Movie

The other night, the kids and I were going to snuggle up and watch a show together. We looked through the guide and saw that "The Sound of Music" was on. I'm a sucker for great movies like that and fortunately, so are my kids. We were all totally into it and watching it reminded me of why it is such a great movie.

I hope you are all familiar with the premise. Basically, Maria has decided to become a nun, only to discover that following the rules are more difficult than she imagined. She becomes a governess to the seven Von Trapp children. Of course, she is a wonderful governess and loves the children dearly. In the process, however, she begins to fall in love with the widowed Captain Von Trapp. When she realizes it, she runs away, only to be encouraged by the Reverend Mother to return and face the challenge before her. Back at the Von Trapp home, she discovers that Captain Von Trapp is already engaged to someone else. Very shortly that engagement is called off leading up to one of the sweetest, romantic scenes in all of movies. Captain Von Trapp tells the surprised Maria that he is no longer going to marry the Baroness and says, "How could I....when I'm in love with someone else." Looooooove it! It is so beautiful and the backdrop of the trouble with Hitler and the Captain's loyalty to country and integrity just makes it all the more wonderful. The songs and music are great and Julie Andrews' voice makes it seem natural that she would go from talking to singing one second to the next.

I grew up on musicals like this and I love it that my kids like them too. It's such a fun memory from my childhood and I love being able to share it with my kids. And it doesn't hurt that I'm a hopeless romantic. I fall for those sweet lines every time. It was so good I watched it again last night. And that's how I know it's a great movie--it was just as good the second time around.

Starting School

This morning, before school, when Cory was walking out to the car with Elise, she said, "You know, Daddy, I was a little nervous about starting school before, but now I'm just excited. You gave me a Father's blessing and the Spirit touched my heart and now I'm not nervous anymore. How does Heavenly Father do that?" It opened the door for a sweet discussion about prayer and the Spirit and how our Heavenly Father blesses us.

She is such a sweet girl. I can't believe how fast she is growing up.

Two Things That Touched Me

This past week my brothers, Adam & Logan, came down for a visit. It was so nice to have a few days just to hang out with them. We did a few fun things, like going to the lake and the beach, watching some TV, eating some good food, and just being together. But the following two experiences will always be the highlights for me.

Saturday night, Adam had gone out with Cory to pick up a few things, including some Mountain Dew (and not the caffeine free kind.) His reasoning was that he would need it to help him stay awake on the ride back home on Sunday. It was setting out, and of course the kids saw it and wanted some. (Canned drinks are always cooler than any other kind.) We had to explain that it had caffeine in it and that we don't drink caffeine. Elise, having more experience with this kind of thing, accepted it and was done. Ian, however, wasn't as easily convinced, and he didn't understand why his uncles could drink it and he couldn't. After some discussion, Adam came over and talked to Ian and said, "Ian, it's really not good and I shouldn't be drinking it either. You know what we need to do with this? Throw it away!" So Ian & Adam threw away the cans of Mountain Dew. I was so grateful for Adam stepping in and teaching this lesson in a way that was more meaningful than what I could have done. I was even more touched when Adam said, "Mountain Dew--$2.25. Teaching your nephew about the Word of Wisdom--Priceless." Amen.

Not long after that, I was making a strawberry sonker for us to eat. After getting all the ingredients in the pan, I overestimated my own strength when putting the heavy, glass, 9"x13" pan in the oven. As I tried to slide it in, my arm sagged, sending splashes of strawberries and sonker batter all over the oven, the floor and everywhere in between. It dripped out of the oven into the under the oven drawer, it seeped underneath the oven...it was a huge mess. After we had a sort-of-laugh, Logan walked right over without even being asked and got paper towels to start cleaning up. Logan, for all his sleeping in until noon, playing 'insane aquarium', and all the other typical teenage stuff, picked up on my moment of desperation and pitched right in to help. I'm sure he doesn't know how much that meant to me.

So even though we made a lot of memories this week, these two incidents will be what I think of when I remember their visit. I sure have great brothers!

Why do I buy my kids toys?

Good Southern Food Everyone Should Try

There are some things that are just native to the south, that no matter where you live, you should try. Feel free to add to the list, in case I missed something. :)

1. Grits--Made the way grits were intended to be made, with salt and (real) butter. Even better if you have them with bacon or sausage, eggs and biscuits.

2. Red hot dogs--Wikipedia has this to say about NC hot dogs. (Scroll down the page to find the NC part.) They are definitely the best.

3. Collards--Part of the thing about collards is they have to be cooked the right way...usually with a ham hock or some fatback. (I know, I know--what an unhealthy thing to do to a vegetable. But I don't want to hear about it. It's delicious!)

4. Chicken and Pastry--This is a lot like chicken and dumplings only instead of dumplings there is something that resembles a lasagna noodle, only tastier.

5. Sonkers--This is very much like a cobbler. The name sonker is only found in a small area of the foothills, but means much the same thing. Basically you add the fruit last and let the cakey part rise around the fruit. Strawberry is delicious, although I like the tartness from a blackberry or raspberry one.

6. BBQ--There is eastern and western style BBQ and they are extremely different, but both are wonderful and famous in their own right. Eastern style is more vinegary, for Western style try Lexington, NC for a sample.

7. Sweet Potato Pie--If you don't like this, you probably just didn't get the right recipe. Made the "right" way, nothing beats it, especially in the fall.

This is just a small sampling of NC and Southern cuisine. To me its the best thing in the world!!!

Future Photographers

The kids were taking some pictures with my camera today. This was one taken by Elise. I have to say (no prejudice, I'm sure) that she did a great job. And a what a cute shot!!!
This is Merry Grace in the middle of one of her "mmmmwwwwaaaa" kisses. What a cutie!!!
MG, up close and personal.
Ian--He loves to pose for the camera.
This is my sweet girl. Gotta love the lips!!! :)

More sleepover fun

These two girls are the bestest of best friends. They, along with Kyleigh & Marleigh, not only spent their time watching HSM2, but also sang along to some of their favorite songs. They're going to be rock stars, you know. They even have their own band. :)
Merry Grace had a blast with all the girls. She has yet to realize that she's little bitty. But the bigger girls are so good to include her. They all treat her like their little baby.

Ian & Marleigh are best friends as well...now that they've decided they can never marry. Well, they pretended to get married at Camp Singletary a couple of years ago, but since then....well, they've realized it can never be. They are fiercely loyal to one another and cute as can be. Here they are sharing homemade cookies.

We had such a good time at the HSM2 party. Now we're all anxiously awaiting HSM3, or something just as good. What a fun excuse to hang out with friends.

Par-tay

I don't know if you were aware of this fact, but High School Musical 2 came out last weekend. That was a big deal, at least around our house. That day Elise kept asking if it were "8/7 central" yet. She invited her cousins over to watch it with her and have a sleepover. They were so cute. Even Cory and Merry Grace got in on the fun.
After pizza and chips Marleigh & Kyleigh settled into the little couch for a little Troy and Gabriella.
Emmy and Elise didn't miss a beat, either. They were all pretty excited and thought the show lived up to all their expectations. After the fun of seeing Gabriella and Troy make it work, they were thrilled to get the news that their "favorite Aunt Kristie" was engaged. Nothing like a little real-life romance to keep the excitement going. :)

Don't we all want it that way?

The other night we were straightening things up around the house before baths and the bedtime routine. In an effort to encourage the kids, Cory said to Elise, "Sweetie, if you'll work really hard with us to get things cleaned up, then afterward I'll watch one of your favorite shows with you before bedtime." Elise, without missing a beat says, "How about we do that backwards." That's my girl! :) In the now-famous words of Grandma Jarrell, "I know we have to do housework, but do we have to do it every day?"

My new loves

Okay, here are a few of the new things I love.

1. Butter. Yeah, okay, so that one has been around for while. But *cringing with embarrassment* I just discovered it. We've always bought margarine and even spray butter. Those things certainly have their place. But recently I bought some real butter. A few mornings ago I made grits and toast for breakfast, and spread real butter on my toast for the first time. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I fell in love and I fell hard. I've been dying for an excuse to eat more. I'm even beginning to think Grandma Delia might have been onto something with her peanut butter and butter sandwich.

2. The Closer: This is a show that comes on TNT, I think on Monday nights. I just started watching them before we moved and now I'm hooked. Again, this is a show that's been out for a while (I'm never on the cutting edge of television or movies), but it is wonderful. It's got enough of that suspense, criminal investigation, and "i didn't see that coming" moments to make it really great. But Kyra Sedgewick who plays Chief Brenda Johnson is fabulous. She's tough and great as a police officer and investigator. But she' s a little clumsy sometimes and still quite girly. She's just adorable and likeable and she MAKES the show, although I like the whole cast.

3. German Heirloom Tomatoes: I bought one of these at a local produce stand the other day, only because it had a really different name than the "Big Boys" and "Beefy Boys" that I'm used to seeing. And it had a slightly different color--more pink tints than orange. It just sounded cool. So I ate it yesterday for lunch and it was fabulous!!!! Granted, I only bought one, so maybe I just got the best one there was. But when I sliced into it, it was rich and bright and fresh and the taste was golden. I only wish I'd gotten more. Todays lunch will likely not compare.

What My Son has Been up to

Ian has been a busy little rascal lately, which you already know if you've been reading this blog at all. I gave Ian a haircut about a week ago. We got out the clippers and gave him the usual buzz cut. A couple of days ago I noticed this chunk out of his hair. At first I thought it was the light, but a closer inspection revealed a definite gouge out of his hair. My first reaction was, "Did I do that?" Quickly, however, I realized that this was not my work. So I began, "Ian....did something happen to your hair?" His quick, mischevious smile gave me the answer I already suspected. "What happened?", I asked. And the story of him getting Cory's trimmer and trying it out on his hair unfolded. So, below are pictures of his work. I actually think we got off pretty well, considering.




Obviously, these pictures prove he isn't as devastated over this mishap as he should be. But sometimes we just have to take our lumps.

It's a Conspiracy

Some days I'm convinced of that. This afternoon I came into the kitchen after the kids had eaten apples for snack, only to feel the urge to blow a gasket. It looked like a bushel of apples had exploded all over the floor, the table, and every other open surface. Apparently they finished the apples I'd given them and had gotten more. Since they love apples but don't like the peeling, they had to do something. So they (mainly Ian) bit the peel off the apples and spit it around the kitchen. Just staring at the freshly mopped floor now covered in sticky sweet granny smith peelings was enough to do me in. I called Ian up and together we cleaned up the mess. By the time he was finished he said, "I'm never gonna make that mess again." Unfortunately, I've heard those words before. I know they're well-intentioned, but sometimes the draw of destruction is just too much for a little boy.

In other kid-related events, while unpacking boxes today we came across some pictures of when Ian was a baby. He began looking through them and in utter surprise exclaimed, "Mommy, I was a white baby." Once again, there I stood in stunned silence. I have no idea what kind of baby he thought he was, but today, apparently, he made a discovery. :)

Conversations with the kids

Elise: Did you like to sing when you were a kid?
Me: Yes
Elise: Did you sing a lot?
Me: Yes. I remember singing for my mom and dad. And singing along with the radio.
Elise: Well....then why are you not a rock star right now?
Me: *stunned silence*


Not long ago we had ordered Chinese take-out, and the kids and I went to pick it up. Since you can park right in front of the store, I left the car running, locked the doors and ran inside to pick up the food. I had to wait a little longer than usual, so when I went back out to the car this is the conversation that took place:

Ian: Mommy, you took for a long time!
Me: I know, I had to wait on them this time.
Ian: Mommy, when you took for a long time, we thought you were dead!
Me: *Stunned Silence*

Happy Anniversary

Cory & I celebrated our 8th anniversary this week. It was a fun day to reminisce about where we started, what we've been through, and the road ahead of us.

Cory & I met at EFY when I had just turned 16 and Cory was almost 19. It was my first EFY and his last, before his mission. I met Cory at the first dance, on Monday night. My best friend, Sherri and I were in different groups and it just happened that Cory was in the Scooby-do Company with Sherri. So when Sherri and I took a break from dancing to go get some water, there was Cory, doing the same. He and Sherri said "Hello", and then Sherri introduced the two of us. Cory shook my hand and said, "Save me a dance." And that is what started it all. Cory, weeks away from leaving on his mission, was quite intent on having girls write him while he was away. I, being 16, and finally old enough to date, was quite intent on meeting guys at EFY. We hit it off that week and promised to write after we got home. And we did--even through the two years while he served his mission in Washington. We started actually dating when he came home in the summer of 1998, and got married the next summer.

Looking back, I realize that when we got married I was just a baby, barely 19 and had never lived away from home before. Cory was a newly returned missionary, just starting to make his way in the world. We started out with a lot of blessings, a lot of love, and not much else. Here we are, 8 years, three kids and 5 moves later--still with a lot of blessings and a lot of love. It reminds me of the song that was sung at our receptions, "It's been a long road, a happy road, with detours on the way. Love has brought us to this one perfect day." I feel so fortunate to have had 8 magical years with this fun, crazy, wonderful man and hope that we'll have at least 88 more!

Merry Grace calls Papa on the phone

Merry Grace loves talking on the telephone. Here she's calling Papa. That's a pretty good indication that we're missing you guys. :)

By way of updating

I'm well overdue an update on the ol' blog, here. There has just been so much going on that it's been hard to find a free minute. So here it goes. Almost immediately after the company left a few weeks ago, we decided to move ahead with things and make the move to our new house. Within about 2-3 weeks, we had the entire upstairs painted, (which included stripping wallpaper in some places), new carpet was laid in two rooms and hardwoods refinished in three others. There has been much cleaning, updating/remodling, and of course the unpacking to do. (In addition to our already busy lives...) But fortunately we have really great families who, when we say, "Come! We're going to work your fingers to the bone this weekend, and by the end of things you'll be exhausted and sore. Oh, and you won't get paid for this. Just do it out of the goodness of your heart!", they answer with a resounding, "We'll be there!" How lucky are we? We couldn't have done it without all their help. We've just had so many folks who were willing to pitch in and help make this move much smoother and easier.



And we're finally feeling settled in. We all really love it here. It's an older home with lots of character to it and more space than we had before. The backyard is fenced in and there are lots of trees and greenery around that make it seem really homey. We have really nice neighbors, so all in all we're pleased as punch to be settled in and can start making this a home.



We also had a new addition to the big bunch of us: our niece, Ally, was born on July 20th. What a cutie is she?

Of course the kids have been up to their usual antics throughout the move. When you have kids, I think its just the way of the world, that if you are cleaning up one thing, they will be making a mess somewhere else. During one cleaning episode I came into the living room to find two rolls of paper towels and one roll of toilet paper completely undone and covering a large portion of the living room floor. To my question of "What in the world is this?", Elise responded, "Because the floor was hot lava and we couldn't walk on it." How can you argue with that logic? There have been a few other incidents, such as the time they were helping clean the bathroom. It went well for a little bit, they were cleaning their little hearts out and being entertained all at the same time, until eventually they moved on to the non-traditional cleaning products like hair gel, lotion, and vaseline. And then there was the time I heard Cory, somewhat loudly, asking who had painted the basement floor. He was not happy and I had no idea what had happened. It turns out the kids had decided to paint a piece of pegboard they found, not realizing that the paint was dripping down through the holes. An honest mistake, for sure.

And then there's the part where I lost the diamond out of my engagement ring. I was pretty devastated about it. I'm a very sentimental gal, so I took it pretty hard. I just looked down at my hand during the day and their was my ring--minus the diamond--with the prongs all jutting out in wierd ways. I don't remember doing that. There's no telling what happened and where on earth that diamond is. The whole ring would have been much easier to find, but just the diamond? I just get overwhelmed with the different possibilities of where it could have fallen. Cory was very understanding and sweet about it, but I still hate it--especially with our anniversary coming up this week. Somehow that makes it seem more sad.

So that's our week, in a nutshell. It's been an extremely busy few weeks, but we're still here, still happy, and that's about all you can ask for. :)

And even more pictures

Everyone says that Ian is like a clone of Cory. I guess you can be the judge. I'm pretty sure they have the same mischevious smile. I certainly know where Ian gets his rambunctiousness from. ;) They sure are cute, though.
The pink ladies....this was Sunday afternoon at the photo session. We all look cute in our pink outfits. Jentrie was such a good sport to put up with all of us and we all love her. What a sweetheart she is.
Merry Grace tried to feed me an apple from Grammy & Papa's tree. It was pretty sour, but she thought it was funny.

More Vacationing

Nothing like a Sunday morning picture, just for the record. What a challenge it can be to get everyone dressed and ready like they need to be. Obviously, Merry Grace would rather be somewhere else. We did manage to get 12 people to church with 5 minutes to spare. I think that's a record!
After church on Sunday, we took a few family pictures. Here's our crowd, even the sleeping baby. Aren't we a cute family?
Here's everyone: (l-r) Logan, Grandma, Adam, Mama, Daddy, Me (holding Merry Grace), Cory, Ethan, and Jentrie. Down in front are Ian and Elise.
This is a picture of the cutest, silliest baby ever. Can you even stand how cute she is?
We took a few more pictures on Sunday afternoon. Here is one of the four sibs--being goofy. Imagine that....

Pictures of Family

Ethan and his girlfriend, Jentrie, came out to visit us this past week. They came in on Wednesday morning and we crammed every bit of family time into the next few days. Elise and Ian immediately fell in love with Jentrie and become her instant best friends. We mostly just relaxed and got acquainted on Wednesday, then played games and made fondue that night.


Thursday found us at the lake, enjoying the perfect weather conditions. The water was nice, the temperature was perfect, and the companionship the best. We swam, picnicked, canoed, and paddle boated. That evening we all went up to Mama & Daddy's for the rest of the weekend.

Friday saw us down the river, not so perfect weather, but enjoyable nonetheless. My Uncle Maury and cousin Hannah came along with all of us, as well as Grandma Jarrell and Aunt Verna. It was overcast and cool--even sprinkling a time or two. But it can be marked down in the long list of Jarrell River trips as a success. On Saturday, we went to a nearby park for a picnic and some frisbee/baseball. We also found our way to the river where we waded around and skipped rocks. Each night was spent playing games--Balderdash, Apples to Apples, Mormon Rook, Sequence, or others. We also had our fill of Leatherby's chocolate syrup, provided by Ethan. We could be found with a bowl of ice cream at almost any time of day.

These are a sampling of pictures from the trip. At the top is Elise and her new BFF's. Clockwise is Ian in Jentrie's sunglasses. I'm thinking that's his gangsta pose. ;) Grandma and Jentrie posed as Mormon Rook champions. (I came in dead last, if anyone was wondering....) And lastly, Elise looks ready to fight for her honor. Hi-ya!!!!!

mischeviousness

The other day we went to a nearby lake with some of Cory's family. We had a nice time, and after a few hours, headed home. We'd been on the road about 5 minutes when Ian says, "Hey! Why are my feet yellow?" At first we just kind of ignored it at "kid chatter" and then Elise says, "Ewww, Ian!!! Your feet are yellow. That's gross!" Upon asking a few questions we discovered it was the bottoms of his feet that were yellow, and said, "Well, you must've stepped in something." At this point, Elise goes, "Hey!!! My feet are yellow too!" So we're like, "Maybe it was the sand." And Cory & I start looking at our feet. Nothing. We start getting puzzled and are thinking, "How weird is that? I wonder what it could be?" But with nothing more alarming happening we just let it go. When we got home, though, and looked at their feet, they were, indeed, very yellow. The entire bottoms of their feet were bold yellow. At least a week later, I was driving the kids somewhere and this conversation about yellow feet starts back up. Apparently, Ian and Elise have yellow feet again. I was just starting to think there was some weird fungus or something going around when Ian says, "Yeah, why do my feet have yellow marker on them?" And suddenly all the pieces fit. I asked them if that is what happend to their feet after the lake, and of course it was. I'm not surprised they colored their feet with yellow marker. No matter how many time we say to only draw on paper, it falls on deaf ears. But I was surprised that they pulled it off without giving it away. Aren't they a little young for that? =) But at least now I can breathe easy, knowing that we do not have some strange disease, and that we aren't afflicted with anything worse than mischevious kids.