Arienne and the Kids

An Unexpected Turn

2012-02-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is an essay I wrote for my English class. I like how it turned out, so here it is!

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Phew.

Finally,I had a moment to relax. Running around like a chicken with its headcut off for three weeks had left me exhausted in every way. The kidswere in bed. Most of my earthly belongings precariously perched ontop of one another in teetering towers of boxes clinging to the wallsof my new apartment. I flung myself onto my newly-acquired (from myparents) very large couch, closed my eyes and sighed.

Howdid I get here?

Alittle over a year before this, I had divorced the father of mychildren, sold practically everything I owned, and moved in with myparents. About nine months later, I started feeling it might be timeto move on, but I resisted because I didn't know what I'd do, orwhere I would go. The pressure I felt kept growing, heavier andheavier, until I could hardly breathe, and I started to lash out atthe people around me. So at the end of July, I scheduled anappointment with my bishop. I knew with absolute clarity that if Ineeded to leave my parents' house, I would need divine guidance. That week, my life took an unexpected turn.

Iwalked into Bishop's office with not a little trepidation. My handsfluttered like leaves in the breeze, my heart threatened to beat outof my chest, and my head swam like a fish. As I sat down and pouredout my soul, relating how I loved my parents, but it would be bestfor everyone if we moved out, and how I felt it was time to move onwith my life, I felt a little lighter. That feeling didn't last long,though, as Bishop started talking about the possibility of me goingback to school. I had completed an Associate of Arts degree about 6years previously, but it wasn't going to get me a job that wouldsupport my family. I decided nursing sounded fun, and that I'd liketo go to school again, a place I'd always loved. However, the onlyplace I could think of was back in Idaho, and the thought of movingso far away from my family again sent a wave of panic through me.

“Haveyou considered EA?” asked Bishop.

“Um...no. What's that?”

“It'sa school in Thatcher.”

“Uh,sorry, never heard of that before.”

Andwith that he set out to tell me all about Thatcher, and EasternArizona College, and how many people in our ward had gone to schoolthere, grown up there, or had family there. A strange mixture ofpeace and excitement flowed into me, making my hair stand on end andmy blood pump faster. As I took his advice and spoke with some ofthe people he had mentioned, I felt like a snowball that had beenpushed off the top of a tall mountain, rolling slowly at first, butgetting faster and faster, and bigger and bigger, until it wasunstoppable, and I knew moving was what I needed to do.

Therewas one problem. School started in three weeks.

Holycrud.

Itwas a flurry of activity from there. I applied to the school and gotin. I applied for financial aid. I signed up for classes. I madeseveral trips from Tucson to Thatcher and back again, looking for aplace to live, moving things, and getting things situated. By somemiracle I was able to find a two bedroom apartment for a good amount,one block from school, that didn't mind that I had four childrencoming with me. By some miracle, financial aid came through. And,by some miracle, I packed everything in my parents' house thatbelonged to us, and found someone to help me take it over there. Ieven got my best friend to come live with us for a week while I foundbabysitters for my class times.

Onemight have thought getting into school and moving a family of five inthree weeks was improbable, if not impossible. I proved that notionotherwise, but I know why it worked. It worked because it was right. This was where I was meant to be. I would spend the next few weeksgetting that confirmed over and over again, as free furniture showedup on my doorstep, and mystery people anonymously donated gift cardsand a microwave.

Sigh.Everything will be justfine.

Mom, PLEASE find a man!

2012-02-24T18:11:00.003-07:00

The other night at dinner, the kids and I were talking about moving. I guess they've picked up my move-once-a-year rhythm, drat it all. Anyway, so I was telling them that we wouldn't be moving this year, because I had one more year of school left. And then I told them that I wasn't sure where we'd go after that - maybe closer to Granmama, or who knows.

"Or, if I find a man, then..."
"Oh, Mom, PLEASE find a man!" exclaimed Elizabeth.
"What?!" And I burst out laughing for at least a minute.
"Mom, I really want you to find a man! You need a husband, and I want another dad, and it would just be a good thing."
"So if I met a man and liked him enough to marry him, but he lived far away, I have your permission to move?"
"Yeah. That's fine." To which the boys also gave their approval.

So I guess I need to find a man. I can't disappoint my kids!

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Always reaching for the stars...

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm taking one of my friend Shannon's ideas. I hope we are all trying to do our very best all the time. But I know sometimes, I get complacent, comfortable, and I need to stretch. So here's how I'm going to keep myself stretching for the next few years... It's called "101 goals in 1001 days." That's pretty self-explanatory. So I'm going to post my goals here, and you readers can keep me accountable! It's been really hard to come up with 101, but "76 goals in 1001 days" doesn't look as good!

1. Complete a kindergarten homeschool curriculum.
2. Write in my journal every day for at least a month.
3. Toss, give away or sell half of the stuff in my storage unit.
4. Get my 3 month food storage.
5. Become a Star Consultant.
6. Read through the entire Book of Mormon again.
7. Pay off my WF credit card.
8. Be more active in the next election than I've ever been.
9. Read a new book a week for 3 months.
10. Practice piano for 15 minutes every day for a fortnight.
11. Learn to waltz.
12. Complete a 1st grade homeschool curriculum.
13. Learn the first verse of every song in the Children's Songbook.
14. Lose at least 15 pounds before I get pregnant again.
15. Gain no more than 25 pounds with the next pregnancy.
16. Lose that weight within the first year of that baby's life.
17. Go to Seminar 2010.
18. Go to the temple 5 days in a row.
19. Go to the temple once a week for a month.
20. Connect with my family tree on New Family Search.
21. Grow a vegetable from seed to edible end.
22. Pay off car loan.
23. Pay off all credit cards. Then chop them. Or burn them. Oh, that sounds fun...
24. Learn to crochet.
25. Make a dress for myself.
26-28. Teach all my children to read. (Except if another baby is born, that baby is exempt.)
29. Learn to make a souffle'.

===================================================================

This is a post I started over 2 years ago. I couldn't think of 76 goals, even, much less 101. However, I have accomplished some of these things! I copied the list below, and crossed out the ones I did.

~~1. Complete a kindergarten homeschool curriculum.~~
2. Write in my journal every day for at least a month. I've written a lot more often, at least.
~~3. Toss, give away or sell half of the stuff in my storage unit.~~
~~4. Get my 3 month food storage.~~ Thanks, Mom and Dad!
~~5. Become a Star Consultant.~~ I was, for one quarter!
6. Read through the entire Book of Mormon again. Still working on it. But I've read it every day, one chapter, for the last 2 months!
~~7. Pay off my WF credit card.~~
8. Be more active in the next election than I've ever been. Election hasn't happened, but I've become much more vocal about my political views. What, you don't know what they are? I said I was better, not perfect! Feel free to ask or engage in debate with me. :)
~~9. Read a new book a week for 3 months.~~
~~10. Practice piano for 15 minutes every day for a fortnight.~~
~~11. Learn to waltz.~~
~~12. Complete a 1st grade homeschool curriculum.~~
13. Learn the first verse of every song in the Children's Songbook.
~~14. Lose at least 15 pounds before I get pregnant again.~~ Actually it was at least 30!
~~15. Gain no more than 25 pounds with the next pregnancy.~~ Unrealistic goal... but I didn't gain more than 35, and lost most of it within the first 6 months after. See below.
~~16. Lose that weight within the first year of that baby's life.~~
17. Go to Seminar 2010. Life happened. Oh well.
18. Go to the temple 5 days in a row. Forgot about this one!
19. Go to the temple once a week for a month. I can do this one!!! I live super close to a temple again.
~~20. Connect with my family tree on New Family Search.~~ I at least logged in.
21. Grow a vegetable from seed to edible end.
~~22. Pay off car loan.~~ Getting it repossessed counts, right? I still had to pay off what they couldn't get back from the sale...
~~23. Pay off all credit cards. Then chop them. Or burn them. Oh, that sounds fun...~~ I did it. Then I got one more. Will fix!
~~24. Learn to crochet.~~
25. Make a dress for myself.
~~26-28. Teach all my children to read. (Except if another baby is born, that baby is exempt.)~~ She's not far behind, though!
29. Learn to make a souffle'. Oh, yeah! I'm confident in my abilities.

So, as you can see, I did pretty well! I may try to do this again. I probably won't come up with 101 again, unless perhaps I detail completing each course for the nursing program... We'll see. But setting goals is important! And even though I wrote this and pretty much forgot it for two years, writing it down had enough impact to have most stick in my head and get done, even though it wasn't conscious complete-the-list actions.

Your turn! The classic time for setting goals is coming up... why not start now? If you get to 101, let me know! I might borrow some ideas from your list!!

Arienne

Goodbye, Sucker!

2011-12-08T20:23:00.001-07:00

Okay, I have been a horrible, no-good, lazy bum of a blogger for the last few months. But it's only because I have been the exact opposite in my real life. More updates on that later. That said, I just had to blog about this!

You know that feeling you get when you've lost something? Something really important? Something so important you can't imagine how life will go on without it? Remember that panicky, short-of-breath feeling as you imagine the horrors that will ensue if you don't find it? Yup. That was me tonight.

Why? We couldn't find a pacifier at bedtime.

Most parents of little ones can tell you the importance of pacifiers. They're miracle workers, really. They give you 5 extra minutes to get food ready, shut off the crying that happens for unknown reasons, and enable you to be by yourself for 3 minutes to use the bathroom.

But eventually, you have to get rid of them.

There are "nice" ways to do it. There's the pacifier fairy, who takes old pacifiers, recycles them somehow and gives them to new babies who "really need them." There's having "the talk;" you know, pacifiers are for babies, and you're a big kid now, it's time to move on. Or sometimes you just have to bribe them.

Or sometimes you just lose the last one, and there is no other option.

Bring on the panic.

This is not the first time I've done it this way. With my first girl, who has now successfully made it to 8 sans pacifier, this was how we did it too. One major difference? She was a whole year older. Baby L is just 1 year old! She probably wouldn't understand the concept of Paci Fairy, "the talk" is useless, and you could bribe her, but she probably wouldn't make the connection. (Although I have to say, I'm fairly certain she's one of the smartest babies ever, as her list of accomplishments thus far include: saying "tut tut" to which I have to reply, "Looks like rain;" saying "ma-nah ma-nah" and then giggling; and rushing for the bathroom the minute I make eye contact with her, laughing maniacally all the way. So if any baby would understand, it would be her.) So what do you do?

Let her cry a little.

Oh, how I dreaded it. I had one child (4-T) on the couch already asleep, and one more wishing she could go to bed too. I was SURE, absolutely POSITIVE, she would be crying for at least an hour. Oh, the tears, the agony, the suffering! But she was so tired... So I put her to bed, and proceeded to go over the house as with a fine-tooth comb, looking in every nook, cranny, bucket, and drawer, likely or unlikely. I told myself, if I find it before she stops crying, I'll give it to her. If she stops crying before I find it, she'll just be done. And of course, what happened?

She cried.

For 5 minutes. MAYBE.

All 4 children are now in bed, sound asleep.

It's entirely possible that a mid-night awakening could be more drama for me.

Then again, maybe not.

And thus we learn that pacifiers are not essential to bedtime, like we tell ourselves. Nope. Our babies are amazing, and part of being a good parent, is learning when to let go and let them be amazing.

Good night, sweetie. You're amazing. I love you. -Mom

The Hymn Project: #267 How Wondrous and Great

2011-07-11T17:05:00.017-06:00

How wondrous and great
Thy works, God of praise!
How just, King of Saints,
And true are thy ways!
Oh, who shall not fear thee
And honor thy name?
Thou only art holy,
Thou only supreme.

To nations long dark
Thy light shall be shown.
Their worship and vows
Shall come to thy throne.
Thy truth and thy judgments
Shall spread all abroad,
Till earth's ev'ry people
Confess thee their God.

A very happy joyful tune, full of sweet, simple yet eloquent praise of God. I love the music of the 3rd line the best. What, you don't know what I mean? Go find a hymnbook and a piano! Or go to http://lds.org/churchmusic/ to listen!

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #301 I Am a Child of God

2011-07-10T15:37:00.000-06:00

I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear.

I am a child of God,
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words
Before it grows too late.

I am a child of God,
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I'll live with him once more.

[Chorus]
Lead me, guide me, walk beside me,
Help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do
To live with him someday.

I love that our hymnbook has a few children's songs in it. There are such beautiful, simple truths in songs written for children, and as children of God, we are never truly all grown up in this life. We all need to help each other, young and old. Everyone has something to teach.

How have you helped someone to know they're a child of God? How did you get your testimony that you are a child of God? Or is this a new concept for you?

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #223 Have I Done Any Good?

2011-07-09T15:15:00.002-06:00

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone's burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, "Sometime I'll try,"
But go and do something today.
'Tis noble of man to work and to give.
Love's labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.

Will L. Thompson, the author of both words and music, was a determined fellow! He was turned down by other music publishers, so he started his own publishing company. What grit!

Now, for a personal gripe. There are several common mistakes made in this song. One, in lyrics: You only get one mansion in heaven. Do you really need more than one? One in music: Someone, somewhere, waxed creative with an arrangement of this hymn, I am sure, and in the second half of the verse, decided it would be awesome to add some ritardandos and fermatas. That's nice for a choir or small group, but those things DON'T work with congregations, unless your entire congregation is made up of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Everyone gets individual, and some are faster or slower, and it drags drags drags. It's a happy song! Sing it uptempo, and straight through as written. You'll see. /End rant.

It's a good song. Go do something like the hymn suggests! Report back and tell me what you did.

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #222 Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord

2011-07-08T15:05:00.014-06:00

First, let me say, I have not been slacking. At least as far as hymn learning goes. But I've been too busy to blog! To reduce confusion, I will post date the ones I'm behind on, even though I'm doing all the posts in one day.

Hear thou our hymn, O Lord,
With thankful hearts we pray.
Help us thy will to follow now,
And walk the narrow way.

Keep thou our hearts aglow
With thy eternal word.
Give us thy S[irit ev'ry hour,
We ask thee gracious Lord.

Short, sweet and to the point. Music and words by the same guy, Frank W. Asper. He was a MoTab organist for a while (pre-Clay Christiansen?) and wrote 7 other hymns that I will be memorizing:

132 - God Is in His Holy Temple - music^[4]
176 - 'Tis Sweet to Sing the Matchless Love - music^[5]
189 - O Thou, Before the World Began - music^[6]
222 - Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord - words and music^[7]
245 - This House We Dedicate to Thee - music^[8]
257 - Rejoice! A Glorious Sound Is Heard - music^[9]
323 - Rise Up, O Men of God (Men's Choir) - music^[10]

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #34 O Ye Mountains High

2011-07-07T22:05:00.001-06:00

O ye mountains high, where the clear blue sky
Arches over the vales of the free,
Where the pure breezes blow and the clear streamlets flow,
How I've longed to thy bosom to flee!
O Zion! dear Zion! land of the free,
Now my own mountain home, unto thee I have come;
All my fond hopes are centered in thee.

Tho the great and the wise all thy beauties despise,
To the humble and pure thou art dear;
Tho the haughty may smile and the wicked revile,
Yet we love thy glad tidings to hear.
O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free,
Tho thou were forced to fly to the chambers on high,
Yet we'll share joy and sorrow with thee.

In thy mountain retreat, God will strengthen thy feet;
Without fear of thy foes thou shalt tread;
And their silver and gold, as the prophets have told,
Shall be brought to adorn thy fair head.
O Zion! dear Zion! home of the free,
Soon thy towers shall shine with a splendor divine,
And eternal thy glory shall be.

Here our voices we'll raise, and we'll sing to thy praise,
Sacred home of the prophets of God.
Thy deliv'rance is nigh; thy oppressors shall die;
And thy land shall be freedom's abode.
O Zion! dear Zion! land of the free,
In thy tenmples we'll bend, all thy rights we'll defend;
And our home shall be ever with thee.

Would it surprise you to know a topic for this hymn is Zion? Ha ha ha, I'd be surprised if you were surprised! Doesn't this paint a great picture of Zion? A place of refuge and safety, freedom and beauty. The worldly will dismiss and joke about it, but to the faithful, it will be most lovely. I can hardly wait!

Author tidbit: Charles W. Penrose almost spent more time serving missions in England than he did at home, but managed to parent almost 30 children, 15 of which lived to adulthood. Impressive!

The Hymn Project: #3 Now Let Us Rejoice

2011-07-06T06:43:00.000-06:00

Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation.
No longer as strangers on earth need we roam.
Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation,
And shortly the hour of redemption will come,
When all that was promised the Saints will be given,
And none will molest them from morn until ev'n,
And earth will appear as the Garden of Eden,
And Jesus will say to all Israel, "Come home."

We'll love one another and never dissemble,
But cease to do evil and ever be one.
And when the ungodly are fearing and tremble,
We'll watch for the hour when the Savior will come,
When all that was promised the Saints will be given,
And none will molest them from morn until ev'n,
And earth will appear as the Garden of Eden,
And Jesus will say to all Israel, "Come home."

In faith we'll rely on the arm of Jehovah
To guide through these last days of trouble and gloom,
And after the scourges and harvest are over,
We'll rise with the just when the Savior doth come.
Then all that was promised the Saints will be given,
And they will be crown'd with the angels of heav'n,
And earth will appear as the Garden of Eden,
And Christ and his people will ever be one.

Another great by W. W. Phelps. He's super about writing hymns that talk about the Second Coming. Must've been on his mind a lot. Here's an interesting tidbit about his life: He was excommunicated and rebaptized twice. Never say the Lord doesn't give us second chances!

I like this hymn because it is so joyful, and positive. The early saints knew from personal experience what it was like to be "molest[ed] from morn until ev'n," and I'm sure the idea of any respite from that was lovely to contemplate. We don't always have the open opposition from people around us these days (though some do), but we each face opposition from the Adversary, and just from the basic challenges of mortal life, so we can find peace in that concept too.

Topics: Enduring to the End, Faith, Jesus Christ-- Second Coming, Joy (see also Cheerfulness), Millennium (see also Zion), Unity.

I think you can learn a lot from the topics a hymn relates to, especially if you haven't thought of it that way before. Try it! Then after you've discovered topics, you can find a scripture and start a chain for your scripture study.

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #227 There is Sunshine in My Soul Today

2011-07-05T09:20:00.000-06:00

There is sunshine in my soul today,
More glorious and bright
Than glows in any earthly sky,
For Jesus is my light.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is music in my soul today,
A carol to my King,
And Jesus listening can hear
The songs I cannot sing.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is springtime in my soul today,
For when the Lord is near,
The dove of peace sings in my heart,
The flow'rs of grace appear.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face,
There is sunshine in the soul.

There is gladness in my soul today,
And hope and praise and love,
For blessings which he gives me now,
For joys "laid up" above.
Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine
When the peaceful happy moments roll.
When Jesus shows his smiling face
There is sunshine in the soul.

I love this hymn. It has long been one of my favorites. The funny thing is, for the longest time I could never remember the first verse! I knew all the others, but not the first. Ha! Well, I've fixed that now. I sing this song a lot. Sometimes I sing it because I have sunshine in my soul; sometimes I sing it because I want sunshine in my soul. :) And it rarely fails in making me happier, and sometimes, when I'm happy, singing it moves me to tears. Ah, emotions.

Here's an interesting tidbit for you. These lyrics were written by a lady named Eliza E. Hewitt, who was an invalid for most of her life. And yet she continued to find joy through Christ! That is so inspiring. She also wrote a lot of other neat hymns. Look her up!

Topics: Gratitude, Joy, Music and Song

And it has an irregular meter! Yay!

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #340 The Star-Spangled Banner

2011-07-04T13:56:00.000-06:00

What better way to honor the day than with a patriotic hymn and anthem?

Oh say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen thru the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes ,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
How it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation!
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust!"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

I don't know about you, but growing up, I knew the words to this anthem, but I didn't really comprehend the meaning. It was just a bunch of words. But you take it out of the music, and you can see there's a story in that first verse! This wasn't written during the War for Independence, either. It was written during the War of 1812. The American Patriotic Spirit had had time to soak in to every person who lived there; the flag meant something to them. They loved their country. So to see it still waving over the fort in that early morning probably moved many people to tears, as this song still does today.

I have to say I also did not know the other 2 verses, and does that make me sad! They are so powerful and beautiful. My favorite phrase I think, is in the 3rd verse: "Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just." Yup. No elaboration necessary, I think. (If you want some, tell me in a comment, and I will.)

So while you're having your party or picnic, salute that star-spangled banner, sing this song, and remember why we celebrate today, and think about how you would respond to a call to defend it once more.

Happy Independence Day!

And happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #38 Come, All Ye Saints of Zion

2011-07-03T00:00:00.002-06:00

Come, all ye Saints of Zion, And let us praise the Lord;
His ransomed are returning, According to his word.
In sacred song and gladness They walk the narrow way,
And thank the Lord who brought them To see the latter day.

Come, ye dispersed of Judah, Join in the theme and sing
With harmony unceasing The praises of our King,
Whose arm is now extended, On which the world may gaze,
To gather up the righteous In these the latter days.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Israel, And let your joys abound!
The voice of God shall reach you Wherever you are found
And call you back from bondage, That you may sing his praise
In Zion and Jerusalem, In these the latter days.

Then gather up for Zion, Ye Saints thruout the land,
And clear the way before you, As God shall give command.
Tho wicked men and devils Exert their pow'r 'tis vain,
Since He who is eternal Has said you shall obtain.

Wow! Isn't that amazing! I figured out this melody without the piano, and it was powerful, then I played it and... just, WOW! I couldn't stop smiling while I was singing, and it almost moved me to tears. A couple of my favorite phrases:

"The voice of God shall reach you Wherever you are found."
"Tho wicked men and devils Exert their pow'r 'tis vain, Since He who is eternal Has said you shall obtain."

And the way the music is written, it makes me feel like there should be an exclamation point at the end of each verse.

New favorite! Lost treasure! Beautiful!

Of course, it makes sense that a hymn like this would be written by a man like William W. Phelps, who wrote so many great hymns. And it's interesting to not that this was included in the first LDS hymnbook, put together by Emma Smith in 1835.

Go check it out!

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: #28 Saints, Behold How Great Jehovah

2011-07-02T08:29:00.000-06:00

Saints, behold how great Jehovah
Hath his blessings on you shed.
Zion ev'rywhere is growing
As the gospel light is spread!

Out of all past dispensations,
God is bringing into one
Ev'ry truth by prophets spoken,
For the last days have begun.

Rise and lift up Zion's standard;
Tell our Father's children now:
Heaven's blessed King approaches;
All men must before him bow.

This hymn is in the section of the hymnbook called Restoration, which comprises hymns 1 through 61, also known as the Restoration Hymns. These are hymns that were either popular at the time of the Restoration (or the beginning of our church in the latter days) or were written at that time for those saints. I can only imagine that those already disposed to music would feel an increase of inspiration for hymns at that time, when there was such an outflowing, and it was so new.

The scriptures for this hymn are:
Doctrine and Covenants 64:41-42 For, behold, I say unto you that Zion shall flourish, and the glory of the Lord shall be upon her; And she shall be an ensign unto the people, and there shall come unto her out of every nation under heaven.
Doctrine and Covenants 133:37-38 And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come;

Related Topics: Jesus Christ--Second Coming; Missionary Work; Restoration of the Gospel; Truth; Zion.

I love this hymn! It's short and sweet, upbeat, talks about the Second Coming (one of my favorite topics), and is just happy! It was also a good start for memorizing, since it's so short. :)

Happy hymning!

The Hymn Project: A Beginning

2011-07-01T00:00:00.001-06:00

Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. --First Presidency Preface to the LDS Hymnbook

The other day, my mom showed me a hymn that she remembered from her youth that hadn't been sung in a while. (It was miraculously sung in church a couple of weeks later... what are the odds? The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways...) It got me thinking about how many hymns are unfamiliar to me. So I figured it out!

The final count, known to unknown was: 221 - 120! That's almost 2/3 that I know.

I categorized that by whether I knew the tune without playing. It was kind of hard on several of them to decide which category they should be in. I probably should have had 3 sections. Oh well. Hindsight and what not.

Now, I know a lot. I also know that the majority of our church members don't know as many as I do. I didn't include lyrics in my decision because as an organist, I'm more concerned naturally with the music than the words, and I started young on that (at age 14 I was called to be ward organist). And I know that the number and which of the hymns people know is a lot based on their age. I bet for the average youth, the statistic would at least be reversed, if not totally skewed in the other direction. That is a tragedy! There are so many great hymns, both in music and message (341, in my opinion, haha) and we're all missing out! (If you know all the hymns, up to and including at least the first verse of every hymn in the hymnal, speak now, and I will humbly honor you... no? Thought not.)

So I've decided to learn them all! My minimum criteria is as follows:

-Be able to play the hymn through without mistakes
-Be able to sing the melody without accompaniment
-Memorize the first verse
-Know the number of each hymn, and the hymn of each number

For those songs which I already meet the criteria for, I will:
-Memorize all the verses
-Learn all the parts, and memorize the alto

Yes, I think that is sufficient. I will do a hymn per day, and in this way should be finished in just under a year.

As a way of tracking my progress, each day I will post about the hymn I learned, including the scriptures associated with it, the topics it applies to, and any interesting stories that might go along with them.

I'm both incredibly intimidated and excited about my new project. You don't have to crazy like I am, but I encourage you to also assess where you are in hymn knowledge, and endeavor to expand that, even by only one hymn.

P.S. To my friends of other faiths: Hey! We share some hymns! Look for those, especially. But you will see that most of our hymns praise Christ in some fashion or other. And of course I welcome all comments!

Happy hymning!

Extra! Extra! Lorelai Crawls! (Sort of)

2011-06-18T22:31:00.002-06:00

Today, Lorelai crawled across the floor! She was trying to get my phone. Mom calls it creeping, you may call it army crawling... doesn't matter really, the point is, she moved! I tried to upload this video to Facebook, but our internet is abominably slow. So here it is! It's about 7 minutes long, but so much fun!

Arienne

Finding the Joy Again

2011-06-15T14:32:00.001-06:00

For the past while, I've been feeling... Not so great about being a mom. Most of the time, I felt ambiguous at best, and, at worst, like running away and leaving them behind. This is really off for me, as I've wanted to be a mom since I was old enough to know I could be someday. Also, while every mother has those moments, or even days, when she wishes life were different, it was now the rule for me instead of the exception.

For a long time, I don't think I even noticed. Then I recognized it, but I was still too bogged down in my own drama to try to change anything. Then it started to bug me, but because I couldn't see how to change, I just felt worse. Then it bothered me enough that I wanted to change enough to put forth whatever effort was required. Then I hit my knees and prayed... And help started coming at me in rapid fire succession!

First came comments from other mothers (real and fictional) who not only loved their kids, and being with them, but almost basked in their childish craziness! Yeah, right, I thought.

Then I had a really bad day with them, and my mom said something like, "They're languishing from lack of attention from their mother." Ouch. So I cried and prayed some more.

On Sunday, the lesson was based on the talk by Elder Oaks on Desire. Through the lesson, I realized that my actions weren't reflecting what I wanted my priorities to be, and I didn't feel the way I wanted to feel about my life. Luckily, I also learned how to fix it!

"... We should begin with a desire for such qualities and call upon our loving Heavenly Father for help with our feelings."

So I did. And I'm happy to report that I have made a lot of progress this last week in rediscovering my love for my children and motherhood, my good temper, my personal parenting style, and the ability to hear and act on in-the-moment inspiration. I've been able, perhaps for the first time, to successfully balance loving affection with firm, gentle discipline, and see the rewards. I'm grateful to finally be on the right path.

I know Heavenly Father loves me. He knows who I am capable of becoming, and how to get me there. He stands ready and willing to help me as soon as I'm ready to ask for it. I'm grateful for the Atonement, and how it allows me to sponge away the follies and sins of my past and create a better, brighter future.

Here's a link to the talk by Elder Oaks:

Elder Oaks - Desire
- Arienne

So you think I'm picky?

2011-06-13T16:56:00.000-06:00

Picky adj choosy, finicky, captious, critical, dainty, fastidious, fussy, particular, persnickety, exacting, selective, hard to please

So you think I'm picky, huh? My standards are too high? I expect too much from men?

Dang straight! And I have good reasons!

First of all, I've experienced some of the worst in men. Not THE worst, I know, but bad enough to teach me that I WASN'T picky enough last time. There's NO WAY I'm going through THAT again.

And I have four other very good reasons to be picky. They need a strong, good role model of what being a man is supposed to be, and also how women should be treated.

So yes, I expect a man to:
* Do the asking and planning of a date
* Open my doors and pull out my chairs for me
* Pay for the date
* Honor his priesthood
* Have a solid knowledge of the Gospel
* Go to his church meetings as often as possible
* Have a strong testimony
* Be well-educated, whether through a degree or self-educating
* Take care of his body by eating well and exercising
* Love children
* Expect the norm to be me staying home with the kids while he works
* Take me to the temple
* Think I'm the most beautiful woman in the world.
* Care about what I have to say, and show it.

There may be more on my list I just can't think of right now. I'll add comments as I think of them.

But I am not ashamed of the things on my list.

And if you can't handle it, you aren't the man for me.

I will NOT YIELD!

/rant over

Today's Adventure: Climbing the Playset (and not like you think)

2011-05-30T10:18:00.001-06:00

Kael has always been my mountain goat. Elizabeth got stopped by a pile of laundry; Kael climbed over it. Kael also knows how to climb the supports for the patio, and was the first to climb the wall in the backyard. Today, he thought he could climb across the playset. You know, the part that holds the swings up? Yup. And then he thought he'd shinny down the rope for a different kind of swing at the end. Didn't quite work that way.

So there I am in the kitchen, getting my breakfast ready, when I hear these yells from outside. Come to find out it's Kael, at the end of the swingset bar, freaked out and "stuck." I put that in quotes because that's what he thought, but he really wasn't. I ended up coaching him to go backwards. He was freaked out at first, but he grew more confident, and did finally make it back. He said, "Mom, I was really scared! I'll never do that again."

Elizabeth said, "I'm never doing that."

Good, but... yeah, right.

Lorelai @ 6 months!

2011-05-26T00:01:00.035-06:00

6 months ago today, I received my very own angel from heaven. I can't believe it's been 6 months already! Here's a collage of her first 5 months.

The big one is of course one of the hospital pictures. Then it goes chronologically top to bottom, then left to right: Blessing Day, First family picture day, I'm Blue, Pose for Grandpa Jay, and I Can Roll Over!

She's come so far from that stint in the hospital! To give you an idea, Elizabeth (my tiny one) was always at least one size behind her age until just this last year. Lorelai, on the other hand, is already fitting into 9 month and 12 month clothes at just 6 months!!! She's delightfully chubby, and often fat and happy the way a baby should be. She started solids at 4 months. So far she's had egg yolk, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, pears, peaches, beef gravy, pineapple and peas, all with great success. Today she gets to have bananas for the first time. I'm sure they'll be a hit! It's hard to get her to drink her bottle, because she's so distractable and it's not her favorite thing, but heaven knows I get as much in her as I can. Then I fill her up with solids after. (For more information on my baby feeding plan, check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.)

She rolls hither and yon, mostly in one direction. (When she hits a wall, we turn her around!) She is starting to do the other direction too, it's just not her favorite. And we can't really keep her on her back for very long. She's starting to get her feet under her, and we all anticipate (excitedly or anxiously, as the case may be) a crawler very soon. She can sit up for a few seconds at a time by herself, but she's so busy, it doesn't last long. As one sister from church said, "Her bottom is still too rounded." LOL

She still sleeps through the night for me, as she has since she was 1 month old, though her naps leave something to be desired, and her morning wake up time is atrociously early. Her brown hair is slowly falling out or fading, and she'll likely be blond by her first birthday. Her eyes are now a clear, bright blue, with divine curly brown eyelashes. And when she smiles, which she does regularly, it brightens the room. (It's a little harder to make her laugh though... tough crowd!)

She's changed a lot, and she's got a lot of change ahead of her yet in this first year, but I'm grateful every day that she is a part of our family, and I know she will bring many blessings to us all.

To Mothers Everywhere

2011-05-08T18:43:00.000-06:00

To all mothers--

Young
Middle-aged
Experienced

Wanna-bes
Gonna-bes
Sometimes-wish-I-wasn'ts

New mothers
Old mothers
Grandmothers

Aunts
Sisters
Friends

Mothers of many
Mothers of few
Mothers of none and everyone

Those surrounded by family
Those surrounded by friends
Those going it alone

Those who stay home
Those who work away
Those who do both

Those who seem perfect
Those who obviously aren't
Those who keep trying anyway

Mothers with many resources
Mothers with few resources
Mothers who sacrifice all they have

For all women, everywhere
Past, present, future
Because we are all mothers

Blessed with
A sacred calling
A solemn honor
A gleaming glory

At times
A wrenching heartbreak
A drowning sorrow
A flood of tears

But always
A thrilling happiness
A quiet gratitude
A soaring joy

To Mothers Everywhere
Whoever you are
For everything you do

We love you!

Dirt and the second amendment

2011-04-28T16:53:00.000-06:00

"Mom, he threw rocks at me!"
"Mom, she's throwing dirt at me!"
"Mooooooooooooooooom, he threw dirt in my eeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!"

Familiar dialogue to all parents, and some who aren't, I'd wager. Well, we got tired of it one day, and told the kids, "Well, do it back to him!" Not Christlike, I know. We went back to the lower law for a little while; you know, eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But the results were interesting. Soon, there wasn't as much complaining, and eventually not so much doing. I figure it's like the second amendment and gun control.

We tried to tell them "No throwing rocks!" "No throwing dirt!" "No hitting!" etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So one would try to obey, and the other would throw anyway. But when we made it (temporarily) okay to hit back, suddenly, there was a real and immediate consequence - they could do the same to you! "Hm, if I throw these rocks at her, she might throw them at me, and that would hurt. I guess I won't throw them."
The second amendment was put in place to ensure that the people would have protection from any evil element, large or small, by supplying them with a way to defend themselves, without having to wait for help from someone else (like the government).

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms... disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man. Thomas Jefferson's "Commonplace Book,"

Later, we decided to let them play in a box of potting soil that was in the backyard. We'd been trying to keep them out of it for weeks, but inevitably, someone would get into it again. So finally we said, "Okay, we want you to go and get as dirty as you possibly can. Put it in your hair, down your shirt, down your pants. See who can get the dirtiest." So they did. This was the result:

They had a FABULOUS time! (Elizabeth won, by the way- she had some in her UNDERWEAR!!!) And guess what? No one has played in there since, and it's been 2 weeks.

What does this teach us? That banning something from someone only makes it more appealing to the type that want to do it/use it anyway, and you're creating criminals out of people who do it by accident, or only occasionally, or might use whatever it is responsibly. THIS is freedom! Stupid people are going to be stupid no matter what rules or laws you give them, and sometimes they will be MORE STUPID because of the law! (Relate to gun control, and let us all remember prohibition.) Here's a quote:

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage then to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man.
--- Thomas Jefferson, quoting 18th century criminologist Cesare Beccaria in "On Crimes and Punishment", 1764

I love how our kids can teach us these basic lessons on freedom, choice and consequences, just by being themselves. (And yes, we took the time to teach them a lesson too.) Luckily, our kids are capable of learning and choosing more wisely in the future, but they cannot get there on their own. We, their parents, grandparents, extended family members and community must teach them.

Some more quotes on such things:

I am convinced we can do to guns what we've done to drugs: create a multi-billion dollar underground market over which we have absolutely no control.
--- George L. Roman

Banning gun shows to reduce violent crime will work about as well as banning auto shows to reduce drunken driving.
--- Bill McIntire, Spokesman for the National Rifle Association, on Norfolk, Va. council's vote to cancel four gun shows, 1992

It's the misfortune of all Countries, that they sometimes lie under an unhappy necessity to defend themselves by Arms against the ambition of their Governors, and to fight for what's their own. If those in government are heedless of reason, the people must patiently submit to Bondage, or stand upon their own Defence; which if they are enabled to do, they shall never be put upon it, but their Swords may grow rusty in their hands; for that Nation is surest to live in Peace, that is most capable of making War; and a Man that hath a Sword by his side, shall have least occasion to make use of it.
--- John Trenchard and Walter Moyle

The rifle is the weapon of democracy... If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns... Only the government - and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.
--- Edward Abbey

The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise they will win and the decent people will loose.
--- James Earl Jones

Sometimes You Leave (Moving On)

2011-02-26T08:18:00.001-07:00

Today, I looked in the mirror and recognized myself for the first time in a long time.

Last summer, I found myself doing something I never expected or wanted to do - walking away from my marriage. And while I knew I was doing what the Lord wanted me to do, I struggled with why that was the right decision.

Anyone who knows anything about me, knows that music is an important part of who I am. If you really know me, you know it's not just important; it's essential. It's how I process life. So of course I've been looking for the right song. Last week I found it.

Sometimes You Leave
Carrie Underwood

All the rain drops
In the sky tonight
Can't compare with all the pain
And all the tears I've cried
But now I'm done

All the make-believe
Locked in this picture frame
Is gonna stay behind
Along with all the burning rage
That's been tearing through my heart
Killing me slowly; every beat I was falling apart

Sometimes you give
Sometimes they take
Sometimes you bend and
Sometimes they break you down
Sometimes you stick around
Trying to change them, make them
Something that they'll never be
And sometimes you leave

All this time I've spent
Staring at the door
I never had the strength to
Pack my bags and leave before
But now I'm done
Been lying to myself when it's clear
That you're not the one

Sometimes you give
Sometimes they take
Sometimes you bend and
Sometimes they break you down
Sometimes you stick around
Trying to change them, make them
Something that they'll never be
And sometimes you leave

When there's nothing left to leave behind
And you're already too far gone to say goodbye

Sometimes you give
Sometimes they take
Sometimes you bend and
Sometimes they break you down
Sometimes you stick around
Trying to change them, make them
Something that they'll never be
And sometimes you leave
Sometimes you leave

Yep. Can't say it better. And after some pondering and praying, I finally came to peace. Then I looked in the mirror and recognized myself for the first time in years. And I smiled.

Adventures in Potty Training

2011-02-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

So in January I decided I'd had enough dilly-dallying from Tristan about going potty on the toilet. In an act of desperation, I asked my Facebook friends for help and suggestions. My MK girl, Louisa, told her story of how last year she set aside a week and just threw every potty training trick or suggestion she'd ever heard at her son, and it sounded so good. I decided to give it a go. (Haha, I kill me.)

So I went to the store, bought a potty chair, candy, stickers and some new undies for him (Toy Story 3!). I picked the week my parents would be gone because, let's be honest, you should only have to potty train your own children. That Monday morning, I laid down a tarp on the floor in front of the TV, put the potty chair on it, stripped him naked, and sat him down. I explained the rules: If you go #1, you get candy (as do we all, to encourage encouragement). Go #2, and you get to play the DS (which he loves!). It wasn't long before he was milking the system, going #1 just enough to get a candy, then going again 5-10 minutes later. I felt manipulated and exhausted by the end of that day, but this had to be done! So I persevered.

Day 2 was much like the first, except we gave him the cloth training pants. I was quickly running out of candy, and decided to switch to stickers for Day 3. There were a lot of wet pants.

Day 3 I let him have a T-shirt too. The stickers seemed to have the effect I wanted, of making him only go when he really needed to. Still a lot of accidents, but he went long periods of time between accidents.

Days 4-7 were more of the same. The only change was he started to go in his pants, and then would say to me, "Mommy, go pee!" which translates to, "Mommy, I'm going pee!" to which I would say, "Well, go to the potty then!" And he would finish on the potty. That gave me hope.

Sunday I was ready to give up, and prove that he would indeed be wearing diapers in kindergarten, when he showed me! It wasn't an accident-free day, but he stayed dry through at least 2 trips to the potty, even at church, even in pull-ups! I thought to myself, Maybe this will work.

The next week, I was unable to continue my part of the training because I was in the hospital with Lorelai (which is a whole other post), but Mom and Rhydon and several of the people who took care of the kids that week kept up with it, and he continued to progress. By the time I got back, Tristan had earned his first pair of underwear (10 stickers which meant 10 trips to the potty staying dry), and was going in the bathroom, alternating between the chair and the regular toilet.

Now here we are, 6 weeks later, and he stays dry at night, and hasn't had an accident in weeks. Today, we are had a Potty Party for Tristan, and gave him his final prizes - the rest of his big boy underwear, and a super soft kitty from Granmama. I look back and remember feeling like he would never be potty-trained, and now he's the big boy I knew he could be. I'm so proud of my little guy!

Lorelai

2011-02-21T09:15:00.006-07:00

So the last week of January, I spent in the hospital.

I had taken Lorelai to her doctor appointment that morning, expecting a good report. She'd been having issues gaining weight like she "should" but I was sure she had grown that week. The first month, I fed her myself completely. The second month, I started pumping, and giving her a little formula if she still seemed hungry after eating. Two weeks later, we upped the calorie count in the formula. But it was not enough. So they sent her to the hospital, and I went with her!

I was wracked with worry, guilt, and even fear. I was so sure I could do it this time. I thought I had figured out all the problems. And yet she wasn't growing. Failure-to-thrive is a term that can stop any mother's heart, and that's what I was hearing from the doctors.

I was blessed to be visited by several people from church, and even an old friend, while I was at the hospital. Lor and I both got blessings, hers to be healthy, and me to be comforted. I'm so grateful for those good people and their service. And I'm grateful for all the thoughts and prayers given on our behalf by the ward and all my friends.

We spent a week, and they did every test they could think of to test her metabolism, blood counts, what have you. I had to stop feeding her because it was too tiring for her and she wouldn't eat enough that way. I'm not one of those women that could feed a whole passel of children, or soaked through nursing pads several times inbetween feedings. I knew that if I stopped feeding her, I would lose my supply. But every time I tried, she lost weight. In the end, I decided it was reflux, and started giving her the medication (baby Zantac), but it was too late. She was too weak, and I was losing the supply. I took every natural supplement I could, so I could make it last as long as possible, but I knew it wouldn't be long.

She gained a pound that week at the hospital. She gained 3 oz the next week, and 7 oz the week after that. Today, I finally do not have to go to the doctor first thing in the morning, which is good, because she didn't feel well over the weekend, and therefore didn't eat well, and it would have reflected poorly. She's awake and alert when she should be, and sleeps when she should. She still urps all over the place, but she keeps more down every day, and I'm confident we're on a good path now.

I still wrestle with my role in what happened. There are days when I'm hard on myself about what I could or should have done, was I too stubborn, was I not tenacious enough, why didn't I see the signs. I try to find that silver lining, though, and the main one is that I've now entered the realm of motherhood where I'm more sure of myself, and I will not let them bully me about her weight gain. I'm pretty well convinced she's just meant to be small, and as long as she's growing a little, and developing like she should, I can stand up to them (because sometimes doctors are too by-the-book). And my other kids turned out all right with formula. We'll be okay.

Book Review: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

2011-02-21T08:57:00.000-07:00

Wow! I loved this book! It is full of clever sayings, and laugh-out-loud situations. I think Mom, Rhydon and I enjoyed it more than the kids, even though it was supposed to be a part of Elizabeth's schoolwork. ......

I loved this book so much, I wanted more! Apparently I am not the only one, since there are 4 more books about this strange, wonderful little lady: Hello, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; Happy Birthday, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; The Magic of Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle; and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Farm. While they follow the unfortunate tradition of none being better than the first, they were fun and entertaining. You've GOT to read it! This particular one is more practical and reality-based than some of the others, so you might even get some good parenting tips, too! I know I did!!!

Help McKenna

2011-02-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is a repost of my friend's blog post. Used with permission. http://thefrugallyrichlife.wordpress.com/2011/02/01/please-help-mckenna-2/

McKenna

(portrait provided by her family)

Dear Readers,

I’m interrupting my normal posting of recipes to share with you this story that is very true and very serious. This story is dear to my heart because I know her and her family personally and I know personally how hard health problems can be! McKenna and her family are dear friends of ours. She is only 12 years old and she and her family have been dealing with her health problems for years. It has gotten so bad lately that she has had three near-fatal seizures in the last 6 months! McKenna and her families only hope is to get a medical dog that would help her prevent these seizures. The dog is ready and trained for McKenna, the only thing that they are waiting on, is the money. It cost $10,000 (US) to get this dog. If there is any way that you can help, even donating a couple of dollars, please do so here under McKenna Vogt. If you let me know (in a comment or email), I will do my best to come up with something for you in return. I am thinking of making an e-book with recipes or something, but if you have better ideas, let me know. This is not a hoax. This is a true life story. Usually you hear these stories but do not know whether they are of actual people in need and you don’t know where your money goes to. You would know in this case. Please read the full story in McKenna’s mother’s exact words below:

Dear Friends and Family:

McKenna was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes on October 15, 2007. After a stressful year of trying to regulate her blood sugars through a constant carb diet, and insulin shots, we were able to put her on a Diabetic Insulin Pump. We had great hopes that this would “normalize” her life somewhat and regulate her sugars. Since then we have found out that McKenna is very sensitive to insulin which makes it very difficult to regulate her blood sugars. We have watched her struggle through school work, spending mass amounts of time in the nurses office and trying to keep up with her sugars that make her so ill.

One year ago, McKenna was watching tv with her grandmother and her mother, when she fell over, unable to move. Her blood sugars had fallen so low that she was paralyzed. We had no idea that is was a type of seizure, nor the damage that those cause. We made adjustments worked closely with her doctor and did all that we could.

Recently, McKenna’s diabetes have caused some serious medical issues. With her insulin sensitivity, we have found that it is an exhausting process. We test her through the night, every two hours and then make adjustments. This past July while at Girls’ Camp, McKenna’s blood sugar fell too low, she had a horrible seizure and she couldn’t breathe. We were able to get her the help she needed and then we carried on with camp. We had no idea, she should go to the hospital. When we returned we went to the doctor and did all the necessary medical tests. In October, she had another seizure and was placed in the hospital. This time her blood sugars were too high and she went back into DKA (diabeticketoacidosis). She was very ill. They released her from the hospital, however we were not able to get her blood sugars down to the appropriate range and it took months to remove the ketones from her body. She missed 31 days of school. We then, under the direction of her Doctor, went through a battery of tests to try to figure out what is wrong with McKenna. So far, we still have no answers.

Three weeks ago, we woke McKenna up to get ready for school. We left the room and carried on about our business of getting ready. We felt very uncomfortable, anxious, like something was wrong. Tanya went in to check on McKenna who by then was completely paralyzed, lying on the floor, appearing as if she had had a stroke making a horrible sound because her mouth was paralyzed also. She couldn’t respond and we knew she was having a horrible seizure. We called 911, we gave her glucose and we waited for help, all the while holding our baby as she appeared to be slipping away from us. Her blood sugar had fallen dangerously low again causing another seizure that was almost fatal. They told us that once she was given the sugar, it would take 15 minutes to an hour and she would regain her memory and functions. The clocked ticked by and that just didn’t happen. She couldn’t remember her name, she didn’t know who we were, she didn’t know where she was, nor the date or time. Her brain was functioning right with her body. It was painful to watch. There was a communication error between her body and the messages being sent from her brain. We watched and waited. Then they ran a CAT Scan, a CSPINE and we waited. She was later admitted to the PICU at Cedar Crest. It took over 12 hours for all of her functions to come back and longer than that for her memory retention to work. Three major seizures in 6 months is a lot. We also are fully aware of the repercussions these episodes will have if we cannot get them to stop.

We know that it was a miracle that McKenna didn’t suffer brain damage. We know the doctors were surprised that she is functioning normally now. We know that her life was spared once again. We know that the Lord has a plan for her and already knows when she will return to Him. We know that she was His first and in the end if we have done our job right, she will be His again and only He gets to decide when that is. It is very humbling. In the meantime, we feel we need to do everything possible to help McKenna and to try to improve her quality of life.

They currently have Diabetic Service Dogs that can be trained to help people with uncontrolled diabetes. The dogs are trained specifically for the person that they will work for, so in this instance for McKenna. They take samples of her saliva when she is high and when she is low. They train the dog to recognize those scents. The dog will then wake McKenna up, or warn her when she is too low and when she is too high. The dog will go with her wherever she goes. Studies have shown that these dogs can detect blood sugar changes 1 hour before a continual glucose monitoring system can. The can detect the blood sugar change even if she is swimming in a pool and the dog is waiting by the side of the pool. The night time is what scares us the most. We sleep pretty light trying to listen for her, but we don’t always hear her. McKenna is afraid of the night times now. We are hoping the dog will help us during that time. We want to get her this dog. It is very expensive and so we need help raising the money to get the dog. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate money for the dog please click on the following link and then click on the donate button, next to McKenna’s name.

http://www.pawsibilitiesunleashed.org/home/donations

We appreciate any sacrifice that can be made whether it is monetary or if you can include her in your prayers, or if you would be willing to forward this email on to your family and friends. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Love,

The Vogts

McKenna in the hospital, where she has been way to much in her short life!

(Photo provided by her parents.)

Please help McKenna. She needs all the help we can give her. I would give this girl everything I had if I could. She is one super strong girl and calm and peaceful about this whole situation. She has much to teach us all still in her life. She is a wonderful girl and has made a great impact on my life and many others already. If there is any amount, a dollar even, that you can donate, she and I would really appreciate it. Her family doesn’t have the finances to pay for this dog either and that is why we need your help. The dog is ready, we just need donations. Please share what you can and SPREAD the word with EVERYONE you know!

Again, the link for the donations is: http://www.pawsibilitiesunleashed.org/home/donations

Click on the link and then click “Donate’” next to McKenna Vogt’s name…it is at the bottom.

And again, I will come up with something in exchange for your donation if you like. I am hoping to figure out how to make an e-book or something like that. If you have any ideas, let me know.

Help McKenna!

With love, Ari

Life is beautiful...

2011-01-08T10:45:00.000-07:00

So, I had a baby. She's lovely and perfect, and the easiest baby I've ever had. She already does a 5 hour stint at night (the tough part is it doesn't start until midnight), doesn't mind being put down, and even demands free time on the floor! She sociable and chatty, and loves a clean diaper, although she doesn't much like getting dressed or undressed. I don't remember how long it took Tristan to go blonde, but it looks as though we might just have a brunette! And of course her eyes are blue, though what kind of blue is still a mystery.

Tristan is doing well. He listens in on Kael's school lessons, and sometimes comes up with the answers before Kael. Yikes! He knows how to sing the alphabet, and can recognize all the letters, lower- and upper-case. He can also count to about 13 without skipping, and then proceeds to 40, skipping the numbers that end in 3, 4, and 5. He can also tell you what sounds certain letters make. I don't know how I'm going to keep him intellectually interested until he's old enough to start kindergarten!

Kael is loving online school at home, which we do through the AZVA. He just wasn't socially ready for public school, but has proven repeatedly and beyond doubt that he's smart enough. He recently took a state standards test, and scored WAY above what was needed for E (the highest grade) in all but one category, in which he got an E but was being a perfectionist and so he didn't get as far. It's been fun to watch him as he learns, seeing the light come on, and the excitement for learning in his eyes. We'll definitely be doing this again next year.

Elizabeth came home for school for this semester, too. It was what I wanted, but in the end, she wanted it too, citing many reasons: she was often bored in school (sounds familiar... and who knew?), the kids were naughty a lot and it bugged her, especially when they got her in trouble too, she wanted to be able to sleep in, and she wanted to learn at her own pace. It's only been a week, but so far, we both love it. It took me a couple of days to get a good rhythm, but it's coming together, and I think we're going to have a lot of fun.

Yesterday, I hit the six week mark postpartum, and started to exercise again. I started with some DDR (Dance Dance Revolution), until I get a little more in shape, and then I'll start running to train for the marathon with my dad. Also, I re-entered the singles scene on New Year's Eve with a dance for the YSA's in our area. I went with my brother, Rhydon. I had a lot of fun, just meeting a bunch of new people and dancing to music that I didn't recognize, but had a good beat. Except ffor a few songs that were remixes of songs I knew when I was "young;" I'm so old!!! I even danced with a few cute guys my age.

So that's life for us right now. Hope all of you are doing well too!

Happy New Year!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas. The kids got a lot of art and craft projects, Rhydon and I got puzzle books, chocolate, and camping stuff; Mom and Dad got camping stuff and framed pics of the kids. Even Lorelai got a few things: Clothes from Grandpa Jay and Grandma Irma Jane, and beautiful, soft headbands from Auntie Sarah (handmade!). There were tons of food, and it was nice to have everyone together.

Newborn hospital pics

2011-01-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen such darling chubby cheeks on a newborn? I hadn't. Lovely!

Catch up time!

2010-12-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Kael jumping for 37 minutes in a row!

Halloween 2010 - Let it be known that (my) kids eating too much sugar can result in intoxication and drunken behaviors.

First top tooth lost!

My belated birthday present to Kael; I made it, with instructional help from my mom. He loves it!

Baby shower. Two friends threw it for me, and I got to invite a lot of people I hadn't seen in a while. I got lots of beautiful and useful gifts, including a group gift of a new infant car seat in girly colors.

My 3 beautiful children all ready for church. Kael is looking especially sharp, I think.

And last but not least, our latest addition.

Lorelai Olivia was born November 26, 2010, minutes after I got to the hospital, and without drugs.

She weighed in at 8 lbs 10 oz, 20" long, my biggest baby yet.

She's been the perfect little baby, doing everything well. I even get sleep at night!

She has the cutest chubby cheeks with dimples, and has captured the hearts of all her family.

Doctors... Why?

2010-10-14T08:26:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling belligerent.

I don't want to go to the doctor.

Oh, I know what they tell you: Once a month until 32 weeks, then every other week until 36 weeks, then every week until you deliver. But why? So they can poke and prod me until I'm sore and my blood supply (which is already stretched) is low? So they can tell me what I already know-- that my baby is doing well? Like the almost constant moving and stretching and pushing she does isn't enough to tell me that.

And what's with all the tests they want you to do? Are they really ALL necessary? And I really don't care about what the doctor thinks about how often I should have a pap smear done. I don't want anyone down there! I've never had an abnormal result, and I don't think now is the time to try to get one!!!

And what are they going to do to me if I don't go? Or if I don't agree to every test they ask for? Send me to my room without any supper? I mean, come on.

So, I don't want to go to the doctor.

So there.

Fun at the Children's Museum

2010-09-30T16:29:00.001-06:00

So Tristan had a birthday. He's 3 years old now! And in honor of his birthday, we took everybody to the Children's Museum here in Tucson. We were all prepared to pay, but when we got there, we found out it was free in honor of the holiday! Great present to us! The kids (and grown-ups too) had a blast, as you'll see below, so much so that they ALL conked out on the way home, as you'll see in the second picture. All in all, a great day!

A Sad Day

2010-08-19T07:52:00.000-06:00

Today is a sad day. Tristan is officially out of naps. :(

We've been struggling with his sleeping habits ever since we got here, to Arizona. It seemed like he just needed time to adjust, but we were wrong about what he needed to adjust to! This is especially sad for me, because I still need naps, being pregnant and all. Luckily, Mom is around to keep an eye on him, and Rhydon sometimes too, so if I really need one, I should be able to get one. And if all else fails, he loves the DS we have, and that would get me at least 45 minutes. And movies have been so rare here, that now they're a special treat and that might get me another 30-45 minutes.

It's not all bad, though. In two weeks, we will celebrate Tristan's 3rd birthday, and in this family, that means potty training (dut dut duhhhhhh....)! No naps will make that transition easier, I think. It also means that in the relatively near future, he will be out of a crib and into a big boy bed, and I've found it nearly impossible to keep my kids in bed for naps once they make that change. So all in all, it all works out.

But I'm still a little sad... ;) :(

Extra! Extra! She finally spills the news!

2010-06-25T14:51:00.000-06:00

So I guess now it's time to tell everyone the news... I'm pregnant! And yesterday, I found out it's a girl! I'll get my sweet little Lorelai sometime in late November. We're still thinking about middle names, although Olivia has recently topped the list. Here is a picture of my little cutie:

Isn't she beautiful?!

When Life Gives You Pumpkins

2010-06-20T08:59:00.000-06:00

We've all heard the phrases. Cliche, quaint, overused phrases people use when bad things happen.

Every cloud has a silver lining.
When God closes a door, he opens a window.
When Life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

But what about when life hands you pumpkins? And sometimes, that window is really high off the ground. And it sure is hard to see silver when there's no sun shining.

That's when it's time to turn to Heavenly Father. He knows when the sun will shine, He knows what to do no matter what life hands you, and He knows how you're supposed to get out that window, whether it's climbing down the fire escape, or grabbing on to Him and flying. And I'm ready to make some pumpkin pie.

I will soon begin a new chapter in my life as a single mother. To start, I'll be taking the kids and moving back in with my wonderful, supportive parents in Arizona. And that means getting rid of a lot of stuff, and starting fresh. I'm going to have a HUGE yard sale (or two), so if you're in the Rexburg area, be sure and stop by! Everything must go! Liquidation sale! Going out of business!

It wasn't easy getting here, but I know that He understands, and is with me every step of the way. And with faith in every footstep, I'll go where He wants me to go.

P.S. Along these lines, I have changed my blog address. This won't affect those of you who are already following my blog, or who get email updates when I post something new. But it is different, and I hope will symbolize this new phase of my life. It is http://sweet-hour-of-prayer.blogspot.com/.

I can see clearly now...

2010-06-03T18:09:00.000-06:00

... but it has nothing to do with the rain!

Today I took Elizabeth and Kael to the eye doctor for the first time. Last Saturday, Elizabeth started complaining that her vision was fuzzy, and that her eyes hurt. It was much upon those years that I got my first pair of glasses, so I couldn't poopoo her complaint. It was too late however to call then, and it was a holiday weekend, so I was pounded with inquiries and reminders all weekend about calling the doctor. To determine if it was for real a little on our own, Matt found an online test for eyesight not much different from the doctor type, and of course everyone had to try it (at least the ones who knew their alphabet). Kael had some problems, too.

So first thing Tuesday morning, I made the appointments for Elizabeth and Kael. And today we went.

Kael got to go first. We all went to the first room where they have that really cool table that rotates to all the different diagnostic instruments. The kids only got to use 2 of them, the "binoculars" and the one where you stare at a picture. After Kael, was Elizabeth, and then we all went to the examination room. Kael hopped up in the exam chair with great enthusiasm. It turned out to be kind of an involved process because it turns out Kael is VERY far-sighted! This surprised me, as I am very near-sighted, but I have since learned that my dad is far-sighted, so there you go. The doctor even dilated Kael's eyes because the eyes were compensating so much that it was skewing the prescription. He got his glasses today, and he looks great!

Elizabeth was next. It didn't take nearly as long, because it turns out, ironically, that she doesn't need glasses at all. She's "practically perfect in every way." She was very upset, however, that she didn't get glasses! So Matt took her to a dollar store and got her some cool reading glasses in the lightest prescription possible. She looks good too, but I'm not sure I'd be okay if she actually needed to wear them all the time.

Kael is very happy with his new vision, and if he knew the song, he'd probably sing: "I can see clearly now my glasses are on! I can see all obstacles in my way!" Hahahaha.

A breath of Fresh Aire

2010-05-11T09:23:00.001-06:00

Today, I woke up, looked outside at the gloomy, rainy day, and decided it was a Mannheim Steamroller day! Just seeing that kind of day, so common in the spring in Minnesota, where I grew up, threw me back in time. I felt for a moment like I would turn around and be in our house in the country, with its seafoam green siding, large lilac bush, and tree swing. I decided to start by playing out of my Mannheim piano book, which has select pieces from albums 5, 6, and 7 of Fresh Aire. I reveled in the music, and gloried in the soreness it produced in my arms from not practicing in a while. :) But I'm a mom, and many other things, and I couldn't really just sit at the piano all day. But what to do? Ahh, my electronic music collection!

I went into my music player and made a new playlist of Fresh Aire albums 2-7 (don't have number one... Family? Ideas?) As soon as it came on, I could remember lying on my aged lace comforter on my lopsided double bed, in my pink room with the two-toned pink shag carpet and large orange dresser, reading The Secret Garden, Jane Eyre and Little Women. Or playing with my barbies, or dolls, or whatever I did in my room, because I spent a lot of time there!

Isn't it amazing the power of music in evoking memories? One strain, and you can remember almost anything, from your first day of school, to your high school boyfriends/girlfriends, to your wedding dance, to just the feeling of your mother's love. It's comforting to know that whenever I'm missing someone, or something, all I have to do is find the music that recalls it to my memory.

But we must also be careful, as inappropriate music choices can damage or stain memories forever.

Music is power. And with great power, comes great responsibility.

Leaving Facebook

2010-05-07T12:29:00.000-06:00

I took the plunge and severed ties with Facebook. There were many reasons for this decision. Mostly, it is a major time-sucker. I had over 300 friends and checking their sometimes multiple statuses even just once a day took a large chunk of time, not to mention all the fan pages. I had also got sucked into some of the games, which took even more time. Also, Facebook has no respect for anyone's privacy, and their "privacy" policies are only to cover their own butts. Plus, every time they would make a change, everything would default to a public option. Not cool.

I am joined in my leaving by my mother and brother. My husband remains on, because he is addicted to technology, but I love him anyway. I know I also have several friends considering the move also.

I'm going to link to a couple articles I found influential in my decision, and helpful in my attempts to complete it.

How to Delete Your Facebook Account (because they don't make it easy)
10 Reasons to Quit Facebook

And a funny video about how absurd Facebook can be.

Adventures in Bountiful Baskets #1: Asian Cabbage Soup

2010-02-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

So I do this AWESOME thing called Bountiful Baskets. Basically a whole bunch of people put their money together and buy fresh produce and some other things for a discount. They have a regular basket, and then some optional add-ons, usually including a themed set of vegetable. This week the theme was Asian. So we got fresh basil and cilantro, ginger, garlic, green onions, a coconut (still not sure exactly what to do with THAT), bok choy (also a mystery), and napa cabbage. Today as I was cleaning the kitchen I was struck with a fabulous idea: Asian Cabbage Soup! It turned out really well, so here is the recipe:

Asian Cabbage Soup

1 head Napa cabbage
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
Fresh Ginger, need 1/4 cup grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, pressed
1 32-oz box broth *I used Imagine No-Chicken Broth because we're vegetarian
1/4-1/2 cup soy sauce (to taste)
Tabasco (optional)
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Quarter cabbage lengthwise, then thinly slice cross-wise. Add everything to large soup pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is tender and the flavors start to blend. Serve hot, topped with Tabasco and/or pepper flakes, if desired.

Here's a fun fact about cabbage: it's full of Vitamin C! That's right, there are more ways to get your Vitamin C than drinking sugary orange juice. Cabbage, especially cooked or fermented (like sauerkraut), is good for digestion. Enjoy! Let me know if you try it and like it, or if you made any fabulous changes!

Adventures in Baking: Episode 1: Sourdough

2010-02-11T21:02:00.001-07:00

So, it's been a month of no blogging. Sorry! I've been very busy getting settled in our new place. We got a FABULOUS deal, a four bedroom house for $650 a month! It's only through April, and then we renegotiate (or move?), but until then, we're making the most of it.

So, we recently decided we weren't going to take any more help from the government, so we're trying to save money, especially in the food area. Oh, but we do love those artisan breads! So I decided to go crazy and make my own sourdough starter, and then bread. It sure was torture waiting those first couple weeks for the starter to get started! And the first couple of loaves weren't very sour, but it's gotten better and better as we go, so YAY!!!

Several of you, my readers, have asked me for tips, tricks and a recipe! Well, I just used this one from Better Homes and Gardens, which I actually got from the recipe book that my mother-in-love gave me for my first birthday married to Matt. (Thanks, KathieMom!) I don't think I've ever had to change anything, except to vary how much flour I use, which changes according to the weather.

I have learned a few things, though, both from experience and research. One thing that may throw a lot of people off is that sourdough tastes different based on where you live. No matter how hard you try, even if you bought starter from San Francisco, you cannot make San Francisco sourdough unless you live in San Francisco. Sorry. Sourdough gets sour from the various bacteria and things in the air, and the air is different in San Francisco than it is in Rexburg, Michigan, Arizona, or Alaska. So you must first accept this fact.

Also, it takes a while for things to ferment. You don't need to age your starter for a year (like most wines) or longer to get it good and sour, but it does take longer than a few weeks. My starter actually smells stronger now than it did when I made my first loaf.

Last, I've learned that I need to double my starter, because my family likes this bread, and it is usually gone within a couple of days, and the first loaf is gone the first day. So in order to make it more often, I added more replenishing stuff to my starter last time. I think I may need a bigger container.

My next adventure will be based on the book: Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. I've only read a little, but what I've read is very exciting, and may very well revolutionize my baking life! So stay tuned for the next episode of... Adventures in Baking!!!!

Together again

2009-12-31T19:41:00.002-07:00

Well, it's been almost 5 months since I've seen my husband face to face. This is the first separation of any notable length since we were married, 7.5 years ago. It was a much different experience than I expected.

I can't speak for Matt, but I anticipate that being together again, workinga s a true team will be a bit of an adjustment. Matt's been "single" all this time, able to go and do things with any of his friends at any time convenient to him (and let me tell you, that won't work with me). And I have been the boss of my family, and made many significant changes in our daily life that didn't always make it in to our usually brief conversations. I think the only people who might not have a problem getting used to it are the kids!

I am confident, however, that we will be able to adjust, tweak, compromise and change ourselves to be one again. It gives me comfort that our vows were not taken on a whim, for fun or without commitment. When you'll be with someone for eternity, you tend to work a little harder at working things out!

So I'll see him Saturday (I hope) or Sunday morning (for sure). We'll go to church, come back to my parents' house to eat dinner, pile everyone in the van and head out for an all nighter, and be in Rexburg by tea time. Rexburgers, if you'd like to help, let me know, I'll give you a call when we get into town. I'd also take help with child care, as well as moving things.

Wish us luck!

P.S. I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank my parents and brother for putting up with us these 5 months. I know it hasn't been easy; we've been a strain, and a drain, and a pain. But I hope, I believe there are enough good memories to overshadow the not-so-great ones. We've really enjoyed being with you. We love you all so much.

The girls have a birthday

2009-12-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

6 years ago, I gave birth to a tiny little girl, and we named her Elizabeth. She was born on my birthday, and I maintain that she is the best birthday present I've ever received!

Elizabeth is a sweet, caring, intelligent girl. She started kindergarten (homeschool) and is learning how to read. She practically begs for reading lessons on most days of the week. She's even started reading from the Book of Mormon during family scripture study, and can read a lot of verses without much help at all! She loves her brothers, (though she will tell you she does not always like them...) and tries to help them. She's been working especially hard on being a good big sister, and not a second mom, and is coming along famously. She recently took up a liking for dressing like me, and therefore a lot of the gifts for Christmas, from Santa and for her birthday (and my gifts too) were put toward that effort. It really tickles my heart that she likes to do that. She's really blossomed and improved under my new parenting rules, taken from Love and Logic. I can't imagine life without her, and I'm so grateful to be her Mommy.

Elizabeth requested (on her own, without prompting), chocolate cake with lemon frosting, and since that sounded absolutely lovely to me, and she didn't object, we made that cake and shared it. Elizabeth insisted we dress alike for our birthday, of course, so we both wore yellow. She wore her new jeans, but my jeans got another hole in them (never buy Faded Glory), we didn't match completely. (My mother-in-love is sending me money to get jeans for myself once we get back to Rexburg. Thanks, Kathie!) But it was close enough for her. We also ended up matching our cake. :D

So we blew out the candles and opened our gifts together.

Elizabeth got flashing shoes from Kael (which she's wanted since October, when Kael got his pair of flashing shoes), Disney princess card games from me, dress-up scarves from Tristan, and a crib for Marie from Granmama and Grampa. Mom made it herself from an old Mary Kay box and fabric she had on hand. She had to make up the pattern herself, so it's quite amazing, and it looks wonderful.

I got a cute green shirt (Elizabeth), a pink turtleneck (Tristan), Work and the Glory Volume 4 (Kael), and a purple shawl, made by Mom, complete with shawl pin, and my own starter set of essential oils from DoTerra. Rhydon's gift to me was babysitting my kids so I could go out to dinner with Mom and Dad. We went to this FABULOUS vegetarian/vegan restaurant called Lovin' Spoonfuls. It is truly amazing food! I couldn't tell we weren't eating the "real" thing. We had Tempura Shrimp, hummus with cucumber slices, Dad and I had side salads with Sesame tahini dressing, we shared a Pumpkin Bisque soup and a black bean soup. Mom had a giant salad with Thousand Island dressing. Dad had pasta primavera. I had ravioli with alfredo, and shoestring fries. Then we each got shakes: Chocolate Candy Cane, Eggnog, and Strawberry Sunshine. We talked, and laughed, and generally had a great time. I think it was my best birthday so far, except for the fact that I couldn't share it with my husband. We brought home "beef" stroganoff for Rhydon. It was all lovely.

Christmas with the Kiddos, part 2

2009-12-30T15:44:00.001-07:00

So we spent most of the 23rd and 24th cooking, dicing, gathering, and slicing, in preparation for our Christmas feast. It was somewhat of a challenge this year, being new vegetarians. The main issue was whether to have our traditional Buffalo Wings or not. We've had Dad's recipe of Buffalo Wings for as long as I can remember, and while we're okay with chicken every once in a while, we wanted to see if we could come up with a substitute. So we cooked up some Buffalo Fries instead! We mixed up the sauce for the wings, then cooked some oven fries (potato wedges), basting with the sauce halfway through, and using the extra sauce for dipping. It was so delicious! We made some wings too, but it was the general opinion of those gathered that the fries were better, and there was no real desire for the wings. In fact, for the first time in HISTORY, we had to make Rhydon eat the leftover wings (except the few I saved for Matt, who could not be with us). Usually there is a fight for them! That's how it was with the fries this year. I even had to make a new batch for Christmas Day.

Also, we watch a lot of the Travel Channel's show, Man V. Food, with Adam Richman. He's always taking on a new challenge of eating someone's spiciest wings, so Dad decided we'd have our own hot wing challenge and made a new spicy hot sauce for 3 of the wings. Now, my taste buds must really have changed while I've been here, because the original recipe wings were not spicy, and the challenge wings were not as spicy as I could handle. So in the battle of Man V. Food, Men (and Woman) won! (The sauce was quite delicious though.)

The rest of our feast was a lovely selection of culinary temptations from around the world. Baba ganouj, hummus, dolmas, indian yogurt, Thai curry (my own recipe, and very tasty!), Mediterranean eggplant dip, salsa, Greek yogurt (delicious with fries and wings, and dolmas too!), Moroccan lentils. And there were the requisite crackers, chips and dips (onion and taco). Of course we had the perennial Christmas shortbread, a tradition from Dad's childhood, that my children now love. We also had our Orange Blossom punch, though we experimented with tweaking the recipe to make it healthier. Our main concern was corn syrup (high fructose or otherwise). We used fresh orange juice (because we could, thanks to Bountiful Baskets food co-op), sparkling water instead of ginger ale, less sugar, and on the second batch we substituted maraschino juice with pomegranate juice. It was different, but pleasant, and certainly worth repeating. But both Rhydon and I agreed afterward, that it still was not as wonderful as plain cold water! My, how we've changed!!!

(I would like to note at this point that Matt was able to join us via webcam for much of the day, enjoying his own food, lusting after ours, and watching and even opening presents we'd sent him previously. Then he left us to go out for sushi. Why didn't we think of sushi?)

After we'd gorged ourselves on our first plates of deliciousness, we could no longer hold off the kids from opening presents, and so it began. I will attempt to list gifts received (and who from) in order from youngest to oldest:

~~Tristan: Snow boots (Elizabeth), Blocks (Grandpa), superhero cape (Uncle Rhydon), little-manly books (Kael),~~

Nope. Changed my mind. Too many gifts. I will just make mention of the most notable.

All three kids got winter boots. This is the first time ANY of my kids have gotten winter boots.
All three kids got Lego Duplo blocks from Grandpa. All exactly the same, except for different symbols on each individual block to help determine ownership without limiting said ownership to one child (they can be passed on to the next child someday).
All three kids got superhero capes from Uncle Rhydon. Yay! (Thanks, Mom, for making them.)
Mom and I made 1 pair of jammies for Elizabeth, and 2 pair for Kael (pictured). I've had to make several repairs to Kael's, because I'm the one who sewed them, and I'm still learning. Sorry! At least I'm learning, right?
The theme of Mom and Dad's gifts was camping/preparedness, and the gifts were received with great joy and enthusiasm. (Pictured)
I got a book, Work and the Glory #3 (already have 1 and 2), and two skirts from the kids. Much to my delight, I was also given a preparedness gift or two: I got a 72 hour kit and water purifiers to put therein. This is a recently developed interest, and I was so happy to receive these things. Rhydon received some of the same things, and some more.
Mom and I got 2 pairs of matching pajamas from Dad, by Victoria's Secret. Long-sleeved, pants, one silk, one flannel. It's been years since we last had matching jammies, and I badly needed new ones, so it was a great gift!
Oh, and Mom worked hard and made a new outfit for Elizabeth's baby doll, Marie. Apparently, Marie is an oddly shaped baby, and it was difficult finding clothes patterns that fit her, but Mom pulled it off, and Elizabeth was so happy!
We sent Matt a new shirt and pair of pants that he'd better be wearing when we see him this weekend *squeal!* or there could be dire consequences. ;)

Then we watched The Christmas Carol, starring George C. Scott (our favorite version), and put the kids to bed only a little past their bedtime. They slept in until almost 9a the next day, so Santa gift-receiving was much delayed, but happily enjoyed.

Here are the best pictures. We had a great time!

Happy (early) birthday to me! Nei-ei-ei-eigh!

2009-12-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, I was sitting and wondering what I could ask for, for my birthday. I wanted to be frugal, because money is tight, but I knew my family wouldn't let me get away with getting nothing. Then it occurred to me, that I could just have an experience! Two years ago, Matt took me across the U. S./Mexico border for my birthday, because I'd never been out of the country. Well, guess what else I hadn't done? I had never ridden a horse! It's true! So, I put out my wish on Facebook:

I would like to ride a horse for the first time in my life, for Christmas or my birthday. Anyone own a horse who would be willing to give me a lesson? It just might be plain wrong that I'm almost 27 and have never ridden a horse.

And what do you know? A friend of mine from church sees that, and goes and finds someone for me! Dianne set the whole thing up for me, and today was the day I got to ride a horse for the first time IN MY LIFE!!

I forget the horses' names because I started this on that day but finished two weeks later... someone help me! I'll fix this post when I figure it out.

I had a fabulous time! I think I may be a natural talent! Hahaha. What a great birthday present! Thank you, Dianne, and thanks to the Gambles for sharing with me.

Christmas with the Kiddos, part 1

2009-12-16T17:29:00.000-07:00

We decided not to go to Disneyland. :( We were all very sad, but Matt and I are confident we made the right decision.

But that means we won't be able to bring Matt any Christmas stuff, so I decided we would make Matt a Christmas box. (And we'll be sending it UPS, because if we sent it through the Post Office, he wouldn't get it until Valentine's Day.) So to start, we made cookies. Snickerdoodles first, because they're Matt's favorite.

Then we did some crafts.

And yesterday, we took the kids to the library for storytime with Santa. He read Twas the Night Before Christmas , then everyone sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and the first verse of Silent Night. Then everyone got to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas. Elizabeth was first in line, and promptly told Santa she wants a bike for Christmas. I told her that Santa is smart and knows we're soon moving to a place where she won't be able to use her bike for a while anyway, and might send it to her later... I'll be including a note in her stocking from Santa explaining, and then when we finally can get her a bike, I'll attach a note saying something like, "Sorry it's late. Hope you like it. Love, Santa" Yes, that should work.

Kael was next, saying he wants a toy airplane that flies by remote control. Can I just say this statement blindsided me! He'd never mentioned anything like that before! Well, drat. Hope he likes what he gets anyway, and doesn't focus too much on what he didn't get.

Tristan wanted nothing to do with Santa, to start. I merely suggested he go sit with Santa and he had a meltdown! That's that first pic of him, then the second is when I wasn't fast enough to catch his screaming face, he saw the camera, smiled and said, "Happy?" Then after everyone else was done, someone had pulled up a chair so a mom could sit with her child next to Santa, so I decided to try that, and had another mom there take the pictures for me. He was about to protest as we sat down, and then he saw the camera... what a ham.

Now I'll wrap a couple of the presents we got for Matt, and put them in a box with the cookies and crafts. Then when we get to Rexburg, we'll have another Christmas all together.

By the way, for those of you readers who don't know, we did finally find a place in Rexburg to live! We're 2 blocks away from where we were before, and in a completely different stake, much less ward. Oh well, it's still a good central location, and we'll be near friends all around. Thank you, everyone, for all the good thoughts in that direction.

More Thanksgiving Fun

2009-12-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Grandpa trying out the DDR with Elizabeth. So awesome!

Grandpa did pretty well, too!

Thanksgiving Fun

2009-12-16T16:24:00.000-07:00

Our Thanksgiving Dinner, left to right, top to bottom:
Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Dad's new recipe)
Mushroom Gravy
Pumpkin Custard
Homemade Cranberry Sauce (none left! yum!)
Steamed Broccoflower
Rice Bread Dressing
Garlic Onion Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes and Yams with Craisins
Rhubarb Crisp

It was totally vegetarian (not vegan), and delicious, and I didn't miss the turkey at all.

video flashbacks #1

2009-12-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

Tristan, almost 2 years ago! He's so different now! *motherly sigh*

--
Arienne Baugh

Kids are funny

2009-11-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

the kids saw this and called it a "pearl necklace for the tree."

Home is Where the Heart is...

2009-11-30T15:08:00.001-07:00

"Where are you from?" "What's your hometown?" Two of the toughest questions I've ever had continuously in my life. What's the litany?

I was born in Charleston, SC.
I lived in New York for a while, Schenectady, I think? Oh boy, I think I spelled that wrong.
Then we moved to Welch, MN.
Then it was on to the place I grew up, which in itself is confusing. It used to be one of my great pleasures to recite the following list quickly and without taking a breath:

Our address was Goodhue, our phone number was White Rock, I went to school in Cannon Falls, we actually lived near Vasa, and I went to a Red Wing church which was actually in Wisconsin. Got all that? Uh-huh. And all that, I was never really fond of calling Minnesota home. Sorry, Minnesotan friends. It's just not for everyone.

Then I went to college, in Rexburg, Idaho.

Then just before I got married the next year, my parents sold our house and moved to Arizona. Can't really claim that as home either, though I love my parents, and visiting them, and living with them has been great. It still didn't feel like home (I'd never actually lived there until several years later!)

We bounced around Rexburg for several years. We tried a University Ward. Nope. Then it was Rigby. Nope. Then it was Rexburg 4th ward. Then it was Rexburg 9th ward. Nope.

Then we moved down here to Vail, AZ for a couple years. I love the people in my ward, but it wasn't home.

Then we moved back to Rexburg, and into the Rexburg 15th ward. I got along with people, they seemed to like me, and appreciate me. I wasn't lost in a sea of other young married families. People knew who I was, I had a calling I loved (choir accompanist) under the best director (Steve Dresen, he's awesome) I'd ever had, outside my own family. We had friends. Then we were moving again so Matt could do an internship in Disneyland, and for the first time, I was sad to leave. We even arranged for us to be able to move back into the ward again when we came back.

And now, through an unforeseen set of circumstances, that dream may not come true. And it made me realize today, that for the first time in my life, I'd found someplace I could call home. Only, I may not get to go back. Oh sure, I'll be in Rexburg. But for those of you who don't know, in Rexburg, it's really hard sometimes to keep social ties outside your ward boundaries. You just get too busy, and if you aren't forced to see people every week, you tend to forget them, or set them aside. We've all done it, LDS or not.

And that makes me really sad.

But I'll never forget that I found home. Thank you.

Taking a Break

2009-11-13T21:25:00.003-07:00

Hi, my name is Arienne. And I'm an internet-a-holic.

But today, it stops.

Now, I think it's unrealistic to stop competely, but I'm putting up some STRICT limits for myself, indeed, even sacrifices. I have to. My kids need me.

I want to be a good mom, I truly do. And I've tried my best. But there's that saying, Maya Angelou, I think? "When you know better, do better." Well, that's what I'm going to do.

I realize now that a lot of the problems I have with my kids are cries for attention. But I didn't always know what to DO with my kids. I admitted to my mom the other day, "I don't know HOW to play with my kids!" She's given me some suggestions, and I've come up with some of my own. I've been doing a little better with my avoidance over the past few days, but stricter measures must be taken, at least at first.

What are my new rules? No computer when the kids are awake. That means I need to get up earlier than the first kid (before 6am? Really? I think not), or wait until they go to bed, around 7pm. Yup. Yee haw. Packing all my me time into 2-3 hours a night, for about a week and a half. That's how long until my dad comes back. (and when Dad says it's bad, it's BAD.)

That still allows me a little time to check on things with friends, update my blog a little here an a little there. I won't be planting any short term crops in FarmVille, or cooking short order food in CafeWorld, or even playing any computer games, unless I'm really stressed, and even then I might just use that time to take a soak in the hot tub or something. And I have books I want to read... so really, I'm just doing the bare minimum online until I've shown my kids through my actions that I love them, I care about them, and I'm not going to put up with any more crappy behavior. Harsh words, I know, but drastic times call for drastic measures, and sometimes, a little drastic vocabulary.

Aside from that, I NEED HELP! Truly, I don't have a lot of ideas of what to do with my kids. Sad, I know. So please comment on this post with suggestions, PLEASE! Or I may just go crazy.

P. S. I will be using a lot of disciplinary ideas from this book:

A Happy Halloween After All!

2009-11-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

So Rhydon brought home a flu last week, and it's pretty much knocked us all out of commission, in turn. He was first, of course. Then Tristan, me, Mom, Kael, and finally Elizabeth. I kept hoping we would get better quickly, but it was not to be. The kids were SO sad that they couldn't go to the ward Halloween party, trunk-or-treating, or trick-or-treating. And we had their costumes planned and everything... so I thought, what can I do? I'm not sure how it came to me, but it occurred to me that trick-or-treating is just going door-to-door, and we have lots of doors in this house, and three people to help... So we trick-or-treated in the house!

So I dressed up the kids. Elizabeth was the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio. Doesn't she just LOOK the part? I think she loved wearing makeup best of all. I'm going to have quite a challenge on my hands when she grows up I think! Talk about beautiful!

I took the easy route with Tristan. We've had these jammas since Kael was that big. They even have a little cape that attaches with velcro at the shoulders, though I didn't do a great job getting a picture of that. Tristan was happy though. He's only 2!

Kael was Michaelangelo, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! Mom made this costume 18 years ago for Rhydon! Rhydon wore it 3 years in a row, ages 3, 4, and 5. I thought it was great that Rhydon's namesake be wearing the same costume at the same age. We let Kael watch the first TMNT movie to get him excited about it. He pretty much thought it was the coolest costume EVER and wanted to wear it to bed. But it's not Potty friendly, so we had to say no. :)

We had our home teachers over earlier in the day to give blessings, and one of them came back with his wife, bringing plastic jack-o-lantern buckets full of goodies, so they were already off to a good start. Then we got some bags of candy from the store, and filled up a couple of big bowls. Then we all got behind a door, and had the kids trick-or-treat! Luckily, Elizabeth knew how, and was able to lead the others. They even said "thank you" unprompted!! They came away with quite a haul, and thought it was a great Halloween!

So while it looked a little bleak at first, I managed to pull off a fun and memorable Halloween anyway! I hope it turns into one of those memories the kids look back fondly on years down the road. I know I certainly will!

Book Review: Parenting with Love and Logic

2009-10-11T10:54:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, I posted on Facebook that I was having trouble with my kids minding me. This was my status:

"How do I walk softly and carry a big stick with my kids? They don't take me seriously until I get mad..."

In fact, often my youngest would just laugh. It was really frustrating. I don't enjoying being angry, really.

The overwhelming response to my post was that I should read Love and Logic. I requested it at the library, but I had to wait in line, and this week I finally got it!

The book opens with several examples of controlling children and their sad parents. It was like watching Supernanny... you think to yourself, "Well, at least I'm not THAT bad!"

The second chapter defines several ineffective parenting styles, ranging from helicopters (hoverers), and attack helicopters (defensive helicopters-attacking anyone who tries to show their kid the real world; reminds me of that story of the teacher who gave failing grades to cheaters, whose parents then came in and made her give their kids passing grades instead, for no good reason), to drill sergeants (the yellers-which only gets short-term results). There is a passing reference made to parents who don't parent at all, the laissez-faire parent. Of course the ideal is called the Consultant Parent. The focus of this parent is asking questions, and relinquishing any control that is not absolutely necessary. We'll explain more later.

It also goes on to explain that it's better to let children fail and then learn while they are young, than when they go out into the world, because the stakes are more affordable. Protecting them is not showing true love of them, because it leaves them ill-prepared to live on their own and make responsible choices.

The subsequent chapters describe different aspects of this style. Chapter 3 explains how responsible children feel good about themselves, and how our treatment of them affects their self-concept. Chapter 4 emphasizes the need to separate their problems (and learning opportunities) from ours. It also lays down the two rules of Love and Logic:

1) Adults must set firm, loving limits using enforceable statements without showing anger, lecturing, or using threats.

2) When a child causes a problem, the adult shows empathy through sadness and sorrow and then lovingly hands the problem and its consequences back to the child.

Chapter 5 details how to use "thinking words," words that promote thought, with children. Also, it shows how kids need limits, and without those limits, they don't feel secure enough to take risks.

Chapter 6 shows how to let children gain control through making choices. There is a diagram (page 81) that shows how we should give infants very few, if any choices, and give more and more choices as children grow until by high school, they decide just about everything for themselves. This diagram also shows the opposite: that sometimes we give little ones to much choice, and then as they make poor choices, we have to take more and more choices from them as they get older. This is obviously undesirable. One quote I liked:

"Psychologist Sylvia B. Rimm, PhD, says people of all ages compare the amount of control they have in a relationship to only the amount of control they used to have-- not to the amount they feel they should have. When more control is allotted, people are satisfied; when control is cut back, people are angry."

I liked chapter 7. Its title is very expressive: The Recipe for Success: Empathy with Consequences. It explains how we need to show real empathy for our children when they're suffering the consequences of their choices, as opposed to sarcastic or feigned empathy. Another bit I liked was that consequences don't have to be immediate! I've been told the opposite for a long time by various experts, and I had a lot of trouble with that because a parent can never anticipate EVERY infraction, and I was terrible about coming up with something in the heat of the moment, so I always defaulted to the same things: mostly time outs, and occasionally doing nothing. But the authors do a fabulous job of showing how waiting can actually be more effective! It goes like this: Kid makes poor choice. I say, "I think that was a poor choice. I'm going to have to do something about it, but not right now. I'll get back to you. Try not to worry about it." Zing!

Chapter 8 admonishes patience and practice. I needed this chapter. I was stressed: where do I start? The authors tell you to pick one behavior you would like to change in your child, and come up with a game plan on how you will respond. The situation comes up, you do your best with your plan, then do it again. Eventually, they promise, it will become second nature. And one last comfort, it's never too late to start.

The second part of the book goes through specific situations, and shows how to use Love and Logic to solve them. Arranged in alphabetical order, it acts like an index that a parent can reference whenever they're having trouble. Some that promise salvation for me: Allowances/Money, Bossiness, Discipline in Public, The Room: Keeping it Clean, and Sassing and Disrespect.

All in all, I like this book, and I think I will start applying its principles. It will not be easy, and I will most likely feel utterly ridiculous at first, but the results promised are worth the work, and I know they will come.

I will be mentioning various experiences with Love and Logic in other blog posts in the future.

Candy Classics - Open for Business

2009-10-06T15:16:00.002-06:00

I'm here to announce the opening of my all-natural candy business, Candy Classics. We endeavor to make all your favorite candies the way they were made originally-no fake sugars, flavors or colors.

My specialty is English Toffee, but I also make truffles, such as Ravishing Raspberry, pictured left, Coconut Crave, Peppermint Paradise, and Caramel Apple.

I ship anywhere in the contiguous United States, and my prices are very reasonable.

Please go to the Candy Classics website for prices, and full product descriptions.

I will also be posting a poll asking what flavor I should introduce for this year's holiday season.

Thank you in advance for your support and patronage.

I look forward to serving you!

The Many Me's of 2009

2009-09-27T20:14:00.003-06:00

Here is a collage of all the different hairstyles I've had this year... just a little much, perhaps. But when you're recreating your image, sometimes it takes a while to find the right one!

In case you can't figure it out, the newest one of me is the one with short brown hair, taken yesterday. And I must say I like myself as a brunette!

Happy Birthday to My Sweetheart!

2009-09-22T10:47:00.003-06:00

30 years ago today, my sweetheart was born! We're all so glad he came!

Love you, honey!

A thought on the state of the Union

2009-09-18T13:00:00.002-06:00

A lot of good people may wonder why some politicians are allowed to come into office and destroy our country. People like Glenn Beck, and some others, do their best to show how what's happening is wrong and bad. People must first awaken to those realities. If Heavenly Father saved our country now, we wouldn't appreciate it, because we wouldn't see anything was wrong, and we would soon fall back into our old ways. Also, Heavenly Father can't just rescue us. We must be aware, and do all we can to fix things ourselves, or at least move in that direction. This shows Him that we really want it. And that is why we cannot just sit back, and hope that our leaders do the right thing. We must do our part, to let them know what the right thing is, and that we won't stand for anything less.

Recipes: Mediterranean Past Bake

2009-09-14T12:33:00.002-06:00

I came up with this last week, when I realized that I'd forgotten (again) to make another dish that needed to marinate for a while (gazpacho... yum!). I looked in the pantry and freezer and this is what I came up with... hope you like it!

Mediterranean Pasta Bake

1 pound penne or rotini
1 jar spaghetti sauce (about 2-3 cups)
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
2/3 cup sliced black olives (Kalamata would work well too... but I didn't have any)
1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
4 oz Feta cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions, only to al dente... no softer!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

When pasta is done, drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, in case you need more moisture. Put pasta in lightly greased 13x9 baking pan. Add sauce, olives, and artichokes, and Feta cheese, if desired. Stir to combine. Top with Mozzarella. Tent with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes, until cheese is nice and melty, and noodles are heated through. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Serve hot with your favorite green vegetable and garlic bread, if you like.

Let me know if this recipe works for you! Make sure to comment, and give it an adjective. See below post.

My favorite pic

2009-09-11T19:18:00.002-06:00

Our summer

2009-09-11T10:04:00.002-06:00

Just some assorted pictures from this summer. The first covers June, the second July, and the third, our trip.

Haircuts!

2009-09-10T22:51:00.002-06:00

So the boys' hair was getting too long... covering the tops of their ears, sticking up crazy in the morning, and little mullets forming at the backs of their necks. So it was time to cut their hair. And Elizabeth made me cut hers too (because she wanted to look like Mommy). I had been putting off cutting her hair. I was nervous to do it myself, having had no formal training, and not sure how it would turn out. But we did it, and I'm so glad we did! She's never been cuter, and she's so happy about her hair, she still gasps when she glimpses herself in the mirror, and says, "Mom, I LOVE my bangs! Thank you!!!"

And the boys are back to looking clean and handsome instead of... let's just say rustic! and handsome.

Kael's birthday (part 2)

2009-08-11T15:12:00.000-06:00

Pics of Kael, beginning to present. It's been an awesome journey! I love you, buddy!

We celebrated his birthday in Arizona by going to the zoo here in Tucson. Separate post for that coming soon!

Family Pictures 2009

2009-08-10T17:26:00.000-06:00

I finally discovered my friend Isabelle's secret to her awesome picture collages, and I'm making the most of it!

Here are several groupings of our family pictures. Our photographer was my long-time good friend Lavinda, who does photography for a living. Here is her blog and website.

This is a collection of the best of the family and small group shots taken.

Here are the best shots of Elizabeth. A lot of them were attempts at head shots. Matt would love to see her onscreen. We'll see what happens!

Here are the Kael shots. There were so many good ones. He looked great in every shot we got. I only left out the ones where you couldn't see his face.

And here is Tristan. He would not give up that Dogga (his name for it) for anything! And it was super difficult to get him to stay still. Or smile. So it was hard to get them, but once we got the shots, they were nothing shy of AWESOME!

So there you have it. We had those done in May, I think it was... or June? July... oh I can't remember. Two or three weeks later, I completely changed my look, Matt had grown a goatee, and the kids had grown. I almost felt like I needed new pictures! Haha! Next year!

Kael's birthday (part 1)

2009-08-04T22:41:00.000-06:00

Kael turned 4 this year. Wow! It seems like Elizabeth is still 4 sometimes... Ah well.

We had this first birthday party in Washington, with some of the other Baughs: Gigi (Great-Grandma Ethlyn), Grandma Kathie, Uncle Chris, Aunt Serena, and cousins Emma, Isaac, Haven, and Autumn. We played on the slip'n'slide, we had presents, and unabashedly ginormous amounts of sugar in the form of ice cream and cupcakes with colored frosting (obviously pictured!). It was a fabulous time. And then we got sick. But the party was great! Here's the pic.

Leaving? Cleaning?!

2009-07-28T23:39:00.002-06:00

It's here. We're leaving Friday, first thing in the morning. I can't believe it. It still seems kind of uNrEaL. But thank goodness I'm almost done cleaning.

Wow, you have to clean a lot when you move. Can I just say that it truly never occurred to me to wash underneath and behind appliances such as the stove and fridge? I don't think I can remember my mom doing it, and she's a pretty neat and clean person so she must have done it at least occasionally... but I never saw her do it. And it gets really gross under there! Also, cleaning INSIDE the oven?! Seriously? Why not just leave the ashes? Honestly, these things just never occurred to me, I swear! But here I am, doing them, and I must say, it's giving me a strange sort of satisfaction... To go from SO dirty, to so clean... It's a beautiful thing. Next time I do this, I'll make sure the kids see me doing it, because it should be done... at least occasionally.

And for you Facebook users, that other post I was talking about is a goals post. I might be able to get to it on vacation. Cleaning takes a lot of time!

P.S. Thank you to Shannon, who showed me I could format my posts like this! Should be a lot more interesting!

Something to think about

2009-07-24T22:23:00.002-06:00

I don't have anything to say really, except that this made me think. I've always had a problem being my family's gatekeeper, though I get better everyday. I'm going to have to add "Who is in charge at my house? ME!" to my daily affirmations.

Interesting article

2009-07-10T20:39:00.001-06:00

Has anyone else ever wished that their house would burn down so you don't have to go through all your stuff and get rid of it yourself? I'm there right now.

Happy Aniversary to Us

2009-07-06T16:21:00.002-06:00

This year we celebrated our 7th anniversary. Lucky number 7! It's been quite a ride, but I couldn't have asked for a better companion for the drive!

I've also learned that we need to take more pictures of just us, as a couple... these pics were pretty much it! LOL. Live and learn! And Matt, I love learning with you!

The Swine Flu: Get Over It!

2009-07-05T13:16:00.001-06:00

What is the deal with the swine flu? Why all the hubbub? It's hardly killed anyone! It's been labeled as pandemic, but all that means is that it's everywhere. It doesn't mean it's extremely deadly. I'm attaching a link to an article about this, and it clearly shows how our already out-of-control government is going overboard with this, and trying to take away our personal freedoms in the name of public safety. I'm also including a link to the National Vaccine Information Center, where there is a lot more information to be found, including laws recently made that allow state militia to take our belongings and forecfully vaccinate us and not be held liable for anything that goes wrong, either with our things or our health. This cannot be allowed to continue!! Educate yourself and take action!

Article

National Vaccine Information Center

If on the first one, it asks you for membership, go ahead and sign up. He always has great information and it's completely free.

STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-03T18:27:00.000-06:00

I'm ready to just throw everything out on the lawn! I'm so tired of all this stuff! I know I should get rid of stuff, but when I look at it, all I see is stuff I can't get rid of! And I don't know how to organize what I DO need! I want to scream! I don't know what to DO! I'm going crazy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!

On the move...

2009-06-20T17:38:00.000-06:00

I know Matt's blogged and vlogged about it, but I haven't... In little more than a month, we will be moving. Matt has an internship at Disneyland as a Photo Pass, which is a fancy way to say he'll be a photographer. He's very excited! So he'll be going to Anaheim, but the rest of us will not. The kids and I are moving to Arizona, and moving in with my mother! I'm very excited about that. I haven't seen my mother since we left Arizona a year and a half ago. We'll be staying about 5 months. That should be enough visiting to make up for lost time, and maybe even enough to make her get tired of us... I'm kidding.

In other news, I have rejoined the Mary Kay Skin Care Company as a beauty consultant. There are many reasons, but to sum up, it's what is right for me. So if you'd like a free facial, or to buy products from me, call me or check out my website. And don't worry about not being in my area. I have ways of pampering you long distance. I can even do facials long distance, by phone or webcam. So let me treat you like royalty!

We've also decided to really start taking charge of our finances. As part of that I've finally decided on a goal. I want to start an insurance company that covers breakthrough medical technology like bioidentical hormones and such. I was inspired by a book called Breakthrough by Suzanne Somers. It's really an exciting book; I just finished it.

Well, that's it for now I guess. Off to pack and pamper.

Junie B. Jones!

2009-05-15T19:34:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading the first Junie B. Jones book to Kael and Elizabeth. I think it's just what I needed to get them interested in reading! It's cute too, entertaining to read. It has some grammatical errors, but you can tell they're on purpose, because it's a kindergartner talking, and what kindergartner has perfect English? Anyway, I can't wait to read more! There are 26 books in the series so far. Wow! Who else has read these books?

Daddy-Daugter Date: Rockapella!

2009-05-03T10:18:00.000-06:00

Last night, Matt took Elizabeth on a daddy-daughter date to see Rockapella! What? Who's Rockapella?! For you old fogies like me out there, they did the music for the Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego? television show. Kids these days; no sense of history! Anyway, they decided to get all gussied up. I curled and arranged Elizabeth's hair, gave her a little (no show) makeup, and she and Matt both wore purple. Apparently, they were head-turners and showstoppers! Matt tells me that one pair of older women had to stop and turn around to get another look at Elizabeth, and how she matched Matt! And when they met Rockapella afterwards, Scott, the blond guy, said spontaneously, "That is the cutest little girl I've ever seen!" Warms a mother's heart, that does. Anyway, Elizabeth had a fabulous time. You'll see in the pics below that she got her picture taken with the band, and they all signed both a poster and her program! She felt super special. I'm sure she'll be telling people about it all week! Enjoy the pics!

Sick, sick, sick...

2009-04-28T10:46:00.001-06:00

Ugh, this has been a bad couple of weeks. Our family has had a year's worth of illnesses in two weeks. Matt's the only one who was spared, and thank goodness. We can't really afford for him to take a sick day, with him doing his internship and working and giving plasma for extra cash. It started two weeks ago, when Tristan got pink eye. 3 days later, Elizabeth got it. 3 days after that, Kael got stung by a bee, Elizabeth got heat exhaustion and a stomach flu (on the same day she taught herself to ride a two wheeler, see separate post). That day, my throat started to hurt. The next day, Kael had a very apinful stomachache that I was afraid might be his appendix, but it wasn't, thank goodness, and he also got pink eye. A couple days after that, I had a full-blown sore throat flu, Kael got an ear infection, and Elizabeth had a reaction to her antibiotic for her pink eye. A couple days after that, I woke up to everything sounding like it was underwater and an acute pain in my ear - another ear infection for me. Yesterday, Tristan started puking, and now the four of us have nasty coughs. I tell you, it's been rough. Hard on the pocketbook too, since neither Tristan nor I have insurance. I just keep praying this is the end.

Easter

2009-04-28T10:05:00.000-06:00

Easter was pretty cool this year. It was Tristan's first time looking for eggs. First we went to the grocery store for an egg hunt there, but it was their first time doing it and it wasn't well-regulated. Kids were only supposed to get a few and then leave some eggs for the rest if the kids, but there was no enforcement,and I saw one girl come out of the aisle with a large bucket full of eggs, I mean, at least two dozen.

Luckily, we had our own hunt planned. We were also blessed with the presence of Uncle Rhydon, who helped me hide the eggs. We decided to have it at the theater, just for fun and variety. Tristan started, then Kael, then Elizabeth. Kael and Elizabeth finished at the same time with finding eggs. Everyone had a great time.

Spreading the love

2009-03-10T13:52:00.000-06:00

{Lucky you!}
The first 5 people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2- What I create will be just for you.

3- It'll be done this year.

4- You have no clue what it's going to be.

It may be a story. It may be a picture of myself, or a handmade piece of artwork for your living room. I may sew you something. I may bake you something. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch?
Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it! LETS PLAY!

Kid updates

2009-03-10T12:45:00.001-06:00

Elizabeth: is learning to read. She tends to guess a lot though, instead of doing the phonetics, but we'll keep trying. She's also starting to grow out of 4T and into 5T. Time to shop!! And she did the cutest thing last night. I was sleeping in the family room with Tristan, who was having a hard time, when I heard her crying. I ran out and comforted her while Tristan cried himself to sleep, and I told her how why I was in there, and that I would never leave her alone, when I just couldn't keep my head up any longer and laid it on the couch. She grabbed my hand, led me into my bedroom, pointed at the bed (as if to say, get in!), then climbed in after me and slept with me. So cute.

Kael: has taught himself how to burp on command. As I've said from the beginning, Kael is 100% boy. He's also behaving better since I stopped expecting him to be just like his sister, who continues to spoil me with good behavior (most of the time). Kael is different, and since I started respecting that, he's been better. We need to respect the fact that our children are different.

Tristan: finally has all his baby teeth in, and is done until around his 2nd birthday. Today he is sick with a cough, sneezing, and itchy eyes. He's getting better, though. He adds words to his vocabulary every day, and is always proving to us that his lack of words has nothing to do with his intelligence. He also knows how to put his own shoes on (and likes to put on everyone else's too).

Toothless

2009-03-10T12:40:00.000-06:00

A week ago I got my wisdom teeth out. All 4. I was awake the whole time, but thoroughly numbed and medicated. I had the laughing gas (which did not make me laugh, just calm), and they put two shots of novacaine in each area, except the bottom left, which required an additional shot because the bottom right took so long. The top two came out very easy, but the bottom two were impacted and still in bone, so there was some drilling. And they put sutures in the bottom right. I looked like a chipmunk for a few hours, but there will be no pictures because I forbade Matt from taking any. I got an antibiotic and a very nice painkiller that makes me sleepy. I ran out of the pain meds on Saturday, but I still hurt, so yesterday I went and got the doctor to renew my prescription. I'm feeling much better now, and should be able to eat crunchy foods by the end of the week. I'm very happy they're out.

Finally!

2009-02-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm finally getting my wisdom teeth out and I'm so excited! Some of you might think I'm crazy for saying that, but they've needed to come out since I was pregnant with Elizabeth, and they're driving me crazy! My appointment is for next Tuesday, first thing in the morning. Yay!

Change is good

2009-02-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, I better post a blog for my poll over there --->.

I want to change my hair color again. Most of this past year I've been a red head, and I think I'm ready for a change, or at least a touch up. So I'm asking your opinion! I've been blonde and brunette in times past, never black or anything crazy, but it's time for a change, and I promise to abide by the poll results, although if it's Other, I'll have another poll probably to determine what color that should be.

And to the person who already voted... please comment on this entry as to what color you'd like to see on my head.

The poll closes on March 15th. I will color my hair that week and post pics.

p.s. I've found, that if you'd like to vote more than once, you may, by using other computers, or sometimes, even just refreshing, if you're not logged in! If you really want my hair to be a certain color, that's the way to cheat.

Skirts for Elizabeth

2009-02-24T16:33:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth loves skirts. No, she LOVES skirts. And I can't find a skirt ANYWHERE! So I went online, and found some patterns, and since my sewing machine is in storage, I'm going to pay a friend of mine with my awesome toffee and she will make them for me! I've posted a link to the blogs where I got them here so if any of you want to make some for your girls, you can!

http://www.kukyideas.com/journal/2006/07/tiered-skirt-tutorial.html
http://redcurrent.blogspot.com/2005/11/skirt-pattern.html

I can't wait!

Getting serious about FHE

2009-02-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks ago, we decided to get serious about having Family Home Evening. We set aside some money to make a chart (which I'll describe in a bit), and assigned roles. A week ago I bought the stuff, and last night I made it. It was so much fun! Here are some pictures.

I really enjoyed making it! Everyone I've ever talked to says vinyl lettering is hard to do, but I didn't think so. The whole thing took about two hours, including painting. I decided that black and silver were good classic colors to make our family colors, and I chose teddy bears because there is already a teddy bear theme in the birth samplers I make for each of my children. Elizabeth has asked me to do something like that with her name on it, and I can't wait! I've already got a picture in my head of what I want! Woo hoo!

Spanking is...fun?

2009-02-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, so today we were having trouble getting Kael to get himself dressed, and we had tried all the motivations we could think of. On a whim, Matt picked up Elizabeth and said he would spank Elizabeth if Kael would get dressed. It worked! Now, you all may be thinking, what kind of motivation is that? What did Elizabeth think? Well, after Kael was all dressed, Matt put her down and sent her on her way. Elizabeth chased after him, saying, "Can you spank me until Tristan gets dressed?" This was funny enough, but then I asked, "Elizabeth, you WANT to be spanked?!" To which she replied, "Yeah! It's FUN to be spanked!" I swear, that's what she said. I almost peed my pants laughing.

First talk! But so clingy...

2009-02-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

So today, Kael gave his first talk in Primary. It was on family. It went very well, he did a great job. The only problem was, he didn't want to be left in Primary after while I went to Relief Society. Ugh. So he ended up going to Priesthood with Matt and I stayed in the hall with Tristan, who thankfully has only 3 weeks to go until nursery.

Anyway, why is Kael so clingy? Maybe I was just spoiled by Elizabeth, who all but pushed me out the door of nursery and hasn't looked back since. But about half of the time Kael was eligible for nursery, he didn't want to go (apparently there was some bullying in play there, in both locations, but still...), and now he freaks if he sees me in the middle of Primary. I can only hope Tristan isn't like that, although, it seems very likely. Tristan is slow to warm up to things in general. I don't know what to do about Kael... ah well, we keep on trudging.

A new bed... well, sort of.

2009-02-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 7 years since Matt and I tied the knot. One of the wedding gifts we received was a bed set, from his sister, Vicki. It was a very nice set. The sheets never quite fit right, but it was pretty and comfortable. About a month ago we looked at the comforter, and were shocked to notice that it had so many stains you could hardly see the blanket for the stains. I may be exaggerating a little, but not much; it was looking pretty sad. So when we saw an ad for a bedding sale at Family Dollar, we jumped on it and bought a new one. The set from FD only had the dust ruffle, shams and comforter, so we went to Walmart and got coordinating sheets there: 300 thread count! Nice... I'm including a picture so you can see it. I'm already planning in my head what our bedroom will look like when we have a place we can paint and decorate. It's satin topped, with little green embroidered flowers, and a ribbed section on each side. I LOVE it!!!!

I once was blind but now I see!

2009-02-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Somewhere back before Thanksgiving, maybe Halloween, my right eye decided it didn't like contacts, and in trying to get it to accept what it did not want, I ran out of contacts for my right eye. We did not have money at the time to buy more contacts for me, and consequently, I've been partially blind for the last 3-4 months. For those who don't know, yes, I wear glasses and contacts, mostly contacts because I don't think I look good in glasses, and my eyes are pretty bad: -5.00 in one, -5.50 in the other. But today, after a slight mix-up and delay (the strength in the first shipment was +5 and 5.5 instead of negative), I can now see with both eyes! It was a little trippy at first, but I feel like my old self again. The kids can sit on either side of me when we read books and I can see, and I don't have to have a mirror super close to do my makeup on one eye. It's marvelous!

Sir Sick-a-lot

2009-02-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

What a week! Last Sunday, I stayed home with Elizabeth because she said she didn't feel well enough to go to church, which is a big deal for her, because she LOVES church. And then Tristan stayed home too because Matt had to teach in Priesthood and he couldn't take care of Tristan at the same time. Then the next day, Kael woke up puking. Then Friday, Elizabeth woke up puking. And now today, another Sunday, Tristan woke up puking, so here I am, at my computer, instead of at church. Sad day, too, because today is the Presidency message in Relief Society and that's usually one of my favorite Sundays. That and 3rd Sundays, I believe... whenever Nita Miller teaches, she's awesome.

I read an article in my latest Parenting magazine about how kids are sick an average of 10 times a year with various colds, flus or other bugs. I kept thinking to myself, wow, my kids are sick A LOT. But then I thought about it a little more, and individually, they're not sick any more than normal, it just seems that way, because there are 3 of them getting sick the average number of times. That's an average of 1 sick kid a week for 2 weeks, and then one week off, as opposed to having just one, which averages once a month or less. Does this mean when I have another child that I will always have at least one who is sick? Oy to the vey.

Sewing it up

2009-01-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

So this morning, I sewed up Kael's bear, Joe, for the 5th time, or so. (Yes, Joe Bear. Hey, it was 3:00 in the morning when I named this object for attachment, so give me a break.) I've sewed both arms, one twice, his leg, and now his crotch. It was a delicate surgery, let me tell you, but Joe came through like a champ. I'm just wondering how many times I'm going to have to do this. What will threaten to fall of next? His head? An ear? He's already lost an eye I still need to replace or something. He's a well-loved bear. I should start making a big deal out of it, you know, make a hospital gown for him, some casts and slings that are reusable, maybe a little heartbeat machine.

Ewwww!

2009-01-27T15:02:00.001-07:00

Kael is sick today. The bad kind. Throw up, or whatever you like to call it. I'm lucky I missed the first two times he puked, but I just experienced the third one. He coughs and coughs and coughs and suddenly it's more than a cough. Projectile vomit all over. If he'd eaten any cookies, he lost them. I almost lost some myself. A sensitive nose and gag reflex are not good qualities in a mom. Does anyone have any tips for getting over/coping with such a thing? Thank goodness Matt was here to clean up most of the mess. Bleh. And Kael feels fine between "episodes."

Now I'm just hoping the other kids don't get sick. Yikes. I would rather it be me, as much as I would hate that.

The good news is that I have started craving fruit (as opposed to candy, chips and other not so great things), and it was on sale today at the store! Yay! Fruit will hopefully help the rest of us stay healthy.

Panic Attack! and other things.

2009-01-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

So Saturday was Kael's first Primary activity. He and Elizabeth had a great time. But apparently Kael gave the leaders quite a scare! They noticed Elizabeth playing in the gym with some other kids, and asked each other, Didn't she have her brother with her? Answers in the affirmative set off a mild panic and search. They looked all over the church, yelling his name. Finally, after they were thoroughly panicked, they found him in the nursery room downstairs, playing with the toys. I'll have to make sure to tell him to stay with the other kids next time.

Homeschooling is back in full swing after my recovery. Today we learned F and G. The kids really enjoy school, and this morning, Elizabeth even said I was her favorite teacher ever. I'm happy to hear that, since they'll be stuck with me for 12 years of school or so! Ha ha.

A sad day is fast approaching. I think Tristan may not need naps much anymore. He's not even in Nursery yet! *sigh* Luckily, they let me take a short nap every afternoon. Today, I fell asleep on Kael's bed, which has the side guard, and Tristan doesn't know how to get over it, so he was stuck on the bed with me. He played at the window and with the blankets while I slept! It also helps that Elizabeth is such a little mommy, and the boys listen to her. I'm so glad I had a girl first! lol

Parting Thoughts on Miscarriage

2009-01-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

A week and a half ago I discovered I would not be having a baby after all. I was heartbroken. The news knocked me out of commission for the rest of the day. I cried, I slept, I barely ate or talked. I blamed myself, mostly, though I now know that it's not me at all. It was a hard day. But when you have 3 kids already, you don't have a lot of time to wallow, so I started to move on.

I had a decision to make, though. Should I wait until I miscarried naturally, or have an operation called a D&C to get the baby out? There were lots of aspects to consider, and I had no information. Monday I talked to two of my friends who have had miscarriages. One had miscarried before she knew she was pregnant, and therefore didn't know she was miscarrying until she was in the middle of it. She told me her story, and my goodness, it sounded awful. I had thought I might want to wait, for closure purposes, but after hearing her account I wasn't so sure. The other friend has had several miscarriages in a row. She recommended getting the D&C, and the combined advice led me to decide on just that.

Tuesday, I went in to the doctor. They did an ultrasound to see how big the baby was. They wanted to make sure I wasn't too far along. Apparently their cutoff date for doing the procedure in the office is 12 weeks. I was really close, at 11.5, so they gave me the choice, saying there might be complications. As scary as that sounded, we really didn't have the funds to go to the hospital. I don't have insurance, and the price difference is surreal... $5-7K for the hospital, versus $500 for in-office. So we chose in-office and prayed for the best. It went just fine, no complications at all. I was very sleepy for the rest of the day, but other than that, it's been pretty good.

I mourned a lot that first day. I've mourned a little more every day since. Talking to my friends who had miscarriages, before my own, and after, were very different experiences. It's one thing to feel sad or sorry for someone who miscarries, and another to mourn together as people who have both experienced it. And the mourning process itself is different, I think, from any other. There's no baby. No one can tell you, "Oh, what a great person they were; they'll be missed." People don't know what to say. I wondered if I had done something wrong, or if I hadn't wanted the baby enough (I had problems accepting this pregnancy). I'm still a little scared that it will happen again. There isn't any real doctrine about miscarriages either. The closest thing I found was that if you miscarry (lose the baby before 20 weeks) you don't enter it on family group records for genealogy, but if you lose the baby after 20 weeks (techinically a stillbirth), you can. There are different theories too. I finally felt at peace with the idea that I will have another chance at having that baby. This baby wasn't planned, and I had thought that God wouldn't give us a baby at this time in our lives, knowing that we just can't handle it really. And maybe that was the case here. It just wasn't meant to be... yet.

I've spoken to many of you currently reading this, and I would like to thank each of you for your kind thoughts and good wishes, and prayers. I've really felt the support of all of you. Thank you, again and again.

Elizabeth's Birthday

2009-01-18T17:22:00.000-07:00

I forgot to post about Elizabeth's birthday! She is 5 now, and proud of it! 5 is a special age at our house. When you turn 5, you no longer get a snack at church. Also, you start getting an allowance, which also means you start paying tithing. Elizabeth has accepted these changes with grace. She paid her tithing for the first time today, in fact! She was pretty happy with herself. She boldly shows people she's a whole hand old! So cute.

We had her birthday party on the 6th of December, and we shared it with one of her best friends, another girl in the complex, named Aubrey, who turned 5 in November. It was a blast! We had the girls make their own crowns, played princess bingo, and princess cakewalk. And of course their were treats and snacks, and then the rest of the time the girls played dress up and pretend together. Here are some pictures from that special day. They are, in order: Elizabeth and Aubrey, all the girls at the party, and Elizabeth and Amelia, her favorite person from preschool.

Sadness Strikes the Baugh Home

2009-01-13T10:10:00.001-07:00

The unlucky number 13 brought with him a saddening and terrible news today. We went to the baby doctor for the regular check up and to listen to the heartbeat. The first simple scanner didn't pick anything up, so we went for the ultrasound. I remember how it was with the other three, you look inside and find a cute baby body and right in the middle you see this tiny circle with a line that flickers back and forth. Just like always, there was the baby, cute little head, small hands and feet tucked closely to the body and a strong backbone. But this is where it differed from the last three. The flicker was gone. No circle. No line. No movement. It's hard for anyone to see such a small thing motionless, especially when it's the one thing that has caused nausea, pain, discomfort, but most of all a portion of your heart to open wide and love to fill it. Quite poetic to think that the sign of this baby not making its full term is the same thing that breaks for me. Your love and prayers are welcome at anytime. Thank you for your concern.

Family pics

2009-01-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

We did our family pics a couple weeks ago. It was a lot of fun! We just set the self-timer for the group pics, and I took the individual pics, except the ones of me! Ha! I'm going to try something new and put them in a slide show in my sidebar. Enjoy!...

Okay, so that didn't exactly work... it's a new gadget. They must not have worked out all the kinks yet. I'll post my favorite pic here, and then you can visit the link by clicking the picture at the bottom to check out the rest, okay? Okay!

Family pics

Drumroll please...

2009-01-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Matt and Arienne now present Baby #4 for our family! Here he/she is:

We hope it's a girl, but at this point, we can't change it, so we'll accept whatever we have. The family is due to expand July 22 or so, dates may vary. We're still deciding on names, so if you have any suggestions, feel free to offer them, though we reserve the right to say no to any and all suggestions. We won't find out the gender until February or March, so please note the poll on the side, where you can cast your vote as to which gender the baby will be.

We'll be keeping you updated here, so stay tuned!

I did this with Picasa!

2009-01-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I found a great new program that makes it a lot easier to fix my photos, and it even has a direct link to my blog! Awesome! It's called Picasa, and it's available through Google. Check it out! More later!

Lost birthday video

2008-12-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Found this, and it's so funny, I just had to post it, even though it's 3 months late. Enjoy!

Halloween!

2008-11-01T13:44:00.000-06:00

Well, here it is, another month gone by... we are having unseasonably warm weather right now, because Pres. Clark asked all the teachers on campus to pray we don't get snow until the roof is done on the new colosseum. Maybe I'll do more when I'm stuck inside due to snow? Then again, maybe not.

This year Elizabeth wanted to be many different things for Halloween. Ariel, a (nice) witch, Sally (from The Nightmare Before Christmas - she's in love with Jack), and finally we settled on a pink cat. We used her dance outfit (pink leotard and tights), and I made ears (used her pink headband), a tail and bracelets, anklets and a wrap around the neck and shoulders with a pink and a black feather boa. I also did her makeup myself! I'm so proud of me!

Kael was a vampire. He doesn't quite get the concept of choose your own costume, so I went to the store Wednesday, found everyone in his size and picked one. The choices were scarecrow, spider or vampire. I thought he might like to be something vicious. So we dressed him up, painted his face gray, with some red around the mouth and called it good. He does NOT like stuff to close to his eyes, mouth or nose. Or water in his ears, btw.

Tristan dressed up as a ninja, like Kael did two years ago(hey, they're about the same age... Kael was 1 month older two years ago than Tristan is now). We didn't do any makeup. He had a great time, though. He really enjoyed the Whoppers (which is good, because they're not my favorite). And I'm sorry, I didn't get a really good pic of him... I'll dress him up again later and take another pic, and post it here.

I painted whiskers and heavy eyeliner on my face and was Elizabeth's mama cat. Matt was a referee vampire, using the teeth that came with Kael's costume but didn't fit in Kael's mouth.

They made quite a haul. We've instituted a new rule. If you're 3 or older, you can eat as much candy as you want the day after Halloween until it's all gone. The dentists say it's better that way.

I'm going to post one super cute pic of Tristan, just because I can't resist...

...And a video of Elizabeth shaking her booty with her tail on...

I don't know why, but my kids are really good at shaking it! Hahaha

September

2008-09-24T14:26:00.000-06:00

I really should do this more often... Sorry for the info overload!

Early this month, Tristan turned 1! I don't have any babies right now, and it feels a little weird! Also, we've decided Tristan is old enough now to share a room with his brother and sister, so we've turned the spare room into the computer/music/play/storage room! Suddenly I have so much space, I don't know what to do with it all! Ha! Tristan isn't walking yet, but I'm not worried. He takes things at his own pace, and this is no different.

Matt started school on the 8th. His classes are a good mix of challenging and easy, interesting and boring. He's excited to do the IBC program next semester, in which you get to start your own company. He's also taking a class in web business, for which he is using my business... which brings me to my next tidbit!

I started a candy company! It's called Arienne's All-Natural Candy Classics. I've wanted to for months, but I finally put some candy together and set up a table at a local street fair. I sold 10 bags of my toffee! And no one who tried had anything bad to say about it! One person has even said that she can taste the difference between my toffee and regular toffee, and mine is better!!! Right now I'm in R&D for my next candy, for which I need your help! Everyone who lives near me, I need you to taste my confection concoctions! And everyone's opinion is needed on my poll, to the right. I'll probably end up making all of those eventually, but I need to know which would be the top sellers, just to start. I'm also working on caramel corn, and I hope to make lollipops soon. My spin is that these are all-natural candies, no fake stuff, and it's hard to color lollipops without fake colors! But I will do it!!!! Check out the website at http://www.ariennes.com/ (And we're working on fixing the title... ha!) And feel free to order!

Elizabeth started preschool up on campus this week. She's loving it so far. There's a gecko in her classroom! And yesterday, she held it twice! Hahaha. So to compete with that, I bought a fish for us to have at home. It's a blue Betta, and Elizabeth has dubbed him Cookie Bubbles. We're all really excited. I've never had my own pet before, so we'll see how this works.

Kael started saying something really funny. I told him once as I was bringing him inside that he was going inside because he broke the rules, to which he replied desperately, "I'll fix the rules, Mommy! I promise!" Ah, that kid.

That's the update! Stay tuned for more... hopefully sooner than later!

Arienne and the Kids

An Unexpected Turn

Mom, PLEASE find a man!

Always reaching for the stars...

Goodbye, Sucker!

The Hymn Project: #267 How Wondrous and Great

The Hymn Project: #301 I Am a Child of God

The Hymn Project: #223 Have I Done Any Good?

The Hymn Project: #222 Hear Thou Our Hymn, O Lord

The Hymn Project: #34 O Ye Mountains High

The Hymn Project: #3 Now Let Us Rejoice

The Hymn Project: #227 There is Sunshine in My Soul Today

The Hymn Project: #340 The Star-Spangled Banner

The Hymn Project: #38 Come, All Ye Saints of Zion

The Hymn Project: #28 Saints, Behold How Great Jehovah

The Hymn Project: A Beginning

Extra! Extra! Lorelai Crawls! (Sort of)

Finding the Joy Again

So you think I'm picky?

Today's Adventure: Climbing the Playset (and not like you think)

Lorelai @ 6 months!

To Mothers Everywhere

Dirt and the second amendment

Sometimes You Leave (Moving On)

Adventures in Potty Training

Lorelai

Book Review: Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald

Help McKenna

Help McKenna!

Life is beautiful...

Christmas 2010

Newborn hospital pics

Catch up time!

Doctors... Why?

Fun at the Children's Museum

A Sad Day

Extra! Extra! She finally spills the news!

When Life Gives You Pumpkins

I can see clearly now...

A breath of Fresh Aire

Leaving Facebook

Adventures in Bountiful Baskets #1: Asian Cabbage Soup

Adventures in Baking: Episode 1: Sourdough

Together again

The girls have a birthday

Christmas with the Kiddos, part 2

Happy (early) birthday to me! *Nei-ei-ei-eigh!*

I would like to ride a horse for the first time in my life, for Christmas or my birthday. Anyone own a horse who would be willing to give me a lesson? It just might be plain wrong that I'm almost 27 and have never ridden a horse.

Christmas with the Kiddos, part 1

More Thanksgiving Fun

Thanksgiving Fun

video flashbacks #1

Kids are funny

Home is Where the Heart is...

Taking a Break

A Happy Halloween After All!

Book Review: Parenting with Love and Logic

"How do I walk softly and carry a big stick with my kids? They don't take me seriously until I get mad..."

Candy Classics - Open for Business

The Many Me's of 2009

Happy Birthday to My Sweetheart!

A thought on the state of the Union

Recipes: Mediterranean Past Bake

My favorite pic

Our summer

Haircuts!

Kael's birthday (part 2)

Family Pictures 2009

Kael's birthday (part 1)

Leaving? Cleaning?!

Something to think about

Happy Aniversary to Us

The Swine Flu: Get Over It!

STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

On the move...

Junie B. Jones!

Daddy-Daugter Date: Rockapella!

Sick, sick, sick...

Easter

Spreading the love

Happy (early) birthday to me! Nei-ei-ei-eigh!