Drury Days

Comfort Food

2011-02-01T08:25:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, cookies and milk are the only way to get through the day. Oreos, how we love thee.

Snow

2011-01-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years, I've had to up my game and do snow removal. I learned the hard way that it requires vigilance. It turns out, if you don't shovel well for months on end, your driveway will get very narrow and you will acquire the dreaded "hump". You will get stuck when your husband is out of town and you have sick babies. There will be no one to call and you will be totally screwed. Not that that happened to me. Oh wait, it did. Soooo..... ever since then, I've had sort of a mania taking place. The mania involves a need for the driveway to be at a state of cement, NO ICE, at all times. It is sick. I know. It is also exhausting.

Moving on to now. It snowed a lot in December. A LOT. I shoveled a lot. Jeff shoveled a lot. The 12 year old neighbor across the street helped me shovel a lot. Then, one day, a miracle occurred. Meet our new baby.

Jeff brought her home and I am smitten. Completely and totally in love with all you see pictured.

That's Some Tree You've Got there Clark...

2011-01-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

I've seen Christmas Vacation a million times. 999,999 of those times I've laughed and though, "funny, but who would really let that happen.". This year I know. This year, Christmas was at my house.

Let's start with the tree. Last year we cut a beautiful fresh tree. It was wonderful. The tree was perfect. I planned a repeat this year. Not so much. After a full on domestic about a work trip on a holiday weekend and a huge snow storm the week prior, we set out for a canyon in Idaho. We got out of the car and Spike refused to move. He stayed in the truck with Grandma and Grandpa the whole time. (Side note, Bryce stated, that he would be staying in the truck, he had cut trees for years and it was a "pain in the ass." If we wanted to do it, "have at it". )

So the place was a mad house. A billion people, no exageration, were trying to cut trees. We hiked in on a snowmobile trail about a mile and found the trees. We passed a young family like ours, coming out and the mom was nearly in tears and the dad looked like he wanted to kill himself. I asked how much further the trees were and he said, "to hell and back". Okay, so obviously, that guy is having a bad day. Not us, we're having a hap, hap, happy time!

Trees were in sight, we went for them, and Jeff instantly fell into snow past his butt. Hilarious, until I did the same thing. We looked around for a bit and Carter and Jeff located, the tree..da da da da! I thought it looked a little big and suggested we keep looking. Jeff was kind of over it, (I don't think the prior domestic had helped) and Carter was focused on eating snow. I suggested other trees, but we settled with the tree, despite it's size. I was worried, but really, the time for fighting was over and the time for fun had begun.

Jeff started to saw. Jeff has what we call, "superhuman Remund strength" and I've never seen him not push through something. He had to take 2 breaks to "breathe" during the sawing. Too late we were committed. The tree finally fell and it looked even bigger. We tried to move it. No luck. Between the weight and the depth of the snow, we couldn't make it budge. We cut off another 4 feet.

Just then Mike and Ash came up with their tree. It could easily be pulled with one hand. Neither was sweating. Mike offered to help Jeff move our tree. They both pushed and pulled. I think there might have been swearing. It moved! Then I noticed Mike kept moving and Jeff just stood. He claimed that, "his body gave up". Once we got to the snowmobile trail it got easier. Jeff really did help the whole way. I walked with Carter and did nothing to contribute. Bryce rolled his eyes and we were on our way.

Eventually headed for home. I decided it was huge, but that we could deal. Then while I was at the dirty Mav in Evanston getting a drink, I heard some local dude and the worker talking smack about our tree. Something about "city folk" getting trees that were too big. When I went up to pay he asked me if I had the biggest tree in the forest. I could feel my local/country girl heart break. I was city folk.

So the tree got in and decorated (thanks bob, for the big A ladder). We bought $80 of lights to cover the stupid thing. It filled the whole living room. I yelled at kids not to touch it for fear of disaster for over a month.

Despite everything, it was beautiful, it sparked and glowed for all (like the whole neighborhood) and the kids loved it. It didn't fall. Carter told everyone about how we picked the most beautiful tree in the forest and had so much fun. It smelled good and I'm sure we'll always remember the behemoth tree of 2010. If we start to forget, there seems to be an endless supply of pine needles in the carpet.

PS. The minute Christmas was over I threw that puppy out and boy, did it feel good.

Review 2010

2011-01-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

When you have 6 and 3 year olds, the alphabet is a frequent subject. I could see no better way to review our year than with the alphabet.

A- This year was our 10th anniversary and we spent it in Hawaii. It was a wonderful trip and an even better 10 years.

B- Birthdays were lots of fun this year. Carter had a spongebob party, Spike's was construction, and we spent Jeff's birthday in Yellowstone while tagging along on a work trip to Montana. Jeff and I also had a great vacation in Boston with good friends.

C-You all know about the acquisition of the cat. Grrr. Spike also experienced his first cavity. Carter took climbing classes through parks and rec and make progress in bravery.

D-DIGGERS! There is really nothing more to say, diggers take up 90% of Spike's time. He also spend a good portion of Jan-April doing dinosaur breathing (AKA-neutralizer with a dinosaur mask) after a nasty case of pneumonia.

E-This year, one of Carter's catch phrases is Easy Peasy. My fingers are crossed he can keep this positive, can-do attitude throughout his life.

F-Friska. Jeff and Carter love the stupid cat. I don't. Enough said. Fishing-Carter caught a monster 9lb cutthroat with Grandpa Bryce in the spring. I don't know that fishing will ever measure up after that monster. He also caught his very first fish all by himself, a perch at Mantua. Grandpa left him in the boat while he went to get the trailer and Carter caught a fish!

G- We worked really hard on our garden this year and it was a hit! I'm sort of falling in love with gardening.

H- Jeff and Carter have been reading the Harry Potter series this year.

I- Two little boys have a lot of great ideas. Spike also says, "I do not know" all the the time and it drives Carter and I Insane!

J- Whether it is hippity hop balls, off the boat, into the pool, on the trampoline, or on the furniture, these boys love to jump!

K-Carter is doing great in Karate and Mrs. Kohler's Kindergarten class. Spike loves to give kisses to everyone he loves. Carter is on record as hating kisses.

L- We had a great time with Grandma Cindy in Legoland in August. It was pretty much a yuppie mom paradise. Giant sand boxes, creative play, very few gift shops and healthy food. I was kind of the white trash mom there, but it was cool and we loved it.

M-We had a huge step forward in life. I took both boys by myself to Despicable Me and we made it through! No longer does it take 2 parents and a million trips in and out to see a movie.

N- Every day, the kids want fewer naps and Jeff and I want more. Carter is done with naps. Spike, well, he wants to be done but I refuse to give up.

O- Spike dreams of being an operator on a construction site.

P- Spike started neighborhood preschool and potty training finally stuck. Carter has started piano and is doing an great job with it.

Q-We have a million questions a day. I know the answers to very, very few. Honestly, I know it is good they are curious, but I just long for quiet some days.

R-Carter has turned into a great reader. It has been so fun to watch the world open up more to him each and every day as he reads new things. Jeff and I also did the Ragnar Relay this year. I trained for months, Jeff trained zero. We both had a good time (I think anyway...I think the experience is like childbirth, you forget how bad it was). Both Gil and Cindy retired from Deer Valley this year. Carter is convinced the decision was made solely to spend more time with him. Who knows, maybe it was?

S- we skied a lot with carter. Carter learned to love it for the first time and I remembered that it was fun again. We also spent a day in Sea World where we learned that Jeff's mom is the master packer of plastic animals. Also, sea world staff will give you a free churro if your child falls of out of the rental stroller while you are trying to pay.

T- Carter finally got the Two-Wheeler. I had lost hope that the child would ever have any desire to ride a bike. (3 years of failed attempts will do that to you) Little did I know it would take one week of watching his friends ride bikes to school while he walked. He hopped on the bike and didn't look back! He also lost his first two teeth.

U- Can I tell you how great it is to wash cute little boy underwear and not change diapers? One question though, will my bathroom ever be the same again?

V-Victory The Bears are in the playoffs and "the BYU" had a losing season. The boys at this house couldn't be happier.

W- The highlight of our summer was Ashley and Mike's wedding. What a wonderful day! If there ever was a time when the world stopped for an evening and everything was perfect, that was it. I know the day was about Ash and Mike, but I will forever be grateful for that night, when everything was right with the world.

X-X is Spike's favorite letter. I have no idea why.

Y-Yelling. All members of our family are trying to have less of this in our lives next year.

Z- Carter loves playing Zombiee Farm with Cindy. In other news, old Zoiee turned 10. The poor thing is starting to get "dogheimerz" as Jeff calls it. Her face is going gray and she has lost a lot of spunk. For as much as that dog has driven me crazy over the years, I love her so much and it makes me sad to see her getting old. Thankfully, she'll still fight to the death with scorpion and bark if anyone walks on the road. She still has some zest for life in her yet.

So now we know the ABC's-let's all have a great year in 2011. Happy New Year!

Friska Update

2010-06-24T15:32:00.000-07:00

Friska has caught, that I can document, 2 mice. She is finally earning her keep. Yesterday Carter went to the garage to get in the car for swimming lessons. He came in with a huge smile and said, "Mom there is a surprise for you in the garage. Close your eyes and I'll take you out." You guessed it, he moved the cat food bag back to proudly display a mouse head. I kicked it out of the garage. Carter cheered. "Mom, isn't is awesome that ants are trying to eat it?" Awesome Friska. Awesome Carter. There is no doubt that I am the mother of boys.

Breakfast

2010-05-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

Breakfast is important for little boys. Carter, as always, ate a great breakfast. During the rest of the day his eating habits are up for debate, but he is solid at breakfast. Spike, well, when I asked him what he wanted for breakfast, this was his response: "clouds and mountains and snow and rainbows." Coming right up!

P.S. Yesterday he told me that the "trees eat the rain and mountains eat the clouds". Beauty and perspective really are in the eyes of the beholder. I love hanging out with these kids.

Cat Lady Part 2

2010-05-03T19:36:00.000-07:00

Minutes after arriving on scene, Jeff correctly assessed that the situation was nearing def con 5. He suggested that we drive to the Humane Society and pick up a cat. The desire to avoid my meltdown gave Jeff vigor to secure a cat. We made the journey, put on our happy faces and started over.

The Humane Society was much more, well, humane, than the county shelter. The barking and pee were minimal. It wasn't scary. That said, you have to to be a special kind of person to work at, and apparently, frequent shelters. It is just a different world. Did you know that in order to touch a cat you have to turn in your driver's license? Apparently, people just bust in there and steal animals? Who knows. Insanity.

After turning in my license and promising to purell my hands between touching each cat (for the cat's sake, not mine,) we began the process. We read all the cautions. We selected a cat that had short hair and was good with kids and dogs. He was allowed to have his paws touch the ground. He wasn't the Garfield looking cat Spike wanted, but he seemed cool. Here is the kicker...you can meet the cats, but only one at a time. The area set aside for you to meet the cat is a 4X4 cement cell with peeling paint and no fresh air. I'm not kidding. Picture it, the whole Drury family and a big a** cat in the 4X4 cell. After about 15 minutes, we'd had enough of the cell and figured the cat was a go.

I got in line to sign up for the cat..FINALLY we were getting a cat! The lady asked how long we'd spent with the cat. I lied and said 25 minutes. She gave me a worried look and said we needed to spend another 10 minutes. Back to the cell we went. This time Jeff was out. He'd had all the cat hair he could take, so he began to fill out the adoption papers. We put in the extra 10 minutes. I couldn't wait to pay my $15 and be out of there with a cat. Guess what? DENIED AGAIN!! This time, not because of me, but because apparently the cat has a history of biting. I had to wait to talk to the shelter director who informed me that she wouldn't feel good sending him home with kids. Are you kidding me? Why did his paper say, "good with kids"?!!! Better yet, when you sent me back with the cat for additional time, were you just waiting for us to get bit? 30 minutes shot! I explained to the kids that our new cat would eat them and so we had to start over.

Now I was desperate. I told the lady I just wanted a cat that could go outside, hang with the kids, and deal with a crazy old beagle. What cat could I have?? She selected a tabby named "Misty." Misty didn't strike me. I heard some story about how Misty used to be "Loraine's cat" and they are so sad she has to give her away. I don't care about Loraine or her personal problems. I want a cat. I don't really want Misty, but I realized she was my last chance. Back to the cell the kids and I Misty went.....for another 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes, the cat laid on the floor. Spike jumped off the concrete bench (that took up 2 feet of the 4 foot room). Carter whined and told me stories about Sponge Bob. I tried not to lose my mind. Jeff would peek in with worried eyes. When our time was up, I dragged the cat to the front to get out of the place.

It looked like a go! Jeff and Carter left. Spike and I stayed to finish the paper work. I handed in the paperwork (4 pages no less!) and we were told to wait. Forty-five minutes later, Spike had pointed out all poo in all cages, barked at a dog, worn a caution cone on his head and wallowed in filth. We watched our fist choice cat bite a woman. There were numerous announcements about the Humane Society closing. Another family came and went with a new dog. We were still waiting. If you are counting, we were now over 3 hours into the process, Things were awesome. I kind of lost my mind. That's all I'm saying about that.

Finally, they realized they had "misplaced" my paperwork. Um, okay, there are 3 people there, how do you lose it? We went through all the paperwork. Jeff and Carter came back to see if we were still alive. I paid them my $15 and I thought we were out the door. Jeff took out the kids and I just had to get the cat in the box. The shelter people said tearful goodbye's to Lorraine's cat. Just as I was out the door, the worker decided the cat needed all of her claws trimmed. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I waited another 10 minutes to have the cat's nails trimmed. How will she kill voles with trimmed nails? The shelter lady then informed me that that cat required special "hairball formula" food. So help me.....

Four hours after we began the quest, we finally loaded the cat in the car and drove away. I prayed the whole time the cat wouldn't die in the back of the car on the way home. She made it. No worries though, if she dies within 10 days, through no fault of mine, I can get a new cat for free. I just have to take her dead body back to the shelter for proof. Promise...I had to sign a paper.

P.S-Carter renamed the cat Friska. She is anything but frisky. She has lived here for a week and her paws touched grass for the first time today. Meet Friska. Sorry for the quality. Friska hates me, so I can't get a good picture.

Cat Lady Rant Part 1

2010-05-02T20:47:00.001-07:00

In the not so distant past, I had a real fear of becoming a cat lady. If you knew me then, you know why I feared this and you probably feared for me as well. If you didn't know me then, well, the memories are too terrible to revisit. For the last 10+ years, I've been cat-less. Sure, we've talked about cats, even looked at them, but I could never commit. Until now. Spike loves kitties and the voles pushed me over the edge.

We determined that last Monday was the day we'd get a cat. The kids and I scoped out available cats on the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter website and headed to SLC. (We'd already checked out the Heber shelter. They offered a cat with one eye and another that wouldn't be touched. Also, fun fact, you have to walk past the gas chamber and incinerator to view the animals there.)

When we walked in the SLC shelter, I feared we were in the wrong place. It was a cross between a homeless shelter and a parole hearing. The place was horrible. I'm talking animal pee, barking dogs, crying babies, and really, I'm just going to say it, the lowest forms of human life. Not people who have had bad luck or people who haven't had opportunity for success or even people who have made bad choices. I'm talking about prison hair, gold teeth, tattoos on the face kind of people. There were signs all over indicating that you had to have proof of address to adopt an animal. The primary animal on the arms of most patrons was a pitbull. The place was packed with them. I'm not against pitbulls, but they do make me nervous. Especially given the caliber of people were the "masters" of them.

We got in a line to wait in another line. We listened to fights and watched a couple make out. Carter clung to my leg. Spike buried his head in my shoulder. I tried to remain strong. We finally found the cat room. We tapped on cages, imagined names, smiled and talked to the cats. After much deliberation on the part of the boys and I, we selected three cats we wanted to meet and stood in two more lines to get helped. We were GETTING A CAT!!!

And then it happened. The super mean worker mentioned that our first choice cat had been declawed. I told her we'd skip that cat because I didn't want a declawed cat. "What do you mean?" the super mean employee asked. Note: at this point I took a step forward, as I could feel the breath of the woman with a mullet, 5 inch long nails and blue eye shadow, standing behind me. Her boobs were literally touching my back. The worker paused to tell my shadow AKA-crazy woman, to please step back in line and quit touching me. I explained to the worker that because the cat would go in the back yard that I wanted it to have claws. The worker lost her mind. She in no uncertain terms informed me that it was strictly prohibited to allow cats to go outside. EVER. She went on to explain that people letting cat's paws touch grass are solely responsible for all homeless pets and it is completely irresponsible. She was getting madder by the minute. Where could this be heading?

I backtracked. I said that the cat would be inside 90% of the time (lie...I didn't want it in the house, only the garage). I praised the virtue of our fence and the large field behind the house. I got nowhere. Never mind that the cat would be loved and cared for. Never mind that it would come in the house occasionally and live in a warm garage. Hell, forget the fact that I am a member of society that has never had parole? Forget all of that. I WAS DENIED FOR CAT ADOPTION!! Not only was I denied, but she threw some paper at me and told me to look into a feral cat facility if that was how I was going to take care of the cat. Cats from her shelter only go to, "good homes." Are you kidding me?!!!!!!

The kids sobbed as I drug them, empty handed, out of the shelter. I thought only the worst possible swear words. OK, I said most of them. I told the kids that the shelter woman was horrible and mean and wanted us to be sad. I said a lot of bad things. Jeff arrived, (thinking he was going to meet our new cat) and got an earful of me saying even more bad things. Things were at an all time low. The cat lady was denied a cat. At that moment, I saw two thugs walk out with their new pit bulls.

To be continued......

Signs...

2010-04-18T13:21:00.001-07:00

Sunscreen. Flip flops. Yard work. Dirty kids. The absence of coats, hats, and gloves. Running outside. Zoiee stretched out asleep on the lawn. Hot dogs on the grill. Birds in the field. Water running in the culverts. The threat of rain. Feeling like I've had a thousand pounds lifted off my shoulders when I breathe in the warm air. Ahhhh yes, SPRING IS HERE!!!

It's a good thing to, because this is what is happening inside the house

Yep, that is just what you think it is....Spike, in underwear only, jumping on his hippity hop ball on the mini trampoline.

In unrelated news...voles. I went golfing with Jeff yesterday at Soldier Hollow. Apparently, they have had a severe infestation. There were dead vole bodies all over the course! AWESOME. Jeff golfed, I hunted for bodies. A great time was had by all.

Voles--post not for the weak of heart or stomach

2010-03-19T12:52:00.000-07:00

I wanted to title this post a swear word. Pick any one you can think of, it will fit the situation. Horrible little voles made my yard their personal playground under the snow this winter. They have destroyed the lawn that took hours of hard labor and thousands of dollars to install last summer. I have been trying to be reasonable about the situation. We live by a field. I love that field, so I'm trying to be calm. That calmness is over now. The creatures presented me with a gross out, want to throw up dilemma today. I kicked one of their piles of dead grass and guess what flew out? Little pink babies. I thought they were dead. I called my dad. He informed me they were alive. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! What to do? I don't want them out there, but somehow killing a baby, even if it is a destructive, horrible swear word creature baby, seems more than I can do. I'm leaving them for Jeff.

P.S. I tried to make a learning situation of this awful mess and took Carter out to show him the babies. I pulled the dead grass back with a shovel and told him they were the babies of the voles that had ruined our lawn...our beautiful lawn. He said, "cool..mom, maybe you should stab them with the shovel."

P.S.S. I swear he doesn't have emotional disorders. He is just very much a problem solver. Some day his wife will endure his endless logic.

Day 48 of My Captivity ( I actually counted)

2010-03-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen us much this winter, be glad. If you have seen us, condolences. We are the plague. Honestly, the plague. The fall was good to us. We stayed out of busy public places, we washed our hands, we waited in line for vaccinations, we used bottles of hand sanitizer. We were hermits. I declared victory on disease. Call me mother of the year, my kids were staying healthy. God laughed at me.

I went on a girl's weekend in January. I felt so refreshed. I came home to the beginning stages of captivity. Carter had a cough, maybe a little fever. Generally not on the top of his game. He was sick for a week. Carter perked up and Spike got sick. Jeff got sick. I got sick. Ashley got sick. Gil got sick. My how we spread our love. Spike's little cough quickly turned to pneumonia. I waited too long to take him to the doctor. Three weeks of breathing treatments, antibiotics, steroids, supplemental oxygen, and three doctor's visits later he was better. We met our insurance deductible. We decided we were safe to leave the house.

Mom and Dad had a tragic fight with the weather that resulted in a missed cruise, so they took each of the boys for a couple days for "vacation." I swear I thought Carter was healthy when I sent him to Bear Lake last week. Again, I was wrong. When we picked him up last weekend, he was lethargic. He had a cough, a stomach ache, a little fever. He felt better by Tuesday, but Mom started to feel sick. Spike was getting sick and his breathing was a little off. At my mom's urging, I called the doctor Friday afternoon at 3:30 to ask what to watch for in case the pneumonia was coming back. I was told to bring him in immediately. Great news, it isn't pneumonia, he has H1N1. No worries though, it can easily turn to pneumonia again.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!! I asked the doctor three times if she was sure. Apparently she is. I told her it wasn't possible, because Carter had been sick and he'd been immunized. She told me that is why he only had mild symptoms. We have to stay home. We get to go to the doctor again tomorrow and, sadly, I'm just excited to leave the house. Spike is back on breathing treatments. How I hate "dinosaur breathing".(It has this name because the mask is the shape of a purple dinosaur). I'm sleeping in Carter's super bed to be by Spike. The super bed sucks. Mom and I missed my cousin's baby shower. I sulked. I've acted super grumpy. I've worn only sweats. I've eaten chips and candy and diet coke exclusively. I'm still not sure that he has H1N1. He isn't super sick. The fever is mostly gone, the wheezing has started. We are still captive and contagious.

P.S....the insurance plan year ended 1/31/10. So we get to meet the deductible again. Fortunately, it looks like with a job change and an insurance change, we'll meet the deductible for Spike 3 times this year. Awesome.

Love and Insecurity

2010-02-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

So blog posts stress me out. I often think of posting, but what should I say and how should I say it? I worry about what people will think about me based on my posts. If I write about something awesome that happened then I feel like I'm bragging. If I complain about something yucky that happened, well, then I'm feeling sorry for myself. You see, my basic insecurities are causing problems. Today though, I guess I just don't care. I've been feeling sorry for myself for a solid two weeks and it is time to have a little happiness. This post is about me and some of the things I really love.

Diet Coke- It has been a faithful friend through the best and the worst of the last 12 years. I will not forsake it. My preferred form is in the following order: #1 fountain, #2 can, and bottle if necessary. If Diet Pepsi is my choice, I'll have water.

Snooze I love those 20 minutes between when I wake up and when I get out of bed.

The rainbows the little crystal in my window makes in the afternoons. It reminds me of Jeff's grandma's kitchen.

Mile 9 of a half marathon. It is the time when the nerves are over and I feel strong. I know I can finish and I'm proud of my body.

Trashy bee-bob music. Pretty much if it should be played in a club somewhere, I love it. Jeff refers to my ipod as, "A trip to hell". This is what I get for marrying a musician ;)

A clean house. This happens rarely and lasts only minutes, but those minutes are awesome.

Phone calls/visits. I love when friends call or stop in. It completely lifts every part of my soul.

Little boy smell. Yes, it is sweaty and gross and I love it more than about anything.

Reality TV.Teen Mom, Housewives of Anywhere, Hoarders, Intervention... I love them all.

Iphone. I was so mad when Jeff bought it. What waste of money! I would now sell my blood to earn money to keep that stupid phone.

Gas Range. How did I live without this? Oh yeah, I swore a lot more when I cooked.

Lilacs. Bushes will be planted this spring.

When Jeff walks in the door. The kids run screaming "daddy, daddy, daddy". At that moment, the clouds of the day lift and everything is just a little bit better.

My sister. She understands me. More importantly, she tells me when I'm being ridiculous...and I know she is right.

Treat Runs. I love loading the kids in the car and heading out for a treat. Spike gets "sluss" aka slush and Carter and Jeff share a chocolate cookie dough shake. I rock the diet fresh lime. Thank you Dairy Keen.

Nap Time. I love that hour (or two) in the afternoon when I just snuggle and play with Carter while Spike sleeps. I'll miss it when he's in school.

Sunny winter days. I love the blue sky, white mountain days of Utah. The world seems so fresh and new.

That's it for now.

Visions of the Future

2009-12-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

Here is an actual conversation Carter and I had tonight as he was falling asleep:

Me: "Carter, even when you're a big daddy with little kids, I'll still love to give you hugs and kiss your head."

Carter : "Uh Mom, I won't be having little kids because I won't be married."

Me: "Why is that?"

Carter: "Because I want to stay with you" (awwwww...isn't that cute?)

Me: "Okay, that's fine."

Carter: "Mom, do you think they'll have different phones when I'm all grown up?"

Me: "Yes"

Carter: "hmmm...more new phones from the network Verizon Wireless"

and then he fell soundly asleep.

Please save me from the vision of a 35 year old Carter in my basement spending every penny on technological gadgets. Please.

Sick Days

2009-12-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Here is something else I'm thankful for...NOT THROWING UP! I was sick yesterday and it totally sucked. Why don't mom's get sick days? Honestly. I needed a sick day WAY more yesterday than I ever did when I worked. As I look around the house I see two giant 7-up spills on the floor (cleaned up by Carter...I'll leave the rest to your imagination), every one of my purses dumped out, as well as every toy or piece of clothing the kids have used or worn in the last 48 hours. In addition, I'd started decorating for Christmas before the bug hit, so the Christmas bins are filling up every inch of floor not covered by toys and clothing and mail. (Why do we get so much crappy mail?!! I am so sick of magazines, ads, and general pieces of paper that I have to deal with!) That said, Carter was dream yesterday. He helped Spike while I bossed orders from the couch or the bathroom. He tried his very best to clean up messes. He didn't whine, cry or fight. He was awesome. And that, my friends, is why when I crawled back to bed at 9:00 last night, Carter was still up playing Lego Star Wars with Jeff and I didn't even care.

Slacker

2009-12-02T12:19:00.000-08:00

Okay, I slacked on the gratitude posts. It wasn't because I wasn't grateful. Nope I was just a slacker. To make up for it, I'm going to try to carry on the theme through the rest of the holidays. So here are a few to get me started:

1. Primary Programs
Last year Carter slept through the program. This year, he promised he was "NOT going to fall asleep." He had a short little line, "I look like Heavenly Father (or Fadder as he would say)" and he sang a little phrase from the "I am a Builder" primary song. (I know that isn't the real name of the song, but it is all I can come up with). Okay, I have to say, he was the cutest kid ever. Despite serious effort not to be, we were late to church that morning, and Carter marched right up to his spot. He did a great job on his parts and wasn't naughty at all. Here is the best part though, every 5-10 minutes, he'd look at me (on the back row in the overflow...why are we always late!) and wave at me. How great are waves from the stand?!!!! Honestly, they were like a drug. Can I buy that kind of happiness? Pretty much I cried through the whole program because I love that kid so much.

P.S. Did I mention that I love him a lot. and did I mention that Spike sang Carter's song right a long with him?

Horrible Comments

2009-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Spike is a really cute kid. He's spunky and vibrant. He's loving and adventurous. He also has food allergies. Food allergies are only one part of him. When they are managed well, they are an insignificant part. When not managed, they are perhaps the most important thing to know about him. Eggs can kill him. Other foods affect his GI system. If he has a few bites, no big deal. If he eats a lot, it is a big deal. He will be miserable. He won't retain calories. He won't grow and develop normally. Today I saw this article on KSL. http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=8632606. The article itself is benign, but the comments really bothered me. Posters made horrible comments about how "food allergies are thinning the heard" and "children with food allergies shouldn't be allowed in public." First, I was horrified by the negative tone. It shocked me. It made my stomach sick. It made me want to cry and then it made me mad. Then a more clear thought took over. Gratitude. I was overwhelmed with gratitude for YOU, our friends and family.

I do not expect anyone to make special things for Spike. It isn't a fair thing to ask of anyone other than Jeff and I. That said, more often than not, I see you reading labels for Spike. You have special "spike treats." When he was younger, you vacuumed and swept your houses before we came so he didn't pick up crumbs. You make separate space on the grill for Spike's meat. You are patient when I ask a million questions about ingredients. You limit your restaurant choices so we can feed Spike. When he's thrown up at the most inopportune times, you've smiled through your gag reflex and helped us. You've listened to Spike scream for hours and and you've still hung out with us. When I slack off and don't pay attention to Spike, you are extra eyes watching everything he eats. You are literally a support for me and safety net for Spike. Your kindness and attentiveness affords not just Spike, but our entire family, a normal quality of life. You've done all of this without our asking. You've done it because you care about our family.

I grateful he has allergies? NO! Am I grateful for your love and concern that allows not just Spike, but our ENTIRE family a higher quality of life? YES!!! Thank you!

Gratitude-renters

2009-11-09T19:29:00.000-08:00

Last year at this time, I thought for sure our house in Heber would be sold by now. I was sure the market would have improved or that, somehow, we would have been immune to its crash. I was wrong. Our hopes of selling with a large profit quickly turned to desperation to get the house rented...FAST. Two payments, heat bills, and driveways to shovel quickly became overwhelming. Our renters are not everything that the neighbors would like. Okay, let's be honest, the neighbors hate them and call me regularly to tell me so. Still, so many people have lost their homes, and our renters allow us to make the payment every month. They shovel the snow and mow the lawn and apparently have really loud parties at night. Every month the girl brings me the rent more or less around the day that it is due. So today, when I deposited the money from our renters (that was only 2 days late!), I was reminded how grateful I am to have the house rented.

Squeezable Applesauce

2009-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

"Squeezable applesauce?" you say? Ick. Whatever, it is glorious. You might think that it is overpriced and has to much packaging that will certainly fill our landfills (see previous post). You are probably right. I don't care. I love it. It is the perfect treat for the car. It makes no mess..NONE! Because it has to be sucked out of the container, there is no talking/screaming/bossing coming from the backseat. For little boys that still really want a bottle (I'm not naming names here, but the elmo sippy cup just doesn't have the same soothing power as a "bottle milk"), it is actually calming to eat. I'm sick of looking for these at the store, so I bought a case last night at Whole Foods. Go get yours.

Gratitude-Trash Day!

2009-11-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a Halloween party. In preparation, I had a mania which resulted in frenzied cleaning, (i.e throwing crap away). Like any fun party, there was certain amount of trash. I remember making some comment in which I joked about not recycling.... the recycling center has had the last laugh. I'm not laughing any more. I'm not laughing because since Monday, the trash can has been full. It has been pushed down, crap is stacked in the garage, and I've considered driving around at night in search of construction dumpsters. Praise be to the garbage man who came this afternoon!

Beautiful Fall Days

2009-11-04T09:31:00.000-08:00

#2. I am grateful for unexpected, beautiful fall days. After last week's snow, I'd all but given up on sunny afternoons. Yesterday, Carter asked if we could have a picnic outside. I agreed and we ate lunch on the porch and played freeze tag and Simon says. Later, Carter mixed up a batch of bubbles and we sat on the back porch blew bubbles in the warm, still fall air. Spike woke up and we fed the horses a bunch of old carrots. Scorpion and the mule (who's name we can't remember. Carter told me she didn't have a name, she's just a plain old mule) were making noises as they clamored for carrots. Spike thought the horse sounds were the funniest things he'd ever heard and would crack up every time. Soaking up the last of the fall sun was a great way to spend our afternoon, and I am grateful for it.

A Post?

2009-11-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

Last night Ashley asked me if I'd given up on my blog. Well...I haven't posted for over two months, so maybe I should give up. Alternatively, maybe I could just check People.com a few times less during the day and update the blog. I don't know that I can catch up on months worth of life, so instead I'm stealing an idea from a friend's blog. This month, is "Attitude of Gratitude." I'm making an effort :)

1. I am grateful for cable TV and Monster Jam videos. Because of their existence, my boys will still snuggle me. While we watch Sponge Bob, I'm able to sneak lots of kisses on the head, tousles of the hair, and hug/squeezes while they are distracted by TV. I know TV is "bad" for kids, but in our house, it's pretty good for lazy mornings and big snuggles.

p.s-Carter told me that today in preschool they talked about what they were grateful for. His choices were, "playing with you and daddy" and "the park". How cute is he? I love this boy so much and I just wish time could slow down a little bit.

Grrr..

2009-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

So I walked out to my garden yesterday afternoon. The garden is mostly a failure, but the potatoes were growing. I noticed a giant pile of dirt in the middle of the garden. "What happened here?" I thought....I investigated further to see beets ripped to shreds and two lone potatoes scratched and scattered about. Then I saw the culprit...chicken bones given to Zoiee the night before. Apparently, she dug up the garden to hide them. I threw it out in rage and was mumbling to myself about how I wished the stupid dog hadn't wrecked the potatoes. This is what Carter said to me in the sweetest, most sincere voice ever, "Mom, you should be happy. She dug them up and peeled them for you. That is so nice of her." Oh to see the world through the eyes of a 5 year old.

P.S.---I brought the "damaged" potates in the house (I couldn't stand to throw them away.) Spike asked all day to "cook the dog tomato (AKA-potato)". I finally cooked for him and it was a big hit. Thanks Zoiee for providing a snack for Spike.

Good Morning

2009-08-17T06:34:00.000-07:00

This morning is one of those mornings when, well, I'm just happy. I woke up to Carter's coughing and general misery about 5:30 and while it is a bummer that he is sick, it was such a comforting feeling to know that I could be home with him all day. I don't have to try to decide if he is too sick for daycare or try to drug him to get him through the morning so I could work a half day. I haven't always had that blessing and I don't know that I always will, but I appreciate it this morning.

I took all week off from exercise and healthy eating last week, and I'm back on the wagon this morning. My body is screaming, but it felt fantastic to get out for a run this morning. It was cold felt like fall....which would be nice if it was fall, but since it isn't (or shouldn't be anyway) I really noticed my surroundings. That is code for, "I looked like crazy for any sign of impending doom...I mean winter". I didn't see any real signs of winter, but I noticed a lot of other things. I noticed a beautiful hot air balloon high above me as the sun broke over the mountains. I watched three sandhill cranes take flight from the field and cruise right over my head. I appreciated the carefully landscaped mountain yards that line the quiet roads. I heard the water running in the irrigation ditches. I smelled alfalfa and horses. I saw a mother hen scooting her chicks across the street. Then I walked into my house and heard the sweet breaths of my babies. My babies who just turned 2 and 5 and who are growing up much faster than I would like. I heard Jeff in the shower getting ready to work all day to take care of our family. The house is quiet now and I have a moment to myself to do whatever I want. I think I'll go snuggle my boys.

Cool enough?

2009-06-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

Today is "church day." Carter is wearing a really cute blue dress shirt with little pictures of pirate skull and crossbones. As you notice, he is miserable. Apparently, the shirt is, as he put it, "not cool enough for me." The pirate pictures are, "not big enough and it doesn't even glow in the dark or anything." The pants are torture because he "hates the button". He did keep the clothes on, but is currently wearing bright blue crocs with his church outfit. They were the only things cool enough for him.

2009-06-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

I am months behind on any posting. I think that is a good sign though. Being too busy living to write about it seems like a life well-spent.

In May we went to Hawaii. While there, we visited Pearl Harbor. It would be a lie to sa Carter enjoyed it. He LOVED it. Interestingly, he didn't love it in a "let me be an army man" sort of way, but he seemed to have a quiet reverence about it. I think this is, in part, due to the fact that he experienced it with Gil. Gil has a way of making history feel very real and special to Carter. For that I am thankful.

On Memorial Day (AKA Decoration Day) we drove to the Midway Cemetery. Carter instantly noticed that there were flags on the many of the markers. We told him that the flags signified the graves of soldiers. Upon learning this news, Carter begged to walk through the cemetery and learn the names of every soldier. At first I was irritated. It was late and cold and all I wanted to do was stop at the family plot and show our respects. As usual, Carter persisted. "Mommy, I want to know the name of those soldiers!" At that moment, Jeff and I both realized that Carter had the spirit of Memorial Day that we were both missing. He didn't want to look at flowers or decorations. He didn't want to comment on how beautiful the cemetery looked, he wanted to learn about the people who were there. What greater respect is there, than to take the time to learn the names of the men we never met, who sacrificed so much to serve our country and their families? We didn't see every marker that day, and we didn't spent as much time at our family's resting spot as we had planned. Somehow though, I don't think they minded. A four year old and his parents learned the names of a few of our country's heroes. I think it was the best Memorial Day I've ever spent.

Princess Gloves

2009-05-29T08:28:00.000-07:00

I used to be a princess. As in, I was the kind of girl I pray my boys don't marry. I did nothing. I didn't shovel snow. I didn't work in the yard. I didn't do a whole lot around the house. I know I didn't help with the sprinklers or fill trenches at the last house. I would remember that kind of torture. I'm not sure when it happened, but my gig is up. It happened slowly, over several years. So slowly, in fact,that I was unaware what I was giving up. I asked Jeff why it ended and his simple reply was, "well, you actually started helping." hmmmmmm..... Usually I'm grateful to have traded my princess gloves for work gloves, but after a week of working in the yard every day, I find myself wishing for my princess days. Here are I few things I've learned this week:

1. Don't pick a rock pit as the spot for your gardens
2. Rocks will torture us for the rest of our lives.
3. Wheelbarrows (especially cheap plastic ones) are really hard to drive when they are full.
4. It REALLY sucks when you tip over your wheelbarrow of rocks.
5. Ash and Mike are lifesavers!
6. Spike at Grandma's = MUCH more work accomplished.
7. After your 4th trip to the nursery in 3 days, with two wild kids, they start giving you free things....just so you will leave.
8. Double what you think a project will cost...you might be close.
9. No matter how much RAID you spray, the damn ants will still steal your seeds after you plant them.
10. If you work outside long enough, you WILL see HUGE spiders and have to be brave. I've killed the biggest spiders I've ever seen this week.
11. Having the fence installed to contain Spike is money well spent.
12. Backing a 4 wheeler trailer is harder than it looks. (I know, I suck)
13. Having Carter bring me a drink of water, all by himself, because "mommy, you look firsty" makes the water taste extra sweet.
14. Watching little boys play diggers in the piles of dirt, makes all the work seem worthwhile!

Post-it

2009-05-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

So this is not really a post...more of a post-it note. Carter was sick this weekend and this is how it went down. He entered my room about 6:00 AM, looked at me with a total "deer in the headlights/panicked face" and yelled, "Mom, I don't think I'm healffee (Healthy)," and then he threw up. It cracked me up. Only Carter would announce sickness in that way.

In other news, Spike is now obsessed with monster trucks. He asks for "ucks.." (trucks) as soon as he wakes up in the morning. Between reading the monster truck program, watching Monster Jam recordings, and sending his trucks down the slide, he has as full schedule. As a note, Carter has had the same Gravedigger monster truck for the last three years. It was in perfect condition. Until this week when Spike started playing with it. It now has lost the body and has a bent axle. Go Spike.

Yay for Me

2009-04-20T15:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did something I never thought I would do. I ran/walked the SLC Half Marathon. I have never been an athlete. I have never been a runner. I have been thin before, but I have never been strong. Probably my most vivid memory of high school (I don't have many...most of high school I have blocked) was knowing that my death was almost certain as I tried to complete the 16 minute mile for Coach Stuart's PE class. I barely made it...like by seconds...and I can honestly say it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Last May I started a Mommy and Me stroller class and was so tired I had to lie down on the cement because I again thought I was going to die. Both experiences sucked.

In honor of turning 30, I decided this year was the year to change all that. I started "running" for the first time in my life in October and have slowly worked my way up. My only goal for the race was to finish and to hopefully not be miserable during the process. I have tolerated my training runs, but I haven't ever enjoyed them. So, imagine my suprise, when I couldn't stop smiling through the race. I LOVED it! I achieved my goal of finishing and enjoying the race, Two days later my legs feel good and I'm mobile. My time wasn't great, but I've come a long way from the 18 year old who nearly died of exhaustion on the streets of Randolph. Yay for me!

The picture above is of Jeff, me and my friend Janelle. Janelle is an inspiration as I don't think she has missed a workout in years. I'm glad to have her to motivate me! Thank goodness for peer pressure!

Cow Part II

2009-04-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

I was hoping the cow was a joke. I was hoping it, like so many other big ideas, would not come to fruition. I wish this was an April Fools Day joke. It is not. There is a cow in the corral. It's name is Dinner. Carter calls it a "steak cow" and is counting the days until we can kill it. Jeff and I have tried to be gentle about the eventual demise of the cow. Jeff suggested that it would go to a place, where it would "put it to sleep" and they'd turn it into meat. Carter's reply was, "that won't work, they need sharp things." He then asked when we would "shoot it". If you ask him now, "we are trying to see if we can keep it alive until Thanksgiving and then we'll turn it into steak. I love steak so much." Good for Carter. I, on the other hand, am not sure I'll ever be able to eat steak again.

Ewwww

2009-04-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

What a week. It began with our washer having a meltdown. Suffice to say there was a flood, some swearing, a call to the repair place (who couldn't fit me into their schedule for 2.5 days...WHAT!!!), more swearing, and then Jeff came home. Thank goodness for Jeff, who insisted on working on it until late that night and getting it fixed. THANK GOODNESS...because at 5:30AM the next morning I heard the sound all parents dread, the sound of your child vomiting. I'm not going into the details, but let's just say it was bad...really, really bad. I washed everything we own on the sanitary cycle. I sprayed Lysol everywhere, multiple times. We washed and "Germ X'd" our hands until they were raw. Carter recovered and we all seemed well. We saw the much anticipated Monsters vs. Aliens. We visited friends and family. It seemed we had stopped the spread of the disease. Nope, it was not to be. Six days later Spike and I and woke up feeling, let's say, less than ideal. Cindy called, she was sick and praying for her death. Gil had to come home from work to help the lot of us. What a mess. The laundry/lysol/cleaning continues...Apparently though, there is a silver lining. Jeff told me to be thankful, I "got a cleanse that people pay hundreds of dollars for for free." I will remind him of that if, and when he gets sick.

Tickets and Prayers

2009-03-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

Carter has been working on a reward program. If he does good things (as in going to bed without a tantrum, getting ready in the morning without me having a tantrum) he gets tickets. The tickets are redeemed for the various desires of a 4 year old. So far he has purchased lots of computer game time, a checkers game, and a trip to Chucky Cheese. (By the way, on the way home from Mr. Cheese, he feel asleep in the car singing, "it's the best day ever" song from Spongebob. )

Last night, as Jeff tucked him in bed, this was the prayer that Jeff and God heard, "Dear Heavenly Father, please bless Grandma and Grandpa. Bless me that I will sleep well and earn tickets so that I can see Monster's vs. Aliens coming to feeaters (otherwise known as "theaters") this Friday. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

Yes, he actually said, "Coming to theaters this Friday." So help me.....

The Wheels of Time

2009-03-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

I turned 30 last week and I felt old. It wasn't the wrinkles or the softer body, no it was the feeling that life is going too fast. A week used to last forever. A month was an eternity and anything beyond that was unthinkable. Now, I have suddenly reached a point where I have any overwhelming desire for everything to SLOW DOWN. I love this time in my life. I love having my children small and in my arms. I love arguing about who loves who the most. Last night, Carter told me he loved me more than the solar system....what is better than that? Our support network is strong. Gone are the days of having parents that don't know anything. Suddenly, our parents are our friends, mentors and accomplices. They are planted firmly by our sides in raising our children and surviving life's adventures. We have good friends that have seen us through the best and the worst. Jeff and I are at a point in our marriage where we love each other not only for our strengths, but for our weaknesses. We are a formidable team. Together we believe that our dreams are possible. The future is ours to have. We are healthy and strong. Often I am struck by the realization that this life is better than I ever dreamed it could be. I may not be able to slow down time, but I can make the time count.

Jr. High Ski Days

2009-03-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

When I was growing up, we had "Jr. High Ski Day". It was the glorious day, a few times of the year, when the entire Jr. High would suit up and head to Beaver Mt. for the day. It didn't matter if you knew how to ski or not,you went.....and you had fun. It was before the days of helmets. Kids rocked the day in jeans. I don't know if I ever saw anyone in goggles. Maybe we had sunglasses? Probably not. The school loaded us on buses, packed us box lunches, and set us free. The entire day, including a short lesson (if you were shamed into taking one), rental skis, and a lift pass was $10. Free of parents and lacking common sense, the day was chaos. By the end of the day, coats were tied around waists and kids were skiing runs we had NO BUSINESS being on, taking sweet jumps when we could barely snowplow. Oh, the glory days.

Over the years Ashley and I have joked that when we ski poorly, it is a "Jr. High ski day". Last weekend, I had a true Jr. High day. Ash and Mike invited me to hike up Garden City Canyon and ski with them. I really wanted to go. However, I had no skins to skin in, so Mike volunteered to carry my skis while I went in on snowshoes. (Seriously, who does that...thanks Mike!!!). Then I realized I had no boots, so I wore my random winter shoes and gators that I got when I was 11. Hello, ghetto. Anyway, I was totally dragging on the hike up. I lost my hat when I sat down to fix my shoe. When it was time to ski, I got freaked out and had a mental breakdown. (Mental breakdown=me lying in the snow with my skis straight in the air). I was a mess. But then, just like those ski days from so long ago, it was totally awesome. I saw a view of the lake I've never seen before. I felt proud that I actually made it to the top. I felt even prouder that I made it to the bottom. I was out of my league and it was miserable and wonderful.

Cows?

2009-02-25T20:59:00.001-08:00

Okay, I can't believe I'm writing this. I can't believe I'm considering it. I'm embarrassed for myself. That said, I am in need of help. Help that I never thought I would need or want. Here it is, Jeff wants to buy a cow. Not a cow as a pet or anything weird like that, but a cow to eat.

Go ahead, laugh, call each other and talk about how I've lost my mind, I'm cool with it.

Okay, get serious now. We know nothing about cows. I'm aware this is a bad sign. Never fear though, I know that my peeps (Rich County, I'm counting on you!) can help. There is a place for it to live, food (grass) and water available. We want to eat it in the fall. (Because we are freaking Little House on the Prairie.) We may have found an appox 600lb beef calf for purchase. Here are my questions.

1. What is a good price?
2. Can it just eat grass or does it need corn and grain through the summer?
3. Is it going to die or get sick? Is this a high maintenance undertaking?
4. Does it need a friend? What I mean is, will it moo all day if it is alone or just with the horses?
5. General warnings or advice?
6. Should we just say "f-it" and buy the meat at the store? I'm serious.

Valentines....belated

2009-02-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago on Valentine's day, Jeff and I were counting the days until our May wedding. We skied the Beav during the day. I dragged Jeff to pick out dishes that night (ZCMI was going out of business). I have no idea what I gave him, probably nothing, but I remember exactly what he gave me. I received a red rose and a can of Almond Roca. It was true love. I was certain my future was filled with nothing but romance.

Fast forward nine years to this Valentine's Day. I got up full of high hopes. I tried to make the kids make valentines, but they couldn't focus. (I think Carter got burned out writing his name on all the Batman valentines for preschool). I tried to get them to deliver cookies, but they just lounged around. In a last ditch effort, I cut sandwiches into heart shapes. They were cute, really they were. However, I was informed that they were NOT the shape of normal sandwiches and Carter refused to eat them. So, what's a girl to do but.........

Yep, Monster trucks. Our awesome friend Brandon got us tickets and headed out to Monster Trucks on Valentine's Day. We've been a few years now, and I have to admit, my white trash self LOVES the monster trucks. Spike was terrified at first, but then totally loved it. Carter, is an even bigger fan of monster trucks than I am. He packed up his toy monster trucks and drove them on his lap through the whole show. There were tears when Blue Thunder lost his heat and also tears when the trucks took breaks. Other than that, it was a great evening. We purchased the program ($10!!!!) and it has now joined the ranks of the 2007 and 2008 editions as Carter's favorite books.

So, it turns out that Valentines day 9 years later isn't quite what I envisioned for myself. But when it comes right down to, it, nothing makes me happier than seeing my boys (all three of them) light up with excitement. How can you beat watching a four year old shake it to butt rock music? Is there really anything better than a toddler squealing and clapping? In my opinion, if I spent every Valentine's day for the rest of my life with happy, healthy kids, good friends, and a husband that loves me wherever we are, I will consider it a life well spent. Even if it is at the monster trucks.......

(Oh, and, just for the record, Jeff did take me out for a nice dinner the night before...so romance isn't totally dead)

Appropriate Footwear

2009-02-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

Sometimes my Bear Lake upbringing becomes more obvious than other times. I spend my winter constantly planning for "what if I get stranded". I wear only long-sleeved shirts/sweaters/fleece in the winter. I have a space blanket, gloves, hats, extra coats and food in my car. If I'm going anywhere far (as in outside of Heber) and there is a spec snow in the western hemisphere I have boots and a flashlight. I don't like the car to ever have less than 1/2 tank of gas. For a long time, I thought this was normal behavior for all people. Jeff informs that it is not and that I am a freak. Okay, whatever.

I also realize that I am the only woman under 45 who wears tights and closed-toe shoes to church on Sunday and I have come to terms with that. I figure the building is hot and most people have traveled less than a few blocks. Therefore, chances of frostbite are minimal. I'm not sure why no one else is cold, but again, whatever. Last night though, I was pushed over the edge.

We had an opportunity to go to Solider Hollow tubing. Since we went at 7:00 and it is February in Utah, I bundled our little family. Even Jeff had on snow pants and gloves and boots. (Those of you who know Jeff know that he rarely has a coat or gloves. He is apparently immune to the cold.) As we got out of the car I consulted the temp. It was 28 degrees and there was approx. 4 inches of new snow/ice. We started up the hill and some idiot from BYU (I know this because of his sweatshirt and loud converstation about his FHE group) runs past me to get in line 2 seconds sooner. I was thinking what a jerk he was when I looked down. You won't believe it, he was wearing CHACOS w/ NO SOCKS, and NO MITTENS/GLOVES!! Are you kidding me? For real?!!!! How does that happen? These are the questions I need answered:

#1-Who wears chacos as their shoes during a blizzard?
#2-Who decides that they are an appropriate choice to wear through Provo Canyon?
#3-At what point do you say to yourself, "I have no socks, regular shoes, boots or gloves, I should go tubing!"
#4-What was the girl thinking that was hanging out with him?

Is it bad that every time he slipped or fell I smiled?

Skier

2009-02-04T13:49:00.001-08:00

It was a big day today, Carter "graduated" ski school. He has been taking lessons with his fearless instructor Steve (or as Carter would call him, "Dave....I mean Steve") twice a week for the last month. I am amazed at his progress. On the first day he was super clingy and terrified. The second week, he would go so slow that it took them forever to go anywhere. Last week, he had a tramatic event involving the wind blowing on his face. Today, as part of Team X-Wing (him and Steve...guess who made up the name?) he fearlessly made wide pizza turns all the way down the little slalom course they set up. Through it all, he has loved the lessons and espeically the treats that he finds in his boots after class. (Thanks Grandma!) Here are some of my favorite lines from Carter during the lessons:

"Mom, do you know the worst part about lessons? You have to listen to your teacher"
Me: Carter, how do you turn?
Carter: "You just put your arms out and your skis know what to do"
Carter: "Did you know there are snow mites on the big mountain that make you fall sometimes? And you have to stand right back up and keep skiing so they don't bite you." (Don't ask, I don't know about snow mites)
Carter: "Mom, great news. The girl peed her pants two times! Bad for her, good for me. Now I don't ever have to ski with her again"

Here is a cute picture of Gil and Cindy and the skier. Thanks to them for making the lessons possible. I tried to con Carter into having lunch in Snow Park today, in honor of the occasion. However, he vetoed the plan and selected Dairy Keen instead. Good for him, bad for me I guess ;)

Light Up Shoes

2009-01-15T14:24:00.001-08:00

It is a good thing my kids have grandmas. Without grandma, we would not have these fantastic light up shoes. Let me highlight their features:

1. Light up areas on the side and bottoms of the shoes.
2. Multiple colors of lights-these babies are red and blue. Pretty much, you could mistake Carter's feet for the lights of an emergency vehicle.
3. They are navy blue, black, electric green with white accents. You CAN not miss these shoes.
4. They have a bit of a high heel. This feature is awesome. Pants that are a little bit on the short side instantly become floods.
5. Size 11.5. This is a half size bigger than our regular size, so they will last a LONG time.
6. Carter reports that all of the kids at preschool LOVE his shoes. Apparently Miss Sherilyn really loves to see them light up under the table. (I bet)

So, thank you Grandma for letting Carter have the coolest shoes he has ever owned. He would not have them without you :)

(Really Grandma thanks for the shoes, even if they are light ups)

The Verdict

2009-01-12T20:16:00.000-08:00

The pediatric GI called this afternoon and the verdict is in...Eosinophilic Esophagitis. If you are curious, here is link http://allergies.about.com/od/foodallergies/a/ee.htm After talking to the doctor, I've decided that this sucks, but we can deal with it. The plan is to elminate soy from his already restricted diet. That means no soy, gluten, dairy, eggs, or peas. I'm sure there will be a learning curve to this, but I hope that the main change will just be from soy milk to rice milk. Fortuantely, he already eats very little processed food, so maybe this elimination won't be as hard as the others? Keep your fingers crossed. In addition, he will begin with a systemic steroid for the next few weeks and then move to a topical steriod. The hope is that this will clear up the inflamation so that he can handle food better.

Thank you so much for all of your concern and support over the last week. The process of waiting and worrying was overwhelming, lonely and draining . Your support and love made the process easier. Often, I find myself worrying that I've done something wrong, something to cause Spike suffering. Your sweet comments and emails helped me to find confidence in myself and my ability to be a good mother to my boys. Thank you for being our friends. Thank you for loving us despite all of our shortcomings. Thank you.

So I was Wrong

2009-01-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, we braved terrible roads, early morning hours and a 17 month old without a bottle/breakfast, to take Spike to his endoscopy at Primary Children's. This test was ordered in the end of October and we just got in this week. (As a strange coincidence, it was on this day two years that we saw the first extensive ultrasound of Spike). I've been dreading this test for a number of reasons. First, I am just a nervous person and the thought of putting my baby under general anesthesia and handing him off to people I don't know is scary. Second, I have been convinced there is nothing wrong with Spike and this is a waste of time and money. It seemed ridiculous to spend a fortune and put Spike through an ordeal to find out what I already knew, he is healthy.

Well, after two chats with the pediatric GI, a trip to the "consultation room" and a long time in the recovery room, I can say it, "I was wrong." There is something wrong with Spike's esophagus. We are still waiting on some biopsies to make a final diagnosis, but most likely he will have a course of treatment that may involve limiting his diet further and introducing steriod therapy. Honestly, when the doctor was talking, I felt like I couldn't even listen because I was so shocked there was actually something wrong. To be even more honest, I'm still not sure I believe there is anything wrong, even after seeing the pictures, reading the literature, and talking to the GI. Spike has been doing so much better lately that I just can't get my arms around it. I guess I think the pathology will come back that all is well....although the doctor's comment to that idea was, "it is highly unlikely." Whatever, just because he's been to medical school and in practice for 25 years he thinks he knows more than me. :) j/k. I feel like the guy in Dumb and Dumber...."so, you're saying there's a chance".

Anyway, the best part of the story is Spike. Even under icky conditions, the child was 100% spunk. While waiting for the anesthesiologist, he was throwing toys and being wild (while I recieved dirty looks from all the other parents). When he came out of surgery he was "agitated" to say the least. He held his breath for 30 seconds and turned blue, requiring supplemental oxygen, because he was so mad. Every time a nurse would come he'd hold up his arm with the IV and scream "ting, ting". Meaning, "TAKE THIS THING OFF MY ARM!" What can I say, the kid knows how to win friends and influence people.

I had a picture of Spike in recovery to post, but for some reason it won't load...maybe I'll try again later. In the meantime, I realize what we are going though is NOTHING in comparison to what millions of parents endure every day. Even so, if you have any extra time in your prayers, throw in a wish for Spike.

Seven Things

2009-01-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

My friend Kristen tagged me to do this. It seemed like a good way to start the new year with some reflection. Who knows, maybe I can turn some of my "can nots" into CAN'S this year!

Seven Things I CAN do:
1. Cook 3 meals a day that are gluten free, dairy free and egg free.
2. Read for hours.
3. Make good chocolate chip cookies.
4. Run 2 miles (which is 2 miles more than I could a few months ago).
5. Tune out noise and chaos.
6. Save a lot of money grocery shopping with coupons (Embarrassing, but I love it).
7. Dance crazy with my kids to loud music.

Seven Things I CAN NOT do:
1. Clean when there is something fun to do with my family.
2. Watch movies that are scary or uncomfortable.
3. Stop worrying.
4. Make everyone happy.
5. Back a trailer.
6. Ski moguls.
7. Do a cartwheel. (don't ask why, I just can't...and I've really tried).

Seven things that attracted me to Jeff:
1. His faith.
2. His optimism.
3. His humor.
4. His generosity
5. His love for his family.
6. His dedication.
7. The way that everything feels better when he's with me.

Seven things I say often:
1. Spike, No, NO, NO!!!
2. Where is Spike?
3. Carter ask again the right way.
4. I love you SO MUCH
5. Be careful.
6. Whatever
7. Bummer

Seven People I Admire:(how do I answer this? I admire something about almost everyone I know!)
1. My Mom
2 Ashley
3. Jeff
4. Cindy
5. Krysti
6. My Nana
7. Grandpa Dick

Seven Favorite Foods/Drinks
1. DIET COKE!!
2. Gyro's
3. Hamburgers in the summer
4. Treats, any kind.
5. Callaways Santa Fe Alfredo
6. Eggs Benedict
7. Fresh veggies from the garden

Seven People I tag:
Anyone who wants to do it. It's harder than you think!

wheew.....

2009-01-03T12:31:00.000-08:00

I am back! We have had a crazy month. Have you ever seen people moving everything they own in the middle of a snowstorm and you think to yourself, "Who in their right mind would do that?" Well, I have the answer, me. We began moving on the first real snow day of winter. Special thanks to Ash who braved Parley's canyon to help us, Kevin who sacrificed his body when he fell/slid down the snow/ice covered trailer door carrying our couch, Gil and Cindy who watched the kids, and my mom and dad who came down the week before and helped us pack, mom who came down the next week to help me clean the old house. We are "mostly" moved in. What that means is, the stuff we use is unpacked. The boxes we have moved with us for the last 8.5 years are, well, still in boxes.

I had planned on getting out Christmas cards with our new address, but that was a dream that didn't happen. If I had your email address, I sent you a dorky picture and the new address. If I didn't, here is the picture anyway. Send me your email address at audrey.drury@gmail.com and I'll send you our contact info.

Primary Program

2008-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

I wasn't sure what to expect of Carter's very first primary program. I prepared for fear, silliness, and downright naughtiness. I did not prepare for this:
Yep, that is him, SOUND ASLEEP while the rest of the kids are singing! He did a great job, until about halfway through when he fell asleep. I guess he's preparing for the rest of his church career.

Big thanks to Lynn who took the picture from the stand. Thank goodness for a bishop and cousin who knows how much Grandma loves to scrapbook. This is a true "scrapbook moment!"

Houses and Homes

2008-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have a moment, and while it is happening, you realize you'll remember it forever. I had that moment yesterday. It wasn't anything dramatic, but I was sweeping out the basement of our new house and Jeff was outside cleaning up the construction mess. Spike was at my mom's and Carter was at primary practice. It reminded me of six years ago when Jeff and I were cleaning up the construction on the house we live in now. What struck me was how different it felt.

When we built our first house, we'd been married two years and had no kids, just Zoiee. Building the house was so exciting. We were grown ups! When I looked at the house I thought about where I'd put pieces of furniture. I wanted everything to look perfect. We were going to have a house, but I don't know if I really thought of it as a home for my family.

Building a home for a family is entirely different. It is fulfilling a primal need that every parent throughout time has worried about, it is providing shelter for your family. I know that the paint on the walls will get nicked and worn. I know the floor will have scratches. But I guess that is okay. Because this time, I care about our home protecting us. I caught myself looking at the heating ducts and praying they'd keep my babies warm on cold nights. I saw the electrical work and hoped it was done correctly so that there was never a fire in our home. I looked at the roof and decided it would keep us dry no matter what nature gave us. I prayed this house would give our family shelter from the storms of life.

When I was a baby, my mom and dad built their home from a kit that came on a semi. They did it all themselves with a one year old in tow. As the years went on and they talked of a new house, my dad was always adamant that he wasn't moving. He had built this house and wasn't leaving. I, of course, thought he was crazy. Then today, I understood. He knew the house. He knew every part of it. He'd built it as a a labor of love to keep his family safe. The house had served him well. How could he abandon it because it showed signs of wear?

I don't know how long we'll be in our Midway home, but I do know this, it will be a home and not just a house.

Help from my Peeps?

2008-11-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

I've been on the internet all afternoon, trying to decide what type of washer to buy. I've read reviews, looked at specifications, second guessed everything. When it comes down to it, I guess I don't trust reviews from people I don't know. However, I know my blog friends will never lie and have (unfortunately) LOTS of combined laundry experience. So, I'm throwing it out to you. If you have experience with a front load washer, please send me your advice. I'm looking at the Whirlpool Duet, Bosch 500, and LG. D o you love one of these or hate one? Is there something better? What about steam? Do you have it? Do you need it?

Changes

2008-11-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

It seems that no matter how hard we fight it, change is an inevitable part of life. Generally, change terrifies me and I go into it with heels dug in, fighting the whole way. Later, I look back and realize that the change was for the better. My problem with change is that it requires faith, trust and patience. It requires that my stronger, zen-like self, must squash the hysterical woman inside me. I heard a few months ago that faith is a choice. That is, we must choose to be faithful. So, as our family goes through a serious of small and large changes over the next few months, I'm trying very hard to choose faithfulness. Armed with an arsenal of long baths, herbal tea, calming music, exercise, books that are more dramatic than my own life and prayer, I'm beginning the journey. The following is a quick list of some of the changes occuring this week:

1. The season has changed, fall is OVER and winter is here.
2. Apparently Carter grew over the summer. We'll be changing for all new snow clothes.
3. Barack Obama is the new president.
4. Spike is hungry and hasn't thrown up. The change to prevacid seems to be helping!
5.Our new house is almost done. We hope to be changing the ownership of our current home to someone else. Please, won't someone buy it?
6. Jeff has a new office. Oh wait, Jeff has a new job! Jeff is the new Solutions Architect for Prowess Consutling. His old company was bought out the same week that he got a great offer for this position in SLC.

It seems faith does work.

P.S.
So as I'm writing this, I have that stupid song, "cha, cha, cha changes..." in my head. If you don't know it, that makes sense because I only know the dumbest songs ever. If you do know it, then I hope it gets stuck in your head to :)

John McCain

2008-10-20T08:22:00.000-07:00

Heard in our car Saturday night:

Carter: "Mom, do you know who the next president of the United States is?"
Me: "No Carter, who?"
Carter: "John McCain is the next president"
Me: "Really? I'm not sure I support John McCain"
Carter: "Well, too bad. I'm a John McCain supporter."

How has this happened? My little Carter has grown up in a house of democrats, and yet at four years old, he's a John McCain supporter? I'm all for letting everyone pick their own politics, but I didn't expect him to pick so early!

How Can Someone so Cute be so Bad?

2008-10-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had planned to write a post about our vacation today, but Spike just trumped it. I took him out of the bath this morning and put him down for a nap wearing just a diaper. Bad move. He has taken off his diaper a few times before, but it's never been a big mess. Usually, it's just been kind of funny to walk in on a kid with a bare bum in his bed. That said, I should have learned my lesson. I didn't.

I heard him fussing and went in to get him out of his bed. I opened the door and the smell hit me. You guessed it, poop. I quickly assessed the situation, disaster. He'd taken off the perfectly dry, clean diaper. Peed his bed, pooped his bed and then played in it. POOP EVERYWHERE! Everywhere but the diaper that is. I looked at him and screamed, "You didn't!" He looked back at me, pointed at the poo pile and said, "uh oh". Yeah, uh oh.

I thought about taking a picture. Then decided that was disgusting and he would be forever mortified. So, we took another bath and cleaned his room. Spike has now lost "diaper only" privileges and will be wearing a onsie at all times.

Men

2008-10-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've been ignoring the tags because I'm pretty boring. But....I am now caving to peer pressure.

The Man Tag!!

A. The rules are posted at the beginning.B. Each Person answers questions about their sweethearts C. At the End of the post, the person then tags people and posts their names; then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged.Alright people here are the facts and details.

What is your husbands name? Jeffrey G. Drury
How long have you been married? 8 1/2 years
How long did you date? Dated 7 months, engaged 9 months
How old is he? 31
Who eats more sweets? Me
Who said I love you first? Jeff
Who is taller? Jeff would say he is, but I'll call it a draw.
Who can sing the best? Jeff, I have no musical skills.
Who is smarter? I hate to admit it, but Jeff probably is. I hope he doesn't read this blog post.
Who does the laundry? Me. When it gets fully out of control (as in no clean underwear) Jeff pitches in.
Who pays the bills? Jeff. We both know what money we have and spend, but he does the juggling.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Jeff, I take the left, closest to the door and screaming kids.
Who mows the lawn?Jeff, I've never, ever mowed a lawn. Lame huh?
Who cooks dinner? Usually I do, but Jeff is a great cook when he wants to. When he can see I'm on the edge, he handles it.
Who drives? Jeff. He loves to drive. I hate to drive and am terrible at it.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Usually Jeff. He hates to fight and apologizes even when we both know it was my fault.
Who kissed who first? Jeff, he couldn't resist me ;)
Who asked who out first? Jeff, but we didn't really start going out until after a camping trip in Mexico.
Who wears the pants? I act like I do, but at the end of the day I can't make decisions. Jeff is a lot more rational than I am.

PS--the picture of Jeff was taken at some bbq place in North Carolina. I made Jeff take it and he hates it. Seriously, it is hilarious to me . I don't know why.

Happy Birthday Dad

2008-10-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

Today the Brycer turns 60! I thought about what could say about my dad, and the better question is what isn't there to say. How do you sum up a man who loves loud techno music, duck hunting with his trusty (and naughty) springer Maggie, seafood, meatloaf, chocolate cake and ice cream. He has a soft spot for animals and spends the winter feeding hundreds of birds from his deck.He believes himself to be a snake charmer and hates the deer that eat his yard. He's a firm believer in "good medicine". He's a motivated man who is in constant motion. How else do you describe a man who worked 30 years as a fisheries biologist and then retired to run a boat rental?

I think the best way to describe him, is, he's my dad. He genuinely wants the best for everyone he meets. (Unless he hates you, then you're screwed). He's generous almost to a fault. He'll drop anything to hang out with my kids and our family. He works hard and is always learning new things. His dog couldn't ask for a better companion and he is one of Zoiee's only friends. He is an activities director, story teller and a self described "character". Dad, I'm proud of you and love you so much. Happy 60th!

Breakfast

2008-10-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

I reached a new low as a parent today. Instead of the usual brown rice cereal and soy milk, I fed Spike the organic/wheat free version of cocoa pebbles with chocolate soy milk for breakfast. Honestly, chocolate cereal with chocolate milk! I don't know what I was thinking (yes I do, the chocolate milk was in the fridge and a new box of plain milk was downstairs). Anyway, if you want to make your 1 year old's morning, might I suggest a chocolate fest. Spikey likes it :)

Confessions of a Slacker

2008-09-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm coming clean. My house is a wreck. Yep, I said it. It's a wreck today and it was yesterday and probably will be tomorrow and most likely will be in a year and 6 days from now. I hear that the first step to any problem is acceptance. Here it is, I hate cleaning. I really, really hate it. Some may say that you hate cleaning but hate a dirty house more. Not me. I hate cleaning. I hate laundry. Rarely is my house clean and my laundry done. Crap falls out of my cupboards when I open them. My laundry is in a giant pile. Sometimes the pile is so bad I can't open(or close, depending on the location of the pile) my closet door. We save money on paper by drawing in the dust on the piano instead. I've lived in my house 6 years and the high windows have not been cleaned on the outside. I think I last washed the walls just to clean them and not to clean off a spill in 2004.

This isn't a new phenomenon. Think of what part of my life you knew me and and you'll find an example of my mess.
Grade School: Mine was the desk that the lid didn't really close because it was loaded with crap.
High School: Giant backpack filled with everything you might need...if you could find it.
College: Dorm room from hell...clothes everywhere but in the dresser.
Work: Doesn't a messy desk mean that you are good at multi-tasking? Thank goodness Randall had a messy desk to. He's forever endeared in my heart.(messys have to stick together)
Mom: Well...come on over, but don't call first.

The real problem is that I have intentions of being all organized and clutter free. I just have so many other things I'd like to do more. Before you call social services though, my counters are wiped off, dishes are always done and the bathrooms are clean. The rest just gets away from me. I learned in college that there is a big difference in effort required between an A and an B+. Pretend that my house is a B+ ...even though it's probably close to a C or D. So, if you come over and see my house in it's natural state, know that while you'll have crumbs between your toes, you won't get a disease. If you come over and it's clean, know that I tried, but don't look too close. Close your eyes and ignore the details. Focus on the fact that I'm so happy you're my friend and love me in spite of my slacker tendencies.

Grateful

2008-09-19T16:10:00.000-07:00

What a miracle it is to have children in our lives. From the moment they enter the world and we first hold them in our arms, our lives are never the same again. How grateful I am to have held my babies on my chest and comforted them as they fell asleep. I feel blessed to be able to bathe their perfect bodies, feed them endless meals, and buy new clothes as they grow out of them. These things let me know that their bodies are growing and they are healthy and strong. I'm so glad for the constant noise of our home. The tantrums and silliness let me know they are individuals and I'm glad they can express themselves. I'm thankful for the constant questions and crazy stories and new "invented" words. Where would we be without the passion and imagination of children? I love this time in their lives when I can make anything better with a hug and a snuggle. I love the way they smell when they sleep, their rumpled hair and messy faces.

This time with my boys is such a small part of our lives. So, given that, I've resolved again to say "yes" more often. To spend more time at the park and less time on the internet. I will listen more and ask them to be quiet less. I will play games that I hate. I will sword fight, play Star Wars, and operate diggers. I will read the same book 3000 times more and I will like it. I will like it because I am a mother. I am a mother who is loved. I am a mother who gets to watch my children sleep at night. I am a mother who gets to watch my children grow. I am blessed. These days may be short, but I will not wish them away. I am a mother.

The Jesus Store

2008-09-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I took the kids with me on quick shopping trip to Provo. We made it to three stores without a meltdown! The highlight of the day was the Distribution Center. We were walking through the store and Carter was, of course, bored. All of a sudden, he noticed there were pictures. This is what was heard by fellow shoppers:

Carter : "Mom, look, there is a picture of Jesus! Look, there is another one of Him! Mom, this is the JESUS STORE!!"

Me: (laughing) " Yes, Carter I guess it is. Do you know what is happening in this picture?" (picture posted above)

Carter: "Mom, see this guy and this guy (pointing to the two on the far sides of the picture) they are robbers. And Jesus, I don't know what he did to get on that cross. Too bad for him."

Me: "Carter, would you like to pick a Jesus picture for your room?"

Carter: "Um, no Mom...I would like a transformers poster."

I think it is time for us to invest in the Liken movies or a similar product. Any suggestions?

Spike Update

2008-08-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

Okay, so it has been a week of good news and drama with our sweet little Spike. After his 12 month check up and weighing in at 16lbs, our pediatrician decided it was time for Spike to see an allergist. After a month of waiting, we went to see Jeff's allergist. I told her the story of Spike, the choking/projectile vomiting, the icky poop, the screaming, the food sensitivities, the rashes. Her first words were, "wow, he's really really small." Um, I know that. Beyond that, why is it the end of the world to be small? Anyway, she tells me she thinks he'll need to see a GI, but that we'll do some other testing. They did the scratch test and apparently he has a severe egg allergy, but no immune response to wheat or lactose. This is great news because intolerances are less severe and the chance of him growing out of them is much better. After my lesson in the epipen (which I am to carry at all times due to the egg allergy), I was ready to leave and happy with the day. The doctor said that she thought we should do a "sweat test". I didn't really ask what it was for as I assumed it was something digestive, what with all the talk of seeing a GI. As I went to leave, the receptionist told me my appointment at Primary Children's was at 2:30.

I had some time to kill while Spike napped in the car, so I called Cindy to give her the update. She asked what the sweat test was and I told her I didn't know. As the internet answers all our questions, she said she'd look it up. There was silence on the phone. Weird, awkward silence, and she hung up. Jeff called about 10 minutes later and said, "are they testing him for cystic fibrosis?" I assured him that they weren't...certainly the doctor would have told me. Eventually we got all checked in for the tests at the hospital and as they are beginning, the girl doing the test said, "we're checking for cystic fibrosis only." WHAT!!!! I told the girl that I thought it must be for something else, something digestive. She told me that no, it was for cystic fibrosis and the symptom's could be digestive and my baby was "clearly failing to thrive." KNIFE TO THE HEART!!! Anyway we did the test and finally got home around 6:00 that night, 8 hours after we left the house...a long day for me and Spike.

The results were supposed to be back in 2 days. However, after a week of worrying and avoiding the internet, I called the doctor's office yesterday and freaked out. Anyway, the PA called back and said he definitely doesn't have CF, but she doesn't know what else to do now, because the doctor didn't write it in the notes. As instructed by our pediatrician's office, I called the Primary Children's GI department for an appointment. Apparently they can see him when hell freezes over....or maybe December if I call on a magical day and the phone rings 6 times and the receptionist is wearing purple.

Long story short, after a week of drama, Spike is the exact same now as when it started.I don't think he is failing to thrive. I don't think he has a terrible condition. I think he's a cute little baby who is into everything, whose smile melts my heart, whose giggle is like music, who has a sensitive tummy. That said, I have a call into our doctor and I'm sure months from now we'll see a GI to find out that he is healthy. --Update....I spoke with our regular doctor on the phone and he said that since Spike is growing I don't have to do the GI think. THANK GOODNESS!

Bad Day/Great Day and Some Swearing

2008-08-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when just as everything is going terrible, something wonderful happens. It was our first day back to "real life" after Jeff being on vacation for all of last week, so it was a bit of a reality check. I decided today was a good day to get passports for me and the boys so that we can go on vacation in October. Um, that was until I realized I can't find Spike's birth certificate. I thought I knew EXACTLY where it was. Apparently not. While I was freaking out about that, I heard Carter yell "uh oh" from upstairs. I ran up to find Spike sitting in a pile of rice krispies. Like a full box that he'd dumped on the floor and smashed up. (picture to follow) Have I mentioned that his cereal costs a fortune? It does and we had to throw all of it away because it had been smashed to pieces. Beyond the cost, the biggest pain is that I have to go to Provo to buy the cereal. I think Carter could tell I was about to lose it, because he said, "mommy, let me clean it up". He was so cute, he worked so hard and vacuumed it all up. That was when the night turned around. After that, Carter was my best helper. He helped make dinner and even helped clean up. Jeff got done with work late, but we ended up walking the trail around Deer Creek. It was perfect! The kids were great and we got to enjoy the last little bit of summer. It was one of the first times all summer that Carter really got out of the stroller and hiked. He ran races with Jeff and I, saw two bunnies, found animal bones and rocks, and peed in the bushes. Could life be better?

On a final note, the day also taught me that Jeff and I need to really start watching our language. Carter is a super swearer. I think it is because he comes from a long line of cursers, but really, he knows how to place the words perfectly. For example, tonight while making dinner, I tried a piece of pasta to see if it was done. Carter looked at me and said, "Mommy, why are you eating that damn hot pasta?" Last week, he watched a movie and said, "that guy is kicking his ass." I hate to admit it, because the swearing really is bad, but it is so funny that I laugh every time. He's just so serious about it. Wish me luck on watching my language and keeping a straight face while listening to Carter.

Wise Man said What?!!!

2008-08-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

So, whoever said the "wise man built his house upon a rock"obviously has not paid an excavator. Ca-ching is all I can say. That said, we are SO excited that our new house is getting started. The main excavating/hammering is done. I'm sure all of the future neighbors hate us. When I shared in the relief society "good news minute" that the hammering was done, there was cheering. Apparently anyone close to our lot (most of midway) enjoyed 5 days of house-shaking hammering. Anyway, the foundation is poured and the framing should start sometime this week. The contractor is on the ball...now we're just freaking out about selling our current Heber home. If you know anyone that wants a great, affordable house in Heber, send them my way!

The Kid Can Eat!

2008-07-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you who knew me when Carter was born, you'll remember that I was a complete nut job about his food. That boy was going to eat only the healthiest food around. No mac and cheese, spagetti o's? NOT MY KID. My child would eat healthy, whole foods. Let's just say that times changed. Fast forward to Spike. As many of you know, feeding him has been an issue. He doesn't tolerate wheat, gluten, dairy, and appears to be a little sensitive to eggs. No wonder he only weighs 16 lbs at one year, you can't get fat on fruit and rice cakes! Anyway, I've been longing for a "meal in can/pouch" for him. Packing a meal that he can and wants to eat every time we leave the house was starting to feel overwhelming. Plus, he's one now, and doesn't want to eat his lame0 stuff when everyone else is eating something yummy at a restuarant. Fortunatley, my mother-in-law is the queen of internet shopping and this week a box of food from gluten free mall arrived. It contained pouches of spaghetti-o's, rice and chili mac for kids with allergies. I just have to stick them in the microwave and Spike loves them. The first night he ate them, we all got a little teary. It was amazing to watch him eating with both hands and getting covered from head to toe in spaghetti. At this point in my life, I'm so grateful for the people who are making allergen-free food for little kids. It is such a blessing to be able to watch Spike eat something good and normal and offically "kid food".

We have A-Pids (AKA: aphids)

2008-07-15T14:42:00.000-07:00

Carter and I were outside picking lettuce today when I noticed that there were some aphids. I showed Carter the aphids and told him that we would put some spray on them to make them go away. I am new gardener and I'm trying to stay chemical/fertilizer free so I consulted the internet for directions. The internet told me to mix dish soap and water and spray. Of course, I couldn't find a squirt bottle so it was a run to the store. This is what Carter told Jeff as we were leaving, "STORE EMERGENCY! We have Apids on our growing salad!!"

Here is what kills me about the whole thing, at our house, lettuce is referred to only as "salad." That said, Carter HATES salad and covers his mouth with his hands if it gets within a foot of him. So, I have no idea why he was so concerned about the bugs. He was though, and those "apids" have been thoroughly sprayed.

So Blessed

2008-07-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

So, I stole this from Becca's blog and it is my new favorite thing. You can not beat a blog that makes fun of Utah bloggers. It is SPOT ON!! Please enjoy.

http://seriouslysoblessed.blogspot.com/

Shooting Stars

2008-07-02T17:00:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jeff and Carter went to get the mail "in the middle of the night". (Code for around 10:00---after we got home from Bear Lake) Carter came upstairs today and told me that on the mail adventure, they had seen "two shooting stars!" He followed that up with this quote: "Mom, do you know that shooting stars are so powerful? They are so powerful that when you wish, any wish you wish will come true!"

Someone is watching too much Disney. Then again, here's hoping that Disney is right..I'll keep wishing on shooting stars.

Summer Nights

2008-07-01T13:27:00.001-07:00

Last night was one of the nights that makes me so grateful to live in this amazing valley. The Midway Arts Foundation had a great (and FREE) Peter Breinholt concert at the Midway Plaza ...AKA " the town square". It was so much fun! Carter started asking at 3:00 when we were going to the concert. He loved it. The kid has rhythm, so there was a lot of dancing. Even Jeff and I busted out our old school moves. The best part though, Spike got a treat! They had these push-pop type treats that were actually Italian ice---gluten and dairy free. Spike was squealing with joy. He had one taste, then grabbed the whole treat and covered his face. It ended up that he ate the better part of two icee-things. (How can you say no to a 17 lb baby who is frantically making the "bottle" sign...because its the only sign he knows and it usually gets him food?)He still has a slightly blue face and Jeff's clothes may become casualties of fatherhood. Big thanks to Cindy who rode her girly girl pink bike to the concert and took the kids for a walk when they started to get restless. It was so much fun to sit on the blanket with Jeff and listen to the songs we loved in college and pretend we were cool again. Long live summer!

Tag ABC

2008-06-17T09:11:00.000-07:00

A) Attached or Single- Attached
B) Best Friend- Jeff
C) Cake or Pie-Chocolate cake with whipped cream!
D) Day- Saturday, it's the day Jeff is home and not working!
E) Essential Item- baby wipes, they clean anything.
F) Favorite Color- Red
G) Gummi Bears or Worms- Worms
H) Home Town- Garden City
I) Indulgence- Going out to eat
J) Jan. or July- July, boating, BBQ, sleeping with the window open
K) Kids-2 boys: Carter (3) Spike/Will (1 next month)
L) Life is incomplete without- My family
M) Marriage Date- May 19, 2000
N) Number of Siblings- 1
O) Oranges or Apples- Oranges
P) Phobias or Fears- Something terrible happening to my family or us ending up destitute.
Q) Quote- "The days are long, but the years are short"
R) Reason to Smile-hugs from my boys.
S) Season- Fall
T) Tag- Janelle, Amy, Monica
U) Unknown fact about me- My favorite thing is getting into clean sheets.
V) Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal- Animals! Jeff has brought me to the dark side
W) Worst Habit- imagining the worst possible scenario at all times
X) Rays or Ultrasound- neither
Y) Your favorite food- Candy
Z) Zodiac sign- Pisces

Father's Day

2008-06-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

So I'm sure that the blog world is abuzz with sweet touching stories of Father's Day today. What do I love most about Jeff? I have so many wonderful things to say about my cute family and my wonderful husband Jeff, but today, I'm keeping it real. What I love best about Jeff right now is that when Spike choked on dirt, fell down three stairs and ate dog poo last week, Jeff laughed and helped me clean up. Yes, you read that right, choked on dirt, fell down three stairs and ate dog poo in the course of one day. The dog poo story is really too gruesome to go into, but let's suffice to say it involved a "s**t-eating smile", me having the gags while screaming and cleaning Spike up, a frantic call to the pediatrician, and husband that loves me enough to help me clean up while he was laughing hysterically.

Often I read blogs and get the impression that everyone who has a blog also has a perfect life of bliss and amazing achievement (and professional quality pics to go along with it). Well, our life may not be perfect,(and I'm glad I don't have pics of the poop), but I couldn't be more thankful. Jeff is an awesome dad who can lighten the mood in an instant, wrestle kids like crazy, calm a crazy mom, save a dog's (zoiee) life, and do it all while traveling 4 days a week and working like crazy. I love you Jeff and I can't imagine my crazy/non-perfect/wonderful life without you!

Dead Bird Soup

2008-05-20T09:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Carter and I were playing one of his favorite games...restaurant. He was being "the sir" and asked what I wanted. I asked first for a salad and diet coke but he was "out of that". When I asked what he had, he offered spaghetti and bird soup. I asked what the bird soup was. He told he it was "dead birds mommy, but we take the feathers off." When I told him I'd take the dead bird soup, he reminded me that "it's bad mommy, it's dead birds." After further questioning, we determined that the soup was a mix of dead eagles and vultures. While the feathers are taken off, the beaks are left in the soup. So, if you're coming to our house for dinner, prepare for some dead bird soup complete with beaks. And please, whatever you do, don't tell the the federal government about our Eagle soup.

2008-05-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day

What a great weekend! For Mother's Day we went camping at Snow Canyon. Jeff got off work early on Friday and we arrived in St. George just in time to have dinner at In and Out. I had the hungry crankies and without meaning to, ate Jeff's double double. The sad deal about the whole thing is this. I was bugged Jeff bought me a double. He was sad I was eating his double instead of the single he ordered for me but we were both trying not to complain. When I was done eating and the crankies had gone away, Jeff looked at me at with the saddest face and said, "you ate my burger." I felt so bad! Oh well, I had my first double double and he got to go back on the way out of town on Sunday for his!

While we were there we saw a lot of ants, chased some lizards and spotted 3 snakes! Okay, one was in an aquarium, but the other two were outside. Pretty much, the snake was the highlight for Carter. We also did a few short hikes, (it takes a long time to go a mile when you stop to look at every grain of sand!) It was a great trip and I'm so grateful for my cute camping boys! I couldn't have asked for a better Mother's Day than to spend the weekend outside with my favorite people.

1 down 25 to go...

2008-04-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Spike figured out the letter E. We figure he is pretty advanced for 9 months. He only has 25 more letters to go.

In addition to his letters Spike has also started working in the audio visual industry.

Favorite Water Creature

2008-03-27T21:18:00.000-07:00

Carter just asked me, "Mom, what is your favorite water creature?" Random, I know. Anyway, it made me wonder, what are your favorite water creatures? Let me know!

Oh, for the record, mine is a crab or a sea otter and Carter doesn't have one.

San Fransisco

2008-03-25T20:32:00.000-07:00

For my birthday Jeff and I both decided that we needed a trip! We turned in some of Jeff's hard-earned sky miles, mom and dad picked up the kids, and we set off on an adventure. It was the first time Jeff and I had been away together in two years, so it was a great break. I was planning on sleeping in every day, but curse those body clocks! I was awake every morning (and all night) just as if Spike and Carter were with me. On the plus side, I used that time to consult the guide books and I can say, with certainty, that we saw most of the touristy San Fransisco things. And, for those of you who know Jeff, you won't be surprised to hear that Jeff was chosen from the crowd to be part of a circus show. We toured the city, ate fantastic food (including Dim Sum in Chinatown were we were the only white people in the place), and really enjoyed each other. As for being without the kids, it was hard at first, then we relaxed and had a great time. We stumbled into an awesome ceremony of sorts in Chinatown. I'll post the pics later, they are still on the camera.

Jeff is on the right, holding a 55 year old acrobat while she juggled fire!

I'm eating a crab sandwich in the pic....notice the craps watching me.

Easter Time

2008-03-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so Jeff and I are going to be out of town for Easter...I know, I know, mother of the year. Anyway, I'm on a mania to do "Easter things" before we go. We made some "arts and crafts" yesterday. Which was hilarious because you all know I'm not crafty. So today was the egg dyeing day. I've always done this with my mom's extended family and about a million kids. It has always been a fun family tradition, but, let's just say, a tradition you didn't want to have at your house. Picture 11 kids under 8 and about 12 dozen eggs. Add to that two sets of grandparents and 4 sets of parents supervising. It takes forever, lots of spills and a fight or two for good measure. Because this event wasn't in the cards for us this year, I was determined to bring a little of the party to my own house.

As soon as Spike fell asleep this morning, Carter and I set upon the project. I was expecting the worst. I'll say this, egg dyeing is a snap with one kid! One dozen down, only one broken egg and no spills. Start to finish, one half hour! I was expecting to have some chatting time with Carter. Unfortunately, he reported that , "I'm too busy working to talk Mom." Okay, over and out buddy. Lots of work was done today. The biggest hit was the use of the crayon to make "Cool Designs" on the eggs.

So in the end, the day was a success. Eggs are dyed. Fingers are green. Most importantly, I don't feel like a fully neglectful mother. I love these times with Carter!

Note the large amounts of blue and green eggs...the green one on the right is a "Dinosaur Egg!!!"

Things About Me

2008-03-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Yes, Audrey Ann for my grandmas’ middle names. Audrey for my dad’s mom, Avril Audrey Butcher Nielson and Ann for my mom’s mom, Avon Ann Labrum Blanck

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? This week when I went in to check on my sleeping boys. They are so wild in the day, but when they are sound asleep I forget about all the things they do that make me crazy and I realize what miracles they are. I pray I can enjoy every minute with them. They’ll be grown up in a heartbeat.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Hate it

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Turkey, the non-slimy kind from the deli.

5. IF YOU WERE SOMEBODY ELSE, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I hope so.

6. DO YOU USE SARCASM? Yes, but I don’t know if Carter catches it.

7. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes.

8. WOULD YOU EVER BUNGEE JUMP? I think so

9. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Frosted Flakes

10. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No

11. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? No, and it sucks.

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Not a huge ice cream eater, but I like raspberry from the pizza place in Bear Lake after a long day on the boat.

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? If they look happy….lame I know.

14. RED OR PINK? RED! Just ask Carter, red is my favorite color.

15. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU STRUGGLE WITH ABOUT YOURSELF? I always kind of feel like an idiot…a frumpy idiot. I’m working on it J

16. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING RIGHT NOW? Embarrassed to admit…blue flannel pj pants and no shoes.

17. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Mini marshmallows

19. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Brick red

20. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE SMELLS? New baby, coffee and cigarette smoke outside on a cold day. Weird combo I know…..

21. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? My mom.

22. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Basketball, but I’m learning to like football.

23. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? Mmmm….many J

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? Blue.

25. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No, I have awesome vision.

26. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD? I really like fish….but I like treats more. I’ve never really met a treat I didn’t like.

27. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Happy Endings ----life is scary enough for me

28. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer, I love it!

29. HUGS OR KISSES? Hugs!

30. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED... Astronaut Farmer.

31. FAVORITE DESSERT? Depends…I always like Key Lime pie.

32. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? - I just finished The Doctors Wife. It was okay. I tried to read the Persian Bride, but apparently I suck at history so I can’t follow the politics of the book. It’s going back to the library J

33. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Baby spit.

34. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Project Runway Finale---it was fierce!

35. FAVORITE SOUNDS? Carter or Will when they get the giggles. (stole that from Cindy…but it’s the truth)

36. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Love the Stones.

37. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Australia

38. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Um, according to the pilates teacher, I have freakishly flexible ankles. Does that count?

FAVORITE PAIR OF SHOES- This is a seasonal choice. In the winter months I can’t be without my Dansko clogs. For the summer, Chaco flip flops are the only way to go!

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION – I was going to eat better, but since that resolution has already been broken, can start a “Turning 29 resolution? That resolution will be to eat better and get tough. Wish me luck…starting tomorrow J

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW- I don’t know who sings it, but it is the one that goes , “I’m not gonna write you a love song…”

IF YOU HAD $200 TO SPEND ON YOURSELF WHAT WOULD IT BE- I need to give in and quit being cheap and buy a gym pass. So I can accomplish the “Turning 29 Resolution”

RANDOM THOUGHT- I need to get my battery charger.

FAVORITE PLACE TO GO IN THE CITY YOU LIVE IN – Bowling alley on Tuesday nights. We go and have hamburgers, hotdogs, fries and diet coke. I love seeing Cindy and Johnny and Gretchen. The boys love it…especially if Papa Gil is there to spend $20 on pinball and vending machine toys. I especially love to go when Jeff is out of town. I don’t have to cook dinner and I see adults!

2008-03-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

Hi there! So I've finally given in to the Utah mom peer pressure, I'm doing a blog! I'm hoping this will be a good way to chronicle our lives. I have two wild and wonderful little boys. Carter is 3 and Will (AKA Spike) is 7 months. Jeff and I have been married for almost 8 years and I couldn't be happier. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the whole empty blot page, so check in later for updates.