groundhog day

Blogging has been replaced by "Vlogging"

2011-08-25T14:54:00.007-06:00

DO YOU REMEMBER HER? I DO!

In case you were wondering WHY Captain Patchy turned 8 for over 2 years, it's because blogging completely fell by the wayside the minute I started "vlogging" (video blogging) my weight loss journey with hCG on YouTube. I became kind of famous. Some of my videos had over 100,000 views. I kept it all a secret (mostly) from friends and family because I needed a level of public anonymity at the time (for support and for accountability) when I was going through such a life-changing and emotionally, physically, and mentally challenging transformation. Even though I know you as my family and friends were, (and still are) extremely supportive of me, unless you know exactly what someone else is going through, "support" can sometimes be a tricky thing. My feelings were easily hurt by a few well-meaning comments in the beginning, (as HCG is easily the most bashed diet on the planet). So I kept things on the down-low purposefully, as to not draw negative comments and questions.

Weight loss, (especially losing over 80 pounds) was quite the journey. Since I was in Jr. High School, I have struggled with gaining and losing weight. I wanted my losses to finally stick. I was tired of yo-yo-ing all over the scale. But, (as life often does) a complete curve-ball was thrown at me right after I reached my weight loss goal. I hit 128 pounds in September of 2010, only to develop shingles a few weeks later. I instantly gained back 15 pounds thanks to Prednesone (steroid). Slowly over the course of short-selling our beloved Utah home, moving to Texas, starting college and the ridiculous stress all of those hectic months brought, I gained another 17 pounds on top of that. I had to put a stop to it... there was NO WAY I was going to gain all of my weight back after a year of incredibly hard work, dedication, and discovering my own inner strength. My mantra has become "If at first you don't succeed... try, try again!" Crap happens. We either wallow in it, or rise above it.

I have re-lost 13 pounds, (currently 149) and I am realizing I can have it all. I don't have to completely give up one aspect of my life for another. I am finding balance, peace, and most of all... control. I am now opening myself up, and allowing you to view a portion of my crazy, wonderful journey. If you want to watch my video blogs, you can find them at http://www.youtube.com/user/HCGBlondeAmbition. There are many missing videos (long story) but I will continually add more and make new ones as time goes on.

Fall semester begins on Monday, I will be extremely busy, but I will still try to post a monthly blog update about the family, our lives, and the little things that make me smile. Thanks for hanging in there! This was a long post. Love to you all.

Something Other than Captain Patchy!

2011-08-09T15:49:00.002-06:00

Fun With Paint!

As I researched Jackson Pollack and his many unique talents and techniques for painting, I came across a quote from another famous abstract artist, Willem De Kooning. He said Jackson Pollack “broke the ice” for Abstract Expressionist painters to follow. His use of drip painting technique using a large canvas spread out on the floor, allowed a freedom of movement and expression that was never before seen in a painter. “On the floor I am more at ease, I feel nearer, more a part of the painting, since this way I can walk around in it, work from the four sides and be literally `in' the painting” said Jackson Pollock in 1947. In honor of Mr. Pollack, the ice-breaker artist who blazoned a trail for a new and bold abstract art movement of his time, I dedicate my first (of hopefully many) action technique paintings.

My process was one of happy accidents. When I first began painting the canvas I accidentally dripped a giant blob of black paint in the center of the piece that I felt did not belong there. I took a paintbrush and with bold strokes, began brushing the colorful blobs from all over the piece, creating an undercurrent of tones in black, blue, grey, and occasional waves of red-orange. You will not see a square inch of the original white canvas in my work because of this accidental new beginning, but I find the dark background suited the piece when it all came together. It comforted me to know that often times Jackson Pollack himself would throw paint over an entire piece and begin again in a new direction.

My color choices represent the colors found in ice and fire. I chose a robin’s egg blue, bright white, canary yellow and burnt orange acrylic paint. I wanted a stark contrast of complementary colors to visually pop out at the viewer, creating a sense of conflict between two opposing elements in nature. I did not wait until the paint was completely dry before I added another layer of color, and the melding color effect was a pleasant surprise. The swirling black background of the canvas lends to the visual impact.

Materials I used to create the splatter patterns and drips seen in the piece were: an old toothbrush, a 1” flat bristle paintbrush, a wooden spoon handle, my fingers, and a wide-toothed comb. I found this method of painting in drips, drizzles, splatters, and sweeps not only forgiving, but therapeutic. I thoroughly enjoyed creating for creation’s sake, with no lines or boundaries to stay within.

My thoughts while creating the piece were of the universe, how the dark swirling background became deep space, the swirls of bright colors became nebula clouds, and the white specks and streaks became distant stars. The contrast of the ice cold vacuum of space to the molten heat of a newly forming star became my focus. “Ice on Fire” seemed a fitting name for the piece, because that is what the universe ultimately is; a balanced conflict of extremes.

Cap'n Patchy turns 8

2009-09-08T11:16:00.008-06:00

Eight is the best age... still young enough to not be embarrassed by the silly things your parents do, but old enough to appreciate it. My middle son turned 8 and we celebrated it in the typical fashion, WAY over the top of course! But, I have to say, it was just as much fun
for me and the hubby as it was for all the kids.
After all, you only turn 8 once.

The cake I didn't make, thanks to Albertson's.
But now I have all the cute pieces, so my kids
will get a home-made pirate cake every birthday
from now on whether they want one or not.

The "Scurvy Dogs" (Fleas optional.)

The long-lost treasure map found,
and the loot of a thousand pirates awaits!

Ho! What's this?

Could it be??

We've found it! We're rich beyond our wildest dreams!

Those are some happy pirates..
complete with a sneer from "Cut-Throat" on the left.

Time to sail away with equal shares of the treasure!

Or just blast the ship to smithereens with an air cannon!

Another thing 8 year old boys love? Destruction!

It was a wonderful, tiring day full of laughs, pirate talk, and some mayhem thrown in for good measure. Thanks to all the kids who came. Happy Birthday, Cap'n Patchy! We love you.

No More Potty Pictures!

2009-06-05T21:02:00.007-06:00

Sorry to all of you who have stared endlessly at the gorgeous picture of my son going poo. It was a fluke, anyway. For some reason he has become DEATHLY AFRAID of the toilet. That reminds me of a dream I once had as a child... Oscar the Grouch lived in the toilet and tried to bite my bum unless I flushed him as fast as I could.... but that's a story you probably didn't want to hear.

Moving on.

We had a wonderful trip to Moab this past weekend, and despite the many "hiccups" along the way, it was still one of my favorite trips we have taken as a family. When we arrived there wasn't a single camping site available. Anywhere. Within 50 miles. So, we ended up at the RV park, which was actually really fun! I got my daily hot shower, air conditioning, and a great spot next to the Colorado River. The kids had a blast riding their bikes around everywhere, and we took in the beautiful sights of Arches National Park. We actually did all the stuff we didn't get to last time, so there'll be a whole new crop of pictures never before seen. Yay!

The hike to Delicate Arch was hot even at 9 in the morning.
But what a view! Sean took this picture and caught a
cool looking bird flying by. For the sake of scale, the photo
below of the boys shows the first crack in the rock they are
leaning against. Compare that to the upper photo.
Yeah, it's that big.

Just a random photo of the gorgeous red rock country
...and some darn cute kids!

The Mathis boys taking a break.

There were a lot of fun rock walls and caves to explore.
I have never seen Brennan so happy.

So pretty it could be a postcard.

Anything you can do, I can do better.....

Jumping into soft sand isn't a soft landing....

They call these petrified sand dunes "slick rock",
but it's not slippery at all. More like "grip rock".

Again, Brennan in heaven in between two rock walls.
Only he could fit in this crack.

We weren't allowed to have campfires at the RV park,
so we gave the kids a couple of briquettes
from the grill and called it a campfire.
(Brennan isn't naked, just pants-free.)

It was a great trip. One I will always treasure.

If you don't know already, I adore the three boys you are looking
at right now. What would my life be without them?

Potty time! Woo-woo!

2009-03-02T19:37:00.004-07:00

Can it possibly be? The day has finally come that Brennan entertains the idea of sitting "ON" something vs. "IN" something? Amazing, but true! I have to give him an "A" for effort...he really tries to get it all out in one sitting. What a big boy you are, Brennan my love. Keep up the good work. (Just so you know, he had like 4 chocolate chip cookies prior to his lovely performance, so that's what is smeared all over his face. Just wanted to clarify that).

The Abyss (otherwise known as FaceBook)

2009-02-11T14:08:00.002-07:00

I have a new addiction. It's Facebook. That's the reason why my Blog is dying a horribly neglected death. When Shanna first mentioned Facebook, I thought "Hmmm, no thanks. There are enough weirdos and pervs in my life already". (Joke) But when I saw Sean set up his profile and find friends he hadn't seen in 20 years, I became a tad jealous. The next day I set up my own profile, and began finding friends, old neighbors, family members, dead pets...etc. For the past couple of weeks, I have spent HOURS of time (I could've been doing something totally productive with) on Facebook. It's been an absolute delight reconnecting with old friends and family. I did take a short break during our Disnyworld trip (pictures and posting will come someday), but I always wondered if I was missing out on something. Sad, sad, sad.
One small breakthrough has occured however. I only allow myself to Facebook when Brennan is down for a nap, or it's late at night and I cannot sleep. That's it. I am getting better at managing my addiction. Will I ever give it up "cold turkey"? Uh, no. It's just too darn fun. In fact, if you want to join me in my deep cozy abyss (if you haven't already) go here:http://www.facebook.com/

See you soon! Mwah-ha-ha! :)

Christmas "All-a-day"

2009-01-15T14:23:00.011-07:00

I know it's the middle of January and I am just now getting caught up on Christmas. That's just the way I roll. We had such a great time in Houston with hubby's side of the family! In fact, a new holiday was born....or better named "All-a-day". What in the world is that? Just like the name suggests, it's all the holidays of the year rolled into one, fun-filled, crazy day. First, we had an Easter egg hunt...

I think Brennan is still hunting, so he's not in the photo.
The little darling on the right is my niece Tabitha.

I could go on and on about her,
but I will save that for another post coming soon.

Is your arm getting a little tired Gav?
That's quite the haul, buddy.

Brennan's entire face would light up when he found an egg.

Opening the loot is just as much fun!

See what I mean? Couldn't you just kiss those cheeks off?

Or these cheeks, too?

Connor wanted to take us all for a tractor ride,
but that's George Washington's job. (aka Grandpa)

It was a great day...an Easter Egg Hunt,
dressing up for Halloween, an old-fashioned hayride,
and decorating (and eating large quantities of) Christmas cookies.

Christmas morning never gets old.
Especially when worn on the face of a toddler.

Hover-copters, air-pellet guns, night-vision goggles! Oh my!

Antique Legos passed down from Gavin's 3 uncles and daddy.
I think Gavin has reached kid nirvana.
(And no, we will not sell them to you on Ebay).

Mario cart, anyone?
Brennan just drives around in circles, but it's still fun.
Connor, on the other hand, takes his game very seriously...
complete with realistic crash sound effects.

Yep, Christmas was a blast. My kids are still talking about it,
and that's pretty rare considering my kids have an attention
span of 15 minutes. It will be fondly remembered for years to come.

My Baby Is Growing Up

2009-01-13T13:22:00.004-07:00

For all of you who have kids (human or fur-covered), I am sure you can relate to the first haircut you ever give your baby. Suddenly they aren't as pudgy, or curly, or baby-looking. They look like a much bigger boy/girl. My baby boy Beckett went to the groomers and got a trim today, and I am sad that his baby fur around his face is gone. He suddenly looks all grown up. I am glad he can actually SEE something in front of him now, but I miss the scrappy Mohawk between his eyes. They grow up so fast.

And here's an interesting side-note....
I have a sort of embarrassing question. What is "cleaning the anal glands" ?! Sounds painful. Poor puppy got a bum shave, so that the other dogs won't point and laugh at the dingle-berries.

Meet Beckett

2009-01-01T19:12:00.006-07:00

We had a great time in Houston visiting the Mathis side of the family over the Christmas holiday. We even brought home a little souvenir! Meet Beckett, the wonder dog. Isn't he the sweetest thing you've ever seen? Everyone say, "Awwwww"...

Once upon a time, I didn't like dogs. Even the thought of owning a dog made me shiver in fear and break out in hives. Why? Well, growing up we didn't have very good experiences owning dogs in our house. Pooper was eaten by our cousins' neighbor's Rottweiler, Penny was psycho and ate a bunch of Styrofoam out of her dog house and then ran away, Lucky was destructive and peed on everyone when he got excited, and Baby was hit by a car, I think... anyway, you get the picture. Not that our family didn't try, I just think we didn't train very well. (And a good dog requires lots and lots of training, love, and patience as I am quickly finding out).

This is Mags....
or Margaret Sheridan Mathis if you want to be proper.

She comes from a long line of Show-Dog Champions. She is a pure-bred Norfolk Terrier as are her 4 puppies...all boys. The father of the pups is named Bandit, and he too comes from Championship dogs. He looks a lot like Mags, but has a rusty-red coat instead of the sandy-blonde. I have already posted about what an awesome dog Mags is. I think that's the main reason I decided to give in and adopt one of her puppies. As soon as I saw the little rascals, there was a connection with Beckett. He was sweet, not hyper, didn't bark much, and took to Gavin right away. He was already crate-trained and almost potty-trained. (We are still working on that, but he rarely has an accident). Although this puppy is a lot of work now, I know it'll pay off in the end and we will have a fantastic family dog who will be loved and cherished more than he already is.

Want to see all the boys? Here they are in order from left to right:

Cooper, Barney (not facing camera), Beckett, and Kendall.
Cooper is a fur ball full of energy... lots & LOTS of energy!
Barney is very brave, and likes to bark at bigger dogs.
Beckett is a little shy, but sweet, loving, and playful.
Kendall is the most social, and is always happy to see you.

I cannot thank Janie enough for our new bundle of fun. I have really bonded with him, and I know the kids have too. So, for the first time I can proudly say I am a "dog person"!

P.S. I will post pics of Christmas soon.

Chocolate Ashtray

2008-12-19T10:33:00.005-07:00

My blog is a chance for me to journal, since I don't officially journal. This post may be a strange one, so bear with me. I was watching Rachel Ray today, and normally I don't watch her show because I am dieting and it's just not a good idea. BUT... today was different. As I flipped through the channels, I noticed her guest was Hypnotherapist Paul McKenna.

He teaches that any compulsion/addiction can be cured by association in the brain. What is my compulsion? Food, of course. What is association? Well, think of your favorite food, for example. (Rich, creamy chocolate is mine.)

If it doesn't make your mouth water, then it won't work.

Now think of the most repulsive thing you could imagine eating.

(An ashtray full of cigarette butts works for me).

Now find a quiet place, relax, take some deep breaths, and close your eyes and imagine the combonation of the two.... an ashtray made of chocolate, chock full of nasty cigarette butts and ash. Now imagine yourself eating it. Did your stomach turn? Mine did. I seriously cannot even smell chocolate without smelling cigarrette ash-tainted chocolate... no joke. I tested it on a Hershey's kiss the kids brought home from school yesterday. I couldn't eat it. Just the smell disgusted me! Crazy huh?!? Just goes to show that the mind can do some pretty amazing things! So, New Year's resolutions are just around the corner! Pick your resolution and try this technique. (It also works for something you don't like doing associated with your most pleasurable experience). To see how, go here.

I know it's the holidays and no one likes a person on a diet because we suck the fun out of everything. But for me, I am amazed at the transformation in my body and mind. I haven't had a drop of soda. I love to exercise, and actually get upset if I miss a workout! I haven't eaten any Christmas goodies. The reason this is so amazing to me is because I would normally eat a whole plate of goodies by myself before the kids got home from school and bury the evidence deep in the trash. Now, the goodies bypass me completely and just go into the trash. For the first time in my life I feel empowered. I feel free. I feel like I can conquer the world. I have lost 15 pounds in 3 weeks, and yes... I am dang proud of that.

I like shiny things....

2008-12-10T21:42:00.002-07:00

My mother-in-law sent me these really pretty salt & pepper grinders for my birthday. Not only are they pretty, they are mechanized (just push a button on top and wah-la! instant ground pepper!) and have a light at the bottom so you see where you are grinding. I have always envied these little beauties, (my mom-in-law has had the same set for years) but have never thought to buy them for myself. Maybe because until recently, I wasn't much of a cook. But I digress. I LOVE these wonderful kitchen gadgets...and yes, it is possible to fall in love with kitchenware.

The only problem is, my kids love the sleek new toys, too. They're simply magic in the hand of a child. So, I will have to share my new-found friends...and clean up their dusty trails on my countertops. But that's ok. These babies are totally worth it. Thanks Mom!

Life Without Carbonation

2008-12-08T14:45:00.005-07:00

***The following information is not meant to be preachy,
judgmental, or soap-boxy. Just interesting,
eye-opening, and life-changing in my case.***

If you know me, you know that I usually have a can of Coke Zero in my hand, or the 32 oz. fountain version of Coke Zero sitting in the cup-holder of my car. I could easily guzzle down anywhere between 3-6 cans a DAY of the shiny, black-cylinder elixir. I felt out of control, constantly craving sugar, carbs, fats, salt...everything that wasn't good for me. I always thought diet soda wasn't bad for me because it didn't have sugar in it, right?

And then, my world changed. I went to a dietitian. Not only did I find out WHAT soda did to me, but how it effects mood swings, eating habits, etc. And just what does soda do to a person's body?

First off, phosphoric acid... most sodas (diet or regular) have this ingredient. It robs your body of calcium. Not only does this acid rob calcium, it also interferes with absorption of calcium. A double-whammy. After age 30, women especially need calcium for bone density later in life. My bones must look like Swiss cheese, but I am still young enough to reverse some of the damage I have done, thankfully.
Secondly, caffeine... slows metabolism. What? I always thought that little "pep" raised my metabolism. Not so. The temporary boost from caffeine is always followed by a crash, which equates to a slow-down in metabolism. So, you pop open another can of soda to not feel so sluggish and tired. (Vicious little addictive cycle, caffeine is.)
Thirdly, NutraSweet. It artificially spikes your insulin levels (the same way sugary sodas do), only with diet sodas, there is no sugar to counter-act the insulin. So, even though your teeth may not rot, your over-inflated insulin equates to fat storage, (and lots of it in my case).
And last but not least Carbonation, any carbonation (sometimes called Carbonic Acid) whether it's Coke or beer or sparkling mineral water, sucks the water out of your body, and most soda drinkers don't drink enough water anyway. Dehydration sets in, and triggers your body to eat more/drink more.

I am happy to report I am a reformed Coke Zero addict. I have not had a drop of soda in 9 days. This is the longest I have gone without soda my entire adult life. And I don't crave it. I finally feel free from the mood swings, fatigue, and irritability I have always felt while drinking soda all day, every day...(and not knowing why). I am a water girl now. Not only do I feel better, I understand what signals my body is sending me. LONG story short, I feel wonderful. I never want to drink soda again. Really.

BAD TUNA

2008-11-24T10:55:00.007-07:00

As I was preparing my much anticipated lunch, I popped open a can of tuna. I mixed in my non-fat mayo, pickle relish, and a sprinkle of dill. I spread my heavenly tuna concoction on my golden toasted de"light"ful slices of bread. I very happily (and hungrily) took a bite. Then, very hastily ran to the kitchen sink to gag and sputter and spit out every ounce of tuna. Thankfully, the taste was so bad I did not manage to swallow any of it, or else I'd have food poisoning and the ralphs for sure. The can looked unassuming, and no killer vapors knocked me over while making the sandwich. I checked the mayo, too. The mayo was innocent. It was the tuna. So, here's my question to all of you tuna connoisseurs out there..... what is the shelf-life on a can of tuna? Because I have a jumbo pack of tuna from Sam's Club sitting in my pantry that's about a year old. All of it is going in the trash, just as a precaution. Will I ever enjoy tuna again? Or has this experience ruined tuna forever?
Sobbing to myself, I looked at the evil tuna can and cried...
Curse you, BAD TUNA!

Twilight- The movie review

2008-11-21T12:57:00.026-07:00

With not so terribly high expectations, I went and saw the midnight showing of Twilight with my sisters and a few of their friends. Always up for a much needed GNO, I gladly sacrificed precious sleep and came along for the ride. I love hanging with the girls! But, this is a movie review, so here goes nothing....

I don't normally critique movies, or ever even blog about them, but this one deserves some feedback! I am assuming that you haven't been living under a rock these past 3 years, and have actually read the book. If you have not, don't bother to step foot in the theater. The filmmakers assume you have read the book, too. Trust me on this one...if you don't know ANYTHING about Twilight, you will hate this movie and quite possibly strangle anyone who told you to go see it. Read the books, if that interests you.

The Cinematography: Spot-on. Forks depicted in the movie was the same as Forks described in the book. The overcast, almost blue-gray film effect was perfect for capturing the mood and tone. The scenery was beautiful. And haunting, too. This aspect of the film was true to the book.

The Script: If speaking with your eyes was dialog, then this movie was downright verbose. If you can't read peoples' thoughts like Edward, then the dialog was uninspired and scant to say the least. Some of my favorite book characters (Alice and Jasper, Esme) had maybe three lines the entire movie...even the lead characters had skimpy lines. For example, you don't get much of the playful banter between Bella and Ed like you do in the book. Sure they hint at a couple of funny lines, but there wasn't any follow through. If Ed and Bella began talking for more than a minute, the music would drown them out and we would have to be forced to read lips. Good chemistry, but terrible dialog! So sad, really.

The Music:
Rocked! I am going out to buy the Soundtrack. Muse and Paramore are my new favorite bands. I have been looking for new music that doesn't sound like everything else out there, and I found it in this movie. I loved it.

Special Effects:
There were none. And they weren't special. Amazingly bad, in fact.
I wish they would have spent a little more time and money on getting the vampires' abilities to look cool instead of looking like a guy hanging from wires as he runs in mid-air as fast as he can. I have seen stage plays with better effects. Sigh.

My thoughts on the cast:
I thought Kristin Stewart as Bella was believable for the most part.... except the fact that you RARELY saw her smile the entire movie, and she was a little too sullen and moody compared to the book. I don't think they needed to play up the "Plain Jane" aspect so much, either. No makeup would have been better than the gray-eyeshadow-with-no-mascara look. Really weird. Her contact-lensed eyes were so dark they were almost creepy. No awards in the make-up department for ANY of the characters for that matter. I thought the contact lenses and pale make-up on the vamps could have been done in a tasteful way. Instead it looked like they were going trick-or-treating in some scenes. (Poor Jasper looked like a bug-eyed, baby-powdered mannequin the entire movie. Not to mention, a mute.)

The character who stole the show in my opinion was Bella's dad, Charlie. He was very natural and had the wittiest of the few humorous lines. I won't go into James, Victoria, or Laurent. I will only say cheese, cheese, and more cheese. On to the leading men...

From the time they announced Robert Pattinson as "Edward" I had a sinking feeling. Quite frankly, he's just not that good looking. For everyone who has read the books, they know Edward is breathtakingly, flawlessly beautiful. Poor Rob almost seemed awkward and nerdy at times. (Like when he walks, talks, or smiles.) Edward's character is supposed to be articulate, wise, and polished, not an insecure, stammering kid. Maybe it's just Rob's hockey nose or British teeth or his giant orange-on-a-toothpick head that turned me off. In the book, Ed's physique is carved out of marble, on par with a Greek-god. Seriously??? Sorry Rob, you are no Michelangelo's David.

Rob Pattinson

If I were in charge, I would have cast this guy as Edward. He's breathtakingly beautiful (in my opinion), has pale skin, a strong jawline, thin cut muscular body, eyes that totally suck you in, and he can act. Lost fans may recognize him. When I was reading the book series, this guy's face always jumped into my head as "Edward".

Ian Somerhalder

Now that's Edward's body.
(and he naturally looks a little vampy.)

The actor who played Jacob in the movie (Taylor Lautner) was way cute, but young. You may remember him from Shark Boy and Lava Girl. Then again, you may not. I thought his character was underutilized...but maybe I am just a teeeensy bit partial to Jacob. In the next book/movie, "New Moon" he needs to have grown about 2 feet and put on 50 pounds of pure sinewy muscle...hit the weights, kid. You definitely have potential.

Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black.

The Jacob in my head was always this guy.
Who I think, looks like an older brother to the current Jacob.

His name is Steve Strait. So adorable, and smokin' hot in the body department. He's worth watching Sky High or even 10,000 BC for. Ahem...moving on.

Bottom line, if you were hoping for greatness,
you won't find it here. This film had a very low budget and it shows. I am somewhat baffled as to why such a best-selling book series would be so low budget on the screen.
If I were you I'd wait for Twilight to
come out on DVD unless you are a die-hard fan
and can't wait to be disappointed.
And that ends my soapbox career as a film critic.
I will let the professionals do it from now on.

P.S. Girl's night out was the highlight of my week. Please don't think me ungrateful! I will gladly go again just for the chance to talk and be girly for a little while...no matter what is playing on the big screen. A big THANK YOU goes out to Lydia for waiting in line for hours to get us good tickets. You are so sweet for doing that for us.

The Smell of Snow

2008-11-18T14:30:00.004-07:00

Snow has a smell. It's true. In fact, it's one of my most vivid memories as a child. Every time I smell that crisp, cold air I think of Christmas, and crunching through a snow drift in bread-bagged moon boots (my generation will understand), and catching perfectly-formed flakes on my tongue. There is nothing like it...and I appreciate it's beauty as well as it's nostalgic smell. Hot Cocoa anyone?

A few days back, we had the brightest full moon I have ever seen.
The morning after, it still looked beautiful
hanging sleepily above the powdery mountains.
Can you smell the snow? Me too. Can't wait to ski on those hills!

Halloween Goodies

2008-11-17T12:32:00.006-07:00

Yes I know it's mid-November.
But here are some Halloween pics for your enjoyment anyway. Sean always goes all out on Halloween, which is totally contagious. What I start out dreading, becomes so much fun in the end that I wonder why I was dreading it in the first place. The make-up turned out great, and the house was extra spooky! Come by next year and see the whole set-up if you didn't get a chance this year. Booooooo!

In case you are wondering what we are: Jenny is a tacky fortune-teller, Sean is "Beetlejuice", Gavin is a scary skeleton, Connor is a "Men in Black" agent, and Brennan is "Dash" from the Incredibles. Whew! Glad I cleared that up for all of you. :)

Mindy stopped by with her darling kids for some candy and mayhem.

We did a really spooky theme that had every three year old

in the neighborhood wetting their pants.
(We didn't have very many trick-or-treaters, come to think of it.)
It totally rocks in person, but if your dying to see what it
looked like, go here...but please come back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2TDqzXP9FU

Diggin' up bones in the graveyard.....

Connor's pumpkin turned out awesome.

Bring on Christmas! Just kidding.

Fall is here! (and a hidden gem...)

2008-10-04T14:13:00.003-06:00

I love Autumn. I love the crisp, still air. I love how the trees suddenly burst into every imaginable warm color. It's so comforting...like fresh-from-the-oven bread or homemade pumpkin pie. I have been a little sparse on pictures as of late, both in the blog world and the real world. It was fun blowing the dust off of my camera and capturing a few nice shots of the view outside my window yesterday morning. Pretty isn't it?

I was also going through my memory card of pictures taken over the last 6 months and came across this picture of Brennan. I did not take this one, so I had never seen it before. I reminded me so much of what I looked like when I was his age, it actually startled me a bit. Anyway, I sure do love this little guy. And yes, he has a personality to match his face.

I am alive...

2008-09-30T14:16:00.003-06:00

I am still breathing. It is abundantly clear to me how alive I truly am.
You see, I have begun the awesome challenge of learning to enjoy running and weight training. Every muscle in my body is SCREAMING at the moment...protesting even the slightest hint of being used. On more than one occasion today, I have sharply gasped at the pain.

Pain is becoming a friend, however. I realize now that without some pain I won't see progress, so here's to you, my sore aching muscles. I haven't used you in a very long time, so naturally you are going to hurt. A LOT. But it feels good in a weird sort of way, knowing you will still work when I need you.

I have so much to be thankful for, but for today I am thankful to be alive.

Blog Burn-out

2008-08-22T14:59:00.002-06:00

So I don't know if you have noticed that I haven't updated my blog...(you 3 readers who check). I am suffering from an acute case of Blog burn-out. I have lots to say, but for some reason, I am dreading the blog. Once you get out of the habit it's hard to get back into it.
So, no promises... maybe I will once again find the drive to blog, but for now I am taking a nice long sabbatical. I know you're all crushed! Just kidding.

Forgive me Blogger....

2008-06-30T10:05:00.004-06:00

For I have sinned. It has been a month since my last blog post. A month! What the heck is wrong with me??

I wish I had some awesome, incredible, edge-of-your-seat occurrence to write about. I do not. I am happy to have the kids on vacation to Houston for 8 days, they needed the break from me much more than I needed the break from them. They will have the time of their lives I am sure.
We are on the home stretch with our house,
(3 weeks to go and we are moving!).

I had a breakthrough the other day. I was holding a large board of carpet samples and ungracefully tripped over a big crack in the sidewalk. Normally I would be mortified by this and feel stupid, clumsy, or even angry at myself. (Silly, I know, but I am wound a little tight). The breakthrough? I immediately started laughing at myself. And you know what? It felt GOOD. I think I will try and laugh at myself more often, because it was almost therapeutic with how crazy things are in my life. That, or I have completely lost it, and the mumbles are coming next.

Anyway, life is good. And I am finally letting myself enjoy it.

Teef

2008-05-31T20:26:00.012-06:00

Teething, losing teeth, and complaining about teeth have become a common theme in our house recently. Connor and Gavin are both losing teeth, Brennan is gaining teeth, and yes, I am complaining ...I have some tooth sensitivity and acid erosion from depending too much on my beloved Coke Zero to make it through the day for the past few months. But this post isn't supposed to be about me. I'll be ok, once I break my bad, bad habit.

Connor looks like "Nanny McFee", because he
was too chicken to let me pull out his
dangling-by-a-thread tooth.
It does make for a highly humiliating
picture to save for his teen years, however.

Gavin is so proud he's lost his first tooth!
He stares in the mirror at the gaping hole in his mouth
and grins from ear to ear with smug satisfaction,
(and is not so patiently wiggling and coaxing
his other teeth to follow suit).

Last but not least we celebrate the arrival of molars
for Brennan! Hallelujah! No more gumming his
food to death,or chomping desperately like
an old man trying to eat a steak without dentures.

Mexican Word of the Day

2008-05-30T13:21:00.014-06:00

Sean has posted (not so recently) about the wonderful world of ENGRISH, which is hilarious in it's own way... but, Asians aren't the only ones who have a niche in the "misuse of the English language" market. I have a funny friend from Guatemala that passes emails along like this one: (a word to the politically correct reader, this email is not PC at all.)

MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: WATER
My vieja gets mad and I don't even know water problem is!
MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: BRIEF
My homie farted frijoles bad, and I couldn't brief.
MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: MUSHROOM
Orale vato, when all my familia gets in the car, there's not mushroom.
MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: CHICKEN
My vieja wanted me to go to the store, but chicken go by herself .

MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: LIVER & CHEESE Some vato tried to sweet talk my ruca. I told him, orale loco liver alone, cheese mine.

MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: JULY Ju tol me ju were goin to the store and July to me! Julyer!
MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: WAFER
I wanted to go with my mom to the flea market pero she didn't wafer me!
MEXICAN WORD OF THE DAY: HERPES
I had some cake to share with my wife, this is my piece this is herpes.

Next on our colorful journey of the English language...."Red-Neckese", and boy howdy! I have some good 'uns!

Spring

2008-05-21T14:59:00.009-06:00

I am not a poet and cannot possibly communicate in words how truly grateful I am for the miracle of rebirth each and every Spring. It's awe-inspiring to watch the world once again explode into every color imaginable. The air is crisp, the blossoms smell like heaven, and I feel once again renewed. So thank you, God. You do marvelous work.

All of these tulips are in my own front yard. Aren't they gorgeous?
I am lucky enough to look at them every day.

I didn't amplify the color on any of these flowers,

they are naturally that bright and beautiful.

I wish I had smell-o-vision... love the smell of blossoms.

PS- I posted twice today, I guess I am feeling a bit introspective.
Please read the next post, too. Thanks.

Music to soothe the soul

2008-05-21T08:18:00.007-06:00

I love music. It speaks to my soul like nothing else can.

With the stress I (and my hubby) have been under lately, the only thing that can calm me down is music...and chocolate (but we won't go into that right now). I am eating/sleeping/breathing music. Headphones are my best friend, and my car is my personal musical journey.

In recent years, I have been somewhat disappointed with the music being thrust upon the masses. I find myself gravitating toward obscure bands that most people haven't heard of...or have heard once and don't know who the band is. (Think "Frou Frou" a.k.a. Imogen Heap, "Zero 7", "Everything but the Girl", and this "Massive Attack" song.) I am a little quirky I guess. I used to love the mainstream Top 40 and now I roll my eyes in disdain listening to what's popular. Does that make me old? It probably does. Don't get me wrong....I am so refreshed with musicians like Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, and they have become mainstream for the most part. I wish them much success.

But, I am talking about the song on the right playing right now. I love it. It soothes my soul. Give it a listen (haunting vocals come in a minute). I am going to periodically throw some new songs up there and see if you like them. I know music is extremely subjective and personal, so my feelings won't be hurt if we don't agree... but give it an honest try. You just might like it, too.

Big Bad Two Year Old

2008-05-19T16:54:00.006-06:00

My lil' mischief maker turned two last week! It seems like just yesterday we were marveling over his newborn punk hairstyle, and here he is...a full-blown two year old punk. I feel a little bad for my Brenster, being third in line he doesn't quite get the same attention (and planning) that his older brothers got at his age, but hopefully he will forgive me for his lame unplanned birthday at the car dealership (he did get a balloon), a dessert from Chili's, and some play time in the park. I guess that's a pretty fun day for a two year old, right?

Brennan channeling Chris Farley.
The only way to achieve this is by
stuffing his face as full as he can.

Chocolate Molten Cake...no candle, but so gooey and delicious.

And the race to "Stuff-Yo-Face" is on....

Going, Going....

Gone. Chocolate "nirvana" reached.... so good!

I loved this picture. It captures it all.

Brave enough to slide by himself. What a big boy.

That's all folks!

(We did have a real birthday cake with a candle the following day at the Scothern family reunion, but being third child, un-organized Mom forgot to take pictures. Sorry, kiddo.)

Fun In Moab (part 2)

2008-05-09T08:41:00.005-06:00

Ahh, Moab. No place on Earth like it. As promised, here are the Jeep day pictures on trails called "Steel Bender" and "Hell's Revenge". Sounds like a walk in the park, right? Come to find out (later in our hotel room) that they are two of the most difficult trails to conquer in Moab. Only "Poison Spider" beats them out in degree of difficulty (which I went on with Brennan in another family's vehicle when Sean and the boys were 4-wheeling.) Was it fun? Most of the time. Did I have a death grip on the car handles the entire ride? You betcha.

Thankfully someone took a picture of all of us together.
I admit I am a little camera-phobic, but it's nice to say
I was there, too. So often we look like a motherless family.

These two photos are of a "Bathtub" which is exactly what its like if
you could drive into your bathtub. Except not as relaxing.

A bit steep, isn't it?
I have to say I am really impressed with what our
little rental jeep could do. I may have to write a letter to Jeep and
tell them their commercials aren't as far fetched as I once thought.

Thumbs Up! We're still alive.

So there were times when the "boys" had to compete to see who could climb/dive the biggest rock. We went with some pretty adventuresome families, (which I now love dearly) but holy cow! We'd unload the kids and nervously watch our mates scale rocks that would make your hair curl. I am so glad we said a prayer of protection before doing really stupid stuff like this.

Fun in Moab

2008-05-06T10:46:00.004-06:00

This will be a two part post. Mainly because I forgot my camera on our greatest (scariest) adventure...the jeep safari. I will have to rely on others who remembered their cameras for their awesome pictures of that adventure. I did manage to capture some of Arches National Park and kickin' up some dirt while four-wheelin' for your viewing pleasure.

My boys and balancing rock.

Not such a hard tree to climb, was it?

Cute dorks.

I love you, trailer...you haul my beloved toys.

The look of pure content.

Ready to go exploring with my cool hat and security device...

Kicking up dust is fun!

Throwing dirt...there's nothing better!

Yes, I am a little stinker!

At the end of the day, Brennan just decided he was tired of walking and took a dirt nap.

Facelift and Fourwheelin'

2008-04-29T15:58:00.004-06:00

I am very affected by seasons, mainly the lack of sunshine. On a gloriously sunny day, I cannot help but be in a fantastic mood. Same goes for my blog backgrounds. As you may (or may not) remember, it went from black and white to shades of brown and now to green. I guess my moods match the seasons. Anyway....I like the change. What's in store for summer? Think blue, like a nice refreshing pool on a hot day. I bet you can't wait!

Now on to four-wheelers; a topic I struggle with. We are going to Moab this weekend for some much needed R & R (mainly to get away from the black hole of a house that dominates our lives). Sean prepared a speech on how we need to actually enjoy ourselves from time to time even if it means spending money on something other than the new house. "Jen, we still need to LIVE!" was the final blow to our debate. I have mixed feelings...four-wheelers are dangerous, true. But man, are they fun too! I have never seen such unbridled joy on Connor's face. Gavin is a little more like his momma, cautious and slow, but loves the freedom only an ATV can bring. So, with apprehensive excitement, we are now the proud owners of a used dirt bike and two kid friendly four-wheelers. I will post about our amazing adventures in Moab when we return on Sunday.

Never were there two happier boys.

Names will never hurt me....

2008-04-26T09:53:00.006-06:00

I got this from Emily's blog and laughed so hard I had to try it out...in fact as I went through the questions, I plugged my own in and laughed even harder. Here we go!

1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car)
Pooper Pilot

2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie)
Rocky Road Macadamia Nut... (Doesn't sound too tough does it? I would get beat up.)

3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name)
J-Mat

4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal)
Green Chimpanzee

5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born)
Barbara Ogden

6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first)
Matje (kinda sounds like Padme's sister)

7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink)
The Brown Zero (sounds more like a stain)

8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers)
Wendell Reed (nice!)

9. STRIPPER NAME: (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy)
Very Sexy Swedish Fish (my personal favorite)

10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names)
Mom doesn't have a middle name, so "Jackson Lee" will have to do.

11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter)
Evans Eureka

12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower)
Christmas Lilly

13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”)
Pinapplejeanie

14. HIPPIE NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree)
Brownie Bamboo (Hey, brownies are good for breakfast! Not healthy, but good.)

15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (The + Your fave hobby/fave weather element + Tour)
The Reading Rainbow Tour ( So where's Lavar Burton when you need him?)

This was really fun. I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a little flavor in their blog. I was feeling the need for a little spice, and now I am content.

Mischief Maker

2008-04-19T18:42:00.004-06:00

Toddlers are fun. They leave you little presents all over the house. Today was a trash bag collage and an empty tissue box with tissues strewn all over the house. Fun little gifts, aren't they?

Someone once said that you'll wish for the day when you have to clean sticky fingerprints off of the walls, because you won't have them anymore. I don't know about that. I do understand the thought behind it, however. So, instead of getting upset that I have yet another mess to clean up today, I think I will just smile and give my little mischief maker an extra hug and kiss.

Man, he's a mischievous child! Just look at that face!
Notice what he's sitting next to....stuffed full of toilet paper.

Stone, Floods, and Fender-benders

2008-04-17T17:38:00.004-06:00

It has been a crazy week. First, the good news...we have stone on our house. It's fun to see it shaping into a "Home". I wasn't sure about the stone at first, but now I really like it. My only concern is that it's light. The paint color will now have to be darker than the stone, which I hope will look good in the end. I think it will. We shall see.

I am in love with my front door. I don't know what it is about mahogany, maybe the smell of it, but it makes me all emotional, like a beautiful piece of music does. I know...I am weird. Maybe I was a carpenter in a past life.

This is just a perspective shot of the entry. We are leveling the floors in order to lay the wood planks. Let me tell you how much I loath drywall dust right now. Curse you, drywall dust! It's impossible to vacuum up. Any ideas? Should I mop it up? I haven't a clue how to get rid of it.

And now the bad.....
The basement flooded. The quick change in weather last weekend melted a lot of the massive snow mounds still present in the window wells and back porch. I have been up to the new house every 2-3 hours to be on "flood-watch" and to siphon out the window wells (with a garden hose and some good old fashioned suction by mouth) into the basement drains. Let me tell ya, that water is gross. I don't even want to know what kind of microbes/mosquito larvae/creepy-crawlies I have ingested just to keep my basement dry. Our window wells have pulled away from the foundation because of the weight of the snow and the constant expanding/contracting. I am not quite sure what we can do about this, but it's a problem.

And today, someone rear-ended us on Washington Blvd. Even though our car shows little damage, we all feel like we've been through a wreck. My neck is killing me. The kids are rattled and complaining that their backs hurt, too. Thankfully Sean pushed the brakes in time to not damage the car in front of us, even though we did end up tapping her rear bumper.
I hate that feeling of being in a wreck. It's scary...I foresee nightmares from the kids tonight.

Anyway, that's the week in a nutshell. We are laying our wood floors on Saturday if anyone would like to come and learn/help/eat some pizza. Anyone is welcome. (We kinda need the help).

We have walls!

2008-03-31T10:37:00.003-06:00

Amazing but true...I never thought I'd see the day when our collection of kindling would begin to look like a house. Sheetrock is done! Stone is going on the outside of our house this week! Hooray!

Here's the latest look....

They are prepping the wall with tar paper and mortar.
There'd be stone to look at if it did not snow this weekend.
Dang snow! Nobody wants you here!

The entry way looking into the living room.

The office to your right....

The master bedroom, or as I like to call it my "oasis" from the kids.

This is the master bath so far...not much to look at right now,

but imagine "tranquil spa" and your almost there....

Is it possible? Could we actually move into this house in the summer!? Amazing, but true.

Look out! Here come's Spiderman...

2008-03-28T10:20:00.007-06:00

It is a funny phenomenon when you put a simple pair of Spiderman pajamas on a toddler. Suddenly, they have amazing spider powers that they have to show everyone in the immediate area. It was hilarious watching him jump around with his cute little body and diaper butt. It's amazing how well children at this age imitate others, (some things you wish they wouldn't imitate), but nonetheless...we love our little super-hero!

Are your spidey-senses tingling? Someone needs help!

Brennan is getting ready to jump and shoot his spidey-web,

at least I HOPE that's what he's doing in this shot.

(We may have to change a diaper instead.)

Looking Good, Boys!

2008-03-25T15:28:00.003-06:00

This Easter I let the boys pick out their own outfits. They went for the gusto and wanted suits, ties, new shoes, dress socks, and a crisp white shirt. Aren't they handsome?

We had a wonderful Easter. In the morning we went to church, then had an afternoon easter egg hunt with our good friends, and then a nice family dinner at Mom's. I think my favorite thing about Easter is the quality time spent with my family and extended family. (Eating really tasty food all day long isn't too bad either). I feel so incredibly lucky and blessed.

What a weird looking egg...oh, there's the egg, under the chew toy.

I miss the care-free life of a child.....

Hello my darling booger-factory.

Never A Dull Moment....

2008-03-20T10:01:00.004-06:00

Gavin keeps my life full of spontaneity. His naturally funny, sweet nature keeps our family from taking ourselves way too seriously. It's nice to know he'll be there to make me laugh after a long, hard day. Don't ever change, Gavin. By the way....what are you doing?

If you have a caption for this photo, please share with the group.

100% Spelling Test!

2008-03-17T09:48:00.005-06:00

I have to brag a little about Connor today. I've told a few people about Connor's struggle with all things wordy...(reading and spelling, a mild case of dyslexia), but I am so proud of him for bringing home a perfect score on his spelling test! It has surprised a few people to find out that Connor has a reading problem. I guess because he is so mechanically inclined and comprehends so much. For him reading has been a major struggle, and we are finally seeing him turn the corner! He's "getting it" and I love seeing that spark in his eyes when he can sit down and read a whole book by himself without help. We still are working on the b-d, d-b problem, and words like "was" looking like "saw"and vise versa. But for now, he's doing so much better and the smile has returned to his darling face.

I love you Connor, you smart cookie!
PS-Thank you Tash for the great picture.

Middle Name Tag

2008-03-12T15:27:00.006-06:00

I legally changed my middle name to my maiden last name (Scothern) when I became married, but most of my family still think of me as Jenny-B...at least my mother's side of the family, anyway. For entertainment purposes, I will use my legal middle name (I cannot possibly think of enough B-A-R-B-A-R-A words to describe me.) So here I go...

S- Sympathetic. I try my best to wear another person's shoes, so to speak. Not literally, that's kind of gross. I don't like feet. But that's a story for another day.

C- Content. I finally feel like I have everything I have always wanted. A loving family, a nice area to live in, and I am finally happy with myself, flaws and all. (Which is a pretty big deal for me.)

O- Oddball. I am a little strange and quirky. Some people don't get my sense of humor. But once you get to know me....I am still a little strange and quirky.

T- Terrified of spiders, roaches, (and big nasty bugs in general).

H- Hairy. It is a common Scothern trait. I pluck and wax...a lot.

E- Enthusiastic. When I get excited about something, there's no stopping me even if it kills me! Like building a house, or illustrating a children's book, or losing 9 pounds this week... to name a few.

R- Realistic. I try to do what I can and not beat myself up over the things I can't do. My motto is "Let It Go", unless I am really enthusiastic about it.

N- Neurotic about being on time. My house is usually a pig-sty, my kids are always dirty, but I am never late!!! If I am late, something is seriously wrong. Call the police.

I bet you are so excited about finding out all about me, huh? Your turn!

I love CAD programs...seriously.

2008-03-07T16:48:00.004-07:00

As a so-so artist, anything that has to do with floor plans, house design, architecture, and so on, I am completely hooked. I don't know if I could do it for a living, but it sure is a fun hobby. This week, we've gone back and forth our cabinet design for our kitchen. I am proud to say we are finally done after many, many re-designs. (The microwave was problematic!) Anyway...here is a glimpse of what our cabinets will hopefully look like once complete.
(Expand images to get the full effect).

Also, this is a rough-draft of what the front elevation might look like when complete.
We are going for a contemporary "Craftsman-Prairie" look, which does have a major Japanese influence... Frank Lloyd Wright was inspired by the Orient in the 1930's. Classic, but also edgy.
(Again, I apologize if this kind of thing just bores you all to tears).

Communication Frustration

2008-03-06T11:28:00.004-07:00

I am at a loss when it comes to communicating with Brennan. I am kicking myself for not teaching him sign language, because I thought it might delay speech. Well, here I sit with a baby who's speech is delayed anyway and our days have become an exercise in frustration.
For all of us.
Brennan understands everything. If I ask him to "grab his blanket and go lay down on the couch", he does it just as I have asked. But when I ask him what he wants, all I get is screaming and crying and throwing of objects. I guess because I cannot read his mind, he throws a tantrum of embarrassing proportions...especially when we are somewhere very quiet and in public. I try to narrow down what he might want with clear words and pointing at objects, but he seems to get more angry. Forget it if it's something he wants and cannot have! Wow, the fireworks this (demon) child can start!
The only consistent words I can get out of the kid are, "get out", "uh-oh", "a-choo!" (A game we play), and sometimes "juice". (These words all kind of sound the same). He grunts or yells at us, never calling us "mommy" or "daddy". I thought that it wasn't that big of a deal...he'll talk when he's ready. But now I am growing concerned at how it affects the whole family. To have a tantrum after every meal, play time, slight breeze gets really old really quick. I need help. Any advice out there? The tricks that worked on Connor and Gavin do not work on Brennan.

Another strange thing....Brennan's almost 2 and he has no back teeth. Just the 4 front top and 4 front bottom teeth that he's had for almost a year. Is that strange to anyone else with kids?

Old Women Rule!

2008-02-29T08:45:00.020-07:00

My friend sent me this email today, and I thought it was funny enough to share.

After being married for 44 years, I took a careful look at my wife one day and said, "Honey, 44 years ago we had a cheap apartment, a cheap car, we slept on a sofa-bed and watched a 10-inch black and white TV, but I got to sleep every night with a hot 25-year-old gal.

Now I have a $500,000 house, a $45,000 car, a king-size bed and a plasma screen TV, but I'm sleeping with a 65-year-old woman. It seems to me, you aren't holding up your end of things."

My wife is a very reasonable woman. She told me to go out and find myself a hot 25-year-old gal, and she would make sure that I would once again be living in a cheap apartment, driving a cheap car, sleeping on a sofa bed and watching a 10-inch black and white TV.

Take that, Mid-life crisis!

A new form of superglue!

2008-02-26T10:26:00.006-07:00

I hate mopping my floor. I'd rather change a hundred dirty diapers, or fold laundry (which I also hate) than mop my floor. "Why?" you may ask. "What could be so terribly hard about mopping your floor?" Cheerio-&-milk super glue! Once a milk soaked cheerio dries on a wood floor, it forms a bond like nothing I have ever seen. I am thinking about calling 3M (the post-it notes company) with my amazing discovery. Now granted, if I were a truly anal person and kept my floors clean after each meal, I would not run into my cheerio/milk nemesis. But in reality, whatever screams the loudest is what gets done around here.
Cheerios don't scream, as far as I can tell.Some other forms of glue are:
1)Crusty old spaghetti sauce.
2) Any kind of dehydrated juice.
3) Dried on egg.
4) Boogers. (They are plentiful in my house)
5) Ramen noodles, once stuck to a soft surface (like carpet) and stomped in nice and good.

As you can see, I am an adhesive expert now. Feel free to use any of these great "organic" glues whenever you are running low on the real stuff. They truly do work!
Now it's your turn.... any more "glues" you could add to my list?

Guppies, Guppies, Galore!

2008-02-22T09:29:00.004-07:00

Over the 4th of July, my boys won some goldfish and guppies out of a baby pool at a carnival. I thought they'd die off immediately, but I promised them I would get a tank and TRY to keep them alive. So off to Walmart we went, I bought the cheapest filter tank they had, and threw in some rocks. I bought three more tank mates for our 5 baby pool fish....two more guppies and an algae eater.
Fast forward 7 months. Of the original 5 baby pool fish, two are still alive and kickin'. Of course, it's the two guppies that survived. (Goldfish have a two week life-cycle, I swear). Anyway, when I bought the two extra guppy tank-mates, they must have been males because the female just had 30+ babies! I have never seen fish be "born" because I had no idea guppies give live birth.
It was quite exciting and educational. I think we'll be shopping for a bigger tank. Or...do any of you want some guppies? They live forever.

And the snow keeps on comin'!

2008-02-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

So I am a broken record, but nonetheless....this snowfall is crazy!!
I have never in my life seen snowfall like this. I remember deep snow every few years in Layton, but nothing like this. Wow. Here are some comparison shots from my last post on this lovely topic.

Out my front door, the snow is now eye-level.
The mail lady hates us, because we cannot keep our mailbox from being buried.

Where'd the fence go? Under 4 feet of snow! The Swingset is almost gone!

Barbecue, anyone?

Fun with Markers!

2008-01-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Connor is my little artist, and always has been.
Today he decided that Brennan and Gavin could do with a little "make-over" kitty-cat style. It's hard to punish Connor when you're laughing so hard tears are rolling down your face.
Gavin thought he looked so dang cool, strutting around with his ghastly blue cat face, it made me laugh even harder. He had snakes drawn down both arms, too.

When asked "What happened to Brennan", Connor innocently replied,
"He did that to himself, Mom." Wow! Really, Connor?
(P.S. That's the first time I have ever caught Connor lying).
Gotta love kids. They certainly keep you on your toes!

....and one day later, Brennan actually DID do this to himself!

(I am throwing the markers away now).

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2008-01-09T13:55:00.001-07:00

I wanted a white Christmas. I love snow. It makes the world look so clean and beautiful. I truly missed snow when we lived in Texas.
I couldn't wait to have seasons again.

That being said, what's the deal with the AMOUNT of snow we are getting? Is this some kind of "Welcome to Utah" initiation?? I am beginning to get a little cabin fever. The snow in my backyard is up to my hips. Driving in this is a little scary in my not-so-snowproof van. So, maybe this is just a Mountain Green thing, or is it this deep at your house, too?

Wow.

Can you see my mailbox? Me neither.

My backyard...yes that is a 4 foot tall fence. Crazy, huh?

I thought I would throw this one in of Brennan,
in obviously less snowy times.

If I tried taking his picture out there today,
he'd be buried up over his head.

Christmas Questions...(a.k.a Blog Mood Lifter!)

2007-12-19T13:27:00.000-07:00

My last post made me down and thankfully Em had just the solution!
"The Top 20 Questions of Christmas Favorites!"
(Or is it 22?) Anyway, here they are!

1. Gift Bags or Wrapping Paper?
Wrapping paper! I love to wrap after buying gifts.
2. Is your tree real or artificial?
Artificial. I love the look and smell of real trees,
but they make the pre-lit fake ones so easy to put up!
Partylite candles in Pine scent fool everyone.
3. When do you put up your tree?
Usually the day after Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take your tree down?
Um, I truthfully get around to it a week after New Years.
5. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot Chocolate, but my favorite is spiced apple cider.
6. What is the BEST gift you've ever received for Christmas?
There have been a few. A digital SLR camera...I still love it!
7. What is the WORST gift you've ever received for Christmas?
Granny panties that were 3 sizes too large.
They literally DID go up to my armpits.
8. Do you have a Nativity?
Not right now...but I do love the one Lydia sells w/Partylite.
9. Who do think is the easiest person to buy for?
Toddlers. They love the box the gift comes in too!
10. What is the most annoying thing about the Holidays?
Grumpy shoppers and traffic congestion.
11. Do you mail or e-mail your Christmas cards?
Call me old-fashioned, but I love sending and receiving
Christmas cards by snail-mail.
12. When do you start Christmas shopping?
Around Dec. 1st...payday.
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas Present?
Guilty. Not undesirable gifts, however.
14. What is your favorite Holiday food?
Pumpkin pie. My mom's sugar cookies are a close second.
15. Do you like clear or colored lights?
I prefer clear outside my house, and either looks cute inside.
If I trim a tree for the kids, it usually has colored lights.
16. What is your favorite Christmas TV show/Movie?
I like them all, except Charlie Brown...do they still play that?
17. Do you travel or stay home for the holidays?
We have always traveled, so I look forward to staying home!
18. What is your favorite thing to do over the holidays?
Be with family and friends. And eating way too much.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?
Who can't? I mean really...unless you are foreign.
20. Do you have an angel or a star on top of your tree?
Neither. I have a big red bow.
21. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
We always open one on Eve and the rest early Christmas morning.
22. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
"What Child Is This?" and "Silent Night". Oh! I almost forgot,
"Did Mary Know" but only if it is sung by the Rasmussen sisters.
The way they sing it has always given me chills.

PS- I would like to say that I love the fact we are going to have a very white Christmas. Maybe my honeymoon with the white stuff hasn't worn off yet, but I love the look of it.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow!

Not A Pleasant Thought...

2007-12-18T14:12:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be a little depressing. I was supposed to fly to Texas to visit my friend and have a great time celebrating my birthday with "just the girls". I did not know until the day before I left that my friend's mom passed away the night before from an unexpected heart complication. I'd tell you what it was, but it's a word I cannot possibly pronounce or spell. It was rare, I guess. I still went to be a support for my friend, who quite frankly is a mess. I cannot say the trip was fun. It was enlightening though.
What I learned was this...no matter what age you are, make sure you have a life insurance policy to cover your funeral expenses. A BASIC funeral costs $8,000-10,000. You heard me. That's for cremation in a plain pine box. If you want a nice funeral, you are looking at $20,000 or more. (Maybe Texas is more expensive, I don't know the costs in Utah.) Secondly, make sure your family and loved ones know what your wishes are after you die. Burial or Cremation? Memorial service or full-fledged funeral? Open or closed casket? Who gets your belongings/property/savings? If you have small children, who will raise them? Will you split them up? None of these things are pleasant to think about, but they sure are a burden on your family if you have never talked it over. I felt so bad for my friend because she had NO IDEA what her mother wanted. They didn't discuss it. Her death was very sudden and unexpected. Now my heartbroken friend is scrambling to make arrangements that she "thinks" her mom would like. And it rests all on her shoulders because her dad doesn't even know how to pay the bills. Her mom did everything. Everything but plan ahead. She was 62.
Death is hard enough on the living without all the decisions that unavoidably follow.
Just think about it.
Talk it over with someone.
Life is so short, so plan ahead.

*****Stepping off of soapbox******

Ski Lessons

2007-12-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Connor and Gavin got the opportunity this weekend to attend their first ski lesson. We enrolled them in 4 weekly 2-hour classes to help them learn to ski. Already after one lesson, they are doing fantastic (and they love it). Sean caught some of the highlights, and I wanted to share them.

Our first time down the hill....with Instructors Phil and Tim.

Go Gavin Go!

All smiles up to the top.

How do you get back up? This is tricky.

Hi Dad!

Connor took to skiing like a duck to water.

I don't even have to look where I am going!

This is fun! Riding up and skiing down.....

A pro. Connor skiing "Little Cat" by himself.

Yep, we're awesome.

New Look

2007-11-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone.

Just trying on a new background, thanks to inspiration from Emily's and Natalie's blogs. Like changing my hairstyle, this will probably take some getting used to. I may change my backgrounds more often, just to spice things up!
(If I change my hairstyle...watch out, y'all.)

Thanksgiving = Lazertag?

2007-11-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Lots of lovely words spring to mind when someone says "Thanksgiving".The beautiful fall weather, a delicious meal, spending quality time growing closer to loved ones.
I bet no one would say "LAZERTAG"!
That is the word that springs to mind this Thanksgiving. A bunch of nutty adults running around in the dark, bundled up, equipped with fashionable gear, and mocking smiles... trying to kill each other in new and exciting ways. Steve Caldwell (my bro-in-law) gets the "kills with skills" award. He hiked up in the rafters of the cabin we stayed in to taunt and completely decimate his fellow taggers. He actually did have a uni-bomber appearance which must have aided him greatly in his killing spree. All I can say is Wow. You guys are great.

Thanksgiving Lazertag Club
Back row: "Uni-bomber" Steve, Jen, Clayton, Mindy
Front row: Mike, Sean, Emily

P.S.- I think my "G" rated Blog site just became
"PG" with all the killing words.

Halloween Spooks A Plenty

2007-11-01T13:15:00.000-06:00

I love Halloween. As a kid, I loved to trick-or-treat until the pillow case was too heavy to carry, or until people gave us crabby looks when we'd ding the doorbell past 9:00. As an adult, I am having just as much fun carving pumpkins with my kids or watching them run from house to house with huge smiles on their painted faces. What's weird about my kids though, is they enjoy the Trick-or-Treating gathering rather than the gorging on candy until they are sick. I don't get it, but I am definitely not complaining.

Maybe it has something to do with the "Candy Fairy". A couple of years ago, we introduced the candy fairy. The more candy you leave in your sack at the end of your bed on Halloween night, the more she'll trade you for it. She's pretty generous if you give her ALL of your candy. Connor got a guitar from her last year because he did not eat a single piece! Amazing but true. Gavin has a little harder time giving up his goodies. (This year he didn't want to give her any) But, in the end, it works out well. Why do this? Why would I allow a strange fairy into my home to take away all my kids hard earned candy?? It's a blessing not to have over-sugared kids (and Mom) in the house for a week. I know this won't last long. Santa Claus, Candy Fairy, and the Tooth Fairy will all be extinct by next year. I am clinging to the last remaining imaginations of my children. And hey, they aren't complaining. They get a pretty sweet toy they've had their eye on. WIN-WIN!

We were lazy (and when I say "we" I mean "me") this year and recycled some costumes. After our trip to California last week, I just couldn't get excited about going to a picked over store looking for last-minute costumes. The kids looked cute anyway in their not-so-new costumes. Take a look.............

Arrgh, the treasure...

where did ye hide it, ye scurvy dog??

My darling blue-eyed pirate,
how I love your painted-on beard, and silly face.

Never grow up, Connor.

Superbaby saves the day! He is a master at
drooling on foes and blasting them
with toxic fumes from his diaper.

Brennan is my kryptonite.
Too...cute...can't...move!A fun shot for the scrapbook.
Pirates, Peter, and a cute witch to boot.

Framing, framing, framing!

2007-10-29T10:28:00.000-06:00

Okay, I totally warned you all. I get into this sort of thing, and sadly nothing else major is happening in my life, so you'll get to see every detail of this house being built whether you like it or not. Sure, I will throw the occasional picture of my kids or a rare moment worthy of posting, but the majority of the posts from here on out (until April, at least) will be ones just like this.
Framing! HOORAY! I never thought I would see the day when I could actually SEE what my house will look like. I have already gushed about our framing crew. They are awesome, of course. But we go on vacation for a few days and BAM! There's a house, framed that is.

Here's the front..porch, entry, garage, guest room...
click on these if you can't see 'em too well.

Back of house...dining, living, master bedroom windows.

Standing in the living room looking at the front door
(office to the left, stairs to the right)

Living room to the back porch.
There will be a big fireplace going in on the left there.
All windows and a french door! Pretty, pretty.

Dining room/ breakfast nook off of the kitchen

Kitchen (cabinets and bar will be here).
Pantry is straight ahead. Office to the right.

Master bedroom...ahhh, my retreat.

Guest bedroom. What a view!Just a couple of basement shots...this is the game room.Kitchen/dining area,
home theater through the right doorway.
I am printing these pages off and compiling a chronology book of our building adventures. I am sure there will be good and bad times, ups and downs. But overall, it is a fun process and is so exciting to see OUR home! Please put up with me for the next few months...I will be a little obsessed if you haven't picked up on that already. Sorry. :)

Disneyland fun!

2007-10-28T20:50:00.000-06:00

We took a little break during the kids' fall break at school. Where did we go? Disneyland, of course! We had an awesome time...the boys are really at the age where the wonder and magic are at an all time high. We had so much fun! BUT I am glad it is over. Three days at Disneyland is one day too many. We tagged along with Mindy and Steve and all their kids. It was a trip we will never forget. On with the show.... ( I apologize in advance for no pictures of my nieces and nephew. I only took pictures on the last day when we went our seperate ways. I did get one shot of dinner together, however).

Brennan and the binkie...
Man, I need to break him of his crutch. (Shudder to think).

"Hey! I don't think I can break this bridge...but let's find out!"

Connor's engineering tests prove successful.

Indiana Dad strikes again! (Connor took the photo I think.)

Happy baby's got his blanket, binkie, and no shoes! Hooray.

Brennan fought the nap for two days straight...

and finally gave in on the last day.

The bruise over his eye is from
doing battle with the coffee table.
It obviously won.

It's a small castle, after all.

Connor's attempt at being King of England...

...Gavin puts a little more effort into it.

The Mathis Train

Watch out, Toon cars drive themselves.

Back at the hotel....Brennan has
more fun playing in the cupboards.

Where's Connor?

Our last night at Disney. Rainforest Cafe was fun,

but if I never see another animatronic animal, pirate,
huge boulder rolling on top of me...that's just fine.
:)

Floor Joists and Snow

2007-10-18T11:36:00.000-06:00

This may end up being an incomplete post only because I did not get the chance to take all the photos I wanted to take today. Our framers are frantically working to get us "dried-in" (meaning all framed with a roof on) before winter really hits. Our basement is totally framed now, (pictures to follow soon), and they laid the floor joists today amidst frigid temperatures and soggy wood. Our framing contractor Randy is the greatest guy...so flexible to last minute changes, and has even come up with some neat solutions to unforeseen problems. (Not to mention, meticulous). He is dead-on with the measurements of our rooms (which we've measured ourselves to make sure) and every wall is perfectly plum. It's nice to see someone take such pride in their work. Sorry... straight walls just make me so happy!

Still not a whole lot to see from this angle, but the floor joists are down and ready for a floor.

We are supposed to be getting the back porch, basement steps and driveway this week as well.

The park in front of our house is sure coming along nicely. The sidewalks are poured, the gazebo is being built, and the playground will be going in soon. Also, it's fun to see some snowy peaks...as long as it stays on the peaks and not in my house. (Crossing fingers the weather will hold!)

30 Pounds Lost....Never to be Found!

2007-10-10T11:20:00.000-06:00

Today marks a very special occasion for me. Since the beginning of June, I have been working on losing some weight. I am embarrassed to say I topped the scale just shy of 200 pounds. (No, I do not have a before picture, unless one of you sneakily took a picture of me at Lydia's baby shower.)
Weight (gaining, losing, gaining more) has always been my nemesis in life...and something I never felt I had control of. Well, I have lost 30 pounds! That sounds like a lot doesn't it? Too bad it doesn't LOOK like a lot, especially since I have about 40 left to lose. But, I am happy and proud that I have gotten this far. I guess I am FINALLY figuring out (after 34 years) what food is. Food isn't the enemy I always thought it was. It is a friend who demands respect. Thankfully, it's finally clicking in my head...it's not so much what you eat, but at what TIME and HOW MUCH. No more nighttime ice cream binges. If I want a little treat, I have a small serving before 3 pm. If we eat out, I cut my portion in half or share with someone else. No eating after 7 pm, period. These little lifestyle changes are something I know I can stick with for the rest of my life. I don't dread working out like I used to, either. I have my days where I really don't want to go to the gym, and sometimes I don't. But, once I am there I wondered why I dreaded going in the first place. I feel alive, and AMAZING!
Sorry for the boring post. This is more for me than anyone else really....just trying to keep myself truckin' and pep talks (even to myself) are always good. I will be posting my photo soon... just got to get over my fear of the camera first. ;)

Concrete Done!

2007-09-17T11:40:00.000-06:00

So here is the latest on our house. Concrete floors? Check.
We even have the radiant floor heating installed,
so now on with the framing!
Things are going much slower than I anticipated,
but maybe that's just the way things are around here,
right Mindy? ;-) (Speaking of just that, Mindy needs
to post an update with new pics of her house too!)

Connor looking in to what will be the home theater
on the left and the kitchenette on the right.
Straight ahead is the recreation room. (Or until it is finished,
the "ride your bikes around in a circle until you get sick" room)

A better angle on the home theater,
the 2 car garage is the gravel to the left,

and the 3rd garage bay will suspend over the home theater.

Here are some of the bedrooms, cold storage areas in
the far front left and back right, and HVAC room where
all the red tubes are sticking up.
Ahhh, warm concrete floors will be nice.
My next big project? I am going to do some concrete staining
in the bathrooms, kitchenette and workout area.
Never done it before,but I am borrowing my builder's wife
who is supposedly really good at it.
Hopefully, the floors will turn out nice.

Dorks On Parade

2007-09-10T11:03:00.000-06:00

My kids (as you now well know), are quite creative. Today they came up with use #99 for an old bike tire. Sean was replacing his tires due to a major blowout involving a thorn patch (we counted over 60 holes in his front tire alone) and the kids had a blast coming up with uses for the discards.
I can only guess what people driving by must have thought seeing my two yahoos running around like this....I hope it gave them a good laugh. At any rate, it's good blackmail footage for when they are older.

They may be dorks, but they are still cute.
I love this picture of Connor.

Gavin's blue eyes and freckles are my favorite.
He refused to smile, though.

Brennan's a stinker, and unfortunately he inherited my teeth.
But to me he's the cutest darn baby in the world.
I love you, Bren-bren.

Gavin's Fun Day

2007-09-07T11:11:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe it was Gavin's 6th Birthday yesterday. I cannot believe he is big enough to ride on the school bus. When did he grow up? I don't know why I am so surprised (maybe because Gavin was my baby for such a long time) but his 6th birthday made me realize how fast my precious ones are growing up. It's not fair really. I heard a wise mother once say,
'You need a "pause button" when your children are young,
and a "fast forward button" when they are teenagers'.
Right now...today, pause please.
Gavin sure had a great day. Being my most social child, a small party just wouldn't do.
Thank you to all that came and celebrated his special day with us.
After all, who doesn't like to bowl and eat cake??

This is determination, people.

Happy Birthday to you!

Nice dinosaur.....Nice dinosaur......Chomp!

The hardest part about bowling with kids?
Waiting your turn.

Even the babies had fun! For the first 10 minutes....

Strike, Strike, Strike....

Good one, Cameron!

Aw, Kate is so cute. (Even if she is a little blurry.)

Spooky Cloud

2007-09-04T18:59:00.000-06:00

Living on the opposite side of the mountain range that I grew up next to has been a very cool experience. For one, the mountains are much prettier on this side...and two, the storms look really ominous when they roll in. Tonight's storm crept over the mountain like a giant wave. Crept is probably the wrong word for it. Maybe crashed over the mountain is more accurate. It was spooky to watch how fast those clouds were coming over the tops of the mountain. (I did a time lapse of only a few seconds between shots). Pictures truly don't do it justice.

Haircut Day

2007-08-06T10:52:00.000-06:00

So today is a day that has been long overdue.... Haircut day. There is a story behind it all, starting with how much Sean loves Connor's thick, beautiful hair. I have to admit, the boy has a gorgeous head of hair. Sean has begged me not to cut it too short, to let it grow and flow like a wheat field in the wind. However, it is difficult to keep clean because of how sweaty his head gets, (being a boy and all) it's constantly getting tangled. Gavin has to have the same hairstyle as Connor or it "just isn't fair", and Brennan's hair was looking shaggy and orphan-like.
A grumpy old man at the check-out at Target made a flippant statement..."Hi girls!" he said when he saw my boys. "We're boys!" Connor exclaimed indignantly as Gavin just gave the old man a dirty look. "Hmm, couldn't tell with all that long hair," grumpy old man retorted back. Granted, I don't usually care what some "old as dirt" man says about my boys, but it did make me realize that they could use a little freshening up.
Just to rule out homelessness.
So short story long I pulled out my shears, blew off the thick layer of dust, and made my boys look like they actually do have a mom that cares. My, my! They are handsome young fellers, after all.

Footprint

2007-07-31T09:39:00.001-06:00

Today we have our exterior and load bearing walls with concrete and rebar (sp?) which is fun because now we can see the actual footprint of our home. There is already a big OOPS however.....it looks as though we are a foot over the 10' easement on the left hand side of the house, which means they may have to tear it all down and move the whole house 1 foot to the right. If so, that will delay things by a couple of days, but it's better to get it right now, or else we will have major problems later. (And quite possibly an angry neighbor and a hefty fine.) I am expecting more OOPS in the future...all part of the process, I suppose. As long as they are fixed and don't delay us too much, it's ok. Anyway, it's cool to see where the walls are going to be.

Question.....

2007-07-30T10:28:00.001-06:00

I really enjoy posting pics and blurbs about the build process, because I am totally into that sort of thing. However, I realize others may not share my enthusiasm for a dirt hole, framing, radiant floor heating, etc. So, here is my question to all you blog masters out there.....is there a way to have sub-categories under your main blog page or do you need to start an entirely new blog and just link it from your parent blog site? I kind of wanted to have an "Under Construction" section for those of you who might want to see the progress of our house build. Any ideas?

Until then, you will just have to suffer and look at my dirt hole I am so incredibly proud of. Sorry!

Echo.....Echo....Echo........

BOYS LOVE BIG TOYS....(Sean wants to play in this thing so bad!)

We Have A Hole!

2007-07-27T09:44:00.000-06:00

You may not be excited about this post, because....well, it's a picture of a hole in the ground. To me, it's the most beautiful picture in the world! I cannot believe that after all the months of waiting we are finally, finally seeing the beginnings of our new home. The kids think that the big scoop is the coolest thing they have ever seen. We watched them dig for a few minutes, and it is quite amazing how much dirt those suckers can move in a small amount of time. It will take a couple more days to finish the dig, (we are only about a 1/3 of the way there) but I just got so dang excited I couldn't wait to post about it.

Heavy machinery & dirt mounds are a boy's dream come true.

You are looking at the beginnings of our basement

(game room, kitchenette, and home theater).

Our view....the park in front is being landscaped this week,
and as you can see there are a bunch of houses
popping up everywhere. It's fun to see our neighborhood growing.

Mositronic Force

2007-07-24T16:41:00.001-06:00

I have a knack for totally misinterpreting the lyrics of songs....sometimes to the point of being ridiculous. For instance, "Banana Yellow family, with a pocket full of shells" is none other than "Rally 'Round the Family, with a pocket full of shells" by Rage Against the Machine. It made sense to me....a pale family walking peacefully together collecting shells on the beach. (I never understood why he sounded so angry in the song). Sean heard me singing the song one day in the car and about died laughing. "What??? Banana Yellow Family??" He then explained what the song really meant...shells were gun shells...etc. Duh.

Well, we are all human. Sean was singing the song by Cake "Going the Distance" and misunderstood "Monster Truck Force" to be "Mositronic Force" he even wikipedia'd it wondering what kind of cool force that could possibly be. Much to my delight, there is no such thing. I have to admit however, it is a pretty cool word....deserving of some kind of force. And so, Sean's blog was born. Full of Sean's Mositronic goodness. Enjoy.

Joke of the Day...

2007-07-19T11:55:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I finally checked out BEARSKINRUG and I died laughing at some of this guy's talented pictures, comics and sketches. I envy those with drawing/ painting talent AND a quirky sense of humor. I for one was not blessed with both. I've tried....I am just not funny.
Well, I am funny, just not in a good way. Ask Sean.
I am probably not supposed to publish these, but today's comic was cute.

I thought this one was funny, too.
He certainly captured the crazy uncle in the closet
who ends up washing underwear.....a lot.

"Fours"

2007-07-12T12:05:00.000-06:00

So I am going to copy/respond to Mindy's blog about being tagged. I know, I wasn't exactly tagged, but it's fun listing some stuff about yourself from time to time. So here we go:

Four jobs I have had: (Just four?)
1) Packaging at Happijac from the time I was 12.
(It really helped out on those Cali. trips in High School).
2) Andy's Chuckwagon when I was 19. I was a waitress for 4 months, and it was awful. (It's gone now, thankfully. COSTCO took its place).
3) Images Hair Design (Layton)/ K Charles Salon (San Antonio)...probably the most fun, tiring, and creative jobs I have had. I really miss doing hair sometimes.
4) Ashford Meadows in Herndon, Virginia. The apartments we lived in. (Amazing bonuses, the most I have ever made at any job, and I was only a leasing agent.) I have worked since then, but it's not particularly note-worthy. Kids are my job now!

Four Movies I Love:
1) The Princess Bride (all time classic)
2) Return to Me
3) In America (foreign film)
4) Awakenings
There are many, many more movies I love. These ones just happened to make the list. I love Indy films, foreign films, thought-provoking films, and films that stay with you or make you appreciate life.

Four Places I have Lived:
1) San Antonio, TX
2) Herndon, VA (15 minutes from Washington, DC)
3) The Woodlands, TX (for the majority of our married life)
4) Mountain Green, UT! We absolutely love living here!

Four Favorite TV Shows:
This one is a toughy since we haven't had TV in our home now for almost 2 years....I know that probably makes us strange, but I don't miss it one bit. Besides, Netflix carries any TV show you could ever want, and no annoying commercials!
1) The Office
(yes, I am totally addicted and all caught up on the latest.)
2) Band of Brothers (HBO TV series)
3) Battlestar Galactica
(Don't Laugh! The new series is awesome,
and I hate sci-fi normally).
4) Extreme Makeover-Home Edition

Four Vacation Spots:
1) Cozumel, Mexico (twice on cruises)
2) Yellowstone National Park
3) Orlando, FL ("Islands of Adventure" theme park is the best hands-down)
4) South Padre Island, TX

Four Favorite Foods:
1) Thai Food...anything with curry and coconut milk, spicier the better.
2) Sushi (don't say "YUCK" it really is so delicious
if you are brave enough to try it.)
3) Authentic Mexican Food
4) Dessert (anything smothered in chocolate and caramel sauce)

Four Hobbies/ Interests:
1) Reading...love it. My ideal day is one where I get "lost" in a book, and read it cover to cover...rarely happens however. An uninterrupted nap is just as nice and equally as rare.
2) Hanging out with family/friends.
Usually good food is involved, too.
3) Exercising. Can't say I love running yet,
but I love the feeling after a good workout.
4) Anything outdoors-y.
Camping, swimming, boating, biking, hiking.

Four Places I'd Rather Be:
For the first time in a long time, I can truthfully say there is no where else I'd rather be. I really love it here in Mountain Green. I wouldn't mind a hot date with my husband, or a day at the spa getting pampered, but I can get those things here...anytime. I feel totally content in my life, and that's a great feeling!

I am throwing the "Fours" to you..... Emily, Lydia, Mike, Jen, Shanna, Natalie, etc. It's fun!

The Brennan Show

2007-06-24T20:46:00.000-06:00

What did you just say? Jenny updated her blog??
I know... amazing, but true.
To tell you the truth I haven't picked up my camera in a very long time, and haven't really had anything noteworthy to write about, either.
Sometimes you forget that for an almost-toddler, there are still "first" experiences every day. For instance, tonight Brennan experienced his first warm, gooey, homemade chocolate chip cookie. To say he enjoyed it would be the understatement of the year. I have never seen such satisfaction from a baby. I couldn't stop smiling, (and couldn't stop snapping pictures).

MMMMM.......CHOCOLATE!

Getting clean is even more fun than getting messy!

Splish-splash! Giggle, squeal!

This never gets old.

Hmm, I think we have another Connor on our hands.
Instead of pulling the shower knob up from the top,
Brennan pushes it up from the bottom of the spout.
Watch out light switches, wall outlets, and cabinet doors!

The "Fire Ant"

2007-05-27T14:42:00.001-06:00

Connor's imagination never ceases to amaze me. Today he was tinkering in the garage, and managed to find a screwdriver and some old pieces of metal strapping from the baby's broken changing table (the only major casualty of our move) and came up with this:

The "Fire Ant"

Yes, Connor came up with the name, too. (If you don't know what a real fire ant is, consider yourself lucky. They are a nasty little red ant with a big bite and leave behind a itchy, burning welt.) I thought the name was cute, and uncannily accurate of what they really look like. Does anyone else see some kind of engineering degree in his future like I do?
I Love you, Connor. Keep those gears in your head turning, buddy.

Our New Place...(At least for a year)

2007-05-23T14:38:00.000-06:00

We're here! Although it was a long drive...(and I mean long), we are getting settled in and are really enjoying our cute new home. Today is a beautiful, brisk day of 57 degrees, which is quite a bit warmer than yesterday's 34 degrees and snow flurries...yep, even in May you sometimes get a late frost here. Strange, because the day we moved in was 90 degrees. (Kinda reminds me of Dallas). Anyway, on with the show. I am making up for the lack of pictures in my previous posts.

This is our rental house which is cozy and very well kept.
It'll do nicely for the year we will stay here while our house is being built
just a couple of blocks away. Convenient.

You can't beat the view from our back porch. I just stand outside
and breathe in the fresh spring air and soak in the beauty.
(Small pictures truly don't do it justice. Please expand this one.)

Here is the view out the front/side of the house, standing on the driveway.
(Snow Basin ski resort is on that mountain in the distance).

Here are some interior shots of the kitchen and living room.
Yes, we are still moving in so don't mind the boxes and clutter.
I'm not crazy about the mint green faux painting in the kitchen,
but the rest of the house is really cute.
Just about the time we are all settled, it'll be time to move again!

Brennan was posing for for a split-second, and
I just happened to catch it even though it's a little blurry.

This is a side view of our house, and yes the backyard is huge.
It is going to be a nightmare to mow, but having a 1/2 acre backyard to
play and explore in has become a fun, dirty adventure for my boys.
They especially like the bumpy hills to the left of the yard for
riding their Jeep and "Junebuggies".

If you are wondering what Gavin is doing in this picture, he is playing catch with the neighbor's dogs only instead of a ball, he's throwing a dirt clod.
(The dogs don't seem to mind.)

The neighbor's two golden retrievers have been a bonus for the boys.
Connor and Gavin love playing fetch with them
and they are gentle and sweet. The perfect pets! They don't poop in my yard,
but anytime the kids want to play, they are right there!
I like those kinds of pets.

Sasha and Sophia are adjusting well,
and love the sliding door for birdwatching and napping.
What a tough life they have.

Because I know I am bad at sending thank you cards...........

Thank you to Jane and Terry for being so hospitable
and opening their home to us for a few days. We had fun staying with you.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped us move in.
Thanks Dad, for being there from the start.
I know our furniture isn't exactly light, so I appreciate all of your
backaches and burning muscles on our behalf.
Mindy and Lydia, thanks for all the food and babysitting, too.
Many hands certainly did make light work,
and made our move-in quick and overall pleasant.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Love you all.

Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere!

2007-04-30T08:56:00.000-06:00

What are the top three most stressful events a person can go through in life?

1. Death of a loved one.
2. Divorce.
3. Moving- (greater the distance, greater the stress.)

Thankfully, I haven't experienced # 1 recently, and I hope to never experience # 2. I am smack dab in the middle of # 3. Everything is lined up as far as the actual move goes, but I am up to my waist in boxes, piles of things to be packed, a trip to the DMV (license expired on my birthday and I am just now getting around to renewing it), and getting an oil change in my car for the long trip. I am very happy about it, don't get me wrong. But the distance of our move, with three young kids and two cats has me dreading the drive. Sean and I have two cars, so we must drive separate. I guess I shouldn't dread it because it only makes things worse, but I can't help it. We can either make it a 2 day trip (12 hours of driving per day) or a 3 day trip (8 hours a day). I am guessing with a baby it will be the latter choice. Fun, fun!

On a lighter note, Gavin is reading! I guess whatever big brother Connor does, Gavin has to do too! As Connor was doing his assigned reading last night (and struggling a bit) Gavin asked if he could try to read the book. Gavin read the book flawlessly. He sounded out every word, but did not need any help from me. Way to go, Gavin!
Connor is the "Star of the Week" in his class, so he gets to feel really special all week. This morning he brought an "Estimation Jar" full of marshmallows to school for all the kids to guess how many were in the jar. Then they all count them out. (How many? 29....shhhhhh.)
Brennan learned how to wave "bye-bye" and thinks it's a fun game to play with Connor and Gavin. He is trying to stand by himself without pulling up to something, and is letting go between objects like the coffee table and couch...I foresee a walker in a couple of weeks. He's getting to be such an independent little stinker! Babies grow up wayyyy too fast!

I haven't taken a picture of anything in weeks, so sorry no visuals. Wish us luck as we have a very long journey ahead of us in the weeks ahead.

Update to the Update!

2007-04-18T09:58:00.000-06:00

So just when you think you've experienced a lot, there's always more. While I was in Utah for my mom's wedding (which was lovely by the way), we received two offers on the house. Well, one was already on the table, but the offer really stunk. ($10,000 off our asking price, which was already very low, plus closing costs of $5k.) Um, no thank you. BUT the nice thing about that stinky offer was another family who loved our house found out that there was already an offer on the home and gave us a full price offer! WOO HOO! They are a nice looking Indian family (dots, not feathers) with three kids and are relocating for his job. I couldn't have asked for better news! Sorry for driving you all nuts with my OCD about the house selling and such.
Our builder called Sean on Sunday and told him there was a cute rental property just a block away from the entrance to the neighborhood where we will be building, so we hopped into Mindy's car and drove up to MG to take a look. We'll take it! It will do nicely for a temporary place and I feel fortunate that it became available at just the right time.
So......barring any unforeseen delays, the moving company will load up our stuff on May 10th. We close on May 11th, but decided to stay at Jane and Terry's for a few days so that the kids can finish their last 3 days of school. (The school year ends on May 16th.) We'd be missing all the fun parties and Connor's graduation, so a few extra days isn't that big of a deal. Sean will fly out to meet the movers, then fly home to drive one of our cars back. Whew! I am tired just writing about it. I am looking forward to it, however.
More good news this week! We finally have our floor plans finished! It's really hard to show them on my blog because of all the architectural lines and measurements, so I have attached a visio drawing that is an accurate representation. Just click on the image to expand it for better detail. Feedback is welcome, good or bad. Any suggestions? (Sorry Connor, no slide to your bedroom). I don't have an elevation picture, because it is being tweaked, but here is the rest:

Main Floor:
(Approx. 2279 sq. ft.)

Basement:
(Approx. 2416 sq. ft.)

Update

2007-04-10T16:18:00.000-06:00

Life has been an absolute tornado of activity since April Fool's Day. We listed with a Realtor on April 1st, and since then have averaged 2 to 3 showings a day! Yep, lots and lots of traffic is good... or so I thought. We haven't received any offers yet. Possibly because we are asking for pre-qualification from a mortgage lender before we will accept any potential buyers' offer... (a.k.a. no dough, no go!) Hopefully it will weed out any unwanted hassles, but there are still no guarantees. So I don't know if we've just had a bunch of tire-kickers or what, but I know the right people are out there somewhere!
Where are you, adorable young family who will love our home?
Or grandparents? Anyone? Bueller....Bueller?

You know what the best compliments have been from all the Realtors who have visited? That my "House shows like a model home"...."Immaculate condition"....."Beautifully decorated".... "Nicest house on the market for the price"..... Wow, MY house? That's quite a feat I must say, considering I am NOT a neat freak or wasn't until 10 days ago. I have to admit, it does look pretty darn good but I feel like the "plastic slipcovers on the furniture mom"! It'll be nice when my kids can actually play with their toys again, or I am not so worried about a Cheerio stuck to the kitchen floor. Got to keep positive....this is the week it will sell!!!! (Please let this be the week it sells!)
I am woozy and weary from all the cleaning products!

APRIL FOOL'S!

2007-04-01T20:14:00.000-06:00

We like to play jokes on April Fool's Day. Sean is the biggest prankster of all and it seems to have rubbed off on Connor and Gavin. For the past two years, the boys have schemed up their own little "jokes" to pull on me. Last year they put underwear on their heads, shoes on their hands, and shirts on their legs. I wish I could find the picture I took of them, but alas, no such luck.

This year, they came up with this after their baths. I have to give them credit for creativity. (Especially the tusks on Gavin.)

My life is never dull with three boys in the house.
(I am just grateful the joke didn't have any farts involved.)

" I'm An Old Cowhand....from the Rio Grande"

2007-03-26T12:56:00.000-06:00

I find it rather funny that my boys have grown up their whole lives in Texas and have never owned a cowboy hat, a belt buckle, or boots. Is that sac religious? Probably....after all, everybody here wears a cowboy hat, and drives a big ol' pick-up truck, including police officers. This week at school is "Western Week" where my boys get to dress up everyday, learn how to lasso, sit around a campfire, go on a pony ride, and hear stories from "Cowboy Bob". Fun huh? Wish I went to Kindergarten!
Connor and Gavin love their new duds. They were strutting around like peacocks this morning as proud as they could be. We ordered them some six shooters (cap guns) for a wild west shoot-out in the backyard. Did you know that nobody carries cap guns anymore? We had to order them online! We live in a sue-happy world, my friends. I am not terribly fond of guns, even toy guns, but c'mon! What boy didn't grow up with a cap gun? It's all about the sound it makes anyway. Just like fireworks!

Here's to my little buckaroos! I sure do love 'em.
(Of course, Brennan wanted in on the fun, too).

Somebody BUY ME! (er, my house)

2007-03-22T10:03:00.000-06:00

I said I would post pics of our house once we were "on the market". So here you go...if you are interested in taking a peek at our casa, visit: http://buyowner.com/HOU6325.html click on the 360 degree tour...it's really cool! We are switching from BuyOwner to a Realtor this weekend, so we will get put on the MLS and hopefully sell our cute lil' house. By the way, if you know anyone who is interested in a great home in a great neighborhood, for a great price, send 'em the link!

I booked my ticket today for Steve and Evie's wedding, so I will see all you Utah folks in a couple of weeks. I know it'll be fun to see everyone and get the opportunity to take a nice stroll around my dirt square in Mountain Green. Floor plans are coming along very nicely and we should have the final product this week. It's all so exciting, stressful, fun, tedious, creative, scary-all rolled into one. Connor drew a few things he'd like to see added to the floor plan, like a slide from the main floor to his room in the basement. And a big movie theater on the roof, so that everyone can watch movies with us. We were going to put in a laundry chute, but thought better of it because of what Connor and Gavin may end up using it for. "Help me Mommy...I am stuck!" coming from Brennan most likely. Once the floor plans are finished for the final time, I will let you see them if you want. I really enjoy looking at floor plans and model homes and stuff, so bear with me if that's all I talk about for a while. Next comes the really fun part...picking out all the design elements. I'd rather win a shopping spree to Lowe's or Home Depot than in a fancy clothing store any day! (Maybe because I don't have to stand in front of any mirrors!)

Spring Break = Boxing Camp?

2007-03-16T13:18:00.000-06:00

In Texas this week it is Spring Break, which means a whole lot of kids with a week off from school. I rely on school to keep my sanity so when Spring Break rolls around I better have something for the kids to do. With all that has been going on lately with the house(s), I failed to make proper arrangements until my neighbor suggested Boxing Camp. Huh? What's boxing camp? Honestly, I thought, "Yeah, I can see my kids learning the proper way to kill each other. No thanks." But I was assured it wasn't like that at all, (and it would be a great way for the kids to wear themselves out every day for a week)...THAT I can go for.
So we gave it a try. Connor and Gavin LOVED it! I have never seen my boys so happy to get hit by big flying balls and over-sized boxing gloves. Connor even got a bloody nose today and just kept on smiling. Gavin learned how to jump rope. They both learned how to jab, cross, left hook, and upper-cut. They feel like they are 10 feet tall every time they leave the boxing gym. Anything that helps build coordination and self-image, as well as respect for others and the rules, I am on board! (They sleep like the dead every night as well, so that has been a bonus).
Sadly, today was our last day but we did get some cool boxing glove key chains as a souvenir of our fun week. My boys earned those little golden gloves! Boxing is an exhausting sport!

Ready for action!

A couple of "shadow boxing" action scenes.
They loved Toni, their boxing coach.
She is a golden gloves fighter herself on the women's boxing circuit.
Girl boxers are tough cookies!

Pure joy only a jump rope can bring!

Why is it soooo much fun for boys to hit each other? I don't get it, but at least they are in the ring and having the time of their lives!
Connor is the winner!!

Dodge ball is a great game for cat-like reflexes.
Boxers play this game a lot! Who knew?

Curb Appeal (a.k.a. back-breaking work!)

2007-03-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Our last major project before putting the house on the market was adding some "curb appeal" to the massive mulch bed surrounding the front of our house. There are certain rules that have to be followed if you choose to live in The Woodlands, mainly you must keep 40% of your front yard natural.... meaning trees, mulch, stone, etc. When we moved in, we had a giant dirt pile and a few trees. We've planted flowers or shrubs each year, but that's about it. (For those of you who have been to our house, you'll know how much work we've done!) We originally intended on doing this to our front yard and 5 years later, we've finally accomplished it. Sad that it took us this long to do it, but hopefully it'll draw someone's eye to our house. It was some serious work! Sean and I have done nothing but haul rocks all day (for 3 days)....it wasn't fun, and I have taken many a hot bath and Advil at bedtime. BUT it is finally done and it turned out beautifully. We list our house this weekend, and hopefully with Spring Break going on next week in Texas, we will find a buyer! I just want to move already!!! With a little luck, we will be outta here very soon. So, here we go! No turning back now.

And here's a photo at dusk...complete with dramatic landscape lighting ...
everyone say "oooohhh...ahhhh".

Here's a picture of our living room.
We put wood floors down about a year ago and I love how easy they are to clean. I will never go back to a light carpet in a heavy traffic area! More pictures will be posted once the paint touch-ups are finished and we are taking the final pics for our online property listing.

"Maggs" the WonderDog!

2007-03-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this by saying I am NOT a dog person. Not that I am afraid of them, or dislike them, I have just never wanted to own one myself. I guess the hassle of cleaning up a lower life form's feces just doesn't sound all that appealing to me. True, I do have 2 cats, but the litter box is far less of a chore in my opinion than "Dog Bombs" all over the yard.
All of this being said, my opinion of dogs has changed since "Maggs" came along. (Or Margaret Sheridan Mathis, if you're into proper names). Maggs is an adorable Norfolk Terrier of proud lineage...(think lots of blue ribbons) and is just about the sweetest dog I have ever met in my life. She isn't hyper or yappy like most small dogs. In fact, she's quite mellow and plays gently with my hyper, yappy boys. I have never considered owning a dog until she came along. She belongs to my mom-in-law and has been Janie's "therapy dog" while recovering from her stroke last year. She works wonders! She truly is a wonder dog!

She's now fully grown and weighs maybe 12 pounds. (Janie, correct me if I am wrong). She is so compact and portable you can take her anywhere, but she's stocky and sturdy, too. I love this dog. She really is the perfect pet. So if any of you would consider a puppy from Maggs maybe in 6 months to a year, let us know. (I definitely want one of her puppies, maybe down the road a little when Brennan is older and we aren't in the middle of building a house.)

We love you, Maggie!
If anyone has cute pictures of Maggs, send 'em my way!

This is the only one I have of her.

Friday Ramblings on Saturday!

2007-03-03T16:14:00.000-07:00

I know, I know....today is technically Saturday, but my computer or Blogger or my internet connection was acting up yesterday. I know you all can't LIVE without my Friday Ramblings, so I apologize it's late! (For those of you who were holding your breath, it's okay to exhale now.)

Things are going well and chugging right along. It has been a gorgeous weekend so far, so we have been working out in the yard trying to get some "curb appeal" so we can put our house up on the market next Saturday. The weather has been rainy or cold the last few weekends, so this was a much needed and welcome change. The boys have been so incredibly sweet and helpful (almost to a fault) and are helping me plant some flowers tomorrow. They are my green thumbs!

We had three more birthday parties today, and I welcome a calm and peaceful day "digging in the dirt" tomorrow. I took some really cute pictures of the kids this week. Brennan is getting so big and pulling up to a standing position, so he may just decide to be my early walker...we shall see! I wouldn't mind if he crawled a little longer, 'cause once they start walking they never sit still again!

Here are just a few random pics for your viewing pleasure....................

Halloween only comes once a year, true. But in our house dress-up is an every day affair. Connor is a "lost boy" and is wearing one of Sean's costumes when he was a kid. Grandma Janie was nice enough to pass it down! I am sure there's a photo of Sean in this outfit somewhere!

Gavin is my knight in shining armor keeping the
"mean dragons with red eyes" far away from frightened mommy.
What would I do without my handsome rescuer?

Brennan's "gerber baby" submission.
He just keeps getting more and more cute!
But hey, I am his Mom...not so objective, am I?

HAPPY BABY! Squealing at the top of his lungs!

Mommy Test

2007-02-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

My friend emailed me this funny story today and I had to share it! Moms will get a kick out of this one.

I was out walking with my 4 year old son. He picked up something off the ground and started to put it in his mouth. I took the item away from him and I asked him not to do that.
"Why?" my son asked.
"Because it's been on the ground, and you don't know where it's been, it's dirty and probably has germs" I replied. At this my son looked at me with total admiration and asked,
"Mommy, how do you know all this stuff?"
"Uh," I was thinking quickly."All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mommy Test. You have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mommy."
We walked along in silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but he was evidently wondering about this new information.
"OH... I get it!" he beamed,
"So if you don't pass the test you have to be the Daddy."
"Exactly!" I replied with a big smile on my face.

Friday Ramblings (Vol. 2)

2007-02-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

Man, Friday comes quick! This may be a harder goal than I thought.
What is it about March and birthdays? It kinda reminds me of October in the Scothern family, but in my case it's worse because almost every kid in my neighborhood was born in early March. I have 7 birthday party invitations on my fridge right now, and they are all this Saturday and next Saturday. The bad thing is, they are all staggered just right so that I can't use the excuse of being at someone else's party. It's soooo unfair if we go to one child's birthday and not another's, so we are all going to be tired (and caked-out) two Saturdays in a row. Boy, are my kids going to be cranky from all that mayhem and sugar! Whoooopppiiieeeee!
See what you have to look forward to Lydia and Mike, Trigg and Lori?
Oh well....should be fun for the kids anyway.
I am trying to have a positive attitude...( I have a tendency to complain too much. Sorry....shutting up now.)

Unlike last week, I am feeling a little down and really overwhelmed. Can you tell? There is still so much to do to have the house ready to sell and I am getting worn out. My sweet hubby and kids picked up on that vibe today, and while I was at Walmart (shopping for 7 birthday presents) they cleaned the main floor of the house. I am so impressed! And I mean CLEANED! I felt so grateful after I walked in the door, I got a little misty. Thank you, my wonderful sweet husband and boys. I love you so much. There is nothing more attractive than a man with a broom in his hands, unless he's the creepy janitor from Junior High. Oh, and Harry Potter doesn't count either.

So see you next week. I promise I will have pictures in my post, and I will throw in some sort of juicy gossip for good discussion. Join me won't you?

Kid "Monster" Creations

2007-02-19T18:00:00.000-07:00

What if you took a child's scary drawing and had an adult "improve" it? What would it look like? Well, today you are in luck because I can show you EXACTLY what it would look like! Sean stumbled across these rendered interpretations today and I thought they were so darn cute, I had to share them.....Enjoy! (Click on the images to get the full effect).

Friday Ramblings

2007-02-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

I am going to start posting SOMETHING every Friday....we shall see if I am successful. It's funny, because I feel like I always have to have a slew of marvelous pictures or some sort of earth-shaking news in order to post on my blog.
What I have realized is:
1) My blog is a feeble attempt at journaling.
2) Life isn't always exciting.
( You'd think I would read my blog title from time to time.)

So here I go....What's going on today, right now, at this moment? I feel so happy today, and I cannot explain it. Maybe all the eating healthy and exercising I am doing is having a cumulative effect, maybe I am bi-polar and I am having a manic day...who knows? All I know is, I feel great. I have also lost 12 pounds in the last 4 weeks, so I am pretty happy about that, too.

Brennan cut two teeth this week (his first) and turns 9 months old today! Cute little bugger! I have been really bad about taking pictures of him lately, so now I have no excuse to snap some photos. Bad Mommy! Bad Mommy!!!
Connor is doing great in school and is realizing the wonderful world of reading...not big words, but sounding out C-A-T and D-O-G and understanding the words. We are a little behind in reading, but ahead in math. He makes the most amazing "experiments". I say "experiments" because he loves to understand how things work and tries to re-create them using common household things. (I don't have a straight hanger in the house, or any cooking utensils left in the drawer.) I can practically hear the gears turning in his head. Future rocket scientist? Maybe. He still wants to be a Vet. So, maybe he will make rocket-propelled pets. The sky is the limit.
Gavin is the sweetest big brother to Brennan. He will crawl in his crib in the morning on the weekends and entertain him so that I can get an extra 30 minutes of sleep. He is so affectionate and gentle, too. Connor is my do-er (which is extremely helpful when I need a fresh diaper), but Gavin is my lover. I have a feeling Brennan and Gavin will have a special bond. I am lucky to hear "Mom, I love you" at least 20 times a day and it is sincere every time he says it. I will sure miss that when he is a teenager.

The floor plans for our house in Mountain Green are being revised again. We are trying to get the most for our money, and building totally custom is so much more labor intensive than anything we have done before. Just moving an exterior wall 6 inches can save you hundreds of dollars, so we are going over our plan again and again to make sure it is what we want. It is darn near impossible (and expensive) to go back and make changes later. Once we have the final floor plan completed, I will post it. Our house here is going up for sale on March 1st. (Please let it sell quickly!) I don't know how I am going to keep it "show ready" clean, but I am looking forward to being over this hurdle.

Hello? Is anyone still awake? I am sorry this is so dry. Shopping lists are more exciting than this. Like I said...ramblings. They all can't be gems.

Until next Friday....

Mountain Green

2007-01-31T09:48:00.000-07:00

Super exciting news this week......I am spilling the beans! (Sorry Sean.) We put money down on a lot in Mountain Green! Our lot will only be a few houses down from Mindy and Steve. Nothing is set in stone yet, and there are still a lot of things to work out, (getting land and construction loans, etc.) But, if all goes well, we will be moving ahead with the build process and selling our house here in Texas in the next 3 months. I have attached a few pictures of our view from our neighborhood, along with a diagram of where our lot is located. We love Mountain Green. For those of you who have never been there, it is so peaceful and the pictures truly do not do it justice. Not to mention, we are thrilled to be moving to such a diverse recreational area. Snow skiing? 10 minutes away. Water-skiing? 10 minutes away. Biking and hiking? Just walk outside. Camping? Super close-by! Sean and I have adopted a more healthy lifestyle for our family to live by, and living in Mountain Green will greatly increase our chances of getting healthy and staying that way for life. (Topic for another blog entry....coming very soon.) Anyway, we are excited for this welcome (and needed) change in our lives. Moving across the country (both our family and a business) will be challenging, selling our house here in Texas will be challenging, building a home from scratch will be WAY challenging, but I think we are more than up to the challenge. Anything that is worthwhile in this life requires a little risk and a lot of work. I will be posting pictures of our floor plan we designed soon too! Wish us success!

Our lot (the middle blue one with a black star) is roughly 1/3 of an acre, right in front of a park, and has some absolutely breathtaking views from the front.
See how close we are to the Caldwells?

Weber canyon...on the other side is Layton and Hill AFB, where Sean and I met.

This angle is exactly how it'll look out our front windows.
The hill to the left is where the Golf course is going to be.

Looking at Snow Basin ski resort to the right of our lot.

This photo is looking at where all the houses will eventually be built.

Hello.....Is anybody out there?

2007-01-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

I am just curious...how many people actually see my blog? I sure enjoy making my blog pages, but I enjoy reading comments, too.
So, maybe I am just lonely today, maybe I am fishing for comments, maybe I'd like to feel like somebody actually cares enough to say
"Hey there, you're a fantastic __________. " Maybe....maybe not.

(So really what it all boils down to is this. If you like my blog,
LEAVE A COMMENT!)

Thanks. :)

Santa was goooood to me this year!

2007-01-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

So Sean and I vowed not to get each other Christmas gifts this year. Do you think he kept his side of the bargain? Nope. I should know better by now. He knows how much I am enjoying my camera and new adobe software for photo editing, so this is what he got me for Christmas. My very own laptop! And of course, he personalized it as well. How many moms actually have their kids on their computer?
I loved that. What a cool idea.

It's hard to tell scale from this picture, but this screen is enormous! I am amazed at how easy it is to see things you don't normally catch on a regular computer. It has some nice features for watching movies and listening to music, too. The whole media package. And, I can play SOLITAIRE, too! Somewhere Sean is reading this and saying "Noooooooooooo!"
Curse you, Solitaire!

Thank you, Sean. I love you.

Surprise Christmas Trip

2007-01-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would post a few fun pictures from our surprise Christmas trip to Utah. We had such a great time! We miss you all so much! I wish I would have taken more photos...
but that's the way it goes when your having fun.
Thank you all for making our trip so wonderful,
even when we sprang it on you at the last minute.

Dave and Misty's girls, Maddie (10) and Kennedy (6).
Sweet, adorable girls. (And of course my boys being silly!)

I loved these two pics of Brennan and Emily.
I have a feeling they will be the best of friends!

Precious! Babies are like cryptonite!

What are these kids watching? They all look so serious!
At least they don't mind sitting so close together.

What is it about hotels that kids love?
Maybe the new environment, or possibly
being allowed to jump on beds
and splash to their hearts content...who knows?

Winter is here! (At least for a day)

2006-12-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

I can finally say that winter has come to Houston. It's so nice to actually USE a hat on Brennan. Yesterday it was 39 degrees. Tomorrow's forecast? 74 degrees. Sigh.....it was nice while it lasted.

Brennan is doing so well. I don't know if you can tell with the hat on, but he's turning strawberry blonde. He's sitting all by himself, pulling himself up in his crib, and even clearly said "HI DAD!" to Sean yesterday. I am sure it was by accident, but it was fun to hear actual words coming from that cute pudgy face. My little guy is growing up so fast, already 7 months old. Where's the "pause" button on life? I'd be pressing it all the time if there was one.

My Newest Niece

2006-11-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

This is my newest niece, Tabitha. I love newborn babies, and having a neice is so much fun since we are a little short on girls on the Mathis side of the family. She was born on Halloween and weighed a little under 6 pounds. What a cute lil' peanut! I forget how TINY newborns can be. Both Connor and Gavin were under 6 pounds...funny how I don't remember them ever being this small!

In comparison, here is my brute baby. He's topping the scales at 19 pounds. I cannot believe how big he is and he's just turned 6 months! He's so dang chunky and delicious.
What would we ever do without you, Brennan?

(Sleeping babies are so sweet!)
Lori and Trigg are in the process of moving from San Diego to San Antonio. Lori will be staying at my inlaws until Trigg can find a place to live. Having to move and just having a baby...wow. You guys are awesome. Not everyone can do that and remain sane.

I miss childhood. I remember (vaguely) how to turn an ordinary box into an extraordinary toy. My boys had lots of fun playing in the "peanuts" today. One would hide and scare the other (or me) and then laugh until they had tears in their eyes.
Anyone want a couple of nuts shipped to them for Christmas?

I LOVE Adobe Elements!

2006-11-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

I have found a new passion and it's name is Adobe Photoshop Elements!
I cannot believe how easy and fun it is to create really cool effects and scrapbooking pages, greeting cards, etc. with this program. I was just playing around a little bit today for about 45 minutes and cranked out 8 or 9 sample pages. It was sooo easy. I dread scrapbooking. I love the effect, but it is so terribly time consuming, (and expensive) so I have purposely neglected my kid's pictures after the first year of their lives. Not anymore! WOW. You don't get the same texture and cute 3D effect of real scrapbooking, but it takes a FRACTION of the time and looks just as cute in my humble opinion. (These pages are simple, no graphics. The program has a ton, but I try to highlight the photo without clutter. Not that there is anything wrong with that! :) ) I bought my copy of elements for $90. What a bargain. Best program ever!
Ok, Ok, I will stop talking endlessly...take a look for yourself.
(Mindy, I hope it's ok I used a sample photo of Emily. She is just so darn sweet in this picture.)

Texas Snow

2006-11-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's funny how I miss little things like building a snowman.
My kids have only seen snow a handful of times and wonder why it doesn't snow here in Southeast Texas.

My friend Audra came up with a solution to the snowman dilemma. We went down to Galveston yesterday, and spent the day at the beach. Audra and her family thought up the idea of a "Texas Christmas" card and asked me to take her family's picture in front of a sand snowman. It was a brisk 64 degrees and windy, but otherwise beautiful. The kids had a blast building a snowless snowman.

Today we are a little sunburned, but it was worth it.
Here is the fruit of our labor.....

Connor and Gavin barefoot in the sand. I tried to get a picture of all three of my boys, but Brennan was NOT cooperating. We sure had fun making our sandyman. (Hidden pictures...do you see the kite surfer?
The oil rig platform?)

This is Audra and her family. She has been one of my dearest friends in Texas. They are moving to Highland Park in Denver, Colorado at the end of the month. Lucky!
They'll get to make real snowmen very soon!

These photos are rough drafts of her Christmas cards...
Cammie and Kayla looking so cute!

Something (Not So) Wonderful

2006-11-03T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the big surprise has become a big disappointment.
A company approached Sean and wanted to partner with him, but the company is in Buffalo, NY meaning we'd have to move there. Sean said no-can-do. Then there were talks of a buy-out of Sean's software company instead. A very lucrative buy-out...one million dollars or close to that. So, I got a little excited, naturally. The big meeting was today, and things did not go as we hoped. The company did not come remotely close to the original figure. The nerve!
What does this mean for us? Not much, really. Sean's business is doing extremely well. We will be just fine without a buy-out, in fact it is probably the smarter thing to do in the long run. The only thing it affects is our move time line to Colorado. Instead of moving whenever we want to, we now have to wait several more months until the software project Sean is currently working on is complete....no big deal in the grand scheme of things.
Thank you all for your thoughts and good wishes on our behalf. Things always work out the way they are suppose to, so it's all good!
Next time I will keep my big trap shut so that I don't make you all suffer! Sorry. :)

Trick or Treat!

2006-11-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. I guess it's because I love to dress up and pretend to be something or someone else for a day. Thankfully, I married a very enthusiastic guy who enjoys doing the same. My kids are crazy about Halloween too! Not for the candy, though. They love to dress up and strut their stuff. Here are a few highlights of this year.....
May the force be with you, Connor jedi master!

Gavin is Jack Sparrow with a babyface.

We've come to take your candy! Mu-wah-ha-ha!

Sean ready to ride his Harley...he looks so tough with that black goatee. Hilarious!

Jenny Jr. dressed up as a pumpkin...Brennan wins the cutest costume award!

Connor and Gavin's School

2006-10-19T09:13:00.000-06:00

Connor and Gavin go to a school that is quite different from most schools. It is a Waldorf school, which to some would seem very alternative, "tree-hugger" hippie, non-traditional, etc.

In reality the Waldorf philosophy is geared to letting kids be kids. My boys learn by doing, instead of staring at a worksheet or a blackboard. For instance, they act out plays with letters as the main characters, and when learning fractions, they bake bread and measure out ingredients. They are constantly learning through play, which is both fun and mentally stimulating. I don't know what it's like to have a girl, but boys are extremely active at this age. In fact, sitting still for hours on end is absolute torture! They get to jump in mud puddles and watch baby ducklings hatch. They wash dishes, knit, grow a garden, learn table etiquette, have field trips to dairy farms, learn about other cultures and people, and even learn German and Spanish. We feel like we've chosen the right school for our boys at this stage of their lives. What they lack in classical education now, they will more than make up for in a couple of years. The school's slogan is, "Education is a journey, not a race." The children even stay with the same class and teacher from 1st through 8th grade. Great friendships are formed...kinda like your family away from your family. The teachers must go through a rigorous training program to be "certified" in the Waldorf methodology....some serious science and psychology involved! Way cool.
We feel that the goal of primary education is not to simply teach them, but to instill a love of learning that will serve them for their entire life. A school cannot possibly teach a child everything he or she will need to know in life, so the only hope is for a child to have the ability as well as the desire to learn on their own. This is what we hope to give our children.

Gavin playing with classmates on a rainy day in the garden.

Gavin found a baby frog!

Hurricanes,Tornados, and Floods...Oh My!

2006-10-17T11:06:00.000-06:00

Ok, let me start off by saying that Texas has some of the sweetest, most friendly people on the earth. There are always news stories of some good samaritan rescuing a family from flood waters or a burning building. Texas however, I can do without. Maybe I am generalizing the WHOLE state (and it's a big ol' state) and I should say the gulf of Texas I can do without. You see, it's hurricane season. We get pummeled by torrential rains, hail, floods, and sometimes tornados and hurricanes. For example, it rained atleast 10 inches in less than 24 hours at my house yesterday.
Recently, they have posted signs right outside the entrance to my neighborhood on I-45.
"Evacuation Contraflow" emergency signs.
My initial response was that of panic. No kidding, my heart rate doubled and I felt very anxious. Flashbacks of Rita's nightmare evacuation hit me hard. My kids ask me every time it rains really hard if there is a tornado or hurricane coming.
If it's scary for me, it has to be terrifying for them.
I don't mean to come across as negative. I tend to stress out easily. I honestly admire anyone who lives in the gulf states like Louisiana or Florida, and has to endure hurricane after hurricane, year after year. It was stressful enough just living with the threat of a hurricane.

One positive of all the rain? My grass and flowers look amazing!
Today is beautiful...all scrubbed fresh from the rain.
So there! I have said my peace.

I guess this is a bee, we grow strange bugs down south.
(Don't get me started on the bugs down here.)

This one has hidden pictures...
can you see a ladybug? A moth?
(Expand photo to see them.)

Mystery Game!

2006-10-14T16:26:00.000-06:00

I thought it might be fun to play "Guess What's On Brennan's Face" Mystery Game!
You might be asking, "Hey, how do you play?" Well it's simple...guess what's on Brennan's face! The winner gets a brand-new car! (Hotwheels or Matchbox). You also get the honor of winning which is enough for some people.

So, for the car.......What's on Brennan's face? (Hint: It's a food. Not something found in a diaper).

We adore Brennan, if you can't tell. He has brought so much joy to our family. He's definately a morning person and will wake up giggling and squealing. He is a master spit-bubble blower; going for a world record I suppose. It's funny how I don't remember a lot of Connor and Gavin's babyhood...thank goodness for video cameras because my memory stinks! I am really trying to "soak it in" with Brennan since he is my last baby. I will stare at him sleeping and tell myself over and over, "Never forget this!" I hope I never do! :)

My Three Sons

2006-10-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever expect to be the mother of three boys. If anything, I thought I'd have all girls. Boys are what I was given and I could not be happier. My boys are very rambunctious, smelly, funny, and surprisingly tender and sweet.
They are the light of my life.

Connor is 6. Handsome boy! He is my mechanic. If you ever need anything fixed, he's your man. He is also an incredible driver! Just ask him to drive you around on the golf cart sometime. He is also very sweet. He loves to give foot rubs, and help out with housework. He loves to sing and paint and ride his "June Buggy" around the cul-de-sac. Some lucky girl is going to win the jackpot of a husband someday.

Gavin is 5. He is a cutie. As you can tell from this photo, he is my comedian. He loves to make people laugh. He will carry on a conversation with just about anyone who will listen. He knows the make and model of every car on the road. (Enthusiast like Dad.)
He loves being a big brother and is extremely affectionate. He's the kid that picks me flowers or tells me "You look beautiful Mom".
What a charmer!

Last but not least is Brennan. He's almost 5 months old. It's hard to say what his personality is like quite yet, but he is the sweetest baby on the planet. Anyone can make him smile. He enjoys being a part of the crowd, and gets frustrated if everyone leaves him out. I sense he will be chasing after his big brothers very soon. He is a wonderful "Caboose" to our family and we are blessed to have him in our lives.

A Good Idea Gone Terribly Wrong....

2006-10-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am not the most graceful person on the planet. I tend to stick my foot in my mouth, or stub my toe on a daily basis. For instance, this week was the "Great Peanut Butter Blunder". I am really trying to cut sugar in my kids' diets, so I have switched to natural peanut butter, whole grains, organic milk, etc. The problem with natural PB is that it has about an inch of oil on top that needs to be mixed in order to spread properly. I have drained the oil before and it was like spreading wet sand on bread. I hate mixing peanut butter by hand...it requires a whole lot of muscle, so I thought..."Why not use my hand mixer?" Sounded like a good idea at the time.
As I stuck the mixer into the peanut butter, a little bit of the oil splashed out over the rim and got the side of the jar a little slippery. When I turned on the mixer, the mayhem began. The jar was so slippery it just whipped around in my hand as peanut butter and oil was flung 10 feet in every direction. When I tried to turn it off, I accidentally bumped into the jar of strawberry jam, sending it flying and then crashing to the tile floor. (Imagine sticky glass explosion all over the floor).
Every inch of my kitchen was covered in oily, sticky, sharp goo.
Connor and Gavin cautiously looked at me; I am sure they expected a string of curse words out of me, but instead I just started laughing....almost to the point of tears. I can only guess how totally hilarious the scene must have looked to anyone who saw it. The kids started laughing too, and even helped clean up the mess. And it was a MESS! I am still finding globs of peanut butter on the blinds.
Lesson learned: PB and mixers are not friends.
I went and bought a jar of JIF.

Sasha & Sophia

2006-10-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

We are lucky to have some of the sweetest cats on the planet...not to mention the prettiest. Even if you are not a cat person, you'd love these cats. We bought Sasha and Sophia from a breeder in Dallas who has on average about 20 cats at any given time, mostly show-quality full bred Silver Tabbies. She does however sell her pet quality cats to loving homes. We bought Sasha last year and were so happy with her that we recently got Sophia. Both cats come when called, can fetch an object, greet you at the door, lick your hand when you pet them, and play well with the kids and eachother (kinda like dogs). They are very athletic and can jump really high! Some can even be trained to do tricks. We really haven't done much on training them, because they are so much fun already. Sophia is a little firecracker...so funny, speeeedy, and curious. She nearly trips you every morning because she tries to lay down on your feet. When she meows you can barely hear it... almost like she has a broken squeaker. Sasha is quiet and sweet, greets you every morning with a string of meows that end in a question mark, rolls over on her back to have her belly rubbed (another dog-like trait) and loves to eat a lot. Sasha loves playing with Sophia and will endure anything the boys can dish out. She is awesome. Well enough chatter, on with the pictures.
After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! :)

Sasha sitting pretty in the sun.

The girls look sleepy, time for a catnap.

Sophia can beat you every time in a staring contest!

Sophia yawning....she's lost almost all of her baby teeth.

A good picture of Sophia's markings. Ain't she sweet?
My sister-in-law Jenny Mathis (yes, there are two of us) thinks these cats look like a black and white watermelon. Can you see it?

My Budding Artist

2006-10-06T13:27:00.001-06:00

My oldest son Connor has become quite the budding artist. I am really impressed with his watercolor talents, seeing as watercolor is by far the hardest medium to work with in my opinion. I think they turned out beautifully! Go Connor!

My personal Favorite is this one called "Baby". Connor painted this one for me when I was days away from delivering my youngest son, Brennan. This was his interpretation of the baby still in the womb.

"Autumn Wind"

"Butterfly"