Happy Birthday Sierra!

Yes, this sister belongs to me and she turns 20 years old on this very day. And I rejoice.

Happy Holidays

To those of you who used to check my blog daily, but don’t anymore because I am LAME at posting, and if I do post, it's usually just a bunch of pictures, and let’s face it, pictures are sometimes kind of LAME, and my guess is, if you were checking my blog daily, then it wasn’t for my pictures, but for my thoughts and insights, and the countless times I immortalized my LAMEness through the written word...

I am sorry, but I am too busy writing a book to a good blogger.

I had to choose, and I promise, choosing was tedious. I felt guilty and stressed about it for weeks. And I miss it so. But choosing the book was the right decision… for now.

So, lame...I know, but here’s some pictures of how I am celebrating the holiday season:

Eating lots of this stuff... but with hot fudge drizzled over the top.

Kissing the Koala.

Hanging out with my best buddies! I love these people!

Wearing sensationally cute sweaters.

Seeing the lights at Temple Square.
Trying desperately to get Doug to smile for pictures.

Succeeding.


Having people tell me how cute my kids are.

Agreeing.

Drinking hot apple cider... really hot apple cider.

Decorating my house.

Enjoying Christmas in HD.

Doug's Best Buddies

Family Photo Shoot

Thanks Maddie for these wonderful pictures!

Someone Was Up Way Past her Bed Time

Have you seen Twilight yet? I have. Probably before you. But I won't rub it in.

Lucky for me, Candis, even though I am on Team Jacob, let me crash her super-cool vampire party on Thursday night. We ate mushroom ravioli and coke (just like Bella on she and Edward's first date), watched Twilight trailers, made Twilight tee-shirts and then went to the midnight showing of the movie. It was all incredibly dorky and right up my alley.

Did I mention that I was there with one of my best best friends in the whole world, Katie. She and I even got to chill with Jacob and Edward before the show. Edward wanted to ditch Bella for me but I told him that I was happily married and to get his pervert fangs off of me.

So, don't hate me, but I only 75% liked the books. I had moments of extreme giddiness while reading, like when Edward saved Bella from the sliding car (mmmm), but all in all, I kept thinking that Edward was a little possessive--even to the point of abusive.

And don't get me started on the last book. The cover should have looked more like this:

StephMey never said the anatomically-correct words, but boy-howdy did you ever get a clear picture of what was going on with those little bodies of theirs. It was a romance novel. Fine for me, but I was a little embarrassed about the twelve year-old-girls reading it. And imprinting on babies.... hmmm... a little icky.

But we're not here to talk about the book. The movie.

Here's the things I liked:

-The make-out scene. One of the best I've ever seen. I loved it. So did the forty-year-old woman sitting next to me. She went into heat every time Edward came on screen. There was panting, the curling of toes, and even moans. I felt very uncomfortable being next to her.

-I love the Cullen's house. I wanted it for my own.

-Bella did an excellent job. She was EXACTLY how I saw her in my head. That has never happened to me before.

-Forks was beautiful.

-I finally agreed about the casting of Edward in the prom scene. It was ROMANTIC and lovely.

The things I hated and wanted dead:

-Was is just me or did the movie seem a little Lifetime Original made-for-TV movie? Low budget. It could have been incredible if more money would have gone into the special-effects.

-The music. Gag me.

-Cullens who? Little to no development of extremely crucial and interesting characters. Also, they were not all that beautiful. In real-life, yes, but in the movie they were pasty and weird and I didn't like them at all.

So I give the movie a C.

What do you give it? What did you love? Hate? Want dead?

I'm Living Proof

I am living proof that a person can change.

Today there was a spider in my house.

I did not scream or jump. I did not cry and make Ryan come home from work to dispose of it. Nor did I pull our the vacuum cleaner, like I usually do if Ryan cannot be summoned.

Instead, I watched as the spider crawled into my laundry hamper and thought to myself "Hmmm, I bet he and I will probably meet up again."

And I felt a little proud of myself.

Two. He's Two.

I made the cub a sandwich.

The sandwich was the low-brow of all sandwiches.

The outer core of the sandwich was constructed from what one usually feeds the ducks. Wonderbread.

And on the sandwich was placed things I once swore I would never feed my child. Bologna. Kraft singles.

I would have even added a squeeze of miracle whip, but there are just some lines one does not cross.

...and STILL he did not eat.

But he did flush Thomas the Train down the potty.

How I wish...

Why can’t we be more loving? Accepting of others. Tolerant.

I am sad about the hatred that Proposition eight has caused. Towards Mormons. Towards homosexuals. Towards people.

I support Proposition Eight, not because I hate gay people or because I don’t want them to be happy. I support Proposition Eight because I believe that Heavenly Father’s plan for us includes a man and a wife and children. He made our bodies biologically complimentary for that purpose. He made different (subtle and sometimes no so subtle) temperaments between genders to strengthen and uplift one another. A legal union between a man and woman is so deeply sacred and wonderful and I believe correct.

That being said, I believe that homosexuals are children of God just like I am. That they are of equal worth as me, that they are equally loved by God. I don’t agree that the physical act of homosexuality is okay, but I cannot cast a stone when I myself am wrought with weaknesses and imperfections. I do feel deeply for those who find themselves with same-gender attraction. What a difficult path. What difficult decisions. I can understand the desire to be accepted by the world. To be loved by a partner for always and forever. Everyone wants that.

I cringe at the bigotry I see on both ends of the stick. Why is it all of the sudden Mormons vs. Gays? Why can’t some people support the traditional institution of marriage without speaking unkindly of God’s beloved children? Why can’t the world understand that even though The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can’t support gay marriage we are not trying to be bigots, we are just staying true to our religious beliefs?

Oh, it is so wildly complicated and I doubt any understanding or agreement will ever be reached. I just hope that we can be nicer to each other, that we can serve each other, and that instead of judging one another, we can look at ourselves and become our best persons possible. That’s what I hope.

Halloween Looks Better in Red Lipstick

Cooookie Monster!
Little Red Riding Hood.



My skeleton love.

The Nana Fairy.
A vixen.

Our family on the best Halloween yet.

Trick-or-treat.

What the #@*$! (What Doug says when someone gives him chicken broth instead of candy.)
What is "delayed gratification?"
Ohhhh! I love Halloween!

Pants on Fire

Need a good laugh. Check this girl out.

Corn Bellies

This year, Thanksgiving Point had a corn maze the shape of David Archuletta. How could we not go? Ryan took the day off work and we packed the cubs for a day of festive fun.


Outside the maze was a fun little festival with TONS of great Halloween activities for the cubs.

There was this giant trampoline dome. The cub was in heaven.



He fell down a lot, but that's how he rolls.

The Koala loved jumping too!


The cow ride.

The "lawsuit waiting to happen" slide. It was fast.

Faster than we had anticipated.

Besides sore bums, we all survived.

The Koala.

Farmer Doug.
Farmer Dad.