My Nana

The last week was a particularly long one for me.

My Nana has been in perfect health all her life and then suddenly took a turn for the worse after a visit to her Dr. for some back pain. She suffered for about a week, so getting the call yesterday that she had passed peacefully in the night, surrounded by her daughters, was a relief. It all happened so suddenly, I'm still having trouble wrapping my brain around it.

I told Tim that she had passed away and he tearfully told me that if there was a word he could describe her with, it would be gentle. I've been remembering my Nana and my Papa (he passed away about 14 years ago) and came up with some words of my own...

Fragrant...there are particular smells that make me think of my Nana. Avon's Dew Kiss lip balm. She always had some in her purse, along with Trident original gum, certs and mentos. One of her favorite perfumes was Chantilly, and to this day, every time I smell it, I think of her.

Soft...my Nana always had the softest skin.

Generous...it seems that every time I saw her, she had a gift for me. When she'd come visit us when I was a kid she always had presents. I remember getting lots of Hello Kitty things. The lip balm reminds me of her. She also gave me an 18" Snoopy, Belle and Woodstock doll. I loved those things and she was always sending me clothes for them to play with. When I got older I would recieve money in the mail "just because". She always had her grandchildren in mind.

Silly...my Nana seriously had a silly sense of humor. She would often use the phrase "Oh Yippie!" when she was being sarcastic. She had a funny look she'd get on her face when she was being mischevious that always made me giggle. She'd get excited at the grocery store like a little kid when she saw something new she wanted to try. We were at the store one time and she saw these chips that had cinnamon and sugar on them. She said to me, "Oooo Kerri, don't you think we should try these?" Then when we got home she ate them up and was so excited. She was a funny lady.

Another time, at my Papa's funeral, we were at her house remembering Papa and having a good time when she backed into a cake that we were deliciously partaking of. It was hilarious! She had frosting on her little bum that we had to scrape off with a knife. After that, she started referring to herself as "sweetcheeks". Ohhh my goodness she made me laugh!

Thoughtful...she was always prepared when we came to visit. She had cereral in mini boxes, boxed juice in her little juice holder, snacks that we liked, candy in the candy dish. She would get up early to make breakfast and make toast with bread my Papa made. She had a clip that she would use to get the toast out of the toaster oven and little glasses for the juice. She had toys for us to play with and lots of blankets.

Cook...she was a wonderful cook. She made the most delicious filled cookies and every Christmas she would bring them all the way from California. Once she found a new recipe that she liked, she'd cook it over and over and over. One of her favorite's was my cousin Tami's recipe: Mushy Chicken. EVERY time Granty and I took the kids to visit, she made that for dinner and it was delicious!

Intuitive...my Nana and I wrote a lot of letters. I have them all in a box and I lost count after 200. She would write me letters at the most random time, but they always came when I needed them. I once had an extremely difficult time when I was in college and she wrote me letters of encouragement almost weekly. One letter said, "Life does deal us some pretty hard blows now and then. The one you have recieved has been a tough one to cope with. Stay strong, keep your chin up and your spirits, too! Have faith in the future. Sometimes God says wait, and boy is that hard!" Her words echo in my ears often when times get tough.

Advisor...when Granty and I first found out about our son Tim, she was there at my mom's house. I sat down and had a talk with her about how worried I was to have a 4 yr old who could talk back to me, had bad habits, wouldn't obey me, etc. and she said, "Kerri, all you need to do is love him. He's a lucky little boy to have you for a mom." I was still fearful to say yes to adopting Tim, but Nana kept saying I could do it. She was so right!

Love...my Nana was full of love. Each time I saw her, her arms would open wide for a hug. Everyone knew that Nana loved them. She was always doing, doing, doing for other people and rarely did anything for herself. Her selfless nature has blessed us all.

There are so many other words that could describe my Nana. Words like happy, thrifty, delightful, smart, obedient, christ-like and gentle. She left her handprint on my heart and life just won't be the same without her. The world is definitely a little dimmer without her light. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have that I will see her again one day. The rejoicing she and my Papa must be doing right now would be a sight to see! I am so glad they have been reuinited. I look forward to the day I see them both again. I love you my sweetcheeks Nana!

Here We Go....AGAIN!!

I am SO excited!

Taylor auditioned for her school musical, "Beauty And The Beast" and she wanted the part of Babette, the french feather duster. Guess what? She got it!

I can't wait for rehearsals to begin!

Where to park? Oy vey!!

HOLY CRAP!!

Okay, so tonight we tried to go to "The Festival of Trees". Tim & Granty weren't all that interested in going, so I packed my younger three kids into the car and we were off! Kaleb was in one of his silly moods, so the mood was amazingly cheerful from the onset! Even MY mood was cheery, and that's saying something! Anyway...

There were multiple morons on the road tonight. I don't think I have EVER been cut off, tailgated, cursed at or nearly hit so many times in one night! 'Tis the season I suppose! But, on with the story...So, we're in the parking lot of the Sandy Expo Center and there literally is NOWHERE to park. We were driving around and around for over 30 minutes and I gave up. Surprisingly my kids were dissapointed, so I promised them we'd try again on Saturday. One of my very best friends did a tree this year, so I HAVE to go and see it!!

Then the fun began. My little Kaleb has a wonderful sense of humor. He sometimes throws the funniest things out there and we all stare at each other giggling, wondering where in the world he came up with that? I kept hearing his voice in the back of the car say "Racist" and I couldn't fingure out why. The more I listened, I realized every time someone said "small", or "little", or "tiny", or "short", or "shrimp"...you know what I mean, he would blurt out "Racist". I tried in vain to explain to him that being small isn't a "race", but the more I tried explaining, the louder he would get screeching "RACIST"! Maybe you had to be there, but it was hilarious.

The jokes just continued from there. Some things were said and now, for some reason, the name "fat ass" sends my younger three kids into peals of laughter. Honestly, I don't remember what I said, but I don't care. We read the book "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" before bed tonight and I kept saying that the reindeer called Rudolph a "fat ass". By the time the kids went to bed, we were all crying from laughing so hard and my kids (even my ornery one!) said "Thanks for tonight mom. It was SO fun!"

Mission accomplished, fat ass!

Thankful A - Z

I saw this on my good friend Heather's blog and I thought it was kinda fun. I thought I'd give it a try...

Things that Kerri is thankful for from A - Z:

A - one of my best friends, Audra, apples with peanut butter, and Almond Joy's. Mmmm!
B - books! I love, Love, LOVE to read! Hot bread at Texas Roadhouse with cinnamon honey butter! Deeeeelish!
C - my son Cameron. He is fiesty and ornery, just like his mom! :) I'm thankful for fresh corn on the cob and Crown Burger! Yes, I said Crown Burger NOT In-N-Out!
D - my Daughter, Taylor. She is my favorite little friend and I hope we always will be. my Daddy...hands down, he is the most forgiving, loving, Christ-like man on this planet. I heart you dad! Krispy Kreme Donuts and dates with my Granty.
E - baby Evie!
F - my unbiological sister, Dawn Farr. She was put on this earth, just for me. My freedom, my faith and my family & friends all over the world.
G - now, I wasn't sure if I should put Granty, or Toren (looooong story, but those of you who know it, ha ha!) I love my Granty like none other. He is truly my sweetheart. :) I'm also thanful for goldfish crackers, Trident gum, and my Grandma Jespersen!
H - another of my best friends: Heather, my wonderful home, and hot chocolate!
I - soft serve ice cream from McDonalds! I love that stuff! I'm also thankful for insurance and instacare. We've needed that place more than once!
J - the Jespersen (my dad's) family...every last one of 'em (and there's a LOT of 'em!)
K - the Kidd (my mom's) family, my Koosharem family. My littlest son, Kaleb. He makes me laugh EVERY DAY.
L - the smell of clean laundry, licorice and licks from my dog, Hershey.
M - my mom. I don't know what I'd do without her. She is honestly my very, very best friend (next to Granty). Yummy dinners like meatloaf and sweet & sour meatballs.
N - my sweet Nana.
O - orange juice (especially when I have a cold!), having a working oven, and orthodics (yes, I admit I'm old and I need them! bah!)
P - my dog Peetie. I'm thankful for the time that I had with him! He was a wonderful friend. I'm also thankful for diet pepsi and movie popcorn!
Q - quiet time when everyone is gone or asleep. I covet those moments!
R - recreation time! I love camping, 4-wheeling, bike riding, being outside...anything that gets me out of the house!
S - SUMMER! SWIMMING! SUN BATHING! Sugar cookies with lots and lots of frosting, squash with lots and lots of butter, school, and sunflowers!
T - my son Timothy. He'll always have a special place in my heart. He was my first and I searched so very hard for him! The temple and forever family!
U - thankful Granty is NOT unemployed! We kinda need that income! Umbrellas and the movies Underworld 1-3.
V - my van. I don't feel all that sexy driving it, but it sure gets me, and everyone else I'm responsible for, where we need to be!
W - my brother Wade & his wife Sarah. They are the reason I have a niece EVE! The ward we live in. We really live in a great area!
X - X-rays/CT scans. Two and a half years ago I would have died without them.
Y - the Youth Program of the church.
Z - the zoo of a household I have! 4 kids, 1 husband, 4 babysitting kids, 4 pets--we are always busy and I love it!

Never a dull moment!

I am disgusted with myself. I'm such a terrible blogger! Anyway...

A few months back (September I believe) my three best friends (the goddesses) and I got together to celebrate Audra's birthday. Birthday's with our group are never a small thing. Each time we get a bit more creative.

For MY bday, the goddesses came over and surprised me. I was in my jammies and pissed at the persistant knocking at my door--hilarious! For Dawn's bday, we were camping (minus Audra *sniff sniff*) and surprised her with a camping princess bday party. We even managed to surprise her with a princess CAKE! For Heather's bday we told her we were going to the temple and took her to dinner instead. Her husband STILL gives her a hard time in regards to that every time we go. "Are you REALLY going to the temple this time?" Ha ha!

So, for Audra's bday, we had a hard time figuring out how to top the previous bdays. We have a thing for the movie "Xanadu" amongst ourselves--it's kind of an inside joke! Anyway, we decided to surprise Audra and take her roller skating at Xanadu complete with LEG WARMERS! Imagine our dismay when we got to Xanadu and found out the roller rink was being used as for a hockey practice! Well, we COULD have lamented the fact we couldn't skate (I think we did...just a little) but instead...well, let's just say a night of sheer delight ensued!

Dinner at Paradise, a missed opportunity to skate at Xanadu, naughty picture taking at the Valley Fair Mall, stopping at Albertson's for more batteries, dessert at The Cheesecake Factory, and meeting our new friend Chad. *sigh* Chad!

Such good times girls. SUCH.GOOD.TIMES! I thank the gods of friendship for helping me find you guys! You are seriously the BEST friends a girl could ask for. I HEART YOU GUYS!

Welllllll...it's been a long time since I posted and I decided it was about time to change that! Been busy...been depressed...blah blah...so here we go:

We went on a mini vacay to St George with some of favorite family/friends. It's awesome when you can call yer family friends! Anyway...

My cousin Dawn & her husband Eric have a membership with Trendwest which allows you to stay in a condo practically anywhere. They chose to go to St George in September and we got to come along! It was 5 days of total bliss I tell you! Swimming, Guitar Hero, awesome food, shopping sprees, a trip to Mesquite, late night giggle sessions...we had a blast! Here's some pictures to prove it!!

Long time, no see!!

WOW...it has be way too long since I last posted! We had a busy summer, then school started and life just became hectic. Except, how is that different than usual? Anyway...

I haven't forgotten all of my adoring fans, so watch for upcoming posts!

My Peetie Poo

I really didn't think I was going to be ready to blog about this so early, but I can't sleep tonight and I figured I may as well...

Today has been a truly awful day. Let me start at the beginning...

4 years ago, we adopted my puppy, Peetie, when he was just a few weeks old. He was born around Halloween and was such a wee little thing. He liked climbing up in your lap and giving multiple "kisses", chewing on EVERYTHING, and peeing all over the house! Naughty Peetie! We aren't the best animal trainers, so he had some bad habits, but he was just about the sweetest dog ever!

Peetie started having major anxiety issues when he was just a puppy, and unfortunately, that didn't go away. He'd shake and hide under the bed...bark at strangers...growl at frightening noises...and sometimes even bite. The biting became our problem. Peetie wasn't a vicious dog, he was just misunderstood. He bit because people he didn't know got too close, or they frightened him. The trouble is, the law doesn't see it that way.

We went to a family reunion a few weeks ago, and while there, he bit 2 people. This really upset Granty and he told me he thought it was time to put Peetie down. I immediately said no...there was NO WAY I was gonna do that. The more we talked though, the more I could see it had to be done. What if the next time he bit someone, it was a child? Or we were sued and lost everything? Or the police came to pick him up, quarantine him, and then put him down. He'd be frightened and alone. I just couldn't have that.

This morning, Granty called me and told me he had made an appointment to have Peetie put down. I broke down and completely fell apart. I immediately started loving on my puppy and broke the news to the kids. For the most part, they took the news pretty well...all except for Taylor. She sobbed and sobbed asking why? Where was Peetie going to go after he died? I put my arms around my kids and told them that I KNOW there is a place in heaven for animals and that Peetie would be there, waiting for us. It may sounds stupid, but it's been comforting for me to think of him in the arms of my Papa, covering his face with kisses and being loved, since I can't do it anymore.

At the vet, the Dr explained that they would basically give Peetie an overdose of a sedative and he would just drift away. That's exactly what happened. Peetie was afraid, but Granty had his arms around him, and I had his face between my hands. I kept whispering to him, "Go find Papa...find Reggie and Roger and Toby and SuzyQ and Blackie...and go play!! They are waiting for you." His eyes quickly closed and we laid him on the table. His breathing slowed and the Dr advised us when he had finally passed. Granty and I had some time alone with him and all I could do was just hold his lifeless body and cry. I had just let one of my dearest friends die and I couldn't forgive myself.

My cousin and best friend, Dawn, told me that she has heard that sometimes pets will sense something bad is coming, and will lay down their life for their "people". I'm clinging to that right now. Perhaps Peetie knew that his desire to bite would get us into trouble one day, and he wanted to save us of that grief. Maybe. What I DO know however, is that now I have my very own guardian angel looking out for me, and will fight to the death to protect me. That is a comforting thought, no matter how silly it may be.

So here's to you, Peetie. There truly is no better place than heaven for a treasure as you. You were my best friend...my comfort when I was sad...my pal when I needed someone to talk to...my joy when things were funny...my sweetheart who loved me with the purest love. My arms can't wait to squeeze the stuffing out of you again one day. Save some kisses for me! I love you!

A date with ADAM LAMBERT!!

Okay, so seriously...there was no "date"(duhhhh...), but it was the closest Taylor and I will ever get to one! (for multiple reasons, hee hee!) Anyway...

Our family have been big fans of AI for the past several seasons--myself especially. I can't tell you why exactly, but I LOVE that show! About 4 or 5 years ago, there was a show called ROCK STAR INXS and I totally fell in love with the genre. I hate reality television, but AI is just FUN!

Taylor and I went to the American Idol concert for the 2009 season and had an awesome time! I fell in love with Adam Lambert at his audition alone...the whole season watching him perform and get better and better (in my opinion--you don't have to agree!!) was just really cool! (he's so sexy--again, you don't have to agree! hee hee!)

We had a great night, especially considering a stranger gave us ROW 20 tickets absolutely FREE! She said she had some friends that couldn't come, so she was looking for some people to give the tickets to. She thought Taylor was cute and that we might like sitting really close. Our original tickets were in the nosebleed section, so we were thrilled to sit on the floor--almost close enough that we could spit on Adam...not that we would!!

I love American Idol! Can't wait for the next season (but I'll ALWAYS be an Adam Lambert fan FIRST!!) Woo hoo and all that stuff!!

BowLiNg at FaT cAtS!!

I love summer!
I love summer and doing stuff!
I love summer and doing stuff with my kids!
I love summer and doing stuff with my kids at FAT CATS...cuz it's free!
Yippie!!!

The Manti Pageant

Holy cow! It's been a while since I last blogged! Ahhh well...it's not a bad thing I suppose--we've been busy this summer!

The end of June, we treked south to the thriving metropolis of Manti to see The Mormon Miracle Pageant. My BFF Dawn and her family were planning to go, so we all went together and had a really fun time (all except Granty & Tim...party poopers!).

Before the pageant starts, the audience is able to meet the characters in the show. Dawn and I took Taylor and Dawn's youngest, Chloe, around to talk to them. I got into a conversation with a mother who comes with her family every year from MISSOURI to be in the pageant. The more I think about it, the more I think it would be an awesome experience for me and my kids. We just might be in it next summer! We'll see...

I love going to the pageant. There is such a wonderful spirit to be felt, and my testimony is renewed every time we go. Two shouts for the Manti Pageant! Woot! Woot!

Summer Lovin'

I don't know about your house, but in the summer, our house gets a little boring. I hear the whining of my children about how it's so boring, there's nothing to do, blah, blah blah...

To complicate matters, I have kids I babysit that fall into the "whine-ese" category. Mix them up with MY kids, and you get explosions of all kinds: "That's MINE!"...."Don't touch me!"...."So-and-so kicked me!"..."Moooooooom!!...."and then "mean mom" comes out and it's a big mess.

SO.....

I decided that this summer, we needed to have some things to keep everyone busy. Several years ago, my aunt Shelly gave me some really awesome books called, "Kid Concoctions". It has all kinds of cool kid friendly projects. The kids and I went through the books and found some things that sounded fun.

Today was our first attempt at staying busy. We made "Peanutty Clay" and it turned out great! Kaleb & Cameron are at Scout Camp this week, so it was Liam and Taylor who gave it a try. They loved it!! They were able to make groovy things, like you would with play dough, and then EAT it. As Taylor said, it was an activity and a snack all in one!

If anyone is interested, I'll post about our activites as we do 'em. I think we're gonna do 1 or 2 a week. I'll give you the recipe as well as tell you if it was successful or not. For our first try, this was a hit and I'm sure we'll do it again!

"Peanutty Clay"

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. powdered milk

1 Tbs. honey

Put the above ingredients into a sandwich size Ziploc bag. "Squish" it around until mixed. Remove from bag and continue squishing for a few minutes to mix thoroughly. Then, create away and eat! Yum!

Our Little Guy

Today was our long awaited appointment with Kaleb's NEW endocrinologist. I was getting rather frustrated with our old one, so I took it upon my little self to find a new one. Today we finally saw her and I'm grateful that we found her!

At the appt, they took some blood, did an x-ray of his hand and a complete physical. Kaleb didn't really like that part (he wanted to know WHY it was SO important they know about his privates and how far along he is in puberty!) The Dr said that she is fairly confident that Kaleb is growing and it's not a lack of growth hormone that is keeping him small. She said most likely it is that he is just delayed in his growth, and there is medication to help speed that up.

So, for now, we know he is growing slow. He is a full foot shorter than he should be and nearly 30 lbs less than an average 12 yr old. Now, this part made me giggle...the Dr said that Kaleb is burning calories faster than he can use them, so we are supposed to start him on a HIGH CALORIE diet. Excuse me? Here I am trying to CUT calories, and I'm supposed to start shoving calories into Kaleb? I thought that was kinda funny!

He'll probably start on some medication soon, but until then, he remains our little guy. We'll see how long that lasts. Hopefully not too much longer!!

all done growed up...

10 years ago, a brown haired, brown-eyed little boy stood at my doorstep and introduced himself to me as Timmy-bo-bimmy. My heart caught in my throat as I looked at him, knowing he was going to be MINE! That day seems so long ago, but also remains fresh in my memory.

We've had a fun 10 years, haven't we Tim? We've survived the Pokemon craze, a mullet, cowboy boots, rumblings at preschool, lightsabers, 4 different elementary schools, Star Wars marathons, skateboards....LOTS of 'em (they break easy), swimming in the Lehi pool, Disneyland, a house in Kearns, Zach & Belle, Lagoon, the temple, new siblings, a trip to NZ, 2 new houses in Eagle Mountain, Junior High (no thanks to Ms Ralphs!), obnoxious music, a serious girlfriend, and another birthday.

My Timmy turned 15 yesterday. WOW, how time flies! I love you, son! You are truly becoming an outstanding young man. I can always count on you to help, to look out for opportunities to be there for me, and to treat me with kindness and respect. You are a genuinely thoughtful brother to your siblings and I can see the kind of man you will be when you are with Michelle. I know our Heavenly Father is proud of the man you are becoming, and so am I. Happy Birthday my sweet boy! I love you so much!!

A-camping-we-will-go!!

What do you get when you take the Sutton Family, add it to the Farr Family, throw in some of the Stockton Family and take 'em camping over Memorial Day Weekend? Take a look!!

"There's a little guy helping!!..."

Kaleb & Cameron were ordained as Deacons and received the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday, May 3rd. Granty and I have been dying to see them pass the sacrament, and they finally did for the first time last week. Little Kaleb was just barely taller than the pews, but both he and Cameron were very serious in performing their duties. A cute family in our ward were sitting in front of us and one of their 3 yr olds whispered to their dad, "Dad look! There's a little guy helping with the sacrament!" The dad was so embarassed, but Granty and I just laughed. Kaleb IS a little guy, but has OH such a big spirit!!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day has never really been my favorite day. For the longest time it was because I wasn't a mother. Now I AM a mother, but I still don't really like it. Talk about ungrateful!!

This year was different, however. One little person made it an extra special day.

The week before Mother's Day, I found Taylor at our neighbors house quite often pulling weeds. She told me she was earning some money to buy me a Mother's Day present, but I didn't realize just how MUCH money she was earning. I was shocked the morning of Mother's Day to receive not only a bouquet of my favorite flowers, but a bag of my favorite chocolates AND a bracelet!! Tim had helped her buy her presents and hid them until Sunday.

When Mother's Day arrived, I grumbled to Grant how I wished it wasn't Mother's Day and how I hate it. Taylor stood in my doorway, plate in hand, with toast and juice for her ungrateful mom and asked, "You don't like Mother's Day? But I made you breakfast and got you presents!"

One look into her eyes, brimming with tears, and I knew how wrong I'd been. I needed to let my children, my daughter especially, show their affection to me in their own way. How selfish I had been in taking it away from them! Quickly I changed my attitude and ate my burned toast, drank my sour juice and accepted hugs and kisses from my sweet 10 yr old girl.

I'm grateful to be a mom to Tim, Kaleb, Cameron and Taylor--the 4 best kids any mom could ask for. I have been so foolish to not cherish Mother's Day and the opportunity I have to reflect on the reason I CAN celebrate such a wonderful day! I'll never grumble about Mother's Day again. Being a mother is a blessing and I am, REALLY am grateful!

"Dandelizing?"

So, last night, Granty and I were watching the news in our room. That's probably my most favorite time of day...the kids are in bed, and I can relax in my delightfully serene room! Anyway, Kaleb came upstairs to say goodnight. (for some reason my boys seem to think they don't need pajamas because it's more manly to sleep in their boxers!) He stood in my doorway, in his boxers and said, "So mom...do I look dandelizing to you?" and wiggled his little hips. I was completely stumped--dandelizing? It took me a second to figure out what he was talking about when I asked, "Do you mean tantalizing?" "Yeah! Yeah!" Oh yes son...there is no other person more "dandelizing" than you!!

Turning the big ONE TWO!!

Well, today Kaleb & Cameron are turning 12! TWELVE I tell you!! It is so hard for me to fathom that they are turning 12, being ordained on Sunday, will start passing the sacrament AND go to JUNIOR HIGH next year! Holiday-hoobie-whatie? MY boys...MY little twins (well, Kaleb is little!)...MY silly duo, are pre-teens? What the crap? Who told them to grow up so fast??

The day I met my boys still seems so recent. Grant, Tim and I went over to their foster parent's home to meet them and Taylor. Kaleb's chubby cheeks were so squeezable, I had to stop myself from pinching them. I didn't wanna scare the poor kid before he was even mine! And Cameron had these enormous green eyes--the most beautiful eyes I'd ever seen! I could hardly believe they were going to be mine!

Despite everything my boys have been through, they have struggled through like warriors. They are both so brave, so smart, so full of enthusiasm, and so determined--it's no wonder the world never got them down, even at it's darkest.

KALEB--I love your personality! You have a way of making anything funny, and even though sometimes you get out of control and have to be reminded OFTEN to settle down, you are a joy to be around! You are still small enough to cuddle and hold (even though you are now 12!!) and I love the fact you like being close to me. You aren't perfect, but you have a heart of gold and I KNOW you try to do the right thing. I love your smile, your laugh, your awesome stories, your hugs and your kisses! I'm proud of you and can't wait to watch you pass the sacrament. You are the best Squonkie! I LOVE YOU!

CAMERON--I love your confidence! I don't think there has ever been anything placed before you that you have feared doing. You don't back down, EVER, and you are determined to see things through. Sometimes that makes conflict between you and I, but the older you get, the less we clash and that makes me SO HAPPY! I know you try hard to get along with your sister, and it makes me happy that you TRY, even though it doesn't always happen! You have beautiful eyes--the windows to a truly beautiful soul. Although you don't want to admit it, you really are a good boy, and I'm so lucky to be your mom! I know you will take your new priesthood responsibility to heart, and will remember to always do what is right. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE YOU Blind Kid!!

You two are awesome--I couldn't have asked for better boys! You are like my own strippling warriors, never fearing the world and obeying our Heavenly Father. I hope I have taught you all you need to know as you venture into the world without me by your side. I'll always be here when you need your mother's arms around you! I love you both so much! Happy Birthday!!

Holey Socks...

This morning, I noticed that Kaleb had on mismatched socks. Not only were they mismatched, but they had holes in them. So...I asked him, "Kaleb..WHY are you wearing such awful looking socks?" Kaleb, my comedian, put his hands on his hips and said, "Can't a man wear unmatched socks, woman?" I don't think I stopped laughing for a full 5 minutes!

"Seussical"

Since December of last year, 55 awesome, super-talented kids and 4 teachers have worked, and worked and worked on their production of "Seussical". We were so excited for our little Taylor and the chance she got to be a part of this amazing production--and I do mean amazing! They did such a fantatstic job! We can't wait for next year!

Oh the thinks you can think, when you think about Seuss!!

Daddy in training...

I couldn't help taking these pictures of Tim with Elijah, one of the kids I babysit. He is so gentle and loving with little children! For me, this was a delightful peek into the future...

Feeling Happy

I'm really happy today. It's general conference weekend. I love conference weekend and the awesome messages that our church leaders give. As a kid it wasn't easy for me to sit and listen, and I know that's true about my kids as well. Usually we just encourage the kids to listen on Sunday--every t.v. and radio in the house delivers the spoken word, so it's kinda hard to miss. Saturday is generally a bit lower key and we are doing chores and such around the house.

Between sessions of conference today, Granty and I ran some quick errands. One of those was a stop at Walmart to get our boys new shirts and ties for Easter. Taylor already has her dress and I told Granty we needed to do something for the boys, too. Anyway, while standing there in the boys section at Walmart, Granty said, "Do the boys have decent church clothes to wear to the priesthood session tonight?" All of the sudden I realized that ALL 3 of my boys can go now! The twins are 3 weeks away from being 12 and Tim is almost 15. Time sure does fly!

I'm grateful for a husband who knows it is important to take our boys to listen to our prophet. I know it's hard to sit and listen for almost 2 hours, but it's something that they will remember when they are older--going to conference with their dad. PLUS, there is dinner in it for them after the session is over! Who could pass THAT up?

I look forward to the day that Taylor is 12 and we can start going to the Young Women's Broadcast, as well as the Relief Society Broadcast. But, tonight we will just do the "girls thing". Isn't the church awesome? Encouraging families to spend time together, learning more about our Heavenly Father and Jesus--what a perfect plan!

I guess today I'm just feeling happy. Happy I have such a great family; that we can spend some quality time together this weekend; that we get to listen to conference; that tomorrow I can try harder at the things I'm falling short at; and happy to be a member of this church. I'm just happy. :)

"Seeping in da Boo-tee"

I have an awesome job! I'm my own boss, I report to NOBODY, and I get to play, make messes and watch "Barney" all day! I babysit some of the most darling kids (next to my own, of course), and although it's exhuasting most days, I love it!

Today, Samantha and I were eating breakfast while the other kids napped, and I found myself giggling with a 2 yr old little princess!

me: Who's on your jammies, Sammie?

Sam: Pincess Awowa (Princess Aurora)

me: Is she Sleeping Beauty?

Sam: Yeah she's Seeping in da Boo-tee!

me: She's sleeping?

Sam: (patting her tummy with a cheerio) No! Seeping in da Boo-tee eating cereal.

She's too cute. We watch "Seeping in da Boo-tee" almost every day and she squeals with delight. She's definitely her mommy & daddy's little princess and I'm so lucky to spend my days with her!

Love notes...

We have a "bonus" room at our house that I have basically taken over! It's become my scrapbooking/sewing/novel writing room and some of the time, Taylor likes to sit with me while I work on my projects. She has a drawer all her own with scrapbooking things in it and she will quietly work on things while I'm writing, or sewing (RIIIIGHT!! Like I can sew!).

Tonight, I was playing on the computer more than actually working and she snuck a little note on my desk:


It's hard to read, so I'll translate...

My mom does chores
around the house
while we just hover
like a mouse.
In the winter
she keeps us warm
we're happily singing
so she gives us her arm.
She wraps it around us
when we're tired of age
so that's why her picture
barely fits on this page!

Thanks for being my mom
I love you

Awwww, it just warms the cockles of my heart! I love you too, little miss Taylor May!!

Kids say the darndest things!!

Over the past few days, I've had some rather interesting coversations with my kids. They sometimes say the strangest things. For example...

Yesterday, I picked Tim up from his friends' house. This particular friend is a cute kid, and he's come to our house many times. They have a fun time together and I don't worry about them making dumb choices cuz they seem to have their heads on straight when they are together. However...

He got in the car yesterday and said "Mom, from now on, I'm going to eat a raw egg every morning!" I'm gagging when I ask, "And exactly WHY would you want to do that??" He then proceeds to tell me that he and Dakota (his friend) have decided they need to "bulk up" and a good way to do that is by eating a raw egg every morning. I said to him, "Why don't you just cook the egg? The only reason guys eat it raw is because it's fast and they don't have to cook it. You have time in the morning to at least scramble it really quick." To that he responded, "Mom, come on. I'm a man now, I don't need to wuss out and scramble it!"

Um......okay!

Speaking of, "being a man", I was commenting a few days ago about the fact that Cameron is definitely growing up. He pointed out that he has a few spots of acne on his face and I told him it happens to everyone when they hit puberty. Then of course, a discussion on what happens during puberty ensued. Near the end of our discussion, Kaleb piped in and said, "Well I know that I'm in puberty cuz there are little hairs on my ding-a-ling!"

I think I pee'd my pants I laughed so hard!

And finally, my little Taylor. *sigh* She really isn't so little anymore. We were driving today to SLC, and while in the car, she struck up a rather interesting conversation:

T: "Hey mom, you know those quizzes in my magazine?"

M: "The ones that tell you about what kind of girl you are and stuff?"

T: "Yeah those!"

M: "Mmmm hmmm, I know what you mean."

T: "Well, I took a quiz to see what kind of a "crusher" I am, and my answer was Zac Efron."

M: "Huh? You crush on Zac Efron?"

T: *giggling* "No, I crush on guys like Zac Efron does on girls--he crushes slow, just like me."

M: *snort* "Oh....I see! And who are you crushing on these days?"

T: *with stars in her eyes* "Luke!"

M: "Oooo, Luke! Is he cute?"

T: "YES!"

M: "I used to flirt a lot in school."

T: "Oh, me too. I flirt with Luke."

M: "Really? How do you flirt with him?"

T: "Oh, I usually just bump into him in the lunch line at school."

M: "Does he see you?"

T: "No way! He looks around and wonders who did it!"

M: "Well do you know his last name?"

T: "No, but I'm determind to find out!"

So there ya have it--if you want to get your crushes' attention, simply give him a good push while waiting in the lunch line at school! Sheesh! Everyone knows that's how I got Granty!!

Comments from the peanut gallery, PLEASE!!

Okay, here it is...

My High School's 20th Reunion is in about 6 months. It's hard to believe it's been THAT long, but I'm pretty much over the shock, hee hee! Here's my dilemma: SHOULD I GO to the reunion?

Some people from my graduating class organized a website for the upcoming reunion and everyone has the ability to make a "page" updating everyone on their lives, etc, etc. Ever since I started checking the site to see what everyone has been up to, I've been FREAKED OUT! I keep having dreams about High School, and they aren't nice ones I might add!

I know this will come as a shock to most of you, but I wasn't a popular girl in H.S. In fact, there were a lot of people who made my Jr High and H.S. years suck--big time!! The thing that made H.S. worthwhile was the circle of good friends I had, the debate team & drama. I scroll through the names of my graduating class and get irritated at some of the names--the girls who were too pretty to know my name; the boys who had rude nicknames for me; the so-called "friends" who turned their back on me...*sigh*

I'm really not one to sit and dwell on the past, but this whole reunion crap has me tied in knots! Granty says I should go, have my hair done, get a fantastic dress, and walk in with him on my arm so everyone will see that the "fat girl" did okay for herself! Ida know, maybe I'm making to big a deal about this whole thing. I guess I just wonder, if they hated me THEN, will they still hate me NOW? Why would I want to put myself through that? Meh...

I guess I still have time to decide...

What do you think?

WHEEEEEEEE!...or should I say Wiiiiiiiiiii!!!

I think our family is the LAST one on the planet to finally break down and buy a Wii. We don't like the whole video game thing cuz it just turns kids' brains to mush, sooo.... The Wii is MINE! ALL MINE! (insert evil laugh here).

Granty was a real sweetheart and gave me some money from our tax return so I could buy a Wii with the intention of getting Wii Fit. I haven't made that purchase YET, but I plan to.

We've had fun as a family doing the "Guitar Hero" thing and playing "American Idol" (I'm the Idol at the Sutton household, thank you very much!), so although it's in MY room, and it's MY toy, we're having fun cuz I'm willing to share...well, sometimes!!

My latest discovery is "The Legend of Zelda...Twilight Princess". The funny part is, my KIDS are the ones telling me HOW to play it. I get frustrated and stuck in certain places, and then one of my kids come to the rescue and tells me which way to go, or what weapon to use. Maybe the trouble is MY brain has gotten a bit mushy! Hmmmm...

Yeah, we do strange things at our house to bond and stuff, but we have a great time doing it! WHEEEEEE!!

...dancing in April's rain...

Where to begin?

My head is full of so many thoughts and my heart is full of so many feelings, it's hard to know exactly where to start. Maybe at the beginning...

Life isn't always fair, nor is it perfect, but I can't say anything would be worthwhile if it was easy. Sometimes the things we cherish the most take the most work...the hardest effort...the longest diligence and sometimes a little help from above...

Before we moved to our current neighborhood, I met a truly amazing woman. No matter the day, no matter the situation, no matter her mood or how she felt physicially (and I know she often felt crummy) she had something to smile about. The weather and how warm it was, or how the snow had finally arrived...how happy she was to be able to see her girls come home from school, or see them off for the day to learn...what a great day she had because she had accomplished so much, or she got nothing done at all, but had such a wonderful rest! NO MATTER THE SITUATION, it was all good to her.

Some tough things have happened to this friend of mine, but she never, not once, not ever, has lost her smile. I don't think I have ever, in all the years I've known her, seen her frown or heard a discouraging word come out of her mouth.

When her son Caleb was born with so many health problems, she simply smiled and told us all she would love him for as long as she had him--and she did. She knew he wouldn't be around long, yet she cherished each day and hoped for just one more hour, never complaining it would be cut so short, so fast.

Unfortunately, my friend now suffers with serious health issues of her own, and I was reading through her blog today. Her sweet little girls, or "little ladies" as she likes to call them, struggle with the fact that their mama is so sick. Through all the things April's family has been through, she's always told her girls to look for the miracles around them. Her poor sweethearts just want one miracle--for mama to get better, but that miracle seems so very far away.

Wouldn't you know it, April has found miracles around her and posted about them to her girls. Little Caleb was and still is a miracle...her sweet girls themselves--their giggles, their smiles--what precious miracles they are...their amazing dad!...CHOCOLATE--ohhhh yes!!...family, friends, but APRIL, you forgot one very important miracle, and that is YOU.

I know you struggle, each and every day, yet YOU are an inspiration to me. An inspiration that we don't need to learn to weather the storm, or wait for it to pass...but dance in the rain! No, life isn't easy, it isn't perfect, it isn't even fun all the time, but...miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men....(Moroni 7:37)

So I will dance my friend...in the sunshine or the rain...and watch for the miracles around me!

And because I know you, I have been changed for good!! I love you dearly, my miraculous friend!

What would Dr. Spock Say?

I have a charming and delighful 14 year old and I'm just about to wring his little neck! He's nearing 15 now, and I'm honestly wondering how in the HELL we're gonna survive the next few years!? Somebody out there PLEASE tell me this gets better...

Tim is truly a sweet kid, and his heart is in the right place, but the kid needs a serious and bracing reality check! I swear he thinks the world is his to do with as he pleases, and there is no reason for seriousness whatsoever. Everything to him is a joke, and I mean EVERYTHING. I know that doesn't sound like such a bad thing, and perhaps it isn't, but if he doesn't take anything seriously, he doesn't worry about much, correct? That includes consequences...

Rarely, if ever, do we see him doing homework, but we KNOW he has it! It's his responsiblity if he brings home his homework and does it, isn't it? I'm not supposed to know what all his missing assignments are and force him to do them, am I? He's a year away from driving for crying out loud! Am I still supposed to be holding his hand and changing his diaper, or letting him make his mistakes? Some parents make me feel guilty for not knowing what's going on and making him work harder, but how am I supposed to do that? His grades are horrible, and as a consequence, he can't go out with friends. If he doesn't have time to do his homework = no time for friends, make sense?

His High School registration info was due several weeks ago and I have asked him repeatedly if he has turned it in. I finally called the principal today and she said the info was turned into the H.S. weeks ago, so NOW we're supposed to call the H.S. and figure out what we do now. I'm making HIM call the H.S. and yet he's mad at ME because I forgot to turn in his baby picture for the yearbook. He told me that he was waiting for someone to tell him to turn in his H.S. registration info and that's why it didn't get turned in. I told him I was waiting for someone to tell me to turn in the baby picture and that's why it didn't get turned in. That didn't go over so well.

I'm frustrated with the irresponsibility of my kid! My 11 year old twins are more responsible than he is, and they are WILLING to be responsible! He fights with me about church; that he doesn't want to go, that YM Activities are dumb, yet he likes going to the Region Dances. I told him we can't pick and choose what church things we do, it's all or nothing and as long as he lives in MY house, he will go to church and fulfill his church obligations--ALL of them. As far as he's concerned I'm overly protective, overly concerned, overly responsible, and no fun.

How do you teach responsibility to a teenager? He was such a cute little kid. He comes home from school, shuts himself in his room, listens to his amazingly LOUD music and we don't see him until dinner. What are we doing wrong? What am I as his mother doing wrong?

I'm at the end of my rope! Somebody throw me a line cuz I'm outta ideas...

Sadie Hawkins, 2009

I apologize for not posting in a while. I caught this horrible cold that has been hanging on...and on...and on...and I FINALLY feel halfway human today to post something.

LAST Friday...a whole week ago today, was our Stake's Sadie Hawkin's Dance and I asked the hottest guy in our whole Stake to go with me, and he actually said YES!! Okay, okay...of course it was a couple's thing, but I was looking at the cute pictures we took and DANG! No, wait...DOUBLE DANG! He is getting hotter and hotter with age! What is up with THAT?

Hee hee, anyway, we had a really good time. Well, I did at least. I know he hates those things with a passion, but he went anyway and it was really fun! My friends Audra and Heather and I got the idea from ANOTHER friend Lindsay to make shirts that said "I'm with..." and then the matching co-hort, like the "I'm with stupid" type. SO...after MUCH frustration with iron-on transfers (Audra and I do NO recommend the sparkly kind!!) I made us shirts that said "I Love My Phat Girl" for Granty of course and mind said "Phat Girl". Granty took me to a movie afterwards as a surprise and we had a really great night together, and with our fun friends.

I hope they do it again next year so we can make it a new tradition! I was a great way to spend the night with the man I love having a lot of FUN!