And The Oscar Goes To.....

Everyone in the goshdarn world is posting about the Oscars today so I figured it was worth a mention here as well. Yes, we watched the 83rd annual Oscar awards. No, we didn't originally plan to do so.  I was interested in the Oscars of course, but my biggest question was not who would win the big trifecta, but would Banksy show up or not?  He did not. In fact, Exit Through The Gift Shop didn't even win.. neither did Restrepo.. Disappointing! (check out Banksy's website HERE to see why I think he is genius!)

Hubby held on as long as he could, sweetly feigning interest from time to time. I had taken him to see The King's Speech earlier in the day so he had actually seen three of the big contenders and had opinions on some of the categories as well. The girls and I continued watching the event after Hubby gave up and went to bed. We skipped forward through the commercials and the boring speeches and had a great time overall... until it was time for Mr. Spielberg to announce best picture......  Wait for it.....  The DVR recording stopped! We were so far behind the actual telecast that we were unable to switch to live and see the LAST FEW MINUTES OF THE OSCARS!  Ugh... Care to know what recording killed our Oscar buzz?  Big Love. That's right, Tom Hanks' HBO series about polygamists in Utah took over our DVR and put a screeching halt to our Oscar viewing.

There's got to be some humor in there somewhere.

Thanks to Google, we were at least able to find out who won.. The King's Speech. I wasn't disappointed because I had just seen it that very day and I really liked the movie. I also had a really great date who held my hand and let me snuggle his arm through the entire movie so it was a win all the way around!

It was an enjoyable evening spent with my family.. but like I said, it wasn't planned. The planned event was the night before when Hubby and I dirtied up every dish in the kitchen while us girls sang along with great iPod music and Hubby broke out in a dance or two as we made an excellent dinner! You can read about that on our Culinary Blog once I get it all written up and splashed with pictures.

Culinary Blog

I have decided to start a blog dedicated to our love for culinary adventures. Two Happy Foodies was unveiled today and although the look of it isn't quite what I want it to be yet, the first post will give you an idea of what's to come.

Hubby and I love to travel and we love to learn new culinary techniques and dishes that we can make at home with our family. Our favorite thing to do is spend time together in the kitchen or cooking up something wonderful in our backyard oven and barbecue pit.

We hope our friends and family will enjoy reading about our cooking hobby almost as much as they enjoy coming over for dinner!

Bringing Hawaii To Us!

I am thrilled that Hubby's Hawaiian sister and her family are coming to visit us at the end of March! Leilani, Kona and their children, Christian and Jolene, are coming to stay with us for a day or two and I hope to be able to introduce them to my family and keep them entertained while they are here.

But there's the rub..  How in the world will our favorite islanders be impressed with Utah in the winter?? 

Last night we were giddy as we talked about having a big dinner event and having lots of people over... okay, okay.. maybe it was just ME that was giddy, but STILL!  I love these people so much and I don't want them to dislike their visit with us. The only thing that I can think of to show them that they don't have back home is snow! (And they aren't used to being cold so I doubt skiing will be high on their wish list!)

Allow me to show you some fun things we have done with Leilani, Kona and family while on their sandy turf:

As you can see from just a few of our photos, we have had amazing adventures in Hawaii with our family there. We have snorkeled with sea turtles, visited active volcanoes, enjoyed wonderful luaus, visited Pearl Harbor, and we did lots and lots of shopping! (and that isn't even HALF of what we have experienced over there!) I have no idea what we could possibly offer Leilani and Kona here in Utah, but nevertheless, I am so excited that they are coming!

For Dottie

Hello cute lady! I was talking to Mom a while ago and she told me that you had mentioned that you can't leave me comments here on the blog. This morning I made some changes to the blog in order to make that easier for you if you ever want to leave us a message here.

This is how you comment on a blog:

First you need to go to the bottom of a post and look for the "comment" link.  




This isn't the best picture but you can see the red circle over the comment link that you're looking for.

Click on that and it will take you to the section where you can type whatever it is you want to say.

Then you will see the comment box. I changed the settings today to allow for "anonymous" comments. You need to click on the drop down box and select "anonymous" so that you can post. Here is what that looks like: 

By clicking on the blue down arrow  next to "comment as"  you will see the list of options and you just need to select Anonymous.  This makes it so you can comment without having a google account.


Once you have typed what you want to say in the comment box, click on "Post Comment" and it should show up. Don't feel like you have to post a comment. I just wanted to make sure the option was there for you.

Also, if you ever log in to Facebook, I have had a friend request waiting for you for months and months now. *Grin* If you see it, accept me as your friend so I can leave messages for you there too!

Love you so so much! I miss you and think of you every day! I hope you are doing well and that you can see the hope of spring beginning to peek out around the edges. It won't be long before the songbirds come back and the trees begin to bud. I can't wait for spring!

Ode To Spring

You may have noticed the blog got a little spring face-lift today..  The new look is because I am craving springtime! I want to throw the windows open wide and listen to the birds outside my window. I want to begin planning my gardens and daydream of the sun warming my bare feet on the deck overlooking those gardens.  Everything is better in springtime, don't you agree?

When I think of spring, I always hear the poetry of John Keats in my mind. I love the lyrical quality of his work and the way his descriptions paint a picture in my head and on my heart. Springtime wouldn't be the same for me without reading Keats.

John Keats was 25 years old when he died, and he thought himself a failure.

 Four Seasons fill the measure of the year;

    There are four seasons in the mind of man:
He has his lusty Spring, when fancy clear
    Takes in all beauty with an easy span:
He has his Summer, when luxuriously
    Spring's honied cud of youthful thought he loves
To ruminate, and by such dreaming high
    Is nearest unto heaven: quiet coves
His soul has in its Autumn, when his wings
    He furleth close; contented so to look
On mists in idleness--to let fair things
    Pass by unheeded as a threshold brook.
He has his Winter too of pale misfeature,
Or else he would forego his mortal nature. 

Bright Star, Endymion, To Autumn... all of these are wonderful examples of the beautiful works of John Keats.

*sigh*

He is my favorite! (okay... ONE of my favorites!) But if you haven't read Keats then you probably don't understand why I associate the approaching spring with his beautiful poems and sonnets. (don't even get me started on his tragic love story with Fanny Brawne!)

And IF you haven't read his work, then why are you hanging around here?  Go look him up!

Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Making Other Plans

Waking up to snow this morning puts me in a wintery sort of mood. I'm thinking it is going to be a great day to make some clam chowder and homemade bread while dreaming of wonderful New England visits. It's hard to believe that we had glorious spring weather last week with temperatures so warm that our windows were open wide all day and night.  Not so much this morning.. Brrrr!

Speaking of last week, remember the Jeep I bought at auction for the girls? I am laughing at what it has turned into. Apparently Hubby had a hidden genetic need for Jeeps and now that his switch has been triggered, he's a full-on Jeep man! It is really cute to see how attached he is to the vehicle I purchased for the girls... but truthfully I am beginning to wonder how he will ever be able to let go of it long enough for them to claim it. I think we just may have a turf war in the making, but at least the girls won't have to worry about the Jeep being properly maintained. Cute Hubby completely cleaned the nasty interior, washed all of the windows and then hand washed the exterior and changed the oil. Could it be true love? I don't know how deeply his Jeep love affair runs, but I definitely love the way we can entice a sly grin from him just by saying the word "Jeep" in his presence.

Have I mentioned lately just how much I love this cute guy of mine?

Our week was also filled with Valentine gifts, scholarship highs and lows, one mortgage refinance loan and a Sweetheart's dance for Emily and Madi. It was a super busy week, but let me tell you a little secret.... Hubby has been in some sort of class for his work all week which means he was working during the day and HOME in the evenings! *happy dance*  I'm certain there would have been drama up to my eyeballs if Hubby hadn't been right by my side each night.  He's a super hero! Maybe we should call him Anti-Drama Man!  Hubby has two more weeks of school in the day and you better believe I will be enjoying every minute of having him home with the family in the evening!

**Update-  I started writing this post on Sunday morning. I finished it on Monday morning in a much different mood than I was feeling the previous day. 

Last night Hubby sprang it on me that he was bidding for his yearly shift at work. He explained to me that he wanted to go back to working on the planes, rather than working the tower which he has done for the past two years... working on airplanes means he would be gone in the evening and he would not get weekends with us... his family.  He then told me that there WAS one tower opening that would give him the same shift and days off that he has had for the last year. I desperately hoped he would choose that option. I tried to point out all of the reasons why that would be the best choice.. one full weekend day with the family, more opportunities for at least one day of getting out of the house together, weekend visits with Ashley.. it seemed like the best choice to me. I was sick over it but hoped that he would choose family.  He did not.  :(

Suffice it to say that I went to bed with a broken heart last night. Hubby and I exchanged some heated words and I cried. A lot. But there's nothing I can do about it now. Can someone please explain to me why men are so dumb when it comes to the obvious?  Oh well. I will have to learn to live with the new schedule.. and concentrate on my girlies who are my true constants anyway.

Not the way I hoped to wrap up this blog post but sometimes life delivers a kick in the pants that derails the happy train.

Hubby's Selfish Monster:1  Me: 0

A Blog Letter To Aunt Dottie

Aunt Dottie, you made my day yesterday! I was in the middle of a frantic "Must get to point A, rush through it and then hope I get to point B on time so that I can then rush home to the girls and find out what they need from me next!"  But in the middle of all that rushing around, I picked up my mail and immediately focused on your perfectly delicate penmanship staring up at me from the cream colored envelope.

I squealed  with excitement... not even kidding!

My hectic schedule was forgotten as I sat down with my treasured letter and lost myself in your beautiful writing.

Dottie, you mean the world to me! Not a day goes by that I don't think of you and wish I lived closer so that I could spend time chatting with you whenever I felt like it. After reading your letter yesterday, I starting thinking how wonderful it would be if I could come up with the money to bring the girls out to see you in person. They have heard all the stories and they line up to read your letters every time one arrives in the mail.  I will have to work on that saving up the money because it would mean so much to them to take a trip out there.. and to me also!

Confession time.  Every time I get a letter from you, I immediately smack my forehead because I have the BEST of intentions to sit down and actually WRITE you a letter... and send you a package. Strange as it may sound, I don't have stationary so I make mental notes to pick some up and then in the hustle and bustle of my crazy teenagers running my life, I never get the chance. It will happen though! I don't like being a slacker, especially when it comes to my favorite Massachusetts lady!

I know you have had such a difficult, extreme winter. The truth is that I have been a little jealous of all of the winter weather you have had there and that my friends in New York have had. I look out my window and see green grass with only occasional snow and I wonder where all the white stuff is! (It happens to be raining as I write this) However, I know enjoying snow from inside a cozy home and being forced to drive around in it are two completely different things... and with the three teenage drivers I have now, part of me is very grateful for our mild winter so that they have more time to practice their driving skills.

I'm glad that you read our blog as often as you do. It makes me so happy to be able to share our lives with you this way since we cannot be closer... but I do hope to make it out there with all the girls anyway! I treasure the photos and memories of my trip out there to see you last fall. I was just looking through them this week and I ached to be back there again. Somehow it just feels like home to me back there and I look forward to (and desperately hope for) a return trip in the near future.

Love you so much, sweet lady! Stay warm and safe out there and know that I am always thinking of you.

-Nik

It's A Big Day!

**Update-  They did not advance past regionals, but that's okay. I am so proud of them for all of their hard work and the guts it took to put themselves through this grueling process!

My oldest girls, my very first babies, are preparing for a very big interview just 90 minutes from now. Each of them won their category last fall in the Sterling Scholar competition at their High School and today is the regional interviews.

When you come from a family of modest means, scholarship money is a very big deal.

Carley won the Visual Arts category and will be presenting her art portfolio. She is required to carry everything by herself, which includes many large art pieces, and the winds are howling today! My adorable girl just confessed to me that she is more worried about her skirt flying up than anything else.  She makes me laugh!

I forced her to be cheesy for this picture.. but seriously, how adorable is her smile!

Madi won the English category and will be presenting her newspaper articles, essays and other writings. Her portfolio isn't nearly as cumbersome as Carley's so I have asked her to be the one to deal with the car keys once they arrive. 

We have been practicing interview questions and reassuring both of them that no matter what happens we are SO VERY PROUD of their many accomplishments! More money for their college education would be a blessing, but the greatest rewards on this journey are the lessons that they have learned about hard work and seeing things through to the end.      (now go kick some serious butt at your interviews!)

Their pictures were in the local paper yesterday for being Sterling Scholars. You can find that article HERE.

You can see their cute pictures by opening the links to the left of the article. Or by downloading the links below. There are a lot of kids competing against them and I'm sure the competition is tight... Good luck girls!!
2011 Sterling Scholars: Trade and Technical Education, Visual Arts nominees
2011 Sterling Scholars: English, Computer Science nominees

Seeing Red

Some people go out of their way to make sure Valentine's Day is symbolically red. Yesterday ours was overflowing with red! Some of it was intentional, some of it just worked out that way. Either way, today I simply had to break out the camera and take some fun pictures of yesterday's Red.

I call him FLS. It's an inside joke referring to his mischievous streak. F=effing L= little S= $hi!

Even the floral vase was a deep shade of red. Look at how it glows in the sunlight!

Roses from my sweetheart, the love of my life. Does it get any better?

Five little paper cranes handmade by Carley. She knows how much I love paper cranes!

We won this Jeep at a car auction. It will be for the teenagers to drive. Red on Valentine's Day... how cool is that!

We went to our favorite pizza joint, The Rusted Sun, while we waited for the auction place to get a key made for the Jeep.

Look at this bad boy! It makes our old mixer look miniature! I can't wait to mix up some serious bread dough! Thanks, babe, I love you!

Yesterday was a lot of fun. I enjoyed my afternoon visit with Mom and Dad, had time to spend with my family, and we fell into bed feeling very accomplished at the end of the day. Now if only I had been able to take a quick trip to Massachusetts to give Aunt Dottie a squeeze then my day would have been perfectly perfect!

I hope your Valentine's Day was as wonderful as ours.... but don't stop there. Enjoy the people that you love EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!

A Lovely Valentine's Day

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.  

~Author Unknown

When I was little, Valentine's Day meant waiting until sundown to leave anonymous cards and candy on the porches of neighbors and friends. We would ring the doorbell and run away to hide in the nearest bushes with a good view of the porch so we could watch with delight as our Valentine gifts were discovered. There was nothing extravagant about the paper doily hearts carefully decorated with Elmer's glue and glitter, nor was the random sweetheart candy taped to it anything fancy, but the excitement over the creation and delivery was something wonderful to look forward to every year.

As my favorite author says, "The world has moved on."  Kids no longer leave secret Valentines on porches, and the glue and glitter has given way to temporary tattoos and online codes redeemable for Justin Bieber photos.  As much as I love me a festive skull and heart crossbones tattoo, I really miss the old days. I miss Margie Duncan and Reita Mae opening their doors and smiling knowingly at the giggling bushes as they reach down to retrieve the homemade Valentines left on their porch steps. I miss licking the pink frosting off of Mom's perfect heart-shaped sugar cookies, and I miss the tradition of it all. (I just returned from a visit to Mom's house and she gave me a pink frosted cookie!)

The world has moved on...

I may not be a little kid anymore, but I do still think Valentine's Day can be fun if the focus is in the right place. I don't think we need to run out and buy expensive jewelry or boxes of candy. I think the best part about the holiday is making sure those around me know how much I love them and that I am constantly thinking about them.

How we celebrated this year: 

Almond Fudge dipped oreos with raspberry chocolate hearts.

We had the great fortune of celebrating our Valentine holiday a day early this year. I gave video games to the girls (Kinect dance and Mario Wii) and to the man (who wanted war games.. I know, I caved!), and Hubby generously gave me a professional size Kitchenaid fire engine red mixer. I can hardly wait to mix up a batch of bread dough in that bad boy! Hubby then rocked his amazing grilling skill while the girls and I took care of the rest. We had such a nice dinner together and afterward the girls and I dipped oreos in our almond fudge and then Carley drew raspberry chocolate hearts on them to complete the design.   The most important thing was that we were spending time together and I loved every minute!

This morning my adorable family were all up early and the girls  packaged up some of those yummy fudge oreos to give to friends. I hugged and kissed them as they each left for their day and I thought to myself how lucky I am to have a family that believes in hugs and kisses every day! My Hubby and my girls are my life. These wonderfully complicated creatures are the reason behind everything I do and I hope they know each and every day how much I treasure them.

Valentine's Day is a fun holiday, but I don't need to wait for one day each year to tell my favorite people how much I love and adore them. Aunt Dottie, this includes you too! I love you, I adore you, I am who I am because of you. Remember that today and every day thereafter. 

My dear family, you are loved!

Aliens Abducted My Teenagers

I'd like to start by saying that no one told me it was going to be this difficult.  I have spent so many years thinking this parenting thing was easy street. My kids weren't picky eaters, there was no emotional drama ripping through the house on a daily basis, and they weren't dependent on designer clothes or boys.

I think aliens kidnapped my family and replaced them with lookalikes.

These days I am forced to admit that a few of my kids have really strange food issues and I spend way more afternoons/evenings than I care to admit locked in conversations with teary-eyed teens that weepy-talk in super high pitched voices.  Every one of those conversations begins with some new horrible thing I've done to them this time.

I would never dare roll my eyes in front of the emotional time bombs otherwise known as my daughters, but privately my eyes are getting quite the workout!

The other day I explained to Hubby that these drama sessions are a lot like discussing philosophy with a duck. It just doesn't get us anywhere! I've realized that nothing I say will quell the emotional riptide they are caught up in and there's no way in Hades that my darling girls will ever consider that they might be wrong about something. Heaven help me!

I try to be empathetic, assuring them that I know exactly what they are going through.... After all, I've been there, done that! And you know what? I'd like to spare them some of the angst they are signing up for. It never, ever works though. Although I kindly keep my eye-rolling private, my girls have no such compunction and they roll away.. right in front of me! It's enough to make me wish for a Pez dispenser filled with Valium.

And so the dance goes.

Don't get me wrong, not all of the girls are going through the emotional drama wars. And if it happened to be more than one of them at any given time, I'm sure I would have moved out by now. But even though they are rotating the drama schedule so that they get time off, I never have that luxury. I'd love to pause the convo in the beginning and tell them, "Sorry, tonight is not my night to be the drama coach." but unfortunately it doesn't work that way when Hubby is on swing shift. Nope, I'm all alone with the teary aliens.

The other irritating thing about all of this is that they seem to reset so quickly! They empty themselves of the drama like a fast moving bout of food poisoning and then they move on. I'm not so lucky. I brood. I wonder what I could do differently. I agonize over how to do a better job of turning them into successful, wonderful people. And when my feelings are hurt, I pout for at least a day. At least!

These days I sport a lot of battle wounds and the truth is that the drama is over such minor things that none of it should ever get so inflated. I'm a tired mama that needs a vacation someplace warm, somewhere quiet with an occasional steel drum band off in the distance.

Is that too much to ask?

I adore my girls and I happen to think they are already pretty darn successful. They get amazing grades, scholarship offers and they give me hugs and kisses every day. They're awesome kids! If we could just keep the alien invasion at bay, there would never be an ounce of drama in our house.  ;)

A Valentine For All Women

 "The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows."

~Audrey Hepburn

Men Are From Mars?

Can someone please explain men to me? Not like that, I have a working understanding of that.  What I really would like clarified is why it feels like us women have to constantly babysit our men because of something they might do/break/donate to the thrift shop when we aren't looking.

Now if my Hub-eyond reads this, he is going to be upset because, in his defense, he is an amazing guy! He cooks, cleans (if he feels like it) and he keeps our cars close to tip top shape! Like I said, amazing. However, there was that episode last week where we actually argued before he went to work because he wants to install an exposed beam ceiling in our (most-definitely-not-rustic) contemporary house. I tried to explain to him why this wouldn't work but he did not get it and then he quickly moved on to how he wants to install a fireplace in our family room which would mean the chimney would have to come up through our bedroom/bathroom. Why am I the only one who sees this as a problem??

My guy is a fabulous cook! This is his homemade deep dish pizza from last week. YUM!

Carley and I tried to explain PMS to him the other night. No joke! The way I figure it, my guy lives with 6 women at any given time and he deserves to have a little insight to help him navigate, right?  Hubby couldn't comprehend the fact that it could happen at any time.. he was stuck on the "Pre" part and said that it HAS to come and go according to the "Pre"fix. Oh my goodness how we laughed! Right about the time he threw his hands in the air and said, "You know what? NO! I don't want to know anything about this. MEN don't need to talk about this!" I laughed and told him that our conversation was going to end up on the blog.

(He also happened to be wearing my fuzzy slippers at the time, which somehow made everything even more hilarious!)

As great as he is though, he (and seemingly every man I know) has really left me scratching my head in the past. Like when he weed whacked my flowerbed because "it would be easier to plant new than to weed between the plants" or when he donated my nearly-new ultra high speed VCR to the thrift shop without telling me and yet he collects random scrap junk in his shop in a way that would make Templeton proud!  My sweetie gives away televisions, couches and washing machines too! (All working condition) But he has not one but TWO garbage disposals sitting on a shelf in his shop. It's enough to drive a person crazy!

Thankfully I have figured out that he gets bored in the winter and I no longer let him talk me into random demolition projects around the house. Seriously! One year he relocated the tiny deck landing off of our kitchen doors because he thought the stairs would look better going the other way. If he tried to relocate our $10,000 deck now, he'd lose limbs for sure! There's also the as-yet-unfinished family room included in his winter blah projects. Mismatched paint on the walls and ceiling and the unfinished wooden trim around the ceiling have now been there so long that I'm sick of it and it needs to be redone. And now there's paint sitting in my living room for the window project he wants to start. I'll let you know how long the paint sits there before anything happens. ;)

I was talking to my mom yesterday and asked her what it is about our men that has us keeping a constant eye on them to keep them out of trouble and to keep the household mishaps to a minimum. She had no explanation but offered up a few doozy experiences of her own with my dad. Husbands, fathers, brothers... it doesn't seem to matter what their age, they all have this mystifying ability to make us wonder what the heck they were thinking!

As I sat there in my mom's kitchen on Superbowl Sunday talking about our men and the silly things they do, I could only ask her one thing...

"Do you think they feel the same way about us??"

A Little Bit Of This, A Little Bit Of That...

So this weekend has been a little bit all over the map, as they say.  (Who the heck are "they" anyway?) Have you ever felt like you could just crawl into bed with a good book and stay there for a few days..  yes?  Me too! I think I may have to do a bit of quiet reading tomorrow afternoon when I have the house to myself.

Friday was.. nuts!  I surprised the girls with a trip to the dentist because Carley's cavity paranoia was off the charts and I decided to ease her mind. The thing about Carley is that she ALWAYS thinks she has a cavity ... and she never does! So when she comes up to me and says, "Mom, I think I have a cavity." I usually respond with, "You're just paranoid, Car." To which she insists, "NO! I really DO this time."  Again.. she never really does, and she didn't this time either. But at least she can put the paranoia away for a week or so.

After the dentist, Hubby and I took his dad grocery shopping. Oh my! There's something very special about a grocery trip to Wal-Mart with Hubby and his Pops. Some random lady saw me helping my father in law locate the bath tissue and assumed I worked at Wal-Mart. While Hubby giggled over the situation, I nicely helped the lady find the rug cleaner she was looking for.  Hubby laughed and said I had downgraded from being mistaken for Oprah to being mistaken as a Wal-Mart worker. FML

Sidenote - The Oprah story:
Hubby and I were vacationing in Hawaii once when a woman approached me and told me I looked exactly like Oprah Winfrey. It totally wrecked my day.  I smiled and thanked her, and said something about how I wished I had Oprah's bank account. In my head I was thinking, what the heck! I am a thirty-something WHITE girl. Hubster still laughs about that one. 



Side-by-Side Comparison.  Is it the hair or my Hawaiian tan?  Seriously though, I'd take her bank account!

I continued my Friday afternoon by rushing home to meet my nieces, Breckly and Ty who were at my house for 5 mintues before Abby and Linzie got home from school. Then I rushed to Layton High School to pick up Madi so we could rush home and get her ready for work.. then rush her to work.

My life is a series of rush hours. Not even kidding!

We did have some great moments this weekend, including Hubby's first grill night of the year and laughing our guts out over the things Carley says.. "I almost had water!" Or, "Everything I've seen, I've seen!"  But my favorite one had to be, "No, yes, no. What I mean by that is yes."  Oh my goodness, our sides hurt from laughing! Nothing is better than time spent as a family and now we are all itching for summer to get here so we can have our weekly barbecue nights. Bring on the flip flops and family fun!

We wrapped up our weekend by rushing to make chocolate covered pretzels in chocolate mint flavor and raspberry cheesecake flavor for Hubster to take to his work Superbowl potluck today (thanks for the 90 minute notice, Hubby!) then we sang at the top of our lungs on the way to and from Mom's for a little Superbowl visit. Naturally we laughed ourselves silly over there too. We enjoy each others' company, what more can I say?

Life is good! The kids all said they had a great day today, and I agree.  Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the girlies to watch the Glee premiere, which is what we've REALLY been looking foward to all day. Who needs the Superbowl when you have Glee?

A Celebration

Children should be celebrated every day. As a mother I feel very strongly about that. I know there are times that isn't always easy... especially if those children are misbehaving or tromping on parental feelings.  But I still think they need to have special celebrations other than birthdays and public holidays.  It's even better if they aren't expecting a celebration. A mini surprise party, if you will.

Yesterday we ignored that silly groundhog and celebrated Linzie instead.

 My Binza Bear was taking care of others even before she was born. (She's still an excellent mama bear in training!) But while they shared a womb, Linzie struggled to pump the shared blood supply for Abby and herself. She did a valiant job.. the best she could really. And when her little heart could no longer bear the burden alone, a very talented doctor stepped in to rescue my little girls. Abby was able to finally put on weight and Linzie could finally rest.  But because she had done the work for both of them for so long, her little heart was damaged. When she was born, Linz had some heart problems that needed to be fixed... some immediately after her birth, and some that we finally corrected 5 years ago on Groundhog Day.

First thing yesterday morning, Linzie posted this on her Facebook -

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.” - James Dean
5 years ago today I had my heart surgery... ♥ :)

I felt a wide range of emotions when I read that. First and foremost, I am so grateful for my girl and for the fight within her that kept her going until help arrived. There are no words to properly convey my gratitude for the the many talented doctors that have taken such excellent care of my Linz, even before she was born. Echocardiograms and EKGs have been routine procedures for Linzie for the past 14 years and she's never been scared or worried because those doctors have always been her friends.

I was on the verge of happy, grateful tears all day as I thought about her life, the supporting people and the events that brought us to that day of celebration.

Is there a better  way to celebrate Linzie's heart day than a cake complete with heart-shaped sprinkles and five tall candles? We didn't think so!  We sang "Happy Heart Day To You" and took lots of pictures of the cake. My cute artists looked like the Cake-a-razzi with their cameras out, snapping picture after picture of the cake making process and the finished product!

I could only grin as I watched their happiness unfolding in front of me.  I did not get out my fancy camera, I left that to the girlies, but I did snap a few pictures with my Blackberry to share with Facebook friends. Please forgive the grainy, camera phone quality. When Carley uploads her pictures, I'll be sure to snag a few!

 

The paparazzi snap photo after photo of the heart cake!

 

Happy 5th anniversary, my sweet girl!

Music That I Can't Live Without

***UPDATE*** Meredith Bragg "Next Time" is now available on iTunes!  2-4-11

Have you ever heard a song that just won't let go of you?  I'm talking about one of those songs that says, "Hello soul, where have you been all my life?"  Mmm Hmmm, that's what I'm talking about.

Last night Carley and I were watching our most favorite favorite-est show, Parenthood.  If you haven't seen it before, let me just clarify something.. I'm fairly certain NBC has bugged my house and is using my life to write this television series, with subtle variations thrown in so that I can't sue them for my share of the profits.  I should also clarify that there are very few people I could actually sit and watch this show with because I am constantly covering my face and saying, "omigosh, how did they KNOW!" Carley forgives me those moments because, face it, she knows the story lines are ripped from our lives too! And at the end of every episode she helps me sweep the house for the bugs that we know are planted here somewhere. 

At the end of last night's episode, when one of the main characters was sobbing into a pillow over the daughter that is working hard to break her mother's heart, there was a haunting song playing in the background. It reached into my guts and hooked me so hard that I was actually annoyed at the characters because their talking was making it so I couldn't hear the song! I have a vague recollection of the girlies air kissing me from the doorway as I began my Internet hunt for the song based on the snippets of lyrics I could gather in spite of the dialogue.

Nada.

The song could not be located by the lyrics. In this information age, that almost NEVER happens! I was frustrated!  By that time I had re-watched the scene a dozen or so times and I liked the song even more every time I heard it.

Today I was thrilled to discover that NBC lists some songs from each episode on their website and.. TA DA! There it was..  Meredith Bragg "Next Time"  You better believe I hopped over to iTunes immediately to purchase this haunting song.

I'm starting to think the universe doesn't want me to have this song because IT WASN'T THERE!  Are you kidding me?! Multiple Internet searches later and all I can tell you is that this song came out some time last year but it is nowhere to be purchased.  *sob* I did find ONE place where I could stream the song and listen to it at my computer.

Want to hear it for yourself?  "Next Time"

I luh-huve this song! I can't explain why, but it makes me want to take off somewhere tropical and walk down a sugary-white beach with flip flops in my hand and grains of sand sticking to my feet. I didn't think I'd ever get over the trauma of last year's Hawaiian vacation, but this song has apparently cured me... well, the song AND the fact that the arctic air has us trapped in single digit weather this morning.

Bill's feet.. Kickin it in Maui '09  Time to go back, yes?

Since there is no tropical vacation in my future, I would at least like to have the song on my iPod so I can dream. Is that too much to ask?  Meredith Bragg, please get your schtuff together and make the song available on iTunes. I'd be oh so grateful!

This pic was posted on dooce.com today. Mean!

And Hubby, if you ever read this.... which you won't....  how about a nice tropical vacay?

Scholarship Details

The final scholarship application has been mailed and now that the hard work is done, I have Carley's permission to show you some of the cool things she included in different applications. I am so proud of both of my graduating kiddos!

Division of Visual Arts Scholarship Application
For her art department scholarship application, Carley was asked to submit an essay explaining one of her art pieces. She chose her Angel painting and this is what she said:

In the past I have worked extensively with pastels, colored pencil and chalk. I wanted to create something different using the monotype technique which often results in blots of ink rather than hard, defined edges.  I am happy with the results I achieved by blending different artistic techniques in order to illustrate the piece the way I imagined it.

Technique:

I layered the scripture pages in collage form to visually mimic the chaos of a multitude of voices speaking at the same time. Using a monotype technique with oil paint, I created the focal outline of the angel. Using turpentine, I blurred edges and lightened the oil paint to add shadow to the shape of the angel’s arms and wings. Color was used only as an accent, the earth tones intentionally muddied, which added to the feeling of fatigue and anguish. Finally, I added a layer of decoupage to protect the delicate background and to add a texture to the piece that would imitate brush strokes on a painting.

Symbolism:

When I first conceptualized this painting, I thought of using scripture pages as the background because religion is the foundation of so many people’s lives. The angel image is based on well-regarded sculptures that are commonly found all over the world. By overlaying the angel image on the scripture pages, I wanted to represent the idea of how this guardian angel might feel after centuries of watching over mankind.  Some viewers say the angel is filled with hopelessness and despair due to the wickedness of the people on Earth, while others say she is grieving over lost souls. Ultimately, I like to leave final interpretation up to individuals to decide for themselves.

Effect:

Contrary to my usual style, I wanted to create a less colorful piece that would evoke strong emotions. I did not necessarily intend for it to be controversial, but even the small percentage of people that are uncomfortable by the use of scriptures may choose to openly express their feelings on the subject and those discussions were what I hoped to achieve.  

 When the piece was completed, I discovered the fitting verse, which ultimately became the title of this piece, on the angel’s broken left hand: “The Earth is given into the hands of the wicked.”

Ambassador Scholarship Application
For this application, Carley was asked to write an essay about her goals and qualifications. She was also instructed to create an "about me" visual page. Here are the pieces of that application:

Although my family’s means are modest, my parents have always worked hard to provide for the needs of their children. We sometimes had to give up our "wants" but we always had the necessities and we were taught valuable lessons along the way. One of the most important lessons they taught me was about the importance of college education. I have seen firsthand the frustrations my mom has endured because she has not yet completed her degree, and because of this she has made many sacrifices to assure that I will have every educational opportunity possible. With the unwavering support and encouragement of my family, I am able to maintain good grades, participate in leadership and service clubs, and still find time to relax and recharge when needed. With hard work and dedication, I will be a first generation college student and graduate.

            My goal is to gain a degree in fine arts and become an art teacher.  I believe that art is fundamental and every student deserves the opportunity to enhance their education with fine arts instruction. Even as a young child, I knew I viewed the world differently than most people. Where most people will admire the colors of the sunset, I see the abstract shapes of the clouds, the reflected light bending across distant hills and objects. Simply put, art is my life. I struggled in math and science classes until a caring teacher showed me how I could utilize my artistic skills by taking colorful notes to help with my studies.  It is my dream to earn my degree at Weber State University so I may teach and mentor other students facing similar challenges with their own studies.

            I have always known I want to attend WSU, but the first time I walked around the college campus and browsed the art gallery, I truly felt at home.  While my friends were pondering different college options, I never even questioned which school I wanted to attend because I knew this school would be the perfect fit for me.  I have already started making new friends in The Department of Visual Arts and I feel that being an Ambassador will further my goals here.

            I am confident I would be an excellent Ambassador at WSU because as one of the oldest of six children, being a leader comes naturally to me. I am comfortable being in a position to lead by example and I work well with people who have different opinions and ideas. I have also had the great honor of serving as the WSU Lynx representative at Layton High School this year, and I served the past two years as a Layton High Ambassador. In this position, I have specifically reached out to those students who might hesitate to join in, because as a young teen I had to push myself to participate in activities outside of my comfort zone. I know that there are many students who feel the same apprehension about getting involved, and I strive to encourage them to take the chances that I did. I have found that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Whether through school service projects or personal causes, such as cancer awareness, I have participated in so many service projects that show me the value of giving for the benefit of others. To me, service is yet another classroom and there is so much to be learned and gained along the way.

            It is my sincere hope that my application will be strongly considered. I have the time, the desire, the background and the abilities that are necessary to excel in this role, and am so excited for the opportunity. I know I will represent Weber State University proudly! Thank you for your time and consideration.

I happen to think she did an excellent job with her applications and I'm mighty proud!  I wish I could share Madi's scholarship accomplishment with you, but suffice it to say that she scored an amazing 30 on her ACT and earned the Presidential Scholarship which is a 4 year, full tuition scholarship.  

Way to go, girls! 

Little Birds Leaving The Nest

Hello February! I have to confess -This morning I have been hunkered down among my multitude of fluffy pillows and toasty blankets, completely and utterly self indulgent and loving it! This is just what I needed after the breakneck pace of the weekend.  Time to relax and recharge.

I have witnessed so many life changing moments with my girls and each one carries just a hint of sadness when I stop to realize that we are on the threshold of a new chapter in their lives. New chapters usually mean an end to the old chapters.. you know, the ones where they are my little girls and they need me to take care of them. In the blink of an eye these little creatures are all grown up and thinking about taking complete command of their own lives. Now I have to consciously stifle my instinct to speak up about what I think they should do and let them make those decisions (for better or worse) on their own.  This is new territory for all of us and as exciting as it is, it's still a little scary too.  Have I taught them well enough? Do they have the skills they need to hop from the nest and soar?

Last weekend was dedicated to all things scholarship. Carley has been working hard to earn college money and I was doing everything I could to help. She had an interview on Saturday with the art department at WSU and she did so well! She spotlighted her Angel piece and the members on the panel told her they could look at it all day. (Me too!) Carley came home so excited about her future at WSU. She will be entering her Angel piece into their art show coming up soon and I'll be sure to let you know when we hear anything about the department scholarship.

After the art department scholarship, we dove right into the Ambassador scholarship, also at WSU. This is the scholarship I am crossing my fingers for. Being selected as an Ambassador would mean a full ride scholarship plus a small stipend each semester which would probably be enough for books too. All of Carley's high school preparation has been leading up to this scholarship and we worked very hard on her application for it. I think she's the perfect candidate but once again we can only wait and see.

This waiting game is going to give me even more gray hair!

Finally we finished up yesterday with the Delta scholarship. Carley said all along that this one would be the easiest to do and she was right! Because we had worked so hard on the Sterling Scholar application and the other two for WSU, all we had to do for the Delta scholarship was pull pieces from each one as needed. It now sits on the counter waiting for me to mail it off today and with that, scholarship season has officially come to an end.

Now we wait.

Madi has a full ride to WSU based on her ACT grades. We are so proud of her! She didn't want to apply for any other scholarships and I struggled to accept that. We had a few bumpy moments when I tried to push her into doing something she didn't want to do and then I had to just let go. I can't make decisions for them.. even if I think it was the best thing for her, she wasn't interested and forcing the issue only made us both miserable. This is the part where I have to learn new skills and let them make their own choices. I'm still extremely proud of Madi's accomplishments and I want nothing but the best for her when it comes to her college experiences. I know she'll do great!

My oldest girls are so grown up now! They are preparing for college life in which they will take those steps as (mostly) independent women. The choices they make from now on will guide the direction of their entire future. That's a big deal! I  know they are excited about college and the new doors opening all around them. I hope that their choices will always be the best ones for them. But man oh man is it going to be tough on me!

One spring a robin built its nest in the sheltered nook of our front porch. We watched this beautiful fella build his nest with carefully chosen twigs, grass and bits of shiny things. We invested our hopes in the brightly colored eggs that we discovered in that nest one day and we carefully roped off the porch when those adorable little birds emerged. Hours were spent watching that little family from our living room. We saw both parents taking care of the little birds that awkwardly stretched their necks each time food was offered. For weeks we delighted in the changes of the little birds and they grew stronger and cuter by the day. One day I watched as the round fluffy babies hopped up on the edge of the nest and vigorously beat their tiny wings against the slight breeze. I held my breath fearing this would be the day that they flew away for good. But after a nice workout, they hopped back into their cozy nest and carried on with their happy chirping when their parents showed up. One morning we checked the nest and it was empty. Those little birds had flown away without warning and we missed their presence. However, as the days went on there were sightings of those little birds hopping around our yard and we were so happy to see them doing so well. We were grateful that we had seen their beginnings and we hoped they would always be happy, healthy little birds.

My girlies are so much like those little robins.

I have taken care of these girlies for over 18 years. I have carefully watched over them and tried my best to make decisions that were always in their best interest. I tried to surround them with happiness and love and give them the skills they would need to always do the right thing. I admit, I'm not ready for this phase. My instinct is to keep guiding them and making decisions for them. Now I have to make myself take a backseat... it's time to see how well they will do on their own.  This is the part where I am supposed let go and oh my goodness it is so difficult to do!

They're going to be just fine. Better than fine.  They're going to be rockin' awesome!