Monday, May 24, 2010

Let's Talk About the Weather







I may have mentioned we are in Utah for Siara's wedding. Yesterday after church the sun was blazing and the car was like an oven. As the afternoon wore on, a storm moved in and it began to rain cats and dogs. This morning we woke up to SNOW! Then it hailed. Then it continued to snow. Big fluffy flakes that stuck and soon covered the roads. Shane was in the hotel room with only his flip-flops and decided to trek out to the car to get his real shoes. Which,  I just want to state for the record, I packed in spite of his protests that he would ONLY be wearing flip-flops (except of course for the mandatory dressing up for the wedding--and for that he wisely packed his church shoes). So, he put on socks (because it was cold) and flip-flops and headed out. Some time later I heard him pounding on the door. I opened it to a drenched, cold, disgruntled Shane:
"It's FREEZING out there, my socks are soaked and I'm pretty sure I have  FROST-NIP!!"

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Go Ahead, Make My Day

I'm in Utah for Siara's wedding. This morning I got ready for church and then rushed downstairs to get some oatmeal from the breakfast buffet. I was carrying it carefully in the little styrofoam bowl up in the elevator to bring it back to our room--so I could continue to pester, nag and cajole the boys out of their beds and into their suits--when the doors opened on our floor. A grizzled gentleman who was waiting for the elevator, stepped back and let me out with my oatmeal. As I walked past I heard:

"YOU'RE looking good today."

I was the only one in the hall or the elevator so I have to assume he meant me--I mumbled a thank you and kept walking as fast as I could balancing a bowl of oatmeal.

When I got to the room I was telling Sam and he said,
"Was it an 'oh that was a nice compliment' moment or a 'run for your life' moment."

Come to think of it, maybe he was just talking to himself.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Some Birthday Love




Happy Birthday to our favoritest Daughter-in-law Nicole!

Sweet Mama to this little cutie:



And wife of this lucky guy:



As well as math genius.
Not to mention, good cook.
And don't forget, fun to be around.
That's not all--she has our SECOND grandchild in the works.
Did I tell you we adore her?
Happy Birthday Nicole!


Tuesday, May 11, 2010

A Little Gardening Bliss

Just have to say, California is great for gardening!
Once you figure out a good watering system.
 We are big on sunshine and short on rain around here.

Left-overs from last year's flowers sprouted up again--a nice surprise!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Her Children Shall Arise Up and Call Her...

...Crazy

Another Mother's Day has come and gone. This morning Sam asked me,
"Wasn't that your best Mother's Day ever?"
I wasn't sure how to answer that. I'm not really one to Rate the Holiday.
I'm a very blessed Mom and for the most part my kids make sure I "feel the love" year-round.
I have always treasured their little tokens of affection--even when they are coerced into making them by
persuasive Primary Presidents. Shane handed me a tissue paper flower yesterday
on the way to the car after church--
handcrafted with care by my reluctant artiste.
I read the poem attached to it--just a printed piece of paper--nothing original,
and I burst into tears. When he saw my reaction he looked a little befuddled.
It's just that, this is the last Mother's Day that I will have a child in Primary.
I realize there are a lot of "lasts" coming up so I'm trying to buck up and keep it together.
I have loved all of the stages of mothering and look forward to all that is ahead.
Besides, I have grandchildren here and on the way and many more
 (that's not pressure--that's just arithmetic!)
still to come who will more than fill in the gaps.
But for now, I have to say, each Mother's Day is the best one ever.
Because that's another year I got to be the Mom to 8 amazing kids.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Why I Homeschool Reason #387

Today I was explaining to Shane how to find out the surface area of a prism or a cylinder. We discussed how a cereal box would look all flattened out before it was turned into a box. Then I told him to imagine the cardboard salt container and how it would look with the circle ends cut off and the middle flattened, so he could figure out the area of a cylinder.
           Shane: "I used to think the salt container said 'idolized' salt."
               Me: "Oh, instead of 'iodized'?"
           Shane: "Yeah! I thought, what is this?! A false idol in our cupboard!"

You had to be there.
And I was.
Because I home school.

Happy Birthday Scott!

 It has been awhile since I updated this little family scrapbook on the internet. I like to pop over here from time to time and look at our ...