Spring Surprises and Sports

I meant to do this as two different posts- one yesterday and one today but that didn't happen and so I am putting them together. On Monday we had a beautiful day outside and I was feeling well so I took the kids to the nursery and picked out some flowers for our garden. We planted them and did some general yard work and the place looks so great now.
These are some hanging flower baskets with flowers that should grow longer - vining down.

I love pansies. I wanted to plant them everywhere so that when they grow bigger they will look like when BYU planted them everywhere and all you see is a blanket of Pansie flowers.

Oh and surprise! I guess we have some Rhubarb growing in our backyard. Too bad we don't like rhubarb.

We had another garden surprise - a really good one. Out here we have seen these trees that Ive found out are called Dogwoods. They bloom these enormous pink flowers in the spring. I mean ENORMOUS - like as big as your hand. Which I just loved because you never see a tree bloom flowers that big. Well the kids discovered that in our backyard we have a bush that blooms flowers that look like the Dogwoods - maybe its a Dogwood bush if that exists. I was so excited to see that we had one because we were just talking about getting a tree like that for our yard since the blooms were so pretty. We had not gone out to the back yard in a few days because of the robin's nest so we didn't notice the bush.

I just love how big the flowers are because even for a bush or a tree - these are so big!

Along with Spring garden surprises we started spring sports for the kids. Yesterday Lyman had his first day of Soccer and Swim lessons. He loved going to both of them and I cant believe how big he is and how much he is willing to listen and follow directions when its someone other than his parents directing him. Daddy got to see the last 10 minutes of Soccer practice cause he met us at the YMCA after work instead of going home first. Corilynn has her first day of Swim lessons on Thursday so Ill post some of those pictures up with my Thankful Thursday.

After the last few days - today has been designated a PJ day staying at HOME.

Robin Update

Sadly we have not seen the Mama Robin at her nest for almost 2 days now. Today I looked and one of the eggs is cracked and they all look abandoned. Its really too bad to because the kids were doing so well and they didn't even try to go near it. I think a neighborhood cat must of scared the Mommy off.

Thankful Thursday

Today's Thankful Thursday has to be dedicated at least in part to Corilynn. I am thankful for that nutty, orphan haired, sweet little girl. I went to check on her before I went to bed and saw her snuggling her elephant and thought to myself that we just don't have as many sleeping pictures of her as we did of Lyman. So I took a few. Its amazing how wonderfully innocent children can be when they are sleeping. I like to think of them as resting not recharging.I am thankful for Corilynn's crazy matted and wild hair. It doesn't matter how many times we comb it or style it - when she wakes up and really just about anytime - it turns out looking like some street orphan.

When I took this picture - we were just pretending to take pictures "about" each other. I am thankful for this little girl because everyday she makes me laugh and she knows she can get away with anything when she comes up to me and throws her arms around me and dramatically says "I wove you" in her best sign songy voice.

One more thing to be thankful for today - we have a robin's nest just outside our window. Literally if we opened the window we could grab the branches of the tree. Its a perfect 3 feet from the window so the kids can watch all day waiting for the Mommy robin to hatch her eggs. When she flies away occasionally they love to run upstairs to Lyman's room and look down at the 3-4 blue eggs - from up there you can look down into the nest. I took a picture of the nest view from our living room window. I am especially grateful for the fact that "everyone needs to be quiet so we don't scare away the Mommy bird." My rages induced by children's' screeching voices have significantly lowered in their frequency since the discovery of our bird friend's choice of habitat. Thanks Mother Nature - from one cool Mom to another - I owe you one.

Junior BMW Employees

My kids like to pretend that they are just like Dad and work for "B M W" - which is actually supposed to be "B & W" or Babcock and Wilcox. They love to put on some of Dad's jackets or in the case with the pictures below - his hard hat and safety glasses.

I wonder what it would look like if one day they wanted to pretend to be like Mom. They would probably dress in their PJs all day and while walking around the house keep saying things like "no no no" or "Please don't hit your sister" or "NO FIGHTING" - This is their basic perception of me anyway. At least the PJ part is accurate. :)

Morning in Paris

On Friday we spent a wonderful morning in Paris. We took her out to the nearest lake as a family and found some great shots of the wildlife on an island in the middle. We saw scores of geese and even a turtle. Checkout our awesome shots.

Except for the slight sunburns we had - everyone had a great time. While Andrew and I were loading the canoe onto the car again the kids threw rocks into the lake from the shore. On the way home Daddy asked Lyman what was his favorite part about that morning. His response, "Throwing rocks into the lake" - well great- glad we spent money buying a boat, life jackets, oars etc when his favorite part was FREE. Oh well. :)

Thankful Thursday

Phew! It as time for a blog outline change! I like this one, what do you think?

For Thankful Thursday I am thankful for real love. The type of love that I feel I have a lot of in my life. Real love comes in all kinds of forms: romantic love, true friendship love and Godly love.

Romantic love: Last night I wasn't feeling well and I had to put the kids to bed by myself because Andrew was off at cub scouts. I put the kids to sleep and expected he would be a while because he had mentioned the last week that a lot of the guys played basketball after scouts and invited him to come the next week. I expected he would probably stay to play a while even though he doesn't like playing basketball since he doesn't think he is good at it. He figured it would be a good chance to get to know people. When he came back at the normal time I was surprised and asked why he didn't stay to play. He said because he knew I was at home not feeling well and wanted to come home. Awwwlll. Then he sat down with me and finished watching one of my favorite TV shows, Bones with me. He always lets me put my feet up on his lap and tries to make sure I am comfortable. Last night I asked if he would play with my hair and he gladly did - it felt sooo good. We both had fun just being together because we love each other and like to spend time together even if it is doing nothing at all. By the way - who is with me here - Booth and Brennan need to totally get married! Its so romantic how much they both like each other but haven't really realized it yet. Com'mon Bones producers - make them kiss already!!!

Friendly love: On Tuesday I was having particularly lousy day. I was having one of those "down on myself" days because I wasn't feeling good and the house literally was like a friend puts it "trailer trash tornado scene". My dishes were everywhere, I had 4 loads of laundry waiting to be folded, the kids were still either in their PJ's or half dressed and I had not showered yet. I was feeling a bit overloaded because I had all these things to do but just feeling lousy physically so I couldn't do them. ::Bleep: you Thyroid! I called a friend to complain who volunteered to look up some homeopathic solutions for me and then I called another friend who lives nearby and she was close so she said she would come by. She came by and played with my hair (I love that if you cant tell) while I sobbed and then she got up and cleaned my whole kitchen, dishes and floor and table - the works. She was so wonderful. It made me feel so much better just to have some light under the pile of rocks I felt like I was under. Then I got on my computer and I had an email from the other friend with lots of great tricks I can try to use. I am so grateful for friends who really take the time for me.

Godly love: I am thankful for the times in my life (especially recently) where I have known that there is God who loves and looks out for us. Many of my experiences are too personal to recount but I know that He loves me and that He is aware of my difficult times. A friend's blog reminded me of a really great talk given by Elder Worthlin in General Conference a few times back. It is called Sunday Will Come. He reminds us that on the Friday Jesus died - it was the lowest any human or Godly being had ever had. He suffered for our sins, was rejected by his friends, wrongly accused, and sentenced to death by his own people. It was a horrible day. Elder Worthlin related that we too have really difficult things in our life - times where we feel like we are the lowest and that it just cant get worse. But Elder Worthlin then reminds us that after the Friday - Sunday came! Sunday came and Jesus was resurrected and in Glory and Power. From His lowest of all lows came the good and highest point in human history. Elder Worthlin reminded us and myself particularly that Sunday will come - for all of us. The days will get easier and whatever we are dealing with - we will get through it through God's help and that our Sunday will come when we can be happy again. Ive been thinking about this a lot lately especially with Easter just recently. If any of you are struggling with any personal difficulty - remember Sunday Will Come.

Ohh and I need to give a shout out for my friend Tawnya - Congrats on the new baby boy!

Boating Fun

Sorry for the short blog hiatus. I have had sort of a blog stroke these past few days. Lots of times I have had something I wanted to blog about but was too lazy to do it or I thought of something funny the kids said but didn't write it down so I didn't really have anything to blog.

My mind is still kind of zoned out but here are some cute picture updates of the kids.

Im not exactly sure if they know they are not on water. But it was nice of Lyman to offer to row for Corilynn.

Here we are practicing casting the line to go fishing. Lyman got a batman fishing rod and Corilynn of course picked the princess one.

Here is Dad with the kids pretending on our new boat, "Paris".

Here is a cute one of the kids "surfing" on the new diaper packages. Corilynn said something funny the other day - when Lyman dropped his crayon on the floor and couldn't find it, she said "Maybe it fell to the center of the earth!" Good one babe!

Your Questions Answered

Laura, from Provo, Utah asks: "What's the recipe to your favorite homemade treat?"
That is a very good question Laura. I think the favorite changes from time to time but currently my most favorite homemade treat is homemade cinnamon rolls. Here is the recipe below. Super easy and super yummy (even if you are one of those people who think they cant make bread - you can make this recipe!

Make dough in METAL bowl
1.5 C Almost HOT water
2 T Sugar
1 T Yeast
(combine above and let sit for 10 min - until frothy)
Add flour to mixture until it is consistency of yogurt then add
1 t Salt
1 T oil
Mix and add flour until you have a dough ball that will spring back when you poke it.

Place dough back in metal bowl and place metal bowl on top of oven preheated to 350 degrees F.
After dough has doubled in size (20 minutes usually), take dough and roll out into one big 1/4 inch sheet. Generously brush melted butter on top of dough sheet, sprinkle cinnamon all over and brown sugar every where too. This is where you can add diced apples and nuts if you prefer.
Tightly roll dough into one long roll, use a piece of dental floss to cut through the dough roll at 1 inch sections. Place sections on greased cookie sheet (allowing at least 1 inch between or more for rising) and place cookie sheet on warm oven top to rise a second time. Cook until golden brown (15 min maybe? I just wait until I smell yummy bread and then check until it is golden brown - what can I say - I cook like my mom.) Let cool and serve with fresh cream cheese frosting. YUM

Jen from Arizona asks: "What do you get a 2 year old girl for her birthday that will rock her socks off?"
Thank you Jen for your question. Well if the girl you are thinking of is anything like my girl (ie all girl, thinks she is a princess, and super duper feminine) then you could get her anything from pretend high heels to a tinker bell dress up outfit. A purse and pretend make up are always big but most of all shoes, shoes, shoes.

Kirk from New Zealand asks: "Where in the world would you most like to travel? And how about to live?"
Great to have you participate Kirk! Oh the places I would love to travel are many. Ill start first with your second question. I think I would only love to live in the United States of America. Although I think it would be so good for my kids to get a cultural experience of living abroad, I still think that my American patriotism will hold out in the end. I love America probably like you love New Zealand. Sure we have our problems but it feels like home and there isn't much else I can write it isn't incorporated into that last statement.
The place I would like to travel to the most in the world is probably Italy. Is there any place that is more romantic, with beautiful scenery, great food, and world history? I would also love to travel to Egypt, The Great Wall and many places in Europe. We both really want to visit New Zealand - so if we ever make it there - we'll be staying at your house! Ohh and I would love to go to Jerusalem and the Holy Land... oh now you've got me started.....

Cheryl from Seattle area asks, "How do I sell my condo and move into your neighborhood....okay maybe that is rhetorical..."
Oh Cheryl how wonderful it would be if you could be in my neighborhood. I think then it would be perfect. We loved living by you so much back in Provo a few years ago. So Im thinking - play the lotto, retire rich and raise the property value of our house significantly by moving right by us.

Tiffany from Lawrence, KS asks: "Tell me, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"
If only we knew that, Tiffany, I think a lot of the world's questions could be answered. At least regarding geography. Interestingly enough, the show was one of the longest running children's game show in history - having 296 episodes. (little factoid from our friend Wikipedia)

Thanks friends for your questions. I think this was fun and I plan on doing another questionnaire probably in a few months. Love ya!

Thankful Thursday

I have yet to miss a Thankful Thursday since I started this blog and even though it is later in the day that I usually post - I have not forgotten today.

Today I am thankful for my parents for giving me such a good childhood. There are a lot of things they did and didn't do that I think made it a good childhood. They didn't always indulge in whatever I might want which at the time made me feel a little less thankful than I am today but what it does mean for me is that I grew up being grateful for what I had and also working for the things I wanted that I didn't have. When you have to work for something you want it makes it easy to prioritize the things in life that are more important to work for. Part of the parenting that I think benefited me a lot is that my parents didn't dive in and save me every time I had a bruised knee or broken heart. They were not disconnected to me and they were affectionate but they allowed me to work through the pain as silent supporters which made it so that even from a young age I grew up confident enough to know that I could make it through anything even if I had to do it alone. I don't ever remember being afraid of the dark or needing to be coddled every time I got hurt. Sometimes I think this makes me a mother that doesn't always jump up when my kids fall down - because I want them to know they can pick themselves up but that I am here always for them. I always felt my parents love and never doubted that but I learned to pick myself up.

I am thankful that my parents created a stable home environment. They had rules that we were required to follow and I remember that "as long as I lived under this roof" yadda yadda yadda. The rules set stability and an easy scapegoat whenever I needed to say no to friends who wanted me to do something I shouldn't. It was a house rule - I could defer to my mean old parents. Sometimes I think that these days people think they need to be their teenager's best friend and not their parent. Although I do think a little of both is important especially in the type of world we grow up in - it doesn't hurt your child to be their parent every once and a while even if that doesn't make you very popular with your children. I remember once yelling at my Mom about how "mean" she was and she said, (like she always did at those times - and it just errked me to no end) "Thats ok, mean Moms make good kids." She could have caved and been a "best friend" then and tried to be nice because she probably didn't like being considered "mean" but she didn't - she was stable and strong and was probably telling herself as much as she was making the statement to me.

They called a spade a spade. Whenever any of us kids were acting out and being disrespectful to either sibling or parent - they called us on it. There was no justifying that it was "our personality" or that we were probably in a bad mood, or stressed from school. There was never any excuse to cheat, disrespect or demean anyone. It doesn't matter what day you had or how much you had on your plate. There is no excuse. I see too many people making excuses for people who need to just be shaken and told "quit it".

They taught me the value of sticking together. I remember a family home evening once where my dad and mom were trying to teach us the principle that our actions on earth would effect our future happiness after this life. They made this point by having each child come to them in the end as if coming to judgement with God and they explained to each of the kids various things they did right and wrong in "life" and granted them where they would go now - essentially heaven or hell. I remember everyone was going to be in heaven and then it came to me and I was quite young - still very innocent and my father broke up as he told me how sorry he was that I had made some bad choices in my fictional "life" and that I would not be able to join my family in Heaven but would instead have to go another way. I remember how much this upset everyone in the family - of course me the most. After all this I was invited back to the family and we were told how important it was that we all stood up for each other and helped each other make good choices. It was important that we all "make it" and the punch phrase that has stuck with the family since " there be no empty seats" in heaven. We are in this together is what I learned. Since then it has been soo important to me that I remain close to my siblings and also that I raise my kids to love each other unconditionally and for always. Everyone is to do their part and strengthen one another.

I am thankful today for good parents who did their best and sometimes made mistakes. I hope that I can be one of those parents that does their best and despite a few mistakes - teaches my kids the same confidence, respect of others, stability and togetherness that my parents gave me. Hip Hip Hooray for Ron and Patsy.

Actual Patient Notes Written by Their Doctors

I got these from a friend and thought they were sooo funny. Enjoy.

1. The patient refused autopsy.
2. The patient has no previous history of suicides.
3. Patient has left white blood cells at another hospital.
4. She has no rigors or shaking chills, but her husband states she was very hot in bed last night.
5. Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year.
6. On the second day the knee was better, and on the third day it disappeared.
7. The patient is tearful and crying constantly. She also appears to be depressed.
8. The patient has been depressed since she began seeing me in 1993.
9. Discharge status: Alive but without my permission.
10. Healthy appearing decrepit 69-year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.
11. Patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for lunch.
12. She is numb from her toes down.
13. While in ER, she was examined, x-rated and sent home.
14. The skin was moist and dry.
15. Occasional, constant infrequent headaches.
16. Patient was alert and unresponsive.
17. Rectal examination revealed a normal size thyroid.
18. She stated that she had been constipated for most of her life, until she got a divorce.
19. I saw your patient today, who is still under our car for physical therapy.
20. Both breasts are equal and reactive to light and accommodation.
21. The lab test indicated abnormal lover function.
23. Skin: somewhat pale but present.
24. Patient has two teenage children, but no other abnormalities.

Contestant Number 1

Hello folks! I thought I would play this game as Ive seen it before and found it was fun. As my blog readers you have the chance to comment and ask me any question and I will try to answer it in a few days on another post. However please keep your inquires appropriate as someday I would like to print this blog off and my kids might read it someday. I also protect the right to reject questions as the law permits.

Get to it now! Ask away - you might be surprised as to what the answer is.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for the beautiful 70 degree weather we are experiencing today. I took the kids to a park nearby and they ran around like crazy until they nearly collapsed at my feet in want of food. It was wonderful. Yesterday was rainy and tomorrow is for casted to be also and when you get a day like this in between - it just screams: Good book on a porch swing. The kids are napping and the laundry has been transferred. I'm off.

Change of pace: If you read this, comment with what YOU are thankful for today.

Where are you spring?

I cant wait for spring to come here in Ohio. It was late summer when we first came to see Ohio and find a house. It was fall when we moved here and so both times the scenery was beautiful. Lush and green in the summer and brilliant colors during the fall. After the fall all the trees were bare and looked grey and dead.

It seems like spring weather came long ago here and yet there are still little signs of spring on the earth. I think what makes me think things are taking so long here is that the grass stays perfectly green and lovely all winter long so I look at the grass and expect the trees to green up and come alive soon. Not so. Spring, spring - come as fast as you can!

Ohh and you guys can google maps my neighborhood - they have street view - look for Christman Rd, Green ,OH - it doesn't actually have my street done but pretty much all the surrounding streets and areas. Checkout Nimisilla Reservoir as you drive down Christman. When you see it that way you will know why I cant wait for Spring.

Here is a link for what I am talking about : You will have to click street view but this is at the beginning of Christman where it starts at Mt. Pleasant Rd. This is just before you turn off onto the road that takes you to our neighborhood. Scroll down the road until you see the first Left turn you can make - its easy to miss since it is totally tree covered and shady. Its this tree canopy I cant wait to come back. If you want you can skip to this link and see the road that you turn onto to get to our house off of Christman