Letter of Thanks

Dear Dell Laptop,

We both know I've never really liked you. My Gateway served me well for many, many years (well, computer years). Carrying me through endless nights of coding and programming and behaving for me well after my college days were over. We never really had problems with his hardware or software the entire time. In fact, the reason I bought you to replace said Gateway was because of simple things: too little memory (which I wouldn't say is a problem, we just outgrew it) and a battery that liked to melt the power cord (again, I'd expect things like this to happen after thousands of hours of use).

You, however, have been a headache from day one. I remember the day you arrived. I took you out of the box and just thought, ugh, you just feel cheap. The Husband picked you out because I wanted nothing to do with spending that much money. I'm not sure if your problems began when software was loaded or if Dell hadn't trained their employees how to correctly handle new software and ensure it functions properly with the hardware. I try to update you and fix you, but I think you might be a lemon. Is that possible? Do you think lemon computers exist? Actually, it doesn't really matter because I'm pretty sure you can't be fixed. I just know you may have easily shaved a few years off my life. Things like shutting down all by yourself before fully booting up (sometimes three or four times in a row), things like dying batteries and power cords long before your prime and things like turning on in the middle of the night after I've put you to sleep are not exactly attributes I look for in a computer. Perhaps you think you're clever and all grown up for being able to complete such tasks on your own, but laptops aren't meant to have a mind of their own. They are meant to be submissive and obey exactly as their masters wish.

However, I've never loved you so much as I did this afternoon when you gracefully jumped off my bed and weren't harmed one bit. No cracks, nothing. You didn't even turn off! I wouldn't say you are functioning great, because you're definitely not better than before your accident, but you function as you did prior to the accident, which makes me happy. I thought you were stable, but as I turned to get some checks, off the edge you went. As much as I dislike you, I don't intend on replacing you anytime soon. Thanks for jumping carefully.

01001100011011110111011001100101,
Your Owner

Pretend Vacation

I've been saying I need a vacation for a long time. We got out of town a lot, but here's my new definition of a vacation: going somewhere to spend time with just our little family. Not that I don't love family and friends, but it'd be nice not to have to be on anyone else's schedule or worry about pleasing a big group of people. I want to be able to spend all our time with each other and not have to share. Maybe I'm selfish, but life is a little bit crazy and we just need some time together.

Whatever I am, it's a darn shame we can't go on vacation any time soon.

However, Jason had yesterday off and we had lots of fun. It was the best pretend vacation ever. We went to the Zoo in the morning. Not surprising, Clara loved the splash pad.
Clara has been waiting a long time to ride the train and we finally did. We saw almost no animals, but we got some animal facts fed to us we wouldn't have known about from walking, so that was fun.
Thank goodness we rode the train because even with the train ride, we came pretty close to melting. And although I found it funny that the A/C in my car kept going off and on as we drove home, Jason sure didn't find an ounce of humor in it.

That evening we went kayaking down the river with our friends, after which we had dinner at our house and a quick FHE lesson. Clara rode in the kayak with Jason (figured that was a wee bit safer considering my last experience...). I am happy to report, I stayed upright this time around. Had I flipped, I was definitely more prepared: no wedding ring, tennis shoes and less rock danger. I didn't see near as many birds, but we saw lots of wild horses and a muskrat.

It was a great day. I think we should devote more days to pretending Jason is retired and we're on vacation.

Flowered Aprons Look Best on Men

At the risk of Jason never helping me with the dishes again, I share with you this:

Flashback Friday: Runaway Tire

Okay, for this one, look past everything in the picture. Look beyond cute little Steven, Anna and Jake, pay no attention to the red jeep and admire the beautiful blue and white suburban in the background. Because that's what this story is all about. That was our family car for a long time and when I saw this picture, well, when I see any picture of this car, one very memorable story comes to mind.

Here's how the story goes... Once upon a time, we went to a family reunion. We were headed home and were somewhere between Yuma and San Diego, near El Centro. I was sitting in the very back and started seeing sparks off to the left. As we were trying to determine what was causing the sparks, we noticed the back tire bouncing past our car. Yup, our tire fell off and bounced past us, crossed the freeway and landed in a field.

Unfortunately, tires fall off if the lug nuts aren't tightened.

Fortunately, there were no oncoming cars when the tire crossed the road.

Unfortunately, we were in the middle of nowhere.

Fortunately, we were pulling a trailer so the car didn't flip.

Unfortunately, it was before 99% of the population 7 years and older had cell phones, so my dad had to hitch a ride to a Call Box to get help (I think that's how it worked).

Fortunately, Ryan was around to entertain us by catching a kangaroo rat. And then he let it bite him.

Unfortunately, it was the middle of the summer and sitting on the side of the road waiting for help was HOT.

Fortunately, my cousins lived in Yuma AND they had a car big enough to transport the whole family.

I don't remember all the details about this experience, but I can tell you we still laugh about it all the time. It's not every day a tire falls off of the car you're in. :)

Magical House

Did you know? I have a magical house in Utah. Why is it magical? Because never have I known of an inanimate object that has taught so many life lessons.

Things like being patient, having faith, trusting in a greater plan, getting over my bad attitude, what a need really is, that money is just money, more about investing in real estate than I ever wanted to know, importance of contract terms, how to keep the right perspective, ways to recognize blessings regardless how bad things seem and how to laugh no matter what.

Most of you don't know we accepted an offer on said magical house last week. This was just days before we were about to sign a contract on a lease. The only thing, well from the information I was given, that would've kept the offer from materializing was the appraisal. I told my family on Sunday I was pretty certain it would appraise where we needed it, but I wouldn't be surprised if something happened. Why? Well, because things don't exactly go as planned when it comes to this beauty.

So last night I got an e-mail from our almost-buyer saying their loan was denied. I was told their home had sold, but really, it hadn't closed just yet. They had an approval letter (not just pre-approval) from the bank and then at the last minute the underwriter denied the loan (even after the deadline) for the person trying to buy their home.


Hmph.

I told Jason and we laughed. Not just a frustrated why-is-this-happening laugh that was more to prevent me from bursting into tears. It was a funny laugh. Our new joke is, "We can afford that, our house sold. Oh wait, no it didn't." Trust me, there is so much humor in it all it's hard not to laugh.

I've come a long way.

Moving Up in the World

A few Thursdays ago Clara went to sleep here...
on Friday she took her nap here...
I guess it's true, kids really DO grow up over night.

Laughing All the Way

It doesn't take much to make me laugh. Sometimes it's appropriate, sometimes it's not.

Inappropriate: Clara passing gas REALLY loud in Church.

Appropriate: Watching the single driver in the HOV lane trying so hard to get over when they see the cop ahead. Unfortunately for them, the car in the lane they're attempting to switch into wouldn't let them in.

Inappropriate: Peaking on Clara during the prayer, seeing her doing something silly and bursting out laughing.

Appropriate: Everyone at work making comments about how quiet I am. "I forgot you're back there, you're so quiet." ... "Well, you're quiet like usual." If only they knew...

Inappropriate: Telling Clara to stop whining and she says, "I'm not whining, I'm yelling!"

Not sure: Parking my pigeon poop covered 8.5 year old Civic next to the boss' shiny new car that is worth more than my annual salary ever was.

And I'm guessing something that cops get a kick out of is driving 53 MPH and watching 99% of drivers drive 53 MPH as well because they are afraid to actually drive the speed limit and pass the cop.

Flashback Friday: Moving

I remember this day pretty clearly. We went to Ben and Jerry's and then Nikki's mom took some pictures of us. I had gone back to visit Nikki and SaLeah in California while my family was moving from Snowflake to Mesa. I left from my house in Snowflake and returned to our house* in Mesa. Looking back, spending time with two of my closest friends that I had to move away from four years prior to this move was probably a good thing. I was reminded that long-distance friendships do last. We still keep in touch and every time we get together, it's just like old times... only with a few more kids. I sure have lots of wonderful memories with these two.
Moving is not easy, but life just wouldn't be complete without all my best friends from everywhere I've lived. One day I was talking with my mom about moving. She, like any parent would, was wondering the extent that moving effected our lives. I told her I think it was good I went through some major moves growing up because it helped me build character and increase my confidence. She said, "Um, I don't think you've ever lacked confidence." Okay, kind of true, but since my confidence only seems to wane as I get older, at least I can appreciate moving for character.

*When we moved to Mesa, we couldn't move into our home right away so we bunked up in an apartment. 3 adults, 6 kids. Thank goodness it was only three weeks or so.

Shine On

I'm generally a happy, positive person. However, over the last few years, it's been difficult for me. It was just one thing after another for so long, I didn't have time to recover from one blow before the next came. I kind of felt like life thought it a great idea to kick me while I was down. I have never struggled so much with my attitude. Not that my life has always been a walk in the park, but before when difficult things came my way, it was one at a time. Suddenly, I was struggling with several at once, so the things that buoyed me up previously, became part of the struggle instead. I had to learn to seriously and completely rely on the things that matter most, the things that won't ever fail me no matter what. Family, my testimony and my relationship with God and Jesus Christ. Although short, it is enough to shine on through anything.

I'm So Clever and Really Slow

Never mind I started this post on June 22nd...

For the last several years, I couldn't really get Jason anything for Father's Day. This year, I decided (or maybe my bank decided) I could. However, just because I can afford something doesn't mean I want to and it definitely doesn't mean it's easy to spend money. So I had a dilemma: get Jason something he would really enjoy or get something my budget would really enjoy (and Jason would enjoy, just not as much). That's when I got clever. I decided I would create a game for Jason and he'd have the opportunity to win one of three prizes. #3: Something the budget would like best. #2: Something in the middle. #1: Something Jason would like best. That way, I was taking a risk but there was also a chance I could get away with spending less. (I'm pretty sure everyone with a spouse like me feels so bad for Jason. Everyone who is a spouse like me understands the difficulty in my decision).

Here's how it worked. I had 15 pictures that he could pick from. Each had a number for one of the questions. Some pictures correlated with the picture, others didn't.
If he got four right, he got the smallest prize. If he got eight right, the middle prize. And if he got 12 right, he got the big prize. That allowed him 3 strikes and because I'm so nice, I made the questions pretty easy.
I had to give him a hint on his very first question and I got really nervous that he was actually going to have to settle for the small or middle prize. However, he only missed two questions and would've missed three without hints, so in the end, would've won anyway. I'm thinking no matter what he would've got prize #1, but I don't know, he's old enough to know life is full of hard knocks. :)

Flashback Friday: Mine Elders

Obviously I don't remember this. I am the baby and apparently when I was a baby, children wearing scrubs were germ-free. Anyway, I love this picture because I love how happy everyone is and it reminds me of what great older siblings I have. What a lucky little sister I have been from day one. All growing up, I looked up to my older siblings so much. I wanted to be with them and I wanted them to like me. And why wouldn't I? They saved me from awful things such as being a New Kids on the Block fan. I wanted to like them, but they told me how lame they were and said I shouldn't. So I didn't. And they taught me things, like what epidermis is. Ryan and Rachel would say, "Your epidermis is showing!" I'm sure I cried because I thought it was something other than my largest organ. But hey I learned the definition of that word at a young age.

In all seriousness, I knew that they loved me, even when we didn't get along. And I do remember various times growing up that was my evidence.

I remember when Ryan pretended he was embarrassed by me when we lived in California. And then I heard him stick up for me to one of his friends. He didn't know I heard, but I did. I think we were having a water balloon fight...

I remember when Rachel let me hang out with her and her friends in California. We went to a music store and then home in a tiny little two-door cream car (maybe she'll remember who's it was). And then I think we went to her friend Leslie's house. She made it seem like she didn't even mind me tagging along which made me feel even more special.

I remember being in a car accident with Emily and the very first thing she did as we hit the other car was reach her hand out in front of me to protect me. I may or may not have been wearing a seat belt (is there a statute of limitations for citing people that break the law?), but I was safe. Knowing the first thing that seemed to go through her head was me sure made me feel loved.

See, I told you I was lucky.

Woe unto the liar...

Five lies I tell myself and others on a regular basis:


1. I can afford that car, I just choose not to.


2. I have plenty of time to do that.


3. It won't be that hard to give up sugar.


4. We are rich.


5. No seriously, we are.

Responsibility, what's that?

Not sure if you've caught on, but I have some great ideas. Like tonight, I decided I'd just post all my pictures with a quick explanation. Quick being the key word... and quick also being the problematic word. I'm rarely, if ever, quick with words. But I decided I don't need to go to bed early tonight. After all, day long trainings are best attended while sleepy... right?


Fortunately, I haven't just been busy with work; we've been doing lots of fun things too. We begin on a quiet Sunday evening at my parent's. The kids decided to jump of the table onto pillows. Clara wins for the best expression, Lucy wins for the highest jump, Elsa wins for the most multi-tasking jump (that's a phone between her right shoulder and her ear... she wouldn't let go of it) and Jack wins for keeping his legs the straightest.
Clara also enjoyed donuts with her boyfriends after dinner one night. I would tell you their names, but I can't exactly remember which is which. In person I can tell, I just have to feel the backs of their heads. :)
Are you jealous your birthday was void of these special little fairies?

Jessie's reception (doesn't she look lovely?)

The Zoo... My membership expired two months ago and I just renewed it. Lily and her friend came with us and we picked a great day to go. It was a bit overcast and fairly cool considering it's the beginning of July.

What's the big deal about a snake at the Zoo? Well, it wasn't exactly in a cage. It was just hanging out. Lily saw another one too a little later.

Clara loves Lily and seems to think she's much older than she is. If Lily and Madison got too far away, she'd run after them. She also spent a good five minutes chasing this one bird around. It would jump away from her, she'd run after it, it'd jump away. It seemed to be teasing her and Clara was so determined to get it. She was running through the bushes and everywhere. I wish I had it on video.

Playing by the wallabies. Yeah, the Phoenix Zoo has wallabies. I had no clue until Lily showed me.

Jason and I both had Friday off, which was a nice change. We took Clara to San Tan where she met a little boy who obviously decided he wanted nothing more than to give her a giant hug. Her reaction was hilarious. I didn't ask the boy's mom if I could post this (don't even know which one she was), but she didn't ask me if her son could attack Clara, so I assume we're even.

We had lunch at Grimaldi's. I loved my pizza and thought it was so clever that they gave Clara some pizza dough to play with, which she obviously enjoyed too.

For the Fourth of July, we went bowling with Angela and Clint. Clara has a book that mentions bowling, so she's been wanting to go for a while. She loved to "help" me bowl. Actually, I shouldn't have help in quotations. The only two strikes I got the entire night were when Clara helped me bowl and we rolled the ball together, granny style.

She was also everyone's favorite fan. She'd get so excited... and for no reason. The ball rolling in the gutter was reason to rejoice according to Clara.

After bowling, we went back to our house for dinner: shish kabobs, lemon tortellini salad and grilled zucchini. It was a great meal. We haven't grilled for over a year because we didn't have propane. Now that we're so rich, we can afford to fill our propane tank. ;) We watched the fireworks on TV as we listened to our neighbors have an hour long firework show of their own. I'm still surprised no one called the cops on them. I found myself getting a little choked up when I was explaining to Clara why we celebrate the 4th of July and as we sang some songs about our Country over the weekend (we sing a lot around here...). We really are blessed to enjoy the freedoms that we do and I am grateful for our founding fathers and the inspiration they followed.

Life has been busy, but fun (mostly). How could life not be fun with Clara? Seriously.

Boring Excuses

I had one item on my agenda for this evening: update blog with pictures. It seems so simple. But I'm here to tell you why it's not so simple after all. You see, my small 120 gig hard drive is full, mostly with pictures. I could delete them, because I have them all backed up in TWO additional places. But I'm just a little bit paranoid about losing them.

Because of this (the full hard drive), I either have to a.) save new pictures on Jason's computer, pick the ones I want to post, save them to a jump drive and then put them on my computer (his Internet security doesn't like google, so I can't update my blog on his computer) or b.) look at the pictures on the card, which takes longer than if they were on my hard drive. Both are slow and then I have to edit, crop and resize each picture and then upload them. Since it seems I'm always short on time, you now know why my simple agenda really wasn't so simple. Not only that, but now you have another boring pictureless post.

The good news is, I have the pictures selected and they just need to be edited. I would do it tonight, but I have a busy week and I can't start it off by staying up late tonight. Not to mention my soul vibrated (as put so accurately by an investigator in Church) from the Spirit I felt at Church today... which means I cried... so my eyes are extra tired and are burning for rest.

Goodnight world.

Discipline Month 2: Exercise

I'm done with my first month of discipline. Remember? Not going to bed without doing the dishes? Well, it worked. It helped that Jason did them frequently, but I was also sure to put away breakfast and lunch dishes right away knowing if I didn't, it'd just be longer at night. Every night it got done with the exception of the very last night of the month. Of course that would happen. Clara was having a really rough night and she was only happy laying on me, so I went to bed earlier than planned and left two dishes dirty. Shame on me. The good news is, I think this helped me to develop a better pattern. I have always preferred to do the dishes in the morning. But I've realized I'm able to keep my kitchen cleaner, for whatever reason, if I do them at night instead. It's just easier to maintain a clean kitchen when I wake up to a clean sink as opposed to a sink of dirty dishes.

Anyway, so on to month 2... exercise five days a week. I am not good at getting regular exercise. Because of that, I'm not committing to so many minutes a day and it certainly won't always be a specific routine. On Wednesday, I counted walking around the Zoo for two and a half hours. I'm hoping this will help me feel better and give me more energy.

That's all.

Man I'm boring this week.