I usually don't get involved in politics, not that I don't have political opinions, but I just choose to keep them to myself. But I didn't want anybody to miss an opportunity to participate in this important initiative that could get us

FREE and PORN-FREE
broadband internet service. (So I'm posting it on my blog.) Check out the links below and contact the appropriate people!Arizona Family CouncilShaping legislation. Empowering families.FCC to vote on Porn-Free BroadbandThe FCC Chair, Kevin Martin, is urging his committee to accept a plan to provide wireless service across the US that is fee-free and porn-free.The FCC is scheduled to meet and vote on the plan on Dec. 18.Contact FCC commissioners and ask for their support of this plan!Timing is essential. If this plan doesn't get approved on the Dec. 18 meeting, it probably won't in the future. Kevin Martin will only be FCC chair until the end of Pres. Bush's term.Look at this recent article about the internet safety efforts in Australia & the United KingdomAustralia and U.K. Block Offensive Web Sites, but U.S. Refuses to Follow SuitPost these links on your blog and send this e-mail to your friends.Thanks- AZfamilycouncil.org

I copied and pasted this message from a friend's blog but I checked out a few of the sites and it seems legit and I went ahead and emailed my senators/representatives, etc. They make it real easy for you to do. I hope the links work. If you click on the Arizona Family Council link above they have a simple way to email the right people where it says "Contact the FCC by email here."

Christmas Cards

Okay, I had a whole long post written about the drama (for me) of doing Christmas cards. It included such highlights as the frustration of taking the perfect "Christmas card picture" to the agony of deciding who to send cards to. Sidenote: Just to keep the numbers down I opt for basically no local people who see me on a weekly basis and only relatives who know my children by name (which still leaves me with 50+ people -- we both have big extended families). But the initial post came off kind of long and whiney...so here is the only thing I really want to say:

Why is doing computer address labels THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE IN MY LIFE!!!! I've had many academic and scholarly challenges in my life, but this really does trump them all as the most difficult task in the history of the universe. That's all I'm gonna say.

Thanksgiving Thanks

My sister-in-law did a "tag" thing about listing 10 things you are thankful for. I love reading other people's "TAGS" but I never do them. I can't explain why, but I just don't like to do them. But I thought that this one was something I should do. I need to pause from my hectic life and think about what I am thankful for. This is in NO particular order.

1. My husband -- He helps make my life easier and happier. Some examples are his willingness to go to work so that we have a roof over our heads and I can be a stay-at-home mom or his cheerfully babysitting the kids so I can go to book club (and my many other church and social events) or his efforts to help keep the house clean. He is also a wonderful dad to his kids.

2. My kids -- I have been so blessed with 4 happy, healthy, energetic, smart, far-from-perfect-but-I-love -em-anyway kids. They make me smile (and pull my hair out) but I wouldn't trade them for the world. I love being a mom.

3. My family -- parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts, uncles, grandparents....I have been given an amazing family. I have truly been blessed in this respect. I LOVE spending time with family and look forward to seeing so many of them over the next month.

4. My friends -- I have amazing friends. I have many "new friends" -- meaning I've met them in the past 10 years -- and I value the fun we have and the support they are in my life. I also have 3 life long "bosom friends" that have been with me for 22years of my life. Through thick and thin, they are there for me -- to lend a hand or lend an ear. I am extremely blessed to have such selfless, phenomenal friends.

5. The gospel -- I love the message of the gospel. The hope and happiness it brings to my life and the life of my family. I enjoy the organization and the activities of church, I am a social butterfly and they fulfill my needs, but the greatest blessing is the Savior Jesus Christ and his life and atonement for me.

6. My so-called "rut" -- by this I mean my life here in Tucson, in Continental Ranch, in SilverMoon neighborhood in the Picture Rocks Ward (church) and at Rattlesnake Ridge (school.) I know that time may change things but I really love the snapshot of my life right now. I am extremely happy with where I live, play, worship, shop, etc. And at this time of year, I LOVE the weather. My kids are playing outside all day in t-shirts & flip-flops, sweet!

7. Prosperity -- times are tough, no doubt about it. But I still have a roof over my head, a bed to lay in and food on the table. That to me is prosperity.

8. Nap time -- this is one of my most treasured times of the day. It gives me my "me time" -- even if it is spent cleaning half the time. It gives me a chance to do things I need or want to do (computer, phone calls, etc). Colby better nap until he is ready for Kindergarten -- that's all I'm saying :)

9. Technology -- I am not a "techie" by ANY means. I don't have DVR/Tivo, I don't have an IPod, and my cell phone plan is only 60 min. a month -- but I couldn't (or wouldn't want to) live without my computer. I love emailing, blogging, surfing the net. It is my link to the outside world and helps me in so many ways (maps, definitions of words, random historical facts).

10. Thanksgiving -- I love Thanksgiving. It is a great time to pause and remember everything we are thankful for. And if you know me well (which, if you are reading this, I hope you do!) you know that I love to eat. And I love EVERYTHING about the Thanksgiving dinner (minus the sweet potatoes, ew). And I just love how Thanksgiving is about famliy and country and eating and not about presents and commercialism. Don't get me started on that.

Well thank you for being a part of my thanksgiving "TAG" -- if any of you want to make a list of your blessings, then consider yourself TAGGED. I'd love to read them :)

These Is My Words

This is a picture of me with Nancy Turner, the author of one of my all time favorite books These Is My Words. This was such a neat experience to have an author come to one of our Book Club meetings. In trying to discribe how this whole thing came about, I honestly don't know. Some conversation we had at Book Club over the summer led me to Nancy Turners website. I saw on her list of appearances that she had done some Book Club visits. I sent her an email (on the outside chance that she would actually reply) and asked if she would be willing to come to our meeting. She is a Tucson native, so it wasn't like I was asking her to come cross country. She replied back almost immediately and it took a few months to work out the details but here she is!
She was so nice, and gracious and warm. She was a great storyteller (as you can imagine). She told us her life story. The story of writing the book and answered any questions we had. I used to aspire to be an author, so it was especially meaningful to me.

She was kind enough to sign all our books as well. So the big question I had for her, is "How much of this is real?" The story is based on the life of her great-grandmother Sarah Prine. Well, I was a bit disappointed to learn that it is rather LOOSELY based. Sarah Prine never kept a diary, but her brother did as they made the first trek to Texas, so some of the early events are based on that. Other things, details were taken from family stories/oral history or even just watching the way her own grandmother cooked or taught her to jump off a horse while carrying a shot gun -- things she had learned from HER mother (Sarah Prine). But really she didn't know much at all about her great-grandmother so most of it was made up. The historical facts -- Indian raids, droughts, geography and such are accurate and well researched. So although I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more "true" it makes it all the more amazing that Nancy Turner was able to create such a believeable and engaging story that draws you in and won't let go.

On a final note, I highly recommend this book, it is one of the few books that I can recommend without hesitation to anyone.

Now for my next conquest....getting Stephenie Meyer to come to my Book Club.....

Grocery Wars

Does anyone else find grocery shopping to be an impossible task these days? I am trying SOOOOO hard to feed my family healthy, wholesome, good food AND trying equally hard to save money. And it just seems like these two cannot co-exist. Am I alone here? It is a constant struggle that is played out on each aisle. Do I buy the cereal that is on sale for a dollar but consists of colorful marshmallows and 50 grams of sugar (slight exaggeration, but not much) or do I buy the healthy cereal that costs $4.50 a box? Do I buy the cheap yogurt that has 46 grams of sugar (NOT an exaggeration) or the all natural kind that is twice as much but I can actually feel good about feeding my kids. And don't get me started on the price of fresh produce!!

Last week it culminated in tears, yes, actual tears on the way home from the grocery store and then I really broke down in sobs when I got home. I just felt like giving up. I am really trying to work in a strict budget and just felt like a failure!! Fine, we will eat Twinkies and Cheetos from now on. If that is the only way to save money. Interestingly, Eric and the kids were very supportive of that idea.

But this week I had a better experience. With a lot of planning (time) and effort in the store (time) I was able to buy a weeks worth of groceries for a family of 6 for $80 (total savings of $68 from coupons and advertised sales). And I also managed to buy a few things for food storage too. I'd like to thank http://savvysavingstucson.blogspot.com/ for helping me find online coupons (I got some stuff FREE!) and for http://www.sistersavings.net/ which has the grocery deals for local stores on it each week. Savvy savings has lots of internet deals and sister savings has AZ and UT grocery ads.

So to sum up....I may have lost a battle here and there but I am not admitting defeat and while this war may NEVER end, I am feeling better about my chances of success. I'd love to hear any advice, hints or strategies you all have.

Trick-or-treating

My sister (who lives in Logan Utah) described her night as "perfect trick-or-treating weather"...I'm not sure what that is exactly, but I'm pretty sure it isn't 85 degrees at sunset. We were warm and the kids in long sleeve or layered costumes not to mention hoods or hats were HOT. But as it got dark it cooled off to very near perfection. Not "hot cocoa and cider perfection" but "t-shirt, capris and a chilled water bottle perfection".

First we had a little pumpkin stew -- or stew in a pumpkin -- even if it wasn't stew weather, some things are tradition!!

On to the main event. The costumes:

Mason: after much discussion, searching, mind changing, and so forth settled on being what we so formally call an "Army Guy". Funny thing is that since it was so warm he almost immediately shed the jacket and and the sweaty hat and trick-or-treated in a camo t-shirt and green pants. After all the hours I spent agonizing over his costume?? Sigh.

Renae: was a cute, "Shabby Witch". It was a great costume, but she also chose not to wear the hat while trick-or-treating so I'm not sure how obvious it was that she was a witch. Oh well. Her main story is that she got lost while trick-or-treating. We were in a large group of kids and somehow she got a head of us and went around a corner without us. There was a period of terror as I went yelling up and down 2 streets searching for her (I went back the way we had come, not knowing she was farther ahead). I even went back to the house and got Eric and we split up combing the neighborhood. Frightening!!! We eventually found her and all was well. But the rest of the night both Renae and I were a bit "spooked" and unsettled.

Colby: was "Buzz Lightyear" and for once and I have the least to say about him! He wore his costume like a champ -- not a complaint or adjustment. And he was a great trick-or-treater!!
Sadie: was the "Lil' Wicked Witch". But she was NOT happy about it. She put up with the dress (barely) but was not having ANYTHING to do with the hat on Halloween night. We barely managed a picture or two before she started hollering. So I found a way to stick the hat into the stroller so it almost looks like she is wearing it. Tricky, huh.

And the final challenge -- getting a picture of all 4 kids together. Nearly impossible -- here is our best attempt:

SPOOKY - Halloween Costumes

Okay, how many of your were tricked and thought that the first two pictures were of Colby and Sadie? The first 2 pictures are of Mason & Renae at almost the exact same age as Colby and Sadie are now. They grow and change so fast. Wow, seems like only yesterday.....


So the thing that is the "spookiest" or weirdest to me is that both Renae and Sadie were sucking on a toothbrush in these pictures (which is not something they normally do). I remember vividly, giving Renae the toothbrush as a bribe to get her to put her lion costume on and I did the same thing with Sadie, unconsciously. I did have to go a little further and bribe Sadie with candy in order to get the hat on. I told her it was her "candy hat" and that every time she wore it she would get candy. Well, it's the truth isn't it?


In case you are wondering WHY my kids were all dressed up, we had a little Halloween preview party a week or so back when we got out the Costume Box. The kids tried on the Halloween costumes to see who fit what.


Thanks goodness for re-using costumes! I would put Sadie in the lion one except I found this witch one at a yard sale for $2 and it was just too dang cute. I refuse to buy expensive costumes and I don't have the skills or creativity to make costumes, so I am all about the beg, borrow & steal method. Thanks Julie for loaning me a witch costume for Renae (I'll have 2 witches this year!) and I am still hoping for a costume to materialize for Mason.

Strike a pose

As a mother, I am pleased to get a picture like this -- true, Sadie's new white shirt is covered in mud and Colby is making a goofy face, but I'm not complaining -- both kids are smiling and looking at the camera. In the attempt to get this one "good" photo, I got a lot of other pictures as well. Here are two of them that made me laugh.
Colby is trying hard to make the "hang loose" sign -- look at the concentration on his face. And Sadie is attempting to copy Colby, as usual. Monkey see...monkey do.
I'm not sure what is going on here, but I thought it was funny how they are both all squinty-eyed. It just makes me chuckle.

p.s. I didn't pose the kids here on purpose, I found them sitting together like this and ran for my camera. They are getting along really well lately and can often be found sharing a chair or pillow. Who woulda thought?

Blogger Heart

I just can't seem to find the time to Blog lately. Does it count that I am constantly composing blogs in my head. I come up with interesting ideas or clever ways to say things and THINK about blogging them all the time. But I just don't make it HERE.

I even have some cute pictures off my camera. We'll see if I can manage to pull out a REAL post, later.

p.s. If "no news is good news" than we have nothing but good news about Eric's job search!

Nice weather

Okay, so I won't go so far as to say that nice weather has arrived...but we had a hint of it the last few mornings. Usually when I am at the bus stop with the kids it is hot and we are all sweating by the time the bus gets there (this is at 8:30 in the morning, mind you). But today and yesterday it was actually pleasant. It makes me so happy. I know we still have a lot of 90+ days to weather through but I'll be happy if just the mornings are nice again. Maybe then I can get myself to start wallking again or taking the kids to the park or just sitting outdoors watching the kids play. We are opposite from the rest of the world -- we don't do those things in the summer but we do them from Oct - March instead. :)

What do you say?

The drama queen and writer in me usually has a lot to say and an attempt at a funny or creative way to say it. But I draw blanks here. Many of you already know, but it is now official. Eric's company will be closing down. If all goes well, Eric's job should be around for a couple months still. We are sending out resumes both locally and out of state. That's all I can say...if I go on, I will burst into tears and I'm not ready for that...yet. (sorry, that was a bit dramatic, but true)

When can I be a Fireman??

This is the question that I hear from Colby at least once a day...every day. He has become obsessed with everything related to firemen and hopes with ALL his heart to become one....NOW, not tomorrow. Here is how the conversation usually goes...

C: "When can I be a Fireman?"

Me: "When you get bigger."

C: " I AM bigger!"

Me: "When you are taller."

C: "I AM taller!"

Me: "When you are a grown-up."

C: "I AM a grown-up!!!"

And such it goes, day in and day out. How do you argue with the logic of a three year old? Well in an effort to give him something to satisfy his desire, we went to visit a firestation. My friend Naomi's husband is a fireman and he was kind enough to give Colby and Sadie a grand tour. They had sooooooooooo much fun. I think Colby thought he had died and gone to heaven. Thanks Dave!!Of course Sadie didn't want to be left out. She wanted to do EVERYTHING that Colby was doing.

p.s. Look at me! Posting something on my blog the SAME day that it happened. Wow. Maybe I am turning over a new leaf? Nah, just didn't want to clean the house today...and this seemed like more fun. :)

Weekend Excursion

On Saturday we took a 'Froding Trip (as Colby calls it) to Chivo Falls, just outside of Tucson on the Eastside of town near Tanque Verde (for those who know Tucson). Eric and the kids take these off-roading trips all the time but seldom (almost never) does Mommy come along. I don't know what possessed me to volunteer to go this time...but I did.
The road was ROUGH...too say the least. The ups and downs over countless hills were not bad, they were picturesque and even fun, but the constant jostling from the boulder-strewn road was enough to give anyone a headache. Luckily the destination was beautiful and everyone had a great time. I'm sure Eric would like me to add here that his vehicle was awesome and performed well and looked good doing it :)
I know my mom is going to freak when she sees the kids up on those heights. All I can say is that Eric was with them so at least they were supervised. My noble pronouncement to "not get your clothes wet" was obviously not heeded. Everyone was wet to some degree, but Sadie took a face-first tumble into the water and had to end up wearing Mason's shirt on the ride home (she was fine -- luckily I was right there to grab her, but it was still scary).

Who knew there were places such as this in Tucson!!

Cameron Kids and friends pose in front of the falls. It was a long ride & a tricky hike but we all made it!

View from behind the falls, looking down on the pool below. Remember the part about "don't get your clothes wet"? Can anyone guess what tonight's FHE lesson was on?? That's right....obedience.

I guess he did TRY to stay dry....for awhile anyway.Sadie all smiles after her "dip" in the water. Luckily it was nice and warm outside so no one was cold.

The kids were in 7th heaven. It's not everyday you get to climb waterfalls -- at least not in Tucson.

Coming up for AIR

I feel like I have been underwater for the last few days as I lived and breathed "Breaking Dawn" -- the latest in the Twilight series. Since many of you may not have finished, I won't comment. But I am glad I am done so I can see my family again :)

I will be happy to comment about it and discuss it with whoever has finished it. Just email me or check out my review (I will post it soon) on Goodreads.

Utah trip

Here is a slide show of our Utah/Bear Lake trip. We traveled for 4 days (2 up and 2 back) and spent 1 day in Provo, 1 day in Logan and 4 days at Bear Lake. We had a lovely time and amazingly no one got sun burned. I got a lovely fever blister as a souvenir, but that's fine. The kids were excellent travelers and we had a wonderful time visiting family and friends.

45 New Posts!!

Yep, that's right. When I checked my Google Reader today after returning from 10 days on vacation there were 45 new Blog posts to read. Isn't that incredible? I guess it was vacation time for everyone because people who hardly ever blog anything had 2 or 3 posts. I saw lots of fun vacation pictures and some yummy garden pictures. It was great to see what everyone was up to. I probably should have paced myself, but instead I just blew the last few hours catching up. Wendy gets the prize for the most blogs in 10 days -- 8! I can never aspire to that many. One a week is doing good for me.
But seriously, I want to thank you all for sharing your lives with me. It is great to keep up on what you all are doing.

And I promise to share some pictures of my exciting 10 day vacation soon....or pretty soon...before the kids go back to school at least :)

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Sadie has become a little mimic and loves to copy everything she sees. Her favorite role model...Colby. Not always the wisest choice... But man does it lend itself to some pretty funny and cute little scenarios.
The pictures really speak for themselves...but I wanted to add a few comments. Super-heros flying to the rescue. Colby had a real cape and Sadie was determined to have one too. So I improvised.....hers is one of Renae's swimsuit cover-ups.
So Colby is Batman and Sadie is....Aloha Girl???
What can I say...The Mouseketeers!
This is Colby in Time Out. Obviously he takes his punishment very seriously...and it is very effective. Whenever Colby gets put in Time Out (this time it was for pushing Sadie) Sadie likes to go put herself in Time Out next to him. She will even pat him and try to make him feel better.
And of course Potty Time. We had to get out the Little Potty Chair so Sadie could have one too. She really idolizes her BIG brother.

Thoughts in the Kitchen

As I was bustling around in my kitchen this morning trying to make a yummy yet somewhat healthy breakfast for my family (bananas, eggs, and chocolate chip muffins -- hey 2 out of 3 are good for you!) I got to thinking about STUFF:

What would a real chef say if he had to work under these conditions? If he had a scooter under one foot and a soccer ball under the other, if there were legos and matchbox cars on the counter and kids climbing up the cabinets (yes, Colby of course) would he be able to create masterpieces? If there were cartoons blaring in the background and kids whining and crying in the foreground, if he had a one year old pulling on his leg or dumping out boxes of cereal would he be able to whip up something gormet? I doubt it.

So as I look at the craziness that is my kitchen -- I try to give myself a break and realize that "cereal a la floor" may not be what they serve in a fancy restaurant but it's what we serve in my kitchen some mornings and I don't hear any complaints. Well actually, I do hear lots of complaints...no matter what I make, someone has something to say about it -- but that is another story for another day.

Summer Reading

Is it just me or does everyone equate summer with reading great books...and lots of them. I know that my life does not slow down in the summers as it did when I was younger, if anything it gets busier: I have all 4 kids at home, we are running around to swim lessons and such, and it is too hot to play outside anymore. But I still get all excited to read -- it must be a habit from my childhood.
Three things have catapulted my reading obsession this month.
1) I decided not to attend my Book Clubs this month (due to a conflict in schedules). Now don't get me wrong, I love my book clubs but this gave me the freedom to pick my books at will. A luxury I usually don't take.
2) My "Bus Stop Moms" group went out to dinner at the end of May and then we walked around Barnes and Noble just for fun. It got me all excited for all the books I want to read. There will never be enough time. But I was also impressed at how many of the books on their "must read" table that I had read. Thanks to my Book Clubs.
3) I went to my library's website and reserved a bunch of books that I wanted to read...thinking they would be slowly become available throughout the summer. Well 4 of them were ready and waiting for me this week. Yikes! Plus I borrowed a book from my dad and one from my mother-in-law to keep me busy until my library books came in.

I know! I am crazy. It is a sickness. But I can't stop. I have to get off now and go finish my book.

And in case you are wondering...no my house is not perfectly clean -- but it isn't a total pig sty either. With all the kids home I manage to put them to work and keep the basics under control. And we have instituted "nap time" reading time -- where the little kids sleep and the older kids read with me. I think that is a nice tradition to have.

So read on....read on!!

Things I Learned

Eric and I just celebrated our 10 year Anniversary. Wow!! We were able to take a little time away from the kids and took a mini-trip to Rio Rico (a tiny town an hour or so south of Tucson). We stayed in a resort there. Anyway -- as a result of this trip I learned a few things:

I am not 24 anymore...among other things, I couldn't keep my eyes open much past 11:00 at night.

I missed my kids WAY more than I thought I would. I learned just how much I love and appreciate my kids. They are such wonderful blessings in my life and I can't even FATHOM my life without them.

I learned that Eric and I do have things to talk about BESIDES the kids. Although at times I was wracking my brain for a topic that didn't have to do with potty training or naps -- we did come up with stuff eventually.

I learned that I am pretty darn lucky to be married to such a wonderful man.

I am unable to sleep in!! We were both so excited to be able to sleep in as late as we wanted without kids pouncing on us but the first morning we were both awake long before 6 am and the second morning we ALMOST slept until 7:00. Pathetic!

And finally -- Ben & Jerry's ice cream does not last long in a hotel room frig.

Colby Calms and Consoles??

The following conversation took place a few days ago. If I had not witnessed it myself, I would not have believed it. If you don't know Colby very well, it might seem like no big deal...but if you know the 'lil devil you know how out of character this whole thing is. Let us hope it is a glimpse of a softer side, a light at the end of the tunnel, the prince hidden deep within the frog...

Our tale begins with a mother-daughter argument that began over nothing (literally, no one could remember how it started) and ended with a certain daughter yelling, "You act like you don't even care about me! That's because you don't! You don't love me!" Or something to that effect. The exhausted and somewhat offended mother (acting equally dramatic and childish, I suppose) countered with, "Fine! I am going on strike. I am not making dinner!" Not one of my finest moments...but hey, we all have our limits. I then stomped out of the room and threw myself on my bed to begin my "strike."

Then Colby entered the room and said, "Mommy, I'll make you feel better." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Colby can do many, many things, but make someone feel better is not one I have ever witnessed. His idea of consolation would usually include sitting on your head or jumping on your back. So I was astonished when he climbed up onto the bed....laid his head next to mine and said, "All you dreams will come true." He said it in such a calm, soothing tone that I just blinked in shock. He then added, "You are the best mom ever." I was grinning from ear to ear by now and he finished it off with, "You're an angel." It was like I was in some other dimension. I looked around to see if someone had put him up to that...but no, those words came from his own heart.

It was JUST what I needed to hear. One of those perfect moments that you hold onto forever. And it gives me hope for Colby -- and myself!

Baptism Day

Here is Mason on his Baptism Day (April 26) which was his actual birthday. It was a very special day for all of us, but especially for Mason and his dad.
Here is a picture of the whole family right before the service began. I would like to draw attention to certain members of the family. Note how Renae is holding her dress up with her hands poised just perfectly like Cinderella stepping into a carriage. And note how Colby is trying to rip off his tie and squirm his way out of the photo and Eric is able to hold him tight and still smile nicely. Ahhhhh, family photos.

Since I was here -- I thought I'd throw in 2 pictures of the Birthday boys too.
Colby blowing out his cupcake-cake. He turned 3 on April 22. He didn't have an official party but I was able to turn our Relief Society lunch bunch into what he believes was a birthday party for him -- just by bringing cupcakes as my contribution to the lunch. Sneaky mommy!
Mason posing with his Star Wars cake. It isn't nearly as elaborate as I had envisioned -- but reality struck and this is what we had on hand. Mason had a little after-baptism party for family and old-friends and then he had a few friends over for a Star Wars party on Friday night. He turned 8 on April 26th. How can I have an 8 year old already????

Random Photos

Here is a collection (well actually they have nothing in common so they can hardly be considered a collection) but a grouping of photos that I wanted to share.

This is my pretty little flower bed...well this is how it looked back in March. The flowers have since all wilted and died -- as has the beautiful winter grass. We are still waiting for the summer grass to perk up. But we were very proud of this garden because it was the first time we had EVER planted flowers...ever...in our lives. And we were just amazed they lived and bloomed.
This is the day after my laser eye surgery. We were up in Phoenix for the procedure and went to a park with a ride around train. The kids had a blast. Groovy, surgery shades, huh?
This one needs no caption except to note that this is one of the few moments of bliss when Colby and Sadie actually play together instead of torturing each other.

The girls at our family campout. It is always surprising how little it takes to make the kids really happy -- some dirt, sticks, trees and camping chairs.Renae's Kindergarten teacher entered one of Renae's drawings in a city-wide art contest and her picture was one of the winners. It was on display at a special Arts & Craft Day at the park in April.

Picture NOT-Perfect

When I sent out my Christmas cards/pictures this past year, I got a few comments to the effect: "How did you get all the kids looking at the camera?" or "How did you get everyone to smile so nice?" -- well it was a lot of luck and a little digital photoshop magic (thanks Ismael).

I guess lightening never strikes twice -- to prove my point I thought I should include ALL my Easter Sunday attempts at the "Perfect Picture." The girls had new matching dresses, the boys were in Sunday best. What could go wrong??? You will see there is not a single picture that has even all of them looking at the camera let alone smiling. Ahhhhh, the joys.

Rather than post all the Easter Sunday pictures here, I put them on the revolving slide show that is on the lower right side of my blog. Enjoy the frustration and silliness. To see them larger and slower just click on the black 'View All Images' button.

Blogging Blahs

I wish I was a wonderful blogger like so many of you. It's not that I don't have tons of things to blog about: Mason's baptism, Colby's & Mason's birthdays, Easter, surgery updates, etc, etc. And it isn't that I have no pictures. I just downloaded 142 pictures off my camera. But fitting it into my schedule just feels impossible somehow. I love reading all your blogs but can't seem to do mine. Also, I am frustrated about how stinkin' cute your blogs are and I can't seem to figure out how to do anything cute or fun with mine. The small little updates on mine (the lilypie counters and the slide show) are additions because my sister did it for me when she was in Tucson. Okay, enough whining. Sorry. That is now what I came here to do.

I came here to vow to myself that before the week is out (or maybe the NEXT week) how about BEFORE Mother's Day I will add lots of posts and all my fun pictures. Okay?

And I wanted to give an eye surgery update. Things are looking wonderful! I have little to no halo problems and if I do still have them, I don't even notice it. The dry eyes are only a problem at night but the rest of the time it is fantastic. I'm so glad I did it.

More soon!

Candy Land No More

I did it! I finally did it! It took everything I had, but I got rid of ALL the kids candy that had been lingering around the house. First there was the Valentines Candy...that got mixed in with the Easter candy...which was added to by the THREE pinata parties my kids went to last weekend. I have a problem throwing things away (anything) but I am also a really strict candy rationer so we just never seem to get to the bottom of the candy bag or bowl. So I took one of my friend's advice (or a twisted version of it) and told my kids that all candy that was not eaten by this Saturday would be thrown away. I let them eat a bit more candy than usual throughout the week but then I declared today ALL YOU CAN EAT CANDY DAY. I know horrible! Why didn't I just throw it all away you ask? Anyway, I let them have a few pieces after lunch and then after dinner I sat them down in the bedroom with a huge bowl of candy and said, "Eat til you get sick." Surprisingly they really didn't eat that much. And then I picked up that big bowl (snatching only a couple Tootsie Rolls for myself) and threw it all away. It was such a good feeeling.
Now there will be no more whining and begging for candy. No more 2 year old trying to scale the frig to sneak some candy. No more Mommy sneaking a nap time treat. It is all gone. Sigh.

Fond Farewell

Well Eric finally sold his Blazer. For those of you that know me (or Eric) well you know what that means. The Blazer was a member of the family, I'm just not sure which member??? Sometimes it was a mistress I was jealous of... sometimes a 5th child that was demanding and expensive... sometimes it was the big pushy cousin who was always in the way... but sometimes it was the really fun uncle that the kids & Eric adored and idolized.
I would have to say that I was mostly annoyed by the beast: the time, the money, the space in my garage. But Eric and the kids thought the world of that thing.

Eric made a huge sacrifice by selling it "for the good of the family finances" and it truly broke his heart to let the thing go. He had plans to pass the Blazer on to Mason someday -- you see he had rebuilt that thing piece by piece with his own blood & sweat.
For all the times that I wanted to light that thing on fire or push it off a cliff....I was surprised at how sad I felt to see it go. It really was part of the family.
Good times..................Good times.

Farewell "Old Iron" -- we will miss you.