Random Thoughts...

I think I know what it sounds like when you are in an air raid. The ground shakes, the house rattles and there's a near sonic boom that echoes in your ears. For the past two hours the thunder and lightening have cracked and exploded above our house. The girls' eyes get wide, they say "wow" and it even made them cry once. It's inevitable here since it was over 70 degrees yesterday. Hoping the rain will be short lived since two muddy, cold baseball practices tonight does not sound fun to me at all.

After the newest tidal wave of toys arrived with Easter and the girls' birthday, I started feeling a bit claustrophobic in the computer room yesterday. I just can't handle having so many things crammed in corners and boxes spilling over. It was time for action. Last night after we tucked the kids in bed (10:30 PM I might add since we got home from the scout's blue and gold banquet past 9:30 PM- crazy!) I started flashing medical books in Rich's face asking if we should keep, give away or toss each item. I was so happy when my give away pile grew large and the toss pile had a few things too. I hate storing HUGE books we don't need anymore.

It seems that last night's cleaning high was good enough to make me go through the girls room this morning. Why I still have 6-12 month unmatched socks in their drawer and little baby bibs and burp cloths in another boggles my mind. I was happy to get it started, but I can't really say it is finished since I have two VERY helpful buddies assisting me. Brynn is currently wearing a 3 month size dress 1/2 way zipped up as her top. Funny girl. I'll have to see what I can do when they go down for their nap.

Which leads me to think, I HATE when my kiddos take mini naps in the car. This happened on Tuesday and Wednesday and the girls thought their 10 minute snooze was long enough. No sir! It only makes them a bit more whiny. Here's to a super long nap today. I also hope that they keep their nap going for a few more months. They are still in their cribs which helps, but my boys stopped just after 2, which was a totally sad thing. I hope with the boys in school it will allow them the rest they need (and a break for me!) during the day.

I went to parent teacher conference after school on Monday. After happily receiving good news about the boys school work, I decided to reward their hard work with a trip to McDonald's for ice cream. As we traveled down a main road an SUV driven by a middle aged woman suddenly pulled out right in front of me trying to make a left turn. There wasn't even a moment when I questioned if I should slow down. One second it was clear, the next there was a car I was going to t-bone and crash straight into the driver's door. There was NO time to swerve or think. I just slammed on my brakes and honked my horn. She had simply not looked. Nope. When I saw her face, she was turning her head toward me and put up her hands hoping not to get hit. I felt like I was in a movie because I could just envision the impact and subsequent crush of metal. Somehow, really by some miracle I stopped my van in time. She just drove off like nothing happened. My boys screamed and couldn't believe we almost got in an accident. I made me grateful that we were safe and that I should be an aware driver at all times.

Not that I'm a perfect driver. I have serious issues parking the van in the garage. It seems like I hit the wall at least once a week. Last week when I bumped into it, I crushed my nice mop breaking it in half. The boys always laugh when I don't stop quite in time. Sure, I am inching my way forward, but I have a few dings in the drywall that I need to patch again. Looks like I have some practicing of my own to do.

My NCAA tourney picks are hanging in there. I am currently in second place in both family contests. OK, so I really am third in the Nance one, but Jeff has a fake "upset" bracket in there too. Sorry little brother, I'm only counting your real one against mine. We'll see how it holds up when the games start later today.

I have to say that there are a few commercials out there that I REALLY love right now. My favorite one is on ESPN and is for some cell phone carrier. It's of a lady at a baby shower and she's totally into sports. There is a reporter interviewing her after the shower, and while he praises her dedication, she states that she hopes her sister will talk to her again, but she'd just settle for a ride home. Then you see a car pull off and the lady screams, "NANCY" and starts chasing the car. I laugh every time. The other ones I love are from Free Credit Report.com . The song with them driving in their crappy car and the one where they are living in his in laws basement is hilarious. Good marketing guys!

Watched my weekly AI today. I knew neither Brooke or David got kicked off, so it wasn't as mysterious. I thought David's song sounded like should have been from EFY. Not a good choice for a national singing competition. Even with Brooke's oops beginning I still like her.

And the best news of the week is: my little brother Brad got ENGAGED on Saturday to Jana. Woo Hoo! We are thrilled. Congrats! We love you both. Good times ahead.

Happy day to you all!

A Birthday Bash for 2!

What a day! It really was a party from start to finish. Never can Brynn and Kaitlyn say I didn't try to make their second birthday special. The celebration actually started the night before when I hung my new Happy Birthday banner from PBK that Rich gave to me on my birthday. When the girls woke up I started singing the Happy Birthday song and showed them their decorations. Every time they looked at the banner they would shout "Happy!", but truth be told, they had no clue it was their birthday. Next year they'll get it. I'm sure. Before we headed to McDonald's Brynn made sure to primp a bit. I found her in my closet with my makeup bag. I was quite impressed with her mascara skills! Unfortunately her hard work was wiped off before we got in the van. Party time! This was by far the cheapest and easiest birthday party ever. I called two friends the night before and asked them to meet us at McDonald's at 12:30 PM. Seven Happy Meals later everyone was happy!
Savannah, Brynn, Sadie and Kaitlyn
Jonni was so sweet and even brought a cake. She didn't even get to stay long enough to cut it. I was so happy I didn't have to go home and bake one. THANK YOU! Sadie and Cameron gave the girls Strawberry Shortcake dolls. They were a huge hit! They did a tiny bit of climbing, but were far more interested in Danielle's new baby boy.Danielle is here visiting her twin sister Tiffany. Minneapolis is just too far away from Kentucky! Savannah provided us with the necklaces and party hats. Thank you!We went home and created a princess paradise while the girls slept. (Love having pink around!) Josh has great balloon blowing skills. It spared me a headache! Kaitlyn was pleased with the decorations.She was SO excited that she managed to squish the cake. Oh well. It still read Happy and that's what they had been saying all day.Soon we were off to Josh and Matt's baseball practice at 5:30 PM. Yup, no rest even on birthdays.Kaitlyn didn't seem to mind too much.Brynn just loved taking drinks of her "juice." Josh in action.When we got home Kaitlyn shows off our party hats.While Brynn models her new "click, click shoes." She makes them click so loud on the floor when she walks. She loves heels. Too cute!Grandpa and Grandma called and Brynn chats like a pro. Of course they had no idea what she was saying.Kaitlyn managed to blow out her candles with some prompting. The boys happily helped Brynn with hers.Soon came the presents. My parents gave the girls some Disney dresses. Kaitlyn loved the Sleeping Beauty dress and Disney princess Polly pocket type dolls from Rich and me.Brynn couldn't put on her Tinkerbell outfit fast enough.
Josh was so nice to assist. She liked it at first, but without much underneath, it was a bit scratchy.Soon she disappeared upstairs and came down with these items to wear. I helped her get them on. Fashion Folly #486. Matt thought the glowing wings were really cool. So did my dad when he saw them at the Disney store in Utah. Good choice!Kaitlyn loved opening the big box from Grandpa and Grandma Blackhair. The girls LOVED their new swimming suits, cups and towels. You know they'll be well used in a few months! And the cute Minnie dresses were worn all day long today! The biggest hit of the night was the new kitchen. I had to get a smaller one so it would fit against the wall in the computer room. We had a bit of trouble sharing the first night, but things have calmed down over the past few days. Thank heavens.Can't believe my baby girls are 2!HAPPY Day!!

Easter!

While I had been wishing Easter was later in the year, I am happy it's over so I can stop eating so many sweets! Over the past few days I noticed how often I found myself thinking I needed some little treat now and then throughout the day. I finally put all the goodies that tempt me out in the garage. Out of site out of mind. We did have a fun day. The boys sang in sacrament meeting and our bishopric gave the YW lesson so I had a week off. Very nice indeed! The Easter Bunny made a pit stop at our house too.Our Easter bunny is a bit nutty (thanks to Rich's mom's fun tradition). He doesn't make it easy on the boys. They have to follow their yarn around the house in and out of rooms, outside and downstairs in search of their goodies.They weren't pleased I made them sit for pictures first before I let them loose, but they still smiled for most of the shots.Matt kept saying it was his favorite holiday. We'll see if he remembers when Christmas rolls around...While the boys hunted, the girls dug in to their baskets.Kaitlyn didn't even bother unwrapping a few.Brynn thought her bunny was almost too cute to eat.... almost....In the front yard. All the yarn made quiet the stir with the cul-de-sac bunch of buddies.The girls just liked being outside watching the neighbors dogs.Success! Matt as the first one to find his basket (coat closet).Josh was next (downstairs guest bedroom closet).And Trey didn't mind being last. He said the bunny made his harder since he was the oldest. (Storage room pantry).No one was disappointed. We wrapped up the day with a quick trip to Louisville for a turkey dinner with the Hamilton's. Too bad we didn't get there until 6 PM. You know we are ALWAYS on time. OK, that's not true, but we do try. Thanks for the fun feast. We are just excited next week is spring break so we can return, see more friends and hit the zoo and science center. Good times ahead!

Straight from their mouth....

Rich was looking at some old pictures of the boys and him. He looked at me and said, "You know when you are getting older when you see a photo that you didn't really like when it was taken and suddenly it doesn't look so bad anymore." At least we all get older at the same rate: a day at a time!

Speedtest...

83 words

Speed test

I saw this on my friend Laura's blog. Beware, this is totally addicting! My main problem is trying to go back and fix things. Just keep plugging ahead! Fun, fun, fun! Who could have guessed I would enjoy typing when I whined I had take a typing class my LAST semester in high school. Good idea. Very good idea. Not that I'm great, but it's help so much over the last 13 years!

*Update: The first post said I typed 78 words per minute. After Kristi told me she got 82, I typed and typed until I beat her. Whew. I bet I'll have to get typing again later on....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

To my favorite little girls in the whole wide world, the little ones I never knew how much I needed or wanted. The little beauties that I couldn't live without. The girls with the sparkly blue eyes and innocent smiles. My future best friends in the making. You were sent straight from heaven to bless me and our entire family with your gentle, kind spirits just two years ago. How little I knew about pink and fluff and yet you fit in the moment you were born. You soften me. You make me want to dance and twirl and giggle. You make me smile and laugh and hum silly songs. You help me find joy in simple, small ways. You strengthen me. You make me want to be a better mother. You give me hope for a bright tomorrow. You are my angels. Looking at you, makes me know there is a heaven. And that life is good. Very good. How bless I am to be your mother. How lucky I am to call you both mine. Forever.

I love you Brynn and Kaitlyn. Happy #2!

Tuesday Tell All: The Working Girl

This weeks topic is to write about all the real jobs I have had in my life outside the home. While the list isn't long, I am grateful that my parents taught me at a young ate the value of work, gave me opportunities to work and encouraged me to always do my best in whatever I did. That has helped me throughout my life and has instilled in me a desire to now teach my children those same principles. Here goes...

Baby sitter: This would have been my first paying job. Every once in a while I would watch my Aunt Marilyn's two kids, Ashley and Ryan. She was and still is my dad's nurse at the office. My cousins and I had a lot of fun playing together and I loved looking at the time pass on the clock and adding up how much money I had earned. I don't remember how much I got an hour, but Marilyn paid me very well. I didn't mind watching other peoples children, but there were a few neighbors that I hated to sit for. They paid me next to nothing and would always return late. The neighbors across the street were another story. I loved when Karen would call because she paid well and her kids were cute. I still remember her black, white and red kitchen. I didn't baby sit that often, but long enough to know it wasn't something I had a passion for.

Filing at my dad's office- 8th grade until college. During the summer somewhere around 7th or 8th grade my mom would drive me and my older brother over to my dad's office where we would file charts and paper work. This must have been a huge chore for her to get us to Springville, but it was great for us to have a real job.This job lasted for years and I loved it. My dad paid us very generously and it was fun to be with him and my aunt. I loved the little room full of charts and the feeling of accomplishment when it was all organized.When Greg got his license during his sophomore year he would drive us over in the blue Datsun while we listened to U2 and UB40 in the cassette player. We often would stop and get ice cream cones or chili cheese nachos at 7-Eleven in Springville. I continued to work at the office long after Greg stopped and eventually would copy the charts of women for the hospital, copy things for my dad, as well as file the paper work and charts and pull the list for the next day.I miss working there and seeing my family so often. When I got married my dad changed office and it was a joy to be with my Uncle Dave as well. He was in the old office, but in the basement, so to share it with only him, was a real treat.

Cafeteria employee- Freshman year BYU-Hawaii. My mom called and told me if I got a job on campus that gave me benefits through the school I could pocket the extra money it would cost them to put me on a different medical insurance plan. I went in search of a job the next day. Obviously the extra few dollars were incentive enough and I didn't mind the thought of having some extra spending cash as it was the first time I lived away from home.I went on a interview for a cleaning job, but they said that it was specifically for sponsor students (kids who were from other countries and worked jobs- usually at the Polynesia Cultural Center to pay for school), so I went to the next job interview on the list- cook at the cafeteria. I went thinking I would be working a few nights a week, but was surprised when they said it would be a morning job. A very early morning job. I started at 5 or 5:30 AM. I didn't work every morning, but the hours added up quickly.I loved everything about my job. I got my own huge knife that I etched my name on and I stored it in my dorm room. Every morning as I ran to work in the dark (a whole 2 min run) I would pack my knife with me. Just someone try to attack me wielding a giant butcher knife! Then I would put on my hair net, my apron and get to work cooking breakfast and prepping for lunch. I usually made the oatmeal, washed and prepared the pans of rice, cut up veggies for soup and any other things they need to be done. I rarely cooked the eggs or pancakes out front, but did it a time or two. I remember getting to my 9 AM math class after my first morning on the job and my hand just reeked on onions that I had just chopped up for the soup. I thought it was so funny.I worked with the most amazing Hawaiian people ever. Each morning I would come Mary would give me a kiss on each cheek. She was my Hawaiian Mom. One of the main chef's name was Junior. He should have been named Bubba. He was a ginormous (truly huge) Hawaiian man who could put an entire chicken breast in his mouth and then pull out the bone- I saw him do it myself! He was crazy. He would send me into the back freezer to climb up on the boxes in search of things he was making for dinner parties and catering. There was a nice Hawaiian man that would come in each morning even earlier than me to make doughnuts. He was always smiling and laughing.The most memorable day was December 7, Pearl Harbor Day. I was there listening to the radio and the tributes to the men and women lost and then heard first hand accounts from the women in the room about what it was like for them when they were on the island that day. I'll never forget that.I don't remember if it was during fall semester or at the beginning of winter, my roommate Amanda got a job there too and we had fun working together. She worked nights once in awhile, while I only did the morning shift.I'll tell you after working only a few days I decided to eat only packaged food. Since I was living on campus, I ate every meal at "The Caf." What I didn't know was that they would take yesterdays old food, scrape off the sauce (and any flies) and then reserve it for lunch. When I would boil my water for oatmeal in a huge vat that was attached to the wall and the water would boil over, cockroaches would fall to the floor dead from the hot water. When I went in search of cereal in the large stock room out front I saw a rat the size of a full grown cat (NO JOKE) scurry across the floor and then slide down out of sight on a poster leaning against the wall. It was crazy! Good memories!

Receptionist at Rich's dad's office (1999): Graduated from BYU with my BS in Elementary Education and promptly got a job answering phones at Rich's dad's orthopedic office. Wait, I went to school for 3 1/2 years and then went into the field of telephone operator? Actually, I graduated in December, making teaching school a bit tricky and Rich was in the middle of applying for medical school and interviews. I had no idea where we would be in the fall, so I happily took the job at the office. It was perfect. I worked 8 AM-6 PM, got free lunches (they would pick a menu out each day and then we could order whatever we wanted), drinks, goodies (this place was always well stocked with treats), if I worked over 40 hours I got overtime, I had great benefits and worked with the nicest bunch of employees and doctors around.The only sad part was that Rich's dad wasn't there at the time. He was a mission president in Brazil, but his identical twin brother Bob and younger brother Scott were there, so I was still surrounded by family. I was pregnant with Trey and I worked up until the day I had him (well I worked on Friday and went into labor Saturday evening). The staff threw me a baby shower, the doctors gave me gifts and I still went in after he was born and did billing at night. It was the perfect fit for me at the time.

Receptionist at my dad's office/ Filing at the office: After I stopped working at the orthopedic office, my dad let me answer phones for him one morning a week and I brought Trey along. It was so much fun to be back in his office and bring my baby. I didn't do if for very long, but I loved working out front. I also continued to do filing for my dad. I did this until I moved to Louisville. I was very sad when my mom's little sister Julie took over for me, but truth be told, she's amazingly organized and does an even better job than I did.

Elementary school teacher: The first night I was in Louisville (we flew out and stayed with Josh and Tiffany while we looked for a house) I met Marcie Alcorn who also happened to be a school teacher. She told me that there might be an opening at her school (a private school in Middletown named Summit Academy) and arranged for me to meet with her principle on Monday. I went and met with her and then after I returned to Utah, I got a phone call (while I was eating at Cafe Rio with my Mom) that told me I could teach a few students every morning. It was perfect and I said yes immediately. Rich hadn't started school yet, so he could watch Trey while I was away. I started in January when the kids came back from their holiday break. I was in Marcie's classroom for the first bit and then took 2 students down stairs to my make shift classroom in the storage room. I put up a few things on the wall and some class room rules and worked with the boys in spelling, reading and handwriting. I think those were the basic concepts. Since there were only the three of us around a small table, we would play game together (spelling Go Fish- Do you have a s-h-e-l-l?) and for a treat would listen to books on tape. I was pregnant with Josh and Matt and knew I would be on bed rest (Trey came 2 weeks early) so I only taught until May 1st and then headed back to Utah where I rested until I had the boys. It was a wonderful job and I am still grateful to Marcie for helping me get it.

Tended a little boy: During the time I taught school, I also watched a little boy Monday-Thursday. His mom was another LDS lady I had met that first night in Louisville and she taught PE at the same school. I would wait for Jessica to arrive (she only taught in the afternoon) and then took her little boy home with me. He would stay until 4:30 PM or so each day. We needed the extra money, but I also thought that it would be good for Trey (he was about 15 months at the time) to be around a little boy that was around his age. Austin was just a bit younger. I did that until we left for Utah in May. It was good practice for Trey since he was soon a big brother to two new siblings.

And that is the end of my official list. I haven't worked a real job since Josh and Matt arrived and what a joy that has been. My kids keep me busier working that I ever did when I got an actual pay check. Nowadays the only thing I get money for is if I start selling of my things on Ebay or Amazon.com (which I do on occasion), but the bad part about that is I end up buying while I'm selling. In the end I probably only end up breaking even.

I am grateful to Rich who works hard and allows me the opportunity to be with our children. What a blessing to be able to stay home with my little bunch everyday. Best job in the world in my book. By far.