My Creations of Late

I've been busy doing projects while enjoying my last two weeks of vacation from teaching; here are just two of the items I've crafted:

I made this carseat slipcover for Karli since her chair was becoming faded, torn, and completely crusted with disgusting material like crumbs, spilled milk, old french fries, and the like. I have to brag about fabric procurement: there is an awesome store in Draper called Design Company Fabrics. Every once in a while, they send me a coupon for one free yard of fabric valued up to $30. I had two coupons, so the Passion Suede (usually $30 per yard) I used in this project was totally free. Nice, 'eh? I used scraps and leftover buttons to make the flowers and it turned out to be really cute. The flowers are also removable so I can use this chair for our new baby when Karli outgrows it.

Next, my sister Marianne and I made these doughnuts that were divine! My favorites were those coated in sugar and spice mix, but all three toppings were delicious and I, of course, ate way too many. The dough itself was fragranced with a bit of nutmeg, which completely made the doughnuts. I think I may have to make this a Thursday tradition.

I also made a three-layer chocolate cake with 7-minute frosting for my dad's birthday party, and today I think I may paint the basement bathroom a divine color called Pyramid Gold (by Behr). We'll see how ambitious I feel!

Top Ten

Randomly, I feel like I want to share the ten things that delight me and the ten things that irk me at this moment.

Ten things I love right now:
1. Sewing
2. Crystal Light with lots of ice
3. String cheese
4. Abdominal crunches with my Body Ball
5. Sore abdominal muscles due to #4
6. Concerts
7. Rex's newfound cheesey smile
8. My kids' notice of recently-cleaned rooms
9. Alone time
10. Vacation from teaching

Then things I can't stand right now:
1. Neediness
2. Whining
3. Slow computers
4. Hot weather
5. Living in limbo
6. Debt
7. Bananas
8. Waking up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night
9. Facebook quizzes
10. Doing laundry

Thank Heavens I'm No Pioneer

Today, the temperature in Alpine maxed out at nearly 100 degrees. Hot, yes. Bearable, usually...especially when there's a swimming pool in the back yard and a nice, cool basement for retreat. HOWEVER, all these wonderful extra hormones in my body make the heat so miserable that no matter what I try to cool off, my sweaty forehead continues to glisten and my elbow creases never dry.
The upstairs air conditioner went out today, so it was 87 degrees when I last went into my bedroom and I wanted to cry! How lame am I? I know I am thoroughly spoiled and freely admit it, but come on...I could barely breathe!
I can't imagine how awful life must have been for the early Utah settlers who trekked across the United States in covered wagons, long-sleeved-petticoated-high-necked dresses and shoes (or no shoes...even worse!) and am very thankful that they were strong enough to do it so I don't have to. I'd much rather be a "pioneer of the 21st century" and find clever ways to avoid cyber addictions, text-bullies of my children and the like. I'm just not cut out to be a hardy, pregnant lass during the summer heat!

The Holy Ghost Told Me

Today was a hard day for all of us; the kids didn't take naps, so everyone in the house suffered. One of the many meltdowns occurred when Amber wanted an ice cream sandwich like the other kids, but none was left. I offered her a cup of ice cream instead, and she proceeded to throw a gigantic fit yelling to all of our visitors and neighbors, "My parents are so mean!" After she had calmed down enough to be reinstated to civilization, she came to me and said, "Well, the Holy Ghost told me to come tell you that you are being too mean to me!" I had to bite my lip not to laugh. She is a crafty little kid, but I love her imagination and cunning ability to manipulate almost any situation. I'm SO excited for adolescence.

Don't Drink the Water

Lest you be stricken, too, by the lovely baby bump, stay away from the Clark home! Here I am with my three sisters-in-law, breaking every rule about not photographing us poor, pregnant ladies until we've had at least three months to recover from the child-bearing ordeal.

Aren't we a sight to behold?

Even though it's pretty darn annoying to have not one, but FOUR pregnant gals in a house at one time ("Where's the ice!?" "Why is it 75 degrees in here?!" "If I hear one more scream from you kids...!"), it is so fun to all be in the same miserable yet miraculous boat and have a great support system with all the wonderful, patient, kind, and semi-understanding men and one fantastic mom/mother-in-law in the family.

A Gentleman's Sport

It's official: Rex loves golf. About two months ago, he found a plastic golf club in the closet and began toting it around with him. Eventually, he learned to putt, and his first phrase was "golf ball". Now, he won't ever let go of his club and ball (I have to pry them from his hands to change his clothes or put him to bed) and he's becoming quite the preppy little athlete (if you can call golf an athletic event). Adam took him outside today for a manly game in the front yard.









Hopefully, his golfing abilities will translate into other sports and Rex will be the outright winner of the perpetual Man Test involving all of the Clark nephews.

Project!

Being the creative gal that I am, my favorite line from "Clueless" happens when Cher tells Dionne that Tai can be their "project!" in her giddy, whiny voice. That is exactly what I said to myself this weekend. Here are the results:

First, I helped Maren make this adorable Ariel costume for her daughter Liberty's birthday.

Then, I made this cammo car seat tent for my soon-to-be nephew Colton (hang in there Steph!):
Last, I helped Maren make an adorable, super girly, and delightfully retro car seat tent for her little girl, Baby Kya, who will be born in November:


I found the instructions for the tent at Infarrantly Creative, a great blog I recently discovered and highly recommend.

All this craftiness was made possible by Leslie, who babysat my kids for more than six hours to let me have some free time to produce something other than exasperation, dinner, and exhaustion. She is a saint. Thanks, Leslie!

Alpine Days

I get excited for Alpine Days every year, and now that we have kids who can participate, the activities are becoming more fun and interesting. Amber and Karli decided to sing at kareoke and lip sync night, so we trotted down to city hall and added their names to the list. I was skeptical to see if they could actually pull together a number, but to my great surprise, they did it!
Since "Camp Rock" is one of their favorite movies and they can quote every line, they decided to sing "This Is Me" by Demi Lovato (she plays the star of the movie, Mitchie, for those of you non-Disney-Channel people...I used to be one...sigh...). They practiced a lot at home, but didn't get to practice with Angela, my sister and their accompanist until the day of the show. I was worried and scared to see what might happen, but we got them ready and sent them on their way.

Kinzie and her friend Kassie also had numbers on the program and I was so proud of Kinz for getting on stage and working it out (for a Clark, she put on a great show!). The Clarks are known for their shy and timid stage presence--okay, let's be honest, most of them would rather die than be on a stage--but Kinzie held her own and actually even cracked a few smiles. It was darling!

At long last (don't you just love last-minute schedule changes?), I convinced the lady in charge to let my girls jump the line and perform already (one can only handle so many 'tweens lip syncing to teeny bopper music, you know?). Amber, Karli, and the wonderful Angela hit the stage and let it rip. I was so proud of my two cuties who were not even nervous. It was a shame that Karli's microphone wasn't turned on because she sang every word, and Amber offered some great theatrical interpretation to the words "shine" and "this is", which she pronounced "'sizz" just like they do on t.v. Being the emotional wreck that I usually am, and being pregnant on top of that, I just sat there in the aisle blubbering like an idiot because I thought they were so brave and adorable. Check it out:

>

The stars (Karli, Kinz, Amber, and Kassie) posing before the show.

Kinzie and Kassie rocking out to "Tell Me Somethin' I Don't Know".

Amber and Karli in their cute Alpine Days t-shirts.

The culmination of Alpine Days was the parade on Saturday morning, during which I thoroughly enjoyed the high-sixties weather. We walked to the round about which was the starting point of the parade, and the kids scored loads of candy, balls, necklaces, and the like while Adam and I were handed dozens of bottles of water, coupons, a tote bag, and a t-shirt. I'm telling you, the beginning of the parade route is the place to be! The girls had a great time yelling for candy (Adam had to stand by them to ensure they weren't trampled) and I had a great time people-watching. My favorite subject (victim?) was the dad in the gym shorts, basketball shoes, and yellow t-shirt who kept instructing his kids to "spread out all the way over there and hustle! Grab it all! Get me one of those hats! And that shirt! Hey, kid...that's my stuffed animal!"
Alas, he was the quintessential annoying parent who monopolized our whole segment of curb to stuff his gym bag with as much candy/prizes/parade swag he could get his grubby hands on (I've noticed in Alpine there are a lot of parents trying to re-live their youth through their kids...yikes). I just hope that his getup was a result of an early morning stint with his fellow Elders' Quorum members at the church gym rather than his official parade uniform that facilitates gathering the most stuff of any parade goer on the street. Sheesh.

Here he is...just waiting to pounce on the innocent children who may try to pick up a piece of candy from the street.

Karli and Amber had some serious competition for candy, but they managed to fill a bag for each of them and for Rex. Adam was a grand and decidedly not-overbearing coach.

Can you believe it...sweats in August? I loved it!

We had a great day hanging out with our family and enjoyed the fireworks from our deck that night. Until next year, Alpine is ours to explore!

These Things Will Be the Death of Me

As far as my pregnancy cravings go, this is not so bad...

but add this...

and this...

and this...

and these...

and these...
and you'll see why I've already gained 10 pounds. Yikes!

These food items taste unusually good (yes, even the hot dogs, can you believe it?!) to me due to my extra hormones. Looks like I'll have a loooong road ahead of me come January 1, 2010.

The Needle Has Spoken

Something terribly creepy is going on in the Clark home, thanks to my sister-in-law Stephanie. She introduced us to a game that is supposed to predict how many children of each gender one will have. It's been accurate in all of our tests but one (it predicted Maren would have a boy and she's having a girl) and we've tried it multiple times with constant results on Greg, Leslie, Adam, Ryan, Stephanie, Amy, Kristi, my mom, and me (hence my high hopes for another boy).

DISCLAIMER: In college, I took a folklore class and we had a discussion on this very thing. Many students volunteered the myriad ways their families predict the gender/number of babies and I heard all sorts of hooey. At first, I thought this needle trick was all the same and paid absolutely no attention to it. I didn't even want to try it. Now, I'm a believer, he he.

Would you like to know how to play the game? Here it is:
Thread a needle with about 18" of thread.
Put the ends of the thread together and let the needle fall to the middle so it hangs straight down.
Place the tester's hand flat on a surface (book, table, etc.) with the palm downward.
Hold the ends of the thread in one hand and lower the needle to tap it on one side of the tester's hand, then the other, and then the first side to make three taps.
Hold the needle directly above the tester's hand (about 2 inches from surface of skin).
If the needle swings back and forth in a straight line, it's a boy.
If the needle swings around in a circle, it's a girl.
Repeat the three taps and hold the needle above the tester's hand until the needle neither swings straight or circularly; this means the tester won't have any more children.
The needle should accurately depict all the children in a family, so it will first show the firstborn (even if he/she was born ages ago) and go all the way through the family.

As much as I hate to say it, this test may drive me to believe in Voodoo! It is beyond strange that no matter how many times I try it, or when I do it, I get the same result. Personally, I think it has something to do with the energy fields our bodies produce, but still...FREAKY!

It's A Boy!

The ultrasound went very well and we are thrilled that Rex has a little brother on the way! We know that this is a Clark baby because he was sucking his fingers through the whole episode. We can't wait to meet the little guy!

Three Little Fishies

One thing we have LOVED this summer is having 24/7 access to a pool that contains only our germs. Grandma and Grandpa opened it up and we've been taking full advantage of the refreshing, clean water as well as the fun slide and diving board. My kids love it because they don't have to fight for swimming space like they do at public pools and I love it because my kids get so worn out that they beg to go to bed every night.

Amber suddenly became an amazing swimmer and doffed her water wings. She cruises all around the pool with her head under, her nose unplugged, and her eyes open, all of which make me proud because I was such a pansy when it came to swimming as a child. She loves to swim "like a dolphin" with her arms back by her sides, and she has an astonishing lung capacity.

The culmination of her aquatic prowess happened on Saturday when she jumped off the diving board and swam the length of the pool to the shallow end all by herself. Adam and I couldn't believe our eyes. Upon emerging, she yelled out, "Merrick (her cousin) will be so proud of me!"

Karli is slowly, and I mean s-l-o-w-l-y, mustering some courage and jumped off the side of the pool to me twice today. She is not a fan of the water (she hates having her hands wet after she washes them, for crying out loud), so I am thrilled that she now will walk around on the steps, put her face in, and kick her legs. She even floated all by herself while wearing water wings in the hot tub last week, and that nearly brought tears to my eyes. Her favorite pool activity is blowing water out the wrong end of a snorkel so it splashes her face. It's hilarious!

Rex is now the proud owner of a pair of Diego water wings, which he loves. He floats all around the pool and kicks his feet and chases his football. Most of all, though, he adores drinking the water and trying to eat the dead bugs who float at the surface. Disgusting...he's such a boy...yet despite the illnesses he may contract, he looks absolutely darling scooting around the pool and gets so proud of himself! He even jumps off the side and doesn't mind going all the way under the water, which might explain the five ear infections he's had since springtime.

Radio Disney Days

Today we journeyed to Salt Lake to visit Radio Disney Days at the Gallivan Center. Yesterday, when I told Amber that we would go after she went to bed and woke up, she ran upstairs and laid out her Belle dress, her black shoes, her rose purse, and her fancy white gloves. Then, she found Karli's Aurora dress, the fancy plastic shoes that go with it, the Aurora crown, and a pink purse to match. Moments later, she came back downstairs and proudly announced, "Mom, I have everything all situated for tomorrow!" I had to check it out and I was thoroughly impressed when I saw the array of dresses and accessories.

Finally, Tuesday morning arrived and after much ado regarding whose crown matched which dress, and a generous donation of a "Cinderella tiara" from Grandma Shelley, we were on the road. We had a great time listening to the bluegrass band play one of my favorites, "Orange Blossom Special", and the kids loved the instrument petting zoo. Amber played a trumpet and managed a squeak, but Karli couldn't muster enough air to play anything on that horn. She opted for a tiny violin and it was adorable to see them try out some little instruments. Then, we waited in line for 30 minutes in 100-degree weather for a ride on the Copper Mountain Express. Rex loved the bell on the train, so I thought he'd be excited to go for a ride on it. To my chagrin, though, he threw a massive fit upon being seated. Amber and Karli climbed right in and had a delightful tour of the plaza.

After the kids each earned a cute but annoying train whistle, I had reached my temperature threshold and dragged them all into the bank for some refreshing air conditioning and some cash for the parking attendant. To my delight, the bank validated my parking slip and we made it to the car just in time to see the sweetest, loudest, black Lamborghini I've ever seen. The guy driving it sat idling, waiting for me to finish the process of buckling all three kids and collapsing the stroller, heaving it into the trunk, and making sure I hadn't left one of the many requisite sundries behind, but soon realized I would be a while and drove off with a loud zoom.

Despite the whining voices the whole way home, it was a fun excursion that we plan to do again in September when it won't be so hot.

Happy Birthday(s) to Me!

In true Clark fashion, I've spent the last three days celebrating my birthday and it's been grand! Friday, Adam and I went to the George Strait concert and on Saturday, we packed up and headed for Raging Waters in Salt Lake. Each year, my mom's and my students perform there, so we get discounted tickets. It was the perfect way to spend the 100-degree-plus day.

Amber was the star of her class during the performance. She recently moved from the Tiny team to the Mini team (she looses interest if she's not being pushed), and I was worried that she wouldn't be able to pull her weight on a team of girls who are much older than her. To my delight, though, she was the only one who remembered the routine and she smiled like a super star the whole time. It was darling! I'm mad that I completely forgot to take my video camera to the park because her attitude and pizazz were priceless. The best part was the beginning of the routine, where the girls were supposed to mouth the words, "Oh, you're so funky and hot!" along with the music. Amber yelled it out, but it came out sounding like "Oh, you're so f%#@ing hot!" Too funny!

I was sure the kids would be crazy about all the cool kiddie pools and slides, but all three of the kids doffed the usual sposts and spent all their time in the wave pool. Amber was really brave and rode on her own tube, and Karli sat on my mom's lap in the tube to catch a few big ones. Rex loved to run right into the waves and let them knock him over. Despite the gross-ness of a public swimming establishment, I had a great time and Adam even got to save a life (Kinzie passed out and he saved the day...the lifeguards were so inept) and ride the H2O Coaster.

After a stop at McDonald's and some short naps, we loaded the kids up and drove to Draper Park for the concert and fireworks to celebrate Draper Days. Adam and I went before we had kids and it was great fun, so we couldn't wait to revisit the event. We had to take turns chasing Rex everywhere, but the girls got some cool glow sticks and loved the music. My favorite part of the night was the finale of the fireworks set to the 1812 Overture, which is better known as "the song from V for Vendetta". If you've seen that movie, you'll know what I mean. It's the perfect firework soundtrack. We headed for home and the kids and I went to bed. Adam had to stay up all night to study; it was so nice of him to spend the day with us and sacrifice his sleep to prepare for the cursed test (only nine more days!).

Today I woke up and showered right off the bat, since Sunday mornings are always madness at our house and I'm lucky to make it in if I hesitate at all. Then, the kids and I made waffles with the ingredients Leslie picked up (thank you!) the night before. I doused mine with strawberry jam and wolfed it down in time to head to the church to copy the bulletins. When I dropped off my kids at my parent's house to beg for 20 minutes of babysitting (Adam had gone to bed only one hour before this all occurred, so I felt too bad to wake him up), my mom said, "Oh, Marianne (my little sis) is planning to get your kids ready for you this morning. Just bring their clothes over and she'll take care of it." Score! I was thrilled, so I ran to the library, did my copying and folding, and strolled home for a nice, peaceful get-ready session. I got to use my awesome new flat iron that Adam bought for me, and I had time to do my makeup (eyeshadow and everything...that rarely happens!), find my cute shoes and earrings, and pack a well-stocked diaper bag for Rex. It was fabulous. By the way, the girls looked darling and even got a bath. That was awesome, Marianne!

After church, my parents and Leslie cooked a delicious meal of grilled chicken, teriyaki steak, and pot latch salmon, fruit salad with lemon dressing, creamed peas and potatoes, and lemon cake for dessert--all of my favorites. The food and company were wonderful and I appreciate every one's effort to handle the toddlers in my parents' house. Now, I'm spending my evening blogging and scrapbooking. This has been a marvelous (three) day(s)!

A Delightful Concert in the Middle of Nowhere

Have you ever been to the USANA Ampitheater? If you haven't and you plan to go sometime soon, beware. It's past Kearns, which is in the 60000 West area in the Salt Lake Valley. I didn't even know there were streets out that far west, but apparently, someone thought it was brilliant to build a huge concert venue in the middle of nowhere with terrible, one-laned street access. Nice.

After two hours of sitting in a stifling hot car in a pair of my sister's very-hot-but-very-sexy Hudson jeans, I was ready to call off the whole show for which I'd been so excited for the past 48 hours. Fortunately, though, Adam kept his cool and even shared some with me and we made it to the venue just in time. Once we found our seats, which were remarkably good, the sun disappeared behind the mountain and we reveled in the cool evening air. As long as I'm complaining about the venue (which turned out to be not-so-bad in the end), may I add that after charging $4 per 20-ounce bottle of soda, the staff there had the audacity to place a tip jar right in our faces? Are you kidding me? Okay...enough ranting and on to the George!

Julianne Hough was the opening act and she was so much better than I expected her to be. I love her on "Dancing with the Stars" but was suspicious of her crossover into music. I hate it when the likes of Lindsay Lohan and Demi Lovato think that just because they're good at one thing, they're good at everything. After a few numbers, though, I was convinced that Hough really does have some pipes. Her stage presence was obviously fabulous, and she is just so tiny and cute. I even think I'd buy a few of her songs.

Blake Shelton was next on stage and he played a fairly good set. He is a true hick, I guess, and that kind of turned me off, but he played several songs I like and it was a good way to pass the time.

Only nine more days of these in my life...poor Adam can't get a break from studying for the Bar Exam!

George Strait entered the stage in the most non-dramatic fashion ever, but once all eleven of his band members were playing, the music was wonderful. He really is a charming gent, and it was fun to hear songs from every decade of his career. His fiddle player is my hero...he looks like he's 90 years old, but he could really smoke!

Adam and I both noticed how fantastic it was to be kid-free (thanks, Leslie!)...especially from one 14-month-old little boy who loves to run away and climb on everything. We had a grand evening and finished it all off with a dip in the hot tub (not a skinny one, but it was fun nonetheless). What a delightful night!

JACKPOT!

Well, my radio contest obsession finally paid off, and Adam and I are going to see GEORGE STRAIT on Friday! What a perfect birthday gift to myself, he he. I have always loved George Strait's music and can't believe I actually won the contest. Here's how it played out:

I was driving home from the bank and heard the cue to call KBUL 93 for a contest called "Guess the weight for Strait". I dialed the number once and got a busy signal, of course, so I thought "I'll try one more time". It rang and rang and rang and finally someone said, "Hi, what's your name and where are you from?" Since I've had experience with driving/refereeing screaming children/trying to concentrate on a contest, I pulled over, turned off the radio, and shushed my kids. I gave the DJ my requisite information and prepared to guess the weight of some random object.

Joe Johnson is the fat one...he he he.

Eventually, they asked me "How overweight is Joe Johnson?" (he's one of the DJs). My options were a)82 lbs. b)53 lbs. c)3 lbs. I had seen a picture of him years ago on T.V. and he was fairly portly, so first I thought the answer must be A. However, they quickly blurted out that he's only 5'6", so I guessed B. It was the right answer and I went crazy! When Joe said, "Yeah, I really do need to loose some weight," I responded, "Well, if your being overweight comes at the expense of me winning these tickets, be as fat as you want to be!" Now that I think about it, that was a pretty mean thing to say, but...oops! I was too excited to think straight, and now we're on our way to see Mr. Strait. Hooray!

Here We Go to Idaho

At 3:00 on Thursday afternoon, as we swam in our backyard, my mom called to see if we wanted to go to Rexburg in 15 minutes. We agreed, jumped out and dried off as fast as we could, threw some stuff into a suitcase, and before I knew it, my kids and I were strapped in her Suburban and on our way to the land of my childhood. I was excited to see my grandparents, the Liljenquists and Rydalches, to eat frozen yogurt at Millhollow, and to show my kids all my favorite places from when I was younger.

First, we made a stop at ISU in Pocatello so my sisters could hear their friends' concert on the quad. It was fun to see my old buildings (Liberal Arts and Social Sciences) and to let my kids run down the hill I had to climb every day to get to class. Then, we drove to Rexburg and crashed at Grandma Marge and Grandpa Vern's house.

The next morning, we ran errands, I visited Wal Mart which is the biggest store in town, and as much as I hate to say it, I was again reminded of how much I can't stand Rexburg now that I'm grown. Don't get me wrong...I loved growing up there and I have lots of dear friends and family in the area. I couldn't EVER move back there. It's just not my kind of place, you know?

After all the errands were finished, we loaded up and headed for Heise Hot Springs. This was my place of employment for six years and I love it! We swam for a bit and it was fun to see that my friend Brennan, with whom I worked all those years, and his wife are now managing the whole Heise conglomerate. Amber loved the water slide and she was like a little fish. I had to drag her out of the water when it was time to leave.

Angela and Courtney saved the day; they took Amber down the slide at least a dozen times!

The cold pool was still just as cold as ever...but it felt great on a 90-degree day. Rex liked having his feet in the water, but not much else.

Karli wasn't really interested in swimming that day, so she hung out by my mom and worked on her tan.

After swimming, we drove back to Rexburg and I began the arduous task of getting my three overly-tired children to bed. It took me four hours to finally get them all to sleep, and I felt so bad for my poor grandparents who couldn't get a moment of peace and quiet that whole night.

On Saturday, my cousin Greg married the darling Jen in the Rexburg temple and I attended the ceremony. I'd never been in that temple and it was so fun to see how beautiful it is! Also, I recognized every single worker there, which was kind of cool and creepy at the same time. After the many, many Mormon wedding proceedings, my grandparents Liljenquist met us at Porter Park so the kids could ride the carousel. It's a classic Rexburg attraction and went through a major restoration when I was 10 years old. I loved being able to take my kids for a ride on it and they had a blast!

Karli prefers the stationary benches, but Amber and Rex liked the tiny horses that moved up and down.

Rex made a new best friend: my Grandpa Vern. Every time Grandpa walked into the room, Rex ran to him and tried to climb up his legs to be held. It was adorable! Grandpa took Rex on the deck to swing, played hide and seek with the coasters, and offered about a million hugs to my little boy. They were darling together!

The very best part of the trip was when my Grandma Marge offered to make ebelskivers, a Danish pancake that is round and divine. Our family's ancestry is from Denmark, so these are a special treat in the Liljenquist family. When I was younger, we'd go to Grandma's house for a heritage lesson and to enjoy some of her yummy Danish cuisine. I've always wanted to learn to make them (it's a process!), so I had a lesson from the master chef herself. I even made an entire batch all by myself and they turned out to be delicious. I found a pan and brought home the recipe, so I'm all set to make them for Adam. YUM!

Ebelskivers...the best breakfast I'll ever eat.

Despite bringing home runny noses and sore throats and trying to function on my mom's schedule with three small children, it was a wonderful trip. Perhaps I'll go back in another six months when I forget again how much I appreciate living elsewhere!

Wow, I Really DO Have a Life

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I posted last; I completely feel like an old lady when I say, "Time is going by too quickly!", but it really is. We've had a fun summer so far with visits from Adam's sister and her delightful family, Adam's parents, my sister and her cute family, and lots of swimming. All this, plus lessons, birthdays, doctor visits and the like have left me reeling but having a great time. Hopefully I'll be more devoted to documenting these events for my posterity's sake!

Attackne, Back Aches, Black Eyes, Fat Lips

Things have been crazy around our house. Between a bun in the oven, an almost-three-year-old with feet into which she hasn't yet grown, and another toddler who climbs on EVERYthing, we've had our share of visits to the doctor's office and bloody paper towels. Yikes.
Never have I experienced a full-on case of acne until now. How I pine for those poor junior high students who have cystic acne! It is terrible! I'm discovering huge cysts all over myself, including the dreaded back-ne (although that is easier to cover than facial acne), zits on my legs (it's as gross as it sounds) and all over my face. Additionally, I have just begun the wonderful sciatic-nerve-irritation phase, which will likely last for at least 39 more weeks. I can't wait to have this baby and be done with pregnancy forever!
A week ago, Karli rolled off her bed and hit her eyebrow on the edge of the dresser. She sustained a very impressive black eye (fortunately, no stitches, phew!), after which she tripped in the family room and knocked her cheek on the corner of the coffee table. The poor child looks like an abuse victim, and I think all of our neighbors are wondering. She just needs to grow into those beautiful, ballerina feet.
As I've mentioned before, Rex is part-primate. He has further convinced me of his primal/ancestral awareness by climbing up anything and everything. Sunday night, he climbed up the outside of the staircase and did a wonderful swan dive off the edge. He knocked one of his front teeth straight back into his mouth, bruised his whole upper lip and gums, and bit a huge chunk out of his bottom lip. Even worse, though, was that he bled all over his darling, white, U of M jammies! The nerve.
Fortunately, none of us has contracted H1N1 flu and we are all surviving the rigors of life with kids under age 5. Let's hope these phases fly by.

Happy to Be Happy

Here are ten things that make me happy in life:

1. Adam. He's funny, smart, brutally handsome, helpful, and balances me out in ways I never thought possible. He's the best husband I could ever ask for, and I'm thrilled to have him for a best friend. He's awesome!

2. Amber, Karli, and Rex. They are hilarious and mischievous and adorable. Even when they do naughty things, I have to secretly laugh inside because they think things through with magnificent, childlike logic.

3. Great food. Salmon grilled on a cedar plank, taco salad, fresh blue cheese dressing, strawberries, ice water, good steak cooked just right, home-baked carb-laden items, homemade jam. I could go on and on.

4. Excellent music. Symphonic to acoustic guitar and across all genres, I love my music and relish the way a certain song can evoke so many memories, smells, tastes, and feelings in my mind.

5. Nature. I love to be outside, off roads and in the mountains especially. Fresh air is something I always took for granted until I lived in Michigan, and now I value every breath of crisp, mountain air I can gulp. I love the colors in nature and the peace of being away from everything.

6. Art. Any genre, any medium...I love it. I could saunter through museums and county fairs all day, just taking in the glory of something made by another human.

7. Painted toenails. I have to have my toenails painted in a bright, fun color at all times. Lately I've been really into glitter toes; it's a great way to add some bling without having to add weight to my body (that's the last thing I need!).

8. Attending concerts. There's nothing like live music, especially when the band is actually good and I get to see the effort that goes into producing a song that is radio-quality.

9. My testimony. Knowing that Heavenly Father loves me and is looking out for me just makes life so much better.

10. My friends. It's great to have wonderful people in my life who encourage me, entertain me, and educate me. Thanks, everyone!

My Son Must Be a Monkey

"If you have any poo, throw it now."

Rex may have learned it from Karli, but the other day, instead of lying down and napping like a good little boy, he removed his diaper, defecated all over, and managed to throw the results everywhere. It was beyond disgusting, and, like Karli's incident of a few years ago, I had to clean it up while being pregnant. AWFUL! At least this time, Adam helped me and we had a yard and a hose in and with which we could do most of the work. The day I never have to clean up my children's bodily byproducts will be a grand one indeed!