Whoever You Are...Thank You Santa!

We had a knock on our front door the other night. When Adam opened it, he found a generous gift from "Santa". We don't know who Santa and his elves are, but we are very grateful. Thank you, Santa, for making this Christmas extra special for us!

I am excited for the day that Adam and I can do some large-scale "Santa-ing" of our own, you know, for families who need it. I've always loved being able to give secretly to others, and Christmas time is my favorite time to do it. I'm thankful that I have fantastic examples of charity, kindness, and generosity in my life, and also thankful that wonderful people are thinking of us. Merry Christmas, everyone!

If It Walks Like a Duck...

...it must be big, humongous Natalie waddling around the house. I have one week left until induction and I can't remember ever being this uncomfortable with my other pregnancies. I was running every day until I gave birth when I had Amber, and with Karli and Rex I could push the double stroller and walk four miles each morning. This baby has rendered me nearly useless, as I can barely walk from the kitchen to the front door without suffering. I guess my body is just worn out from being pregnant for 40 out of the past 60 months. Yay for no more pregnancies!

I am starting to get really excited to meet our new little boy. I am also super nervous to see how he changes the family dynamic. I hope that Rex will be nice to him and that my girls can be good helpers. I am gearing up to give lots of extra attention to the three older kids, but still I worry that it won't be enough or that we'll suddenly have a family of bed-wetting children or worse. Hopefully, things will work out well and everyone will adjust by having the expected and tolerable side-effects of adding a new one to the brood.

We're still debating on names; we have a few that we all like. Some of us like one name more than others, so I'm curious to see who the baby looks like and the kind of vibe he gives off. Call me crazy, but I just can't name a baby before I've met him or her. It never works out (Karli was going to be Kandice...but, no). I think we're all ready as far as laundry, sewing, organizing, etc. goes, so now I'm just waiting around to HAVE THIS BABY! Let's hope it's sooner rather than later.

Magic or Tragic? Either Way, It's a Trip to Disney World

Amber and Karli had their first cheer competition of the season on Saturday. They looked adorable and did a great job! Both of them competed in the Tiny division (age 5 and under) with their cousin Gracie. Amber also competed in the Mini division (under 8) and did a grand job considering she had two minutes to run off the mat after Tiny, change her uniform, and line up to go on with the older girls.

The Dazzles (Mini division) are the class that my brother-in-law taught in October. Their routine has a military theme and they were darling! They ended up in third place, which is downright respectable and impressive to me as their coach. They worked really hard and it was so fun for me to watch Amber in a "big girl" routine.

The Twinkles (Tiny division) were so darling, mostly because a few of them including Karli were off in their own world for a majority of the routine. There were a few girls who really rocked out, improvising and dancing their little hineys off for the judges. Eventually, most of them came together and did the routine like they were supposed to. I was really proud of them for being as composed as they were and for remembering most of the steps.

Once both of my teams competed, we raced out the door. As much as I love cheerleading, I just can't stand to be at one of those events for more than 20 minutes. It's loud, crowded, craziness that I simply can't tolerate. We didn't stick around for the awards, since (bad coach!) I didn't think my girls would place. They were great, but comparatively, I didn't think we had a chance.

You can imagine my surprise when Angela called to tell me the Twinkles took third place. I was thrilled and so excited to tell them what a great job they did. Little did I know, she actually said "first place" but I couldn't hear because she was still in the gym. I nearly wet my pants when I found out they earned a winning score. Additionally, they won a trophy that is the same size as some of them AND a bid to the national competition at Disney World in March (the weekend before Amber's birthday). Since most of the Twinkles have older sisters on teams that also qualified, we are trying to work it out for their team, too! I think it will be a blast and am really excited and proud of my little girls.

Sadly, I don't have any pictures because I was running around like a crazy person and answering all sorts of (I thought) dumb questions from parents, students, etc. and trying to get my teams where they needed to be. I'll round some up from my dad and Leslie and post them later. Rah rah rah! Gooooooo Flash!

A Visit with Santa and His Reindeer

Thanksgiving Point is one of my favorite places in Utah County, so I was thrilled to find out about their Christmas activities this year. I took the kids to visit Santa and see his reindeer, and I was surprised by their reactions.

All three of them loved the reindeer. There was a mommy and a baby reindeer who had more than enough food to eat, thanks to the handy quarter-dispenser and lots of eager children.

Rex was thrilled to see live animals...as usual. He couldn't take his eyes off of them.

Karli was really excited to meet Santa (that surprised me; usually she's more timid). She wore her glasses so she could show him what a good girl she's been. When asked what she wanted for Christmas, she immediately yelled out, "A CAR!". I don't know if she meant a car for her Polly Pockets or something like that, or a real, bona fide car like a...oh, it pains me to say this...mini van or something for our family (which we will need in a week!). She was fascinated by Santa and was very brave.

Amber took one look at St. Nick and immediately changed her mind. She wanted nothing to do with him! She told me in a very grown-up way, "I'm not interested anymore so I'll just wait here by the stroller". It was so funny to me to see the look of horror on her face when it was our turn to talk to Santa. She won't even talk to him on Leslie's iPhone. I thought for sure she'd be excited, but when I think about it now, she's never liked to sit on his lap, even in infancy. Let's hope she changes her mind about Santa once he brings her a few Christmas gifts.

False Alarm Numero Uno

Today as I rushed to the church to make copies of today's program, I thought my water may have broken. Since I've never had a spontaneous labor (Pitocin is a grand invention!), I have no idea what it feels like, the "real" signs (I'm having plenty of false indications), etc. I went about my merry way to see if my conditions improved or worsened, and finally, after a few hours, I called my doctor to see if I should head to Labor and Delivery.

As you may recall, when I was pregnant with Rex, we went through the same thing three or four times before I actually had a baby. It is a big hassle, a pain, takes a long time just to hear "Go home", and kind of puts a dent in the day. I figured it would be nothing this time, too, but since I have Strep B, I figured I should follow doc's orders and go get checked.

One thing that was remarkably nicer than when I was pregnant with Rex is that my parents live just down the street from me, so they babysat the kids instead of Adam and I having to drag them along and keep them quiet in the hospital. Thanks, mom and dad, for watching Amber, Karli, and Rex, and for making us a yummy lunch. Thanks, baby, for the jolt of panic and the boring episode in triage.

Oh My Gosh

Where do I even begin? Today was one of those days, you know, where you just can't imagine one more thing could happen to make you loose your temper, but sure enough, there it is, and those events just keep happening all day long. The problem with today was that when I was awakened early by a constant and annoying tapping on my face by one of my cute kids (of course, on my day to sleep in), I consciously decided that today would be my day this week to keep my cool, be extra patient with my kids, and try to have fun decorating the house for Christmas. I even thought we could do a few fun projects, like make cookies or something.
WRONG! As soon as the kids were out of the tub, the naughtiness flared up and continued all day. By all three kids. Who didn't take naps. Even when they were banished to their rooms for the majority of the afternoon. Here are just a few of the highlights:

-Throwing chair cushions over the stair railing several times (a major no-no in our house)
-Spitting milk repeatedly on siblings
-Pulling hair all day long
-Hitting mom in the face
-Locking one's self into mom and dad's room, removing every item of clothing from the hangers, shelves, and baskets, and wadding them into a huge pile on the floor (breaking several hangers in the process)
-Tipping over new baby's drawers, emptying them, and scattering the freshly-washed clothes throughout the house
-Sobbing all day long
-Tattling all day long
-Not eating dinner
-Sneaking out of bed

Thankfully, my wonderful husband came to my rescue and took the kids out of my earshot for the last two hours of the evening. He put them to bed (over and over again) so I could have a much-needed break. I'm SO glad to have such a wonderful man to clean up the bathroom after Rex dumps the entire contents of the trash can into the toilet and to rescue me from motherhood-induced insanity (yep, that happened today, too).

Yet Another Wonderful Role Model

Karli now has an idol that rivals Amber's "Cinnamon" obsession: Beyonce. She saw a brief snippet of her performance of "All the Single Ladies" on the MTV Awards and immediately said, "Mom, can you make me a sparkly leotard like Beyonce's and get me some high heels like hers?" I laughed out loud and Karli said, "Pleeeeease? I really love it!" Since then, she dons any pair of high heels she can find and struts around the kitchen doing Beyonce's moves. My favorite is the one where she turns to the side, clenches her hands in fists, pops one knee at a time, and does the pumping action with her hands like they do on the music video.

I heard that Santa asked Mrs. Claus to make Karli a gold, sparkly, and MODEST version of Beyonce's leotard, complete with little, ruffle-y booty shorts to go with it. I hope Karli will get the translation and be thrilled that she'll have the entire ensemble (minus the robo-glove). Now, put your hands up!

Panic Mode!

Have you noticed the ticker over there? That's right, the blue one that says, "Baby Boy Clark. Only 26 days to go."? I am freaking out!

I had a check-up yesterday and realized that I have less than a month left before our baby will be born. I nearly fell off the table when my doctor told me to come in every week from here on out. Not only that, but I'm dilated to 1.5 centimeters and having bouts of mega-contractions. Yikes (good) and yikes (bad)! This pregnancy has flown by--thank goodness--and I am finally realizing that our family will have another member in a few short weeks.

I'm starting to get a little crazy thinking about everything I have to do in 26 days, like sewing a bunch of Christmas gifts, washing all the baby clothes, making new blankets (Rex WILL NOT relinquish his rights to even his receiving blankets...you'd think seven blankies would be enough, but no...he knows every blanket in this house that has ever belonged to him), coaching my two cheer teams through a major competition, making props for the Poinsettia Bowl halftime, and putting up the Christmas decorations to name a few. Let's hope I can get it all done so all I'll have to do when Baby Boy Clark arrives is enjoy the heavenly lustre of Christmastime and little one.

So Thankful for the Important Things

I know it's cliche to write a post about how thankful I am on the eve of Thanksgiving, but this year I have an all-new perspective on gratitude. While I have a few things happening in my life right now for which I am not thankful, I have been able to reflect on what really matters and how much joy I feel every day because of people and things with which I've been blessed. Here are just a few:

Adam
My three adorable children
The blessing of being able to have children
The miracle of life and birth
Health
Wonderful examples of charity, generosity, and kindness in my life
Laughter
Music

I have been blessed abundantly and feel lucky to be in the position I am in. May you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day filled with love, joy, peace, and happiness!

Patchy Progress

Today, Adam and I took Karli back to the pediatric ophthalmologist to have her eye checked. It's been 12 weeks of hell since she started wearing her patch and glasses and I was really ready to tell the doctor we can't do it anymore. Poor Karli throws a massive fit anytime we have to put a patch over her eye, and then she mopes around all day and whines about it until the patch gets wet from her tears and falls off. Yes, it's great fun.

I was worried when Karli still couldn't see the graphics on the wall (you know, the E's that point different directions, etc.). When we finally saw Dr. Abrams after 50 minutes of waiting, he did some exercises with her and was impressed by the improvements she had made. Her vision in the eye with straubismus/ambliopia is now 20/60, where before she had almost no sight in that eye. I was thrilled to hear the good news, and it gave me a renewed sense of duty to have the patch fight all the time. He said that after months and months of patching, some kids can even achieve 20/20 vision in eyes like hers. Adam and I were excited to know that all of our efforts (and the efforts of our great siblings, parents, nieces and nephews, and friends) are paying off, even if ever so slightly.

I'm ready to start the process again, and feel like now that I know the patches are helping, I can tolerate the whining and annoyance of Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde for a few more months. Hooray for cute little Karli; progress is a wonderful thing!

This Is Me...Screaming!

I have had one of those days. Actually, it's been one of those weeks, but the culmination of all my frustration occured today. I just can't stand to listen to any more whining or crying from my kids. Or pick up one more blanket that has been left on the floor again. Or have to deal with putting a patch on Karli's eye for one more day. Or change another stinky diaper. Or...anything!

I need some advice. One of my kids is a whiner. All day. Every day. About everything. If this kid wakes up and the sky is light blue instead of dark blue, they whine about it. They whine about things that cannot be changed, and they whine about things that can be but won't be changed. Even if there's no pressing issue at the moment, this kid sits around with a finger in the mouth and makes whining noises, like moans and grunts, and kicks their feet on the floor or the wall or the table. How do I stop this insanity?

I've tried banishing said kid to its room, taking away everything precious, etc. but nothing seems to work. I feel awful because today I actually told this kid I didn't want to be around with all the blubbering and noise. Do any of you have tips?

This is me...on vacation in Tahiti.

Disney Princesses, Ice Skating...What Could Be Better?

Yesterday, my mom came over to our house to tell Amber and Karli that Cinderella just called her to tell her she had tickets for all "the girls" to go see Disney on Ice Princess Classics that night. I'm sure you can all imagine the excitement that immediately erupted as they raced up the stairs to put on all of their princess garb. I was excited just because I witnessed my girls' faces light up and them running around and screaming like wild women. After careful consideration, Amber decided to be Ariel, complete with a dollar-store wig/headband with bright red, polyester hair and purple, sparkly streamers. Karli decided to forgo the princess gown and instead wore a pink sweater, denim skirt, pink leggings, and her pink, Ugg-style princess boots. They told me I could be Jasmine, but that Grandma Shelley would have to make me an outfit that had "enough fabric to cover your big, fat tummy". Then they told me I could be Jasmine who wears regular clothes, and that my khakis and pink shirt were fine. I love their honesty...sometimes. But, I digress. Both girls looked adorable and soon we were off!

Upon arriving at the Energy Solutions Arena, I saw little Disney princesses everywhere! It was beyond adorable to see all the girls who were dressed to the nines in their princess outfits complete with light-up high heels, tiaras, sceptres, and the like. As we took our (amazing) seats on the fourth row, I couldn't help but laugh to see how excited all those little princesses were. Cute doesn't even begin to describe it.

Amber and Karli were no exception. They sat there, totally mesmerized by the scenery (a huge, beautiful castle was the centerpiece), the "real, live princesses", the ice skating (one of their favorite sports to watch), and the music. Every time a skater would pass by our seats, Amber and/or Karli would scream out, "Hi Belle!" or "Hi Gus!" They were thrilled to be that close to their favorite characters. Disney really can put on a grand show, and I ended up liking it waaaay more than I thought I would. The costumes and rink design were spectacular, and the skaters were just cheesy enough to produce a wonderfully cartoon-like aura that captured the feel of each Disney princess movie perfectly.

Angela, Marianne, Mette, Hannah, Grandma Shelley, Amber, Karli, and I all had a great time. I'll definitely take my girls next year. Thanks, Grandma, for getting in touch with Cinderella to find such wonderful tickets. We had a smashing time!

Cat Scratch Fever

As if we ever enjoyed it in the first place, the harmony of sibling love has officially evolved into a constant, cacophonous battle between Amber and Karli, Karli and Rex, Amber and Rex, and parents and children. With Amber deep in the tattling phase, Karli still being forced to wear an eye patch every day, and Rex entering the Terrible Twos, I'm sure you can imagine the wonderful and euphoric aura in our home. I have to admit that it's driving me crazy and I'm wondering how we are ever going to survive with another child in this mix of madness. I know that newborns have a special way of calming everyone down, so I'm hoping that our new baby boy will be the peacemaker among siblings so Adam and I don't have to spend every moment of our lives referee-ing our squabbling, whining older kids. Serenity now!

Eight Great Years Ago...

...I met Adam for the first time at church. I never believed in love at first sight, but when I met him I changed my mind. I was so thrilled and amazed that someone as hot as Adam would introduce himself to me (I was wearing red lipstick and red shoes, after all...a bit intimidating for a Clark, maybe?), let alone want to hang out with me after meeting me. I'll always have the fondest memories of Fall 2001 when we met and started dating. Adam was the best boyfriend and is now the best husband. I really lucked out. Happy 8th acquaintance anniversary, Adam. You are wonderful and I love you!

Just so my boys know in the future, here are a few things Adam did for me while we dated which I loved:

Drove past my house on the way to school and scraped off my windows numerous times so my car was ready to go when I left for work in the winter. He also left a few sweet notes on my windshield.

Sent me two dozen red roses after we had known each other for only a short while.

Cooked me dinner (steak, steamed new potatoes, etc.), served it by candle light with Jim Brickman piano music playing in the background.

Wrote a poem for me.

On Valentine's Day, he had his mom and sister decorate my room with hundreds of helium balloons, an adorable teddy bear, and a huge basket full of yummy treats and surprises while Adam and I were on a date.

Boys, take note: your dad knew how to woo a woman.

Random Things That Make Me Happy

I know I post a lot of this same stuff, but I always like to count my blessings and document it. Just think, if my kids ever have interest in reading my journal (which is my blog, of course), they'll read these posts and say to themselves, "Wow. I guess mom really wasn't a screaming ninny who complained and fussed all the time about everything!" So, for posterity's sake, here are some things I'm loving right now:

1. Adam. He has been so helpful and even more wonderful that he normally is lately. It's been fun to be able to hang out with him while our kids take naps and I love that he's so willing to watch the kids so I can have some alone time.

2. Amber's cheer class. This class is so fun to teach! It's filled with 16 adorable little gals, and they work very hard. It's fun for me to see Amber excel in a class of girls who are older than she is, and I also love to see how proud of herself Amber is when she accomplishes a new skill.

3. Karli's dancing. She loves to watch "All The Single Ladies" by Beyonce and has almost all of the moves down perfectly. While I do admit it's not the best thing for a three-year-old to watch, it is just so darn cute that I can't resist! She told me today that she wants a "gold, sparkly leotard and gold high heels like Beyonce's" for Christmas. Hooray!

4. Rex's sudden burst of linguistic ability. The other day, Rex stood up in his high chair and signed AND said "MORE!" Then he started laughing hysterically. It was so adorable and I hurriedly gave him more food. When he saw the results, he did it over and over, both signing and speaking, and getting a huge kick out of himself. He's also started to say "ghost", "doggy", "kitty", "Hannah", "hat", "shoes", "moon", "thank you", and my favorite, "ROCK ON!" (complete with devil horns on each hand). I love it when toddlers begin talking.

5. The weather. Right now, it's 72 degrees outside. The sun has been shining for three days straight and it's fabulous to have some glorious fall sunlight. I was even motivated enough by the blissful conditions that I cleaned off the front porch and put away the exterior Halloween decorations yesterday...only three days late!

6. Baby clothes. I've been sorting through Rex's baby stuff to find out what we need to buy for the new baby. I always love to see how tiny the onesies and socks and bibs are for newborns. I'm getting excited to meet our new little boy and I only have six weeks left!

7. Teaching violin and piano. I have three darling students who are progressing magnificently. I get a kick out of all three of them; they're completely different but all so adorable. One of my students is getting baptized on Saturday and will play "I Feel My Savior's Love" for the opening song. I got all choked up yesterday at her lesson as she played it; it was so sweet! I know I said I'd never admit this, but I am very thankful that my mom and dad payed so much money and dedicated their time and patience to my musical endeavors, even though I wanted nothing to do with them at the time. I have some valuable talents now and I really enjoy being able to spread the love of violin and piano playing.

8. Frozen raspberries. Lately I've been craving sour foods, so I bought myself a big bag of frozen raspberries and have been munching away. They are yummy, fairly low-cal, and the color is marvelous at this time of year. Yum!

9. Planning for Christmas. Since baby will arrive just before Christmas, I'm trying to get all of my gifts made during November. I'm excited to make things for the people I love, and if all goes well, I'll end up with some darling items for my kids.

10. Knowing that my prayers get answered. I've noticed lately that it's not always the way I think they should be answered, but something strangely works out every time I'm in a bind and I ask for help from my Heavenly Father. I know that prayer works! What a great thing to know in life...it's definitely helped me get through some crazy situations.

Here's wishing all of you a happy day!

Superman

Adam has helped me out so much lately and I just have to sing some praises. It's been wonderful to be able to spend a little more "me" time, to wake up (late) to a spotless kitchen and family room, to not have to do yard work (like I ever did much before, but still...), and to be able to finish tasks I start while Adam feeds the kids lunch. Get this: Adam and I got the stomach flu on the same night. As we were both running to the bathroom to throw up, our kids woke up, and he put them all back to bed after resolving their issues. I got to sleep through all of it! Now that is awesome.

All his help has made the last while of my pregnancy much more bearable. I really don't want to give him a sissified reputation, but he's been quite the household helper and I love it! He is an amazing guy and I'm thrilled to have him for my husband.

Pregnancy Quirks

I only have seven weeks and two days left of this pregnancy, and I'm starting to feel the "I-can't-go-on-any-longer" symptoms. It seems like suddenly, I'm so huge I can't move and that overnight, even my maternity clothes became too tight. Isn't gestation a wonderful thing? I'm getting very excited to not have a baby inside me, to feel a little less-invaded all the time, to be able to make progress on weight loss and actually have a goal to reach as far as returning to my pre-baby shape, and to be rid of all the strange, random things that have happened to my body:

1. ultra-sensitive tops of feet
2. quickened temper
3. bizarre dreams
4. eczema on my neck and arms
5. facial acne
6. fingernails that grow so quickly they must be trimmed every four days
7. greasy hair
8. heartburn, heartburn, and more heartburn
9. terrible posture
10. insatiable sweet tooth

I know that I'll have a whole new set of issues with which to deal once the baby is born, but for now, those seem like a walk in the park because I'll actually be able to breathe and move in the ways requisite of caring for a family and performing household tasks.

A Utah Gal Am I

My dad invited me to go to the University of Utah vs. Air Force Academy football game yesterday. Since I'm a huge fan of fly-overs by big military jets, I was thrilled. I was even more thrilled, however, to be reminded yet again of how amazing Adam is. He passed up a ticket to the game to stay home and babysit so I could go. I was so excited to get to have some time away from the kids and to hang out with my dad at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Thanks, Adam! It was wonderful!

We found a great parking spot just one block from the stadium (and it was FREE!) and hurried to buy some tickets from a scalper near the box office. As we walked up the stairs, we looked up just in time to see the F-16s zoom directly over our heads. It was awesome! I love the noise and the gust of wind that accompany a fly-over. We had great seats on the 10th row at about the 12 yard line--chair seats, which are great for a pregnant woman--and amid a crowd of some fairly unusual characters. For some reason, T.V. and cameras simply don't do the crimson justice; the field looked like it was freshly painted and almost everyone was wearing red. The sight was wondrous to behold.

This sounds really dorky, but as a color aficionado, I love the contrast of all the red against the green turf. It looks amazing in real life.

I can't believe these kids are now ten years younger than I am. I still feel like I should be in college. Geez, I'm old!

I'm always excited to see what the students in the MUSS come up with. They do the "3rd Down Jump" and it really causes a ruckus.

Fortunately, Utah eeked out a victory in over time, and it all unfolded right in front of us. I love the entire spectacle of a college football game, from the tailgaters to the band to the smell of greasy stadium food. The weather was perfect and it was a delightful way to spend a fall day. Thanks for the great time, Dad!

One Howl of a Party

My parents and sisters hosted a super fun, amazing Halloween party for the Liljenquist and Clark grandkids on Friday night. I couldn't believe the extent of planning and preparation that went into the festivities; it was a riot! Thanks for all of your hard work, Mom, Dad, Angela, and Jennifer. The kids loved it and so did the grown ups. First, the kids had a costume parade so we parents could have a few photo ops.

Here's Rex as a "Sons of Anarchy" motorcycle club member. He had lots of wicked tatts and a killer hot pink mohawk.

Next, we have Amber as Cinderella and Karli as Taylor Swift. I made Karli's dress as a copy from Taylor Swift's performance on the MTV Music Awards (Karli's favorite thing to watch on T.V.). Neither girl could stop checking herself out in the mirrors...hilarious!

Here are Amber, Libby, Karli, Gracie, Cooper, Colton, and Rex before the party. They all looked so darling in their costumes!

After the costume parade, the kids played all sorts of fun games like "Skeleton Scavenger Hunt", "Ghost Catcher", and "Monster Freeze Dance". It was a hoot to see the drama and character that all the kids brought to the event, and they seemed to have a blast. We finished things off by eating my mom's yummy taco soup with Fritos, drinking "Dragon Blood Punch", and eating eyeball crackers. We had a grand time!

Fun With the Cousins

In addition to bonding due to similar sicknesses, Amber and Karli had a lot of fun with their Clark cousins last week. First, they dressed up Roofus with a cute, ric-rac leash and a big, rhinestone flower for her collar.

They also gave her a new "blanket", meaning a blue and white gingham napkin.

They all loved snuggling with their new quilts courtesy of Grandma Clark. Jaxon, Karli, Libby, and Rex seemed to get along particularly well. It was great to see my kids having so much fun with their cute cousins!

The Few, The Proud, The Adorable

Amber's cheer team is doing a competition routine with a military theme. I invited my brother-in-law Dave, who is a Marine recently home from deployment in Iraq, to come to Amber's class and teach the girls a few military moves. He kindly obliged and the girls were so excited! They kept asking me questions like, "Is he a real soldier?" "Does he have a real uniform?!" "Has he been in a real battle?" Dave was great with the girls and taught them some key skills for their routine.

About face.

Marching.

Standing at attention.

The girls were all thrilled and amazed to have a real Marine teach their class. Thanks, Dave, for making the day so special for all these cute little gals. We are proud of you and appreciate the sacrifices you, Maren, and Libby make for our country and for the freedom of people everywhere. Hoo-rah!

Not Even in the Movies

We had our annual fall gathering of Clark family members last week and it really was a riotous, chaotic, blast. Sadly, though, with 19 people under one roof, it was so fun, in fact, that we managed to have one wrist broken, three faces with lots of road rash, two cases of strep throat, four cases of possible H1N1 flu, and 18 cases of the 24-hour stomach flu complete with vomiting in buckets and endless diarrhea. Now that makes for a fun vacation!

I couldn't believe how fast the stomach bug ravaged its way through the whole family. It started with one baby on Saturday night, and by Sunday at noon four more kids had thrown up. From there it just got worse, and finally by Wednesday night, everyone had their turn of stomach cramps, body aches, fevers, sleepless nights, and the whole bit.

Needless to say, the washing machine was working constantly for ten days, literally with no break between loads of soiled sheets, blankets, kids' clothes, bathroom rugs, etc. I'm glad to have everyone on the mend now, and so sad that people who traveled all the way across the country to hang out in Utah had to spend their time off dealing with sickness of all sorts. Hopefully everyone had a good time despite the health issues and we're excited for next time when we'll all get together wearing surgical masks and anti-contamination suits.

Cinnamon, the Beautiful Pirate Temptress

You may remember that we took our kids to watch the pirate battle in front of Treasure Island Casino in Vegas last March. Little did we know, the show had been entirely re-vamped to be very suggestive...oops! Unfortunately, between the cannon balls and gunfire, Amber caught on to the plot of the show (pirates searching for literal booty...nice) and really took a liking to the star, Cinnamon, with "Sin" for a nickname.
From that moment, she has been obsessed with Sin, the pirate girl, and had a pirate birthday party, found a pirate costume, showed off all her scandalous dance moves, etc. When she heard we were going back to Las Vegas, she immediately packed her pirate dress, had me put in her pirate earrings, and sprinkled every conversation with references to Sin and how excited she was to be going back. Amber asked me if I had Sin's phone number so she could call her to tell her she'd be there watching, and she even thought for a minute that Sin might let Amber climb up on her ship and slide down the rope. Aaaagh! This is my four-year-old speaking!
The minute she awoke on Saturday, Amber jumped into her pirate dress and couldn't be convinced to wear anything else. The events of the day were such that we couldn't stick around in Vegas long enough to see the show (oh, darn...I was crushed) and poor Amber was heartbroken. She sobbed with the most sad cry for almost 20 minutes as we left the city, and was comforted only by being told that we'd definitely come back for her to see the show some other time. I guess when a person has a stripper for a role model, they're bound to be let down in some way or another...he he!

Saints, Sinners, and Almost Winners

We loaded up our car and took off for St. George to spend a day playing with Jen and her family and to watch Adam run the Ragnar Relay Las Vegas with my crazy runnin' family. We had a wonderful weekend; here's the rundown:

Friday morning, we all took showers in the "cool shower" at the condo. Amber loves it because it has a shower head that's connected to a hose, so she can spray everything from floor to ceiling inside the shower enclosure. Then, Adam packed up his running gear and we drove him to meet the caravan of runners who were crammed like sardines into two Suburbans to make their way to Overton to start the race.

We cruised over to Jen and Jimmy's cute house for a day full of fun and yummy food. The kids had a wonderful time playing together, I had a blast hanging out with my sis, and we culminated the day's activities with a trip to Red Lobster for dinner. Once the kids were tucked in, I took full advantage of the peace and quiet by painting my toenails and fingernails (a rare occurrence) with my favorite fall color. I finished watching "21" and went to bed early. It was pretty great, even though I did have to share the bed with Rex. That's never fun!

"Picnic Panic" was one of the many activities all the cousins enjoyed.

We woke up bright and early on Saturday, showered, ate, and I loaded up the kids so we could watch Adam cross the finish line with his team. We made it safely and the kids slept from Mesquite to Vegas. That was a nice drive! We ate a yummy lunch with Adam and Amy's family at Islands (hamburgers on whole-wheat buns...delish!) and quickly drove across the street to the finish line. After parking and weaving our way through the Red Rock Casino, we waited patiently for the last runner to approach. The kids had fun playing in the sand, and I loved watching all the teams finish the race. Some had outlandish costumes in which they traveled the entire 178 miles, and some of the runners' body shapes and sized amazed me.

Adam's darling sister, Amy, ran the race with him and they both were on the fast team...he he. I am so excited to run in a Ragnar Relay!

Here we have Utah Fold 'Em racing to the finish line. I was proud of Adam, Amy, Marianne, my mom, and my friends who took third place in their division. The other team, Utah Hold 'Em, took fifth, and I was also proud of my dad and Angela who ran with them.

They all posed with their cool medals and showed off their sweat stains accumulated in the 24-hour trek completed sans showers. Despite the craziness, I can't wait to have the baby and get into tip-top shape so I can run with Adam in the next race.

Grandma's Project

Whenever the cousins come over for a visit, they all want to have a sleepover on Grandma and Grandpa's floor. There is generally a dispute over blankets...who will share with whom, who gets which quilt, etc. Grandma Clark had a brilliant idea to make each grandchild a quilt that stays at her house. That way, everyone has their own cozy blanket at the ready when the urge to sleep over strikes. She has been working super hard to make 20 quilts, and each one is darling! She's carefully analyzed the personalities of each grandchild and hunted for flannel to match; both the front and back of every single quilt is adorable and perfectly suited to its recipient. Grandma Clark is great at making everything fun and exciting, and my girls can hardly wait to cuddle up in their new quilts. Thanks, Grandma!

My Kind of Tailgate Fare

A few Saturdays ago, Adam surprised me by bringing home a gorgeous filet of salmon from the grocery store. Generally, he hates fish, but my brother introduced us to potlach cedar-grilled salmon last year and we are addicted. I was so excited to have a delicious lunch of salmon, grilled zucchini, roasted new potatoes, juicy tomatoes fresh from our neighbor's garden (she brought me a whole bag...yum!), and Diet Pepsi while we watched college football all day. It doesn't get much better than that.

It's a Chopper, Baby

Rex's hair has always been out-of-control; even his first hair cut at three weeks old couldn't tame the craziness. This morning, Adam and I had taken all we could bear and decided to get a jump on his Halloween ensemble by giving little Rexy a killer mohawk. He held very still and looks uber cool.

Rex loves to reach up and feel his spikes, and he gets a kick out of seeing his reflection in the mirror. We can't wait to see Coop's mohawk!

Miss Independent

Amber got to go to St. George with Adam earlier this week. It was her first trip without the other kids and I get the feeling she was livin' it up. Whenever I'd call to talk to her, she'd say, "Mom, I'm fine. I love you. BYE!" I'm glad she was able to spend some quality time with Adam and also with Jen, Merrick, McKay, and Olivia (thanks for watching her during meetings!).

They ate at lots of yummy places, hiked at Dixie rock, swam every day at the condo, and had a blast at Fiesta Fun Center. She's already asking when she can go back. It's so nice to know she missed me...he he.

Look how brave she is!

While hiking, Amber was Dora and assigned the roles of Boots and Swiper to Grandpa and Adam, respectively. She had a grand time leading them all over the place on an exploration.

Amber found a perfect stage and made Adam and Grandpa be the "yellers" in the audience while she performed. I love the attitude!

Isn't she a cutie?! I can't believe how quickly she's growing up.

Baptized by Water and by Fire

As most moms of small children know, cell phones have a short and miserable life in our clutches. I first realized this universal law when Amber was two years old and my prized phone fell out of my pocket and into the tub while bathing the girls. Since I'm too cheap to buy a phone that costs more than $25, I quickly rescued my SIM card and plugged it into a twenty-dollar GoPhone from Walmart.
Adam was kind enough to give me his used Razr when he was eligible for a new, free phone, and that one met its fate one night when it fell into the toilet (yet another bathing-of-the-children incident). You can bet I wasn't going to use that phone again, and luckily I was eligible (finally) for a free phone. I was thrilled to get the updated version of the first phone I had baptized; it's a great model by Sony-Ericsson and it's so green and cute!
Last Thursday as we prepared for cheer class, I repeatedly asked Amber to refrain from filling the bathroom sinks with water. As I picked up the laundry from the bathroom floor, my phone flew out of the pocket of my sweatshirt and right into the full sink. It sank before I could grab it and the malfunctions began immediately.
I quickly removed the battery and SIM card and put the phone in a bowl full of dry rice. 24 hours later, I could receive calls on it, but couldn't use the "back" button. After a few days, it was as good as new and I was so relieved.
Can you imagine my horror when last night, as I washed my hands, my phone jumped out of my sweatshirt pocket and right into the sink again?! What is it with me and phones in bathrooms? I never actually use my phone in the bathroom, so why am I cursed to have it leap from its protected surroundings and into any body of open water?
Panic mode struck as I hurried to disassemble the phone. I remembered that my sister-in-law told me how her sister's Blackberry took a dive in the pool and was resuscitated by a stint in a warm oven. I was so skeptical, but honestly, what did I have to lose at that point? I heated the oven to 200 degrees, made a nice and comfy bed from a cake pan lined with paper towels, and tucked the poor, water-logged body of my favorite phone into its place. I turned off the oven, threw it in, and hoped for the best.
Success! My phone works like a charm, all the buttons have their original functions, and all that's left of the water is a few droplets under the screen. Thank the heavens!

Get Right Up In Her Face

While at Kangaroo Zoo, Rex experienced the not-so-fun phenomenon of sharing playspace with much older, rowdier boys. He left the infants' jumping area in a heartbroken huff, and on his way out was greeted by an adorable girl of about two and a half. I thought she was going to Rex to offer him some consolation, but instead she put a hand on each of his shoulders and shoved him to the ground. Rex couldn't believe anyone would do such a thing, and he sat on the ground and sobbed. A few seconds later, though, he stood up, put his nose an inch from the girl's, clenched both fists, and screamed as loud as he could. His hands shook and his eyes blazed with rage. I was so proud of him for 1) standing up for himself and 2) letting that little girl have a piece of his mind without inflicting physical pain. It was just awful for me to have to get up and tell Rex and the little girl to be nice, because inside I was thinking, "That's what you get, you little brat!" Aren't I terrible? Bottom line: don't mess with Rex...or his mama.

The Funnest Day

Today we were busy, but it was good business that kept us hopping. We woke up early and got ready for Karli's cheer class. The girls all did a wonderful job and things went fairly well even though I lost my magnificent assistant and desperately feared teaching the class by myself. They're learning a routine for competition season and they are adorable! Karli balanced in her headstand all by herself and only threw one major fit...isn't it sad that one fit at class is an accomplishment?
Next, we came home to eat a yummy lunch of sandwiches and tomato soup in sippy cups. That's right, even I had my soup in a hot pink sippy cup to promote cleanliness at the table among my children. I felt so weird, but Karli got a big kick out of it. Plus, anything to save a mess is worth a little shame on my part!
Then Karli and I headed to my 28-week checkup. I only gained two pounds over the past month (YAY!) and got to set my induction date for December 17th (even bigger YAY!). Nurse Hailey and Nurse Deana were super nice to Karli (as usual...they are the best!); she got two Ariel stickers, paper and a pen, a special assignment from Deana to hug me every day, and she even got to press the button on the Doppler to measure baby's heartbeat. I scheduled all of my appointments up to my delivery date, and they are all printed out on a long strip of paper like a grocery receipt. This means I now have my own count-down chain just like those that elementary school kids make. Only 11 weeks left!
Upon our return, we got a call from Leslie with news that we were invited to Kinzie's birthday dinner, so we packed up and left for Winger's. Rex and Karli wolfed down their "baby hot dogs" and fries, and I got to enjoy a whole plateful of sticky fingers. Leslie wrangled Rex during dinner and my meal was fairly peaceful. It was grand.
After dinner we all ended up at Kangaroo Zoo. To my delight, Karli was 100% more brave than she was at our last visit; she went on all the slides and even climbed the tallest tower all by herself. Rex had a blast, too, and when it was time to go home, I had to pry both of them out of the building. As I buckled Karli in her seat, she happily exclaimed, "Mom...this was the FUNNEST day!" I have to agree...it was pretty great.

Girl Party...Plus Rex

Adam took Amber to Saint George with him for business meetings this week, so Karli, Rex, and I are hanging out and having fun. Last night, we went for a walk to wear off some of the pent-up energy that seems to be constantly brimming from Rex's little body. Karli rode her Dora tricycle all the way to my parents' house and back (okay, okay...it's not far!), and she was so proud to go faster than Rex and me. Then, Angela, Marianne, and Kinzie came over for a "Hannah Montana: The Movie" and, according to Karli, "apple caramel" party. We used pre-made caramel and dipped some yummy Fuji apples; it was both simple and delicious. The best part about the whole evening: the morning after. Both kids are still asleep and it's well past their usual 7:00 a.m. wake-up time. I love it! Hopefully I'll be able to get a few projects finished before I have to go back to caring for three kids, one of whom is an early riser and likes to spread the joy of awaking before 7:00 a.m.

Here's to a Better Week

The last ten days or so have been full of not-so-fun moments and particularly hard for me to handle, so I'm really excited that yesterday was the beginning of a new week. To kick start our self-determined week of fun, we made tin foil dinners last night with Mette and Hanna. The weather was perfect (just cool enough for a sweatshirt, but warm enough to eat outside), the food was yummy, and the girls played together in such a sweet, adorable way.

More good news: I'm officially in my last trimester. Woo hoo! If I had my way, I'd make the human gestational period six months long. I'm so sick of being pregnant and can't wait to get my body into some kind of acceptable shape again.

Even more good news: I'm almost caught up on my mountainous pile of laundry and the kitchen floor will actually get mopped today. Dinner is in the crock pot and I'm excited to go teach my darling little team of Dazzle cheerleaders (they're awesome!).

Now, all I need to do is crank up some Black Eyed Peas and prepare for a week that'll be busy and full, except funner!

Amusing Insight

Last night, Amber joined Adam and me in bed because she had a scary dream. After and hour or two, she informed me that if I carried her into her room, wrapped her in her blanket, and gave her a stuffed animal, she would be okay to sleep alone. Gladly, I obliged and was stunned to hear about her dream the next morning. It was creepy, sophisticated, and validly scary. She then went on to explain that she has lots of scary dreams involving talking mud puddles (according to Amber, those puddles are mean and very creepy). She also told us that Gingerbread Man (from Shrek) can hop around even though he doesn't have arm or legs and that he tells other people to sneak into their room to scare her and Karli.

Tonight, both girls started screaming and crying the moment we mentioned bedtime, saying they didn't want the same dream to happen again (Karli was convinced she'd have it, too). They were legitimately freaked out, and I had to build a fence around their bed with their comforter. I've never been a fan of lying by them at bedtime ("Self soothe" is my mantra when it comes to my kids), but I gave in and sat on their floor until they were asleep. Every light in their room is on (that means three), and we said a special prayer for them to be brave. Let's hope it works!

I think the reason I was sympathetic to their plight is that when I was young, I had a recurring dream that I was having a tea party with Hello Kitty and her friends in a logging yard. The men working there were dirty, loud, and scary, and this dream plagued me until I was a teenager. I always thought those mean guys would throw a humongous log at me or try to kidnap my animated friends. It seems so ridiculous now, but I remember how the dream bothered me. I hope that Amber and Karli's ultra-scary dreams don't haunt them more than once, for their sake and mine. After all, bedtime is the sacred hour in our house. I need my sanity!

The Five-Hour Cleaning Lesson

Yesterday was room-cleaning day. At 4:30 p.m., Adam tackled the upstairs bathroom (thank you!), I dug our room out from under three weeks' worth of washed-but-not-folded laundry, two garbage bags full of papers and miscellany, plenty of our kids' toys, etc. Amber and Karli were charged with cleaning their room, which happens weekly, so it wasn't a huge task. They've been cleaning their own room for a year now, so I didn't think it would be a big deal.
When we heard the complaints and could clearly see that nothing was being picked up, we told them they couldn't swim with their cousins until the job was finished. Two hours later, their room was an even bigger mess and they were both crying because they were hungry. We said, "Hurry and clean your room and then you can eat dinner," but that gave them absolutely no motivation. Amber kept lamenting, "We're just little kids and we don't know any better!" (her new favorite excuse for everything) and "It's too hard!" I replied with a kind but stern explanation that they've been cleaning their room for a year and that they were actually big kids (it's a relative term, right?). Still, no progress.
Finally, after Adam and I finished our jobs, fed ourselves and Rex dinner, put him to bed, sat in the hot tub, showered, and I did two more batches of laundry AND a pedicure, and after Amber and Karli had screamed and cried for an hour straight about cleaning their room, Adam and I went in to be available in case they had questions. It was so hard for me not to put the girls to bed and finish the job myself, but Adam reminded me to let them do it and at 9:25 p.m., the room was finally clean.
I'm really looking forward to the day when they realize that whining about tasks only prolongs the misery. I think I was nine or ten years old when the epiphany struck me, so hopefully we only have seven more years of these ridiculous events!

My Sweet Cousin Hayden

Hayden Sean Housel 2/7/1990 ~ 9/11/2009
Hayden Sean Housel was welcomed with open arms into the world on February 7, 1990.On September 11, 2009, our beloved Hayden peacefully returned to his loving Heavenly Father. Hayden was a member of the LDS Church. Hayden attended Bingham High School and graduated from Horizonte before attending Salt Lake Community College.
He excelled at many sports from the time he was a little boy. He played on high school football, golf, and lacrosse teams. He also played on the South Jordan Slammers, a competition baseball team. He loved to snowboard and play the piano as well.
To know Hayden is to love him. He had the biggest heart in the world. He loved his friends and large extended family. He had a special connection with children and babies. They loved his gentle heart and soft touch. Hayden loved the Dallas Cowboys and spent the last weekend of his life attending football games in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium with family members. He also loved the New York Yankees. One of the highlights of his life was a trip with his family to New York to watch the Yankees play. He enjoyed spending time with his family and had a special relationship with his cousins. Hayden also had many special friends who supported him and brought him great joy through his life.
He is survived by his parents, Sean Housel of South Jordan and Mary Ann Rydalch Housel of West Jordan; his brothers, Preston and Hunter Housel and his sister, Isabella, all of West Jordan; his grandparents, Don and Doralee Rydalch of Sugar City, Idaho, and Karen Housel of Murray; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Wayne Housel.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, 11 a.m. at the River LDS 6th Ward, 7350 South 1300 West. A viewing will be held Monday, Sept. 14, 6-8p.m. at Jenkins Soffe South Valley at 1007 West South Jordan Parkway (10600 S) and on Tuesday from 10-10:45 a.m. at the Church.Online condolences at http://www.jenkins-soffe.com/ Hayden, our hearts are broken. We miss you more than you will ever know. We love you and will think of you every day until we can hold you in our arms again.
Hayden was the sweetest boy and I'm so sad to know that he won't be here to play with my kids and talk with me about the musical preferences we shared. I know he's now on an important mission on the other side of the veil, and I'm thankful to know that we will see him again. I'll miss you terribly, dear cousin, but I'll cherish all the fun times we had!

Yumness

I have always had an affinity for black licorice, and my pregnancy hormones magnify it to an unhealthy degree. I can eat a whole bag of Black Vines in one day, so you can imagine my delight when Mette, my friend from Denmark, introduced me to Danish licorice. It's super salty and so yummy. She gave me my very own bag of Haribo Lakrids the other day and I was in heaven! My sister Allison (on a mission in Denmark) also loves it, so here's hoping she'll bring me a massive stockpile when she comes home in March. Gotta love junk food!

Our Trial of the Month

Karli's right eye had been crossing once in a while, so I finally took her to a pediatric ophthalmologist and she was diagnosed with "severe near-sightedness" in that eye. Since the doctor seemed to be very rushed, I didn't catch the scientific name of her condition and was too flustered to ask about it again, but the coating around her optic nerves didn't wear away like it was supposed to and her vision is very bad in the right eye. Hence, she is now in glasses with a super-thick lens and required to wear and eye patch on her left eye "from the moment she wakes up until one hour before bedtime" according to the doctor.
She got her glasses on Monday afternoon, so we put them on her with the patch. She couldn't even see five inches in front of her and was completely frustrated. It broke my heart when I pointed out a butterfly that was resting on a flower. She put her face right up to it and sobbed, "I can see ANYTHING!" I had to fight back my own tears and tell her how great it was for her to be able to exercise her right eye. She seems to be doing better now, and even though we have to fight with her every time she needs a new patch, she's focusing a bit and can see a few things with her right eye.
Karli is supposed to wear "sticky patches" which are like eye-shaped bandages with adhesive all around the edges, but her poor skin gets pulled off every time we remove a patch and is sore, cracked, and irritated. I made her this flannel patch that slides right over her glasses, but I had to throw it away today because she cheats when she wears it.
The eye doctor said that six weeks of faithful patch wearing usually does wonders for kids with this condition, but there's no way to know for sure. We'll either be singing praises of joy in five weeks or gearing up for a long road of patches, tantrums, nagging, and the like.
One thing that has made this awful process bearable is all the great support we're getting from our families and friends. Everyone has been so wonderful, telling Karli how cute she looks with her pirate patches and Dora glasses, buying her fun rewards, encouraging her, etc. We couldn't do it without you!
All in all, though, Karli is a great little trooper and looks so precious in those tiny glasses. She carries around her Sleeping Beauty mirror and checks herself out all the time, which is darling, and we have loads of cool stickers for her to decorate her patches. Amber has been a wonderful helper, too. She takes such good care of Karli and helps her climb, walk, and navigate rough terrain, using her perfect "bossy skills" to ensure that Karli leaves her patches on. I'm proud of both my sweet little girls!

Current Events Are a Big Deal in Our House

I am always interested in the news and watch it every day. However, I am not nearly as obssesed as the rest of the Clark family (I do not watch Fox News all day long...only an hour or two). It made me so proud when Karli told me the following today at church:

Speaker: "...and that's what we learn from Cain's experiences."

Karli: "Hey! He said 'Cain'. I know John McCain. He tried to be president but he's not. Now only Barack Obama is the president of us, but not in our church...just in America."

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry because I was so amazed; I couldn't believe that she rememberd the 2008 presidential election (we were not fans of either candidate but watched a healthy dose of coverage), let alone the name of the losing candidate. I'm so proud of my little political junkie. Watch out you Beltway Boys, here she comes!

Doughnut Recipe

Okay, okay, I should have just included the link in my previous post, but here it is: the doughnut recipe. Once the doughnuts came out of the oil, I rolled them in a mix of the following:

1 cup granulated sugar
2 T cinnamon
2 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground cloves

The chocolate glaze recipe can be found here. Both options are completely delicious. Happy cooking and even happier eating!

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!