Our Halloween Baby

Dear Kimberly,

It was my first ever Homemaking Day at Relief Society. I was nine months pregnant and nine days overdue. I'd been having some small pains, but nothing too bad. I accepted a ride to church with a friend because I didn't want to go to my first Relief Society meeting by myself. All through the lesson, I watched the clock. The pains were pretty regular, but I thought if it was the real thing, they would be much worse. When I got home that morning, I did what any first time mom would do...I called my mom and asked her if she thought I was in labor. When she told me that she was sure I was, I had to call my sisters and ask them. Then I called the doctor.

Aunt Patti came and picked me up in her van that had no seats in the back, and drove me to the doctors office where I met your dad. It was confirmed...I was in labor and needed to go straight to the hospital. Upon arrival, the nurses informed me that there were lots of moms going into labor that day. They blamed it on the barometric pressure and the fact that we were having our first snow storm of the season. They said it happened every year when the first snow came.

I think back at how young I was and how unsure I was that I would ever be able to care for a child of my own. Imagine, me a mom. At 5:12 p.m. you made your entrance into this world. Absolutely perfect in every way. Every feature, every inch of your little body was perfect. I remember holding you for the first time and being amazed at how beautiful you were.

I continue to be amazed by you. I admire your gentle loving spirit. I admire your dedication and perseverance. I admire your positive attitude and fun personality. You've taught me a lot over the years. Being the first child in our family you have had to pave the way for all the rest. I know that hasn't always been the easiest thing to do, but you have done it with grace. For this and so much more, I thank you...

Thank you for making me laugh. No one laughs like we do when we're together.


Thank you for making wise choices.

Thank you for being such a great mom to my wonderful grandchildren.

Thank you for loving me in spite of my faults, and for being not only my daughter, but also my best friend.

I thank my Heavenly Father every day for sending you to me. You've come a long way baby, but the best is yet to come. Happy Birthday!!

Love, Mom

Quirks, Who Me?

I was tagged by my good friend Vicky http://www.davevicky.blogspot.com/ to share six of my quirks.

Here are the rules: Link the person who tagged you. Mention the rules on your blog. Tell about six of your quirks, and tag six fellow bloggers to do the same. Then leave a comment to let them know they've been tagged.

Sounds pretty easy. You mean I only have to mention six? OK, here goes nothing:

1. Anyone who knows me very well can tell you that I have a very difficult time making decisions. Just ask my husband about remodeling our home in California. When it came time to paint the outside of the house, he decided he would try to expedite the decision making process by convincing me this was an easy decision that could be made by looking at a small paint chip from the store. He assured me I would be happy with the color. Besides, it's only paint...if we hate it, we'll just re-paint. Bad decision. The house looked like a big peach. We re-painted. After the peachy color disaster, we settled on a nice Cape Cod look of grey, white, and navy blue. So if you can imagine the decisions that go into a remodel, you'll understand Bob's frustration. We made it through the whole process and were happy with the results, then we got transferred and built a home.....AAUGH!
2. I fall asleep with the TV on. It's like a sedative to me. They say you shouldn't do it, but I do. It's actually pretty dumb too, because at some point I fall asleep only to be awakened by it to turn it off.
3. I'm a little anal about drying the shower. Yes, we have a squeegee, but I have to take a towel and dry the whole thing out. We moved into a fixer-upper in California and the hard water had really done a number on the shower tiles. I swore I'd never let our new shower look that way. Thus my decision to dry the shower.
4. I can't talk about blood. I do fine when I have shots, but when my blood is being sucked into a tube via a needle, you'd better be ready to catch me. I've gotten much better at having my blood drawn, but have yet to plop myself onto a cot voluntarily and have more than a tube drawn. It makes me weak just thinking about it. And PLEASE don't show me the veins in your arms!
5. I don't like to wear shoes in the house. I'll put socks on my feet, but never shoes. Unfortunately, my DH and I don't share this same little quirk. Does he know where those shoes have been???
6. I'm a little obsessed with dental floss. I always have it with me. I LOVE to floss.

So this was probably a little TMI, but there you have it. Trust me, there's a lot more where those came from. I hope to read your lists revealing your quirks. If you'd like to join in, I'd like to tag: Kimberly, Robyn, Michael, Susie, Purple Diva, and Christie...or anyone who would like to play along.

Friday nights in Music City

Making a name for yourself in Music City can be a challenge, even for the best singer songwriter. Many hopefuls arrive here with dreams of getting their big break, and they take every opportunity they can to perform their music. Because of this, it is not uncommon to happen upon a free concert now and then.

Last Friday, Bob and I did just that. We drove into historic downtown Franklin (which I lovingly refer to as Mayberry) and went to Pucketts for dinner. Sounds fancy right? Yeah, it's about as classy as it sounds. It's actually called Pucketts Grocery. I have to say though that it is a "must see" on the list of tourist attractions. If you visit, you'll want to go there. The food is...well...southern. Yes, that's a good description. There's lots of barbecue, fried foods, and claims of having the best sweet tea in the south. But best of all, there's lots of southern hospitality and atmosphere galore.

Shortly after being seated, we realized we were going to be treated to a free concert by a group called Baillie and the Boys. This group isn't a bunch of wannabes...they've actually been pretty successful. If you listened to some of their music, you'd recognize it.

These pictures aren't too great, but they're the best we could get using a cell phone....

Baillie and the Boys

The Roys

Kathie Baillie introduced their guest band "The Roys" and said they have just released a new single called "Grandpas Barn". I guess they just toured with George Jones, so they're not totally unknown.

It turns out this was a benefit concert in behalf of the 100 Club which raises money for the families of fallen police officers. We were happy to donate when the hat they passed around for donations came our way. It was a good night with good people, good music, all for a good cause.

Overheard

Something I heard at dinner tonight has got me thinking. What if? What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?! Whoa Dude...that's heavy!

Back on the Blog

I've been off my blog for a while...a bubble off, a taco short of a combination plate, or maybe even a few bricks shy of a full load. Yep...that's how I've felt. I think, like many of you, I have felt as though I've just run a long "401K" race and gotten my "you know what" kicked. Luckily for my DH he was away this week in beautiful New Jersey. Notice I use the word "beautiful" to describe this place I've never been. I guess it's just that those business trips always sound so glamorous! I know they're not, but when you're home and you've got tough decisions to make like what show to watch, which cereal to eat for dinner, or whether or not you'll finally finish your last "vampire" book, that business life sounds a little more exciting.

One night I actually did all three of those things simultaneously. And I thought I couldn't multitask. HA! I turned on Grey's Anatomy, ate a bowl of Kashi Strawberry Fields, and finished "Breaking Dawn". In the end, the only thing I wasn't disappointed in was the cereal. Grey's Anatomy may never be added to my TIVO (that is if I ever get it) if the story line keeps going the direction it is. As for "Breaking Dawn"....I LOVED it up until the last two chapters. I had to FORCE myself to read the last two chapters of the book. (If you haven't read these books, you may not want to read the next paragraph.)

I guess I wanted a good fight with an exciting victory. I'm glad it ended like it did, but disappointed it all went so smoothly. It just didn't seem right that all those vampires could work together better than our real life Congress. I mean even the Volturi Coven were able to reach across the aisle. Do you suppose they're Democrat or Republican? I do think, however, that Alice would be the best sister-in-law ever!!

Take a Hike Ike

What do you see when a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast? You see this! Since our gas comes from Houston Texas, we see LONG lines and HIGH gas prices! Although they were telling people not to panic and run to the gas stations, we decided we'd better try to fill up. So we did. We filled both cars last night, and luckily were able to get it for under $4 per gallon. Those east of us were not so lucky. Our stake president called Bob last night and told him that he had just paid $5 per gallon.

Some gas stations were completely out of gas, so we were content to wait our 25 minutes in line. By the time we drove our second car down for gas, we had to buy premium because that was all that was left. Is there a bright spot in all of this? Well they did end up cancelling stake priesthood meeting that was scheduled for tomorrow night. And... it looks like the hurricane went west. The UCLA Bruins were caught in it! And what a hurricane it was.....GO BIG BLUE!!

I remember...

Like many of you, I remember, with great detail, the morning of September 11, 2001. I remember the phone call telling me to turn on my television and see what was happening. I remember being puzzled and horrified as I watched the second plane strike as the live coverage of the first was being reported. I remember the sadness, fear, and anxiety that sunk in as I realized our nation had been struck by terror. I remember going through the motions of living that day, and feeling anything but normal.

In the days that followed, I remember seeing crowds gathering on street corners with candles burning and flags flying. I remember crying every time I passed one of these gatherings. I remember the sincere feeling of pride I felt as I saw American flags everywhere. I remember stores running out of American flags and people asking one another where they could find one.

It has been seven years since that fateful day, but it is still fresh in my memory. Although it is a day that will go down in history, unfortunately, it's not quite history yet. We are still living it. Our lives are forever changed.

As I thought about this, I decided I could fight back in my own way today. I will:

• Say a prayer of thanksgiving.
• Fly the American Flag
• Take a walk and enjoy the beauty all around me.
• Love my family.
• Be a little kinder.
• Laugh.
• Forgive.
• Have some fun.
• Have the kind of day the terrorists thought they could take away.

May we always remember to be thankful for those who have made today possible for all of us. Have a great day! God Bless America!

Wheaties or Wood

From the time we moved into this house, my DH has been obsessed with finishing the basement. Little did I know his plan to turn this obsession into reality would begin last week. I mean, heaven knows we need more space for the two of us!

It all began a little over a week ago. A loud beeping sound, like a truck backing into my driveway, sounded from outside a little before 8a.m. Sure enough there it was. A truck with enough wood to build a whole house was parked in the middle of the street right in front of my house. Luckily I had been given a little notice about this delivery, or I probably would have run outside with my wet hair, no makeup, mismatched shoes, sporting the first thing I could grab to wear, and frantically yelling that he was at the wrong house. To my DH credit, he had given me a little over 8 hours notice, so I was expecting the delivery....late that afternoon. Go figure. When you want them early, they can't possibly do it; and when you want them late, they'll be there at the crack of dawn.

Now, seeing how much wood was being plopped onto our driveway, I really would have panicked if it had been the DH who placed the order. You know the kind. More is better. Yeah, that's him. Anyway, he had some help from our newly adopted son and good friend, (thank you, thank you, thank you) who helped him figure out how much wood we needed. Still, it looked like a TON of wood (no pun intended).

I ask you, my friends, does a pile of wood excite you? I mean does it give you that "high" you're looking for? Does it contain some sort of "manly booster" in it? What is it? I need to know! Seriously, its effect was immediate. It caused a surge of adrenaline. It caused excitement. It caused a flow of creativity. It was amazing. One problem. It was on the driveway and it was going to rain. And we're not talking little drizzly raindrops. We're talking big bucket sized, wood warping raindrops. Big problem.

Solution: Move wood from driveway to garage.

Question: "Is the garage big enough?"

Answer: "Of course."

Question: "Are you sure?"

Answer: "Have I ever lied to you?"

Answer: Blank dark stare.

Problem: It's 9:30 p.m.

Problem: It's still 350 degrees and humid outside.

Question: "Is it really suppose to rain?"

Answer: "Yes."

Problem: Move wood from driveway to garage.

Solution: Suck it up and move wood from driveway to garage. Must eat more Wheaties.

Problem: Wood is heavier than it looks (to me at least)

Solution: Carry less, make more trips.

Solution: The DH is still having an adrenaline rush. He can carry more.

Question: "Isn't this why you have sons?"

Answer: "Don't worry, you don't have to help."

Problem: Now you look like a weak and whiny female.

Solution: Just keep moving. Maybe you'll sweat off a few pounds.

Solution: Wood moved. It only took an hour and a half.

Problem: You are soaking wet (and not from rain) and haven't lost an ounce.

Question: "Hey, did you lose any weight?"

Answer: "Yeah, FOUR pounds."

Answer: Blank dark stare.

Solution: The smell of the wood in garage increases effect of wood on DH.

Problem: All the wood needs to be carried from garage into basement.

Question: "How are we going to get the wood into the basement?"

Answer: "Don't worry, you don't have to help."

Answer: Soaking wet, blank dark stare.

Solution: Re-think possibility of hiring it done.

Problem: The DH has his heart set on doing it.

Problem: He doesn't have all the equipment he needs in order to do the task.

Problem: Should never send DH to Lowes and Home Depot when on a "wood high".

Solution: More is better. Nail gun, nails, compressor....better than Christmas morning.

Problem: Wood must be moved from garage to basement.

Problem: Wife is weak and whiny. Refuses to eat Wheaties.

Solution: Re-think possibility of hiring it done.

Problem: Have tools. Can't part with tools. Better than Christmas.

Question: "Don't you think I can do it?"

Answer: Blank stare...."Of course, I have all the confidence in the world in you."

Problem: Have tools. Can't part with tools. Better than Christmas.

Problem: Have weak and whiny wife. Throws out box of Wheaties.

Problem: Still on "wood high". Wife is the Grinch. She steals Christmas and Wheaties.

Solution: Pay to have it done.

Solution: Done.

One problem from this phase of the project remains. The scrap wood and sawdust in the basement needs to be cleaned up. I don't know if I can handle a man so susceptible to wood.

28 Candles, 28 Memories

Today she is 28 years old. As I look back, it is hard to believe how fast time has gone. She was born two days early on a bright summer day in August. Having an August birthday meant she would start school when she was four and graduate at seventeen. Of course, I didn't think about any of those things at the time, I had years before I would have to worry about any of that. Little did I know how fast those years would pass. So in honor of her 28th birthday, I'd like to share 28 memories. Oh, the places she's been and the things she's done. It seems like before I knew it she was:

1. Rolling over, crawling, walking, and talking early. She seemed to do everything early.
2. Taking her first steps at 11 months old while we were vacationing at Island Park.
3. Attracting attention everywhere we went because of her big blue eyes and VERY blond hair.
4. Being called "Tweedy Bird" because of those big blue eyes, and showing her fun personality to everyone.
5. LOVING her yellow silky blanket.
6. Calling her blanket her "birdie". (We never did figure that one out)
7. Going to pre-school and becoming very independent.
8. Singing with her sister whenever and wherever she could. She could sing in front of an audience at 3 years old, and discovered the hairbrush microphone about the same time.
9. Starting Kindergarten at four years old and making it known right away that it was not at all too soon.
10. Loving everyone, and everyone loving her (friends and teachers alike).
11. Coming home crying because some mean boy made fun of those big blue eyes which she then tried to squint and make smaller. This brought out the mama lion in me. Good thing I didn't know who this mean little boy was.
12. Breaking her arm while playing on the sixth grade playground when she was only in the third grade, and then learning to write cursive with her left hand instead of her right.
13. Starting a new school in a new state when in the fifth grade, and making it a very easy transition.
14. Deciding to run for class president as the "new kid" at the school and surprising me by winning. I don't know why I was surprised. I showed up at the assembly so there would be at least one person clapping for her.
15. Getting mad at mom and dad because they said "Robyn likes to read" in the Christmas family newsletter. She thought it made her sound boring next to her sister who was dating and driving and doing all kinds of fun teenage things.
16. Proving that she is anything but boring by becoming involved in everything she could possibly become involved in. (Vocal music, Tall Flags Drill Team, academics, and friends, friends, and more friends)
17. Starting high school with a great group of young women who would nick name themselves T.R.A.K.S. (Tricia, Robyn, Amanda (Mandy), Katie, and Stephanie). They helped keep each other on track. What a blessing to have such good friends.
18. Acquiring the nickname "Tomatae" given to her by her Spanish teacher Mr. Garcia. She got this name because of how easily she turned red when he teased her. When he met me, he called me Mrs. "Tomatae".
19. Having fun in high school. Early morning seminary, basketball, cheer leading, vocal music, boys, and friends. All those things and enough homework to keep her up too late to want to get up the next morning, only to wake up at 5 a.m. and begin a new day. Miraculously, she was able to finish early morning seminary with perfect attendance.
20. Begging to be allowed to go to Sadie's when she was 15 because it "was not a date", and then getting the most terribly broken leg while jumping on a trampoline at the pre-dance dinner. Needless to say, she ended up not going to the dance. A terrible experience which would turn out to be quite a life-learning experience for both of us.
21. Determined to perform in PRISM to sing with her sister and friends. This meant numerous trips home during the night to change her clothes. We couldn't do it at the school because she had to lay flat and I had to remove her clothes very carefully to not hurt her leg. Nothing short of a miracle, we were able to find the humor in the situation and make it through the night.
22. Having her best friend Mandy break her leg too and ending up in casts up to their hips together. With Robyn crying, standing on crutches over her good friend on the hospital gurney, the doctor entered the room (the same doctor as Robyn) and said he had honestly never had something like this happen before. Michael still loves the fact that our two families were able to get into the opening night of Apollo 13 without having to stand in line with everyone else. We did get a lot of funny looks that night.
23. Winning a scholarship to be an exchange student in Japan for 6 weeks. Realizing there's a big world out there and she'd like to see it all.
24. Being accepted to BYU! Win a trip with roommates to Mazatlan, study abroad in the Dominican Republic. Continue the study of the Spanish language. Continue making life-long friends.
25. Deciding to go on a mission. Receiving a call to serve in FINLAND! Loving every minute of her frozen time there.
26. Returning home changed forever for the better.
27. Meeting the man of her dreams and marrying him in the right place and the right time.
28. Becoming a wife and a mother, and creating memories of her own.

Of course, if you read between the lines, there's so much more. She has done a lot in her short 28 years, But....Oh, the places she'll go! Her story has just begun. I'm just thankful to be her mom.

I love you Robyn! Happy 28th Birthday!!

Beautiful...Nauvoo

Destination: Nauvoo, Illinois

With a few simple entries, the Navi is set, and we're off! All is going quite well until we reach the city of Oquawka. Yes, there is a city by that name in Illinois. I think about fifty people live there, one of which works at the only gas station in town. We enter such gas station in search of a map, due to the fact that our navigation system has been taking us in circles for the past hour leading us by way of every road in the area back to the same road that is CLOSED! We inquire about a map and are told that the road is closed (like we didn't know...why do you think we're asking for a map!) and the truck that brings them their maps can't get there.

So we start back on our way with no map, no navi, and no idea where we are. Luckily we found the only map in town... As Mark Twain wrote: "The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skills can persuade it to do otherwise."

The Arrival

We arrived just minutes before the two bus loads of youth. After downing a slice of pizza, we were all free to explore the city. I think all of us discovered Annies Frozen Custard and The Fudge Shoppe. Annies Frozen Custard stayed open as long as people kept coming in. I think our group kept it open until midnight all three nights we were in town. We tried vanilla with strawberries, vanilla with raspberries, and vanilla with hot fudge. The last night there we had heard the flavor of the day was lemon and that we needed to try it with raspberries. By the time we made it to Annies the lemon was GONE! I'm still upset.

Which way to Carthage?

We followed the two bus loads as they made their way through the back roads to Carthage. Good thing we didn't try to get there on our own. If you ever want to try it, here's the directions: Take a left at the first corn field...a right at the next corn field...then go down the road a piece to another corn field...a few more twists and turns through some more...yes... corn fields that look amazingly the same as the last corn fields. When you see a clearing and a building, you have arrived at your destination next to yet another....corn field.

Carthage

Our visit to Carthage Jail would prove to be an emotional start to our trip. No description could tell what I felt there. Gratitude. Such an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the man who left the beautiful city of Nauvoo on June 24, 1844 with his loyal brother Hyrum to answer to charges against him for "riot." As this man, the Prophet Joseph Smith, glanced back at Nauvoo and the Mississippi River he said, "This is the lovliest place and the best people under the heavens, little do they know the trials that await them."

"Calm As A Summer's Morning"

"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter but I am calm as a summer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men. I shall die innocent, and it shall yet be said of me-he was murdered in cold blood."

These words became a reality. On June 27, 1844, the Prophet Joseph and his Brother Hyrum were martyred. Hearing the story again in the place where it happened was an experience I will always remember and will forever be grateful for this man, this prophet of God...Joseph Smith

"High Hopes and Riverboats"

This was a musical production performed by LDS missionaries depicting true stories from histories and journals of those who originally lived in Historic Nauvoo. My ears perked up when I heard "the whittlin and whistlin brigade". I've read stories about them in my own family history. This was a group of young men (yes, very young) who would intimidate suspicious characters who came into Nauvoo by taking out their pocket knives and whittlin sticks and begin whittling and whistling as they got closer and closer to the person of interest. I guess it was a very successful way of protecting their community without violence. Pretty cool to think our ancestors were part of this infamous group of young men. It sounds like something Grandpa R. would do, doesn't it?

The Nauvoo Visitors Center

The missionaries sang to us before we went in to see the movie "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration", and "Remembering Nauvoo".

Sunset by the Mississippi

Later in the evening, we watched a live show at the Pavilion on the River called "Sunset by the Mississippi. The performers included the young missionaries as well as the senior missionaries. It was great family entertainment! The senior missionaries stole the show!

The Temple

The temple sits prominently on a hill in the center of town. It is a near duplicate of the original temple exterior. Even the temple window glass, made in France and Germany, is the same type of glass made in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Everything done inside and outside the temple was duplicated as near as possible to the original temple.

The youth were able to perform baptisms for those who died without having the opportunity to embrace the Savior's gospel. It was great to see their enthusiasm to perform this act of service. What a blessing it is to know that we are able to give this opportunity of choice to accept this ordinance to our ancestors who didn't have the opportunity here on earth.

I felt like a temple worker for the day. It was great!

Historic Nauvoo

After the temple, we were free to walk around Historic Nauvoo where we were able to go inside some of the restored homes and shops along Main Street. We didn't have time to see it all, but we were able to see:

• How bricks are made (and got a souvenir brick)
• How a newspaper was done (very tedious, hard work)
• How they baked bread and cookies (tasted a ginger bread cookie)
• The house where John Taylor lived and the toy horse he went back, in disguise, to Nauvoo to get for his little child who was sad it had been left behind.
• How guns were made at the Browning house.
• The House where Joseph and Emma lived.
• The burial place of Emma, Joseph, and Hyrum.
• Parley Street where the saints walked down to the Mississippi River to cross and leave their beautiful Nauvoo behind.

The Pageant

Last but least, we attended the Nauvoo Pageant. With the words, "When you're here, we're here," an actor representing Parley P. Pratt welcomes audiences to the Nauvoo Pageant. The pageant depicts the settling of Nauvoo in the mid-1800's, and commemorates the building of the original Nauvoo Temple. It is a celebration!

At the end of the pageant when the lights are lit on the temple, and you hear the voice of President Hinckley saying how the Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple are built facing one another just like bookends with so much history in between, a hush comes over the audience in reverence and respect for those who left such a wonderful legacy for us.

When you visit Nauvoo, they are there!