Friendship

FRIENDSHIP (Noun)
Definition: The condition of being friends
Synonyms: chummies, closeness, companionship, comradeship, familiarity, fellowship, intimacy.

PRICELESS (Adjective)
Definition: Having a value beyond all price
Synonyms: precious, invaluable, inestimable

There is something so amazing about having girlfriends. You guys make me laugh hysterically and cry at the same time! It has been so fun to get to know all of you, talk to you, and share life experiences with you. You girls teach me so much about life; you help me to understand and appreciate the differences in other people. You teach me how to be a better wife and mother. You share your recipes and your stories and take me shopping with you. You even get books from the library for me and so so so so so much more. And nobody can squeeze secrets out of me between 0400-0600 better than you guys can.

I'm sure that by now you all know that things have been really rough over in my neck of the woods. I want to thank each and every one of you who has shown such kindness towards me over the last little while, and you all know who you are. Even in the midst of your own lives with your families and your own set of problems, you take time out to inquire about me, call me, and even give me some tough love. You will never know how much your friendships mean to me. You guys truly make me feel like everything is going to be OK even while facing the biggest demons I have ever known. Even though this set of trials in my life isn't anywhere near over, please know that I am not just putting on a happy face but that I am genuinely happy to be around you and feel privileged that we can share our lives with each other. I love all of you!!

"Get not your friends by bare compliments, but by giving them sensible tolkens of your love." -Socrates

I'm It!

I have finally been tagged by my friend Erika. I am supposed to share 7 things that nobody knows about me, but I think it will be a combination of 7 things nobody knows OR believes about me. I'm really not that interesting, and actually quite boring, but I will do my best.

1. I AM SHY!!! Nobody around me seems to believe this, but it's true!! People say, "you can't be shy because you have a loud voice!" Well, people, I am the shyest loudest person I know. I will not speak to someone I don't know first, they have to speak to ME first. All of you think back to when we first met; who made the first move? Chances are, it wasn't me!!! Sometimes at work, I am traumatized to meet my patients, and as a charge nurse it's really hard for me to go round on the patients on the floor. I spend a lot of time emotionally preparing for these experiences.

2. I am the worst public speaker I know. When I get up in front of people, I get extremely anxious and physically sick. My voice totally changes into the voice of someone I don't even know, and it's shaky like Lambert the Sheepish Lion. If I have to say a prayer in Sacrament Meeting or something, I actually write it down on a piece of paper and hide it in my hand to read it because I get so nervous that I just blank. FORGET about me giving a lesson or sharing a comment in class. Before board report at work, there are times where I have to take a time-out in the utility closet to prepare myself emotionally. I must rehearse board check-out 1000 times before 0700, especially if someone intimidating is coming in to listen to me. Really, it's not my favorite and it's the worst part about being a charge nurse.

3. I prefer salt over sweet. My favorite foods are Doritos, mashed potatoes, french fries, and salted buttered popcorn. Gee, I wonder if it's because I wasn't allowed to eat those things when I was little (all except for the mashed pots). TRIGGER FOODS!! Seriously, if there's a bowl of chips and a plate of cookies or cake next to it, I will go for the chips everytime. Not that I won't go for a great chocolate cake or some ice cream, but if chips are involved there is no competition. Needless to say, I LOVE going to the movies and getting a huge bucket o' popcorn and a jinormous Diet Coke, even if it's after stuffing myself at Olive Garden!! Oh, and I love going to Target and getting their $1 drink/popcorn special.

4. I am obsessed with real estate. Every morning before the kids get up, I study the Utah MLS. Chances are, if there's a house for sale in the valley, I have seen it, know exactly where it is, and know how much it costs. I want to go get my Real Estate license just so that I can gain access to more information.

5. I am a true entrepreneur at heart. Everyday I think up new businesses that I want to start for myself and other people. I have a lot of great ideas, just no $ or time to start anything right now. But I guarantee in the future, I will have my own business. I am thankful that my friend, Matti is finally listening to me and might start her own business selling her famous toffee. Maybe all my ideas aren't such a waste, after all.

6. I am totally cheap. I buy everything on sale. But when you're shopping cheap it doesn't mean that you have to resort to buying T-shirts with kittens on them or shop at the DI. You can still get totally cute things at places like Dillard's and Macy's (when they have their sales and you find coupons in the paper). Also, places like Ross and TJ Maxx have cute name-brand stuff; you just have to be patient and saavy enough to sift through all the rubbish to find those items. Target always has cute clothes for cheap on their clearance rack. I buy all of my daughters clothing from Justice, which is a very expensive store for little girls. However, I wait until they have their clearance; I am the first one there, and I save my 20% coupon off in addition to the Justice bucks that I save. I clip coupons and search the grocery store ads for the best deals in town. After years of price comparisons and spy shopping, I know what practically every item at every grocery store costs. And I won't buy something in bulk at Costco if I can get a better deal on it at a regular grocery store. I take it as a personal insult to buy something at full price. By the way, Smith's has 8 boxes of ceral for $8this week!! Go get 'em!!

7. Last but not least, I just love to have fun. I love spending time with my kids and friends; I am always trying to plan the next party or get together. I can't tell you how many times I have been in trouble at work for being "extra-spirited." I guess it could be worse; I could be an old grump and be mean to everybody. It just all depends on how you look at things!! Being nice and fun isn't so bad after all.

Well, that's it. I hope most of you aren't using Kleenex to wipe the tears of boredome away. Now I get to tag 7 people...

Corinne, Hillary, Adrianne, Sandie, Tonii, Matti, Erin

22 of ME!

HowManyOfMe.com

There are 22 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

I thought I would have a lot more people in the US share my name. I don't like common names, and I guess when I set out to give my kids original names that nobody else had, I totally succeeded. 4 of them are the only ones in the US with that name; Adam has 15 with his name in the US. Not too shabby, huh! Go on, try it...it's fun!!

Halloween.....in April?!?!?!?!?

Please don't have a stroke just yet anybody; I know it's a wee bit early to be thinking about my favorite time of year already, but just cut me some slack for a minute. I'm not exactly having the best night of my life. I am sitting here, right this very second, trying not to melt down and become the byproduct (aka poop) of some severe challenges that my family and I are facing right now. In order avoid being transformed into Bantha Fodder, I believe that if I force myself to think of something that makes me happy and excited about life besides my kids and food (which I obviously love dearly), I might actually put a smile on my face, which would be so welcome right now. After about 0.2758 seconds of deliberation, I determined that the "thing," has to be.....(drum roll please)......HALLOWEEN!!!!! Of course!!!!! For all who know me (and for all the blog stalkers who don't), you are all fully aware of how much I adore Halloween. My kids and I just love to decorate the whole house, inside and out. The kids just go crazy over all the decorations; it really puts them in the mood to go trick-or-treating when the magical day finally arrives! I just love my spooky mantle, especially at night when all the lights are off in the house!!

OH, how I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Creepy Cloth!!

I really hope that my kids will always remember what a fun time of year Halloween is in our family and hope they will cherish all the memories we create and the time we spend together every year to make it fun!!
I GUARANTEE that there is no other porch like this in the neighborhood; I'm lucky if my neighbors even put out a pumpkin or two. The other side of my porch contains a Halloween tree and a graveyard, but I couldn't get the picture to post for some reason. My porch lights up like a nuclear bomb on my street. You can't miss it!


There!! I've succeeded. That made me smile...a lot! There's nothing quite like Halloween...in April or October! By the way Sandie and Mom, you guys have the best birthdays in the whole world!!

Chocolate Cake Addendum

I forgot to add that you should wash down your chocolate cake with a nice, cold, jinormously humungous DC to cancel out all of the calories in your chocolate cake. Enjoy

Best Medicine

You know the drill. Can't sleep; anxious; worried about everything that matters and everything that doesn't. Your head hurts, you feel depressed and sad and wonder how in the world you're going to get through all of your challenges...alive. You think about exercising....but realize you wouldn't want to do anything stupid in such a time of crisis. You try to watch TV, but the only thing on is a new episode of Women Behind Bars...not exactly inspirational material for this kind of mood. Then you realize that you have Betty Crocker on your side; she's right there, waiting for you inside your pantry. Even though it's late and the kids are all tucked away in bed, you decide that Betty is the only one who can make you feel better, right here, right now. You make a delicious chocolate cake for yourself all smothered in chocolate frosting. Why the heck not? We spend all day, everyday, taking care of other people and forget that we exist until after 10:30 pm. So...at this late hour, the only time I ever get just to myself, I am going to enjoy the cake I made just for me. MMMMMMM....DELISH!! It's amazing how chocolate can wipe away life's worries, and even if it's only for a few minutes, it's well worth it!!

Cheater Chicken Pot Pie

I use this when I am particularly desperate; it truly doesn't take much effort to fling this together.

2 cans cream of chicken soup (may add 1/2 cup milk to thin if desired)

1 bag frozen peas & carrots

1 cup frozen cubed hashbrowns

2 breasts chicken, already cooked and shredded OR 1 can chicken (drained)

OPTIONAL: sprinkle of diced onion (I use frozen from Walmart)

miniature croissants (I get mine from Costco)

Mix cream of chicken with wire wisk, then add all ingredients (except croissants)

Cook on medium until veggies and potatoes are cooked all the way through, stirring frequently

When you're ready to serve, slice your croissants open and serve mixture on top.

It tastes supreme!! ENJOY!!

Hooray for Spaghetti!!

I love spaghetti; not only because it is the most convenient default meal ever created by woman, but it looks really good when kids smear it all over their faces, clothes, and surroundings.
Lucky for moms that it also has a special, secret ingredient that makes babies fall asleep in their high chairs after they are done smearing it all over. How awesome is that?!?!?!

Peek-A-Boo!

The other day Andrew was outside hanging our new shutters, and we could see him through the living room windows. Ava got really excited seeing Daddy through the window, and I couldn't resist putting her right up there so she could watch Daddy.
Andrew would play peek-a-boo with her, and everytime he ducked away, she would burst out into the most pitiful tears. Then she would see him and start laughing, then cry again when he popped out of sight. It was hysterical!!

My Little Angel

Sherstin got baptized Saturday, April 12th. It was a really special experience; most of our family and many friends came to support her. It's hard to believe that she is old enough to get baptized; it seems like only yesterday when we brought her home from the hospital. It's true what my parents used to tell me: time flies and before you know it, your kids fly the coop. When I was little I was excited to fly the coop, but I'm not so excited about my kids someday growing up and leaving to take their own paths. I hope I can slow my life down enough that I will be able to enjoy and cherish every moment I have with her and the other kids. Here is Sherstin right before leaving for the church. Doesn't she look like an angel?

Sherstin shared her baptism day with 2 of her closest friends, Claire and Riley.
Sherstin wasn't too happy about being baptised in "pants." At least she didn't have to wear it all day!! I am so proud of Sherstin for making the right choice. This was an experience that I will always remember and never forget.

"Mom, I'm girl-trapped again!!"

Adam is my only boy. Yep, he is surrounded by beautiful girls, in the form of 4 sisters. It must be hard being "girl-trapped," as he frequently reminds me. But Adam always makes the most of being a lone man in the Garden of Eden. Adam LOVES to play. You can always see him playing Star Wars, Transformers, or any game he can possibly make up at the moment. Adam loves any food that is bad for him; he loves candy, cake, pop, ice cream, chips, and buttered popcorn. No matter where I hide any of this stuff (mainly for holidays), he finds it and raids my supply, just like his dad! Everyday he asks me if we can go to Target for the $1 popcorn and drink special. That is like the ultimate treat for him and he will go to greath lengths to earn a trip to the popcorn counter!!
Adam LOVES science. He loves learning about the Planets, Outer Space, and the Solar system. But his true passion is natural disasters and bad weather. He spends hours learning about Hurricanes, Tornados, Earthquakes, Volcanos, and Tsunamis in books and on the internet. Every day I am barraged with questions about natural disasters, and we must discuss them at length. Each day he has a new favorite natural disaster, and he demands to know which one is my favorite (as if everybody has a favorite!!). As of late, he is obsessed with emergency prepardeness and fire safety. He carries around his emergency backpack around the house diligently, and places it by the side of his bed each night, "just in case." He taught a lesson to the family on Monday night about being prepared for emergencies and laid out our fire escape plan.
Adam is such a goofball; he is definitely the class clown, so his teachers frequently report. I am so surprised to hear that!! What a kid; I just love his guts!!
Adam LOVES his cousins! James is only 2 1/2 months younger than him, and they are very close. When those two are together...watch out and remove all valuable and breakable items.
Adam is always quizzing me on ways he can grow up to be a good husband and father and wants to "grow up to be a gentleman." He knows the best way to do this is by treating the women in his life (his sisters and mom) with respect. He adores his twin sister Addie, even though at times they can fight like cats and dogs. But he loves to hear that he and Addie are special twins. He also loves the fact that he is 50 seconds older than her and rubs it in frequently. Adam also has a special bond with his baby sister, Ava. He loves her so much! During the pregnancy, he would talk to my stomach incessantly and call her his little "cutie." He would draw her pictures and place them on my tummy for "her to enjoy because she must be bored in there." He is so excited about his role as big brother to her and has devised a thousand ways he can protect her from everything from robbers to earthquakes. Adam is very tender-hearted and always wants to make sure that those around him are having a good time.

Oh how delish!

Can I just say one thing....CINNAMON BUN THIGHS!! SOOO yummy...I wish they were as cute on a certain 37 year old that I know!!

Addie's scar now

Addendum: this is what Addie's scar looks like after the stitches have been taken out. It looks a lot better, and hopefully we can keep it protected from the sun so it doesn't worsen over the next year.

Sherstin turns 8!

Every person in our family gets breakfast in bed on their birthday. Sherstin was excited about this and planned it for months! She wants the same thing each birthday; smiley face pancakes, bacon, and juice in a fancy glass with balloons attached to the tray. She just loves it and looks forward to that every year!!
Sherstin hit a major milestone when she turned 8 this year. She was finally old enough to get her ears pierced! She was so brave while she endured the procedure. So fun!
Sherstin designed her birthday cake months ago. She wanted a chocolate cake with pink frosting and lots of decorations on top. Hope this is exactly what she wanted!
Sherstin got the toy she had been hoping for; the Sharpay golf-cart with Sharpay herself from High School Musical. It was such a fun day!

My Little Posh Spices

It has taken me a year, but I finally convinced my oldest 2 to get their hair cut short!! Their long hair was pretty and I loved it, but they had had long hair for about 5 years and they finally realized that it was time for a change!! They really like the new "Posh Spice" look, or "POB" as it is now called. Before...


...After!! Aren't they the cutest little spices? I love them so much!!