So My Man asked me out. To a churrascaria. In Brazil.
I said yes.
See you next week!
See you next week!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Scandalous dinner conversation to follow
Little Prince: Guess what, Mom!That Girl: What, LP?
LP: Jasmyn was back at school from her vacation.
TG: Oh, good! I know you guys are friends.
LP: I sat next to her at lunch today.
TG: Cool.
LP: And guess what.
TG: What?
LP: She kissed me.
***My Man and I look at each other, not sure whether to laugh or cry. But before we could do either, LP continues ....
LP: Yup! Right here! (points to cheek)
TG: What did you do?!
LP: Um ... I had the hiccups.
***************************************
I'm sure she'll remember it forever.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
in which i bleed stars and stripes
i voted today
it feels good
it feels like i matter
it feels like i belong
it feels community-ish
it feels AMERICAN
because AMERICA is all about being good - feeling like you matter - belonging- community-ism - and most of all,
being opinionated
(really, it's like one big blog)
**Visit my pal Annie for endless wit and cleverness - even on the subject of voting**
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Moving mountains
This weekend was stake conference. Thousands of Latter-day Saints congregated in three different buildings to hear our local leaders - some via some pretty sweet WebCam technology. (Or something.)
Friday was the adult session. Baby-sitters were scarce (and we were lazy.) My Man won the toss-up and off he went, prepared to take scrupulous notes.
One of the stories he brought home touched me deeply.
The speaker: Mervyn B. Arnold of the Seventy. The time: his "younger years." The place: Mt. Timpanogos.
He and his wife had decided to hike this 11000 foot monstrosity.
They began.
As they huffed and puffed up the mountain, it got colder. They saw couples ahead of them turn around. "We'll come back when it's warmer," they said.
In many places, it was muddy and hard to find footing. More couples turned around. "We'll come back when the ground is more firm," they said.
The ascent became steeper. The climb harder. They stopped to rest, observing still more hikers on the trail headed home. "We'll come back when we're in better shape," they said.
Towards the top - so close, so agonizingly close - there was snow. In many places the freezing cold fluff was halfway up their shins, oozing down their boots to ice their tired feet. More people stopped. "We'll come back when there isn't any snow," they said.
The Arnolds were now alone. They looked at each other. They were tired. They were cold. But they had made a promise that they would climb to the top of Mt. Timp. Together. And they were going to keep their promise.
When they reached the summit - embracing and alone - they marveled at the view that God's hand alone could paint. They wept. And they vowed to each other, once more, that they would never stop climbing.
Each of us begins marriage with a promise. A promise to love each other forever.
But too many fall back when it gets hard. When jobs are lost. When beauty fades. When character traits annoy or honeymoon passion is lost. When others look more interesting or disagreements become too often. "It got too hard," they say. "I only agreed to the easy stuff."
I am so, so glad for a hiking companion who sticks by my side. Through mud and steep inclines, through snow and rough terrain.
We made a promise.
And we're sticking to it.
images here and here
Friday was the adult session. Baby-sitters were scarce (and we were lazy.) My Man won the toss-up and off he went, prepared to take scrupulous notes.
One of the stories he brought home touched me deeply.
The speaker: Mervyn B. Arnold of the Seventy. The time: his "younger years." The place: Mt. Timpanogos.
He and his wife had decided to hike this 11000 foot monstrosity.
They began.
As they huffed and puffed up the mountain, it got colder. They saw couples ahead of them turn around. "We'll come back when it's warmer," they said.In many places, it was muddy and hard to find footing. More couples turned around. "We'll come back when the ground is more firm," they said.
The ascent became steeper. The climb harder. They stopped to rest, observing still more hikers on the trail headed home. "We'll come back when we're in better shape," they said.
Towards the top - so close, so agonizingly close - there was snow. In many places the freezing cold fluff was halfway up their shins, oozing down their boots to ice their tired feet. More people stopped. "We'll come back when there isn't any snow," they said.
The Arnolds were now alone. They looked at each other. They were tired. They were cold. But they had made a promise that they would climb to the top of Mt. Timp. Together. And they were going to keep their promise.
When they reached the summit - embracing and alone - they marveled at the view that God's hand alone could paint. They wept. And they vowed to each other, once more, that they would never stop climbing.
Each of us begins marriage with a promise. A promise to love each other forever.
But too many fall back when it gets hard. When jobs are lost. When beauty fades. When character traits annoy or honeymoon passion is lost. When others look more interesting or disagreements become too often. "It got too hard," they say. "I only agreed to the easy stuff."I am so, so glad for a hiking companion who sticks by my side. Through mud and steep inclines, through snow and rough terrain.
We made a promise.
And we're sticking to it.
images here and here
For all the relatives (and anyone else who actually cares)
THE PUMPKINS:
Ouro Branco stuck his spoon in one time, declared pumpkins "yucky," and let me finish it. So sweet of him.
Mr. Squishy, however, laughed himself silly the whole time. And put pumpkin guts in his hair.
Little Prince was in his element, doing everything BY HIMSELF and telling everyone else how to be as proficient as he.
This may be the first picture EVER that they are all looking in the same direction AND smiling. (Thank you, Photo Shop. And don't look too closely. Blending is really hard.)
THE COSTUMES:
Oh my gosh I want to eat you up, Thomas. EAT YOU ALL UP AND ASK FOR SECONDS!
You're pretty tasty looking too, albeit fierce and disarming.
And oh! oh! the dragon! Even though you screamed your head off most of the time, I wanted to slurp you up with a straw. Possibly with a side of green olives, because I'm diggin' green olives lately.
What a great-lookin' crew. I'm especially proud of my made-in-two-minutes pirate getup. (There aren't too many maternity costumes out there ....)
Thank you and good night.
Ouro Branco stuck his spoon in one time, declared pumpkins "yucky," and let me finish it. So sweet of him.
Mr. Squishy, however, laughed himself silly the whole time. And put pumpkin guts in his hair.
Little Prince was in his element, doing everything BY HIMSELF and telling everyone else how to be as proficient as he.
This may be the first picture EVER that they are all looking in the same direction AND smiling. (Thank you, Photo Shop. And don't look too closely. Blending is really hard.)
THE COSTUMES:
Oh my gosh I want to eat you up, Thomas. EAT YOU ALL UP AND ASK FOR SECONDS!
You're pretty tasty looking too, albeit fierce and disarming.
And oh! oh! the dragon! Even though you screamed your head off most of the time, I wanted to slurp you up with a straw. Possibly with a side of green olives, because I'm diggin' green olives lately.
What a great-lookin' crew. I'm especially proud of my made-in-two-minutes pirate getup. (There aren't too many maternity costumes out there ....)
Thank you and good night.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Outed by my breath
There are several things I do when I think no one is looking.Make flirty faces in the mirror.
Dance.
Catch up on celebrity gossip.
Do crazy things to my hair.
Read Twilight.
Another one of my "down low" hobbies is eating chocolate. I'm a master at sneaking in nibbles on the sly.
Until.
Ouro Branco caught me chewing.
"Whatchoo eating Mom?"
(swallow) "Nothing."
"Open your mouth."
(quick teeth swipe) "Ahhhhhhhh."
"Come closer."
(I lean in.)
SNIFF!"Chocolate!"
Dang it.
Friday, October 23, 2009
"A best friend is a sister that destiny forgot to give you."
I talk about Brazil entirely too much on this 'ere website. It's true. I spend oodles of web space wallowing about friends I miss rather than expounding upon the wonderful friends that I have HERE. Part of this is due to the fact that a lot of my American friends read this blog. And it's somewhat embarrassing to rave publicly about your besties. I don't know why. I didn't make the rules.
I have no idea why I've been blessed with so many wonderful friends. Enough to bore you all to death. But today I will only pick one - I want to talk about my friend HARMONY.
(This is her REALLY REAL NAME. No funky acronyms today.)
Let's go back fifteen years ago to the suburbia of Detroit. I was a pretty nerdy teenager in desperate need of friendship. My prayers were answered in the form of another Mormon family moving in NEXT DOOR with SIX KIDS.
(Okay. That just doesn't happen in Michigan, for all you Utahns out there.)
Well, naturally I just about popped my zits with excitement. I made brownies and everything, and I think I raided our rose bush as well. (Hi Mom!)
I found my soul twin in HARMONY - she deserves all caps. I guess my name should have been MELODY. (Lame joke alert! Lame joke alert!)
HARMONY and I went through a lot together. Lots of crushes, mean girls, school troubles, lame-o parents, and stake dances. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, stake dances. We went on to college together. We saw each other change and mature and become who we were meant to be. We met our husbands and picked apart and discussed and overthought every little move til the wee hours every night. We got married. We have helped each other deal with sick loved ones, wayward loved ones ... and lack of loved ones.
Sprawled on a double bed, legs dangling off and balancing one arm in the air just for fun, we have grown up together.
Sometimes it's a rough road.
And the hardest, longest bump - so far - is finally over.
After years of faith-testing childlessness and countless tears, HARMONY finally has a beautiful baby girl. Read about her incredible journey here.
It is amazing to me that because I love HARMONY better than I love myself, I feel as if I'M the one who finally has little Megan in my arms. I shouted and danced three times for every tear I've shed for Megan's absence - and that's saying a lot.
Because that's what being a friend is all about. Laughing together. Crying together. Sharing every joy.
(Harms? Here's your happy note. I am so, so happy for you, beb.)
I have no idea why I've been blessed with so many wonderful friends. Enough to bore you all to death. But today I will only pick one - I want to talk about my friend HARMONY.(This is her REALLY REAL NAME. No funky acronyms today.)
Let's go back fifteen years ago to the suburbia of Detroit. I was a pretty nerdy teenager in desperate need of friendship. My prayers were answered in the form of another Mormon family moving in NEXT DOOR with SIX KIDS.
(Okay. That just doesn't happen in Michigan, for all you Utahns out there.)
Well, naturally I just about popped my zits with excitement. I made brownies and everything, and I think I raided our rose bush as well. (Hi Mom!)
I found my soul twin in HARMONY - she deserves all caps. I guess my name should have been MELODY. (Lame joke alert! Lame joke alert!)
HARMONY and I went through a lot together. Lots of crushes, mean girls, school troubles, lame-o parents, and stake dances. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, stake dances. We went on to college together. We saw each other change and mature and become who we were meant to be. We met our husbands and picked apart and discussed and overthought every little move til the wee hours every night. We got married. We have helped each other deal with sick loved ones, wayward loved ones ... and lack of loved ones.
Sprawled on a double bed, legs dangling off and balancing one arm in the air just for fun, we have grown up together.
Sometimes it's a rough road.
And the hardest, longest bump - so far - is finally over.
After years of faith-testing childlessness and countless tears, HARMONY finally has a beautiful baby girl. Read about her incredible journey here.
It is amazing to me that because I love HARMONY better than I love myself, I feel as if I'M the one who finally has little Megan in my arms. I shouted and danced three times for every tear I've shed for Megan's absence - and that's saying a lot.
Because that's what being a friend is all about. Laughing together. Crying together. Sharing every joy.
(Harms? Here's your happy note. I am so, so happy for you, beb.)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Where do I apply for being a Dad?
It sounds pretty cush.If you're standing right next to the sink, The Kids blow right past you, going to the other end of the house to ask MOM for a drink.
If you want to take a shower, The Kids let you take a shower.
If The Kids get hurt, they scream for MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
If you get sick, you get to wallow in bed. MOM's there to let you. Whereas if MOM gets sick, DAD goes to work like every other day.
If The Kids want help wiping a poopy butt, they request MOM.
MOM is the preferential meat-cutter.
MOM is the first and foremost fight-breaker-upper.
MOM is the book reader.
MOM is the tooth brusher.
DAD just gets to play.
....
But then, when The Kids want to cuddle? Who do they go to?
M
O
M
Monday, October 19, 2009
Our fall "break" that wasn't a break at all
So were SUPPOSED to go visit my dear friend Kim in California, but her kid had the gall to come down with Fifth Disease last weekend. Apparently it's fatal to pregnant women and their fetuses. The nerve.
Instead I was faced with a full week of school-less, energetic kids. I did what any other sane mother would do. I overbooked.
Monday: First exercise class (it takes up half the morning!) and then off to Home Depot. Not only do they have CAR CARTS, but they are already decorated for Christmas. We spent a full twenty minutes staring at Santa Claus in an airplane. Then we got all the boards and doo-dads and gadgets needed to fix up Little Prince's bed, curtains, and shelves. The afternoon was spent externally sweating and internally cursing those three items.
He was pleased with the result, however.
We decided to decorate with original artwork, since the frames' previous contents were deemed "dumb." Obviously, our homemade skills are anything but.
Tuesday was ZOO DAY! We'd heard some incredible things about the Phoenix zoo, and were, therefore, pumped. We invited some friends to go with us, but they promptly got sick upon arrival. People must be really desperate to avoid us.
(I put my kids in matching shirts, Daddy's cell phone scrawled on their arms in permanent marker, and lectured so thoroughly on stranger danger that I probably scarred them for life. Anyone else paranoid in packed, public places?)
By far their favorite thing about the zoo was the splash park. Bathing suits? Who needs 'em.
I had visions of framing this giant oyster shot with the words "My Pearls" beautifully calligraphied on top. But My Pearls weren't having it.
Wednesday: After exercise class (it takes up half the morning!), we headed off to the temple. The kids love the Big Jesus Statue, although they promptly hid as soon as I pulled out the camera.
Afterrunning walking reverently around the visitors center and pushing all the tour guide buttons reverently asking questions of gospel significance and trying to jump in the fountain contemplating their lives on the temple grounds, it was off to visit Daddy at work! They think he takes care of the fish tank all day. PLUS he has a candy dish. They all want Daddy's job when they grow big.
Wednesday night was spent in the emergency room. Ouro Branco shoved beads up his nose. I giggled the whole time, except for the part that they strapped him down and shoved long scary instruments up his nose. Then I cried. But mostly I giggled. Really. Isn't having beads shoved up a kid's nose some kind of official initiation into the Mommy's Club? I've survived hazing.
Thursday, our plans for a picnic in the park went out the window when Little Prince developed a fever and a headache.
Friday, our plans for the science museum went out the window when it was confirmed that Little Prince had influenza. (Not the piggy kind - just the regular, home grown I WANT TO DIE kind.)
Saturday, our plans for dinner with friends went out the window due to said influenza and a badly planned midterm for said friend. Homework stinks.
Sunday, plans for making plans this week at church went out the window due to (again) said influenza.
Today, any plans for finally feeling good about the second trimester got FORCEFULLY BOOTED OUT THE WINDOW when I got influenza, too.
Happy fall break.
Instead I was faced with a full week of school-less, energetic kids. I did what any other sane mother would do. I overbooked.
Monday: First exercise class (it takes up half the morning!) and then off to Home Depot. Not only do they have CAR CARTS, but they are already decorated for Christmas. We spent a full twenty minutes staring at Santa Claus in an airplane. Then we got all the boards and doo-dads and gadgets needed to fix up Little Prince's bed, curtains, and shelves. The afternoon was spent externally sweating and internally cursing those three items.
He was pleased with the result, however.
We decided to decorate with original artwork, since the frames' previous contents were deemed "dumb." Obviously, our homemade skills are anything but.
Tuesday was ZOO DAY! We'd heard some incredible things about the Phoenix zoo, and were, therefore, pumped. We invited some friends to go with us, but they promptly got sick upon arrival. People must be really desperate to avoid us.
(I put my kids in matching shirts, Daddy's cell phone scrawled on their arms in permanent marker, and lectured so thoroughly on stranger danger that I probably scarred them for life. Anyone else paranoid in packed, public places?)
By far their favorite thing about the zoo was the splash park. Bathing suits? Who needs 'em.
I had visions of framing this giant oyster shot with the words "My Pearls" beautifully calligraphied on top. But My Pearls weren't having it.
Wednesday: After exercise class (it takes up half the morning!), we headed off to the temple. The kids love the Big Jesus Statue, although they promptly hid as soon as I pulled out the camera.
After
Wednesday night was spent in the emergency room. Ouro Branco shoved beads up his nose. I giggled the whole time, except for the part that they strapped him down and shoved long scary instruments up his nose. Then I cried. But mostly I giggled. Really. Isn't having beads shoved up a kid's nose some kind of official initiation into the Mommy's Club? I've survived hazing.Thursday, our plans for a picnic in the park went out the window when Little Prince developed a fever and a headache.
Friday, our plans for the science museum went out the window when it was confirmed that Little Prince had influenza. (Not the piggy kind - just the regular, home grown I WANT TO DIE kind.)
Saturday, our plans for dinner with friends went out the window due to said influenza and a badly planned midterm for said friend. Homework stinks.
Sunday, plans for making plans this week at church went out the window due to (again) said influenza.
Today, any plans for finally feeling good about the second trimester got FORCEFULLY BOOTED OUT THE WINDOW when I got influenza, too.
Happy fall break.
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