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The New (and Mighty) Chief Cultural Enforcement Officer

At work, I recently undertook a new assignment. I'm now officially in charge of what my department calls "Cultural Enforcement." As Chief Cultural Enforcement Officer (or the CCEO), I'm responsible for keeping our mini fridge and one shelf of our book shelves stocked with snacks, arranging birthday lunches, getting our department out to see movies, and maintaining the morale of the Epicenter (or Marketing Department). Today, I sent out my first official edict. I present it forthwith for the purpose of general merriment :).

Herein an extremely official edict from the Commanding Epicenter Epicurean, President of the Let's-Get-This-Party-Started Committee, and the Chief Cultural Enforcement Officer, His Majesty Neal Ethan Ignatio Maximus Jenks Esq. the Third (Hereafter the "CCEO"):

Declaration 1

Whereas citizens of the Epicenter have duly and dutifully applied their noses to the proverbial grindstone upon various and sundry occasions, and whereas the entire company revolves around the activities of said Epicenter, all citizens are to quit forthwith any and all workaholic tendencies and surrender to the might and whims of the CCEO upon demand, whether such demands involve anniversary of birth commencement ceremonies (Hereafter "birthday lunch(es)"), participation in digital surround sound cinema display experiences, paying homage to both past and current Rock luminaries via Rock Band Video Game participation, and/or general boogeying and getting-down-with-one's-bad-self activities.

Declaration 2

All citizens shall immediately submit requests for the purchasing of rations from the Costco wholesale food club and tasty sample attainment facility. Current records indicate the following requests already received as:

• Dill pickles


• Trail Mix

Any requests not received by or before 5:00p of the 21st day of November, 2008, are subject to immediate dismissal and great amounts of ridicule. Furthermore, any requests received by or before the aforementioned time and date are STILL subject to immediate dismissal and great amounts of ridicule based on the Judgement of General Yumminess Standards of the CCEO.

 

Declaration 3

All citizens shall immediately submit the most appropriate day and time for their birthday lunch ceremonies. Failure to comply with Declaration 3 will result in immediate subjugation of all non-compliance citizens to removal of one (1) Man Card.

Declaration 4

All citizens shall immediately, or as the thought or thoughts occur to them, submit ideas for Cultural Enforcement activities to the CCEO. Failure to comply to Declaration 4 will result in incessant whining and intermittent falsified flatulence from the CCEO.

Signed,

His Majesty Neal Ethan Ignatio Maximus Jenks Esq. the Third (That's MR. JENKS to you, bub)

Commanding Epicenter Epicurean

President of the Let's-Get-This-Party-Started Committee

Chief Cultural Enforcement Officer

(for real)

Neal's Halloween Costume

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure (or pain), here is this year's Halloween Costume. Also, for those of you who aren't as obsessively nerdy a follower of the Muppets as I am, I'm Pepe the Prawn. Yes, it did take a long time and a good amount of money to make. No, I haven't looked into therapy (yet).

When Jesus Comes Again

Joseph had his friend, Kayden, over for lunch today. As they were eating, Kayden started telling me about a little boy he had seen on TV that was sick and had to go to the hospital. I asked him how that made him feel and he said...."I felt sad to see that boy so sick, but Jesus can make him better."

Me: "That's right he can."
Kayden: "When Jesus comes again it will be wonderful, but we will have to move our cars probably."
Me: "That's true, we might have to."
Kayden: "Jesus has power over death."
Me: Yes he does, isn't that wonderful? What will you tell Jesus when he comes again?"
Kayden: "I will tell him I love him and give him a hug."
Me: I will tell him I love him too....Joseph what would you say?"
Joseph: "Well, he would probably be hungry so I would give him some food."
Kayden: "Yeah, he might want some fruit."
Joseph: "And I would thank him for being the Saviour of God."
Me: "I think I will do that too."

What a sweet experience that little conversation was for me! To tell you the truth, I hadn't even thought about Jesus today, but those two little boys helped me remember him. It was a brief, but precious gift.

I hope in the next 2 months, and not JUST at Christmastime, I will remember the Saviour and what he has done for me. Thank you Kayden & Joseph for sharing your sweet faith & testimony with me today!

Grumps

I'm grumpy because I have a double chin :)

A few days ago I was quite grumpy. I started the day off alright, but then as the day wore on I just started feeling sooooo grumpy. It didn't help that the thyroid medication I'm taking makes me feel so hot....so by 4pm I was hot AND burning with anger inside. I could not figure out why I was feeling so bad...but finally decided it had to do with the stress's of life... AND I had been reading a blog of a woman who is perfect. So, I think that's what was bugging me. Too much perfection from someone else, and I was jealous...and prideful. And I just let it bug me that I wasn't like that.

So I called my sister in law, Darci. She is this amazing, calm, spiritual steady girl who listened to me complain. I hardly let her talk at all. Ijust complained and expressed my grumpiness and she listened. It was exactly what I needed and it made me feel better. And then the next day she sent me this email. I loved it so much I had to share it.

Hey Shannon,
I'm sorry you had a grumpy day. Yesterday was a doozie for me. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, at 5:30am. Grrr. I laid on the couch and tossed and turned trying not to wake anyone else. I remembered something from the Ensign I read Sunday. I hope this makes you laugh. On page 56 of the October issue is a statement about being happy. Here goes: "Learn how to act better than you feel. Some might ask, isn't that hypocritical? Certainly not. You might not be able to choose how you feel, but you can choose how you act." So I thought to myself that I'd better at least look happier, even if I wasn't. So I pasted on a fake smile for myself to practice. I imagine that I looked like one of those little troll dolls, unkempt hair, big plastic smile and kind of creepy. But next time, it can only improve. The kids figured out pretty quick that I was having a bad day. Nora even said, "Man, you're cranky today!" It's a good thing she can keep me in line when I forget my plastic smile.

Anyway, that woman you were talking about. Oh, she can have her shinning moment. But some day she will be the one who is crying. We all take our turn. Plus, who's to say her hair, kids and pie always turn out perfect. She can post just the best of days and look like a barbie mom. Wasn' it the great Nacho Libre that said, "Forget about it".

Maybe you have more burdens than you're giving yourself credit for my dear. I think 4 came up in conversation and I can think of 2 more big ones. So here is a quote about that: " It may not come quickly, but there is purpose in the time it takes...You will indeed find that 'his angels have charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up' (Matthew 4:6)... Cherish your spiritual burdens because God will converse with you through them and will use you to do his work if you will carry them well." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in "The Inconvenient Messiah" It makes me feel good every time I read that. Well, enough yapping, I gotta go do paperwork. I'd better get a big ole smile ready for that one.
Love ya, Darc

Thank you Darci for being a sweet friend and sister, and mostly for helping me through my grumpy day. I love you!

P.S. I do not hate the lady in the blog anymore.

No longer a cat lover

i hate these DAMN cats



they just tore up some carpet in my bedroom.

Mother.....what Mother?

I have finally figured out how to be
a mother to Olivia.

Stay out of her way and let her
do what she wants!

Blanket Update

Joseph and the lost blanket


Joseph has been doing really well with his new baby blankets. I
on the other hand have been quite emotional!

Childhood passes so quickly...losing a baby blanket is
just the beginning of changes to come.

Brownies for breakfast & The lost blanket

This is what we had for breakfast today.

The kids were thrilled. It made Monday morning a
little more exciting. But then.....

After breaking the terrible news about his baby blanket....

Absolute despair.

A new blanket to make it all better....

Around 3:00 today Joseph asked if I knew where his blue
blanket was....he wanted to be a super hero and
needed to tie the blanket around his neck.

We had gone to This is the Place State Park this weekend.
As usual, we took the kids baby blankets. But, this time we didn't
bring Joseph's blanket home. I realized we didn't have it last night and
was waiting for the moment Joseph realized it too.

I had to break the bad news to my boy that I'd lost his blanket.
He called Neal crying hysterically and telling him it was my
fault his blanket was lost. Guilt. A lot of guilt because I was the one
who brought it for him....and I'm the one who is always telling
him he can't bring it because it will get lost!

I finally convinced Joseph to come to Target with me to
find a new baby blanket. He wasn't going to let me
escape this mistake easily. He found 2 blankets he
liked, AND 1 for Olivia. I was surprised that he found 1 let alone
2 that he liked, so I wasn't about to argue.

Maybe I have indulged my kids a little too much today.......

Nah.

Olivia's Hard Day

Olivia had a really hard day yesterday.

It started out okay. We took Joseph to school. We came home and watched "Between the Lions," which is her favorite TV show on PBS kids. She played well with her little friend Eve. But when it was time to pick Joseph up from school, our day suddenly got interesting.

When we got to the parking lot of Joseph's school Olivia said:

"Mom, I don't want Joseph to be my brother anymore."

Me: "What? Why not?"

Olivia: "Cause. It's okay if Joseph gets lost today."

Me (now completely shocked): But, don't you love Joseph?

Olivia: "NO."

Me: "Well, I love him. Don't you want him to be part of our family"?

Olivia: "Fine."

I realized she must be getting used to having alone time with me at last and doesn't want Joseph coming in messing with her "mommy time."

I sent both kids downstairs to play while I made lunch. All I heard was:

Joseph: "Stop it Olivia, that hurts. Hey, that was my toy. Don't! I am

playing right here." And on and on and on.

Until I heard:

Olivia: "Mommy, I'm poopy."

I ran to Olivia who was standing in the middle of the family room with poop running down her pants onto her feet. The site of poop and getting all messy and stinky made Olivia scream bloody murder. I stood there for a moment trying to decide what to do. I could try and clean her up right there or try and get her to a bathtub upstairs. I decided to take my chances, picked her up and rain upstairs as fast as I could. Lucky for me, I didn't spread the mess....until we got to the bathroom. Taking her clothes off was no easy feat and she ended up covered in poop. (anyone grossed out yet?)

I cleaned her up as well as I could with wipes and then stuck her in the tub and doused her with water. It was rinse and repeat for about 5 minutes. Finally I got her cleaned off and then had to make her wait while I cleaned the tub so she could take a "real" bath. As the tub was filling up, I was thinking how lucky I was to have missed making a bigger mess going up the stairs.

Then Joseph came in the bathroom. "Mom, there is poop on the stairs."

Sigh.

I put Joseph in charge of Olivia while I ran downstairs to inspect the damage. What a mess. Poop everywhere. (I did rent a steam cleaner today:) Just when I thought things were calming down, I heard Olivia wailing her head off upstairs. I ran back upstairs and found out that Olivia had been jumping in the tub, (at Joseph's encouragement) fallen, and hit her head. So, to say the

least, washing her hair was quite a challenge.

To make a very long day seem shorter, I will tell you the rest of the day was just the same. Lots of crying, a lot of hurts, some macaroni up Olivia's nose, but a lot of funny moments. Surprisingly, I had a good sense of humor about it all.

I couldn't help but laugh my head off when Olivia finally calmed down, came and sat on my lap and said, "Mom, I need to put some SUN SCREAM on your face." So cute.

I think most days as a mom are like this. But this one seemed to stick out more than the rest. Maybe it's because all the great moms out there, who are great examples (& whose blogs I stalk) are finally wearing off on me. You are all great examples and wonderful mothers!!!

Now, if I can get Olivia to sleep in her own bed tonight, life would be almost perfect!!!!

Joseph's 1st Day of Kindergarten

It's finally here! The day I dreaded all summer finally came.
Neal and I did everything we could think of to get him ready...
including a Family Home Evening lesson on stranger danger
that scared Joseph half to death. My biggest concerns are not
that he will be safe in school, but wondering if we prepared him
enough to be out in the big world. I've always heard that what
you teach your kids before the age of 5 is what will stick with them.
I really hope we taught Joseph well....there's no turning back now!

So far Joseph loves school. After asking him about what
he likes the most, he enthusiastically replied "RECESS"! I
was surprised when he was saying his morning prayer yesterday
and he asked that he could be nice during story time instead
of mean. I asked him what happened at story time and he said,
"oh nothing Mom..it's no big deal." Sigh...he is growing up
way too fast!!

Standing in Holy Places

Every couple of months, I write a bishopric message for our Ward newsletter. In this month's message, I muse about Joseph, Kindergarten, and our parental protection instincts, so I thought I'd share. Enjoy!

Standing in Holy Places

This week, I stand on the edge of one of parenting’s greatest precipices: Sending a kid to Kindergarten. This is a new experience for me, and I’ve never handled “new” particularly well. Of course, we all experience a million “new’s” in our lives, so all of that practice should steel our resolve against even the most daunting of new’s, right? I really hope I’m not the only one who often responds: “Wrong.”

To be a parent is to be a worrier, and believe it or not, the thought of Joseph in Kindergarten has me a little nervous. He’s a fantastic kid with all kinds of smarts and friendly exuberance, but I’m still hesitant to send him out into the world on his own (even if it’s for just a few hours a day in a very safe environment). I suppose that’s because one of parenting’s first instincts (besides worrying) is the desire to protect. Until now, that’s been relatively easy. Joseph has spent the majority of his life under his parent’s watchful eyes. Starting next week, we won’t have nearly as much eyeball time, and after Kindergarten, we’ll only have less and less.

How, then, do we ensure our loved ones’ protection when we can’t always be there to gather them under our wings? How on earth do we find reassurance that all will be well with them, no matter where they go? And how do we personally find spiritual security in a world of treacherous evil? The answer is simple: Take protection with you, and give that protection to those you love.

I could mention many ways we can strengthen our defenses. I will focus on one: Standing in holy places.

A holy place is an oasis in a sea of unholy places. It gives us a chance to feel peace, to rejuvenate our world-weary spirits, and to refortify our courage for another swim in raging waters. It is a place of defense, where Babylon and its influence cannot reach us. Holy places give us serenity, perspective, and the Holy Spirit’s power. Depending on the length and quality of time spent in holy places, the influence of such places can stay with us long after we leave, and that influence provides protection.

Perhaps this is why the Lord commands us: “Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen” (D&C 87:8).

What are these holy places? Temples are certainly among them. How blessed we are to live so close to so many edifices of incomparable spiritual refuge. The Lord’s promises for regular temple attendance are powerful and unequivocal. President Gordon B. Hinckley here addresses priesthood holders, but I believe his counsel applies to all of us: ““If every man [or woman] in this church ... were to qualify himself [or herself] to hold a temple recommend, and then were to go to the house of the Lord and renew his [or her] covenants in solemnity before God and witnesses, we would be a better people. There would be little or no infidelity among us. Divorce would almost entirely disappear. So much of heartache and heartbreak would be avoided. There would be a greater measure of peace and love and happiness in our homes. There would be fewer weeping wives and weeping children. There would be a greater measure of appreciation and of mutual respect among us. And I am confident the Lord would smile with greater favor upon us.” (Ensign, Nov. 1995, 53)

Church meetinghouses and stakes are also holy places. The prophet Moroni recorded that “the church did meet together oft, to fast and to pray, and to speak one with another concerning the welfare of their souls” (Moroni 6:5). When we as church members “meet together,” we build each other’s spiritual resolve with gospel instruction, testimony bearing, and encouragement. We also “partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus” (Moroni 6:6). This too fortifies our spiritual defenses.

Our homes represent a major source of spiritual refuge, and we should strive daily to make them holy. James E. Faust counseled: “If we really want our homes to be places of holiness, we will try harder to do those things that are conducive to the Spirit of the Lord” (“Standing in Holy Places,” Ensign, May 2005, 62). The adversary knows of the home’s central role in fortifying families, and he is deviously employing every means at his disposal to weaken what is meant to be a spiritual stronghold. We must vigilantly stand fast against his efforts to infiltrate via internet connections, television broadcasts, and magazine pages. We must also remember that the devil uses contention as a means to destroy our peace and harmony (See 3 Ne. 11:29).

To maintain our homes as sacred places, I recommend a thorough spiritual spring cleaning. Peruse your video collections and book shelves. Remove anything with content that would bring an unwelcome spirit into your home or promote unwelcome thoughts. Monitor your internet connection tirelessly and place your computer in a well-trafficked area. Exercise restraint and seek to replace harsh words with kindness.

After your spring cleaning, prevent dark influences from re-entering your home by filling it with light. Adorn your walls with pictures of the Savior, temples, your family, and other sacred images. Pray and read your scriptures every day. Say, “I love you” and “thank you” liberally.

Of course, we must do more than stand in holy places. The Lord said that we should “be not moved” from those spots. I don’t think this means that the Lord never wants us to leave our temples, meetinghouses, and homes. I think what the Lord wants is for the spiritual influence of those places to follow us long after we’ve re-entered Babylon.

Inscribed on every temple are the words “Holiness to the Lord.” President Brigham Young said, “Every moment of [our lives] must be holiness to the Lord, … which is the only course by which [we] can preserve the Spirit of the Almighty to [ourselves]” (Deseret News, Apr. 2, 1862, 313). In other words, if each of us inscribes “Holiness to the Lord” deep into our hearts, we can preserve the spiritual strength received in holy places. We can be a holy place unto ourselves, taking a living portion of our holy places with us. If we strive to make our holy places clean, and strive with our might to keep ourselves clean, we will find the promised fortification that holy places offer, wherever we may go.

I hope that I’ve given my son an edifying holy place in which to live. I hope that he takes that resultant strength with him, and if he does, I know he’ll be protected.

Seek to spend more time in your holy places, and strive to remain worthy of holy places wherever you may be, and I know the Lord will help defend you against all the world’s ills.

With love,

Bro. Jenks

A Week in Neal's Life.

For those of you who care, something happened to me this week: Life. It was, by most accounts, an ordinary life, but it happened. Of course, just because it was ordinary, that doesn't mean that it wasn't noteworthy. Life, because it happens to us all the time, is easily taken for granted, but it's still a precious gift. So I think, from time to time, life's passage deserves some introspection and appreciation, no matter how ordinary it seems. Here, then, is how my life unfolded.

Just in time for my family's return from their long absence, it was my turn to spend time away from home. Not a half day after Shannon and the kids pulled into our garage after a 10-hour drive and eight days away, I was in the office drawing sketches for my next freelance project. I despise freelancing; it dramatically restrains my already limited family time, but Shannon and I both felt like we needed to take the job. I'm designing web marketing collateral (An esoteric graphic design word for "stuff"), for a company called Live2Mobile. They have a subscription service for mobile phone content like tv shows, news programming, etc. They’re a spanking-new company without even a trademark to their name, but I’m in charge of making them look like the Wal-mart of the mobile content subscription world. No biggie. I don’t have the software I need at home, so I have special permission to use my work computer. The only problem is, I have to use it after-hours. That means I had two early mornings, two super-late nights, and five hours on Saturday to pull it all off. I worked hard all week, but I’m still not nearly far enough along. With a little faith and a lot of prayer and midnight oil, I hope to get back on track this week.

If nothing else, this week has reinforced the fact that accomplishment depends more on a decision to accomplish than on available time. Shannon and I decided that, no matter what, we had to attend the temple. Our resolve was strong enough that we invited our friend Todd and Natalie to come with us. So Friday night, despite considerable drowsiness, we made it. I love the Timpanogos Temple, especially the Celestial Room, and after a particularly hectic week, the peaceful spirit in the room was just what the doctor ordered.

I also learned (drum roll please) what my season is. Growing up, I always made fun of my mom for calling one friend a “spring” and another a “summer,” but Wednesday night, I finally learned what the babble is all about. For those of you who don’t know, I’m in my Ward’s bishopric, which means that I occasionally tag along with our young women and their leaders for their Mutual night activity. That night, they brought in a color consultant. I realize that receiving a color consultation puts me in serious emasculation jeopardy, but in the name of finally understanding my mom, I took the risk. Oddly enough, I found it mentally rigorous and surprisingly fascinating. Our young women’s eye patterns were first scrutinized under the largest magnifying glass I’ve ever seen, following which, various fabric swatches were placed under their chins. Several times, I had to scrunch my nose in concentration as we studied the effects of each color on each young woman’s face. Even as a designer, I’m constantly impressed by the very literal effect of color. It was a fascinating study that broadened my understanding of color theory. Oh, and by the way, I’m a spring. They told me I’d look good in peaches and pinks, but I think I’ve already put enough of my manhood on the line.

More life happened this week, but that’s your random sampling for now. Stay tuned for more!

My little boy is 5!!!!

The last 5 years have gone by so quickly I can hardly stand it! Joseph is starting kindergarten this year and while I am excited for him, I wish he could stay home with me forever. I am anxious to see what the next 5 years will bring. Joseph is so amazing. He says so many funny things and is constantly surprising me with his now 5 year old knowledge. I am so proud of my little boy and love him with all my heart. Happy Birthday Joseph!

Things aren't the way they used to be

I went to see my sister's grave today, and I couldn't
help but wonder " what in the world am I doing here?"
Why am I visiting a grave? My sister should be alive
and happy and healthy, not buried in the ground
where I can't see her. I do know I will see her again.
But I just want to see her....here.

I remember thinking as a little girl that I didn't want
anything to change. I felt happy and secure at home.
My family loved each other and had a wonderful time
together. I felt loved. I felt like there was no where
else I ever wanted to be. But time snuck in and I grew
up. As a few of us were getting ready to leave
for college I remember thinking we would all end
up together again. We could all live together in a culdasac
somewhere. It just didn't turn out quite the way I planned.

I still feel close to my family. We talk to each other often.
But we have seperate lives. And that is okay, but sometimes
I still long for it to be just us. We are living our lives the way
we are supposed to. We are still an eternal family. Erin has
died, but I don't feel like she is missing and I don't feel like we
have lost her. She is still very much a part of our family. I know
she will be helping me in ways she never could have on the earth.
When I am impatient with my kids, I feel her right there telling
me to have a little more patience. When I am crying for her, I feel
her telling me it's okay, she feels happy and I should feel happy too.
I feel her encouraging me to pray more sincerely and deeply.

So while things aren't the way they used to be, or what I expected, I
can't say that I would change things. We all have experiences that
put us one step closer to Heavenly Father. I know that I need to
embrace this new change in our family and move forward with more
faith and determination.

Deb & Lafonda

We adopted 2 adorable little kitty's a week ago and as you can see the kids are loving them...a little too much. Notice how Olivia has her hand around Lafonda's neck? That is a daily occurrence and I don't know how either of them are going to survive. Olivia has kicked them, thrown them and choked them all within a few minutes of each other. The little black kitten, Deb, has really been picked on because Lafonda is 1 month older and very territorial. We were hoping they would be good friends, but so far it has literally been a cat fight all day. So, while I love the kittens, there is a lot of work involved and I am not enjoying that. While it has helped distract me from my current emotions, I feel like a grouch because I'm yelling at the kids all day to leave the poor kittens alone!

For those of you that love Napoleon Dynamite, you might appreciate the names we choose for the little kittens. I had no idea what to name them so Neal came up with the idea. You should have seen the girls at the vet laugh! So over all, while they have put me to work, they have filled the void for me and given quite a few people a good laugh!

What is most important

A friend of mine gave this plaque to me for my birthday (thanks Stephanie!) and I can't express enough how happy I am to have it. I put it in my kitchen right by the sink, so I look at it often. So many people have commented on it. Since my sister died, it has been a great reminder to me of what is most important in life......to love. Just love each other more. It is sad to me that I've had to experience a loss to realize I need to let go of the frustrations and irritations of life and just love everyone. I want to make my sister proud and more importantly, I want to be with her again so I am going to love my heart out!

Sweet Erin

I want to dedicate this post to my sister Erin. I can hardly write through the tears, but I had to express my love for her. Erin passed away today. She has really struggled for the last few years and I think Heavenly Father knew it was time to bring her home. I feel great comfort knowing that she isn't suffering anymore, but I want my sister back. I would give anything to hold her and tell her one more time how much I cherish and love her. I am so grateful to know that families can be together forever. I know I will be with Erin again. I know that I am a better person because of her Christlike example. I love you sweet sister. "Nite, love you, see you in the morning."

My attempt at photography

We went to a wedding recently on Temple Square in Salt Lake City and the flowers on the grounds were so beautiful I decided to take some pictures. I think they turned out
nicely! I have so many friends that are amazing photographers, not to mention my grandfather who takes some of the best photos in the world. These pictures are dedicated to Popi!

The best birthday present ever

Just when I thought Neal could never surprise me, he did. He got a picture of the Nauvoo Temple for my birthday. I have been obsessed with this picture for the last year and have wanted it more than just about anything. The picture is quite expensive because not only is it beautifully framed, it has been aged. So although it is the modern temple, it looks like a picture of the temple from the 1840's. I have been crazy about Nauvoo since I was about 13 and am so thrilled to have this beautiful reminder in my home of the place I love. Neal worked very hard to get it for me so thank you hunny, for the best birthday present in the world!

Careful what you wish for.....

Over the past year I have been telling Neal I wished I could get the stomach flu so I could lose a bunch of weight. Well, I got it and I think I am going to die! Along with throwing up non-stop and not being able to leave the bathroom for more than 5 minutes at a time, my body feels like it has been hit by a truck. I hurt in places I never imagined I could hurt. And the frustrating thing is, just when I thought I was getting better, it started all over again! I am grateful for movies and good neighbors and friends this week who have helped take care of the kids. I hope from now on I have learned my lesson and in the future will be very careful about what I wish for!

The Love List

I saw this on my friend Natalie's site and hope she doesn't
mind that I did it as well.

Neal and I never took any pictures while we were dating for some reason. The picture on the right is 1 of the 4 pictures we took together during that time. Isn't that sad? I guess I had other things on my mind!!


What is your significant other's name? Neal

How long have we been married? 7 years in June

How long did we date? 7 1/2 months

How old is he? 34

Who eats more? Neal hands down. His dad is in the food industry and they grew up eating a lot!

Who said "I love you" first? Neal. We were sitting in the car and
had only been on a few dates when he said it. I didn't really believe him.

Who is taller? Neal

Who sings better? Me, but Neal does have a wonderful voice.

Who is smarter? Neal

Whose temper is worse? My temper is much worse than Neal's. Neal can get mad and frustrated, but I don't really think he has a temper.

Who pays the bills? We both do....kinda.

Who does the laundry? We both do, although I don't like to fold clothes very much, so Neal does most of the folding.

Who cooks dinner? I do most of the time. Neal is always willing to help although he has no
confidence in his cooking ablilities. He really is a great cook.

Who drives when together? I drive a lot because I have the car all day. Neal never really
has liked to drive very much.

Who is more stubborn? Me by far. I am the red-head after all.

Who is the first to admit when wrong? We both do.

Who wears the pants in the family? hmmmm, I would say me, but really I think it must
be Olivia.

Who mows the lawn? Both of us. I never got to mow the lawn growing up so I love
to do it.

Who kissed who first? Neal kissed me first. I had only kissed just a little before we started
dating so the first time he tried I started laughing. Neal was insulted at first, but that didn't seem to stop him!

Who asked who out first? Neal asked me out after we had hung out for two Sunday's in a
row. I was really surprised because I had a cold sore at the time and thought he would be grossed out. I knew then he had to be someone special!

Who proposed? Neal proposed to me at the Repartee Art Gallery in Orem. He had painted a
collage of things that meant something to us while we were dating and he got permission to hang it in the Gallery. It was very sweet and romantic. Unfortunately, the Gallery is gone and it is now the Happy Sumo restaraunt. And sadly, the spot that he proposed is now the women's bathroom!

What is your favorite thing about him? Neal makes me want to be a better person. He is always striving for excellence and puts his heart into everything he does. That and his enthusiasm and zest for life are my favorite things about Neal! I Love you sweetheart!

Our First table

After 7 years of marriage, Neal and I finally broke down and bought a new table! It was such a good deal we couldn't pass it up. It has changed the entire atmosphere of our kitchen and as usual for me, sometimes I like it and sometimes I don't. (Just like the blue paint in the kitchen.) I must say it is a step up from the round table we were using before that came from Neal's dad's restaurant. It was a dirty ugly, heavy table that left rust all over the floor and almost killed our kids a few times! I am happy to move on! Now if I can just stop being so uptight about having something nice....maybe I'll let the kids eat off of it in a year or two!!

Kung Fu Kid

Joseph loves to dress up in different costumes but he is always the same thing.....a kung fu fighter! Our Ward is having a talent show in a few weeks and Joseph has informed me that he will be participating as a kung fu fighter, then he will be singing
a song and then he will kung fu fight again! He's got skills!

EASTER

We had a neighborhood Easter egg hunt this year and it was so fun for the kids!

Sleeping Angel

I love to watch my children sleep. After a long day of saying "no" and "come here" and "stop hitting your brother", it is nice to see them settle down and nestle into bed. The next day is usually the same all over again, but in those few moments I watch them sleep, they help me build my patience all over again and help me remember why I became a mother in the first place!!

The funny things kids say....

The other night I was watching American Idol with the kids. I usually mute the commercials because they are annoying and a lot of times inappropriate for kids. Sometime during the show, I had forgotten to select mute and we numbly sat there watching. During one commercial a man said the word "shut up" several times. I looked at Joseph and said, " uh oh, that is a bad word. We don't say that word in our house, right?" Joseph said, "yeah, right, we don't say that at our house." He was quiet for a few moments and then he said, " but can we say it at someone else's house?"

I miss Shannon

Hello world! Welcome to my first blog posting. And I can think of no better blog subject than my wonderful wife.

Shannon works in a call center during various, random hours totaling anywhere from 10 to 40 hours a month. Those 10 to 40 hours provide a nifty and needed source of extra income, but the down side is, well, weeks like this. Shannon has worked Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night this week, completely obliterating any slim chance we may have had during those three days at communicating for more than two seconds without interjecting "Olivia, don't rub that into the couch!" or hearing "Hey Dad, remember that Rampage video game?" Of course, lately, for one reason or another, the kids have been getting in bed past 10:00 so often that most of our conversations usually begin and end with: "I'm tired honey, let's go to bed." Still, those conversations, although brief, constitute contact between us, contact that we both crave if it's gone.

So here I am, typing along in our new blog, without ANY contact with my wife, missing her like crazy. Ironically, both of our kids (Joseph age 4 and Olivia age 2), settled down before 8:00 tonight. We could have had an EXTENDED conversation tonight. Heck, we may have even had time and energy to fall asleep in front of a DVD. Instead, the TV is droning along lazily in the background, and I'm pondering an early bedtime. Sigh....

I hope Shannon doesn't mind me sharing this, but I recently expressed my feelings to her about nights like tonight. A favorite Pink Floyd song invariably wraps my mind around her every time I here it. Here's what I told her about it:

Oh, how I wish you were here.
We’re just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl
Year after year.

So often, when work is wearing me down or the kids are wearing me out, I find that all I really need is your presence. When you’re not there, or when we can’t seem to find those quiet moments together, I crave those moments. I crave having you near. I am soothed by and deeply dependent on your presence.

There you have it. I'm not sure why I shared this. Perhaps it's cathartic to put my heart on display for the world wide web to see. Maybe this is a subconscious outreach to the other half of my heart. Or maybe, just maybe, I just miss my wife. Sigh...

Neal

Olivia turns 2!!

I can't believe it has been two years since Olivia was born. She had such a rocky start.....and look at her now! At her two year check up she was off the charts for height and weight. I am a little concerned that she is going to be a really big girl, but the doctor said she is proportionate so he isn't worried, she will eventually grow into her height. Most people think she is already 3 or 4 and can hardly believe that she just turned 2!
Olivia has the gift of language and talks non-stop. She has started getting herself dressed and put on her own shoes yesterday, which surprised me because it took Joseph forever to learn that skill.
She loves to follow Joseph around and copy's everything he does. She is also quite the bully and unfortunately hits a lot. While that gets old, sometimes I have to laugh at the HUGE difference between boys and girls. We love Olivia and can't wait to see what she will do next!