Anderson Family

Jana vs. The Kitchen Timer

2012-01-27T19:48:00.004+09:00

I have no idea why. I mean, I really don't.

My 3 year-old daughter is terrified of the kitchen timer. After I took this video I asked her what the deal was, and she told me that the timer means the food is burning, so it scares her. To my knowledge, the child has never tasted burned oven fare, but somehow, she got it in her mind that the beep of the timer signals the END OF EDIBLE MEALS AS WE KNOW IT. Go figure.

She freaked out when the lasagna was done, so when I put the garlic bread in and set the timer again, I was waiting to record her reaction. I love this girl.

This Is A Test

2012-01-26T15:35:00.000+09:00

I have been avoiding my blog lately. Did you notice? I have gotten so fed up with the weird way the internet works in Korea, and how every time I try to upload pictures and label them, then try to spellcheck, it suddenly makes all the pictures become spelling errors and they vanish into cyberspace and I am annoyed that I have to upload them all again. Grr.

So this is a test. It is only a test. And if you're reading this, then the problem is finally fixed and I can get back to blogging as regularly planned!

*crossing fingers*

Oh, and the picture? I opened a folder looking for something quick to test with, and there was a picture of the Savior. How fitting, I thought. I have a problem and I'm looking for a solution and I find the Savior again. Story of my life, which I hope to continue telling now that the issues are resolved. Hooray!

I'm The Meanest Mom Ever

2011-12-12T22:17:00.001+09:00

Did you think this was going to be a post about how mean I am to my kids?

It's not.

I suppose it could be. My kids think I'm mean sometimes.

In fact, I AM mean sometimes.

But that's a different story.

This post is about how mean I am... to my poor dog.

See? Here's the before picture.

And during (see how miserable he looks?)...

The aftermath...
(Now imagine how miserable I would have looked if the next few months saw this slowly falling to the nothing-but-wood-floors of my house)

And I clicked a couple of shots of my complex while I was standing there with my camera...

It got into the 50's today, perfect dog shaving weather.

And behold the finished product. I don't shave his head or he'd look like a giant rat, and I don't shave his tail because he'd look like a giant squirrel. As is, he looks like a giant dog who is so cleanly shaved you could walk through my whole house and see no evidence that I own a fur-bearing canine who thinks he's a person.

Huzzah!

And here's a couple of pictures from the Tree Lighting Ceremony on post last week. Yes, there's Christmas in Korea!

Stay tuned, I have plenty of catching up to do!

I ♥ Korea

2011-12-10T22:38:00.000+09:00

We drive past this establishment every time we go on post, and thus far it has never failed to illicit a smile from me. The first time I saw it I actually laughed out loud: "Is that a restaurant?!" No, actually it is a pet salon- but come on folks, in a country where the locals eat dog that just
lends itself to all kinds of misinterpretation.

In other news, our household goods came on Tuesday. That means that my very own bed, dishes, furniture, spices (I DARE you to go 3 months with nothing but salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder and onion powder. It ain't pretty!), the kids' toys and books, our movies...I am so happy and yet so distressed to be in moving mode again. So I completely turned away from life and dashed around the house with a knife opening and unpacking like an unhinged maniac (so...you know, like I usually am). From the time the movers left to now I have unpacked, organized and sorted for 4 days straight. Back ache? Yup. Thrilled to be done and settled? Definitely.

I have lots I want to blog about, but it's almost 2300 and I need to finish the talk I'm giving in sacrament meeting tomorrow. Fun updates comin' soon!

I'm Back

2011-11-05T00:47:00.000+09:00

I've been sitting here for a while now, knowing I wanted to make a blog post, but not knowing where I wanted to go with it. Did I want an "I'm SO Glad We Made It Alive" theme? How about an "I've Been Here For A Couple of Weeks and I Can't Stop Laughing At All The Engrish Around Here!" mode? Maybe "I Didn't Like Kimchi Then and I Still Don't!"

My computer clock is still on EST, so it says it's 11:51 am on November 4th. So...it's really 00:51 on November 5th. I should fix that.

Anyhow, while I was waiting for some idea to jel, I perused my blog list and read the posts I've been missing these past 6 weeks. I read about exciting news, fun posts of autumn adventures, travels, saw some darling Halloween pictures- and read several very moving posts about appreciating motherhood, cherishing childhood, and building a personal relationship with our Savior. And my half-ideas of silly and funny posts kind of scattered.

I am feeling like I need a big slice of humble pie at the moment. I have been so completely wrapped up in my own stuff that...to be honest... I have been a big fat jerk to my husband and kids these past couple of weeks. I don't know why or how it started exactly, but lately every time they do something that shows that my needs and feelings aren't first in their minds I get angry. I have been irritable, short-tempered, and annoyed. I have been mean, because I felt like nobody gave a crap how tired or worn-out I was, or felt bad for me because I have a cold and still have to move and unpack and be a mommy to my kids. Nobody offered to make me lunch today, and it hurt my feelings.

Luckily, I got the kick in my pants I needed. And I got down on my knees and repented. When my kids and hubby get up in the morning I'll ask them to forgive me- and I am already grateful to them because I know they will. They are wonderful, and I can't believe I let my own selfishness cloud my vision of what sweet blessings they are to me.

I have seen lots of people on FB listing the things they are grateful for in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. I have read them and though it was nice, but not until this moment have I stopped to really think about all I have to be thankful for. There is far too much to list, so I'll limit it to a few for now:

I am grateful for the gospel. I am so thankful for my Savior. I am grateful for my little family- they are so dear to me, and the peace of knowing we can be an eternal family quells all the other little fears that I worry about. I am thankful for a loving Father, who mercifully puts reminders in my path to help me make the course corrections I need. I'm grateful for my testimony, and I know the gospel is true, that Christ lives and is the Son of God.

We have found lots that we love about Korea. Tales and pictures of our travels can wait a few more days, right? I think I'll get a mug of hot chocolate to go with my humble pie.

I Needed This Today

2011-09-08T12:47:00.000+09:00

Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
-D&C 123:17

Mostly I think I need to work on the "cheerfully" and "stand still" parts. I think if I get those down, the "utmost assurance" comes naturally.

In conclusion:

Scriptures + A Little Pondering = Happier Mommy

What I Did Today

2011-08-17T00:13:00.000+09:00

* I got up and fed my kids breakfast.

* I did a bunch of laundry and housecleaning. It never ends, but you all know how that goes.

* I rejoiced some more that our command sponsorship (it was supposed to take 6 months) got approved after only 2 weeks. That means we'll all be moving to Korea together in October. Yay!

* I finally faced reality and got on PlanMyMove (most fabulous site if you're doing a military move) to make a day-by-day plan of what needs to be done between now and when the movers come on September 26th.

* I grimaced that by putting it off this long I am already several weeks behind where the calendar thinks I should be in my preparations by now. Oh well.

* I noticed one of the to-do items is "Find Age Appropriate Books on New Locations Overseas." Sure, I can do that. To Amazon.com!

* I picked out several children's books on the Korean alphabet, picture books of Korean geography and culture, and a few Korean folk tales. I stopped to read the reviews about one book I wasn't sure I wanted- and read a review left by a mommy who said they lived in Korea for a year when her kids were small, and how much she loved how the book helped them to remember the experiences they had there.

* I started to cry, realizing that someday I will be that mommy, hoping to preserve the amazing experiences my kids will be almost too small to remember, and having it really, really set in for the first time that we are going to a whole new world for two whole years- new food, new customs, new culture, new language, not to mention new sights and new friends and neighbors that come with any move... and I cried some more. Happy tears, sad tears, excited tears, anxious tears.

* I bought the books and checked that one lonely item off my 3-month long To Do List.

* I blogged about it, sighed, took a deep breath and then got back to the laundry. Next on the list: the treadmill, groceries, passport photos.

Here's a waterfall on the island of Cheju, where I hope we get to spend our 10th anniversary next spring.

The Question

2011-08-01T22:51:00.000+09:00

Life is full of questions- the big ones, like "Will you marry me?" or "Is it time to add to our family?" There's the little ones too, "Do you want Spagettios or Mac and Cheese?" or, as we are asking right now, "Who colored on the rug?"

The tricky part is how complicated the answers can be sometimes. Our big question right now is simply this- What should we do?

There are several options ahead of us, and we don't have a lot of time to decide. Moreover, once we do decide, there's no going back. The Army doesn't tolerate waffling, for obvious reasons.

There are a million little questions involved in each of the options we choose, too. There are really no easy answers here.

Do we opt for the command sponsored tour and risk not having it approved? That would leave us apart for at least 4-6 months, possibly up to 24. We don't know if we could live on post, we don't know if we could bring Skeeter, and we understand that non-soldier hospital care (i.e. having another baby) is outsourced locally. I feel weird about that.

Do we opt for a hardship tour and just spend the 12 months apart? The kids and I would stay in the US, we would have some additional separation pay each month...but we would be apart for a year! Not to mention, Daddy might be back in the deployment bucket by fall of 2013.

Regardless , we will be apart for some amount of time- what do the kids and I do? Stay in Virginia? Move back to Utah? Move back to Idaho? Just be a nomad and visit everyone I can think of?

Do I try to keep working? Do I retire from nursing for now? Or forever? Can we even afford for me not to work yet?

*sigh*

My parents always taught me that Heavenly Father helps those who help themselves. So instead of waiting around for the answer to fall in my lap, I suppose I better get to work- the more information I can get, the easier it will be to decide, right?

Don't worry. I'm still going to be praying like crazy for the guidance we need, too.

I am thinking a lot of Elder Christofferson's talk from this last conference, and keep hearing the voice of the gardener cutting down the currant bush: "Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be." I think I've had some branches cut back and I'm looking and seeking for how the Gardener would have me grow now.

I have the calming influence of the gospel in my life, so I know without a doubt that everything will turn out as it should (however that may be), and the growing/cutting back pains are only a temporary time.

The Move

2011-07-26T05:15:00.000+09:00

I am not in a wonderful mood today.

And rather than make the crabby, irritated post that was on the tip of my...fingers, I will just post the pictures from the big drive. You know, since we'll be repeating it in reverse in about 9 weeks. It's one little thing off of my Meaning To Do List. Emotionally, I need a win in the "done" column since my HAVE To Do List got really long suddenly (the timer for a lot of arranging of international travel is ticking much more rapidly than I formerly knew *grumble*).

So, here's to small victories in the form of a herd of pictures. Yay!

The Beginning: Getting on I-80 East in Salt Lake

Wyoming

Nebraska

Illinois somewhere (Illinois was pretty much underwater)

As for the rest of these, they are all from among the following choices: Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, or Virginia. I was mostly watching that big yellow Penske truck hauling the red Toyota pickup. For 5 solid days.

Wretched West Virginia toll roads!

And this was the morning after we arrived. Pretty much sums up how we all felt- crazy... eating cold cereal out of a paper bowl with our fingers up our noses!

And this was in Yellowstone over Memorial Day Weekend. If you're wondering if I miss Idaho and its ridiculously cold weather- yes. Yes, I do.

And here's the beast, because he's just noble and handsome.

And my kids, because I think they're cute.

What is it that makes me feel unaccomplished if things like blogs and scrapbooks go without attention? Add in dishes and laundry, folding and ironing, sweeping and mopping and dusting, finding meaningful scripture time, changing sheets and scrubbing toilets and washing children and animals, paying bills and cooking meals, making time for stories and songs and hide-and-seek, and the incredible guilt that piles up with each day the treadmill goes un-run on... Ugh. I am feeling a little overwhelmed today.

But I'm not gonna lie, knowing my blog is updated makes me feel a teeny bit better!

Tragedy Strikes!

2011-06-30T04:06:00.000+09:00

We have had some unfortunate events in Andersonland of late.

For example, today Wyatt got his first bee sting. At least, I'm guessing that's what it was. I was sitting on the porch not 10 feet away, and he suddenly starting screaming. I would have taken a picture, but from sting time 2 hours ago until now, it can hardly be seen. Thank goodness he seems to have my lack of allergy to bee stings! But to hear his pain-filled squeal, and subsequent declarations that he could not play on the swing anymore or even eat his popsicle because ...[dramatic pause]..."I have an owie, and I don't feel much good" was a legitimate tragedy.

My tragedy is silly, but I went to the doctor yesterday to have my Overseas Screening done (basically a physical to make sure you're not too screwed up to go live in a foreign country on America's dime. They said I'm good to go. *relief*), and when I stepped on the scale I was sad. I have gained almost 20 pounds since the beginning of the year. The absence of a picture here is deliberate. I am starting a new routine and new eating habits to see if I can part ways with that. I have been under a fair amount of stress, but frankly, I don't foresee my stressors decreasing anytime soon, so I need to learn to live with stress and still keep a healthy weight. Tragedy, indeed.

And lastly, the true tragedy.

So sad.

Pink Lovey is...lost.

(*weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth*)

Jana is sad about it, but I am devastated. See why?

Wyatt and Daddy and I picked out Pink Lovey before Jana was even born (this picture was about 2 weeks before her debut). I remember hoping she would love it as much as Wyatt had loved his.

She did.

Pink Lovey has gone everywhere with us- sacrament meeting, trips to the library, airplane rides, you name it.

I know she had it on our walk Sunday afternoon, and I haven't seen it since. Both the Loveys have had occasional disappearances over the past few years, but they ALWAYS turn up within a day or two. Day Four of no Pink Lovey, and Jana is really sad about it. In fact, she walked over and saw me posting these pictures and in her sad, sweet little voice asked, "Mommy, can I have that Pink Lovey? Please? Can I please have my Pink Lovey?"

I thank Toy Story for all my imagination's conjurings of poor Pink Lovey out in the rain, all alone, wondering where we went and how we could forget her.

The saddest part is that after scouring the internet from Amazon to eBay and everywhere in between, an identical replacement is not to be found. I feel like we're missing a little family member. Boo hoo...

Lesson of the Day

2011-06-09T08:32:00.000+09:00

Today's lesson?

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

Remember last post when I sarcastically commented that I wanted to move 2200 miles again at the end of the summer? Well, to be honest I was secretly hoping to NOT travel that far. I guess someone somewhere took me literally though, because the next move is not fewer miles, it's more.

A LOT more.

Lee's new orders are to Korea. In case you didn't feel like Googling it, I already did. From Richmond, Virginia to Seoul, South Korea is just over seven thousand miles. And that's the short route going west!

We are all going, and he has to report by November 1st.

And you know what? I am THRILLED!

Granted, I am a little worried about the details, of course- but this is something we would never have done just on our own. I am excited for the experiences ahead for our whole family, this is going to be such a great adventure. I'm trying not to think too much about all the people we're going to miss, but it's only for two years (!) and visitors would be sooo welcome!

Lee has a briefing on Friday and we'll know more then. And probably start packing then, too. :)

We're Here!

2011-05-22T04:52:00.000+09:00

Monday will mark three weeks since we arrived. So far, Virginia has been a fun adventure! I don't speak Southern English very well yet, so sometimes at the drive thru or the store it takes a moment to figure out what someone has just asked me. I'll get there.

It's also been amusing to see the differences on the road. If someone is camped out in the left lane going 10 miles under the speed limit, everyone around just matches that pace! For someone who is used to being passed on both sides when going 10 OVER the speed limit, it is a very foreign feeling. It is SO green and gorgeous here (currently 82 degrees) and when it decides to rain it doesn't mess around- I have never actually seen "sheets of rain" before, but now I know what that means!

The kids are adapting as well as we could hope, and Skeeter is adapting to the balmy warmth by dropping his winter coat as fast as possible. Makes for a hairy house! Lee is still what they call a Snowbird, waiting for classes to start. He'll officially begin his Ordnance training on the 31st, and we've been told that the officers usually get their next set of orders sometime in the first week or two of classes- so by the middle of June we should know how long we will call Fort Lee, Virginia our home. It seems to be doubtful that we'll be here longer then just the summer, but we'll just have to see. Moving 2200 miles is so much fun, I really would love to do it again in 12 weeks. Mmm-hmm.

Here are a few pictures:

This is a regular occurrence lately. Captain America and the Pink Power Ranger go play on the teeter-totter while Skeeter basks in the grass. They will ride that thing for an hour at a time, seriously. Love it.

Kids' bathroom

Jana's room with Jana

Wyatt's room with Wyatt being silly

The front room, please ignore Wyatt's dirty clothes that I was carrying to the laundry.

The rest of the front room. Again, please ignore the dirty clothes centerpiece.

The kitchen. Have you noticed how much wood is in this house? Nothing but hardwood floors and tile, and the kitchen is wood from floor to ceiling. It's very pretty, but I'm going through Pledge like you wouldn't believe!

Master bathroom

Master bedroom. It's messy, but the dog is clean!

Here's our little place. I quite like it!

Lee's out back washing and waxing his truck.

Back yard again. The yard is all fenced in, huzzah!

The humidity hasn't been too bad yet, there is a cute park half a mile from here, and it only takes Lee about 10 minutes to get to the post. I took a job yesterday that I'm pretty excited about, except for the 25 minute commute. Since I am relatively sure it's just for the summer, I think I can survive.

I'll post more about the trip out here later, but now you can see where we are. Hope you're all doing well! We love and miss everyone out west, but we're having a fun time in a new area, and there is no snow here- that's a plus, right?

Love and a kid's meal that has hushpuppies mixed in with the chicken nuggets (seriously),

Melody et al

There Was a Book on the Snooze Button

2011-04-24T02:19:00.000+09:00

It all started when my alarm didn't go off. I wanted to get to the temple for the 0600 session because I have such a long to-do list today. We wanted to leave by 0520- which is when I woke up. I grumbled my annoyance at my alarm (thanks to the book I accidentally set on top of the snooze button, the alarm started and turned off in the same moment. Oops.) and wondered if I should even go since now my schedule would be so far off.

I went upstairs and found my mom had slept in too, but she was almost ready. Okay, I thought to myself. I'll be faithful. I'll go. I hurried and got dressed and we were on our way.

The Jordan River temple has sessions every 20 minutes, and we got to the chapel just at 0640, so the next session would be at 0700. When we walked in, I noticed the organist was seated at the organ, but wasn't playing. There were just a few people sitting in the front benches, then 10 or so rows back was an entire congregation of Tongan members. Gorgeous dark hair, beautiful skin, all dressed in white- and they were singing.

It was amazing. I didn't recognize any of the songs they sang, but it was so powerful I just sat there and wept. Their voices were clear and strong and so rich- I cannot imagine any choir of angels could be more satisfying to hear. At times their harmony was more than four parts, and the rise and swell of the melodies that this beautiful people must have sung for generations was indescribably moving.

They sang several songs, and after the last was finished, it was announced that the session in Tongan would begin next, and there was room for about 10 more people if they wanted to attend and listen with headsets. I was the 10th person. My mom and I opted not to have headsets, but just to listen and feel the spirit of the words and the inherent warmth and peace being in the temple brings.

I knew everything that was being said, although I didn't understand the words. But still, I have never been so focused on listening during an endowment. It was incredible. I had so many new realizations, things that became clearer because the language itself was unfamiliar.

As I knew it would, the spirit bore witness of the truth and power of the covenants. The wonderful thing about the spirit is that it knows no bounds as to language, culture or race. If there is truth spoken, the spirit bears witness of it to our hearts if we can just be in tune. And even without comprehensible words, my heart was so filled and my soul so refreshed. The best part for me was the simple fact that I was so intent on listening to and soaking in the sweet, new experience I was having- I completely forgot to worry about and fuss over all the problems I came to ponder on and seeks answers to. For two whole hours, I just left everything else behind and focused on the truly important things that are not of this world.

It was possibly the most powerful temple experience I have ever had. My perspective has completely changed, my attitude adequately adjusted- and my heart feels healed. Granted, I still have work to do and much to accomplish, but somehow it all fits into its own place now. I have always loved the talk Elder Bednar gave on the tender mercies of our Father in Heaven, because it made me able to recognize them in my own life. My heart is so full of gratitude for the short yet life-changing tender mercy I was granted today.

Never in my life have I been so glad my alarm didn't go off.

A Big Mess

2011-04-23T05:24:00.000+09:00

I'm hiding today. Hiding on my blog so I can pretend that there isn't a big mess on every surface I see away from my computer screen. There are also big messes on all the proverbial surfaces, too.

My fitness is a mess, I am genuinely annoyed at how hard I have to work to get rid of 10 pounds and how quickly and easily they sneak back.

My emotions are a mess. I went out to lunch with, and then hugged and said goodbye to, a very dear friend and realized it was the first of a lot of difficult goodbyes I have looming in the next few days. I can't even think about it without crying.

My finances are a mess. What a can of worms (more like a barrel of snakes), let's not even go there.

My spirit feels like a mess. I am striving to read my scriptures each morning and start the day with a smile and it literally takes 2 minutes before I'm barking at the kids and setting the perfect example of all the things I DON'T want them to be.

My parenting is a mess. Lately I am such a wad of inconsistencies and short-tempered selfishness that I can only hope my kids aren't paying attention, although doing just that is something they get in trouble for. There's no way for any of us to win.

And clearly, my attitude is a mess.

*sigh*

I'm so happy and excited to embark on our big adventure and to have my little family together again, don't get me wrong. It's just that these past few days have been more difficult than I can manage because of all my inner turmoil (and outer turmoil, I'm not gonna lie. I HATE packing).

I have developed this bad attitude, too. I have always tried hard to see the blessings hidden amidst my trials. For some reason these days all I can see is the trials amidst my blessings. Sure I get to move to this great location close to so many awesome historical sites, have a cute little house that the military is paying for, have a better paycheck, be in the Washington DC temple district, get to try a whole new lifestyle, get my honey and father of my children back... You'd think I'd be thrilled. Instead I'm just upset, and I don't even know what about.

*another sigh*

I have always noticed that when I am on the verge of doing something very important that is right for me, Satan works extra hard to keep me from getting there. And with my great job of driving the spirit away with my anger and faithless whining, I am as good as inviting that negative influence into my life.

My friend and I were talking over lunch today about some of our funny parenting stories, and we discussed the habit we all have of asking our kids, "Why did you do that?" (You dumped Fruity Pebbles all over the carpet and DANCED on them?! WHY?!?) In the parenting class Lee and I taught in Rexburg, the manual specifically said not to do that, because there is really no satisfactory answer the child can provide.

But I am not a child- I am a grown woman who is accountable for her actions, and I can't help but ask that question of myself. WHY I am acting and feeling this way? Not surprisingly, there is no satisfactory short answer.

Before anyone reading this decides that I am losing it, don't worry. Normally I do better than I have been doing lately, and I know with divine help I can find my way back. So here's what I have been repeating and seeing over and over in my head the last couple of days:

I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it.

Sometimes from the mud at the bottom of the trenches it's hard to see. But I know that if I just keep climbing and keep trying, at some point I'll be able to look back and see more clearly. And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's how to keep putting one foot in front of the other. I never thought it would be easy, and I know it will be worth it.

Time to go work on my messes.

Hooray!

2011-04-19T14:10:00.000+09:00

So much to celebrate!
- Daddy is officially a commissioned 2nd Lieutenant!
- I survived the flights to and from Georgia with the munchkins!
- Jana is using the big girl potty- Huzzah!
- By the middle of next week, we'll be a FAMILY again! *Eeeeeeeeeee!* (think Leisl's Sound of Music post-kiss squeal, that's what I'm going for there)

I look forward to celebrating our finding a place to live, successfully packing in the next week, and the achievement of the big move. I don't want to get ahead of myself, so I'm celebrating the small victories as we go- today I thought about going out to the garage and finding some boxes. Yay!

Now for some hot chocolate on this chilly, rainy night. Tomorrow I plan to GO out to the garage and find the boxes, and maybe Wednesday I'll bring them inside, and MAYBE Thursday I can go get some boxing tape... Yes, I better get some hot chocolate and go to bed.

Find-A-Friend Friday

2011-04-02T00:46:00.000+09:00

Whee! I am so excited, this week I was picked for the Find-A-Friend Friday at one of my very most favorite blogs. If this blog isn't in your favorites already, put it in. Now! Not just because of the little bit about me, but because Stephanie's posts are funny, insightful, clever and make me want to be a better mommy- while realizing that there are so many other women in my same boat and it's okay to have some self-perfecting left to do.

I love this blog, and hope you will too!

The Next Chapter

2011-03-28T16:10:00.000+09:00

See that? It's Virginia. Home of Fort Lee, where we will be stationed for the next couple of years. (http://wwp.greenwichmeantime.com/images/usa/virginia.jpg)

The exact timing of the big move has yet to be determined, but I can say with 99% surety that it will occur by the beginning of June. Likely sooner, but we'll see.

I've never moved 2, 170 miles before. It will be interesting.

So...bring on the adventure!

Fearless

2011-03-10T02:11:00.000+09:00

We are on the edge of some big decisions- the kind that HAVE to be made, because not doing anything would have repercussions as profound as those of any of the other options we might choose between. I know at some time or another everyone has choices like these, and I also know that the most important factor in all of this is faith.

On an unrelated note, we had quite a snowstorm Monday night. Tuesday morning Wyatt looked out at the snow and wanted to play in it. So he did, and bless his heart at least he put on his boots first. Coat, hat, gloves? No time. Jana took the precaution of putting on a raincoat and boots, but she was also so bent on getting outside that she wouldn't hear of a hat or gloves either.

They were so anxious to get started on that adventure that they just threw caution out the window and went for it- I suspect knowing that I was watching over them and would intervene for their safety if it really became necessary.

So while I was uploading these pictures and looking over them with a smile- a mixture of humor and incredulity- I started thinking. I had been pondering on courage and faith, and some ideas I had turning over in my mind started to come together.

Almost every decision can be compared to my kids' little adventure. There are times when I can decide carefully and completely, and take every single precaution I can think of in an effort to be prepared- but there are also times when the best/right thing to do is just dive in and have faith that a loving heavenly parent (who I sometimes imagine wearing a smile of humor and incredulity at my actions) will watch over and bless me with the knowledge and guidance I need- when I need it.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear- not absence of fear. Except a creature be part coward it is not a compliment to say it is brave.

-Mark Twain

Either life entails courage, or it ceases to be life.

-E.M. Forster

Go to the edge of the cliff and jump off. Build your wings on the way down.

-Ray Bradbury

Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.

-C.S. Lewis

When we went forth into the waters of baptism and covenanted with our Father in heaven to serve Him and keep His commandments, He bound himself also by covenant to us that He would never desert us, never leave us to ourselves, never forget us, that in the midst of trials and hardships , when everything was arrayed against us, He would be near unto us and sustain us.

-George Q. Cannon

This is a great time to live. When times are unsettled, when the dangers persist, the Lord pours out His blessings upon His church and kingdom. I have been associated now in the councils of the Church for upwards of thirty years. During that time I have seen, from the sidelines at least, many a crisis. Among the leaders I have seen great disappointment, some concern, maybe some anxiety. One things I have never seen is fear. Fear is the antithesis of faith. In this Church and in this kingdom there is faith. So let us look forward with an attitude of faith and hope.

-Boyd K. Packer (emphasis added)

I haven't come to any specific conclusion to the issue at hand yet- but I know where to place my faith and trust, and I have learned that there simply isn't room for fear in my life.

And this picture is just so Aunt Marianne can see how Hank and Mary are loved.

Thanks again!

I Have Work Enough to Do

2011-03-03T02:43:00.000+09:00

When I was little, I thought that hymn title was perplexing, due to my misinterpretation of its message.

I thought, "I Have Work Enough to Do...do I look like I'm looking for more?!?"

Or maybe, "I Have Work Enough to Do...so do your own work yourself!"

I was confused, because that didn't seem quite right.

As an adult, who has actually read the lyrics, that hymn makes more sense to me. In addition, I have had some light bulb moments lately in regard to work, thanks in large to this book:

For example:

This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

-George Barnard Shaw

Said President David O. McKay, "Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that the power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success."

And Margaret Thatcher, "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's the day when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."

I confess I have been a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments lately. A wise friend of mine once commented that while we are often told Heavenly Father will not test us beyond what we can handle, He certainly isn't going to test us any less, either. Of course life is comprised of hard work, otherwise it would be useless to us.

So here I sit, on the morning of a day when I feel like I have everything to do, and I am pondering on my work.

You know the days.

There's laundry to wash ...

...and fold and put away. And in our case today, pack for their weekend with Aunt Marianne and my weekend with Daddy.

There's toys to be cleaned up and floors to be vacuumed...

...bathrooms to clean...

(Sparkling, beautiful bathrooms depress me in the same way that skinny, airbrushed models do.)

...dishes to wash, floors to sweep and mop, and groceries to buy and put away.

Oh, and the dog needs a bath. He smells like a goat. Seriously.

I realize that the above only represent the simple works of mortal life.

But somewhere amidst all the daily tasks, there is other work, infinitely more important that needs to be done.

Work like helping Zion as it grows (I love my job. I do.).

Work like teaching the next generation the value of work, honesty and integrity.

Work like setting an example worthy of following. The work of patience, kindness, problem-solving, patience, love, compassion, patience, and patience.

The work of teaching my children that constantly striving to live the gospel is the only way to achieve real happiness.

Of the "everything" I have to do, I will get much of it done today, and hopefully make a teeny step of progress toward the rest.

And tomorrow, I'll get on one of these...

...so I can go give this guy a hug and a kiss!

(Even when 2,000 miles apart, marriages need work too.)

Okay, now I'm going to get busy!

The Best Medicine

2011-02-22T07:47:00.000+09:00

"Elder Neal A. Maxwell once said, 'We are here in mortality, and the only way to go is through; there isn't any around!' I would add, the only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache."
— Marjorie Pay Hinckley

I have also heard that crying releases endorphins. Other studies have shown that tears shed during times of high emotion (versus crying because you got dust in your eyes) have a much higher hormone content; researchers concluded that means a good cry can get the stress out of your head- literally- and make you feel better.

Some have said that laughter is the best medicine, but in my opinion the winning formula is a combination of fervent prayer, laughing often, crying when appropriate, and Tylenol as needed.

And during the rare moments when something makes you laugh so hard you cry- take a picture!

Where's Daddy?

2011-02-11T09:33:00.000+09:00

It's a fun game we play, somewhat akin to "Where's Waldo?"

The entire Alpha Company.
Did you find him? If not, don't worry. It took me a while and I'm married to the guy!

Going for a leisurely road march.
None of the pictures are labeled, so you just have to look at each face- the distinction of "tall white male" only helps so much.

I honestly had to look at his hands to tell for sure it was him.
He's the tall white male.

Pretty sunrise at Fort Benning

Thanks for joining us in this exciting round of "Where's Daddy?"

Tune in next time for a riveting game of "What Did The Kids Get Into Now?"!

(You always know it's gonna be a good one when you can smell what they got into before you see it. Special thanks to Febreeze, Lysol, and Bath & Body Works!)

Daddy's Boy

2011-01-27T16:01:00.000+09:00

This time around Daddy's absence has been a little harder. The first time he left we were all bewildered and confused. Now, however, the kids know that Daddy will be gone for a long time- and they have the past experience of "a long time" to draw on. That goes both ways- see, this time we know what to expect. Which is good. On the other hand... this time we know what to expect. Which makes it a bit tougher too.

As I've mentioned before, I can see there are ways that Heavenly Father has provided for me to weather this trial. For instance, my new job has given me new friends that have something I didn't know I'd even need: empathy. There are several other nurses whose husbands are military also, and they have been through the hardest things: months and months apart from each other, missed births, and the whole married-but-single Mommy thing. Not to sound ungrateful- I so appreciate everyone who has reached out with kind words and prayers in my behalf. There's just something special about having someone who really understands. Isn't that why the Savior is so perfectly fitted to succor us?

Being away from each other is hard, but it's even more than that. It sounds cliché, but it's the little things. It's trying to fold sheets without anyone on the other end. It's going to McDonald's and having your little guy look over to another table where you sat with Daddy months ago, and having to bite back the tears when he points there and says, "That's Daddy's place." It's the empty passenger seat when you drive away from the airport and the heartache of hearing your kids pray for Daddy to come back soon. I feel so lucky to be working with the strong, dear women who have known these trials too.

I was scheduled to work at 0700 on New Year's Day, and Lee's flight left at 0620. I had volunteered for call in the hopes that it would be slow and I wouldn't have to try to fake being fine while I took care of whatever poor patient got cursed with me as their nurse that day. But a couple of days before, one of my friends- who had been through those kind of goodbyes herself- called me and told me that she would take my shift if I wanted because she knew how hard that first day is. I readily accepted her offer and thanked her over and over before I hung up the phone and just sobbed. Not sad tears, but tears of gratitude.

In retrospect I am embarrassed that I fought so hard against leaving Rexburg; I wanted to stay so badly. But with new perspective I can see that these circumstances are the best for us at this time. There are people around us that make it possible to do this difficult task, and friends and family both near and far that provide the strength and support we need.

"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." 1 Nephi 3:7

How grateful I am to be able to see that my way has been prepared. I am so thankful for a Father who knows my needs. I am grateful for sweet, fun, healthy children. And I am thankful for- and so proud of- my sweetheart!

*wiping smeared mascara, taking a few deep breaths*

My original intent with this post was to share these pictures. Wyatt is enthralled with the Army and the idea of "fighting bad guys." Every day he says something like, "I'm goin' to the Ah-mee now, Mommy! I'll miss you so much! Bye!" Or he'll tell me, "I'm takin' the car, Mommy. I'm gonna dwive to Joe-Jah to get Daddy." Without fail, he is geared up something like this when he tells me he's leaving:

The boy has always loved backpacks, because he thinks they're jet packs (thank you, Buzz Lightyear). When Lee saw this little-guy sized Army pack at the PX, he sent it home to Wyatt right away.

Opening the bag...

"It's my JET PACK!"

[victory dance]

(Another dance ensued on the packing peanuts. Thanks for that too, Daddy.)

And I had to add this one because it's just cute.

And now, my melancholy and I are going to make hot chocolate and a bowl of buttery popcorn, and snuggle up with a fluffy blanket and a furry Skeeter to watch some girly movie...I'm waffling between The Holiday or Pride and Prejudice. Decisions, decisions...

Hope you are all well, and hope you know how grateful I am for your friendships and support.
♥!

I Love to Laugh!

2011-01-22T06:44:00.000+09:00

If you've ever come across the blog Hyperbole and a Half, then you'll know where I got the cue for such an illustration. If you haven't, the link is there on the right, check it out. I'm not nearly as talented as she is, but I amused myself.

Anyhow, Lee wrote an essay and sent it to me to proof read. It was comprised of an allegory comparing people to sheep, wolves and sheepdogs. The wolves are enemies of freedom, the sheepdogs are defenders of freedom, and the sheep are everyone else. In context this line makes perfect sense, but every time I read it I giggled. So when I sent the edits back to Lee, I included the mental picture I kept getting.

I'm a silly creature, and I know it. But frankly, I like laughing. A lot.

Actually, Alot.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

Ready for Christmas!

2010-12-05T10:06:00.000+09:00

I've never been so ready for Christmas in my life! And no, don't misunderstand me. I am not prepared for the holiday- it's just that December 15th cannot come fast enough. Interestingly, after that New Year's cannot come slowly enough. *sigh*

Here's a few recent pix:

This was taken a couple of days ago while the soldiers were out doing their FTX3- the last big field training before the end of basic. I feel like I should track down whoever took this and send them cookies. It has done good things for my heart to see my favorite teasing about-to-smile look on his face. How I've missed that boy.

My friend Amber came and took some pictures for us a few weeks ago, and they are so cute. Thanks again, Amber!

I had a great date night with Wyatt last night- we went to IHOP and he picked what he wanted to eat, we went to TJ Maxx and checked out all the fun stuff in the toy department, and then we went and saw Tangled, complete with candy, popcorn and drinks. We had a great time, even though he fell asleep with his thumb in his mouth halfway through the movie. I sure love this little muffin.

I often wonder what I ever did without these two. I must have been constantly bored!

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying your holiday preparations. I have tried hard to be on top of things this year- the shopping is almost done, but the wrapping yet looms over me. *groan* Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion...Can Melody Really Pull This Off Before December 15th???

Lots of love and a box of Gourmet Dog Cookies that look so tempting I might just try one,

Melody & Co.

Perspective

2010-11-23T07:08:00.001+09:00

There are numerous e-mails circulating out there that detail "how hard the life of a soldier is, and how hard your own life isn't so quit whining and be more patriotic!" Having had four brothers in the armed services, I understand how it works. But while I was poking around on the Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry website this morning, looking for information on the Holiday Block Leave, I unexpectedly came across this picture.

Seeing it elicited several emotions from me. Happiness because, frankly, it's the first time I've seen my husband in two months. I had been wondering how he looks sans hair! And also happy, because I can tell by his expression he is keeping the sand out of his mouth. That's a good thing.

It gave me a twinge of sadness too, for obvious reasons. That isn't some faceless, abstract, heart-wrenching depiction of the Everyman Soldier. That is MY Lee, my companion and sweetheart and father of my children.

I know my personal trials are not many, and in truth, not very great. Perhaps my honey-bunny isn't right by my side every day, but I still have him. I might get so frustrated being a single mommy that I want to run away, but when I want to spend time with my children and get sticky kisses and little tiny hugs, I can. I don't have to go to a graveyard or a prison or a hospital room to be, so to speak, where they are. I am surrounded both near and far by people who I know love me and are helping me and who genuinely care if I am able to endure to the end. Their thoughts and prayers mean a great deal to me.

I am blessed, personally, beyond measure, and yet oddly enough, I, too, struggle to feel His love for me every day. When I stack my obstacles against others' they seem too frivolous to be authentic. And yet, this mortal existence is designed by a genius, so that we all, no matter our circumstances or parentage or gifts, have to exercise our agency to come to Him. And so though my problems may seem small to an outsider, they are big enough for me to desperately need Him.
(Virgina H. Pearce, "A Heart Like His," emphasis added)

Today has been a day of shifting perspective- certainly not the last, but I am looking at the world with different eyes since I saw this one picture. I have shed a few tears too, but rather than feeling lonely and melancholy, I feel cleansed somehow.

In conclusion, I'll just say that I am grateful for my trials, especially because I know they are mine. They were given specifically to me at this particular time by a loving Father who has a plan for my eternal happiness. He gave them to me-not only so I could grow and learn, but so I could recognize and acknowledge how I need Him, every hour of every day. And I do.

We're Back!

2010-11-12T02:25:00.000+09:00

After a two month hiatus, I am trying to make my way back into the land of the living. I knew being a single mommy would be tough, but it still took quite a while to adjust. And if I said I was all adjusted now, that would be a blatant lie. But I'm trying.

At any rate, I realized the only documentation I have of our lives right now is the letters I've been writing Lee, and I doubt they'll ever make it into any sort of journal. So my goal is to be a person again, start planning outings and play dates, and keep up on my blog, lest this adventure in our lives fall into the giant black hole of lost memories. Maybe I'm subconsciously hoping for that...?

Lee has been gone for just over 5 weeks. I get letters from him fairly often, and the pain of missing him is just a constant ache now instead of the sharp sting of the first little while. My parents have been wonderful in helping me with the kids, and my coworkers have been understanding and kind in letting me hog all the call I can afford. Our plan now is just to stay the course and endure to the end of this adventure, and then endure into the next one!

Jana's 2nd Birthday Party

The noisemakers didn't actually make noise. How wonderful!

Opening birthday presents!

Layne and Kyle (Lee's brothers), Zane (Lee's friend) and Lee at the Going Away Party

Right after Lee was sworn in.

Playing in the autumn leaves

It was Wyatt's idea to grab the stool to jump into the leaves... I guess it's a natural instinct!

Look at that form!

My little Muffin Man

My JanaBean

I send pages with lots of pictures to Lee, he says he loves to show them off to everyone around him. Going into the Army at 30 years old is pretty late, most of the other soldiers are early 20's or younger, so there aren't many others with a wife and family at home.

It was windy, and his ears kept flapping in the breeze! Skeeter misses Lee; the first week or so after he left, Skeeter would just wait by the back door until late at night, even though everyone else was home. He was just waiting for Daddy.

Buzz Lightyear and the Sugarplum Fairy

And mommy is a little devil, but that's nothing new!

The first snowman of the season!

I hope you are all well and happy, and hope you will forgive me for being such a hermit! I am grateful for all your friendships and support, and have definitely felt your love and prayers. Wishing you delightfully fun holiday preparations!

Love and Wice Kwispy Tweats,

Melody & Co.

Funny Little Guy

2010-09-21T03:09:00.001+09:00

My son is a ham. I admit it both freely and proudly. He makes me laugh all the time, just like his funny Daddy.

I told him not to put his feet in there!

Anyway, last night we were driving home from Provo and as we came into the Salt Lake valley, we could see the Draper temple, and I started to sing "I Love to See the Temple."

Often when we sing I leave out the last word of the line so Wyatt and Jana can fill it in. Only this time, Wyatt was feeling exceptionally silly. So here's the lyrics to Wyatt and Jana's version- you can tell which ones Jana sang because they are the right words!

I love to see the...TACO!
I'm going there some...day.
To feel the holy ...TOMATO!
To listen and to ...BED!

For the temple is a house of ...God,
A place of love and...beauty.
I'll prepare myself while I am...young,
This is my sacred...HALLOWEEN!

And after I finished laughing, Wyatt bellows "That is not even fair!" (He meant to say "not even funny," which only made me laugh harder).

What a character.

What I Did on my Summer Vacation...

2010-08-23T14:03:00.000+09:00

The night before school starts, and all the the house
It's dark and cool, and quiet as a mouse.
Who doesn't squeak much.

We're all doing fine. Here's a photo essay of the last month of our summer vacation!

We slept. Lots and lots of summer naps and sleeping in.

We admired the family of falcons who spent their summer teasing the neighborhood dogs. If you look close, you can see all four of them.

We did apricots.

Oh, did we do apricots.

Canned, dried, juiced...but mostly picked up off the grass and threw in the corner of the garden. Mmm-mmm.

We enjoyed beautiful summer sunrises (on the way home from work).

We took (more) pictures of the Beast.

And told him funny dog jokes so he'd laugh.

We ate. Lots. YUM.

We played with friends (and while we were so busy taking pictures of Wyatt and Camille being cute, we totally walked off without Jana. Temple Square: If you're gonna lose your kids, that's the place to do it!).

We admired how cute the kids are (especially after falling into the scenic waters).

We played dress-up at the Church History Museum.

And smiled at the sweet Angel Baby.

We ate more.

And more.

We got our faces painted, then ran away to play.

And play.

We decided it counts as family time to pull the kids around in the trailer while we mow.

We did a few car repairs.

And were grateful for cute helpers.

Did I mention we ate?

And Mommy's personal favorite: we went to the opening weekend of the Snowbird Oktoberfest!

We laughed and cheered for the Yodelman!

We danced like crazy.

We ooh'ed and ahh'ed at the alphorns.

And basked in Uncle Matt and Uncle Mark's dazzling yodel skills.

We cheered for Uncle Mark's bell ringing....

(...their shows are SO much fun!)

We laughed when Uncle Matt sneaked up to steal a few bells.

And oh yeah...we let the three year-old drive the motor boat. With a little help.

And the rest of the summer we spent in the wading pool. If it was full of water we swam...if it was empty, we did this!

In conclusion, summer was a blast. As always, I am thrilled for the coming of fall and cooler weather, although this year is much more bittersweet. But change brings new adventures...and gorgeous fall leaves! We wish you lots of love and a splendid school year!

Love and fresh tomato sandwiches with fresh peaches for dessert,

LMWJS

The New Camera!

2010-07-22T16:00:00.000+09:00

It's 0130 and I am wide awake. This is no surprise, considering I worked the last three nights and it is still 80 freakin' degrees outside. So it seemed like a nice time to plant some crops in Farmville, do a little snacking, and update the blog.

I hadn't posted anything for a while because I pretty much quit taking pictures. Last summer Wyatt "gave the cam-wah a bath" and ever since it's adventure in the wading pool, every time I turned it off it would reset the date and time. It was annoying to have something cute happening and completely miss it by the time I did the initial set-up again, so I just gave up. Finally I used Lee's birthday as an excuse for a new camera, and got a pretty sweet one at Costco.

So now I have photographic evidence of our first summer in Salt Lake (and the surrounding area)!

The first picture with the new camera! Can you tell Wyatt was chewing blue bubblegum?

Lee and Mel at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. That place was AWESOME.

I had lots of fun testing out the zoom and different features...

Anderson and Higbee families at Balanced Rock

Wyatt tried to lift up that big rock- and he did. What a tough guy!

Playing with the camera some more on the drive home. See how Jana has teeth? YAHOO!

Wyatt was upset that he couldn't play with the camera, so I made faces at him until he laughed. Notice his ear is all tucked in. *sigh*

Daddy has been taking care of the lawns at Grammy and Grandpa's house, and Wyatt and Jana both love to ride around on the mower with him.

The Noble Beast.

Jana and I had a little photo shoot one afternoon. I thought she looked so cute in all her patriotic-ness.

She mostly wanted to bounce around on the couch (don't tell Grammy!).

Here's Fay in a ride made for small children. :) We were waiting in line to see Eclipse, which was totally my favorite of the movies so far.

Kate and Wyatt- either watching our fireworks, or watching the neighbors get ticketed for their illegal ones, I'm not sure which.

Jana LOVED the fireworks- we had to play defense to keep her from running right up to them while they were going off.

I laughed at this- Daddy mowing the lawn and Wyatt dead asleep in his arms.

As far as our news, it goes like this:

*After three months and no offers, we took the house off the market and decided to try to rent it instead. Within 2 days (two!) we had a family sign a one-year contract. Hmm, guess the market is better for renting right now.

*Lee leaves for basic training on October 5th. I am dreading our being apart, but confident that we are doing what we're supposed to.

*My job is busy. WOW, is it busy. It is lots of fun though, and I am enjoying it!

* Wyatt is potty-trained and suddenly going through a nudist phase. Really, I can't count how many times I've said "we don't run around naked!" the past week.

*Jana is talking up a storm, can count to ten, feed herself (well) with utensils, and-true to her heritage- asks for "cokies" and "canny" all day long. I always heard girls developed faster than boys, but I am still shocked at how much more she can do than Wyatt did at that age.

*My kids pretty much live in the wading pool.

*I'm doing a 10K on Saturday with my mom, which should be interesting- we took the stitches out of my ankle 5 days ago, and I haven't gone running in almost 3 weeks.

*We are really missing our Rexburg family and friends, and are also aching for the 50-degree Rexburg summer nights. But we are diggin' our new adventure and really loving living with Grammy and Grandpa for a while!

And here's a random Wyatt quote.

Wyatt: *marches into office, loudly clears throat* "So, WHAT is the answer?"

Mommy (confused): "What is the answer?"

Wyatt: "The answer is...THE VACUUM!" *marches out*

We wish you all fresh summer apricots, delightful soaks in a wading pool, and plenty of barbecues and picnics!

Love and a side of potato salad,

Anderson Evil Incorporated (see how we have the same number of syllables as Doofenschmirtz?)

Crazy Moving

2010-05-27T06:41:00.000+09:00

Even though I had time enough to prepare for the move, it still caught me off guard and was crazy. However, the more people I talk to about it, the more I am learning that no matter how prepared you are, moving is still crazy.

For those of you who are wondering, here's a little timeline:

April 1- Lee hears a rumor at work.
April 2- Lee's boss tells him he's a great employee... and he can either be demoted or go back to work at the old Stone's. We later meet with Sgt Smith, Army recruiter.
April 5- Lee quits Stone's, because neither option can actually work.
April 6- Melody notifies her boss that she'll be leaving at the end of the month.
April 7- We pray a LOT and go to the temple. We decide to join the Army.
April 8- We discuss plans with Melody's parents, decide to live with them until Lee gets his first assignment.
April 9- Melody gets a call for a job at St. Mark's Hospital.
April 12- Melody interviews and is offered a job on L&D at St. Mark's. She accepts.
April 13-24 We madly clean, pack, pull off wallpaper, paint, paint, paint, paint, and clean more.
April 26- List the house for sale. Lee takes the ASVAB and does very well.
April 27- Celebrate 8th anniversary by doing nothing at all. Yay!
April 29- Melody officially leaves good old MMH.
May 5- Lee has an Army Officer board review. He scores as high as possible.
May 6- We rent a moving van and fill it up.
May 7- We clean the now-empty house and drive to Salt Lake.
May 8- Unload the van and start unpacking.
May 10- Mel starts her new job.

*whew!* Sister Hinckley said, "There are some years in our lives that we would not want to live again. But even these years will pass away, and the lessons learned will be a future blessing." That's pretty much how I feel about April-May 2010. I'm not sorry I lived them at ALL, but I don't want to live them again! And hopefully the future blessing will be a Melody better prepared for the next time we move.

We will find out tomorrow if the Army accepts Lee's application, and what will happen next. Another Ambien tonight? Oh yes.

And a little photographic Catch-Up:

Wyatt was the first to get his basket on Easter. He seemed pleased. :)

Jana went straight to work on her jelly beans.

Mommy went to bed shortly after this picture was taken.

Putting the new Easter shovel to work!

One afternoon last fall, Wyatt decided to pull some wallpaper off the kitchen wall. He got into BIG trouble. When we were debating how to make the house look better to sell, we decided to paint the kitchen. Wyatt was thrilled to pull off wallpaper without a spanking to follow.

Ever wonder if you might be Moving and just don't know it? Here's a few ways to tell if Moving is happening to you:

Baby has a delicious macaroon cookie... for dinner.

Toddler enjoys a macaroon and a cherry-chocolate Creamie... for dinner (I can't stop laughing at that face he's making).

They have cookies... for dinner... in the front room.

Here's why. Kitchen: KABOOM!

(It turned out nice, though.)

Your 3 year-old goes 4-wheeling alone (unless you count Lovey, Minnie and Mickey).

(He didn't get too far.)

And your dog will find ways to entertain himself while you pack.

And you'll take trailer after trailer full of things to the dump and/or D.I.

And your husband will sell all his tools, only to have car trouble immediately after.

And you'll baby-gate the kids into their room while you pack and clean.

And they'll long to go play outside...

(...and they'll long to be tall enough to look out the window.)

So beware of Moving! It will sneak up on you with no warning!

:)

I would like to say something like "it won't be two months before I post again" but that's a pie-crust promise (thanks, Mary Poppins). However, I will say that I hope you are all well and I am grateful for everyone who helped us during that somewhat traumatic month! In spite of how the circumstance may appear, I am very grateful that things have gone the way they did, because in my heart I feel like we're starting the next chapter of our lives and we'll be blessed for seeking out and following the path the Lord would have us on. And so we will.

Lots and lots of love and banana Creamies,

Melody & Co.

Three years old!

2010-03-25T04:24:00.000+09:00

Wyatt turned three on Monday, and I realized it will be October until I have another two year-old. I rejoiced a little.

Wyatt and Jana both love to lick the beaters when I make...anything. This was the frosting for Wyatt's cupcakes.

Like her mother, Jana must have every speck from every surface of the beater.

This made me laugh, because I'm sure he gets this exact look from me on occasion.

Happy Third Birthday, Wyatt!

Trying out his new tricycle.

Everyone had fun with the huge balloons Lee got- especially Jana.

Camille thought Skeeter looked lonely napping by himself, so she gave him an Elmo to keep him company. What a thoughtful girl!

I was napping on the couch and woke up to Wyatt saying, "Mommy, we need to blow out the candles again!" I can't stop laughing at his 'smile' in this picture.

He found the box of candles, loaded them all into the remaining cupcakes, and carried them in to me so we could light and blow them out.

Trying to show us how old he is now. I guess we'll need to work on that.

Notice the candle burning there? That was all he wanted on his birthday- to carry it around, blow it out when he felt the urge, and then have me light it again so he could blow it out again later. He was SO happy!

The kids love this old Proclaimers CD, and almost every day Wyatt asks to listen to "five hundwed miles." Here he is singing along...and I have no doubt 8 or 10 years from now he'll be embarrassed about it. I think it's hilarious. :) He gets totally distracted by his candle at the end.

Nothing else new around here. I am surviving (barely) and SO excited to get out of town for a few days. Work has been insane the last couple of nights (we did 20 deliveries in 48 hours) and I'm in for another round tonight. So I'm going to nap.

Lots of love, Cadbury Cream Eggs, fresh Krispy Kremes, and invigorating runs in the spring sunshine to make up for them,

MLWJS

Trying!

2010-03-19T06:53:00.000+09:00

Springtime has been trying to come, but hasn't quite succeeded yet.

I can't quite put my finger on the reason why, but we are desperate for spring this year. We've been sunshine deprived for so long that poor Wyatt will get any little rays he can...even if it's still only 40 degrees outside!

He refused to put his coat and gloves on- at least he had his blanket.

Can't drive the cars on the deck yet, so he drives them on the snow.

This is my favorite. There's barely any sun at all, but he's sitting in the only tiny patch of grass to enjoy it. That's my boy!

A Little of Everything!

2010-02-18T05:05:00.001+09:00

I had several funny little things that I have wanted to blog about lately, so I'm mish-mashing them all into one ginormous post. As usual.

News: Lee is wonderful, I love him. I got a Kindle for Valentine's Day, and have yet to put it down. Wyatt is busy. Really, really, busy. Jana has one tooth (and the peasants rejoiced!), and is also thoroughly busy. More on that later.

...

As many of you know, I love Chinese food. LOTS. And my favorite place in Rexburg is a place called New Fong's (not to be confused with plain old Fong's). The other night we placed a carry-out order of all my favorites: sweet and sour chicken, fung wong chicken, pork fried rice...YUM. When we got it home, we found that some of the boxes had been labeled- for example, the sweet and sour chicken had written across the top: SS CK. Then I saw this...

Did you glance twice at that label? I did.

Fung Wong ChicKen
*whew* Here I thought the cook was just having a bad night!

Spring needs to hurry up. I can't make Wyatt stay inside on the grounds of "it's too cold" anymore, he'll just put on his boots and go out anyway!

I very rarely take the camera in the bathroom, so this is, I guess, proof that my children bathe.

Jana got a new car seat, in to which Wyatt promptly and lovingly buckled Mickey, then gave him a hug and kiss. I'm trying to tell myself that the fact that he shows such affection and devotion to his toys is a mirror of how he perceives the way a loving parent should act. ...I hope.

She's just cute. That's all.

Grammy came to visit last weekend, and we love love LOVE when Grammy comes!

The fact that I am blogging now, during lunch, is testament that Jana is really officially feeding herself. YAY!

These little cameos made me laugh. Here's what Jana does during lunch. She eats.

Here's what Wyatt does during lunch. He goofs around.

And here's what Skeeter does during lunch. He lays in wait.

Which, frankly, saves me from picking up quite so many food particles.

Thanks, Skeeter.

And now, for a delightful game of...

Where on earth did it go?!?

Where are all the toys that go in the basket?

On the...ceiling... of the play tent!

(Why he can't play in it right side up is a mystery to me.)

Where are the Craisins that used to fill this huge bag?

Oh, of course. In Lightning McQueen's trunk.

What happened to the bag of Trix I gave you to munch on?

...I might have guessed without even looking.

Seriously? Half of Jana's bows are missing! Where are they?!?

In the bulldozer, silly Mommy.

I had baskets of clean clothes sitting here waiting to be folded! Where are they?!?

GAH!!!

What happened to all the play food that goes in your kitchen?

*sigh*

And my personal (least) favorite: where is all the gum from this pack that was almost full this morning?

Hint: Wyatt will return it to me in about 18 hours. *shudder*

I have heard you need a sense of humor to be able to survive at parenting. I admit I was laughing while I took all these pictures...one after the other, over the course of maybe 5 minutes today. I might not be laughing when I finally have to address all the messes that need to be cleaned up/sorted/folded/put away, but I'll still love being a mommy!

I always take a picture of my Valentine flowers...this year my two favorites, red roses and daisies.

And what's a blog posting without a random picture of The Beast?

We wish you love, a warm rest of February, and plenty of generic non-seasonal candy to last that interminable stretch between the Valentine's conversation hearts and the Cadbury Cream Eggs,

LMWJ&S

It's Aliiiiive!

2010-01-23T07:23:00.000+09:00

I swear my kids think that when they see me rise, as if from the dead, off the couch with my smeared mascara and my wrinkly scrubs and my crazy hair. Working nights is fun.

So, as promised, here's the "more later." Lee is good, and I am good. Wyatt is almost 3, is cute as a button, and will start potty training next week (heaven help you, Mommy). Jana is 15 months, still has no teeth, and has a very sweet temperament and a very short fuse. Just like Mommy, minus the sweet temperament.

And now a picture feast.

I got tired of Wyatt dragging my vacuum out to play with, so I got him one of his own. He loves it, although he still gets mine out when he has a real mess to clean up.

My kids like suckers.

I mean, they really...

...REALLY like suckers.

One afternoon the yogurt became a hair/floor treatment instead of a snack.

And in the clean up time, Jana fell asleep.

I told Wyatt to show me what Sis was doing. I laughed, and showed him the picture, and we both laughed some more.

One morning while feeding her breakfast, Lee was suddenly struck with how stinkin' cute his daughter is, and had an impromptu photo shoot.

Of course I am biased. She IS the cutest little girl of all time.

Christmas morning Wyatt was up before anyone else. He found his new shopping cart, loaded Mickey and Lovey in, and then went to work opening presents.

Santa made a good call with the Lightning McQueen ride-on. Yay!

The Ariel ride-on was just as big a hit.

Checking out the new kitchen!

Christmas Jana

He'd go play for a while, then come back and just rest on Lightning. It was pretty cute.

Christmas Beast hug

We have only had a few good storms this winter, so I had to document one.

This is in our front yard. I love this tree.

We're using the snowpants, Aunt Marianne! Thank you!

He will- seriously- make a mess deliberately so he can get the vacuum out and clean it up. He actually does a very good job (in both the mess and the cleaning thereof)!

The other day the kids were up and around a little before I was, and Jana found a pile of pancakes leftover from the night before. She helped herself, and just toddled all around the house with a pancake in each hand.

She shared the third pancake with Wyatt. What a sweetheart.

Not only did she eat both pancakes, but she ate a whole bowl of oatmeal and a tub of bananas, plus a bottle of milk and half a cup of juice. Will someone tell me why she's in the "less than 0.1 percentile" for her weight? And while you're at it, tell me where her teeth are?!?

That's all. I'll certainly update more when are plans are more solid, but everything we have planned for now hinges on the location of a job. I can't complain at all, though, we are healthy and happy and we have each other and our beast, and life is good (at first I accidentally typed "life is goof," and I laughed, because it is)!

Hope you are all well and happy and enjoying this beautiful 2010!

Love and chips with a gallon of nacho cheese dip (I love Sam's Club),

M, L, W, J & S

Still here!

2010-01-12T22:37:00.000+09:00

Life has been crazy busy these days. I was reading about an internet hoax where someone claimed Taylor Lautner had died (Oh no, not Jacob! NOT JACOB'S ABS!). I thought I had better dispel the wonders about us before anything got out of hand: we're still here! And we're hanging on.

More later, but in the meantime please enjoy this picture from last Halloween.

Lee: Captain America
Wyatt: Winnie the Pooh
Melody: Dr. Crusher
Jana: Lion cub
Skeeter: Elvis

Christmas (Reindeer) Gifts

2009-11-15T14:00:00.000+09:00

I got a wonderful surprise in the mail today- a care package from my cute and sweet sister and niece. It had a note that said "To get your holidays started" and came with a funny little reindeer that "poops" brown jelly beans. I laughed and felt loved.

You must understand that poop has been a touchy subject around our house lately, what with Jana's pooping-in-the-tub episodes, and Wyatt's resulting terror of anything to do with Number Two. So when I showed him the reindeer dropping his brown presents and then popped one in my mouth, he said "No Mommy! It's got poop on it! SPIT IT OUT!!"

It took a good 2 minutes to explain that this is pretend poop, in fact it's really candy. He eventually got over it...mostly. He played with that reindeer, making him poop and putting the jelly beans back in over and over. He was totally engrossed...but he never ate ONE SINGLE jelly bean. Here's a video of him enjoying the Reindeer Gifts.

Thanks again, Marianne and Kate! We love it!

Word Bites

2009-11-03T14:32:00.000+09:00

I have a fairly short attention span lately. Is it exhaustion? Irritability? Lack of anything interesting to say? Hunger, perhaps? At any rate, my own thoughts have been popping into my head in sound bites- so here's a blog posting of Melody's word bites.
Bon Appetit.

Lee is wonderful. All around. Period.

I am me, and you know what that means.

Wyatt is in full-tilt 2 year-oldness. We are having a great time.

Jana has a penchant for pooping in the tub lately. That's gotta stop- although bless Sam's Club for selling gallons of bleach in a 3-pack.

The Honda Odyssey is officially sold. I had it for 9 days. *sigh* It looks to be replaced by a Chevy Tahoe. That outcome is TBA.

Before you question my Christmas background and accuse me of skipping Thanksgiving (as my honey often does), know this: I AM thankful- for Christmas. I even listened to Christmas music while putting up and taking down Halloween decorations. I love Christmas and everything about it. :)

Now picture bites.

Our first attempt to put Jana's hair up!

I was fairly proud of myself, since I can't even do my own hair.

"Can I have the cam-wah?"

Playing on the new swingset.
In jammies.
And winter boots two size too small.
See what I mean about 2 year-oldness?

We had a pretty good harvest this year.
Lee says, "Aw, shucks."

Thanks again, Grammy and Grandpa!

Can't have a posting without a Skeeter cameo!

She still has no teeth, but that doesn't slow her down one bit.

I came to check on Jana, and couldn't find her at first.

Eating raw corn on the cob. In the office. Good one, mommy.

I love these munchkins so much. SO much.

See Wyatt's black eye remains? It was from a (literal) run-in with Skeeter. If Skeeter's nose wasn't black already, that crash may have done it!

Sporting their Halloween jammies!

He loves to point to his chest and say "See the moon? Hi, moon!" He also says that to the sky at night.

I am having some inner turmoil over her hair. It needs to be cut, but how? Is there a way to fight those two side-by-side-but-turning-in-opposing-directions cowlicks on the crown of her head? (An aside from the doting mommy: Who cares? She is SO cute!)

If you saw the video, this is a better shot of the "cookies." Mmm-mmm!

That's my boy! A delicious plate of nachos right in front of him, and all he wants is a plain flour tortilla. Funny monkey.

My baby lion. We sure love when Monica takes pictures for us!

Even when he empties a bottle of Febreeze on the bathroom mirror and counter, I still love him with all my little black heart.

It was just ONE cookie, and it's not even halfway gone!

A proud moment: the Grandpa smile. Thanks for passing it on, Dad!

Having shared a little picture/word snack, I am now headed for a different snack. Love you all and hope you're well!

Love and a bowl of Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs with (SINFUL) whole milk,

M, L, W, J and S

Wyatt's Cookies

2009-10-20T03:35:00.000+09:00

Pretty self-explanatory- what a funny Wyatt.

More pictures later, but I hear Wyatt and Jana laughing hysterically and the tub turning off and on...

Silly Halloweening

2009-10-09T07:55:00.000+09:00

I just can't stop playing with these!

BEWARE: this is very silly.

Anderson Family Halloween Part II
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/kQp9f0rRvsTIg1UD

Here's Part I, slightly less silly.
http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/gquf0b5LN0gjBlQi

SO ready for Fall!

2009-09-20T15:54:00.001+09:00

I confess, I am a wallpaper addict. People who work with me regularly notice that I change the desktop wallpapers almost every single night I work. I came across this one earlier this week, and it has lasted on my home desktop for several days (a record for me!). I grew up reading Calvin and Hobbes, and always appreciated that Calvin was eternally childlike, looking for adventure and a fun time , while also eternally childish- unable to see the reason to learn or change who he already is. I'm probably a lot more like that than I'm willing to admit!

This picture reminded me of my own childhood, though. The seasons didn't race by like they do now- instead it passed in just the right amount of time. I have so many wonderful memories of raking, jumping in leaf piles, decorating for Halloween, deciding on costumes, canning apricots and tomatoes, walking to school in the crisp morning air, driving up the canyon to see the leaves change- I love autumn and everything about it. But for some reason this picture struck me as a tiny reminder to be more in the moment- life happens every day, and if I'm not careful, I'll miss it. Years from now I want to look back on the special times I had with my little family and the Fall traditions we created, so that when they see a picture like this, they recall happy memories too!

Oh, and did I mention pumpkin chocolate chip cookies?

Really?

2009-09-12T03:36:00.001+09:00

Honest truth, I had this conversation yesterday:

Mom: Wyatt, it's time for dinner!

Wyatt: Wanna do the dishes?

Mom: We're all done doing dishes, honey. Right now it's time to eat dinner.

Wyatt: Do the dishes?

Mom: Not right now. We can do dishes later, ok?

Wyatt (casting himself dramatically on the ground): DISHES! (starts to sob)

Mom: No tantrums, Wyatt. Do you need to go to time out?

Wyatt (jumping up and tearing down the hall at top speed): WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

*thump!* (on the floor again)

And from all the way down the hall I hear the occasional:

*whimper*

"I wanna do the dishes..."

*sniff*

I guess I better relish that argument, for it is surely the ONLY time in my life I will have it with my son!

I am NOT lazy!

2009-09-04T05:12:00.000+09:00

It just seems that way because I've updated my blog two whole times this summer. To be quite honest, there are about 73 household chores waiting to be done (74 if you count "wash sticky fingerprints off doorknobs" but really, that isn't a priority). However, they will still be there tomorrow, and I would rather do this! Since this blog is more or less my family's journal, maybe putting a new blog post up does in fact count as something I should be doing with the time I have here on earth. Yeah, let's go with that.

Here's some tidbits and pictures:

* Wyatt can now efficiently unlock doors, deadbolts, open gates and car doors, turn the hoses and faucets on and off, and climb up onto counters, toilets, and the dryer. He'll proudly tell you "My name is Wyatt An-erson!" He LOVES to watch Cars, and spends as much time as he possibly can between the wading pool and the new swing set (thanks again, Grammy and Grandpa!) Sorry there's no swing set pictures yet, Wyatt thought the camera needed a bath in the wading pool. Miraculously, it dried out and still works!

* Jana is crawling like crazy, and loves to play peek-a-boo. She has such a funny laugh, it makes me laugh even more, which in turn makes her laugh harder. Wyatt usually joins in the laughing, because who doesn't love to laugh? She has no teeth yet, and I really don't mind putting it off since she'll eat whatever is in front of her anyway (including dog food and pieces of paper).

* Lee is busy working hard. He did great in the Rush Triathlon in August, and we are glad to have him around more now that he's not training for anything (at the moment!).

* I am me, and I am fine. :)

Monica took some more pictures for us, I love when she does that! Jana was being cute and smiley, until we all got hosed down when Wyatt turned on the sprinklers. Oops.

It's really hard to get him both holding still AND smiling at the same time, so often we just settle for one or the other. I still think he's pretty darn cute.

When a fly gets in the house Skeeter chases it down and eats it, and it is extremely funny to witness. There's one in the window, and he's patiently waiting until it comes out again. Lee calls him Beast of Prey.

While I was putting Jana down for her nap the other day, Wyatt vanished. Here's where I found him- up on the bathroom counter, getting ready to brush his teeth.

I didn't interfere, I just watched to see what he would do. He got out the toothbrush, got it wet, put a little toothpaste on, brushed, spit, and rinsed.

Then he had a drink of water...

...and finished by washing his hands. I am SO pleased that my 2 year-old does these kinds of things!

Normally the ground next to the deck looks like this. Occasionally a weed will grow up between the rocks and I pull it, and we spray for weeds every so often. One little plant sprouted up that didn't look like the other weeds, so we let it be. After only 6 weeks...

...it bloomed! Right in the middle of the rocks we had this volunteer sunflower pop up. It's HUGE (I put Skeeter in so you could see how big that sucka is).

Lee is excited to pull out the seeds so he can bake and eat them.

The garden is doing well this year too, I can't believe how tall the corn is.

Yahoo! Little pumpkins!

I think having a dog makes a family complete. Especially Skeeter.

We (well, I) am getting excited for fall to come soon, but we're loving that we can play outside sans jacket for a few more weeks. Hope you're all well and happy and enjoying the last bits of summer!

Summer Fun

2009-08-03T15:13:00.000+09:00

We've been so busy with summer playing that I just realized I haven't posted anything for a month! So here's a photo documentary of our doings.

Lee's birthday cake- he celebrated 29 this year! Those are Reese's Pieces all over the cake. No I didn't make it and yes, I ate a LOT of it. Yum!

We got home from a walk and when I told Wyatt it was nap time, he climbed in Jana's bed instead. I'm glad they like each other!

We went to the zoo for an afternoon during Lee's family reunion. Wyatt likes his "puppy backpack" but insists on holding the tail himself, which pretty much defeats the purpose.

I thought the huge penguin would scare him, but he was fascinated. He even have the penguin a fist-bump when we left!

First official dress-ups!

Wyatt likes to try everything at least once. Including sparkly blue heels.

4th of July picnic. Wyatt had about half the watermelon by himself!

Mommy & Jana

Having thoroughly trashed the front room, they both laid down for a drink. I had to laugh, cute little monkeys.

He stole Jana's headband and tried it on too. Lately he prefers to have it around his neck like a bowtie, so it's slightly more masculine, right? :)

Hiking at Silver Falls, where we had the Pyper reunion. It was a blast, but I only took a few pictures (there were several nicer cameras and better photographers, so I am hoping to mooch their pictures instead).

Hiking through these forests, I found myself unconsciously watching for Edward. I wasn't at all disappointed to find Lee instead.

She is SO sweet. This is her authentic Hawaiian outfit from Uncle Brian and Aunt Heidi.

Turns out my kids like corn on the cob...

...Both of them!

He still is a snuggly little guy every once in a while, but he's getting busier and more independent every day. *sigh*

Daddy showing off his new wetsuit. He's decided to tackle the Rush Triathlon (1 mile swim, 25 mile bike, 6 mile run) just for kicks. It's in 2 weeks, and I think he'll do great.

Wyatt likes to get in the wading pool fully clothed, ideally just moments after I have gotten him dressed for the day. At least he's having fun!

Hope you are all keeping busy with summer time playing and family get-togethers and barbecues and camping and all the fun that goes with it! I noticed a few tiny green pumpkins peeking out of the leaves today, fall is coming quickly. Guess we better focus on getting some more summer play in!

Lots of love and Popsicles,

Melody & Co.

Little Vacation

2009-06-25T16:39:00.000+09:00

Disclaimer: I realize I just made a huge posting. However, even if nobody else wants to see a ton more pictures of my kids, I can safely bet Grammy does. And since this blog is essentially my journal, I don't want to leave anything out! More pictures to follow in three...

Two...

One...

NOW!

The vacation was a weekend in Utah to visit my sister and celebrate her oldest son's graduation. Here is said handsome graduate. Yay Paul!

Wyatt and Mommy- not too bad for post-4.5 hour drive, huh?

I had to keep Wyatt pretty distracted, because by this time he was tired beyond all reason. Buckling Mickey into Jana's car seat over and over and over kept him busy for a little while.

Aunt Marianne got a bunch of balloons the afternoon before the party. Wyatt has encountered balloons before, but never like this!

At first he just looked at one.

Givin' that balloon some loves.

And then...he let go of the string and it flew up and bopped into the ceiling. And that was it- the kid was totally enthralled for an hour.

He'd gather a few balloons up and then let them all go, laughing hysterically.

Soon he wanted to hold more at once.

He'd count off, "One...twooooo...FWEE!!!" and let them fly. He had a blast.

Weeks later, he will still look at me randomly and say, "Ba-oons? Aunt Me-ee-anne? Ba-oons?" The Balloon Playtime formed some pretty strong neural pathways, it would seem.

Getting Drenched Part I

Since it's usually just Jana, Wyatt and Crabby Tired Mommy at home all day, we don't get out much. Wyatt has a whole new world to explore when there are extra people to watch him. I was glad he got some good, wet playtime and that it didn't involve ME getting wet!

He was pretty determined to get in there- not that he would get any MORE wet than he already was!

Look at that sheer joy. No wonder he asks about going to see Aunt Me-ee-anne all the time, her house is SO FUN!

Meanwhile, I was chopping lettuce. I peeled off the outside leaf and it looked exactly the size of Jana's head. So we double checked. Yep, it was.

Jana and Kate with Lettuce Hats, and me with the chopped lettuce for our tacos.

Another reason Wyatt loves to visit Aunt Marianne's house is his cousin Wade- he reads Wyatt to sleep at naptimes while we're there. Wyatt LOVES it, and he falls asleep every single time. He has never fallen asleep while I was reading to him. Wade just has that magic talent.

Mommy and Jana, on the other hand, can sleep anywhere, any time.

By the next morning, those poor balloons were all played out and we had to hang them from the ceiling...

...but don't worry, we got more!

Playing on the slide

Peek-a-boo!

This face just made me laugh. What a cutie.

Uncle Dennis, holding a plate of the most divine Bulgoki EVER. I could eat that stuff all day, every day and be perfectly content. YUM!

I really admired Paul's graduation gift to himself- a distinguished mohawk. I quite like it.

The baby in Anja's tummy made a perfect Jana-sized perch.

Me and my Katiebug

Jana puts everything in her mouth, especially jewelry. At least having Jana go for Aunt Anja's necklace gave my watch a much-needed break.

Getting Drenched Part II: Now The Hippo's In

Not wanting to be wasteful, we used up the balloons after the party was over. Who's up for a rousing chorus of Follow the Yellow Brick Road?

Look at that view! This trip darn near convinced us to move to Provo. If we could just find jobs...

Yay for getting put on call- now my house is clean and my blog is all updated!

Lots of love and more Bulgoki (mmm-mm!),

Melody & Co.

Marathon Post!

2009-06-22T02:40:00.001+09:00

You may think I titled this post the way I did because it's about the marathon Lee did last weekend. Well, partly yes. But mostly because it's long, long, long and if you finish it, you deserve a medal and a free t-shirt.

Lee is doing great. His inadvertent weight-loss related to the marathon training has left him about where he was when we got married 7 years ago. In fact, the pants I got him for Father's Day are a tad too big- I told him to gain some weight back and they'd be fine.

I am all right, just trying to hold on for the ride. I have such a wonderful little family, and we have so much fun together. If only my house would just stay clean, and my laundry folded and my bank account full, I wouldn't have a care in the world!

Wyatt is at such a fun age. He is talking up a storm, and is really starting to notice things. Yesterday at dinner Wyatt turned to me and said, "You tired, Mommy? You need a nap?" Yeah, how'd you know? He loves to make engine sounds ("brrrrrrm! brrrrrrrrm!" every moment he's awake lately), and drive around anything that has wheels.

Jana is just on the edge of becoming independently mobile. Oh dear. She had her monumental first roll down the stairs (there's only two) last week, and she's able to sit up without help. I'm not sure I'm ready for this! She is SO smiley, especially to Daddy- she just lights up when he comes home. It's very sweet. She watches and laughs at Wyatt constantly, and is just a little doll.

Skeeter has had a good time with all the dog company we've been having lately. Duchess has stayed with us a couple of times, once for a whole week, and Anne has been staying with us too. He just loves having someone to romp with and tease. As Jana is learning to feed herself there are suddenly many more messes around, and I am once again finding myself grateful for his floor-cleaning skills. What a good boy.

The other day Uncle Chris was mowing the lawn, and Wyatt wanted to help. He pushed his wagon around by the handle and made *brrm! brrrm!* sounds as he went.

The grass was pretty long after all the rain we've been getting. He eventually figured out he could push the wagon more easily on the already-cut parts.

When Uncle Chris started the mower again, Wyatt would imitate the pull-start motion. It was very funny.

I have to be careful when I tell him to say "cheese," because cheese is exactly what I'll get!

Everyone else was out in the driveway, and I laughed at the line of curious dogs.

Anne and Duchess

This made me laugh out loud- Anne is blind on one side, and by trying to see outside better she kept getting whacked by the hanging blinds. In frustration she finally attacked the offending drapery.

My cute little graham cracker fan.

Sweet baby Jana

Wyatt LOVES to "dip dip dip" things! I was over the moon about these awesome little corn dog bites we found at Sam's Club- he gobbles them up and I don't have to worry about him gagging himself with the dumb stick.

There is something very liberating for the mommy whose baby begins to feed herself. Yay!

Hammin' it up. I sure love this little squirt.

Just playing

Too tired to get up, but still playing

Mommy and Wyatt

One morning I heard Wyatt calling me for help. Turns out he had found my secret treat stash in the diaper bag, and since he had already eaten all the ones he could open himself, he needed me to open the rest...

...Which I did, figuring the damage was already pretty well done. He was very happy about it!

I accidentally left a bottle of baby puffs in the front room, and Wyatt opened it to give some to Sis. A few spilled.

I love his face- he's smiling but you can tell he's still worried I might get mad at him.

Jana was quite content with the way things turned out for her.

Nice hat, Wyatt.

I got them these cute stripey jammies, and couldn't resist a few pictures.

They really like to be together- I hope that lasts!

Since I had extra hands to help, I braved a trip to the Nature Park last week so we could feed the ducks.

Wyatt and his cousins Ally and Ashleigh. We had a really fun time.

Lee did the Teton Dam Marathon last weekend with his sister Holly. This was about mile 22- doesn't Lee look great? It was around 70 degrees and it was overcast all morning- perfect running weather if you ask me.

Coming into the home stretch- Ashleigh and Ally ran in with them.

Yay Daddy! Someday I'd like to do a marathon- not only to know I could accomplish something like that, but also because Lee lost about 25 pounds training for this one. That's incentive enough for me.

We hope you are all well and happy and not too waterlogged by this constant rain! I don't might putting off the summer heat for a while, truthfully, but it's hard to get a nice tan during a downpour.

Lots of love and raspberry muffins!

L,M,W, J & S

FREE CHOCOLATE!

2009-05-16T00:38:00.000+09:00

Have you heard? The Mars Snackfood company (maker of M&Ms, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Twix and Milky Way...my favorites!) is making an effort to draw attention to the use of vegetable oil instead of cocoa butter in their competitor's chocolate. So to help us all gain an insight into the delicious difference of pure cocoa butter, they are GIVING AWAY FREE CHOCOLATE!

Every Friday from now until the end of September, you can log into

http://www.realchocolate.com/

and if you're one of the first 250,000 you can receive a coupon for a free chocolate bar. The response was so big last week that today they have increased it to the first 500,000 people to log on. The limit is one coupon per person per week (although some of us might enter our husband's name and e-mail address without his knowledge).

Yum, yum and more yum!

Love love love and free sweet, sweet cocoa butter packed chocolate,

Melody

A Little Shout Out

2009-05-15T03:04:00.000+09:00

One of my amazing sisters-in-law has started a new blog, and I think it's awesome. As Tami put it: it's a free-for-all forum for ranting, venting, cheering, and praying. Feel free to come and "throw your trash on the floor" as my therapist used to say. You will feel lighter for hooking your burdens to this cyber-yoke so we can all share! Invite whoever you like. There is no judging here, only "I have so been there!"

Here's the link, feel free to visit and post and pass it along to anyone you think would be interested.

Bite-size Oreos,

Melody

http://middleagedmommyblogs.blogspot.com/

Spring Cleaning

2009-05-07T03:48:00.000+09:00

So, I finally cleaned off my camera and saved all the pictures from the past couple of months. I need to clean off my cell phone camera too, but that will have to wait for another day. So here is what we're doing these days:

Lee- training in earnest for the Teton Dam Marathon, to be followed up 2 weeks after by To Bone and Back. He is handsome and funny and charming and I love him.

Melody- is a little nuts, but she tries hard and we'll give her credit for that.

Wyatt- busy to the extreme. Has taken up piercing screaming as a favorite past time. Loves cars, airplanes, balls- and loves to throw all three at every opportunity. He is hilarious, he talks more and more every day, and I love him.

Jana- is rolling like crazy, and can sit up with minimal help. Loves to laugh at Wyatt and Skeeter and Daddy, is very ticklish. Likes sweet potatoes and bananas best, just like Wyatt did. She is darling and adorable and I love her.

Skeeter- is having a blast chasing all the birds out of our yard, loves to go for walks and runs with me (he did great when we went out for 6 miles and accidentally did 8), and he loves to snuggle. He is helpful and noble and protects us, and I love him.

And pictures:

Wyatt turned 2 on march 22nd. This is the first glimpse he got of his birthday cars.

Way excited about that birthday cupcake. "Oh, YUM!"

I love this little guy.

Opening the cars to play with on the new road rug. Yes, I'm still in my jammies.

I asked him how old he is now, and he was trying so hard to get just two fingers to stay up.

He was having a good time, and I was laughing like a lunatic.

Just playing and laughing. These two have so much fun together!

Smiley Jana

A monumental first at our house: crayon on the kitchen floor! Wyatt pulled a wire drawer out of the microwave stand, filled it with crayons, and pushed it all around the kitchen. Several of them got caught it the wire point down, and as he drove around, they colored the floor. Thank heaven for Mr. Clean magic Erasers!

Easter morning! I couldn't get him to look at the camera, he was WAY too busy.

Oops. Got some Easter grass stuck to my foot.
There are at least 15 jellybeans in his mouth at this point.

Easter Jana!

She couldn't eat any of the candy in her basket, but everyone was willing to pitch in and help.

I couldn't take pictures of everyone else and not snap one of Skeeter! Here's an Easter Beast.

I made Lee take a picture of me to prove I still exist.

Thanks, honey.

Duchess came to stay with us while her family went to Disneyland. I saw them taking a dog nap and thought it was pretty funny.

I remember buying this dress and thinking it would be forever until it fit. Forever went way faster than I thought it would!

This is a regular routine around here. Wyatt will start calling for his boots: "Boots! Where are you boots?" He found them on top of the dresser.

He loves that he can put them on by himself. Skeeter loves when Wyatt puts his boots on too, because it means they can go outside and play. Yay!

I stopped to take a picture to keep from totally losing my temper! I went in the other room for about 3 minutes, and came back to cheese slices and milk on one side of the highchair, bologna pieces and milk on the other side, grapes and milk spread over the tray, and a fair amount of milk in his hair. *sigh* At least he was happy about it.

She has the softest little kissy-cheeks ever. I cant get enough of kissing her!

Hope you're all doing well! Lots of love and a delicious ham quiche,

M,L,W,J and S

I Think I'm in LOVE!

2009-04-23T05:21:00.000+09:00

Okay. Those of you who know me at all are aware that I would rather sit on my tail and shop online than gather from within myself the will to dress myself and my children, compile all the "going-out" stuff and the stroller and haul myself out to any store. Seriously. I'd buy groceries online if I wasn't so embarrassed about how lazy that makes me sound (yes, I've looked into it).

As such, I often peruse my favorite websites and hit them up when the things I want go on sale. For example, last week I finally got a Land's End coat I've had my eye on for months, because now it's 50% off.

Anyway, the last few days I've been poking around Children's Place (one of only a few places I know of that sell pants with adjustable waistbands for the child who continues to grow up but not out). They have a bunch of stuff on clearance, so yesterday I sorted through all the things I have for Wyatt and Jana and settled on what they still need so we're all ready for the next growth spurt. I had a blast, because everything I got was at least 40% below the normal price. As I was checking out, I decided on a whim to google "Children's Place coupons." Lo and behold, I find this random website with an online code to enter- I tried it and it worked!

Hallelujah!

So in addition to everything being on sale, I got an extra 15% off the total. *sweet* And since CP only charges $5 shipping no matter how much you spend, I totally cleaned up! All in all, I got Wyatt 3 shirts, 6 pants, a suit, a pair of shoes, 2 little sweaters, a hat and 2 pairs of jammies, and for Jana I got a dress, a sweater, 3 shirts, a hat and 2 pairs of jammies.

Here's a little sampling of the cute stuff I got (I'm SO excited to take pictures of the kids in the matching dress and sweater vest!!!):

For those of you interested, here's the aforementioned website:

http://get-coupon-code.com/

They have a bunch of stores you can choose to look for coupons for. As I said, I think I'm in love!

One of these days I'll post more family pictures, but here's some of the kids when we went to Blast Off! the other day. Poor quality cell phone pix, so I doctored them up a little. :)

I love this one- even when he's sleepy he just keeps playing!

We hope you're all well and happy! We are nigh unto ecstasy over the nice weather, I've even bought the seeds for this year's garden- the plan is to plant a salsa garden and make and can some delicious salsa this fall. Yipee!

Love love love and Gringo's chips and salsa (second best after Dad's homemade),

LMWJS

Ideas

2009-04-08T06:33:00.000+09:00

I have had a few genius ideas the past few days. Here they are:

1. I'm going to make a new air freshener flavor. Not strawberries and cream, but strawberries and bleach. I had strawberries in the dehydrator the other night, and had just mopped the kitchen floor and man, I could have sat in there for hours just sniffing the air. It smelled clean AND yummy. The major marketing problem is that nobody would buy it but me. I'll have to figure that out.

2. I am going to make picture books of my kids during these years when they are all cute and little, along with stories of funny things they did and said. The genius idea is that I will make TWO copies of each. One for them to have and look at, and one for me to review when I want to strangle them (one day they will be 16 and 14, and I suspect my biggest problems won't be crayon marks on the kitchen floor anymore...)

3. I am going to be extra grateful to a very special mommy I know whose family is so dear to me it about makes my heart burst. Her kids are sweet and funny and have golden hearts, and when we are around them they are SO cute with my kids. How I love them, and to be with them! I know I have some trying and busy years ahead of me, but I have seen an example of how to make everything work and come out with a family still intact with tons of happy memories to sustain through the tough times. I remember my teenage years being hard, but I had no idea what I put my parents through. I'm starting to understand a little more now- and my genius idea is to be SO glad I have someone so close who I can learn from and be prepared for what's to come!

4. I'm going to stop at Albertson's on my way home from work tomorrow, and buy a box of donuts. If there was a Krispy Kreme in this tiny town, I'd go there, but alas Hostess is the best I can do for now!

See? I'm a genius. But I think I'll just keep being a mommy and a nurse while I wait for the White House to call me to save the world.

Sometimes...

2009-03-30T13:03:00.000+09:00

Sometimes I feel this way about my life.

I can't go back,

And I really wouldn't want to anyway.

I can't go forward,

That requires more effort than I am able to give right now.

Turning to the right or left

Means leaving my current (dis)comfort zone.

And sometimes I'd like to stop...

But have you ever told a two year-old and a six month-old that

"Mommy needs a break"

And had it make the slightest difference?

I love the saying

"Wherever you are, be there."

So I think I'll just be right here where I am-

And I'll love it!

Not long before he passed away, Elder Joseph B Wirthlin gave a beautiful talk at General Conference, and he shared some advice his mother gave him as a youth: "Come what may, and love it." I have often had that in my little mind lately, as I've been trying to manage some of the 'what may' that came to my life. Sometimes it's hard to love!

Before I start to sound ungrateful, please understand that there are myriad 'what mays' that came to me that I love with all my heart. I can feel myself dimly groping toward a concept that I imagine many of you already have nailed down: I don't have a great deal of control over what comes, but I have a LOT of control over how I handle it.

So, to my each of my dear friends and family- thank you for helping me to hang on! To Wyatt and Jana (and Skeeter)- hang on and be patient, Mommy is a work in progress but oh, how I love you! And to my sweetheart Lee: thanks for hanging on to me when it would have been easier to run away screaming!

Come what may [buy donuts as needed] and LOVE IT!

YAY SPRING!

2009-03-21T05:07:00.000+09:00

So today is March 20th, otherwise known as Spring First. You may recall about 6 months ago my bitter complaining that the temperatures dropped below freezing on the first day of fall- which is not at all uncommon. What IS uncommon is that on the first day of spring, the weather is divine! It is uncharacteristically warm for March around here (fifty-two degrees with no clouds and a gentle breeze), so we took advantage of it today and had a picnic! The yard still has snow in the corners and the grass is still winter-browned, but we all had a great time!

Jana can support herself well enough to play in the leapfrog activity chair! Wyatt loved it at her age, and it appears she will too!

Mommy and Wyatt self-portrait

They were so patient with me today- I couldn't haul myself out of bed until noon (rough night at work). When I saw the sun shining and no wind, I had to take advantage of it. I made Jana a bottle and Wyatt a plate of hot dogs, pretzels, granola bar, string cheese, a peanut butter sandwich and some yogurt and we pulled out the picnic blanket to sit outside and eat.

Skeeter left his treat inside (I did give him one), so he just waited for Wyatt to share his food!

Little picnic baby

This is the ultimate definition of the phrase" laying in wait."

Skeeter and Wyatt had a rip-roarin' ball game after lunch.

Oops!

Jana got so distracted by Wyatt and Skeeter and airplanes overhead and cars on the highway, she couldn't concentrate on eating!

Wyatt still likes to tromp on the few little snow patches we have left, and Skeeter likes to eat them- they're all slushy now so it's like a doggie snow cone.

Mommy and Jana self-portrait. I know I look like junk, but I worked the last 2 nights and haven't fully come back to humanity yet. I see a nap in my near future!

He looks so noble when he sniffs the passing breezes.

Nice hat, Wyatt!

She has found her feet- I love when they find their feet!

He had a sucker for dessert. He will do just about anything for a sucker- is that where the term "sucker" originated from? ;)

I found out I have some pretty resilient 'shrooms. They survived the winter. How gross.

Peek-a-boo!

Skeeter's favorite part of spring is discovering all the toys and treats that got left outside and then buried under the snow. Seriously, his toy and chew-treat supply has doubled in the last few days.

Wyatt found some rocks that got into the grass over the winter. He sang the clean-up song as he threw them back in. What a sweetheart.

You would have laughed to hear the noise I made to get them all to look at me at the same time- it sounded like a moose call. Everyone came back in, got washed up and settled down to watch Handy Manny while mommy went to blog. And now I will nap!

We hope you are all well and happy. We are looking forward to several friends having cute new additions to their families soon, and we are thinking about and hoping the best for all of them! So each of you get out and get some fresh air, soak up some sunshine, make sure you drink lots of water, and be excellent to each other!

Love and yummy green-frosted St. Patty's day cookies,

M, L, W, J and S

P.S.

There is one tiny thing I don't love about spring. *sigh* Thank heaven for the Clorox Ready Mop!

For the First Time!

2009-03-13T13:54:00.001+09:00

I always laugh at that line from Spaceballs: "At last we meet for the first time for the last time!" We've been enjoying some fun firsts around here lately, and since it's (big surprise) accompanied by a kajillion pictures, I'll just dive right in!

Jana's first vegetables. She's not a fan of peas, clearly! Too bad she takes after her mom there.

I was feeding Jana and Wyatt ran in, saw what I was doing, dashed to the kitchen, and came tearing back with a spoon in hand. He scooped up a huge spoonful of peas. Making it:

The first time Wyatt tried to help feed Jana (certainly not the last).

...Or so I thought. You know what he did with that big bite of peas after Daddy clicked the picture?
HE ATE IT HIMSELF! And then said "Yum!"
I was baffled. Jana ate her fill, Wyatt had a few more bites, and when they were done Skeeter ate the rest of the peas. It was like the Twilight Zone.

Another first and definitely not last- the first time one of my children completely emptied my purse seeking a treat. Is that a treat Wyatt's licking? Nope, it's eye drops!

Jana's first twinset: cute shirt and matching cardigan. Little fashionista. Thanks for the cute outfit, Grammy!

A picture of Skeeter. You know by now I can't make a blog post without a few random dog pictures. When I was a kid I thought it was hilarious to make sure every SINGLE roll of film my mom developed had a picture of our dog. So every week or so I'd grab her camera, snap a picture of whatever the dog was doing, and sneak the camera back where it belonged. This is a deeply ingrained habit, and will likely last my whole life. I still think it's kind of funny.

The first time(s) I got around to snapping some pictures of one of Jana's funny habits. She always wants to see what everyone else is doing, so she's constantly craning her neck and twisting around so she can get a better view.

First photo shoot as a big five month-old!

It never ceases to amaze me how such little babies can so completely hold my heart.

Her fine motor (read: grabbing) skills developed earlier than Wyatt's. This girl has an iron grip!

Her current popular nicknames are Sis, JanaBean, and JanaCake.

An impromptu first- she rolled from back to tummy for the first time while I had a camera in my hands. How convenient!

The first time he fit into the Elmo overalls he got for Christmas. He went around all day saying "Elmo pants! Elmo pants!"

How embarrassing. The first time I turned on the TV just so he could watch it and I could take pictures of him!

I love to kiss his little face, he has the softest little squishy-kissy-cheeks!

It was the first time I had trouble getting him to cheese it up when it was just the two of us. Go figure.

This isn't a first. It's not even a millionth. It's just Mommy and Wyatt being silly together. I hope we have little silly moments together for the rest of our lives!

It really was the first time I deliberately used a treat to get him to pose for a picture.

Victory! Good boy, Skeeter.

Here Skeeter, you missed a crumb.

The first time Duchess (another dog-cousin) got in on Wyatt's I'm-done-eating-so-the-rest-goes-to-the-dogs routine! He was laughing so hard watching these two scramble for the pieces of egg.

The first time I took a picture just to show off Skeeter's pearly whites. He went to the vet, underwent general anesthesia (complete with IV and foley catheter!) and had his teeth scaled and polished.

Jana Upside-Down Cake

I'm going to say it's the first time Wyatt has put one of Skeeter's toys in his mouth. But that's a lie. They sure love to play together, though. And that's the truth.

I often find Wyatt playing with and pretending to read out of books. It was surely the first time I found him reading out of these ones. If I succeed as a mother, he'll read them on his own one day.

The first time I took a picture of Wyatt's microwave antics. He loves to open the door...

...slam it hard and yell, "DING!"

This was a true first- he took the money OUT of the piggy bank, put it IN the microwave...

...then carefully put each one BACK in the pig. I took the picture and then gave him a stern "NO NO NO" lecture about putting money in the microwave. Oddly enough, earlier this week he dropped a handful of coins into the fireplace, too. Does he think we have cash to burn?

The first time Wyatt got to work on paying the bills. What a great helper!

We hope you are all getting as excited for spring as we are! Lee is taking his dirt bike out for the first time this spring on Saturday, and I am going on a road trip to Provo for the first time with only myself and two little munchkins!

Wishing you love, chips, salsa and that your lives continue to have enough firsts to keep it fun and exciting- with a little comfortable routine in between,

L,M,W,J & S

Pay it Forward!

2009-03-06T05:17:00.000+09:00

I've seen this around, and decided to get in on the fun (I reserve the right to have your homemade gift be a delicious treat)!

Here is what you do...the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year, a handmade gift from me! What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, type up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going. Then come back and let me know you are going to play! Then sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! (Please leave your e-mail address in your post to me!)

A New Award

2009-02-26T06:39:00.000+09:00

I didn't watch the Oscars- in fact, I never watch any of those kinds of things. The closest I get is to look at msn.com's Undressed! pictures and laugh at the things some people think are fashionable (for example: http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2006/worstfashion/?photoidx=1).

However, as I was perusing these last few weeks of pictures, I started pondering another type of award: The Laziest Mom of the Year Award! I had been slipping up lately and was almost out of the running, but this month I have found myself as a serious contender again. Every now and then I do a few things that count against me toward earning this honor, but for the most part I just keep tallying up the score!

This one probably counted against me- Wyatt got a HUGE teddy bear for Valentine's Day. He'll be moving to his own room soon, so I wanted him to have a friend to take with him clear to the other end of the house. I worked the night before, so I got home in the morning, woke him up, and put this gigantic bear in his crib. At first he wasn't so sure...

...checking him out up close...

...yeah, I guess I like him.

He kept calling him Baby Bear. That made me laugh.

Some moms give their kids trendy clothes and fun, educational toys. My kids get whatever they can find. He's wearing Jana's headband like a necklace, and playing with a flashlight. He seemed to be enjoying himself, at least.

I'm not sure how this one goes. At least he's learning to economize space- why have a food bowl and a water bowl when you can combine them ALL in to one? (Maybe because the dog won't eat soggy water-logged kibbles?)

He woke up from his nap and I came in to find he organized his crib while he was waiting for me. I guess my chances of this prestigious award go down when you consider that the kid sings the Clean-up Song even when Mom's not around. Although sometimes I hear it like this:
Clean-up! Clean up! (*whump*) Everybody (*whump*) everywhere!
Clean-up! (*whump*) Clean-up! Everybody do your (*whump*) share!
This version means he's cleaned up the crib by throwing everything out of it.

This day really boosted my chances. My kids were playing in the front room while I went to read the beginning of Midnight Sun again. It got really quiet (this strikes terror into the heart of a mom), so I went to see what they were doing. Jana passed out on the floor-

-and Wyatt turned the swing on, climbed in, and went to sleep. Only the best of the lazy moms can get their kids to nap without any direction from the parent! Woo hoo!

A few days later. I bought them cute matching headrest pillows for Christmas, but Wyatt seems to prefer a blankie and Mickey in the laundry basket. Another remarkable point in my favor is that my 4 month-old totally watches tv. I didn't even think she could see the screen from more than a few feet yet. I think I'm winning!

I told Wyatt to go get in his highchair. I guess he thought I wouldn't notice the difference. Does it count against my earning my award that I did in fact notice it wasn't Wyatt?

Wyatt loves PB&J, but we only have it when I'm feeling up to cleaning it up afterwards. Just the best of us lazy moms dictate the menu by whether we want to clean. Go, Melody!

This has nothing to do with anything. I just wanted a picture of Skeeter. He got his teeth brushed with his favorite chicken-flavored dog toothpaste.

Do you think she knows it's not her mom playing with her but instead a plastic pumpkin bucket?

I hope you caught the tongue-in-cheek tenor of my posting. While I am kind of hard on myself sometimes, I also know it's foolish to try and make myself run faster than I have strength, or expect to be perfect all the time. The best I can do is try to be perfect sometimes and even if I never quite get it right, I am confident that I would still be a shoo-in for the Mom Who Loves Her Family More Than Anything award!

Busy busy busy

2009-02-12T10:36:00.000+09:00

Sometimes I think I'm a really busy person. Sometimes I think that's self-inflicted.

Sometimes I think Wyatt is really busy, but he has a lot of important work to do and things to explore. Far be it for me or my ritualistic cleaning to get in the way.

Here's how being busy influenced us today...

I confess that I turn to these Homestyle Bakes on nights when I otherwise wouldn't cook at all. Jana has been really out of sorts today, and while I was busy not putting her down (she'd have none of that), I made an interesting discovery: these can be prepared and put in to bake with JUST ONE HAND! That's right, I made dinner without putting Jana down. So dear Homestyle Bakes, thank you.

Here Wyatt is busy throwing himself on the bed and laughing like a loon. Skeeter was busy keeping watch, as usual.

One item on his to-do list: knock over the hamper, empty it, and open the blinds.
Check.

Take random items out of several different drawers, leave where they can be stepped on.
Check.

Somehow manage to get frosting on toes.
Check.
(It was really funny to see him trying to lick it off, but I wasn't fast enough with the camera!)

Frost cookie. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Eat cookie.
Check.

Before it sounds like I'm complaining, I have to say that more often than not I laugh at his antics (except yesterday when he found a VHS and removed the tape and threaded it through the baby gate) and am pleased that he's discovering new things. And I laughed out loud after this conversation today:

Mom, putting a pan of cookies in the oven: "There go the cookies!"
Wyatt, looking through the oven window: "Bye, cookies! I love you!"

Having a Good Time!

2009-02-06T09:14:00.001+09:00

I am happy to report that...I have nothing to report!

We are just cruising along, enjoying each day, enjoying the fun ages the kids are at now, and enjoying the time we have together. We have been working on a few little projects around the house (remember the pink fairy bedroom? Not pink any more! No more purple trim! No more fairies! YAY!), and I have been trying to keep up with the everyday things (I think it may be a lost cause, but I'll be darned if dirty dishes and piles of laundry get the better of me!). Lee is sweet and funny, Wyatt is busy and funny, Jana is sweet and over her flu, and Skeeter is furry and funny. And sweet.

We have a coven (?) of squirrels around here, so Skeeter spends a lot of his outside time barking. You can hear said barking in the house, and every so often Lee will translate the barks. Yesterday I was sitting in the front room feeding Jana, and I heard Lee let Skeeter out. As he walked back into the kitchen he started muttering the translation. I don't know if he knew I could hear him, which made the following little dialogue all the more funny.

Skeeter: Bark! Bark!
Lee, under his breath: My yard! Mine!
Skeeter: Bark bark bark!
Lee, quietly: Who are these strange creatures?
Skeeter: Bark! Bark bark bark!
Lee: I am master of this domain!
Skeeter: Bark bark bark bark!
Lee, softly: Get away from my yard! It's mine! I'll eat you!

I am so lucky to have found Lee, not only because he is wonderful and handsome and kind and hard-working, but also because he has my most favorite sense of humor, and I can't stay in a bad mood when I'm around him!

Now pictures.

I brought a balloon home the other day for Wyatt to play with, but it turned out Jana really liked it too! I love the look of total awe on her face.

She laughed and kicked and wiggled like crazy while she played with it.

The first time I heard Jana do a real belly laugh was while Wyatt was smacking the balloon she was holding. I'd heard it said, but now know how true it is that the sound of your children laughing together is pretty much the best sound in the world.

Finally, a solution to how to dress a tall boy with no hips or waist to speak of!

Man, he couldn't pry that thing open fast enough!

I walked in the front room and found Jana buried.

The cute little culprit wasn't far off. "Wyatt, we don't bury sis, ok?" "Ok!"

Wyatt really loves Mickey, and tends to his needs. When Wyatt is busy playing with something else, he puts Mickey in the swing and turns it on for him.

A handy Mickey-carrying case.

Skeeter loves the day the dog food bin gets refilled!

Wyatt has always been very interested in the camera, and lately he's decided that pictures must be better if you get as close to the lens as possible.

The sun was out and it was a little warmer yesterday (*snort*), so we all went for a walk.

Bundled up and ready to go!

If you say "walk" or anything that rhymes with it, you'd better be willing to follow through. He takes walks very seriously!

It's kind of sad how excited I was that it was warm enough to get the kids out. A whopping 28 degrees, and yet much warmer than it has been...

Man, that's a lot of snow!

So it's not swaying palm trees, but the cold does provide it's own kind of beauty.

Before you call me nuts, I feel compelled to explain why I feel winter walks are worth all the hassle of gathering blankets, hats, coats, gloves, a collar and a leash- these were taken 12 minutes after we got home (seriously, I watched the clock).

Walks totally rock.

I can't explain it, but it makes me laugh.

Hope you are all well and happy and avoiding the flu! Lots of love and delicious phat cow fudge!

Ready?

2009-01-22T07:29:00.000+09:00

I must say "Are you ready?" a lot to Wyatt, because quite often he'll be about to do something (take a bite of food, have his diaper changed, jump off the stairs) and he will ask himself "weady?" It's pretty cute. So- are you ready? Here comes another lengthy picturiffic post!

Lee is wonderful, I love him, and he bought us a Wii. He's funny, he named his mii Lii. The kids love Daddy, and Skeeter and Wyatt go dashing to the front window whenever I say "Daddy's home!"

I'm fine. I'm back in the groove of work, and I have manged to still cook dinner most nights. My mii's name is Melodii.

Wyatt is at such a fun age- you can actually watch him learn new things and try new things and test new boundaries (incidentally, how do you put a kid in time out while he's taking a bath?). He loves to play with toys, especially all the toys from Aunt Marianne (thank you again!) and to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ("Kicky? Kicky?"). When we have hot dogs for lunch he sings "Haw daw, haw daw!" and when we put the toys away before naps and bedtime he sings, "Clee-up, clee-up!"

Jana is doing great. She sleeps all night, she naps well during the day and is smiley and giggly when she's awake. She likes me ok, but she LOVES Daddy. She will coo and sing and laugh when Daddy plays with her. What a sweetheart.

Skeeter is furry and we love him. He is super glad that I'm feeling up to getting everyone out for walks again, and I am super glad that the weather has been somewhat compliant to be able to (see below)!

So here's the photo documentary of our lives to date.

I LOVE when a new baby starts to smile and interact- you get to see their little personality start to emerge!

Jana and sweet cousin Kate

Wyatt, Jana and ultra cool cousin Paul

Christmas Day- the wings are embroidered on the pillow, but I didn't notice until after that it makes her look like a little baby angel. We already think of her that way anyway!

My favorite gift of 2008

Skeeter in the snow

Wyatt really liked his new frog pillow and blanket. Good call, Santa.

Opening presents Christmas morning

'Twas the night before Christmas...

...and all through the house....

...not a creature was stirring....

...except Mommy with the camera! Please note what Lee's reading. He did it totally on his own, I swear.

I'm a dork, I know. I thought they were hilarious, though. Merry Christmas, Skeeter!

JanaBean

Putting on Christmas Eve jammies!

Wyatt and Daddy opening his first Christmas Eve jammies!

Here Wyatt gives "milk bath" a whole new twist. After this picture, he got a water bath.

It's not as huge as it looks, I was crouching down. But it was still an awful lot of snow.

Deep and drifted snow!

Frosty pine in the front yard. Daddy shoveled multiple times daily for about a week while this storm raged on and on. Special thanks to Uncle Brian for letting us borrow his snow blower a few times!

Funny things happen when it snows a lot, then blows a lot, and then freezes. This is the drift in the front yard by the driveway.

The front of the truck after said snowing and blowing. It was an extremely east-bound wind!

Skeeter can't walk through snow this deep, so he lopes like a deer. It's SO funny.

It snowed a TON right around Christmas- I was glad we weren't planning on traveling, because we would have cancelled those plans!

Christmas Baby

Wyatt was running away to play, but gave Jana a quick kiss before he left. What a sweet big brother.

My Christmas Elves. I can't believe Christmas 2006 I had no children, and Christmas 2008 I have two! I think I will try the novelty of NOT having a baby this year. :)

Jana would cry without her pacy, and Wyatt didn't feel like holding still, so I'm glad we got any pictures at all!

Ha ha! Huge dog nose!

Sweet little Christmas Jana. Demonstrating a healthy tonic neck reflex.

Christmas Beast

I had imagined taking cute pictures of Wyatt holding Jana by the tree. It took about two seconds to give up on that idea!

We hope you are all well and happy and enjoying the shiny brand-new year. We are looking forward to achieving our lofty goals this year, and wish you all luck in yours!

Love and tasty Chocolate No-Bake Cookies (in our house they are affectionately called "Poo Stacks"),

L,M,W,J and S

USE ONLY AS DIRECTED

2009-01-08T16:02:00.000+09:00

If you ever get the chance to chat with my brother Matt, he'll tell you some funny Ambien stories. Even though I only use it once in a while, I think I may have acquired a story from my own Adventures in Ambienland.

Here's what the pamphlet Walgreens gives you says:

This medicine may cause dizziness. DO NOT DRIVE, OPERATE MACHINERY, OR DO ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE DANGEROUS until you know how you react to this medicine. CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR if you continue to have trouble sleeping or notice changes in your behavior or thinking. SOME PATIENTS TAKING THIS MEDICINE have performed certain activities while they were not fully awake. These have included sleep-driving, making and eating food, making phone calls, and having sex. Patients often do not remember these events after they happen. Such an event may be more likely to occur if you use a high dose of this medicine.

Had I but known. Prepare to enter the Tale of Melody's Midnight Brownies, starring Ambien CR.

The Tale
Date: December 30-31, 2008
Time: Between 21:30 and 02:00
Weather Conditions: Gentle snow falling

I was getting ready for bed, and took an Ambien. I plan on around 30 minutes for it to take effect, and in all my wisdom, I managed to get in a little "discussion" with Lee in that 30 minute window. In all honesty, I have no idea what it was about. But I was mad. So mad. So mad, in fact, that I left the bedroom and came into the kitchen all upset. I was ticked at Lee and (here's where you can tell the Ambien starts working- my logical thought processes get all screwed up) I decided the best way to get back at him was to force myself to stay awake through my Ambien and MAKE SOME NEW YEAR'S EVE GOODIES! Ooooh, that'll show him!
... yeah.

I had a recipe my sil Tami gave me that I'd been meaning to try and it suddenly seemed as though no time in the history of mankind was so perfect as THIS moment to make some peppermint brownie pops! So I did. Even in my perfectly gorked state (or perhaps because of said state) I documented the whole train wreck. Here goes!

This is the mess of preparing the brownies. I remember leaning on the counter for support because I was SO dizzy. I laid down on the kitchen floor to rest while the brownies were baking.

Brandishing a knife while in this state was potentially dangerous. I had asked Lee to get me a box of candy canes while he was getting the groceries. No joke, he brings home this ginormous box of 52 candy canes. What am I gonna do with over 4 dozen candy canes?!?

Scooping the warm brownie into balls, and inserting the peppermint stick. I remember at the time saying aloud to myself, "These look like poop on a candy cane!" Then I laughed to myself, because I thought I was so freakin' hilarious.

Pretty much delirious by now, I looked and thought to myself, "Now that's not very many. I better bake two more batches of brownies!"

In they go! I distinctly remember almost falling as I put the pan in the oven- my equilibrium was non-existent by then.

Yeah, that looks like it might be enough (*psh!* If it were the main course! What was I thinking?)

Time to melt down some Symphony bars to dip the brownies in. I don't have a double-boiler, so this is what I came up with at midnight, 2 hours post-Ambien. While the chocolate melted, I went and laid in the doorway of the kitchen, deciding the carpet was actually pretty comfy.

Hmm. How to get these cane crooks into mashed up pieces?

Yeah, the Magic Chopper! Full of hard candy canes in the middle of the night! That won't wake up the kids at ALL!

Lots of dipping and rolling and here's the finished product! I thought they were very tasty, particularly considering my pseudo-intoxicated condition while preparing them. I accidentally broke several while I was making them, so I think the grand total was exactly 4 dozen brownie pops. Gee, I hope it's enough...

At the last minute I decided against taking a picture of all the dirty dishes I washed, but even though I was by all definitions sleep-walking by now, I unloaded and loaded the dishwasher again. The only evidence of my nighttime revenge was an inconspicuous 48 brownie pops! I bet Lee really learned his lesson for whatever it was he did or didn't do.

I will get around to posting Christmas and our fun snowstorm pictures soon, but I have a confession.

...shh....

I took an Ambien two hours ago and I can barely see to type and lack sufficient balance to stand. I'm going to crawl to bed now!

Although here's some quickies in case you've forgotten what we look like!

JanaBean 3 months old!

Skeeter and cousin-dog Puppy romping in the snow.

I was taking pictures of the snow and Wyatt wanted to see what I was up to.

They love to chill and play together.

I hope you are all well and happy, and that this new year is being nice to you thus far. Lots of love and leftover holiday treats, and plenty of good, restorative sleep!