Allred Family

Eggs Florentine

2010-11-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

So this is what I had for dinner.

Garlic, sliced
Mexican Squash (or Zucchini or yellow squash)
Handful of spinach leaves
Green Onion Stalk
Green Bell Pepper, sliced
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
2 eggs

I sliced up some garlic, Mexican squash, green onion, bell pepper and added a handful of spinach to a frying pan. I topped it all with some olive oil and sea salt. I turned up the heat to medium and sauteed a little while I added 2 eggs on top. I stir everything up while it cooked. Then when it was done, I served it up all nice and pretty on a plate. I suppose you could add cheese or serve it with toast. But I ate it as is. Best of all it was ready in 10 minutes or less.

Low Calorie Chicken and Veggie Alfredo

2010-10-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be very unpolished, just written as I was trying to remember what I cooked tonight.

This is a great low calorie meal. I made this only for me, but I could definitely increase the portions and make enough for the whole family. I try out things on myself and then if I like it, we can make it for everyone.

Chicken & Veggie Alfredo

Assorted Veggies chopped in bite size pieces (broccoli, cauliflower, Mexican (green) onion, zucchini, and yellow squash) I did 2-3 cups just for me =)

Frozen, yet previously cooked chicken breast (5 oz) (I cook all my chicken breast in advance and then freeze individual portion sizes)

Walden Farms Alfredo Sauce

Assorted spices (garlic powder/salt, sea salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, cayenne – this was a mistake but turned out well. I accidently poured some over my veggies and chicken in the pan and then rinsed it all out, but a small residue stayed and added a bit of a kick.)

Olive Oil

Miracle Noodle/Shirataki Noodles

Chop all your veggies. Reheat the chicken. Once the chicken is warm, slice into bite-sized pieces, unless you have a really good knife that will let you cut frozen cooked chicken. Place about a teaspoon or so of olive oil in the pan and add veggies and pre-cooked chicken. Season with spices. Once the chicken and veggies are done, top with Alfredo sauce, about 1-2 tbls, just enough to coat the food, not overwhelm it.

Shiritaki noodles, just need to be drained and rinsed and dried. I decided to toss them in the same pan as the chicken and veggies (on one side) to just heat them a bit, but it’s not required. Shiritaki noodles don’t have much flavor and will pick up the flavor from the food it’s served with. Shiritaki/miracle noodles as I learned from googling it are noodles made from plant fibers (yam flour) and have no calories and less than 1 g of carbs per serving. Compare that to the 20g per serving on regular noodles.

Top the noodles with the Chicken and Veggie Alfredo. Add a salad on the side (half the plate) topped with your favorite Walden Farms dressing.

The only calories from this meal come from the salad, veggies, chicken and the olive oil. Seriously, Walden Farms – zero, miracle noodles – zero.

BBQ Chicken Fajita Salad

2010-10-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

I have been gone, I know. Did you know I moved? I digress. I made myself dinner tonight and I loved it. I have affectionately named it BBQ Chicken Fajita Salad. Call it what you like but it's rather easy to make.
1 T (or so) Olive Oil
Sea Salt
3-5 oz already cooked chicken breast (I have some cooked and frozen in the freezer and heat as I need it)
1 bell pepper (I used green but you can use all colors if you want), sliced
6 mushrooms (average size - nothing special), sliced
Salad/Lettuce/Spinach
BBQ sauce - I use Walden Farms

Make your salad however you like. I only had lettuce and spinach. Set aside on a plate.
In a small pan add olive oil and sea salt. Turn on medium heat and add chopped veggies. Joe was chopping onions for something and I grabbed a pinch of onions. Saute' until soft but still crunchy (peppers and onions.)
Add chicken to pan and add about 1 T (more or less) of BBQ sauce on top. Cook and break chicken into bite sized pieces while it's heating. The goal here is to brown it and create BBQ looking marks with the cooked sauce.
Top salad with chicken and veggies and enjoy.

Try it and let me know what you think.

Sea World 2010

2010-05-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

The first video from Sea World is Joseph's narration of the Penguin Encounter. It's quite refreshing to hear his perspective on things.

The next video is very short and is of the Beluga Whales.

The next ones are various photos from Sea World (including Shamu.)

I've had this post in draft for a while. I was waiting until I had all the videos put together. Sea World was pretty fun. We went on Atlantis 3 times. I went on the other water ride once, but Joseph went on it twice. They have this high tech dryers that will help dry you off for $5. I did not use them, but another couple was done and told Joseph he could go in and use the rest of their time. We watched a couple shows (Shamu; Sesame Street; and Seal, Sea Lion, Otter.) I took photos of the fish in the aquarium there but did not compile them into a video.

Birds, Sea Lions and the Ocean

2010-05-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos Joseph took from the boat of the animals we saw. I took maybe one or two, but Joseph took the majority of them. I forgot to mention that we also saw the movie Oceans while on our trip. Based on the ear flaps the animals are either sea lions or fur seals.

Trawling on the Ocean Odyssey

2010-05-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

After breakfast, we went to the pier to take a ride on the Ocean Odyssey. After a quick safety demonstration we left the pier and headed out into the Pacific Ocean. I have never been on a boat in the ocean before. They had the children help set out the net (otter trawl.) Then a couple minutes later, we all pulled on the rope to bring the net up. Then the children sat around and learned about some of the animals that were caught. Duplicate animals were tossed back into the ocean. Joseph took some great photos of the animals, due to the release form, I can only post the photos without other children in them, so enjoy the video below.

The Otter Trawl

**ps stay tuned for what else we saw on the boat in the next blog....

Breakfast at Sharkey's

2010-05-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

As part of the Oceanography trip we ate breakfast and dinner on Tuesday at Sharkey's. It's a bait, tackle, kayak rental and food place on the pier. The breakfast was continental style with eggs, bacon, pancakes and muffins, etc. It was really good. While on the pier, Joseph took pictures of the various birds he saw, fish that people on the pier had caught, animals in the tanks, and many other things. I put together a little video of his photos, but since I don't have a photo release, I can't publish them as they have other people in them. So please leave a comment and I can email you the video.

Oceanography Trip

2010-04-29T16:27:00.022-07:00

Joseph and I went on an Oceanography trip this week. The trip was a field trip as part of a school club. The school hired Project Exploration. They put on trips all the time for schools. All year we've been attending the Oceanography club learning about the oceans and sea animals. We left for California early Monday morning and upon arrival in San Diego we went to Coronado Beach to create sand animals and then we went to Seaport Village for dinner and to walk around. Afterwards we went to the movies and saw the new Disney movie Oceans. Then we headed to our hotel to sleep as Tuesday we were getting up bright and early for a busy day. These are Joseph's videos of his visit to Seaport Village.

Coronado Bridge

Seaport Village Part 1

Christmas Gift Shoppe

Seaport Village Part 2

Did you know hair gets darker when it's wet.

2010-04-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sam loves his purple eyes. They really are blue with a ring of violet around the pupil. But if you tell him they are blue he will either yell at you "MY EYES ARE NOT BLUE THEY ARE PURPLE!" or he will respond calmly, "Well actually... they are purple."

He loves his BLONDE hair. Mom's hair is brown. Dad's hair is brown. Adam's hair is blonde. Joseph's hair is almost brown. Josh's hair is brown. When he takes a bath and his hair turns brown he gets upset that his hair isn't blonde. The other day, he ran into the bathroom while his hair was still wet, and upset said "it's still brown." About an hour later he ran into the bathroom and got very exicted, "My hair is blonde again!!"

Three-yeear-olds, crazy temperaments and funny attitudes.

Give Aways

2010-04-21T11:35:00.000-07:00

A whole lot of my blog buddies (I read their blogs whether I know them personally or not) are having give-aways. This will be your one-stop shop linking to those give-aways.

My cool friend at My Frugal Lifestyle is having a give away of some really snazzy designer purses that another blogger she knows makes!! I like the Bella Blue style. The designer is LauraOh! Designs. Read her other posts this week as it's give away week all week!!

My really cool author friend Sarah M Eden, you might remember me being interviewed in her blog, is having a give-away and drops random clues on her blog. She recently had one of her books released and it is on sale now at Deseret Books. In fact, it's in the top ten!! Way to go Sarah! Read the latest clue here.

If you live in Utah (I don't) and want to attend the Utah Valley Women's Expo, you can get free tickets here. And while you are at the expo enter the give-away for the wheat grinder. You can read more about it on the same link.

Good luck.

Disney Volunteers

2010-04-12T21:17:00.000-07:00

Last year Disney had the promotion where you could go to Disneyland (or World) on your birthday for free. I registered the whole family, however the only convenient option was for Joe and me to go for our birthdays and anniversary. I bought 2 discounted 2-day park hopper passes online so we could each go every day. On my birthday I used my free pass and Joe used his first day ticket. On our anniversary we both used our tickets at both parks, and on his birthday I used the last day of my ticket and he used his free pass. Since our birthdays are 2 days apart and our anniversary is right in the middle it makes celebrating easy. This was Joe’s first visit to Disneyland and both of our first visit to California Adventure.

This year Disney’s promotion made it possible for the entire family to go all at once. The only problem was actually trying to get registered for it. Everyone was trying to register for the promotion. We were able to finally get accepted to volunteer somewhere and I was excited about that. I have heard there are volunteer vacations that people can do but I don’t know much about them. I remember reading a brief article once about them in LDS Living magazine. So I was excited that that with this promotion, the kids could earn their ticket and go. All but Sam were eligible

The first appointment that I set up only would take adults. I would have done it but it while partially while I was at work so Joe got to take it. It was working at a bake sale for a retirement community fundraiser event. He had fun. They even fed him. I should have done this job. What I got to do with the boys (Adam, Joseph and Joshua) is yard work. We brought 3 hibiscus plants. The boys each planted one. Then we asked what else we could do. We went and placed mulch down over a flower garden. Then we shoveled gravel and moved it from a big gravel pile to another area where they were laying down plastic. Under that plastic had been weeds, which Joseph had helped weed. It was fun nonetheless.

About a week later, we received our vouchers by email. Now it's time to plan a trip.

Photos

Adam working hard

Joshua posing

Joseph planting
Adam posing

Give Away Winner

2010-04-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

I had a give-away but it didn't go over very well. Maybe next time. Any how, I kept points in excel and today it gave me a random number and the winner is:

Jana

I'll email you to get your address and mail you the fabulous prize.

Faith

2010-04-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

I earned my Beehive, Mia Maid, Laurel and Young Woman Recognition awards while I was a youth. Due to changes in the current YW program, women can earn the new personal progress medallion by completing the same requirements as the young women AND earn an honor bee charm AND earn another medallion (they have both silver AND gold.) Our ward has decided to allow and support the Relief Society sisters who are willing to earn the medallions for the first or second (or again third) time. I decided I would earn them now too. I've read through the whole book and decided to start with Faith.

I pray. I don't pray regularly, but I do pray. Sometimes it's in the middle of the day and only in my mind, but I need to get back into the habit of praying morning and night. So I decided to start with the first Faith value. It requires reading scriptures (and conference talks) about Faith and making a habit of prayer for 3 weeks. I started Sunday, although I started reading before that, I figured it'd be easier to remember which day I started praying if it were a Sunday. I've done well, I’ve forgotten to pray a couple mornings and so I prayed when I remembered.

So here's the point of this message - Ether 12: 6 "...Faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." The majority of this that I am referencing is that you can't receive a witness (testimony) of Faith until after you've been tried. I've had many trials of my faith. Not necessarily doubting my testimony but more of doubting things that will come to fruition because I cannot see the future. I am going through one right now. My knowledge tells me we won't get a house. We had planned to buy, but due to a miscommunication, we are going to continue saving for a larger down payment. We still want a house, so we are looking to rent. I have faith that we will find something wherever it is best for us to live. Faith tells me that it'll all work out. I need to trust in the Lord that he'll do what's ultimately best for me even if it's not what I want.

Home Shopping

2010-03-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

So the other day I applied for a mortgage and got pre-qualified. I was so surprised. I know it's not a guarantee (yet) but I am really excited that instead of moving into a house to rent we can buy one. We told our Bishop during tithing settlement last year that we planned to move into a house. I'm excited. I hope the loan is approved and we find a house that we like.

Admiration

2010-03-09T23:04:00.001-07:00

Have you ever looked at your children with complete admiration? I secretly check them out while thinking about what handsome men they will be. I hope their good looks will be surpassed by their good nature.

I was checking out Joshua the other day. He's so gorgeous. And he's sweet and an all around good kid. I was admiring him, forgetting all his flaws and mistakes and looking at him for all his goodness. He demonstrated his goodness today. His brothers were playing a game and he knows they can be rather competitive and he wanted to play too. He told them he wanted to play but just for fun, they didn't need to keep his score. He was showing his peace-making skills.

Sam was sleeping. I love to look at my boys when they are sleeping. They are so peaceful and it's the only time they aren't trying to drive anyone crazy! I was noticing how much (as always) Sam looks like Joe. His personality is a lot like mine, but he looks like Joe. I admire him when out of the blue he'll say "I love you," "you have pretty green eyes," or "you're awesome." He gets his affirmations from his dad. I admire his willingness to show unconditional love and express his love for others.

Adam is going to be such a great man. He's still learning and growing. He can be very sensitive to some things and I attribute that to teen hormones, but that sensitivity shows me his softer side. He is really good at remembering to open my door and let ladies enter first. I was thinking about that today how he can be chivalrous and I hope he finds a girl that appreciate that. I look at him and admire how mature he wants to be. Although he wants to grow up quickly, at this time he's still happy to be my little boy. (don't tell him I said that!)

Joseph is a momma's boy (they all are actually, but he's more so.) He wants to do everything for me. I admire him for his servitude. We went to a wedding reception the other day and Joseph was in the kitchen helping them dish and serve cake and various foods. He was so well-behaved. Joseph has ALWAYS been a good helper and getting him to help out is actually the best way to get him to behave. His teachers at church let him get the classroom ready and pick up the chalk and eraser from the library. When he helps, he feels needed. I admire his service to others. He is the first one to fall asleep and I stare at him praying that he'll have friends and success in his life.

I feel like I can understand how Heavenly Father and Jesus felt when they created man and saw that it was good!!! I feel joy in my posterity when I look at my children with admiration.

Get Your Face On!

2010-02-24T19:12:00.003-07:00

So there was this party called Get Your Face On. I read about it here and then it linked to here. I read about it on the date the party was actually supposed to happen, so I obviously didn't make the deadline. However, I liked the idea so much I decided to have my own party. So here's me getting my face on. Now, my dear friends, it's your turn. Post it on your blog, link it back to this post and leave a comment so I can see yours too. I've decided to have a giveaway to get people interested in doing this too (see below.) I don't always have personal entries on my blog, but I hope to add more do-it-yourself type entries as well. I wear make-up when I go to work, sometimes when I go to church and occasionally on days off. I like to let my skin rest so I don't wear it every day. So here goes:

My before and after shots (some of the coloring is due to lighting, but I took the shots from the same place in my bathroom):

How I do it. These are my make-up brushes. I've labeled them so I can reference them by number later. This set of brushes came with my starter kit from Simply Karen. It is a mineral make-up company. I purchased their Allure Collection to get started. It came with everything but lip products. Now you'll see as I go through this that not all my make-up is mineral make-up.

1) Foundation Buffer Brush

2) Perfect Coverage Concealer Brush

3) Multipurpose Powder Brush

4) Dual Ended Shadow & Blender Brush (large side)

5) Dual Ended Shadow & Blender Brush (small side)

So I start by applying my foundation (right) all over my face with brush #1. I gather enough foundation on my brush, tap off the extra and apply all over. Then I use brush #2 to apply a slightly yellower foundation (mineral foundation) around my eyes, alongside my nose and on any blemishes I might have.

Next I apply blush (left) with brush #3. You can see there are chunks of blush in the container. Before I used the mineral I was using another blush which broke, so I put it into the top of the mineral container. I keep cotton balls in each container to prevent spilling. Most of the blush I actually use is mineral residue still on the cotton ball. I tap it into the lid and swirl the brush around the lid, tap to remove excess and apply along my cheek bones.

After my blush, I move up to my eyes. I first use eye liner. My current product is from Yves Rocher and is green. Since it is green, I am using green shadow, too. The green really makes my eyes look green too. I line the top almost all the way and try to get a little off to the side. Then, I line the bottom about halfway. I use my little finger to smudge or the smudger on pencil to blend the lines so they aren't too harsh.

Next I apply (with brush #4) a light eyeshadow all over my eye lids. If I want to highlight the arch on my eyebrows, then I will use a very light (white, silver, cream) color right below the brow. Then I apply a darker shadow (with brush #5) diagonally from the inside corner of my eye to the outer edge of my eye brow and then straight down to my crease. I also use whatever is left on brush #5 and follow my eye liner (top and bottom) to seal my eye liner, which prevents smudging. I finish off with mascara on top and bottom lashes. I only apply one coat for daytime, however I will add a second coat if I am going out or dressing up. I prefer smudge-proof over waterproof.

Lastly, I line my lips and fill them in with color. I like darker cool colors on my lips. I always keep a tube of lipstick in my purse. Currently I line my lips with Artistry's Wine Liner. My lipstick in my make-up box is Lancome and in my purse is L'Oreal.

Are you ready to "Get Your Face On?" I am having a give-away. This give-away goes until 3/31. So you have until then to do any of these things. I'll hold the drawing the beginning of April. I don't have the exact prize picked out yet, but it will be make-up. Good luck! If you are a boy, you are more than welcome, to still post photos of your routine. Here are the rules:

Sink Bath

2010-02-20T18:55:00.001-07:00

When the boys were babies I often bathed them in the sink or bathed with them in the tub. I am not sure how much they enjoyed it. Sam loves to take a bath and will often jump in the shower with anyone willing (or even not so willing) to allow him to join. He even gets upset if we weren't planning on bathing and he wants to. He doesn't like to be cleaned with soap or shampoo. He just really enjoys playing in the water. He often plays in the sink with the water washing his hands, filling up cups and pouring them out, typical toddler/preschooler water play. Today, we heard Sam in the bathroom giggling and making all sorts of noise. We were so surprised to find him like this:

Silly Sam!!

Braces

2010-02-18T16:12:00.000-07:00

Joshua went to the orthodontist today and got braces. He chose green and gold for St Patty's Day. His next appointment is right after so it was fitting to have those colors now. He is so excited to get braces.

How rude!

2010-02-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

I came out to my car this morning and saw the front passenger door was unlocked and slightly opened. I guess it was left unlocked last night. Any way, the would-be thief stole my Sandisk Sansa mp3 player full of conference, church, other religious, and downright awesome music (but it needed to be charged,) $2 that belongs to my kids from recycling cans, and a shiny blue small notebook we use to track car repairs, gas mileage, etc. Sounds like a kid got into my car and took stuff. Bad kid. I filed a police report, but nothing will probably come of it.

Interview

2010-02-05T02:10:00.001-07:00

It's official: I have a new friend. I was interviewed by my friend and author Sarah M Eden. Check out the interview here. She is having a contest on her site, so you'll need to leave a comment.

Canning & Year's Supply.

2010-02-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been canning. My parents got me a pressure canner for Christmas because Katie Forsberg taught 2 canning classes at church and got me excited about canning. I always wanted to learn. My friend Madeline used to do it all the time, but I thought it was this horrible process. I suppose it could be if you have to cut up a bunch of fruit and spend all day doing it. But I haven't had that experience yet so for me it is very easy, refreshing, exciting and rewarding. Since Christmas I have canned beans, ground beef, chicken (twice,) made my own spaghetti sauce and canned it, and am planning to do another batch of ground beef tonight. Joe loves how easy it is to have prepared meats available to use. No worry about freezer burn or food spoilage. I love it!! I want to make some fruit juice jelly next.
Also I have been working on our year's supply. I highly recommend using this site and signing up for their baby steps. I am a little behind but I am in the process of assembling our 72-hour kits. Joe has also made me a can rotation shelf for the kitchen island and I am excited to use it. The plans were off this site too, but since Joe has awesome carpenter skills, he made a custom one that would fit our shelves (length and height.)
So canning is actually helping us build our year's supply even more. I can about 6-7 quart jars at a time and we maybe use 1 or 2 per week (total.)

Oh NO!

2010-01-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I have all these things I wanted to blog about, but I got too busy to write them down. I wanted to blog about going to Magic Mountain with Adam, Joseph's birthday and things we've been doing since. Oh well, we are still alive.

Remembering Adam's Birth

2010-01-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

Since Adam recently had a birthday I decided to share our experience about that day with you.

I was due January 8, 1997. My mom went to California for two weeks during Christmas and made me promise that Adam wouldn’t be born until she came back (12-28.) I told her I’d do my best but couldn’t guarantee anything.

I was working while I was pregnant with Adam. I had Cigna insurance so I didn’t have a steady doctor, as they were designed where you would have any of their OB doctors. On Friday, December 27th I went in for my 38 week visit and asked the doctor if he’d release me from work early. I have this terrible fear of going into labor in public (work, church, etc) and would have preferred to spend my last 2 weeks at home relaxed, not stressed. He said he couldn’t do that because there was no medical reason to release me from work. So I was bummed that I’d have to go to work on Monday and be worried for 2 more weeks.

It was right after Christmas (28th) so I took the tree down and packed up the Christmas decorations. I decided I might as well pack my bag for the hospital. The lists mothers are given to prepare for the hospital trip are outrageous. The baby is not going to need 5 pairs of clothes for a 1-2 day stay. Most hospitals are pretty generous with diapers, formula, clothes and blankets to use while there. The more children I’ve had the less I’ve taken to the hospital. My mom was also coming home that day so I was getting everything out the way so we could spend time together over the New Year’s holiday.

That night at about 7-8 at night I was laying on our guest room bed reading a book when I moved my leg and heard a pop. You know the sound you get when your hip joint pops. That was the sound. Being very pregnant I had to go to the bathroom too. So as soon as I passed the carpeted hall and hit the tile floor my water broke. Everywhere!! I started screaming for help. I wasn’t sure if my water had broken or if I wet my pants a whole lot. I was new to this whole experience. I called Cigna’s nurse line and was told since I wasn’t having contractions I could stay home until I did.

Meanwhile, my parents were at the airport about to come home and after they checked in the airline announced that they’ve over-sold the plane and were looking for volunteers to give up their seats in exchange for a trip home the next day and 2 vouchers good for a flight anywhere in the US. My parents were having such a good time and I hadn’t paged them yet so they volunteered. No sooner had they accepted the offer when I paged my mom’s cell phone. She called me back a couple of minutes later. I told her what happened and that we weren’t going to the hospital yet. My mom was about to have dinner and would check on me later. I took a bath, which is something you should NOT do if your water has broken, but it was very relaxing. My mom called me back and told me to go to the hospital because women in our family have babies very quickly. It was better to go too early than too late. My mom went back to the airline and told them she needed an earlier flight than the one they had given her because I was in labor. She worked out the flight issue while I headed to the hospital.

On the way we stopped by a new Burger King®. The lights were on and people were inside, but they hadn’t had their grand opening yet. I was so mad that I couldn’t have a Whopper®, that I have never eaten at that Burger King® and I tell the story every time I pass it. I wasn’t upset that they hadn’t opened yet, but that they had their lights on and that was misleading and I was in labor and wanted a Whopper®. Moving on, I went to the hospital knowing I wouldn’t be able to eat food again until after Adam was born.

We arrive at Desert Samaritan (Banner Desert) right after midnight. They were about to send me home (no contractions) when I told them I thought my water had broken. They did the fern test and admitted me. I really wanted to be brave and rough it (no drugs) but after 2 am I was so tired and couldn’t sleep through the contractions I was having, so I asked for something to help me sleep. I was given a shot of Demerol® in my i.v. Then the room started to spin and every thing looked fuzzy and I suppose I fell asleep because I don’t remember anything until 6 am when a strong contraction woke me up. The nurse came in after I buzzed her and I decided to have an epidural so that I could continue to sleep. I was not able to get much sleep because it took awhile for the anesthesiologist to arrive perform the procedure.

After the epidural, the doctors determined that I was not progressing as fast as they would have liked so they spiked my i.v. with Pitocin®. Eventually I was ready to deliver Adam. However, in the meantime, some other lady who had several children already was also ready to deliver so they asked me to stop pushing (hold him in) while they helped her. After the doctor was done with her, I was able to start pushing and at 11:28am on Sunday, December 29, 1996, Michael Adam Allred was born.

The nurse took him and performed all the vitals and measurements. He weighed 8 pounds and 6.5 ounces. He was 20 inches long. About an hour after he was born they allowed visitors in the room. My parents had arrived at the hospital at that moment too. They had come directly from the airport after catching the first flight. My mom took him and instantly claimed him as her own. To this day, they are very close.

Those who came to visit during our hospital stay were Jason & Krista Meeks, Randy & Angela Judd, my parents – Gordon & Wanda Simeona, John & Carolyn Wallace, Neal & Penny (Jonovich) Wallace (they are no longer married so I listed her maiden name) & their children (Wesley, Shayla & Shawna.) If I left someone out I apologize.

Ironically, the doctor that came to release me from the hospital and provide my doctor’s note from work was the same doctor that I had seen on Friday. I asked him if he was surprised to see me. So I didn’t have to go to work on Monday after all. I only stayed one day in the hospital so I was released on Monday. We brought him home and he’s looked the same ever since.

What we did in 2009

2010-01-03T22:05:00.002-07:00

So I've never done a Christmas Letter and I used to be so good at sending out cards. I actually do have a box of cards that I can use to send out. However, I've become lazy and haven't done it. So this year I am writing a New Year letter of what we accomplished last year. So if you don't care to read it, then you can move onto another of my blog entries instead.

Joe – He fixed the green car (Dodge intrepid) so now it works and Victoria can drive it to work. He went to Disneyland (and CA Adventure) for the first time for his and Victoria's birthdays and anniversary. He works in the Junior Nursery in the ward.

Victoria – She learned to make pumpkin desserts out of fresh (not canned) pumpkins. She went to Disneyland, CA Adventure and Magic Mountain this year. She also works in the nursery in the ward. She learned seasonal loan products (RVs, boats, etc) at work. She's been with USAA 2 years now and her 401k now is completely vested.

Adam – He received the Aaronic priesthood and was ordained a Deacon by his Papa. He serves as the second counselor in the Deacon's Quorum. He played softball for his school earlier this year (7^th grade.) He made the football team again for this school year (8^th) and made the basketball team (8th,) all that practicing with the scouts paid off. He went to camp Geronimo for the first time. He went to Magic Mountain to celebrate his entrance into teenager-hood. He got glasses. He got to play with the Ironwood marching band during halftime of an Ironwood Football game. He went to the temple for the first time with the youth. He got stitches earlier in the year when he collided with a fence at school and it cut his leg.

Joseph – He earned his Webelos and Arrow of light. He is in his 2^nd year of home schooling through AZ Virtual Academy. He is in 5^th grade. He started taking medication. He got glasses. He almost met a rattlesnake. He has recently started reading books and really enjoys them. He went to Day Camp during the summer.

Joshua – He turned 8 and had a fun Army party. He got baptized along with his best friend Aaron on the 4^th of July. He got glasses too. He earned his Bobcat (with help from Aaron's mom, too.) He is in 3rd grade and his teacher at school is one of the counselors in the Primary so he sees her almost every day. He loves his teacher. He got to go to Cub Scout Day Camp for the first time.

Sam – He had surgery. He spent his last year in nursery and will be joining the ranks of Sunbeams. He was potty-trained and had a big boy party. He turned three. He fell in love with Lydia (Aaron's baby sister.) He loves to talk and tell stories and his language has improved since we started blogging although he still can't pronounce eses (S.) He kissed a chick. He dislocated his elbow once when Joshua and he were playing.

I am sure there is more and find that as I blog more I'll have a better record for 2010. Happy 2010!!

Easy Salsa Mix

2010-01-01T11:03:00.002-07:00

My sister (in-law) Rebecca (and Chad and family) gave us a couple of items for Christmas this year. One was a jar of salsa mix and the ingredients to make it. There was also a jar of Ranch dressing mix. I've written down the recipes before and have them in a notebook, but decided posting it here would be best. Since I've only tried the Salsa, I am only posting that now.

Easy Salsa Mix

1 C Dried Cilantro

¼ C Garlic Powder

½ C Dried Minced Onion

¼ C Dried Sweet Pepper Flakes

1 T Salt

1 T Pepper (optional - if you like it hot)

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Store in airtight container.

Use 1-2 T of mix with a can of Rotel® (or generic) Tomatoes and Chilis. Let refrigerate to blend flavors. Serve as you would any salsa.

Beaded Bracelets

2009-12-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

Joseph wanted to get out my beading supplies since Adam wasn't home nor has he used them lately. Then Joshua wanted to bead too. They each made a necklace to give as gifts for Christmas. I then made a couple bracelets and finished some I had already started or had laid out to do. I am posting the photos here. If you are interested in buying one or having us make one we'll sell them for $10-$14. Most of these will be given as gifts this Christmas, but if there's one you like that I can make that works too. All money for this goes to the costs of the beads and any profit is put into my children's (mostly Adam's) bank account to save for his mission in 6 years. He earns money other ways too.

This bracelet has orange, green, gold and pearl colored glass and plastic beads with a gold-colored circle toggle clasp. $12.

This bracelet has clear and pearly white plastic beads and pink heart-shaped glass beads with a silver-colored heart toggle clasp. $10.

This bracelet is made with blue iridescent, pearly white and clear plastic beads. It also has silver -colored metal beads and silver bead caps. I didn't have any more silver toggle claps so it has a gold-circle toggle clasp. $12

This bracelet has a gold-colored hummingbird charm in the middle surrounded by light blue, gold, and dark blue glass beads with a few clear plastic beads. It has a gold circle toggle clasp. $14

This bracelet is cute and dainty in design. The beads are smaller in size. There are plastic black, pink glass hearts, and silver metal beads and bead caps. It has a silver heart toggle clasp. Made for a larger wrist (larger than mine.) $12

Similar to the blue and white one above, except this one is black and white with clear and silver beads and caps. All plastic beads. Gold heart toggle clasp. Joseph made me a necklace to match this one, so I will need to make myself a bracelet similar to this one to wear with my necklace. I will post a photo of the necklace when I unwrap it for Christmas. Yes, I've seen it because I strung it, but he laid out all the beads for it. I plan to give this one as a gift, but I have many black beads to make again, but will make with a silver clasp when I buy more. $12.

So that was what we worked on today. Made two for presents and now that I think about it, I could give another one as a gift. And maybe one day I'll do one as a give-away. But not enough people read my blog yet to do that.

Lipsticks and Light Sabers

2009-12-19T10:50:00.001-07:00

I'm a girl. I like lipstick. I have boys. They like light sabers. Lipsticks pop out like light sabers. My lipsticks are different colors. Light sabers come in many colors - green, red, blue and purple. Lipstick can transform a woman's attitude. Light sabers can turn boys into Jedi. Women fall in love with their favorite lipstick. Jedi can't live without their light saber. Lipsticks and light sabers, same thing.

The Mother of all Mother’s Lounges

2009-12-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, December 11, we attended Joe's Aunt Pearl's funeral/memorial service. She was a very lovely and caring woman and regret that this blog will not be about her. However, while I was visiting the Westwood Building for the services I took Sam into the restroom. Inside I found the most beautiful Mother's Lounge nook I've ever seen. It was very feminine and designed to be aesthetically pleasing to the mother's who must console, feed and diaper her children during sacrament meeting. My pictures don't do it justice because they were taken with Joe's camera phone. My only hope is that there is an equally manly one in the men's restroom for the dad's who also perform those duties. Actually I have another hope, more of a major wish, and that is our mother's lounge and ALL lounges are decorated as nicely.

This is to show that it truly is a mother's lounge. There are three chairs in the room. The changing table is on the wall on the right as soon as you enter the nook lounge. I will be showing the room from a counter-clockwise position starting with the wall on the right.

Okay turning right in the room, we see the room head on. There are 2 chairs, a nice table, lamp, and decorative plaques on the wall.

Turning left, counter-clockwise, you can see the decorative plaque from the photo above and then additional art work and vinyl lettering. The quote reads, "a Mother holds children's hands for a while. Their Hearts forever." Check out the gorgeous Madonna and Child (Mary & Jesus) type painting.

Turning slightly left, this is the left side of the wall you actually first see when you slide over the curtain opening up the room. A couple more decorative plaques adorn the wall. The vinyl lettering scriptural quote reads, "I have no greater Joy than to hear that my children walk in Truth." 3 John 1:4

I did not take a photo of the curtain but it too was lovely and was on a decorative rod.

In retrospect, I believe our ward building has the nicest Young Women's room that I have ever seen.

The Strattera® Chronicles (part 2)

2009-12-13T22:29:00.001-07:00

*WARNING: This will be a long blog entry as it contains a 10-day log of Joseph’s reactions to Strattera®. It was started to identify any reactions he might have experienced. I did not want to post it as a daily log. I was going to wait the full 30-days, however I have found a 10-day log is still educational and will continue my 30-day log and will update every 10 days.*

Read about the first 10 days here.

Day Eleven

Joseph was picking on Sam and Joshua this morning. Joshua was picking on Sam too. We were busy packing to go home from Sedona. We gave Joseph his medicine a bit early (picking on his brothers reminds us that he’s back.) Afterwards he did pack up his things. When they were done and had eaten we sent them out to play until we were ready to go.

Day Twelve

I was not home today (at work) so my experience was Joseph wasn’t working on his school work so I said we should give him his meds. I asked Joe how the day went and he said after he took his medicine he stayed on task more. Joseph did not finish a spelling assignment or a Literature assignment

Day Thirteen

Since I was at work again today, most of this is based on Joe’s assessment and my grading his schoolwork. This morning was the same as yesterday. Joe says after taking his medicine, he thinks it didn’t really make a difference. He was off and on today when it came to doing his schoolwork. He did not complete the Spelling assignment for today, however he finished the one from yesterday. I cannot tell at this point if he completed the History Lesson. I can see he worked on it, but I don’t know if he did the writing part as I don’t see it anywhere. He completed yesterday’s Literature assignment, but not today’s. We print out the weekly list so he knows where he falls behind and has to make up by the end of the week or work on Saturday. I asked if Joseph did Math (his favorite subject) and Joe said he started it but then when it was too much he stopped working on it. They did have fun with Science today studying motion. In fact, they measured the weight of the centripetal force that an item created by attaching it to a scale. That wasn’t part of the lesson, but they did it anyway. He really enjoyed working on science. He did not work on Art either.

Day Fourteen

Joseph had difficulty staying on task and did not get enough work completed to account for a full day. While he wasn’t able to get enough lessons done the last 2 days, he was able to get enough hours in. He needs to make up hours he is behind so completing everything on his list is imperative.

Day Fifteen

It was as if Joseph didn’t take any medication today. He picked on his brothers whenever possible (chasing them around the house, doing things that would purposefully annoy them, etc.) He didn’t stay focused on his work and didn’t get enough hours in to even account for a full day. Today is the last day of the reduced medicine pill. His pill today is equal to about ¾ of a full dosage.

Day Sixteen

Joseph had a hard time getting focused and getting work done, however once my parents called at 7pm to say they’d take the boys for the night, Joseph did get busy and got many assignments done in the next three hours before they got here.

Day Seventeen

Joseph was at my parent’s home most of the day so I am not sure what to report for him. He told me he spent about an hour reading his book (for school.) When I came home he was already home and acting normal like his brothers.

Day Eighteen

I wonder if his Primary teacher noticed a difference in him today. It’s getting near the end of the year. He has difficulty with change and usually causes problems for his new teachers.

Day Nineteen

Joseph had a great day today in regards to schoolwork. He was able to complete multiple assignment and put in enough hours to help catch up on his hours. I was at work so I was not able to observe his behavior. I can only see the product.

Day Twenty

Today was like yesterday. Lots done, I couldn’t observe his behavior.

Recap of the last 10 days: It seems like the first part of the 10 days when he was on the 3/4 dosage that he didn't maintain focus on getting his schoolwork done, however when we switched to the full dosage he was more focused. He's recently started reading more. He's always been able to jump into a book and read, however now he is reading not to waste time but as something to do when he's done working. I also found that since I was back on work I could not observe his behavior and therefore, had to rely on the observations of others or on merely what had been accomplished during the day.

Old Undies

2009-12-06T18:04:00.000-07:00

The boys wash their own clothes, so it's rare that I come across clothes I need to either throw away or repair.

I don't know how the boys do it. They wear their underwear until it's literally only one thread left. And to make it worse, they steal each other's underwear when theirs aren't available. It's horrific.

I won't say whose undies these are but have a laugh at them anyway. I did toss this pair in the trash.

The Strattera® Chronicles (part 1)

2009-12-03T20:57:00.000-07:00

Joseph has been home-schooling for over a year and has started to decline again in his schoolwork. Some days he can get many assignments done, but after the first month of school, he started to decline. He was getting behind in every subject and in overall attendance hours. His teacher put him on an action plan today to bring his work up to par and make up for lost time.

I took Joshua to the doctor for some allergy medicine and the doctor gave me a sample of Strattera® to try out on Joseph. Straterra® was previously recommended as the correct medication for him to take, however due to the suicidal tendency side-effect we elected to try all other non-medical options for him first. That was one of the reasons why we moved Joseph to home-schooling. The other reason was that we felt the school really wasn’t going to do anything more for Joseph. They refused to give him an IEP because they didn’t feel it was necessary.

Day One (11-20-2009)

We gave Joseph his first introductory dose at 5pm. Like most medications Joseph needs to be weaned onto it. When I switched from Dilantin® to Tegretol®, I had to wean off one while weaning onto the other. So it’s understandable that he would start with a low dosage and work his way up to a higher one. At first I wasn’t noticing any changes because he’d wrestle with his brothers and after removing them from him so he could do his work, he actually started doing work (after he already told Joe before taking it he was done for the day) and when he finished an assignment he asked for more. When I switched him to another subject at first he contested and then he willingly moved on to the work. Was this merely a placebo effect?

Day Two

Joseph took his dose at 10:15am. We decided to start giving him the medication in the morning so it will give him the most benefit during the day. He said he had a little trouble sleeping last night. He said as he was laying there he’d feel dizzy as if the house was moving. He’s noticed he has the burps (like the almost vomit kind.) He sat next to me on the couch as started shaking like he was convulsing but he was doing it all himself. He said there are words spinning in his head and he was trying to stop them by shaking his head. The words in his head don’t hurt him but he is getting a headache. He feels yesterday was perfect. So far an hour later he is still acting just like Joseph always does. Just when I think it is working because he seems focused on his art project, he starts humming, singing or making some ghastly noise.

Day Three

I was at work when Joseph took his medicine this morning and was gone most of the day so I was unable to observe his behavior. After coming home, however he is still acting like his normal self. When I asked Joe if he noticed anything different about Joseph’s behavior today, his reply was, “No, he was the same.”

Day Four

Joseph took his medicine after he came home from church. We finished up packing the car for our annual trip to Sedona. His behavior was not noticeably different. He did sleep in the car on the way up and when we arrived he unpacked his own suitcase and watched television with his brothers until dinner. We sent him to bed a bit later than normal and he did have difficulty falling to sleep.

Day Five

We gave Joseph his last low dosage pill today because he was annoying. He was playing miniature golf and getting frustrated when he was losing and he wasn’t remaining calm. After we gave him his medicine, he still was rather active and did not want to work on school work. By the end of the day he was two assignments short of his overall daily plan. This took literally all day to complete 5 assignments. The two remaining assignments he’ll have to make up tomorrow in addition to the 7 needed. Tomorrow a slightly higher dosage starts as well.

Day Six

Joseph was a bit less difficult today. He was able to complete all his school work for today as well as the two assignments left over from yesterday. After wards, he had time to play. I am not sure if he worked hard because the next 3 days are going to be vacation time or if he was just more focused.

Day Seven

This morning we competed in the miniature golf contest and Joseph was very active. He kept “practicing” because he was bored waiting again for his turn. He had not yet had his medicine so we can’t expect him to act differently. After it was over, we went back to our room and ate breakfast and he took his medicine. His brothers wanted to play outside afterward and so we made Joseph wait until it had been an hour. Before sending him out to play we instructed him to behave, act calmly, and be respectful of our reputations (not so much that I care, but I wanted him to understand his behavior reflects on us.) Joe checked up on him and he was acting fine. I am watching him play in the pool right now and he is a bit crazy, however he is playing with other children. It is the day before Thanksgiving and he’s swimming in a pool. At least he is burning off extra energy so he can sleep well tonight. Oh occasionally he has said he has a hard time falling to sleep.

Day Eight

Joseph was able to go out and play today with his brothers. We didn’t hear any complaints. He and his brothers have developed a rash and Adam is sick from eating cookie dough that was left out all night. Other than those ailments, none of which affect Joseph he’s been fine. We went to a park today and Joseph sat alone watching everyone else play. Then I decided to do the fitness trail and he joined me. We then played wall-ball, or a variation of it.

Day Nine

Joseph was acting a bit wild this morning so I reminded him to take his medicine. He did before taking his medicine decide to build the racecar kit (like pinewood derby, but not as intense) that I had bought for him. While his brothers played outside he sat mostly quietly watching television and building his racecar. Later he played outside too. I am watching him now in the pool and he is playing with his brothers and a guy that is playing with the kids in the pool. I think he’s one of the other kid’s dad or grandpa. The real test will be tonight when we get together with Joe’s siblings and their kids. Ours will be the oldest there, but none the less, we’ll see how he acts tonight. His behavior was fine tonight. Only once did I hear someone else tell him to stop doing something and it was while he was outside playing. In fact the three three-year-olds were wilder than he was.

Day Ten

Joseph took his medicine a little later today than normal. That was mostly due to him leaving to play mini golf and not being in our room to give him the medicine. For the most part he was cooperative. He worked on an Art project for school, the lesson he has yet to do, but we had time to just do the project. Occasionally, he gets a bit wild, but for the most part he is okay.

Recap from first 10 days:

So far I've noticed Joseph is very wild in the mornings and that reminds us to give him his medication. I don't know if the medication is working for him or if it gives him a placebo effect. I try and ask him his opinion about the medication and he doesn't want to provide one. He still has a hard time following multiple instructions. I do like how he plays better with his brothers (not in the morning) and doesn't seem to cause as many problems as he normally does.

Papa Murphy’s

2009-12-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went looking for something to eat and stopped by Papa Murphy's. We drove from Sedona to Cottonwood to get gas as it is cheaper there (and cheaper than at home in the valley.) While we were there we saw this pizza restaurant called Papa Murphy's. Apparently they are everywhere. They are a take-n-bake style restaurant. We ordered a Chicago style stuffed pizza. It was so delicious. I took pictures. They have punch cards too. We also ordered the cinnamon oatmeal dessert and cookie dough. I highly recommend them if you are looking for a delicious take-n-bake pizza.

Our Week in Sedona

2009-11-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

So I must say that this year we did not receive any grief from any of the staff members this year (except for my last blog.) I believe there were a couple of reasons for this.

The first being that there were tons of kids here this week and so our boys didn't stand out as much. In fact, I observed a couple of kids breaking the rules that our children have gotten in trouble with in the past. One thing my boys have not done that kids were doing was swimming alone. The pool rule is no one under 14 without an adult. I was watching the boys swim and there were other kids around. There were a couple of adults at the pool so I figured they belonged to them. It wasn't until the parents came to pick up the kids that I realized they were swimming unsupervised. Technically they weren't unsupervised because there were plenty of adults around. The resort has a rule that children under 12 must be accompanied anywhere by an adult. We allow Adam to take Josh to the sport court or golfing. They aren't given a key so they can't go to the pool.

Another reason is that the majority of the staff has been on vacation this week. Being Thanksgiving week the majority of the staff has been off since Wednesday. The minimal staff has been the housekeeping, maintenance, front desk and only one concierge. We left a couple of cookies for the housekeeping staff the other day. Maybe that helped? Probably not.

The final reason our children have not gotten into as much trouble this week is that there are two look-alikes here. There was a neighbor boy who looked almost exactly like Joseph. In fact, he was standing outside our cottage and I almost told him to come inside. I talked to his grandparents about this and they had seen Joseph and agreed. There was another Joshua look-alike, but I didn't see him. Josh told me all about him. My thought is it would be hard to identify the culprit in a line up when they look alike. Funny thing about Zach (Joseph's twin) is that his parent's didn't look like us either.

So this week in Sedona has been uneventful in regards to our boys getting into trouble. We haven't felt as pressured to stay inside or leave all day. The boys have been able to play outside without getting into trouble.

Sedona Pines Resort

2009-11-23T22:38:00.002-07:00

I bought into this timeshare in 1999 with my first year starting in 2000. I have been going there every year since. I never trade. I own it free and clear and pay $460 each year (has gone up from 300 something since) as a maintenance fee. We own the week usage not the points. We can "upgrade" to points if we want to pay another $10k+. We own a one-bedroom although our family size is a two-bedroom. We bought because we were told they are very family-friendly.

We bought a one-bedroom for a couple of reasons. One reason is their second bedroom is outside across the patio and is connected by a wall to another unit's second-bedroom and with our boys being little we didn't really want them in a unit outside our own. Another reason is it costs significantly more for a second bedroom than a one-bedroom. The final reason is that the maintenance fee is also more each year. As our boys get older a second-bedroom does sound nicer to us, however we still don't feel comfortable giving the boys that kind of freedom. The one-bedroom does have a sofa bed and for years the boys have been sharing it all facing different directions. This year Adam brought a sleeping bag and slept on the floor next to the couch. We brought a crib mattress for Sam and he slept on that next to our bed. When the boys leave the nest, a one-bedroom will be sufficient for the two of us. The boys could also use it (as a week or bonus time) when they get married (honeymoons, family vacation, etc.)

Every year they offer a variety of events for their guests. They have Buckaroo Bob, a cowboy who plays his guitar and sings entertaining cowboy songs. They have a Native American flute concert. Every day they offer various arts & crafts. They used to have a kid's ice cream and face painting event, but this year it is off the calendar. They have a miniature golf tournament, which one of us wins each year. They have a welcome breakfast. The welcome breakfast is a breakfast where tour guides come and talk about the many tours options available in Sedona. There are the Pink Jeep tours, haunted tours of Jerome, multiple trips to The Grand Canyon, and of course, vortex tours. During the breakfast they have a raffle for prizes. Some of the prizes are buy-one-get-one-free passes to the various tour companies, water bottles, apple cider/champagne, calendar, maps, books and music. We've won some of the prizes over the years. The last couple of years they have not given us raffle tickets for the kids (they used to.) This year when we checked in they did not tell us when the welcome breakfast was. I overheard them tell the previous guest so I had a good idea when it was. I also had Adam call down to the front desk and check and he was given the incorrect time. When we showed up today to go to the breakfast, we arrived early so that the boys could eat and we could leave before the presentation. The presentation is boring for kids and they've seen it multiple times so they don't tend to be very reverent after they eat. The lady at the restaurant (on-site Bistro) was very nice and seated us at a table for 6. When the concierges arrived they seemed annoyed that we were there. They had a brief discussion with each other and came over and asked if we were planning to stay or just there for breakfast. I told them our plans so they had us moved to another table out of the way so the other guests could enjoy the presentation. After the breakfast today, Joe took Sam in the sales office to use the restroom. Afterwards, Sam ran into the sales office to see the big television. Joe grabbed him and tried to get out of there without causing any disturbance (we walk on eggshells here) and the sales guy offered them bagels and fruit and sodas. Different world when they think they are going to sell you something.

I don't mind them being considerate of other guests; however I feel they don't like us and are annoyed that we come every year. My maintenance fee helps pay their salaries, pay for the breakfast and pay for the amenities here. Just because we choose to use our timeshare time at our home resort every year doesn't mean I shouldn't be given the same courtesy as those that trade and visit for the first time. Just because we don't need to spend money on the tours doesn't mean we can't be treated with respect when we make our own trips. I know the boys are difficult at times and probably annoy the people that work here and they probably agonize over our stay, however we shouldn't feel that they hate it when we come. We should feel that even if we drive them crazy, they love to have us visit, that they look forward to our coming. We shouldn't feel like we pay them money every year because it's our obligation. If we didn't pay our maintenance fee they could foreclose and take the unit time back. I am sure there is a special clause somewhere that exists or they'll invent that will allow them to foreclose on us.

Here is my invitation to all. I have free RV use at the park that I never use. As long as you can "obey the rules" and not cause any monetary damage to the property, if you own an RV and would like to stay at the resort in their RV spots, let me know. I will check availability and if available it's yours to use for up to a week (possibly two, but that cannot be requested in advance.) No charge, unless you feel obligated to pay me something.

One day, when I have lots of money and tons of time, I will rejoin RCI and trade and go somewhere else. I just have not found it worthwhile to pay for RCI membership (less than about $100/year) and then pay to trade (about $150 or so) and pay my maintenance fee. That would make a one-week stay price go from $460/year to $700. When I go on vacation outside of Sedona and I stay in a hotel, I spend less than my maintenance fee. So I still don't understand why timeshares are cheaper.

If anyone owns a timeshare and is willing to trade without involving RCI or II, let me know and we can trade with each other. My week is any time during the year. I usually reserve it in advance when I know what time I have off this year. I am planning to book it next year for December or October (when I am off), but if someone wants to trade and can work with my time off schedule (open week like mine is) then I can reserve my resort for any time. I'd prefer a location within driving distance to Phoenix, unless only Joe and I go, then as long as we can get there by airplane than almost anywhere is fine. You'd be able to use all the amenities and I am sure they'll be nice to you when you attend the welcome breakfast, since you are new.

Girls are from China

2009-11-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

*warning this entry contains proper words for body parts. If you feel uncomfortable seeing words like that, then please stop reading now.*

I have always been of the mindset to teach my children the proper names for their body parts. I grew up calling girls parts po-po and boy parts peecha. I know people aren't comfortable with hearing the proper names: penis, testicle, scrotum, vagina, vulva, breasts (as Sam lovingly refers to as nurses – items that nursed him,) however the boys are going to learn the proper names at some point so why not be the ones to teach them and that our bodies are beautiful creations from our Heavenly Father.
Since Sam had surgery he was aware of his parts that had problems and were going to be operated on. He also recently was potty-trained and became fascinated with his penis in the process. He thinks it's amazing and everyone should have one. A major problem is mom doesn't have one. He would often ask me where my peanut (he can't pronounce the 's' sound so what we hear is peanut) was. I would explain that girls do not have penis (even though he can't say it right, he gets mad if I call it a peanut because then I am not saying it right.) His brothers convinced them mine was cut off so he was afraid he'd lose his too. I told him girls do not have one at all. He was very uncertain about this and tried inspecting me every time he took a shower with me.

After months of trying to convince him, I finally broke down and explained that girls are not born with a penis only boys are. I explained that girls are born with a vagina and we have other parts that we use to pee (another concern of his.) He happily explained, "Oh!! Girls are from China!!" He has been content ever since.

I suppose if girls are from China, then boys are from Peanutville, it sure beats the Mars/Venus explanation. Since he really believes girls are from China, he says, "I want to go to China with you." Kids do say the darnedest things.

Pre-Black Friday Survey/Promo

2009-11-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Please take this survey and help Hot Coupon World. I just joined this site as they have links to online coupons. Feel free to check out their site while you are there. There are prizes involved with the survey. Good luck.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2009-11-18T21:22:00.004-07:00

I did not invent this recipe. I have found it online in many places. I originally found it connected to the Duggar's family website. I suppose I could just link to the recipe on their site however I want you to read my blog. I've even looked up the ingredients of the ingredients and created an ingredient listing you can add to bottles if you decide to give it away as a gift. We make this as a family, I do most of the work, but everyone has helped. We've made it twice so far and it lasts our family of 6 about 8-9 months. It would probably last a little longer because we gave some bottles away the first time. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 Fels Naptha soap bar, grated
1 cup washing soda
1/2 cup borax

Essential oil for scent if desired

Instructions:

Grate the soap bar (I use a food processor, but it's soft enough to do by hand – here's where the little helpers come in)

Add to a sauce pan filled with about 2 cups of hot water. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until the soap completely dissolves. The soap will try to blend together during the stirring process, just keep stirring until it's completely dissolved.

Put washing soda and borax in a 5-gallon bucket. Fill to top with hot water. Pour in the hot, melted soap mixture. Stir well, until all the powder is dissolved. Cover and let set overnight. The next morning, stir the mixture. Mix equal amounts of soap concentrate and water in smaller laundry-detergent dispensers or containers. Shake before using. I add a couple of drops of essential oils to individual containers of detergent. Scents to try are lavender, rosemary, anise, or tea tree.

Directions for use: Use ⅝ C for top load and ½C for front load machines. I measure the caps of the detergent bottles I use and then compare to above measurements. Usually a cap full is enough, but some caps are smaller than others.

Picture of mixture once it's done. These are helpful so you'll know yours is right. It will get thick as it sits.

Ingredient listing:

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Borate, Soap (Stoddard solvent, Fatty acids, C8-C18 and C18-unsaturated, sodium salts, Hydrocarbons, terpene processing by-products~Terpene processing by-products)

Legal Disclaimer: Harmful if swallowed. Possible eye and skin irritant. As with all cleaning products, keep crystals and solution out of reach of children and pets. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes or prolonged contact with sun. In case of eye contact, flush with water for 15 minutes and call a physician. Do not ingest. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Drink a glassful of water and seek prompt medical attention.

Twelve Eyes

2009-11-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

Joshua has been getting headaches and nausea every now and then so we took him to the doctor. The doctor considered his issue could be due to allergies. Sinus pressure can lead to headache and nasal drainage can lead to nausea. I know headaches/migraines can also cause nausea so I wanted to rule out poor vision before we inundate his body with allergies pills since the diagnosis was probable. I scheduled an eye appointment for Joshua.

A couple of years ago we gave the boys color blindness tests found on the internet. It was discovered that both Adam and Joshua are color blind and Joseph is not. The boys (Adam and Josh) freaked out as they tend to do over trivial things. I then explained that I am not a doctor and the test was not given by an eye doctor and therefore I cannot accurately diagnose it.

My grandfather (mom's dad) was color-blind so it was quite possible that my boys could be color-blind as well. It would appear that my mother passed on her color-blind recessive gene to me and my dad gave me his non-color-blind gene. With that probability it would likely be that half my boys could end up color-blind so I would not be surprised if they were.

And now back to the story about Joshua. We went to Nationwide Vision for an appointment. He took all the vision tests and sat in the big chair and wore the eye doctor examination mask (as I like to call it.) It was determined that he is color blind (4 out of 5,) that he has 20/30 vision and is near-sighted. He was told he needed glasses to wear while in school, reading, or watching television. Really? So he told me to help him pick out the cheapest frames to save me money and we ordered his pair. While there I set appointments for Adam and Joseph too.

The very next day, Joseph had his eye appointment. He enjoyed looking at the frames and really liked the nice designer ones!! He took all the tests and got to wear the fancy eye doctor mask. His vision perfect, well almost. He had 20/30 in the right, 20/20 in the left with overall 20/20. He, on the other hand, was far-sighted with astigmatism. He was advised to pick out a pair of glasses to use for reading. We eventually settled on a nice shiny pair and he was so excited. At this point I've decided that Nationwide just wants to sell glasses and having an eye exam is really not about "eye health."

Adam attended his appointment a week later and the other two get to pick up their glasses. They acted like they are so cool. Josh was excited because he had always wanted to wear glasses. Poor kid, braces and glasses, luckily he's cute and can bypass all that teasing kids get. So Adam found out he is color blind 4 out of 5 like Josh. I don't remember ever hearing Adam's test results but I know he wasn't too bad. I know he is near-sighted in one eye and astigmatism in the other. He, like Josh, just needed them for school. He picked out about 20 pairs and we had to narrow it down. Writing this, I realized he is a lot like his mother.

Sam went for his appointment and picked out a pair of glasses that he would not take off. He was so excited he could be Dr. Daniel Jackson that he was highly disappointed when he didn't need them. I was told he was fine now but would need glasses in first grade. Seriously?

So here's your chance to guess which eyes fit the kid. All you get are the eyes and glasses.

A.

Wow look how blue eyes vary among the boys.

Now you can check your answers by looking at face shots here

Sam’s Surgery

2009-11-12T21:33:00.002-07:00

*warning this entry contains proper words for body parts. If you feel uncomfortable seeing words like that, then please stop reading now.*
Earlier this year Sam had surgery. Around July of last year I was changing Sam's diaper and I noticed one of his testicles was larger (a lot) than the other one. I felt them and it felt like he had three total (one on the right and two on the left.) It was strange. I asked my friend who was in his surgical residency if he knew what that could be. He wasn't sure. Later after his urology rotation he came across these a lot (in older men.)
It seemed to go away and come back every so often. One time when it was visible we took him to urgent care. The diagnosis: a varicocele (varicose vein in the scrotum,) but submitted a referral to a pediatric urologist to be sure. They had us take him for an ultrasound first. We took the ultrasound x-rays to our appointment with the urologist. He said it wasn't a varicocele but wasn't sure what it could be and recommended we watch it for 6 months and come back later.
Six months later we arrived at our appointment at the urologist's office. This time an ultrasound technician gave him an ultrasound at the office. The doctor visited with us for a couple of minutes. The diagnosis: a hydrocele (sack of fluid that empties and fills) and hernia. While a hydrocele is not dangerous and could go away on its own, since it hadn't repaired itself in 6 months, surgery was recommended.
We met at St. Joseph's outpatient clinic for Sam's surgery. He was actually put under for the procedure. The doctor made a 1-inch size incision in Sam's abdomen. He found the hydrocele and tied it off. Then he stitched up the opening (above where his scrotal sac is) where the hydrocele was located. The hydrocele was left in his body where the fluid was absorbed into his body. Then his abs were stitched up with absorbable stitches and his skin was stuck together with medical super glue. We could feel his internal stitches and scar for months after his surgery. He has healed fine.
If you asked Sam about the scar or the surgery he would say, "I went to the hospital and had surgery on my testicles but now it's normal." His scar is still very little and isn't really noticeable.
I thought I'd post this for those who didn't know about his surgery, but also because we didn't know what was wrong with Sam and had to wait a while for an answer. I shared this story with a coworker and the first thing she asked, "Did he have a third testicle?" Someone she knew had the same thing and that's how they thought it looked too. It's not a third, but it seems like it.

Joshua's Journal

2009-11-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

We came across a journal that we think Josh made in 1st grade. We are guessing first grade only because one entry he referenced the Super Bowl and it listed the Giants and the Patriots. His last article was titled "Dum mom." It went like this:

“I Love you. Sarry for calling you Dum mom.”

Wow! I wonder what I did to make him mad and call me dumb. I do, however, admire his cute apology.

Here are a few entries, let me know if you can decipher:

"My favorite part of Halloween is chuckrchreting and eting cande.”

“When I line up I poot my bubl in. When I line up I be cwiyit.”

“At breakfast I est pesaoue. At breakfast I est sosise.”

“When Rudolph’s nose turned green he strerts to fly and he is sileye.”

It was very interesting to read the whole journal. So is learning a new language harder than decoding 6-year-old’s free writing? I don’t think so. May god continue to bless all the teachers out there who have to learn the phonetic spelling of all the words in the English vocabulary.

My Two Dresses

2009-10-23T15:31:00.003-07:00

Adam and I went to Goodwill today to look around.While we were there I saw things on the rack that I had donated.It was a bittersweet moment.A couple of months ago, I cleaned out my closet with old clothes and added it to clothes others had given me to donate. I wanted to donate some of the more professional clothing to a women's center, however since I had everything mixed together in two boxes, it was easier to give all the items to Goodwill. I know I should give to Desert Industries instead of Goodwill, however GW is closer and has more locations and is more frequented.

Seeing these items on the rack was bittersweet because I was happy I had cleaned out my closet but sad that I have such fond memories of the clothes. The first was a navy suit dress that I purchased years ago. It looked very professional and fit me nicely (then.) It was navy and off-white and when I wore it I felt like I was dressed for success. I added it to the giveaway pile because it fit me many moons ago.

The second item I saw on the rack was my Prom dress. I saw this dress while shopping with friends for Homecoming dresses in October 1992. I fell in love with it then, but the price was out of my budget. So I continued shopping and found a beautiful dress, which I still have in my dress-up/Halloween box, to wear to Homecoming. Months later, I was shopping for Prom and the dress was on clearance!!! It was now within budget and I bought it and wore it proudly to Prom. I had broken my ankle that year so I wore a beautiful cast on one leg. It was a perfect accessory to my dress (that was me being sarcastic.) I wore the dress again the next year when I attended another school's Prom. I even loaned it to a friend who wore it to one of her school dances. I was able to fit into it 8 years later and wore it to a church Christmas party. Seeing it on the rack at Goodwill brought back all these memories. I hung onto it in hopes that girls from church might want to borrow it or that one day my daughter would wear it. Since I still don't have a daughter, it would be over 30 years old before it would be worn by her.

My wish is that these two dresses bring the same joy they've brought me. A woman might wear the navy dress to an interview and get the job that she's been looking for.
A young woman can feel beautiful at her school dance. That is the joy that arrives from donating time, items, or money to charitable organizations. By giving we receive. By sharing, others can be blessed.

Pumpkin Season

2009-10-18T14:43:00.002-07:00

Since we brought home pumpkins the other day from Tolmachoff Farms, I thought I'd put them to good use. My friend Debbie once told me that her friend's mom always used the insides of the pumpkin to make the best pumpkin pie and she had taught her how to do it too. I am not a fan of pumpkin pie. I like the taste just not the texture so I have NEVER made a pumpkin pie. However, now that I have 7 little pumpkins lying around my house, I figured I need to learn how to do something with them.

On Thursday, I researched (googled) pumpkin puree, the official name of the canned pumpkin product. I found several recipes on how to create pumpkin puree. One way was to bake it and then other was to boil it with the skin still on. Either way, once it was softened it would merely peel off the skin. Then place the pumpkin in the food processor and process until it is smooth. I ate a few pieces of it and can't believe how good pumpkin is on its own. Two little pumpkins made a lot of puree.

So now I begin my search for pumpkin recipes. What I have found so far is pumpkin bread, pumpkin bars, pumpkin pie, pumpkin ice cream, a pumpkin pie cake my mom makes, and I bought some oatmeal yesterday and it came with a cake recipe on the back, too. Today I am going to make one of those items. Most likely it'll be pumpkin bars, but the boys really want pie. Joe really likes the ice cream. I still have 5 more pumpkins to puree so I've got time to make many different recipes. I wonder if pumpkin would be good in chili. I can freeze the puree too for later.

PS I typed this with the new blog format in Word.

Sam kisses chicks

2009-10-14T11:38:00.001-07:00

I know what you are thinking. Sam is 3 and he's already kissing girls. While I may say chick flick to describe, well, chick flicks, I don't usually call girls chicks. Therefore, here is rare footage of Sam kissing a baby chick.

Sam kisses chick

I actually felt sorry for the chick because the more he wanted to love it the stronger he'd squeeze it.

We went to Tolmachoff Farms for a school field trip for Joseph. It was $10 person and it came with admittance (which includes visiting all the things they have there - even the corn mazes,) a free small pumpkin, picking fresh produce, an ice cream sandwich, and a train ride. Joseph finally got to meet his teacher. When he came home and told dad about the trip he said about his teacher, "And she's good looking, too." Joseph has always liked it when his teachers are good looking. I allowed Joseph to do his own thing during free time, which I think he enjoyed because he often doesn't get to run free. I was busy chasing Sam everywhere. This would be why there are more photos of Sam than Joseph. And I am not in any photos either, but I was there.

Photos of our trip to Tolmachoff Farms

My Night Hike by Joseph (notes only by mom)

2009-10-10T14:41:00.001-07:00

I went hiking with the Webelos last night. We went to the place we always go (Thunderbird Mountain Park.) We saw 23 big beetles and 4 stink bugs and I almost stepped on one of them. One stink bug stuck his butt up to stink (photo by the Smiths.) And then we went to the top of the mountain and then we saw two kookaburras that looked like owls with some other birds. We took a picture of the stink bug with its butt up and the kookaburra. Then we went down and we didn’t see any more beetles or stink bugs or owls. And then we saw a scorpion that was a baby and it’s the poisonest.
And then we went on the trail and it took us a long time and we saw a ranger and we almost got in trouble because it was at night and they don’t want us to get hurt (park closes at sunset.) Then we went to the bridge and we drank some water so we could have a refreshment to keep on going. Then we went on the trail and then me and Aaron and Bro. Smith split up from Sis. Smith and Ethan and Ryan.
And then we went past a baby rattlesnake and it rattled so hard we all got scared. When Sis. Smith and Ethan and Ryan heard it, they got scared and Ethan and Ryan ran to us. And then Bro. Smith went in front of the snake about 10 feet away from it and then he kept getting closer and then he said for his wife (Sis. Smith) to go behind him, but the snake did not strike, so he can go to us. Then he walked away very slowly then we all ran away.
Then we followed the trail and then we went to the grassy area off the trail. Then we had to climb up this drainpipe and then we found the car. And then we drove home and got cookies at Fry’s. And I ate 2 cookies in the car. Tada (that means the end)

Conference Traditions

2009-10-02T15:22:00.003-07:00

Besides watching conference and printing out those conference packets I receive via email, there are two traditions I have for conference weekend. They are to throw out my mascara and make cinnamon rolls. I've been doing both traditions for several years now.

It has been said, and I don't know by whom, women should replace their mascara every six months. My birthday is about 6 months from Christmas so I could've used that as a guide, however both are busy times for me. So I found conference happens to be a great time to do that. It's always the first Sunday (Saturday and Sunday) in April and October. It's more reliable than daylight savings time and it's not that busy of a weekend for me. I've heard we should replace lipsticks about as often.. I once read that Jackie O only used a tube of lipstick once. It was as if once it had her germs it was no longer good. Perhaps it was donated to the poor women who can't afford to buy their own new lipsticks. One would hope not, however as charitable as the Kennedy's seemed to be, I would expect such a thing. Anyhow, I digress. I do not toss my lipsticks until they are gone. Sometimes, I'll mix the leftover with some petroleum jelly to make lip gloss, but's for another blog.

My second tradition is to make cinnamon rolls. It all started when I told years ago (by the ex) that there was a talk given at Priesthood Session where the wife and family of this speaker would make donuts every conference weekend and the whole family would enjoy them once he (the speaker) came home from Priesthood. It was some sort of incentive to go. I've never heard nor read the talk, perhaps it was about traditions or the importance of making it to Priesthood (no matter how big or little the bribe.) Anyhow, from that day forward, I decided to attempt the task of rewarding my man for going to Priesthood. It started with mini-fried biscuit donuts that my mom used to make. And then the guy stopped going to Priesthood and church so there was no need to offer the reward.

Then I heard about Krispy Kreme donuts. Yummy. So after he was gone (from my life,) I continued the tradition for my boys. I explained to them that they were too little to go then, however I would buy KK donuts every conference weekend. Then I married Joe and he added to the tradition and without fail he always went. He really didn't need the reinforcement, but it was still fun to buy KK donuts with the boys. Then KK went out of business in AZ. Oh no! What was I going to do?

That's when I started making cinnamon rolls. KK is now back in business, but my cinnamon rolls win hands down. Over the years, I've perfected the recipe. Tweaking something here and finding we like it, or finding something we did not. I found any basic roll dough works, but I find the ones for the bread machine are easiest. I usually make two batches. The frosting recipe I always use is found here . Unfortunately, writing this blog, I found this site has now been removed or blocked, but I have saved a copy of the recipe. If you google "Gordon Family Cinnabon" you might have luck finding it elsewhere or you can email me for my complete recipe (dough, filling and frosting.) The only change I have on the frosting is the extract flavoring (I have yet to try lemon, but will this year. And I have used almond, too.) For the filling I've decided I like more than any recipe calls for so here's my filling recipe:
FILLING
1 cup packed brown sugar
7 tablespoons cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine, softened. (Cinnabon prefers margarine, however margarine is one molecule from plastic, so I always use butter)

My two conference traditions have gotten me far. By swapping my mascara, I follow experts and prevent possible eye infections. And by making cinnamon rolls, I encourage my men to do their duties. So this conference you'll find me in new mascara wearing an apron baking in the kitchen. Anyone want some warm gooey cinnamon rolls?

Pack Meeting

2009-09-30T08:28:00.007-07:00

So the guys went to pack meeting last night. I missed it because I was at work. However, there is some pretty exciting news that came from this pack meeting. One is about Joseph and the other about Joshua.

Joseph earned his Bobcat when he was new to scouting. He tends to not be dedicated to accomplishing things, so I was not surprised when he didn’t earn his Bear and Wolf. I know that sounds horrible, but we tried to get him to work on the tasks and he did about half of them, but he loses focus very easily. I can blame it on the ADHD, but I won’t. He chooses not to work on them. It seems like he needs to be tricked into accomplishing tasks he doesn’t want to do, so Sara Smith has been really good at tricking him into doing the items needed to pass off requirements. I am very excited that he earned his Webelos along with the Aquanaut, Fitness, Readyman, and Citizen Badges (pins.) He might even earn the Arrow of Light. Joseph, you are so awesome! Keep it up!

Joshua, the new kid in scouting, is always faithful and works to accomplish things, however he can be a perfectionist. I was working with him on his Bobcat requirements as soon as he turned 8. He got frustrated when he wasn’t saying the Cub Scout promise verbatim. Therefore, he did not want to work on it anymore. Since his best friend Aaron also just turned eight, his mom Sara (the same as above) said Josh could come over one day and she’d work on it with both of them. Afterwards, she told me we only needed to go over the child abuse requirements with him and he’d be done. Last night, Josh earned his Bobcat. Way to go, Joshua!

So there is my good news for the day. I am so happy for my two little Cubbies. I know Joseph was excited this morning about it because he came in to show me all his awards. He inspired me to write this blog today. I am sure Josh is excited too, but he gets up before I do and goes to bed before I get home, so I won’t actually be able to congratulate him until tomorrow.

#3

2009-09-27T23:27:00.004-07:00

Happy 3rd Birthday Sam. You are such a blessing to our lives. We love you our little Luke Skywalker and Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Sam’s Big Boy Party

2009-09-22T10:00:00.001-07:00

Sam is having his “Big Boy Party.” I started this tradition with Adam. Once my child is potty-trained we reward him with a big boy party. To avoid embarrassment, if the child is too old, a party is not given. Ever since Sam had his first birthday party he has been fascinated with parties. He loves the candles, the cake, and the ambiance. In fact, he thinks every birthday party he attends is his. He started potty-training right after he turned two. He really liked the potty and whenever we thought he was going to be serious, he’d refuse to use it. He likes to flush the toilet (and other things along with it) and play in the bathroom so he didn’t have a fear for us to be concerned with. We couldn’t figure out how to motivate him. After Adam had his 12th birthday party and Josh had his 8th, Sam was excited and talked about his birthday party all the time. We decided to let Sam know about the Big Boy Party. We gave him two months to earn it and except for occasional accidents, he’s done very well. He picked the venue, Chuck E Cheeses. He has never been there, but has always wanted to go. I am not sure if the desire comes from commercials or his brothers talking about how cool it is there. So we have a Big Boy Party planned for this Thursday. We invited his friends from nursery (those on Facebook at least,) family friends, and family members.

Checking Online

2009-09-13T18:20:00.003-07:00

Last night I was working on the desktop PC but I had the laptop right next to me and I was toggling between the two. Sam came over to the laptop and started pressing the space bar. I asked him to stop so I could use the laptop again. His response was, "But I am checking online." Interesting. He is two and he knows there is something called online because we talk about it.

The Seventh Deadly Heresy

2009-09-09T12:24:00.005-07:00

The Seven Deadly Heresies
by Elder Bruce R. McConkie
June 1, 1980
Posted at: http://www.lds-mormon.com/heresies.shtml

So I looked for this talk the other day after reading Chris’ blog about another heresy in the talk. His blog, as always, was so intriguing I read the whole address and was enlightened by this, the last heresy. I know we don’t have to be perfect to gain salvation, although sometimes it feels like we do.

“Heresy seven: There are those who believe we must be perfect to gain salvation. This is not really a great heresy, only a doctrinal misunderstanding that I mention here in order to help round out our discussion and to turn our attention from negative to positive things. If we keep two principles in mind we will thereby know that good and faithful members of the Church will be saved even though they are far from perfect in this life. These two principles are:

(1) That this life is the appointed time for men to prepare to meet God-this life is the day of our probation; and
(2) That the same spirit which possesses our bodies at the time we go out of this mortal life shall have power to possess our bodies in that eternal world.

What we are doing as members of the Church is charting a course leading to eternal life. There was only one perfect being, the Lord Jesus. If men had to be perfect and live all of the law -strictly, wholly, and completely, there would be only one saved person in eternity. The prophet taught that there are many things to be done, even beyond the grave, in working out our salvation.

And so what we do in this life is chart a course leading to eternal life. That course begins here and now and continues in the realms ahead. We must determine in our hearts and in our souls, with all the power and ability we have, that from this time forward we will press on in righteousness; by so doing we can go where God and Christ are. If we make that firm determination, and are in the course of our duty when this life is over, we will continue in that course in eternity. That same spirit that possesses our bodies at the time we depart from this mortal life will have power to possess our bodies in the eternal world. If we go out of this life loving the Lord, desiring righteousness, and seeking to acquire the attributes of godliness, we will have that same spirit in the eternal world, and we will then continue to advance and progress until an ultimate, destined day when we will possess, receive, and inherit all things.”

I know people work very hard at being near perfect. Sometimes they are called perfectionists. My son, Joshua, is a perfectionist sometimes. It drives me crazy. For example, when he turned 8 he got the privilege of joining Cub Scouts. He was very excited to get started so we went to work on the requirements for his Bobcat. Once he got to the promise he freaked out because he kept messing up. He wanted to be perfect or he wouldn’t do it all. It’s very frustrating that he has the all or nothing attitude. While I am like that sometimes, I try to instill in the boys that it’s okay to break things down and do it slowly if necessary. That eventually they’ll get it perfectly but for now it’s okay if they need to practice. It was so bad, that he wouldn’t work on his requirements with me anymore. I didn’t expect perfection, he did. So he went over to his friend, who also just turned 8, Aaron’s house and worked on it with his mom. And by the end of an hour, they had all the requirements (except one) done. Maybe I do demand perfection.

In reference to the last paragraph of the above quote, I felt the acknowledgement of the Holy Ghost that Elder McConkie’s words are true. We must decide today how we are going to live our lives. We need to decide in our hearts and souls to press on in righteousness. We need to hold tight to the iron rod as we trudge through the mists of darkness, ignoring the laughs and mockery from those in the great and spacious building. If we must reach out to save another from the river of sin we can’t do it alone, and we must create a human chain of friends and supporters to help us avoid being caught in its tumultuous flow. We must follow Lot’s example, forsaking all and not looking back. Our spirit bodies are very powerful and knowledgeable. We must allow our better half to set the example of love and righteousness. We must continue to ponder the words of the apostles and prophets and local leaders. We must stand for truth and righteousness and show our desire to follow Him.

Thank you, Chris for inspiring me to read this address and learn more. I am grateful for friends who inspire and encourage me. I can’t know everything and love when others share their knowledge. “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” - Henry Ford.

How my children got their names

2009-09-06T16:38:00.006-07:00

I read a friend's blog and she posted where her children's name came from so I thought I'd do the same. If you have ever had me explain anything to you, then you understand I go into details that many feel are not necessary to the story, however they are a part of the story so I share all the details.

When I was little, not older than 12-14, I wanted to name all my children so that their initials were ACE. The boys’ names were Aaron, Adam, Andrew and Anthony, with Charles and Christopher as middle names. The girls’ names were Abigail, Alison (any spelling,) Alysabeth (variation of Elizabeth that my mom came up with when I was 10,) and Amanda, with the middle names of Crystal and Catherine. I was hoping to marry someone with the last name beginning with ‘E.’ Anthony Edwards would have been perfect (this was well before E.R.) so that I could have the last initial I wanted. But then I realized there are few people with last names that begin with an E (or that I’d come across.)

Then I started researching names and their meanings and I decided that I wanted to give my children names that had nice meanings. For example, Mary means bitter. While Mary is a nice name, I did not want my child to feel like I was bitter about having her. During this process I found all the names that meant “Gift of God.” Children are gifts from God so I wanted to have all my children have a name (first of middle) that meant that. Some examples are Jesse, Matthew, Nathanael/Nathan, and Natalie (from Nathanael.) So then I was on a quest to give all my children a gift of/from god name. So I made a list of all the names and tried to put names together that sounded good together. I think I still have the list somewhere. Now we will fast forward to my children and I’ll give you the rest of the story.

Michael Adam: Adam was one of my original names and I have always admired Adam (of Adam and Eve.) Before I was married, a friend was taking a psychology class and needed to provide names that he would name his children. Then in a group setting they would pick the name and share with the class. The name he and I came up with was Michael Adam, but his classmates picked Michael. I had been taught that Michael (the archangel) came to Earth and was known on Earth as Adam. Therefore, I named my son Michael Adam and we call him Adam. If he had been a girl, Alysabeth Crystal. Michael Adam = Who is like God, First Man = First man who is like God.

Joseph Nathanael: As you learned previously Nathanael means Gift of God from my gift from God phase. I have always loved the name Joseph, not Joe or Joey, just Joseph. I love Joseph (of Egypt.) I have a friend, Joseph Langkilde, who encouraged everyone to call him Joseph. So he was an example that it is possible to name someone Joseph with the name being immediately shortened. My husband, Joseph, prefers to be called Joseph. I only call him Joe to differentiate between the two of them. I suppose when the kids have moved out I can call him by his true name. There was this black and white movie that was on television when I was about 16 and this preacher kept calling the character, named Jonathan, Jo Nathan. I thought it would be funny (I have a strange sense of humor) if I named a son Joseph Nathanael (Joe Nathan) and called him Jonathan instead. It was a reverse of the movie and became an inside joke between my mother and me. I would have called him Jonathan except he had an uncle by that name and it wouldn't have worked out. We also thought about calling him Nathan or Nate, but 2 others in our ward had boys around the same time he was born and named them Nathan, so we opted for my favorite name, Joseph. If he had been a girl, Alysabeth Crystal or Natalie. Joseph Nathanael = he shall add, gift of God = He shall add gifts of God (more children or lots of grandchildren.)

Joshua Caleb Alexander: Since my boys' names were prophet names I decided to keep the tradition. I was really hoping for Jacob Spencer, however my ex did not like that name. So I made a list of acceptable names and gave it to him. He didn't live with me at the time (he left as soon as I found out I was pregnant,) so I literally gave him a list. My mom wanted Alexander (as a first name,) because she wanted to call him her little Alex. I wanted Caleb Alexander. But my ex knew a kid named Caleb who would bang his head against the wall, so because of name association that became a no. My ex did not like Alexander as a name either for some reason, but was willing to have as a middle name to please my mom. So he had decided on a name and called me and told me that I had to promise that whatever name he chose would be the name otherwise he wouldn't tell me. So Joshua Alexander was born. I was okay with Joshua because he and Caleb were buddies and were the only 2 tribe leaders that came back and reported. Years later, I told Joseph (Joe) the story and he started calling Josh, Caleb. Joshua was about 2 and would act like Caleb was an alter ego. When Joseph (Joe) adopted the boys in 2005, Josh was given the option to add or change his name. We decided to name him Joshua Caleb Alexander, with 2 middle names. We only let him do it because the other 2 were picking strange names and he really was the only one who's name I was unhappy with. Not that I don't love the name Joshua and have become accustomed to it, it wasn't my choice. So I suppose we did it to spite the ex. My ex has since had 2 children named Alex and Natalie. No name was chosen for a girl other then the ones I previously listed as possibilities. Joshua Caleb Alexander = God is Salvation, Dog, Defender of man = God saves and defends men and dogs. (Maybe adding Caleb wasn't so smart??)

Samuel Allen: Joseph (Joe) really wanted to name a son Allen his dad's name. That happens to be my (biological)dad's middle name. I really didn't care for it as a first name, but was willing to consider it for a middle name. It is also Joseph's middle name. Doing genealogy I find that Joseph descended from a Samuel Allen (Allen being the last name) and it was his descendant Elizabeth Allen who married 2 Allreds (Joseph Gilbert Anderson Allred & George Riley.) Her first husband died so she married his brother whose wife had also died around the same time. She had children with both and helped raise his children. So that's where the Allens and the Allreds merge (twice.) So I told Joseph we can name him Samuel Allen in honor of his great-grandfather (about 8 greats.) We were really hoping Sam would be a girl because we worked so hard to chose Emily Elise for him, and then had to scramble for the last 6 months trying to come up with a name for Sammy. Samuel Allen = God hears, handsome = God hears only from handsome people?? (It's a bit ironic (God hears) because we fasted and prayed for a sister. So in His wisdom he sent us a boy. I think He has a strange sense of humor too.)

Emily Elise: the daughter we hope to have some day. I say she's our next one, but Joseph's not ready for a fifth. I know why we chose Elise. Joseph's favorite car is the Lotus Elise. Elise (derived from Elizabeth) is actually a girl's name so we are honoring his car with her name. I like Emma and Joseph's not happy with the name. Imagine having a Joseph and Emma in the same household. So he allowed me the satisfaction of Emily which is similar. Can't wait until he says we can plan for her. I've given up on Alysabeth because I don't her to deal with having her name spelled so differently people can't get it, but my mom will always like it. Emily Elise = rival (I've seen industrious too,) my God is abundance = God will send me many rivals or if she is industrious she will have abundance. (silly isn't it.)

So while Emily hasn't joined our family, I decided to add it since we still plan on having Emily. We talk about her as if she exists and is real. She's just not here yet. I am happy with my 4 boys, whose names are still prophetic names. They seem to be happy with their names. Adam goes by Michael at school because he doesn't want to deal with teachers having to adjust to his middle name. So we have to use both names when we speak with teachers. Joseph is happy with his name. Joshua prefers to be called Josh. Samuel prefers to be called Sammy, Sam or Samuel. When he says his name now it's Samuel Awen Awred (can't pronounce his l's yet.) So now we wait until Joseph (Joe) decides he can handle five. If he does you'll be the first to know.

Adam's Musical Talents

2009-09-03T17:33:00.006-07:00

In fourth grade Adam decide he wanted to be in orchestra. That year he learned to play the violin. When we went to the music store to rent his violin the owner talked with him about how very intelligent people play the violin. Albert Einstein played the violin. He told Adam to not give it up and he will learn to appreciate its beauty. We listened as he practiced every day. The best way to describe the sweet music he played is that it is like listening to a cat fight.

The next year the school provided the violin so we didn't have to pay for the rental anymore. That was nice. Again he practiced and we attend his concerts and it didn't sound as much like a cat fight, but I was still waiting for it to sound like heaven. Both years Adam even braved playing at the church talent shows.

So sixth grade comes around and we moved to another school. This year they tell him there are too many violin players and ask if he'll play the cello instead. He has been playing for 2 years and he can't play anymore because too many children already play. I am not sure if they were return students or new to the instrument. He decides to play the cello and the school provides it free of charge. This year he also wants to be in band. He decides he wants to be like Brad Anderson and play the saxophone. Brad Anderson for those who don't know him is a young man (couple years older than Adam)from our old ward who could play the piano, organ, sax, well you name it he could play it (except for the violin, which he could probably play now.) Adam really admired Brad so he picked the sax. They already had 2 alto sax players so he settles for tenor. Now he has to trudge 2 very large instruments home on the bus. Luckily he didn't have band and orchestra on the same day, so he only had to carry one at a time. These are deep low sounding instruments so the sound of his practicing wasn't so horrific. At the end of the year, the school sends home a flyer asking parent's if they'd prefer band or orchestra (only) the next year as they are dropping the program and it will be an after school program.

For seventh grade we are able to use a variance to get him into another school. They only offer band and it is during school time as an elective-type class. Adam must give up his cello, but can continue to play the tenor sax. He didn't sign up in the beginning of the year so he only plays second semester.

It's now eighth grade and Adam has signed up for band. The alto sax wasn't available so he sticks with tenor. He practices every day and is excited to play. His band teacher is the marching band leader at Ironwood so the students get to join the marching band on September 18th at the IHS football game. They aren't going on the field, but get to learn songs and play during the game. This will be an exciting opportunity for him and will teach him what opportunities are available for him in high school if he has a passion to continue playing the saxophone. Or maybe he'll go to back to violin or cello. Who knows?

Toddler Talk

2009-08-30T22:56:00.001-07:00

Sam, 2, has been speaking for a while now. And yet, it seems I still can't understand him. For example, over the phone, I have absolutely no idea what he is saying. In person it's different. But lately, I've had difficulty understanding his words.

The other day we were playing Stargate. That's where he pretends to be Dr Daniel Jackson and I am Major Sam Carter. We ended up having a pillow fight, which was absolutely fun to do, mind you it was after midnight. However, I grabbed Dr Jackson and he said, "You tay me." So as annoyed as he was that I was questioning the word tay (play, take, etc,) he giggled with glee when I figured out he meant saved. It was funny.

Tonight he did it again. I am lying on the couch with my knees bent and the laptop is resting on my legs and the monitor is parallel to my raised head. He pops his head between my knees and yells, "peek-a-boo."

Playing along I say peek-a-boo back and move the computer to the side. He crawls up next to me and say he is playing in the the tro-ya. The tro-ya?? Hmm, is that troll? Could it be store? I ask Joe if he understands and he recommends turtle. Sam laughs and says, "no tro-ya." I am lost.

But somehow Joe asks, "stroller?"

Then Sam laughs and says, "Yes, tro-ya."

When will I understand this foreign language toddler's speak? Just as he improves his English vocabulary (or pronunciation,) it seems I lose my gift of interpretation of tongues. Sam is almost 3 so maybe turning three will make a difference in his pronunciation. I've learned apparently he can't yet pronounce 's' or any variation ('sh,' 'st,' 'sc'.) I am not concerned yet, it is just frustrating for me. Weird, one would think he'd be frustrated by it, but to him it's comical.

~Victoria~