The Humpherys Family

2012-01-12T20:29:00.000-08:00

My Girls (it still feels funny in the singular, let alone plural:)

2012-01-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Out with the Old

The older I get, the more miraculous each new year feels. If we can wrap up another year in good health, with a roof over our heads, and 12 months of (mostly) good memories...I think it's been a success. For posterity...a quick list of 2011's highlights:

December:
Christmas festivities included a party with the Platts hosted by my parents, complete with pozole, a reenactment of the nativity, a visit from Santa, and what will hopefully be the first annual floating lantern launch. My mom talked about how Christ is the "light of the world" and we released 8-10 huge floating lanterns into the wintry night sky. It was breathtaking.
We spent Christmas Eve with the Sundahls and Rob. We had a yummy ham feast and spent the next 5 days eating leftovers:) We had dinner with my fam Christmas day and then got together with Marc and Laurette'sfamily for a fun brunch.
The kids had the time of their lives tubing in Alpine with the Wright fam. We had to drag Parker kicking and screaming into the car:)

November:
A quick trip to Utah for a baby blessing (Ethan James Law is the newest addition to the Humpherys fam).
Thanksgiving with the Platts--I made cornbread stuffing, cranberry salad, Sam's fabulous green bean casserole, and 4 pies (bittersweet chocolate, strawberry rhubarb, lemon meringue, and pumpkin). It was delicious!

October:
Claire's blessing
A fabulous trip to Boston for Chuck and I (we let Claire tag along).

August-September:
Back to school and soccer for the boys. It was Briton's first year for both--he felt like pretty big stuff in his fancy soccer uniform and again wearing a back pack on his first day of kindergarten.

July:
Probably the busiest month of our lives...highlighted by the arrival of sweet Claire Mathilde and the return of my parents from a mission to England. Parker and Charlie turned 9 and 7, respectively.

June:
Lots of swimming, snow cones, and sitting with my feet propped up under the ceiling fan. Brit turned 5--I remembered this year, hallelujah!

May:
We wrapped up a busy school year with Charlie and Parks both at home. Jane turned 3! We celebrated our 10th anniversary with a quick trip to Sedona with Jill and Jeremy.

April:
We spent Easter in Utah with the Humpherys clan--couldn't miss the annual Easter egg hunt.

March:
Another glorious spring break with all the Platt cousins in Scottsdale--a week out of the wind felt heavenly.

February:
Can't remember--probably just wind and Valentine's day:)

January:
Fun week to California with the Sundahls. The kids loved the beach and spent hours catching crabs and searching for shells.

2011-11-29T18:10:00.000-08:00

Because I Want the $800 G.A. Henty Collection...

I'm putting a shout out for Vision Forum. I stumbled across this web site a few years ago and I love it. It's a great resource for classic toys and Christian books (and a whole lot of other interesting reading/audio material). I love the stuff they have for boys--zip lines, grappling hooks, spy gear, replica WWII gear, science kits, pop guns, rubberband guns, wooden knight swords and shields. It is boy heaven. And, incidentally, I have found several things for girls there that Pottery Barn Kids sells (at a steeper price, I might add). Check it out!

2011-10-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

It took me four posts, but I think I'm finally caught up. We've had a beautiful October here--no booze, but lots of lovely weather. Here's what we've been up to all month:

A fun FHE at the pumpkin patch

Claire's blessing on the 16th. I wanted a picture of all the family who came to lunch afterwards, but it never happened with all the craziness. I love having family together at baby blessings and am so grateful for everyone who came. We had a yummy lunch of pozole and apple cobbler and Spence did some hilarous impressions of my dad. The mosquitoes got Claire the night before at soccer, so we'll have to get some better pictures of her in her dress (which my mom brought home from England) when the bites are gone.

Soccer ended--hurrah! We had six games a week, plus practices, so our afternoons were a mess. It was Brit's first year and he had a ball--he was more concerned with how cool he looked on the field than actually playing soccer. He would look over at us, give a big thumbs up, and then kick it in to high gear while looking down to see how fast his feet were moving. He didn't have any idea where the ball was 90% of the time. Charlie improved a lot this year, though it is just not in his nature to be aggressive--my dad calls him Ferdinand the bull. Parker also improved a lot and ended the season with a goal his last game. Yea!

2011-10-19T22:10:00.001-07:00

Boston (part 2)

Saturday: We slept in after getting in after midnight...aaahhh. Then we spent the afternoon wandering around the Quincy Marketplace.

Sunday: We slept in again, because we could, and then took a walking tour of the "heart of the Freedom Trail" which included Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, King's Chapel, and the Old South Meeting House

Monday: We wandered around the North End and had a canoli (or two) at Mike's Pastries and then headed to Charlestown for a tour of Bunker Hill.

Tuesday: We covered more of the Freedom Trail including Paul Revere's home, The Old North Church, and the Granary cemetery (Paul Revere, John Hancock, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin's parents, and the 5 victims of the Boston massacre are all buried there), and the New State House. Then we went to Beacon Hill so that Chuck could get a picture by the real Cheers bar--it was the highlight of the trip:)

Wednesday: We headed back to Charlestown for a tour of the U.S.S. Constitution and then visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts--I loved all the Copley and Sergeant paintings, but my favorite was "Boy with a Torn Hat" by Thomas Sully.

Thursday: We went out to Braintree to see the John Adams family homes. John Quincy's library at Peacefield was impressive--made me feel illiterate.

Friday: We rented a car to drive up to Vermont and do some leaf "peeping". Our plan was to drive to Joseph Smith's birthplace in Sharon, but Chuck spotted a sign for the Robert Frost farm in New Hampshire, so we took a little detour. If I lived there I might end up a poet too--it was gorgeous. The leaves on the way to Sharon were breath-taking and the church has such a neat memorial and visitors' center there. Chuck has an aunt in Vermont, so at the last minute, we decided to drive a little further (2.5 hours:) to see her. I didn't mind the extra driving because of the beautiful scenery--I would definitely move to Vermont if it weren't for the -30 temperatures in the winter. I want to go back and stop at every cheese factory, woodworking shop, antique store, art studio, and maple grove. It was so fun to see Chuck's aunt Janet and her family. Her kids were all sweet and friendly--we really enjoyed the visit. We didn't get back to Boston until after midnight and had to be at the airport at 5:00 the next morning, so we were exhausted when we finally rolled back into St. Johns.

Anyway, it was wonderful. And, yes, I only took one jacket:)

2011-10-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

Boston

My parents let Chuck and I use one of their timeshares to take a marvelous trip to Boston. They even watched our kids while we were gone. They really are gluttons for punishment:) We had a great time and it was so nice to have a week with no kids (except for Claire, who doesn't really count:). Boston is a fascinating city and you can basically walk everywhere. We stayed at Marriott's Custom House, which is a beautiful historic building with a great view of the city. Here are a few pics (for journaling purposes):

2011-10-19T20:52:00.000-07:00

September

We said goodbye for the winter to Ernie and Mary--two of our favorite people. They are second grandparents to the kids--they keep a stash of treats on hand for when the kids run across the street to say hello. Mary has been trying to teach me to make tortillas, but says that mine look like "a map of the united states." I've got to practice over the winter and maybe I'll be able to make a round one by the time they get back:)

After Aunt Maren's yard sale Charlie was determined to have his own yard sale to raise some money for a lego set. After 30 minutes he came in, completely exasperated, and said, "Like 2 million cars have gone by and none of them stopped!", so Grandma came to the rescue and bought a few cars.

We said goodbye to our other favorite grandparents, Frank and Deanna, who moved to Vegas. They have been the best neighbors and my kids don't quite know what to do without them. A few days ago Jane came and crawled into bed with me around 6:00 a.m. and in her saddest voice said, "I'm missing Frank."

And I just couldn't resist the smiles, so I had to throw in these last two:)

2011-09-04T20:05:00.001-07:00

August

Our tiny little girl is now pushing 11 pounds (I think my boys weighed 11 pounds at 3 or 4 weeks:) and is so smiley and fun.

Jane is very lonely while her brothers are at school and wants me to play "I'm the mom and you're the little sister" all morning.

The boys all love soccer. I'm thinking that having well-rounded children is highly over-rated.

2011-09-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

First Day of School

Does anyone else think that the middle of August is way too early to start school? I vote to wait until after Labor Day. Briton started kindergarten and was so excited he could hardly stand it. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in his classroom. Parker and Charlie wouldn't let me help them get dressed for school and refused to wear anything with buttons or a collar...I thought only girls were picky about clothes.

I was hoping that having three kids in school would give me a nice break, but after having them in school for a few weeks, I've decided that sending them to school requires just as much time and effort as keeping them home for school.

Since school started, my life has been a blur of papers, folders, backpacks, lunches, soccer uniforms. It is literally making me crazy. I missed a dentist appointment. I forgot that I had to speak at R.S. enrichment. I rescheduled my dentist appointment and then on the appointed day, I hurried to get my house clean, fed the baby, dropped the girls off at Maren's and right before I left I decided I'd better double check the calendar to make sure I had the time right. The appointment wasn't until the next day.

AND...I was just called to be the cub scout leader for Parker's age group. I'm not sure that having 10 rambunctious boys at my house every Thursday is going to help the chaos level in my life, but what can you do? Does anyone have any advice for me on how to simplify and organize? Please, enlighten me. I'm serious.

2011-08-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

July, Oh my!

July 3--Claire makes her grand entrance

July 4--Maren and Mike drag our 4 kids + 2 of their own to all the 4th of July festivities.
July 8--Mom and Dad arrive from England
July 10--nephew Henry's blessing and big famiy get-together
July 16--Parker's birthday
July 17--Mom and Dad report their mission and close to 100 family members get together for lunch afterward
July 20--Charlie's birthday
July 24--Chuck and I (O.K., I was pretty much useless) and Trey and Brindi are in charge of the parade for the Pioneer Days celebration
July 31--niece Sage's birthday

I'm exhausted just thinking about it. Terrible famiy planning on our part:) I'll post a few pics of our hectic month as soon as I can find my memory card, but in the meantime, here are a few of lovely Claire at 2 weeks (thank you, Maren).

2011-07-07T15:07:00.000-07:00

Claire Mathilde Humpherys

Born July 3 at 8:03 am

weight: 6 lb. 11 oz.

length: 19.5 in.

Can I tell you how relieved I am not to be pregnant anymore? On the drive home from the hospital I asked Chuck how many minutes he thought it would be before one of the kids commented on my belly--which is still the size it was when I was 4 months pregnant. The first thing Chalie said after taking a peek at the baby was, "Hey, why are you still fat?" Oh, the honesty of a 6 year old:)

I'm surprised how much I've forgotten in the three years since Jane was born, but it's all coming (painfully) back:) Chuck has been awesome--taking care of kids, cleaning, and cooking so that I've been able to rest more than I did with any of the other kids. And, of course, I don't know how anyone would be able to survive a new baby without the help of wonderful friends and neighbors. Mike and Maren (who have a new baby of their own) took our kids for 3 days--which I am so grateful for, because otherwise our kids wouldn't have had any kind of 4th of July celebration. Mike and Maren took them to the fireworks, parade, and pancake breakfast--I'm sure they're feeling like maybe 2 kids is plenty.

Chuck wanted some German influence in the name, so he chose Mathilde after his great, great grandma. He's been listening to "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" since we brought her home:)

2011-06-05T12:02:00.001-07:00

My Thankful List

My mom asked all of us to write down a few things that we feel grateful for.

With all the crazy weather that has been going on--tornadoes, earthquakes, and now dangerous dry weather and fire here at home--I am grateful that my family (immediate and extended) have been safe. I'm also grateful for fasting and prayer as a way of accessing a loving Heavenly Father's blessings.

I'm a worrier and pregnancy brings out the worst of this in me. But it also makes me grateful to have four healthy, happy ninos. Whenever I complain about how wild and rambunctious these four are my neighbor, Frank, reminds me, "You wouldn't want them any other way."

Chuck and I just celebrated 10 years of marriage together and I am SO grateful for him. Sometimes I think about how crazy it is that after only dating for 3 months (though we'd known eachother for several years) we decided to spend the rest of our lives (and then some) together...and have never regretted that decision. We get along so effortlessly and truly enjoy one another (maybe I'd better not speak for him:).

I could go on, but I think those three things are at the top of my list--and it feels good to recognize how blessed we are.

2011-05-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Entertaining the Troops

We got all the Platt kids together for a picture for Mother's Day--Maren got a few cute shots (a near-impossible feat with these orphans) which you can view here. Brindi was prepared with treats for bribery...I'm not sure they deserved any:) And did I mention that the wind was blowing?

2011-05-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Trying My Hand At Crafty

I don't have a creative bone in my body, but the peer pressure is getting to me:) Why is it that every woman I know sews wardrobes for her children, cooks 3 gourmet meals a day, runs marathons, seems to have majored in interior design, grows a beautiful garden and has cupboards full of bottled peaches and tomatoes, and refinishes antique furniture in her spare time (oh ya, and runs a photography business on the side)?

I can make a mean pan of brownies...and that is about the extent of my creative genious. OK, really it wasn't the peer pressure, but I finally have a little girl to make cute things for, so I thought I'd expand my horizons by pulling out the old sewing machine. I'm so proud of the results. Really, ask Chuck, I've been patting myself on the back all day:) I think I could get into this.

I've been using my mom's old Bernina--it quit working a few years ago and I almost bought a new one, but after several veteran seamstresses told me that you can't buy machines of that quality anymore, I decided to hold on to it and get it repaired. My mom-in-law, who is an expert at quilting and heirloom stitchery (is stitchery a word?) gave me the neatest book for my birthday that has a bunch of adorable patterns for little girl clothes. I think I'll try something with sleeves next...sleeves scare me. And I apologize for the out-of-focus photos...I obviously have some work to do before I get my photography gig going.

2011-05-03T13:36:00.001-07:00

Parker's First Pinewood Derby

2011-05-02T19:19:00.000-07:00

Easter at Nana D's

We had a great time in Utah for Easter. It was chilly, but so beautifully green. The tulips and daffodils were out and trees were starting to blossom. I was having second thoughts about living in a desert. We saw Chuck's grandparents in Logan; I went to dinner with two of my favorite hermanas, Neal and Larsen; the kids colored eggs and had an Easter egg hunt with Nana D and their cousins; and Chuck took the boys to the Hill Airfoce Base museum.

Chuck has told them stories about Brother Lambson in our ward, who was a ball turret gunner in a B17 bomber and was shot down over Germany in WWII, so they were so excited to see a B17 and took pictures by the ball turret and bomb bay. They LOVED it.

We had a great time and none of the kids wanted to come home. Thanks Nana D and Grandpa D for letting us invade for a week.

(P.S. Please excuse the crazy formatting--Blogger and I are not friends.)

2011-05-02T19:11:00.000-07:00

Trains in My Kitchen

I love that with a little imagination, these boys can turn some chairs, bins, and pillows into trains. Apparently one was a freight train and one was a snow plow/army train. There were only a few fights over who got to be the conductor and who got to be the guy shooting the train robbers.

2011-04-08T18:12:00.000-07:00

Spring Break

We had to head south to get out of the wind for a few days...and it was heavenly. The kids had a great time with all their Platt cousins (minus Harvey and Colten) and swam every day. I kept thinking how shocked my parents will be at this gaggle of ninos when they get home. They are a wild bunch.

Whenever we get to civilization, I am reminded that four kids is almost a novelty these days--four is the new eight. People always ask tactful questions like, "Are those all yours?" and "Are there any twins?" Then there are those especially tolerant people who quickly exit the pool when they see us coming:) Not a bad idea:)

Here are some pictures of the orphans for Papa and Grandma--

2011-02-10T18:58:00.000-08:00

California Adventures

Chuck had some work to do in southern California and my dad offered to let us use one of his timeshares, so we decided to tag along. We happened to miss some sub-zero temperatures here at home--and LOVED the nice California weather. Chuck worked every day, so the kids and I hung out at the resort during the day. The kids swam all morning then we came back to the room for lunch/naps and then spent the afternoon at the park. It had a big sandbox, putting green, basketball court, tetherball, and a playground.

We also enjoyed an awesome beach just down the road a mile or two. The kids caught all kinds of crabs and even found some HUGE starfish. Jane loved the anemones--she even squished some water out one or two:) The boys could have explored all day--looking for shells and crabs. One afternoon we could see dolphins jumping out of the water. I don't know how many times I told Chuck that it really isn't fair that people actually live there!

We spent our last day at SeaWorld, which the kids loved. Jane has been talking about Shamu ever since. I love getting up-close and personal with the whales and dolphins--it is such an amazing experience.

2011-01-19T15:55:00.000-08:00

El Morro National Monument

I've lived in this area almost my whole life and had never visited El Morro before this fall. I knew Parker would love it because of the petroglyphs and Indian pueblo on top so I planned a Friday home school trip. El Morro is a giant sandstone cliff with a natural spring, which made it an ideal rest stop for early explorers and settlers traveling through the region. Many of these travelers carved their names into the cliff--one of the earliest is that of a Spanish conquistador dated early 1600 (I can't remember the exact date). It was a good hike and the kids loved it. The view from on top was awesome.

2011-01-19T15:33:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin Patch

I'm obviously back-tracking here--but I thought Papa and Grandma might like some of these.

2010-12-25T08:44:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-11-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Sticks and Stones

I hope it's just a boy thing, and not a terrible parent thing...but we've had two accidents involving stitches in the last 4 months.

(Can you call it an accident when one boy pushes another into the hearth? How about when two boys are fighting over a broom handle and one lets go, sending the handle flying into the other boy's face?) Oh well, the boys are claiming accident, so I'll go with that. We laughed so hard at Charlie because it hit him right between the eyes and the swelling made him look so funny. We called him Avatar for a week.

Briton's injury occurred two weekends ago 60 seconds after I walked out the door on my way to a wedding in Phoenix. Chuck stayed home with the kids--so it was probably his fault:)

Maybe we'll be able to look back and laugh...someday.

2010-11-02T21:03:00.000-07:00

I was a pretty lame mom this year--the boys wanted to be Alvin and the Chipmunks, which sounded easy so I was all for it. I already had green and red turtlenecks, so I figured all I had to do was find a pair of round glasses and a blue turtleneck. Unfortunately for Parker, Walmart did not carry a blue turtleneck in the boys' section. They did, however, have a blue turtleneck in the plus-sized women's section. He was mortified when I put it in the cart and informed him that his costume would be a ladies' shirt. He looked so funny in the glasses (which he didn't put on for the pictures).

I know my kids look like orphans in all these pictures--just keepin' it real. I also had to throw in a few shots of my tree. These two huge ash trees are my favorite thing about our house--one has already lost all its leaves, but the other is at the height of its glory right now and I had to take pictures.

2010-10-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

A Day in the Life of Small Town Boys

Believe it or not, but this sight is a regular occurrence for me. I've never seen kids who love the dirt/mud like these boys. The amount of laundry I do is ridiculous. Occasionally--if they're wearing junk clothes--I just throw them away. Take a look at Charlie's eyes and nose in those pictures--how does one go about getting mud on the eyelid and lashes and up the nose? I'm seriously considering pouring concrete over every square inch of our yard. Only I know that they'd just find the mud somewhere else.

2010-10-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Grandgirls

2010-09-03T19:41:00.001-07:00

The Great Debate

At least among housewives:) My mom has always been a Bosch woman. She baked bread every week and swore by her Bosch. She gave me her first Bosch when I got married and she got a new one...I don't know for how many years she had been using it but it's been almost 10 since she gave it to me and it is still running like a champ. I don't have any cool accessory gadgets, but I do have the juicer and I love it in the winter when we have citrus. Did you know they used to make an ice cream maker attachment?

On the other hand, I know people who would give up their first-born child before they'd go without a KitchenAid. The KitchenAid is clearly a looker--isn't the eggplant one pictured above stunning? The Bosch looks a bit homely in the side-by-side comparison:) But fun retro colors aside, I've never used one and I'm just curious as to how they measure up to the Bosch. Do they have a comparable industrial motor? Can they stand with the Bosch when it comes to kneading bread?

So, a penny for your thoughts...Bosch v. KitchenAid. Which do you prefer?

2010-08-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

Back to (Home)School

Ya, it's not quite as exciting to get all spiffed up in new school clothes, pack a lunch, throw on a new backback, and head out...into the kitchen. But, hey, we do get an extra 3 weeks of summer:) School started today in our school district and I was very glad not be doing the whole morning yelling routine: trying to get lunches packed, scriptures read, beds made, breakfast eaten, teeth brushed, backpack loaded, all before 7:45 am. It will start for us soon enough, but I'm enjoying the last days of summer while I can.

I've loved going through books and curriculum options. I really like this website http://www.classical-homeschool.org/ for homeschool resources and I'm going to try to follow (more or less) their curriculum suggestions this year. These are a few of the books we will be using:

Language, dictation, spelling:

Phonics:

Math:

History:

Art:

Science:

I'm trying the "Story of the World" for history--it was written by Jesse Wise, who wrote "The Well-Trained Mind" and covers ancient history. So we'll start with the Bible and do the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, etc. I got a big children's Bible atlas and an illustrated children's Bible. Then we'll do the Greeks and Romans starting in January. We'll use D'Aulaire's "Book of Greek Myths" and "The Children's Homer" by Padraic Colum as readers. Kellie also showed me the site Librivox.org--you can download tons of audio books--we're going to try Charles Kingsley's "The Heroes" as well as "Famous Men of Greece and Rome."

I found "Old Testament Figures in Art" on Amazon and I think it will work well with our history. When I homeschooled Parker in 1st grade, we used the "Come Look With Me" books and he learned so much about art. It was his favorite subject. One day at the post office he showed me a stamp and said, this looks like an Albert Bierstadt painting. And it was!

We're using several fun readers: Helen Ferris' "Favorite Poems, Old and New", Aesop's Fables, The Thornton Burgess books, the Jean Fritz readers, and James Herriot's "Treasury for Children".

We are also meeting every other Monday with a little homeschool group so the kids can do a book club, share projects they've done, do a science, art, or music project together, and play.

Of course, by October I'll probably be chasing down the school bus begging them to take my children:)

2010-08-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Parker's Big Day

I can't believe I have an 8 yr. old. It's a little scarey to think that he's currently accountable...hopefully we've done our job:) Parker was so excited for his baptism. All of his cousins and uncles and aunts were there with the exception of the New Mexico Platts (whose hunting season started yesterday). We even had two sets of grandparents, thanks to Grandma Terry and Grandpar Bruce and Frank and Deanna. Everyone came over for dinner afterwards and we had a lovely evening. Thanks to all who shared this day with Parks.

2010-08-04T21:17:00.001-07:00

July Part 3

Jill and Jeremy came up for the 24th of July Celebration and we had a great time. The weather was perfect most of the weekend--cool and rainy. Here are a few pics from the parade.

2010-07-31T20:55:00.000-07:00

July Part 2
July is always a crazy month--and this year it seemed busier than ever. Parker and Charlie have birthdays the 16th and 20th--terrible family planning, I know:) I had to leave to Phoenix on Parker's birthday, so we had a birthday breakfast and presents in the morning and then we took all the kids, plus cousins Hayes and Harvey, on a birthday outing to the Catwalks in N.M. when I got home. With 6 kids, ages 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, and 2, we were getting all kinds of interesting looks from people we ran into on the trail:) Several people asked if we had any sets of twins in the bunch. I assured them that only four were ours, but Chuck finally just started claiming all six:)

We had a great time, despite the near 100 degree weather. Chuck carried Jane most of the way and I coaxed Briton along (the poor boy inherited my inability to sweat and was clearly overheated. He was as red as a tomato and kept saying things like "I don't like being hot...I can't breathe when it's hot...I'm a horrible hiker.") I was on the verge of heat stroke myself, and I could have sworn that we hiked nearly five miles...but I just looked it up and the trail is a pathetic 1.1 miles. That can't be right:)

When we finally reached the pools, all the kids jumped right in. I accidentally left Jane's swimsuit in the car, so I just stripped her down. Why not? Everyone already thought we were a bunch of crazies with 6 kids under the age of 10. Besides, a few of the boys had dropped their drawers and taken care of business in plane view of all the other hikers. Please don't turn me into C.P.S.

2010-07-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

2010-07-22T11:02:00.001-07:00

July, Part 1

2010-06-24T17:17:00.000-07:00

I'm a reader. I always like to be working on some good book. I mostly read fiction, though I do like the occasional biography. I tease Chuck that he can never finish a book because he is usually reading 2-3 books at a time and eventually he'll give up on one and bring a new one into the rotation. Well, I finally learned why he never finishes. Chuck always reads nonfiction--anything historical or political.

Lately I've been feeling like I should add something a little weightier to my reading list. So first, I decided to try DeToqueville's Democracy in America and then The Federalist Papers. It's not that these books aren't interesting, it's just that I'm so tired all the time:) And the only time I can get any reading done is after the kids go to bed. So I sit down, get through maybe 2 pages and...I'm fast asleep....at 8:30. Now fiction, on the other hand, has the power to suck me in and keep me hooked. You know, the plight of the young and unwed Englishwoman: can't inherit, can't work, must marry the brooding, creepy rich guy or become a governess...it's fasacinating. Chuck says that every book I read has essentially the same plot. I can't help myself. Anyway, I'm going to keep plugging away at DeToqueville and The Federalists, but it might take me years.

These are a few good things I've read lately:
The Gurnsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society--a fun, short read about a book club formed during the German occupation of Gurnsey.
Born to Rule--a history of five of Queen Victoria's granddaughters who were reigning consorts in Spain, Greece, Romania, Russia, and Norway. I watched the new "Young Victoria" movie--which I enjoyed--and wanted to learn more about Victoria so I went to my dad's library to see if I could find anything and ended up with Born to Rule. I thought it was fascinating.
My Antonia--Chuck picked up a copy for me on one of his trips--I'd read it before and had forgotten how much I loved it. Willa Cather is my favorite American author.
Paul Revere's Ride--My dad is a big fan of David Hackett Fisher and recommended this one to me. I learned so much reading this book--Not only about Revere and the battles of Lexington and Concord--but also about colonial America and how much our values and our concept of community and country have changed since colonial times.

I want to read another book about Victoria and Albert and I'm going to order Julia Child's My Life in Paris through interlibrary loan. What are you reading? Any recommendations?

2010-06-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Birthday Boy Briton

I've been looking through pictures of my #3 boy to post for his birthday, and I found pretty much a whole file of pictures of his baby rolls:) Besides the pics of the delicious roll stage, I also had to include some that were just classic Brit. I So bear with me, and if you have a weakness for chubby (o.k., pretty much obese) babies, watch out!

2010-06-14T18:55:00.001-07:00

Update for Papa and Grandma

*Once again, I'm having problems formatting on Blogger--so please excuse, the HUGE gaps.

Here are a few pictures from the Hamblin reunion--I didn't get many. I love all the little filthy ninos. They ran wild, spending most of the day catching bugs and reptiles. They ended up with two lizards, the biggest horned toad I've ever seen (which I didn't get a picture of), and two scorpions. That's right...scorpions. I didn't know there were scorpions in the mountains--these were just tiny ones, but now I have a good excuse not to sleep on the ground when camping.

Kolten took a bad spill and ended up with a good cut on his gums and a fat lip--but he's still as cute as can be. This is after he had attacked the cupcake buffet.

The big four year old who has yet to celebrate--we're doing a combined party with Chase this week.

And here are a few pics of the new and improved playroom. Chuck and Trey worked hard to get it cranked out. I don't want to move all the toys back in:)

We had Hayes tonight while Spence and Kellie took Chase to an appointment in Flagstaff. I had all the kids do a few jobs and then we went to get an ice cream cone for FHE. We go all out:)

2010-05-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

Recipes, Please!

I'm having such a hard time right now coming up with dinner every night. Is there a name for this condition? Cook's block? Hitting a cooking wall? Whatever it's called--I've got it...bad. I spent hours this morning looking at all my favorite cooking blogs and websites and I still can't come up with anything. I'm looking for something quick, easy, delicious. I don't want lobster with a champagne butter sauce, spinach parpadelle noodles and salmon roe caviar. Thanks, Emeril, but I'd like to see you throw that on the table in 30 minutes with four screaming children tugging at your apron. So please, rescue me. What are your favorite summertime meals?

And just to get the sharing started, I'll share a few recipes I've tried lately:

This one is from the Pioneer Woman, bless her heart. I've loved everything I've tried from her (peach crisp, roasted garlic, crash hot potatoes, apple dumplings, tres leches cake, cornbread stuffing...) but this is one of my favorites. And Ree's too, apparently: she calls it "My Most Favorite Salad Ever. Ever. Ever!" It is awesome--asian-inspired with tons of flavor and crunch. I made it twice in one week:) Please try it--you won't be sorry.

A few weeks ago, Maren and I tried Julia Child's Supremes de Volaille aux Champignons--I know, I know...it sounds fancy, but it is actually a simple recipe that uses very basic ingredients. It turned out fabulous and the husbands loved it. The sauce is delicious--I licked the pan...really.

Of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't post a sweet recipe. This is one of my all-time favorite desserts. It's right up there with Julia's brownies. When we lived in Utah, one of my favorite spots for lunch was Kneaders. They have an awesome pulled turkey sandwich with cranberry and avocado but, more importantly, they make the most delicious bread pudding I've ever had. When we moved, something was missing in my life--I knew that it wouldn't be comlete until I could have a big bowl of Kneaders Raspberry Bread Pudding, smothered in vanilla cream sauce. Long story short, I recently Googled the recipe, found it, made it (10-11times), and have been a much happier person ever since. It can change your life too, trust me.

And PLEASE, don't forget to leave a comment and paste in one of your favorite dinner recipes.

2010-05-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

More Birthday Girl

2010-05-16T14:33:00.001-07:00

Terribly Two

Jane turned two on May 1st and is definitely living up to the two year old reputation. She thoroughly enjoyed all the attention and has been talking about "mine birthday" and "presents" ever since. We had a wrestling tournament and Kellie's shower that day so we didn't do anything too exciting. We had Jane's favorite Sprinkles strawberry cupcakes (leftover from Kellie's shower:).

Can you believe that we had snow in Arizona the day before Jane's birthday--April 30th?

Apparently she thinks she's five--she's still working on getting only two fingers up:)

Here are a few of my favorite things about Jane:

though she loves her dolls and is quite the girl, she is tough as nails and never lets her brothers bully her around. She's been known to give them nippy twists (also known as purple nurples) until they cry.

She is my little sidekick and goes everywhere with me.

She is a great helper. I will tell the boys to pick up their shoes and they don't hear a word I say. A few minutes later Jane will come in with an armload of shoes on her way to the boys' room.

She loves her brothers (it's more like love/hate with her tormentor, Brit) and wants to do everything they do. For Jane, dress up consisists of putting on her brother's sports jerseys and shorts.

She talks non-stop and can say anything she wants to. Some things we hear often are, "Did you hear that?", "I want it bad", "disgusting!"
She comes into my room every morning when she wakes up and cuddles for a few minutes--it's the only thing I look forward to in the morning:)

2010-05-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

Recent Goings-on for Papa and Grandma

Wrestlemania: Hayes, Parks, and Charlie wrestled in a tournament on Saturday. I have to say that watching my little boys wrestle causes me great anxiety. They aren't very experienced and Charlie doesn't have a competitive/aggressive bone in his body--so I was holding my breath. But they both LOVE it and it has been good for them.

Kellie's Shower: I don't know who had more fun with all the "pink" loot--Kellie or Chase.

Jane and Lucy: Chuck and the boys drove over to Horse Springs one afternoon and Maren and Mike brought Lucy over while they went to dinner, so we had a girls' night. Jane LOVES Lucy.

School Music Programs: Parker and Nicholas sang "Davy Crocket"--I think a coon skin cap really works for Parks. Charlie had his program too, but when we got there, we realized our camera was out of batteries. I'm a bad mom.

2010-04-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

A First-Grader on Race and Religion

Chuck went to have lunch at school with Parker today and came home with the funniest story. He recognized most of Parker's friends, but they sat with one boy he didn't know. During lunch the kid asked Chuck, "Is Parker a Mormon?" and the following conversation ensued:

Chuck: "Ya, he is."
Kid: "How come?"
Chuck: "Because that's the church we belong to. Are you a Mormon?"
Kid: "No, I'm a Catholic."
Chuck: "How come?"
Kid: "Because I'm brown."

Well, there you go. You've gotta love 7 yr. olds:)

2010-04-19T13:26:00.001-07:00

Heaven Help Us

Here are a few funny Brit stories before I forget.

The other day I was working in the yard and Brit kept bugging me to make lunch. It was only 10:30 so I told him I'd make him lunch when Charlie got home at 12:00. He turned away and mumbled, under his breath, "I don't like you."
So I told him, "Well, if you don't like me then I'm not going to make you any lunch at all."
He looked at me and said, in a tone of utter disgust, "That doesn't even make sense."

One day he came in from playing outside and since he was so grubby and dirty (like always) I said, "What am I going to do with you?" He gave me the funniest look and then asked, in complete seriousness, "Am I ugly?"

I bought him some new sweats the other day and he's been calling them his "sweaties." I can't stop laughing every time I hear "Mom, are my sweaties clean?"

Chuck has been trying to fix some cracks around the door frames from the house settling and it really has Brit worried. He's been praying every night that Heavenly Father will fix our "cracky house."

2010-04-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Thursday/Friday Friends

Briton and Jane are going to go through "Heap withdrawl" this summer, I'm sure. They look forward to Thursdays and Fridays all week.

2010-04-06T13:43:00.000-07:00

Utah Easter

A few weeks ago, our Bishop gave Chuck some really good tickets to General Conference, so we decided to run up to Utah for the weekend and spend Easter with his family. We left early Friday morning and came home Monday morning. It was a quick trip--but we loved Conference and had a fun time with the Humpherys fam.

James and Jessica hid 500 eggs (some stuffed with dollar bills:) and the kids had the time of their lives. I'm sure we'll find eggs in the yard next time we visit.

After the big egg hunt Jessica broke out "Just Dance" for the Wii and the competition was on. At first, we couldn't get the boys to dance, but after awhile, they just couldn't resist. It was so much fun. Parker and Raquel look like they could be siblings to me. Notice Parker's tongue--makes me laugh.

Aunt Heather snapped a few pictures of Anna Jane. We tried to take away her basket of candy and she had a total melt down, so we ended up putting it right behind her.

p.s. For some reason, Blogger isn't letting me move my pictures around, so sorry about the wierd formatting here.

2010-03-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

Spring Break for Papa and Grandma

Chuck worked every day of the break so I was on my own with the kids most of the time--which means I didn't have a free hand to take pictures, but here are the few that I did manage.

The kids had so much fun with all their cousins. We spent the mornings at the pool, then did lunch and naps, and in the afternoon we either swam again or played at the playground. The kids were worn out by the end of the day and slept great:) Jane is such a little fish--she has absolutely no fear of the water. She jumps right in and kicks her little feet until someone grabs her. She can even float on her back for a second or two. I heard "Mom, watch!" about 2 million times from Jane.

We got together with Jill and her crew (lowercase and uppercase) at the train park and then they came to swim later in the week. We also got together with more Hamblin cousins Thursday night--it was so fun to see everyone. Friday night, we roasted s'mores with Kellie and her boys and then took a late night swim.

In short--a great time was had by all. Thank you, Mom and Dad--we all missed you.

2010-03-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

More First Rate Entertainment

Chuck and I didn't have anything great to watch Saturday night, so we ended up spending the evening looking at funny videos on YouTube. Somehow we stumbled across this:

Apparently this particular prison in the Phillipines has been using dance to rehabilitate the inmates. They're really pretty good--but we could not stop laughing at the suspiciously masculine female character--very convincing. If you're interested in the methodology behind the dancing, you can read more here.

2010-03-04T18:33:00.000-08:00

S.P.A.T.

Have you ever seen About a Boy? If you answered "yes" to that question, then you know all about S.P.A.T.--Single Parents Alone Together. Well, Maren and I have formed our own S.P.A.T. chapter here in St. Johns. Chuck and Mike have been doing a lot of traveling the past few weeks and when Chuck is gone, I pretty much give up on trying to get anything done. I don't cook, I don't do any deep cleaning, I don't exercise. I'm basically a slob--but I like to look at it as my mini-vacation. This week we've had cold cereal every morning (and maybe a few times later in the day as well:). We've gone to story time at the library, enjoyed the warm weather by going on walks and playing at the park, and we've spent many a happy hour on puzzles and Memory.

Maren called after the husbands had been gone one night and said that we'd better colaborate on dinner or she was going to be living off of nutty bars for the next four days. So I did dinner on Wednesday and she had us over for dinner tonight. We're going to get together to make pizza tomorrow night (hopefully the travelers will be home in time for dinner).

Tonight I'm feeling like if I have to spend one more day alone with the kids and one more night without a husband, I might go crazy. (Please don't tell anyone that I said that about the kids.)

2010-02-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

If you have hours on end to spare and are looking for some quality entertainment, let me recommend the following:

My parents got me started on this and I LOVE it. Even Chuck is hooked. The second season just came out on DVD and I think it's in its third season now on BBC. I'm currently blazing through the second season via Netflix--they can't keep the DVDs coming fast enough. And, yes, my house is a disaster.

Here's one of my favorite lines:

Miss Lane: "And just how does a girl become pregnant, Minnie?"
Minnie: "Morals, Mum."

2010-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

For Papa and Grandma

Here are some photos of the orphans. An outing at the park with Harv, Colten, and Lucy.

Jane is her daddy's girl--she could not stop eating his super spicy salsa (hence the tears and runny nose)

The Sunday you left for the MTC

Enjoying all the snow at the potato farm--Briton only lasted a few minutes but Charlie loved it!

2010-02-14T17:24:00.000-08:00

Another Reason To Eat

The only thing I know is food. So when a friend has a baby, I take in dinner. If someone is sick, I make soup. For birthdays, brownies. Sundays, cookies (do you need a special occasion for cookies?). I love to bake in the fall (and any other time of year, for that matter), make soups and hot cocoa in the winter, barbecue in the summer. I look forward to the end of summer every year so that I can live on fresh peaches, corn on the cob, and tomato sandwiches. And, of course, every holiday has its accompanying food.

So can you guess why I love Valentine's Day? I love baking treats for the kids to take to school, I love icing pretty sugar cookies, and since we live a good 45 min. away from a decent meal, I love cooking an extra special dinner for two.

Since we moved to St. Johns, we almost always stay home on Valentine's Day. Sometimes Chuck cooks (he is amazing), sometimes I cook, but we'd never done the meal together. Last year, I was so wiped after cooking all day that by the time we got kids to bed and sat down to eat, I vowed I would never cook on Valentine's Day again. Fortunately, Maren called on Saturday and convinced me to stay home and tag-team dinner with them. It was a meal to remember--one of the best I've had in ages:

Spinach salad with buttered sweet potato, bacon, pecan, and a citrus vinaigrette (Maren)
Grilled ribeye steak--an inch and a half thick, I might add:) (Mike)
King crab and lemon/garlic butter (Chuck)
Roasted potatoes with olive oil and coarse salt (Me)
Baked asparagus with browned balsamic butter (Me)
Chocolate souffle (Me) with homemade vanilla ice cream (Maren) and strawberries

Having four of us really lightened the cooking load, made the clean-up much quicker, and kept costs down. Anyway, thanks Mike and Mare--it was delicious. And thank you, Lucy, for providing the entertainment (which involved her getting her head stuck in one of the chairs:)

2010-02-11T12:43:00.000-08:00

I was so proud of myself yesterday when my bread turned out perfect! Usually I get lopsided loaves with a big crack on one side, like this:

But for some unknown reason, yesterday's batch was beautiful.

I was so pleased that I took a picture to send to my mom (the bread master). Good thing I did too, because a few moments later, my lovely loaves looked like this:

The culprit?

By the way, does anyone know what causes my loaves to explode on one side? I'd love to know.

2010-01-15T16:59:00.000-08:00

Just in Time for Valentine's Day

My little boy is in love. My firstborn son is all starry-eyed and it's killing me. Parker had never even noticed girls until about a month ago. That's when the lovely Jo Ann moved to St. Johns. One day on the way home from school, Parker said "Guess what? I made a new friend today and it's not even a boy." He said that during rehearsal for the Christmas program a new girl stood by him and kept looking at him "all wierd." Then at recess he saw her kicking a ball, so he decided to turn on the charm: "Hey, do you want me to show you how to do that?" (He still believes that girls don't know how to play sports). Fortunately, Jo Ann wasn't offended and now Parker reports that she's telling everyone she wants to marry him. Listen up, Jo Ann...the boy is seven years old and not at all intersted in getting married.

Chuck went to eat lunch with Parks today and said that he kept looking around for Jo Ann and waiting for her to get through the line. After she got her lunch, she came right up to Parker and his friends and squeezed right in next to Parker. She kept whispering to him and Chuck could tell Parker was nervous that he was there. Then she said to Chuck, "Guess what? I'm getting baptized next summer." Chuck thought she was quite cute:)

Chuck keeps reassuring me that this is normal 8-year-old stuff, but I feel like it's the beginning of the end. I keep making Parker promise to tell Jo Ann that he can only be friends until he gets home from his mission. I don't know if he's thrilled with the idea:) Oh well, at least he likes girls.

2010-01-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Oh ya, I made this too...Martha would be proud

2010-01-02T17:14:00.000-08:00

Bienvenido 2010

My parents are leaving the 18th for their mission to Leeds, England and I've been thinking that when they get home, Jane will be almost as old as Briton is right now. Scary! Another year down and it seems like the kids are growing faster than I care to think about. I sometimes try to capture a little mental snapshot of the fun things they're each doing right now, because I know that I'm going to wake up tomorrow and they're going to be ornery teenagers who hate my guts.

We spent the entire Christmas vacation down with the flu. I started to feel it coming on the Monday before Christmas and I am still coughing and congested as I write this post. Parker had the flu too and Briton, Jane, and Charlie all had a really bad cough and cold--Briton ended up with an ear infection. Chuck was the only one who survived the onslought (he claims "superior genes"). Christmas Eve we had to leave the family party around 8:00 because I was so miserable. I got home, took a tylenol pm and went right to bed. So Chuck, who had already done most of the Christmas shopping alone (because he was in California a week earlier), had to do all the Christmas Eve stuff alone. He was up until 2:00 am and watched "White Christmas" twice:) Poor fellow. I guess I owe him one.

We spent New Year's Eve in Greer with my family and then came home and watched "The Blind Side"--which I loved. Parker wanted to go sledding the whole break, but since we were all down in the dumps, I promised him we'd go as soon as we are all feeling up to it. So if anyone is interested, we'll probably be at the old ski run next weekend--for about 20 min.:)

I am normally the most uncreative person I know. I can whip up a mean batch of cookies and that's about the extent of my creative side. But for some reason, I got the craft bug during the month of December and I got in way over my head. I started making

stockings (I tried to copy these ones)

this advent calendar (except I don't have the stamps, so if anyone out there has number stamps you'd like to loan me...)

crochet snowflake ornaments

a cute tote for Jane (similar to this)

a receiving blanket with a crochet edge for a friend who just had a baby

I did finish the advent calendar and about a dozen snowflakes, but the tote, blanket, and stockings remain unfinished:) This is why I'm no good at craft projects:)

2009-12-13T19:53:00.000-08:00

Why is it so hard to find 10 min. to update this blog? Usually, I know that if I sit down at the computer, I'll end up reading anywhere from 20-400 other blogs, checking my email, or browsing through Facebook. Two days later, I'll emerge from the office with a head ache and sore bottom to find my children buried in a mountain of dirty laundry.

Anyway, I'll post some pictures in the next few days, but in the meantime I just wanted to say hello, we're alive, and if you would like to know if we've gotten older since I last posted pictures, check back later.

Winter is in full swing. And we must not be living right here in St. Johns, because the big storm that was forcast to hit last week left over a foot of snow in Show Low and then 50 mph winds blew it right around us without leaving so much as a trace of the white stuff. If we don't see some of it soon, Chuck might be able to convince me to move to Utah or Colorado. He's worried about our boys who think that the frost on the windshield is snow.

I love all the pretty mountain towns like Logan, UT or Colorado Springs, but I always tell Chuck I could never handle the winters. Sometimes (during the summer:) I think I'm a big baby and it wouldn't be that bad. Then our mild winter weather arrives and I realize, I'm not a big baby...I'm an Arizonan (or is it Arizonian?). We don't do harsh winters. And though I wouldn't mind a bit more snow, the winters here are about all I can handle: winter arrives around Halloween, is usually gone by the end of April, and never brings temps below zero (usually).

Enough about the weather (Chuck says I'm like an old farmer about the weather--I can't help it). Thanksgiving was lovely. I was boning a chicken about 6 weeks before Thanksgiving and I actually started salivating because it made me think of Thanksgiving. I had a bad pie year (my lemon merengue didn't set up and Emeril's banana cream pie was a bit heavy for my taste), but I tried the Pioneer Woman's stuffing and it was delicious. I've been craving it ever since. I didn't stuff myself sick this year and I decided it was a mistake. The next day, I experienced post-Thanksgiving day blues and was so sad that I hadn't eaten another piece of pumpkin pie. So I went straight out and bought a Turkey and told Kellie that if she'd make rolls, I'd share my turkey:) I'm sick, I know.

And that, my friends, is how a short, 2 min. update morphs into a rambling, too-long- to-bother-reading, 1 hour later post. Don't ever get me started on food or the weather.

2009-11-05T13:57:00.000-08:00

Fall Things

While California's year round perfect weather is tempting, I think I would miss changing seasons. I always look forward to fall and hate to see it go. This year, the fall weather has been a dream-- right now it is 70 degrees with that cool, crisp feeling in the air.

One fall thing that I definitely don't look forward to every year is Halloween. I do love the kids in cute costumes, I just hate trying to put together costumes for four ninos who know exactly what they want to be (and I do not have a creative bone in my body). I also dread trying to keep Charlie from eating 4 lbs. of candy in one night (see the mouthful pictured above). So lucky for me, I pretty much got to skip it this year since we were vacationing in California. We did try to hurry home from the zoo in time to trick or treat, but we didn't get back until after 8:00 (darn it!) and so we told the kids they could trick or treat at their aunts and uncles and grandma's houses when we got back. My parents tried to take Jane and Brit, but Jane refused to wear her costume, so Brit tagged along with Uncle Spence and Aunt Kellie. Our very generous neighbors gave my boys all their sons' old Halloween costumes and the boys have been having a ball with them for months. The red dragon one really suits Briton--sort of devilish, don't you think?

I just got a new camera--these are a few pictures I snapped the day I got it. I'm still trying to figure it out. Chuck thinks the picture of Brit and his friend, Ellie, will be perfect for a wedding video:)

2009-11-03T14:21:00.001-08:00

Just in Time for Christmas

*They will be ready by the first week of December, complete with their first round of shots, for $50. We have four blacks, three yellows, and one chocolate (already spoken for). And this will be the last batch of puppies available from Humpherys farms. Unless, of course, Chuck chooses the dogs over me.

2009-11-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

California (Warning: LONG POST)

Thanks to my good parents, who took Briton and Jane for a week, we were able to take a fun trip to Southern California with just Parker and Charlie. I was very worried that Jane would make life pretty miserable for my parents, but after we'd been gone only a day or two my mom informed me that I'd been worrying about the wrong child. Jane was a dream, but Briton... My parents finally got to see his Hyde-side:) By the way, have any of you noticed how much easier two kids are than four?

The weather was lovely, a little too cool to swim, but perfect for Disneyland and the zoo. The boys LOVED the ocean and beach. Apparently we need to spend a little more time at the ocean--one day we were walking along the harbor at Balboa Island and Charlie started screaming, "A Whale!!!" The whale turned out to be a sea lion.

Chuck worked several days so I was stuck at the condo with no car. Luckily the place we were staying at had a beautiful pool, basketball court, putting green, playground, tether ball, and a sandbox. The kids were in heaven and played ALL day.

After the initial shock of paying an arm and a leg to get into Disneyland wore off, we had a great time (honestly, how do those Disney people sleep at night?). The boys were SO excited to be there (can you tell by their faces right before we left?) Charlie was old enough to ride most of the fun rides and not scream his lungs out like he did last time. However, when you combine the fact that he is one of the laziest kids I've ever seen with his sweet tooth problem, any vacation that involves too much walking around in a place where they are selling churros on every corner can be quite tricky. It is the perfect storm. He whined all day that he was tired of walking and then whenever someone would walk by with an ice cream cone he would have a melt down. We finally resorted to dropping a trail of kettle corn to keep him moving along.

The zoo was fabulous--I don't know what it is about the zoo that brings out the kid in me. I'm a huge sucker for the animals, I guess. Have you ever fed a giraffe? It is such an amazing experience for me to get up close and personal with what I consider one of the most breath-taking of animals. Whenever I see a giraffe, I know there must be a Creator. Honestly, how could something like a giraffe just...happen? The kids, on the other hand, go for the comedians. They LOVED this baby orangutan playing with the pumpkin--he was definitely hamming it up for the crowd.

And lest you think me a terrible mother for pulling my kids out of school for a week, here are a few of the things the boys learned this trip:

1. San Diego only gets 9 in. of rainfall each year

2. A giraffe's tongue is 15 in. (or the distance between the tip of your fingers and elbow). The giraffe has only one living relative: the okapi.

3. "Mark Twain" is not only the pen name of the famous American author, but it is also what boatmen would shout out when the river reached a safe depth of two fathoms.

4. It is illegal to remove sea shells from public beaches. Oops!

5. Macaws are monogomous, so if you purchase a single macaw it will bond with only one person in the family.

6. Sea lions can be distinguished from seals (and whales, for that matter:) by their ears and the way they swim using their foreflippers.

7. There is nothing but 5 hours of ugly desert between Phoenix and Los Angeles

2009-10-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I'm just now posting this, but I was listening to "Thriller" this morning and realized I hadn't recorded this story for posterity. I'm sure some of you know that my kids LOVE Michael Jackson. Chuck has a few old music videos ("1,2,3/ABC", "Billie Jean", "Smooth Criminal", etc.) on his laptop and the boys love to dance to them. So they were all broken hearted when they heard he had died. I remember that Hayes was here when I told my boys about it and asked, "Who was Michael Jackson?" Parker was completely appalled that Hayes didn't know who Michael Jackson was and replied, "Only the greatest singer and dancer who ever lived."

A few weeks after his death, I had all the kids at church (the big 2-ward meeting for the 24th celebration)--we had arrived about 15 minutes early and Chuck was in the hall yapping (he claims he was attending to his priesthood duties:). I was trying to keep all the kids under control, when I heard Briton, who was standing on the bench pointing toward the back of the chapel, scream "Michael Jackson!!!" I turned around and spotted the only kid in St. Johns with an afro (we're not the most ethnically diverse population:). Unfortunately, the other boys saw him the same time I did and they all began yelling, "Michael Jackson! It's really Michael Jackson! He's not dead!" I was trying to calm them all down, but they were so excited they could hardly contain themselves. So I did the only thing I could do: pretend they belonged to someone else. In their defense, this particular young man does bear a strong resemblance to the young MJ:)

2009-10-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday Is a Special Day

6:30 am -- 5 miles w/Maren
7:30 am -- bake french toast casserole for Mike's B-day brunch
8:00 am -- Platt breakfast for the Humpherys kids
9:00 am -- soccer game Charlie
10:00 am--soccer game Parker
11:00 am--Mike's b-day brunch
12:30 pm--major fall cleaning/organizing with Chuck
4:30 pm --wrap up cleaning and start on dinner: Thai yellow curry and steak salad
6:00 pm --sit down for dinner (yes, it took me 1.5 hrs to get dinner on the table:)
7:00 pm--bathe kids, read stories
8:00 pm--FAVORITE TIME OF THE DAY: Kids asleep
8:30 pm--clean kitchen
9:30 pm--web-based research
10:30 pm--2ND FAVORITE TIME OF THE DAY: collapse into bed

Does this Saturday schedule sound familiar? This is why I love Sundays, day of rest.

2009-10-15T09:13:00.000-07:00

When They Are Learned They Think They Are Wise

A few days ago a friend sent me this link to a talk that Elder Dallin H. Oakes gave at BYU-Idaho this week. He spoke about the Constitution and religious freedom-I really enjoyed it and found it to be a great resource to explain our position on the marriage debate. Elder Oakes clarified the argument by explaining that the issue is NOT about the civil rights of homosexuals. It is about religious freedom and our right to protect what is inherently and traditionally a religious institution.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/news-releases-stories/religious-freedom

Later the same afternoon my dad showed me this article.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_13546968?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

It is an article from the Salt Lake Tribune in which Sen. Maj. Leader Harry Reid (a former stake president) critizes the Church's position on Prop. 8 in California and argues that the Church had no business being involved in that issue. I think he would do well to read Elder Oakes' talk, not only to be reminded of his own Church's teachings about marriage, but also for a little lesson on the Constitution and the role of government in protecting our freedom of religion. I suppose I expected a little more because he is a Church member, but I guess he is also just another politician who will do anything to stay in power, including compromise the values he supposedly espouses and sacrifice the principles of Christianity that are the basis for the Constitution he has sworn to uphold. (Whew! That was a long sentence...sorry:)

I can't help but think of these verses from the Book of Mormon: "O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not...But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God." (2 Nephi 9:28-29)

2009-10-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

More Catching Up

The boys are loving soccer--even Charlie, who does not have an aggresive bone in his body. Jane loves trying to steal the snacks.

In Utah, we visited our mission president and his wife. It was so much fun to see them after so many years.

And yes, I'm finally getting around to posting "first day of school" pics. They were both ecstatic as you can see:)

2009-09-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

Family and friends watching Trey "walk on water" at the pool. One of the most hilarious things I've ever seen.

Charlie and Brit taking the truck for a spin.

The three stooges

Funny Girl

Jane at the ward campout at Green's Peak

2009-09-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

HACE MUCHO TIEMPO

I'm a bad blogger. I used to try to be taking pictures all the time, now I rarely even take pictures at "big" events such as family trips, birthdays, etc. And a blog with no pictures hardly deserves to be called a blog, right?

At any rate, we are alive, in case you were worried. Since I last posted, summer vacation has come and gone, Parker and Charlie started school, we took a quick trip to Utah to see Chuck's fam, the boys started soccer, and fall has arrived.

When we left for Utah it still felt like summer, but when we came home a week later the leaves were changing and there was a chill in the air. The other morning, I left my house at 5:45 am to run (a run for me is actually more of a slow jog:) and it was 36 degrees! But I always enjoy the fall and the weather has been perfect the past few days. We had a great time in Utah--we're normally really rushed, but this time we were able to just enjoy family and friends. We went out for Indian food with Grandma and Grandpa Humpherys, had a big get-together with all Chuck's siblings but one, spent a lovely morning with Pres. and Sis. Call from our mission, went out to dinner and a movie w/one of my favorite people (Carrie Neal), and ate a fabulous lunch at my favorite restaurant ever (Thai Ruby), (we also attended one of the worst BYU games of all time, but I'm not sure that deserves to be part of this list), and met Sam and Andy and their kids in Salt Lake for a Black and Tan at Leatherby's. Honestly, can it get better than that? A win for BYU might have helped:) The leaves in Price canyon were gorgeous on our way home--I always really miss living in Utah in the fall.

Well, that's all for now. Maybe I'll post again before Christmas. Who knows.

P.S. For some unknown reason, I'm not able to post any pictures, so in the next few days I'll post all the pictures I was going to add today.

2009-08-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

In case anyone was still wondering, the quotation from the previous post is a line from one of my favorite movies...

The Parent Trap

P.S. It's from the scene where Mitch and "Susan" are having a talk on the golf course and she explains that she's reached the age where she needs a mother to talk to about certain things. Mitch assumes that she wants the birds and the bees talk and says, "There's something you should know about little boys..."

2009-08-21T08:19:00.001-07:00

"There's Something You Should Know About Little Boys"

Can anyone name that movie?

Well, I know all about "little boys." And, there's something my little boys need to know about little girls. Since Jane was born, occasionally when I'm changing her diaper, Brit will get a peek and ask, "when is Jane going to get a wee wee?" I've explained the differences between boys and girls a thousand times, but apparently he still thinks she's going to get new equipment eventually. Well, a few weeks ago we were doing the diaper changing thing and Brit provided his usual commentary, "No wee wee yet, huh?" So I answered with my usual response, "No Brit. Girls don't have wee wees." His next comment killed me, "Still just two bums?" I could not stop laughing.

2009-08-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

Obama Revolution

Have any of you seen these clips on Youtube? I don't think this is the revolution that the Obama people had in mind, but I'm LOVING it:)

My favorite part of the Arlen Specter clip is when Kathleen Sibilius says that she's never seen so much work put into a bill and finds it "unacceptable" that the American people are upset over the health care bill. I'd love to tell these arrogant people in government that it doesn't matter what THEY think. We don't give a damn about what THEY think. Government works for US. It's what WE find unacceptable that matters, and I think it's clear that the American people find Obama's health care reform unacceptable, to say the least. I love how the crowd goes nuts when Sen. Specter says that they have to make decisions fast and one man is shouting "WHY?" They make decisions fast because if they give people time to become informed about the bill, it will never pass.

In the Bishop clip I love the guy who rips into him about the Veteran's health care system that Bishop is so proud of. The arrogance of people in Washington astounds me. It is obvious that they think we commoners are too ignorant to see that they are trying to "pull the wool over our eyes." I'm not sure if it's in this clip, but at one point, a woman reminds Bishop of the oath he took to uphold the constitution and asks if he thinks that legislation such as the bailouts, Cap and Trade bill, and the health care reform bill are constitutional. He quotes the Pledge of Allegiance (which he understands to be LAW apparently): "One nation, under God, INDIVISIBLE.....INDIVISIBLE." I'm not sure what he was getting at, but I think he's saying that we are not allowed to disagree with our esteemed elected officials. The people in the meeting are informed, articulate, and ANGRY. And can you blame them? I predict that congressmen/women won't be holding many of these town hall meetings in the future. And if this health care reform passes, any elected official who shows his face in public will do so at the risk of being tarred and feathered.

"The American people are slow to wrath, but when their wrath is once kindled it burns like a consuming flame."

-Theodore Roosevelt

"Government growing beyond our consent had become a lumbering giant, slamming shut the gates of opportunity, threatening to crush the very roots of our freedom. What brought America back? The American people brought us back -- with quiet courage and common sense; with undying faith that in this nation under God the future will be ours, for the future belongs to the free."

-Ronald Reagan

2009-07-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

JULY

I apologize in advance for all the text below, but since I haven't posted in so long, I have a lot of catching up to do (for journaling purposes). July is always a busy month for us--in addition to the 4th and 24th celebrations, Charlie and Parker both have birthdays in July, so we feel like we are partying all month long.

We had an unusually cool, rainy, and absolutely lovely June, but the heat finally arrived in July so we've been doing lots of swimming. I taught swimming lessons for a few weeks and loved it. All the boys are doing great and Jane is loving the water as well.

Chuck and I both had to help with the pancake breakfast that our ward puts on every 4th of July. We were up with the cannons this year (one of my favorite 4th traditions in St. Johns) and had to have all the kids up and ready and to the park by 5:45 am. The kids ran around the park while we helped with the breakfast and we stayed until after 10:00. We came home, did a little yard work, ordered a pizza for lunch, and then crashed for the rest of the afternoon:) That evening, we headed to Lyman lake with my parents and Maren and Mike for a BBQ and fireworks. The kids met up with some friends and had a great time.

We went low-key with birthdays this year. No parties or friends...I made them their favorite breakfasts, we went swimming, played all day, and had a bonfire and s'mores that night. I can't believe that Charlie is old enough to start school. I've been having such a hard time deciding whether to send them both to school (SO tempting:) or to keep them both home. I only have a few weeks left, so I've got to make up my mind soon.

Jill and Jeremy came up with their boys this weekend for the Pioneer Days Celebration and we had so much fun. Six boys between the two of us:) The boys played so good together and had a great time. Parker and Riggs rode in the mutton bustin' at the rodeo, we all went swimming, Chuck and Jeremy took the boys shooting, the boys rode on a float in the parade,and I think we were all exhausted by the time they had to leave Saturday evening. Briton fell in love with aunt Jill and tried to stow away in their car when they left. He said he wants to live "far away."

Anyway, I don't have many pictures of the festivities, but here are a few typical shots of my muddy boys. I probably wash three sets of completely mud-soaked clothes at least twice a week. This is why I'm crazy.

2009-06-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

My Dad, the Rebel

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with my post, it's just hilarious.
I stopped by my parents' tonight to borrow an avocado and I found out that my dad did an interview a few weeks ago with a NY Times reporter and the article appeared in today's paper. How did I not know about this? The article is about yet another expensive and unnecessary proposed government regulation: a national animal identification system. The article doesn't go into much depth, but it's a good overview of the issue. If you're interested in some fascinating reading, check it out (:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/us/28livestock.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=ranch%20new%20mexico&st=cse

I had to laugh at one point where the author said "Mr. Platt expresses his opposition in more measured terms than many." I guess my dad knows how to tone it down for an interview:)

If you want to learn more about NAIS and it's implications for American agriculture (which I'm sure everyone is dying to do) click on the folling link:

http://www.r-calfusa.com/animal_id/animal_id.htm

2009-06-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

Whoever penned the nursery rhyme left out at least one very important ingredient: REPTILES. And SNAKES, in particular. What is it about snakes that little boys just love? I can hardly type the word s n a k e without getting the heebie jeebies and my boys can't seem to get enough of them. Especially Parker. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up he usually answers either the Crocodile Hunter or Survivor Man because both occupations involve snakes. He's caught several little water and garter snakes around the yard and I keep reminding him that not all snakes are as nice as those two varieties. I'm scared that someday he's going to run into a rattler (or more likely, an ornery blow snake) and get seriously bit.

Once he caught a little garter snake and was dying to go to my parents' house to show off his big catch. When we got there, we found that his cousin Harvey, a fellow snake fanatic, was visiting. Parker showed Harvey the snake inside of a little bug catching box and Harvey asked to hold it. Parker reluctantly handed the box over and in one quick motion, Harvey opened the lid, dumped the snake onto the ground, and to Parker's complete horror, smashed it with the box. That's my kind of kid. Parker was devastated. Last night we took the kids fishing at Concho Lake for FHE. Parker spotted a water snake with its head barely poking out of the water and before I could stop him, he'd thrown down his pole and jumped in after the snake...which he caught! How are we related?

Besides the real ones, we always have more than our fair share of rubber snakes lying around. I don't know where they come from (I'm beginning to suspect that Chuck is the kids' fake snake supplier) but they are always strewn across the front porch, lurking all coiled up behind doors and in corners, and slithering across the hallway right ouside my bedroom door in the middle of the night when I get up to check on a crying child. And I fall for it every time. I scream and jump over the creepy little guys to avoid stepping right on one. Then I realize it's a fake and glance around to see if anyone is watching. Stinkin' Chuck!

My boys are also obsessed with lizards. Lizard-catching is pretty much their main occupation in the summer months. Last year, I was in the shower one morning when Parker came bursting through the door and before I could say anything, he stuck his hand in through the curtain to show me a lizard he'd caught. There's nothing quite like showering with a lizard, let me tell you.

A few nights ago, Parker and Hayes caught a HUGE toad. It really was the biggest toad I've ever seen. They came running in yelling "Look! Look!" and just as Parker held it to my face it jumped out of his hands and landed right on my lap. I screamed. Parker laughed histerically. Then he held it up to Jane's face. She backed up against the wall, started hyperventilating, and then screamed at the top of her lungs.

So girls really are made of sugar and spice.

2009-06-11T20:29:00.000-07:00

Why We Love June 11th

This kid has been nothing but joy since he arrived 3 years ago today (well...there have been a few less-than-joyful moments, some of which are pictured above:) He keeps us all on our toes and gives us lots of laughs. Sorry about the photo overload, but I've been looking through "Brit" pictures with all the boys tonight in honor of the birthday boy and we found some good ones:)

2009-05-20T12:22:00.000-07:00

May Recap

May 1--Jane turns 1, we celebrate with baby T who was born 2 days before Jane.

May3-6--Chuck and Mike take Parks and Charlie on a business roadtrip to Oklahoma. I get spoiled with only 2 kids. The house stays clean for four days.

May 7-13--We pile into the car and make the 11 hr. drive to Utah for Heidi and Jason's sealing. The kids o.d. on fruit loops and never want to leave. I can't get over how beautiful Utah is the entire trip. Chuck threatens to toss me out of the car if I mention the words "lilacs" or "green" one more time. We enjoy a lovely dinner w/friends Sam and Andy--Parker tries to kill their poodle. Kids get to spend time with cousins, uncles and aunts, grandparents, and great grandparents.

May 14--Charlie attends end-of-the-year preschool program with Mrs. Greer. He tries to hide behind another kid the whole time.

May 20--Jane's 1 year well-check. 80% for height at 30", but well below average for weight at 18 lb. She started taking steps at 10 months and has been motoring around the house at full speed since 11 months. She has five teeth (the eye teeth came in first on top and Chuck started calling her Bocephus Sue).

May 18--Parker discovers two teeth coming in behind the two bottom front baby teeth (he still hasn't lost a tooth). He realizes the baby teeth are loose and is overjoyed! So it begins.

21--Parker's last day of school. Oh Happy Day!

May 1-Present--Briton refuses to be potty-trained. Lets Charlie practice his body art skills on his back.

2009-05-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to Me (and to all of you)

May is a busy month around here. Jane turned 1 on the 1st (I'll post pics later) and our 8th anniversary fell on Mother's Day.

I always tease Chuck about Mother's Day gifts because of a little incident three years ago. I was 8 months pregnant with Briton--I had hit the miserable last month of constant discomfort and no sleep--and Chuck was going to be in Phoenix on Mother's Day. In the days and weeks leading up to the big day, I had given him many subtle hints as to what he should get me. Hints like, "I either want a new pair of running shoes or a hanging basket of flowers for the front porch." I even told him where to by said flowers. Mother's Day arrived and Chuck called me that evening as he was heading home. "I got you the best Mother's Day present ever," he said. "You're going to love it." I was concerned because he seemed a little too excited for shoes or flowers, but I was pretty sure he knew what I wanted and thought he'd be grateful not to have to come up with something on his own. So four hours later he burst through the front door with a box the size of a refrigerator (almost:). Not shoes. Definitely not flowers. He was beaming and I could tell he thought he'd hit a home run. The sheer size of the box piqued my curiosity, so I commenced (a little hesitantly) to open the box. Inside I found a...

50 lb. memory foam maternity pillow twice the length of my body.

What went wrong? How did he get body pillow from shoes or flowers? I tried to act excited. "Wow. This is the...biggest pillow I've ever seen."

"You've been complaining about not being able to sleep and when I saw this, I knew it was perfect!"

So sweet:) I loved that he put some thought into it and wanted something that would make me more comfortable (even if it wasn't exactly what I'd wanted). I don't know whether I held some kind of subconcious grudge against the pillow or whether I just couldn't manage to heft all 50 lbs. of it onto and off of the bed each day in my very pregnant condition--but I didn't use it much those last few weeks of pregnancy. I told Chuck it was like wrestling an anaconda every time I had to make the bed. This story does have a happy ending, however, as the anaconda saved my life during my pregnancy with Jane. I used it every night. And I passed it along to Maren during her pregnancy and she said it saved her as well.

He did much better this year, don't you think? (He may have had a bit of help from me.)

2009-04-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

Is There A Singlet in Parker's Future?
Parker decided to give wrestling a try this year instead of T-ball and he loved it. It was honestly heaven for him--free license to jump on another kid and fight to the death. We took him to his first tournament today--he's only been to a few practices so I didn't want him to go, but he said he is "so good" and insisted he go. It was really low-key and lots of fun. Chuck and I were cracking up at the "technique" in the 5-6 year old division. I think some of these kids had seen too much WWF. Chuck was afraid Parker would turn ultimate fighter and pull an arm bar, but he stuck to wrestling. He's a whopping 45 lbs. of skin and bones, so it was hilarious watching him try to muscle down a big 8 yr. old. He got tossed around quite a bit:) Maybe he'll follow in the footsteps of his Grandpa Platt who wrestled at 115 lbs. his senior year. Anyway, we appreciate the guys who put this on. I think we'll try it again next year...maybe we can fatten him up a little before then:)

2009-04-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Banana Jane

It blows my mind that such a tiny person--all 18 lbs. and 27 inches of her--can be such a commnanding presence in our lives. Watch out world...Anna Jane is almost a year old.

2009-04-20T19:57:00.000-07:00

Humor me, please

I like a good laugh now and then and assume my fellow bloggers do too--which is why I threw in the adult cabaret and kung-fu read-head pictures a few posts ago. I die every time I pass that sign in Star Valley and I thought the yellow undies were a hoot--I took a dozen pictures of the kid. Come on friends, honestly, did you even crack a smile? Now you've all got me worried about my sense of humor.

2009-04-15T12:10:00.000-07:00

"Since Easters"

We tried a few new recipes for Easter this year--here are two that we loved.

French Toast Casserole from Paula Dean.
A stick of butter really does make everything better (or two sticks of butter, as is the case in this recipe). And if you have problems with the word "casserole," get over it--trust me.

Chuck is a savory breakfast kind of guy--meat, eggs, hashbrowns. The poor guy married the wrong girl because I love breakfast and have to say that I lean to the sweet side. So for Easter brunch, we went for sweet. (Don't feel too sorry for Chuck, he's been eating leftover ham for breakfast all week:) This recipe turned out fabulous! You make what is basically a bread pudding the night before, leave it in the fridge overnight, and then add a pecan praline topping right before you bake it in the morning. The topping carmelizes and it tastes kind of like pecan sticky buns.

Roquefort Pear Salad
Chuck found this recipe and I am in love. During the winter, when the produce pickings are slim, I like to make salads with greens, berries, nuts, and cheese. This is another great winter salad, but uses pears instead of berries. I'm not a huge blue cheese fan, but I've tried this with Roquefort and Gargonzola and loved both. Romaine, sugared pecans, pear, avocado, green onion, and blue cheese with a dijon vinaigrette.

2009-04-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

I posted some new kid pics, but you have to scroll past the adult cabaret:)

2009-04-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

Thank You Star Valley, AZ

For bringing a 16 year perfect driving record to an abrupt end. Chuck came home from a trip to Tuscon late Thursday night and woke me up. "I picked up a surprise for you at the post office on my way home--it's on the fridge." I woke up, trying to remember if I was expecting anything in the mail. "It's from a Star Valley highway patrol camera." He was tickled pink to be announcing the arrival of my first ticket. Chuck can't pass a cop without getting a speeding ticket and I've been pulled over dozens of times, but never received a ticket.

So the communists in Star Valley put a camera right at the bottom of the hill as you drop down into the town and the speed changes from 65 to 45. I was going 60 mph and got a $210 ticket! Does that seem unreasonable or is it just me? I guess they are trying to catch all the people speeding to the adult cabaret:)

2009-04-01T20:35:00.000-07:00

Remind Me Why We Live Here

We've just spent a glorious week down south and although I avoid the valley at all costs between the months of May and October, March is absolutely perfect. I had a hard time leaving--it didn't help that we had a little snow storm here the day before we came home. The wind howled all day today, our high was in the 50s and I'm really, really ready for summer. Anyone who's ever lived in the White Mountains knows that there is a major downside to spring around here: WIND. I HATE IT. I really do. You can hardly enjoy the warmer weather and blossoming trees because you can't leave your house without risking being blown away. And it can blow (I'm talking hurricane-force winds here) 24 hrs. a day. Last spring our neighbors' trampoline was blown over their fence...with their 3 kids on it. Luckily none of the kids was seriously injured. Anyway, I've been looking at the real estate market:) I go through this every spring...and then the monsoons hit and I remember that I really do like St. Johns.

Anyway, here are a few highlights from our little vacation. We swam, visited cousins, went to the zoo, and, of course, ate at all our favorite places. We're like the Beverly Hillbillies and when we get to town, we go hog-wild. Sorry for the photo overload. Could someone please teach me how to make those photo montage things so I don't have to post 10 pictures separately?

P.S. The lanky read-head in yellow undies at the zoo is not one of my kids.

2009-03-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

I knew it was only a matter of time

before Charlie would figure out that Jane was just the right size for his dump truck. He is always looking for something to haul around. Ever since Jane made her dramatic appearance last year, I've wondered if she'd end up being a little girly-girl or if she'd just turn into one of the boys. She could still surprise me, but right now she just follows the brothers around all day trying to get in on their fun. She was tickled pink to be Charlie's cargo for the day. So do we get her a dump truck or a shopping cart for her first birthday?

2009-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

Do Any of You Remember this Awesome Lady?

For those who don't, this is Sister Chieko Okazaki who served as a counselor to Sis. Elaine Jack in the presidency of the General Relief Society. I was just barely into Relief Society then, but I remember Sis. Okazaki's enthusiastic attitude and powerful messages. She came to speak at our stake Women's Conference and she is just as energetic and inspiring as she was over 10 years ago (she is now 83)!

She spoke at the women's conference and at a fireside for couples the next evening. She has a very commanding presence and witty presentation. She was cracking jokes about Obama, sharing personal experiences, and really digging into the scriptures. My favorite story that she shared was about President Hinckley. She and the other members of the GR presidency were in his office and he was standing by the window looking down onto temple square below. She noticed that he was mumbling words softly to himself. She approached him and asked if he was okay. He pointed down to a young bride, having her picture taken in front of a beautiful water fountain. He explained that he was saying a prayer for this bride and her husband-to-be. He said he feared for the young generations who will marry in a world where divorce is so commonplace. He was praying that this girl and her spouse would be happy and that their marriage would be able to withstand the troubles that would surely come. I thought it was so tender that the prophet would take time to pray for a young couple he didn't know.

Sister Okazaki stayed at my parents' house and my mom had the opportunity to visit with her--they stayed up until 1:00 am! My mom was so impressed with her energy and wisdom and loved getting to know her a little. So if you've been wondering what ever happened to this fireball of a woman...she is still around and speaking at LDS events (her visit here was her 7th speaking engagement in February). If I could have half of her energy, I'd be running circles around my kids:)

2009-02-27T13:32:00.001-08:00

This Is Not What I Signed Up For

Does anyone else feel like motherhood involves way more poop than you ever imagined? (My mom is cringing at my use of the word poop:) The stomach flu has been wreaking havoc on my household for the past two weeks. So far Jane and I have avoided it (Chuck skipped town, like a man), but it keeps making the rounds through the boys. I have been laundering jammies and bedding, scrubbing carpet and mattresses, cleaning and recleaning bathrooms.

Last night, when I went to bed, I could literally smell the putridity as I walked down the hallway and knew I had a mess waiting. I opened the boys' door and Brit was lying in a puddle of you-know-what (I'm sorry, but I can't even say it anymore). I woke him up, threw him in the tub, took all the bedding off his bed, and started a load of laundry. In the meantime, Parker woke up crying that his stomach hurt. He promptly filled a bowl with you-know-what-else and told me I'd better hurry and get Brit out of the tub because he needed the toilet. I scrubbed Brit down and got him in some clean jammies and Parks spent the next 45 min. in the bathroom. Poor boys, after two straight nights of this, it seemed like they'd have nothing left to "excrete" (too put it mildly). About the time I got Parker back to bed, Miss Jane decided she couldn't take the noise anymore and was wide awake for the next hour. Charlie, who was the first to get this bug, slept like a log through it all.

This is the part that is killing me: if they're going to be sick, shouldn't they stay in bed all day and sleep so that I can recuperate the next day? Not my boys. They keep me up all night and then they wake up feeling great and ready to get into their usual messes. Is there no justice?

If this post makes you want to bathe in Clorox, you know how I feel:) Chuck is excited to get back to our happy home, as you can imagine. Hopefully we're on the mend. If you drive by and find a smoldering heap of ashes where our house once stood, you can assume that we took a turn for the worse and I couldn't face the poop anymore. That's right, Mom, POOP.

2009-02-22T20:12:00.000-08:00

Back Online

I've been on blogging holiday the past few weeks--sometimes basic survival can be time consuming. Chuck has been travelling quite a bit. Two weeks ago he was in California and I was home trying to keep the boys from torching the house. One day, while doing laundry, I picked up a pair of Charlie's dirty jeans, only to find that several shirts and a pair of shorts were somehow "stuck" to the jeans. I tried to pull the clothes apart, but upon closer inspection, I found several fishing lures in his pockets and the shirts/shorts were stuck to the hooks. I had to cut them off and ended up with a pair of jeans with no pockets and some shorts and shirts with several big round holes. The little sneak is lucky that the hooks only found their way into his pockets and not into his skin. Would have served him right. Anyway, I took a picture with my cel phone of the lures stuck in Charlie's pockets and sent it to Chuck. A few minutes later, he responded by sending me a picture of a beautiful coastal view, taken from a jobsite on a hill above Laguna Beach. Life isn't fair.

Here's a little bit about the people who are keeping me off the computer:

Jane hardly feels like a baby these days. She started crawling about a month ago and is now doing her fair share of mess-making. She is opening doors and cupboards, eating everything she can get her hands on, and leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. None of us can get enough of her, and I'm sure she'll be quite spoiled as a result, but how can you help it?

Parker is doing great in school and on good days, I've even considered sticking with this homeschool thing next year. On bad days, I consider shipping the lot of them off to boarding school as soon as possible. And though my house is usually a wreck, I've loved seeing Parker learn. He loves to read and draw and has even tried his hand at poetry:) A few weeks ago, I sat him down with a poem to copy for handwriting practice. When I checked on him a little later, he had written a little poem of his own. It began, "In the hot days of weeks, I like to go outside to catch bees." When he was finished, he asked if I thought anyone would buy his poem. I opened up a book of Emily Dickinson poetry and read him a few of her poems. We talked about how famous she was because of her poems. He liked the idea of being famous (and rich, if possible) and decided he wanted to sell his poem. So we went to Maren's house and she and Mike's mom, Dava, each bought a copy for $1. Parker was thrilled.

Charlie suffered a wrestling accident a few weeks ago and is now sporting a black pirate tooth as a result. I can't help laughing every time he flashes a toothy smile. He got an awesome trike that pulls a wagon for Christmas and he loves riding to Grandma's house. He is the filthiest kid I have ever seen and has some strange attraction to dirt. I have to beat him with a broom before letting him in the house. He loves preschool and is so happy and chatty when he comes home.

Brit is still a little spit-fire. My mom frequently warns me that Brit is going to give us a run for our money. He bosses us all around and never puts up with any bullying from his big brothers. He is such a talker and my favorite phrase of his right now is just a little minute-- as in "I need to get out of bed for just a little minute" or "I'll be back in just a little minute." He loves to tattle and blames everything on Charlie, a.k.a "kiki." I must hear the words "kiki did it" 20 times a day. He's determined to wear diapers for the rest of his life--and I'm afraid that I am no match for his stubborn streak. Any suggestions?

We've had beautiful warm weather lately (68 degrees today) and have been to the park almost every day. Here are a few pics of the kids (and Lucy). I don't have one of Parker--he's going through an ugly stage. We'll post one in a few years. Just kidding...geez.

2009-01-22T07:27:00.000-08:00

More Miles

Well, our little orphan is doing much better. Yesterday, he hardly moved a muscle all morning. He wouldn't stand or drink from the bottle. I don't know if he got sick from his initial feeding or if he was just missing his mom or what. But late that afternoon, we got home from running some errands and we could hear him bawling so the kids ran around to the back yard. Miles was up and actually wanting to play. I fed him the electrolyte solution and he has just been getting better and better. His appetite is back and the boys are wanting to feed him all the time--but overfeeding will make him sick again, so he just chases the boys around and sucks on their shirts and fingers. At 3:00 am, I woke up to more bawling. I looked out my window and he was running around the yard and actually bucking a little. I didn't want him to wake all the neighbors, so I mixed up a little milk and gave him a quick feeding. When he finished the bottle, he was after me for more and was half-way through the back door before I realized it:) Parker was up again first thing with his rubber boots and coat on to go check on Miles. He is insisting Miles come in the house because it's sprinkling a little outside:) I don't think a calf would make a great house pet, Parks.

2009-01-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

I've been dying to get up to Utah to see Maren's new arrival (Lucy), but since that's not going to happen for a few weeks, Trey thought I could use a newborn of my own. He brought us this adorable dogie calf yesterday--his mother died during the calving and was devoured by coyotes. They found the calf (whom my boys are calling Miles) nestled up to his mother's carcass a few days later. I have no idea how he survived the coyotes, but he is nearly starved to death. He has a bad case of the scours (cow squirts), which means he's not absorbing the nutrients from the formula. Trey, Spence, and JC have given me some electrolyte solution, so we'll try to get that down him tonight.

I didn't sleep at all last night because I was worried about him--I could hear coyotes howling and since we live kind of on the edge of town I was afraid that if they got hungry enough, they could get into my yard. Parker woke up first thing this morning and put his shoes, coat, and gloves on so he could feed Miles a bottle. I'll let you know how he's doing tomorrow:)

2009-01-19T19:06:00.000-08:00

JaniceThis is the newest Platt grandbaby, born to Maren and Mike this morning. I thought I had quick deliveries, but Maren puts even me to shame. I know it probably didn't feel quick to Maren, but five hours (from the first contraction to the last push) for a first-time labor/delivery is not too shabby. I know a few of you want to kick Maren right now.

This pretty little girl isn't really named Janice--she's still just baby girl Sundahl as far as I know. A few days ago I asked Parks and Hayes to come up with a list of baby names for Maren. They had a hard time coming up with names they liked, but Hayes insisted that Janice was #1 on the DO NOT NAME list. Don't ask me why.

And no red hair! What the heck? I hope my parents will love her anyway. I'm sure in time she'll grow on them.

Anyway, Felicidades Mike and Mare.

2009-01-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

For Courtni

I don't even know if you follow me regularly, but I was scrolling through pictures today and found a few mission pics I had scanned. I can hardly look at this picture without getting teary. I'm ready to fly back tonight and give all these guys a squeeze. Want to come?

P.S. Did you see this month's Church News?

2009-01-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

My Little Man

I think these pictures speak for themselves--However, in Briton's defense I must add that while he thought he was pretty hot stuff, Briton didn't give himself this permanent marker mustache; it was the work of a very artistic (and mischievous) older brother. I also want to add that said mustache made its appearance on Dec. 21st, about 20 minutes before the Platt Christmas party at my parents' house.

Anyway, this one is definitely giving us a run for our money.

This one, on the other hand, is all smiles and fun. None of us can get enough of her. And since I know what's coming in the next year and a half, I'm going to enjoy every minute of the sweetness.
P.S. Since I'm way behind--we had a beautiful white Christmas with Chuck's family in Utah and I'm just barely taking down my tree:)

2008-12-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

For some reason, my latest post shows up AFTER the Joyeux Noel post, so scroll down:)

2008-12-22T09:58:00.000-08:00

Joyeux Noel

If you've already watched White Christmas, The Bells of St. Mary's, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Carol and (my personal favorite) It's a Wonderful Life, and are searching for a new Christmas movie--I really enjoyed this one. I loved the music--especially "I'm Dreaming of Home" with the bagpipes and the duet "Bist du bei mir" (one of my favorite songs of all time).

2008-12-20T12:07:00.000-08:00

We will be joining every other civilized American family this year in taking a stinking Christmas picture!

This is what I told my family a week before Christmas. Every Christmas I swear that the next year, we WILL take a family picture. And we never do. So this year, as all the Christmas cards with pictures of photogenic families--decked out in matching attire and neatly-combed hair--started rolling in, I began threatening my family, especially the HEAD of the famiy, that if we didn't take a picture, there would be no Christmas this year. So, despite the fact that we lacked photo-worthy clothes (let alone anything coordinated), the fact that Parker took scissors to his own hair and Charlie took scissors to Briton's lovely locks, and the fact that Chuck wasn't even present...we did it.

I began early in the morning getting kids bathed. Next, I picked out the least-raggedy clothes they owned and amidst much complaining about socks and button-up shirts, I ripped the rubber boots off Charlie's feet and dressed each one by force. It took until 2:00 in the afternoon to get everyone ready (this included re-dressing several kids after they went outside to jump on the trampoline in the snow and even re-bathing one especially filthy boy). Maren grabbed her camera and we were off. Maren bribed the boys with chocolate, but despite her best efforts...my boys are not posers. Except for Briton, that is. He poses...with his eyes squinted shut and a smile that only a mother could love.

So if you received a Christmas card from us this year with a photo of four (three, actually) "less than angelic" children, please remember that I tried.

2008-12-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

Muchas Gracias Tia Maren...

For lugging a camera around at every get-together and snapping photos of my ninos even though they will NEVER pose (especially the Nanners). Here are a few of the pics Maren took while she was here for Thanksgiving. (For complete coverage of the Platt Family Thanksgiving, click here.)

P.S. Why does anyone ever make pie crust from scratch? I tried my hand at it for the first time since I discovered Marie Calendar's frozen pie crusts (4-5 years ago) and it was the pits. I followed stinkin' Williams Sonoma's directions to the letter: half shortening (for flakiness), half butter (for flavor), cold water, COLD HANDS--for cryin' out loud. It was a huge mess and, quite honestly, didn't taste that great. I'm leaving it to Marie next year.

2008-11-21T16:18:00.001-08:00

La Musica

Yes, I finally added some tunes. Sometimes I think playlists are distracting, but it's also fun to see what music people like. So I thought I'd give it a try. Here are a few of my favorites. Because my day is usually noisy and chaotic, I decided to go with mellow and relaxing. Anyway, turn it off if you don't like it:)

While I'm on the topic of music--have any of you seen the movie Paradise Road? It is a powerful film that tells the true story of a group of women captured by the Japanese during WWII. During their imprisonment at a camp in Sumatra, the women form a vocal orchestra and perform for the rest of the camp, including the prison gaurds. The music not only brings the women together, but it also frees them, if only momentarily, from their suffering and degredation by bringing humanity and beauty to their daily lives. Their first performance reminds me of the scene in Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne locks himself in the gaurd station and blasts Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro over the loud speaker. When the prisoners hear the music, they all stand still, transfixed by the beautiful voices. The narrator, "Red," recalls, "I tell you, those voices soared higher and farther than anybody in a grey place dares to dream. It was as if some beautiful bird had flapped into our drab little cage and made these walls dissolve away, and for the briefest of moments, every last man in Shawshank felt free."

The directors used the original music (at least the manuscripts that survived the war) for the vocal orchestra--and it is amazing! I especially loved the performance of Ravel's Bolero. In short: powerful story, inspiring acting, beautiful music. Anyway, thank you to my mom (and Risa) for sending it my way.

2008-11-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Tagged by Carrie: 8 Things

8 Favorite TV Shows (some are former favorites)

The Office
Everybody Loves Raymond
Lost
Wings
Mad about You
Man v. Wild
What Not to Wear
I also love documentaries of all kinds, anything on the history channel, Food Network, or HDTV.

8 Things I Did Yesterday

changed way too many diapers
drove 30 miles to shop at Safeway (sometimes you need a real store)
talked on the phone w/Maren
went for an evening walk w/my dad (Brit and Jane in the stroller)
watched Nacho with the boys
watched a wrestling match between Chuck and the boys (always follows Nacho)
made fajitas for dinner
ate lunch at the park w/Chuck and kids

8 Things I Look Forward To

Thanksgiving (I already posted about my love of Thanksgiving, so I'll say no more)
Boys old enough to rake leaves, pull weeds, mow lawns
Bed...every night
The Office on Thursdays
Breakfast
Warm weather (and it's not even cold yet)
Christmas music
a shower

8 Favorite Restaurants

Thai Ruby
Tia Rosa's
Molly Butler's
Bajio
Cocina de Eva
Roy's
La Casita (in Globe)
Kneaders

8 Things on My Wish List

PATIENCE
California King matress (my poor husband is 6'4'')
Thai Ruby
a 9-5 job for my tall husband (not really, but I'd love to see more of him)
creativity--even an ounce
straight hair
an exercise buddy
a good night's sleep

2008-11-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

I've been slacking at pictures lately. So to make up for the lack of a visual element to this post, here are a few great recipes I tried this weekCreamy Sweet Potato and Ginger SoupA few years ago I tried a gingered sweet potato soup at High in the Pines (which, I regret to inform you, is no more). I absolutely loved it and the other day I decided to try to recreate it. I found this recipe and it was pretty dang close.http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Sweet-Potato-With-Ginger-Soup/Detail.aspxChuck and my dad gave it two thumbs up. Oh, I also added about 1/2 tsp. of curry powder.

Ultimate Macaroni and CheeseI was never much of a mac 'n cheese fan. However, when I was in my Master's program at BYU, I had a fabulous professor named Paul Thomas. Not only did he instill in me a love of the poetry of John Donne, but he also invited our class over for a homemade macaroni and cheese dinner. It was amazing. Four cheeses, penne pasta, crusty bread topping, served with greens and a balsamic vinaigrette. Now I love John Donne AND mac 'n cheese. This recipe is from the Tillamook people and it is some serious comfort food. Since I live in the sticks, I couldn't find the vintage white cheddar, so I substituted Monterrey Jack and it was still delicious.http://www.macaroniandcheeseandcheese.com/recipe/ultimate-comfort-food-mac-n-cheeseSince the weather turned cold I've been craving homemade beef stew like nobody's business, so I found a slow cooker recipe that looked good and I'm trying it for Sunday dinner tomorrow. I'll let you know how it turns out.I'm already so excited for Thanksgiving. I start salivating everytime I think about turkey. I go for dark meat all the way and love the day-after turkey sandwiches almost as much as the main event. And pies. Don't get me started. Okay, my favorites are lemon merengue, sour cream apple, pumpkin, strawberry rhubarb, and chocolate pecan. I'll take a sliver of each. Only 12 days to go!

2008-11-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

Just Before Bed

Answer to the bumble-bee quiz: Brit, Jane, and Charlie. Apparently my own mother was 0 for 3 and even Chuck mixed up Brit and Charlie.

On a totally unrelated, but humorous nonetheless, note--I've been meaning to post a profile pic on my facebook page, but as I've searched through my files of pictures, I have NO pictures of myself. OK, maybe 4-5...10 tops. This is due in part to the fact that I'm always the one behind the camera. But mostly, it is because I detest having my picture taken (Chuck's "Lady of the Glen" collection might have something to do with this--but that's another post). Chuck always says that he hates hearing recordings of his own voice--it's like scratching on a chalkboard. I'm that way about seeing pictures of myself. I know this is ridiculous, and I know that someday I'll look back and wish I had some sort of visual evidence that I did, in fact, exist. My sis-in-law, Heather, just challenged us to take a picture with our kids (as opposed to pictures of our kids)once a week for the next 52 weeks. So I'm just going to suck it up and start posting pictures of myself. Deep breath.

So, I snapped this one (don't you love self-photography?) yesterday. And I'm sorry, but I can't smile for a self-portrait. It just feels corny. Here goes.

There, that wasn't so bad. Now, would someone with Photoshop please slap a pair of retro-style specs on that face and let's figure out if I'm more suited to the schoolmarm look, or if it's old lady all the way?

Really, this is all just a diversion to keep you (and me) from thinking about the painful/frightening revelation that awaits us all in the morning. I'm seriously scared.

2008-11-02T13:11:00.000-08:00

A Balmy Bah-humbug Halloween

I think last year I did all my Halloween griping, so this year I'll keep it brief. This Halloween was doomed from the start: Chuck was out of town, Jane and I had colds, and I had to rush Charlie to the hospital (30 miles away) at 9:00 the night before Halloween (nothing serious...let's just say he's a human piggy bank). The lovely 70 degree weather did lift my Halloween spirits a bit--if there was ever a year to dress as an Indian or boxer (two costumes Parker always wants), this was the year. Of course this year the boys sweat the night away in two very toasty ewok costumes (hand-made by my talented sister-in-law, Kellie, a few years ago for her boys--Parker has been coveting them ever since).

I'll share one classic Charlie Halloween story: A few days before Halloween we had a few of the boys' friends over to make sugar cookies. When I brought out the frosting, Charlie totally forgot about the cookies and just dove into the frosting w/both hands. No matter how many times I told him to stay out of the frosting, I couldn't keep him on task. So I finally had to put the frosting back in the fridge. When we were done, I loaded all the kids into the car to take the friends home. Right as we were ready to leave, Charlie said, "Wait! I forgot something." And jumped out of the car. I asked him what he needed so urgently and he said, "I'll be right back. I just forgot something." He ran into the house and came back out a few seconds later--empty-handed, but covered in orange frosting.

P.S. Can you name that bumble-bee?

2008-10-29T20:29:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I posted about a couple from Mesa who were severely burned in a plane crash here in August. Last weekend at a benefit concert held in their honor, Stephanie and Christian Nielson's beautiful daughters, Claire and Jane, sang The Beatles' "Golden Slumber." I think it's one of the sweetest things I've ever seen. Please let Maren's baby girl be a red-head as cute as little Jane Nielson. Without further ado...

http://www.eastvalleyproductions.com/player.cfm?media=/movies/Nie/Glendhill

Enjoy!

2008-10-26T10:17:00.001-07:00

I've been terrible at posting pictures lately. So here's quick summary of our past few months. (I apologize for the photo overload).

Jane got bigger.

Parker had his adenoids removed (and no longer snores--yea!).

Briton mastered the role of "terrible two-year-old" (I took these pictures of his cute moments to remind myself that I still like him).

Soccer season came and went for Parks.

Charlie decided to give preschool a whirl.

And last week, Kellie and I took the boys to the Homecoming parade for some much-needed candy. Not nearly enough chocolate this year, in my opinion.

And that's it.