February will come!

January is tough!
So many dark days when I long for the sun.
One way I make it through is to remember
"February will come!"

Often times life is just tough.
There are dark days when we long for light.
One way we can make it through is to remember
"Sunday will come!"

The BLACK Snow Ball

Tyson and Tenille
are headed to
The Snow Ball
tonight.





Ty insisted on wearing all black. I can't figure it out. Just like I couldn't figure out why he wore all white to the prom. However, he always comes out looking quite handsome. And Tenille... well, she's always a beauty.



The two of them made an agreement some years ago that they would go to "big events" with someone from their own high school (Tenille goes to Tooele High). I thought it was a fabulous idea and they've stuck to it all this time.

But alas, Ty thought it would be nice to give

Tenille a corsage sometime before they graduated...
It seems only right.

Thanks

for making dinner
Leesa, Brach, Ryley and Burke.
It looked delicious!

REALLY?! Well, we do NOT miss you.

REALLY? You have got to be joking!

Again, really??

A few days ago we got this card in the mail proclaiming

that someone misses us.

My first thought was

"How sweet!"

My next thought was

"Who could possibly miss us?"

My third thought was,

"Are you kidding me? ... REALLY?"


The card was from ...





So are you telling me ...
Proactiv wants us to be return customers?
That would mean ...
Proactiv is hoping it's product has failed.

Really Proactiv? ... Really?

What are you thinking ?? !!

Let me be the first to

apologize that your product worked.
So, so sorry to disappoint!



Again... REALLY?

Baldness Confuses Children!

When Micheal Jordan "chose" to become bald, a trend began.

Many, my brothers included, have chosen to follow this new fad.

Although it makes getting ready in the morning a little easier, I have to ask if the "payoff" is worth the...

CONFUSION


Meet "Little E".
He is so confused...
That has lead to intrigue...
Intrigue focusing on...

Uncle Jeff's Hair

He waits for just the right time to approach...
then he looks at it with curious eyes...
he studies it from all angles...
until finally, his little hands
can't resist the urge to softly...
touch it.

One day in church I heard E innocently whisper,
"Uncle Jeff, why do you have hair?"
Uncle Jeff's answer was obviously wrong
because E's reply was loudly stated, so all could hear,
"Nuh-Uh!! Dad's don't have hair!"

That was few months ago.
This week I've learned that the confusion is accelerating.

Just yesterday E brought home his new baby brother. When asked who the baby looked like, E adamantly proclaimed the he looked like Daddy. When I inquired as to why, I was sternly told,
"Because he doesn't have any hair on the top of his head!"

Then my eyes darted over to my brother...
Was that a faint tint of darkness growing on the top of his head?
Were those really little seeds of hair follicles I saw?
Has Brandon finally decided to end the...
CONFUSION?

Is that ...? Yes. Yes Sir, it is.

Just a quick question for ya....
What's in your basement?

A Family Room?

... with a cozy fireplace?
... with big soft seats?
... maybe a cool pool table?
... maybe a slick theatre?




... or a bedroom?
... maybe even a bathroom?
... maybe a great toy room?
... or even a storage room?

Well, not HERE!

As of late, we've had several service men in our basement.
They go downstairs to turn off the power, the water
or just to break things while they're doing their work.

However, no mater what they're doing down there
they all ask me the same question...
"Is that a ..."
with a roll of my eyes my answer is always the same
"Yes. Yes Sir, it is."

Last winter we finally "finished" our basement.
It was long anticipated and tediously planned out.
Not by me, but by the 3 men who live in my house.

Uncle Shaun was called in to assist because he knows what he's doing. Then the work commenced.

Twenty years ago I knew I was not marrying a carpenter or an electrician. However, it's funny what someone can turn into when they have a DREAM.

Go ahead, ask the question.
I've already answered it a million times.

Is that a ...
BATTING CAGE??!!
Yes. Yes Sir, it is.

I know, I know, you have lots of questions racing through your head. I'll just go ahead and answer them because I already know what they are.

Are you afraid your windows will get broken?
Ummm, these 2 boys already took care of that before the cage went up. But no, chainlink can stop a ball pretty darn fast.

Can you hear anything from upstairs?
If you hit "line drives" I can't. However if you prefer fly balls or homeruns, well then it sounds like a bomb just hit the house. When we have little one's over, they cry.

Doesn't that bother you?
No. I'm used to it. I've quickly realized most hits are NOT line drives. However, it has scared the visiting teachers a few times. Actually, the blaring of the ipod is worse than the hitting.

Don't you hate all those teenagers in your house all the time?
Nope! But I do feel bad for them. They don't know how to react when I say "Hi" in my PJ's. Sadly, they're not scared by it anymore. That probably should bother me.

Do you let anyone use it?
You bet we do! It shouldn't sit empty. In fact it was used for a "date night" just last weekend but not by these two (Tenille can't catch ... LOL) but by two who shall not be named. We were tickled.

Aren't you afraid of people getting hurt?
Oh, kind of. Our brother, Mark, commented that it was painful when he got one in the back at such close range. It's not my fault he didn't follow the instructions on the door saying, "Helmet required when inside the cage". I hoping that piece of paper on the door will stand up in court if anyone is ever killed.

So, you just hit in there and that's it?
Heaven's no! Dill wanted a ping pong table for Christmas. Since the basement is a batting cage there was no place to put it. The decision was (reluctantly) made that ping pong can also be played in the cage. However if you were thinking of anything else then, no, it can't be used for that.

If you had it to do over again, would you?
In a heartbeat!! It keeps my boys home. I'll do anything for that.

Can I come over?
You bet your booties you can! I'd love to see ya!!

"Grumpy" saves the day!

In my archives I found this entry that was never posted.

Why? I have absolutely no idea!

But no matter, it's never to late to make things right.
So lets go back in time to last ... OCTOBER.

Halloween has come and gone. Do you see any carved pumpkins, any jack-o-lanterns? NO! I was informed this year that my children have "outgrown" that tradition. It made me GRUMPY.

Look at my 14 year old. I took this picture on Halloween night. Notice there is not a costume.
I was informed that he had also "outgrown" this tradition. It made me GRUMPY.

My family all showed up for our annual Halloween Dinner. All the little one's were in their cute costumes. They all had pumpkins that were carved sitting on the porches of their homes. I loved having them here but part of me was still GRUMPY because of the whole "outgrown attitude".

Then GRUMPY

saved the day

as he walked in with Snow White. The very sight of them brought uncontrolled laughter. "Grumpy Mom" was suddenly gone, thanks to the rather large "dwarf" and his lovely princess.

Sometimes "Grumpy" teenagers are just what we need!

Hope your Halloween was HAPPY!

The Hardest "Goodbye"

Hunter and Easton have a

new baby brother coming tomorrow!

I'm so excited to meet him!
However, I can't help but wonder how he is feeling today knowing he won't see Heavenly Father for awhile.

The thought has left me very teary-eyed and wondering how hard that day was for me so many years ago.

I'm sure it was the hardest "Goodbye" ever spoken.

"MomZilla"

We had a few days left before Christmas when suddenly
I realized my sons were set up to "receive" this year and not "give" a single thing.
The thought horrified me!

So I loaded them up, drove them to Salt Lake and gave them explicit instructions. They were each to purchase 3 gifts, one of which was for each other. The gifts were to be carefully thought out, picked out and purchased by them and them alone.

Things were going well... for a MINUTE.

However, the boys quickly teamed up in an effort to make sure they'd like the gifts they were exchanging. They decided the best way to make this happen would be to pick out their OWN gift and hand it to the other brother to purchase.

In a matter of minutes my wonderful, hands on,
lesson had fallen apart... and so had I!

I huffed and puffed... and huffed and puffed... and huffed and puffed. Did I mention that
I huffed and puffed?

As I walked through Costco
my 2 weasel sons
followed close behind.

The big one kept reaching over my head and roaring, as the little one would laugh and repeat "something".


This scene repeated itself several times until I realized what was being said... and acted out. It was this:
Dillon would announce that his mother had turned into...
followed by Tyson roaring (like a "MomZilla" does), followed by an eruption of laughter from the 2 of them.

When I realized what was happening,
I whipped around and informed them
they had crossed the line!

Then I...
huffed and puffed again...
maybe even roared...
turned my back on them...
and smiled.
They make me happy.



"Mom-Zilla"?

... Oh please!

Conversations with Aunt Krista

You may or may not know that I have taken the plunge into Facebook.
I've found the greatest thing about it is the TEENAGERS!

(Yes, I've been invited to be a "Friend" to ... a few.)

Their messages are so sweet.
In fact, it got me thinking about
other tender (yet so simple) messages
I've received from some of them as of late...

History: Simple text message
Ally: "Goodnight, I love you Aunt Krista."

History: Simple text message
Maddie: "Aunt Krista, invite me to your Facebook! I love you."

Even though we live in a world of technology and most conversations are typed instead of spoken, there are a few who haven't caught on to that trend yet.
Here are some conversations with them...

Layni: Aunt Krista, can you have a sleep over at my house?
Aunt Krista: I want to, but I have to sleep with Uncle Jeff.
Layni: Well, Uncle Jeff can sleep over too... you know why?
Aunt Krista: Why?
Layni: Because I have a big girl bed and I have TWO... pillows!


History: Aunt Krista is giving Cage a ride to school.
Cage: Aunt Krista, remember you are suppose to come and pick me up AFTER school too.
Aunt Krista: Really?
Cage: Yes and then I am suppose to come to your house and play for a long time.
Aunt Krista: Are you sure? Your mom didn't tell me that.
Cage: Well, it's true. When you get home call my mom and tell her that we are suppose to do that... okay?

Oh! Don't be fooled! I don't live in Dream Land.
Not all conversations are what we'd hoped...

Aunt Krista: Gracie, who is your favorite aunt?
Gracie: Aunt Jodi. She has a kitty.
Aunt Krista: What about me?
Gracie: Nope.

But alas, sometimes it does exists ... Dream Land.
These are the best text messages I've ever received.
Not just because they were from my boys
but because they were so unexpected...

History: I was away on a trip with Jeff when I received the following text.

Dillon: "Come Back!!"





History: Tyson had just driven off in the limo for the prom with 16 other people when I received the following text.

Tyson: " Thanks :-) "

Don't ya just love good conversation?
Speak it, type it, write it...
just be sure you SAY it!