"They say it's your birthday!"

This birthday was one of the best I have ever had, really and truly. I am so thankful for everyone who made it so freaking wonderful.

It started out with Hubbs taking me and the kids out for lunch...anywhere I wanted. I chose the Ho Ho Gourmet. Remember that was also J-Man's choice? Like mother like son. If you live near Salt Lake County you MUST go there. It is THE most ghetto looking place on the planet...it looks like something straight up out of 1967 inside, but the food is divine, and if you go for lunch you can feed FOUR of you for $12.00. Yes, we walked out of there STUFFED for under $15.00. It was BLISS. I enjoyed my usual chicken teriyaki while Hubbs enjoyed his usual orange chicken. Mmm, I want to run there right now.

Then we picked up a sitter and went to the movies, we saw Valkyrie. Even though I can't stand, as in CAN'T STAND Tom Cruise...(even though when I was in high school I had a really steamy dream that involved him...) it was a WONDERFUL movie. I highly recommend.

We didn't have a lot of time to get the sitter home, so we nixed dinner and went home and, well you know the rest...next year I will save the coppers a slice of cake.

The next morning we had breakfast with my mom and all of my sibs. It was totally awesome. I got so many fun cards and gift certificates, I felt like a queen. Really, I couldn't stop smiling. They meant so much to me. Even this week I got two cards with little certificates in them for here or there and I am just so happy. Thank you to everyone for thinking about me, it was the best EVER.

A few days later I went out to eat with two of my besties. They treated me to a lovely...yummy meal at Johnny Carinos. If you haven't had their Rosemary Chicken, you MUST try it sometime. Divine. I felt like a princess having my friends buy me dinner. Then we ladies tripped it on over to my fave store Target. We had fun rummaging through the dollar bins, I was super excited to spend my $20 I got for my birthday from my mom...when my sweet friends hand me a card with a giftcard to none other than...my favorite store. I had to fight back the tears. I can't tell you how much this meant to me. Money has been tight around here for months and months. I have happily gone without so many things, and truly it hasn't bothered me, but to be able to buy myself (with the help of my friends) a beautiful sweater and some killer heels...it just meant so much. Much more than I can ever express to them. Thank you.

Then the best ever...cupcakes. The ladies found a cupcake shop (hello divinity) and picked up some rocking flavors. You must visit this website and shop, the story behind it will make you weep.

Me enjoying a milk chocolate with orange frosting. Yummylicious.






Leish's Red Velvet.



Linds and her Carrot Cake.



The unwrapping.



The eating.



And mrs. r in all her glory downing the Vanilla in one fail swoop.




I hope to have many, MANY more of these. Just like this one.

The Pink Schwinn

I remember vividly my seventh birthday.

It was the year I got my first two-wheeler bicycle.

It had training wheels. (I know such a late bicycling bloomer I was.)

I knew it was not "new". I tried not to let that show...even though tears stung at my eyes knowing it wasn't the shiny new bike of my dreams.

Still, I was excited. My brother Marcus made sure I was excited about it. He talked up the banana seat, and was extremely encouraging that soon I would be riding without the training wheels. Just like him. (I wanted to be just like him.) Having a winter birthday sucks...but we made the best of the day and rode the bike up and down the hallway of our house, through the living room and back down the hall. (Thanks mom for letting us do that.)

The day after my birthday, or shortly there after was the day my dad left us, and being fully aware that my parents were getting "a divorce". It was for the better, but that is another story, for another time.
(He may have been gone before this, but I recall this birthday being a defining moment.)

This made my mom a single mother. Hence the understanding now of the second hand bicycle and the utter love and teary heart I have when I think back to this time in our lives. How she ever supported herself and us on her job of $8 something an hour is beyond me. This left my brother and I home alone quite a bit. Back in the 80's though, I guess it wasn't such a big deal to leave your kids home alone as it is now. Needless to say this left my brother and I a lot of idle time...alone, unsupervised.

One day, my brother's fascination with my bike must have gotten the better of him. See on that cool banana seat up there, there is this "handle" of sorts. I am not sure what possessed him, or me for that matter, but somehow I ended up tied to the bike by a rope while he got onto the bike (sans training wheels by this point) and told me to "Run! Run fast!" Mmmk.

So I ran. I probably got a good fifty yard dash in before I face planted it into the middle of the street and had road rash from my chin down my chest and tummy to my lower...very lower abdomen. I can't quite remember if my mom was home, Marcus jumped off the bike and untied me. I remember spending the entire evening with warm cloths pressed onto the damaged areas of my tummy, trying to get all of the tiny rocks and such out of my skin. Oh how it hurt to wear pants for days. :(

Then we moved. We moved across the street from my grandma. She lives in a very old part of Salt Lake City. Not too far from her house is a 7/11. My brother and I would go there seemingly daily (although financially that would be impossible) to get some Lik m Aid Fun Dip and some Neopolitan ice cream sandwiches. What could be a more perfect ride than the Schwinn?

So there I am, sitting on the back of the seat while Marcus mans the pedals and handlebars. I am holding onto the little metal handle, trying with all of my might to keep my feet out of the spokes. (Remember mom always warned you about that?) When to my chagrin my right heel got caught in the spoke, ripped off my shoe and ripped off my heel with it. I was screaming and howling...and Marcus was still going, intent on the Summer treats waiting at the sev. Finally he stopped and I limped back to grandma's house. Grandpa put me back together and all was fine.
This time? Weeks to heal.

This is why every good bikes needs a set of pegs.

I miss my Schwinn.

Today.

Today I cleaned all three of my bathrooms. Yuck.

Today we watched Narnia in Portuguese, on my bed...nice and cuddled.

Today I showered at 3:30 p.m. Unfortunately not before this photo was taken.



Today I hugged and kissed on these lovies.



Today we made cookies.







Today was divinity.

Inspired.

And teary.

The Land of Snowy Bliss

With all the illness in our family the past month, and all the luscious snowstorms we have had, poor J-Man has been dying to get outside and play in it. And on New Years he did!

Memms was ALL stoked...we had one small hangup as she didn't have waterproof gloves in her size...so we improvised. We put some huge rubber gloves over her little knit ones.



Bliss.





Memms on the other hand (literally) spent almost two hours sitting in her car seat, in the garage with the door open to the outside world. She didn't want to play in the snow and get her gloves wet...nor did she want to go inside. She was absolutely content to stay in the car and listen to daddy shovel the walks and big brother throw snowballs.

Sweet Innocence.





There is NOTHING better.

Bad Boyz

My husband, who also happens to be a real estate consultant would probably not exactly approve of the following story (it may or may not drive down the value of our home in an already dwindling market).

So, I tell this story hypothetically speaking of course...because it is just too funny not to tell.

The scene: My birthday. It was last Friday. I turned 27. Ah bliss. It was a great day, a story I shall share at a later date.

Hubbs had so sweetly stayed home from work so that he and I could do some cuddling on our couch...and other places that night. I was super excited. We were downstairs watching some show or another when, at some OBSCENE hour of the night, it was close to eleven...we hear the doorbell ring. What the H? We both look at each other with raised brows. Hubbs, who was half dressed ran to our room to get some clothes on and answered the door. It was our neighbor.
He was ringing to inform us of the drug bust currently happening OUTSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR. Literally.

The story: Apparently the COPS were chasing this guy down the busy street adjacent to our home, a very speedy chase I might add, when Bozo the driver decided to turn down our street to try to lose the police in the neighborhood. Tee hee...guess what? We live on a freaking DEAD END. "Private Lane" as I like to refer to it. The idiot drove through our neighbor's sideyard fence and landed the front end of his car in another neighbor's backyard. The guy gets out of his car LEAVING HIS GIRLFRIEND...and makes a run for it. I am not sure if the cops responding had one too many donuts or what, but he got away, leaving his girlfriend to be handcuffed and put in the back of the car. Nice.

It is nice to know I have two awesome neighbors, one who ran after the dood with a bat, the other with a piece of wood. They didn't catch him either.

Good times I tell you. Good, good times.

School Daze

This shall be the first of a small series of posts I shall entitle "School Daze".

As I prepare to send my first born off into the land of curious lunch cuisine and first crushes, my mind is brought back to those long ago days of grade school. At the same time as J-Man is introduced to such woes, I have a little sister entering Jr. High, and another entering High School. So in honor of their preparation and mortification, I will share with you some of the worst moments I had in school.

Laugh with me, more importantly CRY with me...because as my friend put it after I told her this first story, "It has not been long enough, these wounds are still too fresh."
Oh how I pray I do not lose thee...oh faithful readers.

Or as my other friend put it, "Dood that is HILARIOUS."

YOU BE THE JUDGE.

The setting: 15 years ago. If you do the math, we are talking sixth grade. I had a crush on, oh we'll call him "CK". I sat at the same table with CK as well as one of THE most popular girls in the sixth grade--Jenna. I was either lucky or doomed. I prefer the term "doomed".

My family had just moved into a new home, landing me into this new found hell of a place...and in sixth grade no less. When I should have been "ruling the school" I was instead trying to make it through each and every day. No easy feat where I went to school. It was grade A ghettosville USA.

So there was this one day in Spring. I was sitting at the table after running around all recess long...and you know when you run sometimes you get cloggy in the...um nasal region. Well, as the secretions dried, it caused me the most unbelievable mass to ever grace one's nose. I was sitting there with CK to my left nose in a book (as per usual) and Jenna was also reading. So, I thought quickly that if I hurried and dug out the menace...no one would see...and I would be freed of my burden. I must act quickly. I only hesitated for a moment...dig...grab...swoop...into the mouth. Yes. I just admitted to the entire world that I ate my boogs until I was in sixth grade. Back to the story.

Once I commenced the "swoop" of my plot, that is where I neglected that behind the dried mass may lie a long string of...well you know...undried mass. So the big menace took with it all of it's relatives leaving a trail from my nose to my...er um...my...uh...mouth. I know I am kind of dry heaving as I relive it.

This is not the worst of it. As I was mortified that such a situation had occured, and that my plan had not been fully executed with the grace I had so fully thought it should...who is it that was there to witness the entire event?

Was it CK?

Thankfully, no.

Was it Jenna?

Yes. Yes it was.

Mortification.

One of THE most popular girls in school just saw me PICK my nose and EAT it. Death. What was I to do? She sat staring at me. I was still cleaning off the mess. And what is it you suppose she said to me?

"It's okay Kim. I used to eat my boogers too, I won't tell anyone."

I am CERTAIN I was three shades of red, nevermind the green tracing my nose and lips. I can tell you one thing...that day cured me of ever wanting to eat a booger ever...EVER again.

That day could have been very, very different. Jenna and I became very good friends, I can't say because of the booger incident...but friends nonetheless. It was really good for my self-esteem.

As far as eating boogers, in case you are all sitting at your computers reaching for your garbage can to hurl in...read along, you may think twice the next time you grab for a tissue.

I rest my case.

School is hell. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.

"H'h'h'h'h'hot, c'c'c'c'cup, of c'c'c'c'co, co, coa!"

Nothing says Christmas, and snow and cold like cocoa. Really, is anything more perfect or more dreamy about this time of year than that?

The week before Christmas the store was out of mini-mallows. We had to have the big honkers, and you know what? Even though they are a choking hazard, my kids love them. Love the pudgy cheeks and the dreamy look on J-Man's face. This is what childhood is suppose to be. Sweet innocence and perfection.

Gingerbread, Christmas & Back Rubs

This has got to be the most lazy version of Gingerbread House ever. Remember how I told you we were all sick with some sort of fever, cough, snotty nose and or puke the week of Christmas? We did this house three days after Christmas and I still wasn't feeling tops. So, instead of going to church the kids and I decided not to infect all of their friends and we made a Gingerbread house. Half aced but still tasted yummy.








What is the point of a house if you can't eat it?

Christmas was so wonderful. We kept it small and simple, and yet by the end of the night the kids ended up with some major swag.

We spend Christmas Eve with Hubby's parents. They (along with what we had prepared) brought enough food to literally feed thirty people. There were four adults and two kids. Needless to say we had some major leftovers. I think they are finally gone. Praises. It was super fun to see the kids play with them. We got them a really cool digital frame and loaded it with pics. It was a hit.

The morning started off with a visit to my mom Lorraine's house. She is a dawl and it is always so much fun to visit with all of my brothers. We had a divine breakfast casserole and some yummy cinnamon rolls. Holla.

Then somehow Anna and I got roped into giving Christmas backrubs , scratches, and scalp massages to all of the boys. (Best Christmas present EVER for them anyway.) We, of course got nothing in return. (Next time Anna, you and I are trading scalp massages!)

After visiting them we stopped by to visit my Dad. Love this man. I never talk about him. I really should. The stories I could tell. I will consider it. He and his girlfriend Tish were SUPER sweet to my little family on Christmas. I have tears in my eyes just thinking about what they have done for us. We were also able to see my Dad's mom...she and I are going to get together this Spring and take some photos. It has been almost 25 years since she had some beautiful work done of her. I can't wait to share. We all have a unique relationship with her...for lack of a better term, it is strained. She was very nice on Christmas and we can actually say it was good to see her. She did make some good cookies, didn't she Marc?

Then we were off to visit my Mom and her family...super fun. It was a quick visit since we had a lovely family party a few days later.

The evening was spent with my Mom's mom. She is such a wonderful lady and more tears were shed as my kids, her great grandchildren opened the sweet presents from her. They have enjoyed and played with these little gifts since Christmas and it makes me happy.

Hubbs had to work on Christmas. I know right? Stinker. It was a wonderful year. I loved the simplicity of it all. Looking forward to carrying that over into years to come.

The dress. She only wore it once, I made the sleeves a wee bit small, and I felt terrible putting it on her again. If it warms up any, I will take a few of her in it. Although the first wearing had it covered in boogies. Hott right?



The Savers finds. YES. Love me that Savers. Hubby and I did a team effort and painted and created to make these little doll lovies.



They were a hit. She has to have her baby in them every night. She loves them and her baby loves them. What a wonderful Christmas present.



A new quilt. J-Man and Memms were both thrilled when this was complete. My darling Mom gave me the fabric. I was suppose to make a dress out of them for Memm, but the pattern was TOO freaking hard for me and a little out of date (love you mom...the patterns were for my teenage sisters...) but I came up the the brilliant plan of making this quilt. It is beautiful, and we all love curling up in it and thinking about Grandma Fur-Face.



And this lovely. A rag quilt. I am trying to decide if I can part with it once it is complete. I was making it for someone special but I might be too selfish to give it up. Eek. Ever had that problem?

Loving my "vacation" from work. Getting so many little projects complete and resting my mind and soul. Couldn't ask for anything better. :)

Eighth

Frosty.

I don't think I have ever gone so long between bloggings. Really, I am sure I have, but I don't recall.

I have missed it. Kind of. Part of the reason is my disdain for sitting in front of my computer and wanting to soak up as much time as I can before I start working again in January. I have loved leaving my computer off for the last week. Seriously, I haven't even warmed up that baby since I can't remember.

Joy.

Christmas was wonderful and magical and all things incredibly yummy. I did, however spend a great deal of time kneeling to the porcelain gods. Oh how I hate them, and of course being sick like that wouldn't be complete without my kids and I getting a cold. YUCK. We were sick on Christmas, but thankfully no vomit was involved that day. Praises.

Our anniversary was last Tuesday, December 23. My heart aches that I didn't even make a special post for Hubbs. Since I was seriously, freakishly sick that day, we didn't do much. We did get a sitter and went out to dinner to of all places Sizzler. I do love me a good Malibu Chicken Platter. (Really, nothing should EVER be referred to as a "platter".) Afterwards, we had some yummo ice cream from the BR. It was only like -13 below zero (not really) but we saw some peeps eating ice cream and had to join in. Love to follow the crowd. My husband gave me the sweetest present ever. I will have to make a special post all about it, even saying that, the gift is almost too precious to share with anyone else (but I will because that is how I roll...). Let's just say it had me bawling like a freaking baby in the middle of Sizzler. He done good. I love you Hubbs. Thank you for making the last 8 years some of the best of my life. I couldn't imagine going through the trials and heartache, and laughter and smiles with anyone but you. Eternity is going to be the bomb diggity.

What was your favorite gift this year?

Be back soon!

Enjoying a little Christmas Vacation.

Hope your holiday was the best. Ours sure was!

I am off to wrap presents...

A feat that has never before been done in this house before December 24. I may faint.

What are you doing to prepare for the holiday?

Seven Days

And oh so giddy about it. I love this time of year.

The Christmas Conundrum

To "Ho Ho" or not to "Ho"?

That is the question. And it has nothing to do with the economy.

For years I have struggled alongside Hubbs for the answer to said question.

What does this all mean you ask? Where am I going with this? Well, for us, it is whether or not our children believe in a large man in a red suit. Whether or not a Santa Claus person comes to our house to deliver presents or not.

See, Hubbs grew up in the country of Brazil. Where he claims and I tend to believe him, that they don't techinically believe in Papai Noel. So, for him it has always been, "A fat man who I don't even know does not get credit for the presents "I" bought for my kids." Amen and amen.

While I understand his point and logic, this really, and I mean REALLY takes away all of the fun and magic. Somehow we have skittered around the issue the past few years. We don't "take" the kids to see Santa, if he is around then they will see him, but a special trip? Unheard of. Do I like it? No I don't. Does it make me scroogie? Of course it has over the years. Ug.

Then I got a call from my sweet friend Wendy, having the same dilemma of not wanting her child to be the one to break the news to all the Kindergartners that Santa isn't a real being...so knowing my family, she called me up to ask me what to do. And people...people, I have the answer...which I will now share.

Upon reading in "A Christmas Treasury" a book by Lloyd and Karmel Newell, the answer came on the first day of December of the two thousand and ninth year of our Lord, in the form of these words:

"I want to emphasize that I have no quarrel with that well fed gentleman with
the red suit and white whiskers. He was very generous to me when I was a
boy, and we are looking forward with great anticipation to his visit at our
home. All of those things with reference to Christmas are appropriate and
good and all of them are for children, except, I suppose, the
mistletoe."

--Elder Boyd K. Packer

So you see, without taking Elder Packer's words out of direct context, I will just say, that if he believes in a "well fed man in a red suit" well by all means so can my children. Point given to Hubbs and he has been informed not another word will be spoken about it.

As for the other problem when your kids get almost nothing and the neighbor kid gets a new iPod and game system...what do you tell your kids?

Thanks to Nakia, she gave me THE PERFECT ANSWER, the one she gives her kids:

"Jesus only got three gifts, what makes you better than Jesus?"

Again, I say...amen and amen.

Merry Christmas

Oh so super cool!

Thanks Vanessa!

So, I was jumping around and saw this site...and she has ME...yes ME on her favorite link list, I am on this super cool list with a bunch of other super cool people. People I love and admire.

Totally and utterly made my day!

Secretly...

Or not so secretly anymore I guess, I freaking love this show. If I could get my butt out of bed a half hour earlier to watch it each day I would...just to watch it. Secretly, I kind of get excited when my kids wake up that half hour earlier so we can. Tee hee.

Why do I like it so? Well, I think it is just a smart show. I really think the writers do a great job at making it "smart". For me, as an adult, I love it, but my kids love it too.

One of the funniest things is the titles and words they use and manipulate to title the show etc. For instance, Memms and I were watching this week and the title of one such show was, "Vomitrocious". Hilarious no? Reminds me of how this lady talks. So we began watching and I laughed seriously out loud. It was about puking in school (everyone's worst nightmare no?!) and teasing the kid who always got a bloody nose (I don't recall that...but seriously funny stuff.) After the little show was over they had real kids talking about puking, complete with drawings and animation.

Anyway, I am laughing right now just thinking about it. I highly recommend. Shhh, don't tell you heard it from me, I might deny it.

"Nobody likes me, everybody hates me..."

September 2008



We went fishing in Midway. This was my kids' first ever encounter with worms. It was freaking hilarious. I wish I could remember where we went, but kids could fish for free without a license and I *think* the worms were free! So so so so so gross. I'll admit I am 100% girl in the regard when it comes to bugs and spiders and ants, anything creepy or crawly. I try really hard to hide that fact from my kids and encourage them to explore. Even if I wanted to throw up a little.



J-Man thought it was THE coolest thing ever. He wanted to keep them. He was super bummed when I told him we couldn't. He was so fascinated, we taught him all about what happens when you cut them in half, how they make "two worms". (I remember learning that...do you?) So, like good parents we cut some in half and showed him. He loved it, then was eager to share the love:



With sissy. She did quite well. Not too enthralled as brother was, but she held it nonetheless. (Gag...ew...that's my girl! Actually she told me today that she doesn't like ants, she only likes "rolly pollies". I get that.)



So we fished and didn't catch a single thing. :( But it was SO relaxing and fun to teach our kids something new.



My favorite grin. Love that nose. Love that space.



Divalicious as always.