The Things They Say.

I was involved in my own thing. Sam was involved in his own thing. When all of a sudden, out of his mouth comes,

"Booyah!"

I ask him, "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I just say it."

"Where did you hear it?"

Are you ready for this??

"I learned it in Hawaii. When I was in your tummy, I went to Hawaii and met someone who told me that."

So I think....My tummy was certainly big enough for him to actually swim to Hawaii while he was there. It kinda is still. But that's another post. So I started to dig for a pregnancy picture. I can't find any. I think because I was so huge I just didn't do it. If you remember me from my Sam pregnancy, you probably didn't even see it because I couldn't walk. So here is a pic from the end of my Ike pregnancy.
Can you say HUGE?! And please don't scoff the hair. Look at me!! I was trying to offset the bulging belly. Here's the thing. This was a week or 2 before I had Isaac. With Sam I didn't get this far along but was bigger. At 32 weeks I was measuring big enough to be carrying twins at full term. I had Sam 4 1/2 weeks early and he was 9 lbs 5 oz. HUGE!!! So imagine me up there in the pic, just bigger. Yep. Sam could most definitely swim to Hawaii. He was most definitely swimming laps! Trust me. I really want to go to Hawaii now.

BOOYAH!

Therapy

I was on the phone last week with a friend of mine. And little did she know, it was a therapy session for me. That's usually what phone calls are for me. I'm a SAHM, you know. My world revolves around little people and housework and homework. The adult phone time is precious.

Anyhoo, we were talking adoption. That is one of the things we talk about. We are in the same travel group for our China adoption. In the summer, we go to the mall for the dollar movies with our kiddos and then have face to face therapy while our kids play in the germ infected play area. It is so worth it!!

I can't really tell you all that we talked about. One reason is I don't necessarily remember what we talked about specifically. The other reason is I'm not ready for that kind of commitment to you all. I love you, but I need some boundaries!

So this is what I've been thinking since getting off the phone. Talking about adoption is a very different thing for each person involved. I find it very easy to talk about! Very! Almost too easy. Some people don't talk about the adoption of their child at all. Ever. I realize that I need to be more reserved about Ruthie's adoption now because she is getting old enough to know I'm talking about her very personal history! But the personal info aside, I still love to talk adoption. I still love to share My Personal Feelings about it. But I feel I need to set some rules for myself. Here they are. Just off the top of my head and just basic with no real commitment until I am confronted with talking to someone (refer to #6).

1. Ruthie's story is hers. I will talk to her about her story and what parts of her story I can share with others. She knows her story backward and forward. She would probably be the first to tell you her story.

2. When I do the CNY production for my kids' school classes, I will no longer merge our trip and information about CNY with the reason we were there...Ruthie's adoption. I will no longer be using the pictures from our trip with her in them. She is very grateful about this. She said this last time she was a little emabarassed. I could tell.

3. When I do talk about adoption, I will still be so willing to talk about it. I will share details that don't involve Ruthie directly. Or my other children, for that matter.

4. I don't always want to talk about adoption. Or at least the wait that is reaching its 2 1/2 year mark this week. There are moments, days and entire chunks of time that I don't want to talk about it. I hope you will understand if I say, "I'm sorry, I can't talk about it right now" when you ask me at one of those moments, days or chunks of time about our adoption.

5. I will ALWAYS love adoption. I will ALWAYS be an advocate for adoption. I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful for those who make sacrifices so that families can be created. I will ALWAYS be grateful for the love and support and prayers of so many in our behalf.

6. This is a journey that many people I know have never made. Sometimes I want to scratch a person's eyeballs out because of a remark or question or even a look on their face. This rule is that I promise to never scratch anyone's eyeballs out. I promise!!! Well, I'll try.

The Picture Project.

Monday...Laundry. And this is minus the other 2 loads not yet done. And you see the blue and while humidifier there? Daniel came home to something else. A secondary infection after the Influenza virus...Sinus infection. Yuck!

Tuesday...I had phone calls to make and the new rule to dial the area code for all numbers really had me hyperventilating. And when they say 10 digit number, they should say it's an 11 digit number. Don't forget to dial the 1 first! Dumb.
Wednesday...Draper Temple Open House. I forgot my camera.

Thursday...Case Lot!! I got a sum of money to use for food storage. This is most of what I got. I also got buckets and 1 gamma lid. I love a good case lot sale!

Friday...Breakfast for dinner!

Saturday...Isaac out with some friends at the Hill AFB Museum. They are a lot more interactive nowadays.

Sunday...Isaac's REAL birthday. Officially 9 years old! Yay!

Happy Sunday!

It's Been A Slow Week.

At least for blogging. I have a cold. I bet its because I mentioned to Daniel earlier this week that I have been strong as an Ox since I started drinking more Diet Pepper. Now see what happens?!

I had an epiphany this week. I wanted to share it with you. My baby is turning 9 tomorrow and 1 year ago tomorrow he was baptized! Can you believe it's been a year??!! I can't. Last year this last week I was scrubbing and painting baseboards and painting walls and making taco meat and buying matching red bowls (which I LOVE) and cleaning carpet. Today I'm just lucky to have some laundry going! My baseboards haven't been touched in a good way since last year. I'm gonna give them another 10 months. Then I'll really do something to them. I guess that's not really an epiphany. But I really like that word. So there!

Isaac is out with Daniel and a couple of friends today. They went to the Hill AFB Museum and then to McDonald's for lunch. Mmmm.

Yesterday I broke down and bought Madagascar 2. I wanted to buy Because of Winn-Dixie. I just finished reading it to my kids and wanted the movie in our collection. It was a very touching book. When I would cry while reading to my kids, they would ask searching questions. So we got a lot of good talking in too. I need to check Amazon I think. Madagascar 2 is hilarious!! We loved it.

I made a birthday cake for Isaac and got my cake plate lid out to put over it. I got 3 cake stands and 2 lids for my wedding. I must be special or something. I love them. I turned as I lifted the lid and it hit a stool, putting a crack on the side of it. I'm heart broken. At least I have one more and still have my 3 cake stands! And now I have more room in the cupboard where I store them!

I did get my floor cleaned this morning. It was so gross! I don't think I've cleaned it for a few weeks. Is that bad? It is reality. That's all I know.

I realize that last Sunday I didn't do a Picture Project post. It's because the trip we took really got all the pictures. So I'll restart tomorrow. And I think that's all I have for now.

I need to blow my nose!

Flashback Friday

This picture has been sitting on my counter, floor, table, rug, computer desk and floor again for the last couple of weeks. This is my Flashback Friday Fantasy. Way back when I was single and had money to burn and vacation days to take, I traveled a lot with different friends. One of those friends was Jodie, the one who introduced me to the Polygamist. *Shudder* In the summer of '97 Jodie and I went to So Cal. We visited Dinsneyland and then went out to Catalina Island. It was the off season so nothing was open and the beaches were not being well used. We sat on this beach and just vegged. Well, I sat. Jodie went swimming and stuff. I have this thing about water, you see. I had started reading a book on this beach from Oprah's book list. It was one of the most horrible books I have ever read. I rested well when I got rid of the book. Oh no! The horrible book flashbacks! On days like this, when the air is crisp and spring is taking its sweet time to arrive, I think of sitting on a beach in a dress covered in sunflowers, soaking in some sun and reading a book. A good book!

Do I look pasty?

Have a Fabulous Friday!

Oh, The Wind!

It was a frightfully windy day. The wee ones were plucked from their studies early. The household was in uproar as they realized their best manner of dress was required. As they traveled, they were constantly battling the wind to not suck them from the road. The wind had stirred up all the dirt in the land up to the sky. They could see nothing past the noses on their faces. They finally arrived at their first destination, only to realize they didn't have the capability to document this momentous occasion. As this young family of 5 got closer to their final destination, they knew they were in the right place and that this was an experience like no other in the land...
Yesterday we went to the Draper Temple Open House. It was BEAUTIFUL! My kids enjoyed it so much. Daniel and I noticed that almost all the artwork in the Temple was by Minerva Teichert. Daniel is related to her. When we would walk into any of the rooms, Ruthie would look only at her pamphlet to make sure it was the right room. I had to keep reminding her to "Look At the Real Room!!". When we were sitting in the Sealing Room, I got to show Ruthie where and how she was sealed to us 4 years ago. We also talked (quietly, of course) about when our next babies would join our family and that we would be in the room just like that one in another temple to have them sealed to us. It was such an amazing experience for all of us. On the comment cards in the refreshment room, each of my kiddos wrote on one that they LOVED the WHOLE TEMPLE! Love it.

We found out yesterday that my brother and his fiancee will be married in the Draper Temple on May 22. Yay!! We have been looking forward to a date for a long time.

We are now looking forward to the Temple dedication on March 22. All the wards in the entire state of Utah are supposed to NOT have regular meetings that day. Our focus is to be on the temple. Our Stake President is still having us go to church for some reason, Maybe he didn't read the letter right??, so only one of us can go with Isaac. You need to be at least 8 and baptized to go. So if any of you reading this would like to go as a couple and take older children, let me know...I would be more than happy to watch your younger kids so you can enjoy this great opportunity. And don't forget your white hanky!!

What Is It Called When...

Your body hurts so much on one side that when a dirty sock falls between the washer and dryer, you just leave it there?

You are willing to pay $29 for a pair of waterproof boots (because the other boots you have are busted) when there are many other boots that are going for $8, but you pay the other $21 for the waterproof-ness?
The other side of your body that didn't get bashed on the ground is just plain bruised?
You are willing to drive through snow, hail, sleet and wind for hours to get to a mountainous region known for its snow, hail, sleet and wind?
You have to make 5 runs up in the mini-wimpy-van to get up a pretty wimpy slope because you have front wheel drive, not 4 wheel drive?

That was the second try. This is the 4th try...

And the 5th try is the winner!!

You get to this pretty scene and you can't quite make it around a sharp corner leading to a steep hill that would ultimately get you to the pretty little cabin you are staying in? And then your son has to "go" so bad that you just let the snow right out your window turn a nice yellow?Your front wheel mini-wimpy-van can only stop and wait for the handsome driver to go looking for someone, anyone, who can come haul us up the hill?

Well, I don't know what you call it. But we call it...

VACATION!!!!

We went sledding! WooHoo!!

Leaped over some gnarly jumps!

Sailed down without hands or feet!

Got stuck in waist deep snow while trying to climb up to the top of the hill again!

And took every moment to catch the camera lens with a grin!

That was just Friday Morning!

On Friday afternoon....we went Snow-blow-biling!

Aren't they just cute snow bunnies??

A picture of the mom and dad on our way to Big Springs.

Ruthie loved the bumpy ride so much...she took a nap!

This is Daniel's nature shot of Big Springs.

The kids got to throw pieces of bread into the water to feed the muskrats and the big fish.

Oh yes! Muskrats and Big Fish!

On our trip back on the Snowblowers, as Sam called them, we were on some big hills and Daniel kept saying, "Lean, Lean!" I would lean. Trust me, I was leaning. All of a sudden, as we were leaning to the right, the whole machine flipped to the left, I could feel us, Me, Daniel and Sam, all leaving the machine. I flew through the air, hit the snow hard and rolled. The funny thing is, I was the only one who actually flew off the machine. My left arm and leg are forever damaged and my right leg is bruised. I cried all the way back to the cabin. Oh yes. I am a big fat cry baby!

But I must add that there were lots of teenagers and young adults who thought it would be fun to stay up really really really late both nights we were there. I was sleep deprived. That will make anyone cry. RIGHT?!

It was a fun trip. Now my house is a complete disaster. The laundry is done. I think it's just getting ready to merge with the dirty stuff that's piling up. I finally did some dishes. I just need to remember to start the dishwasher. Daniel and Isaac have some yucky coughs now. I've read all the blogging you all have done this week. I just haven't commented. I'm tired. I hurt. I need chocolate. I wonder if the Muskrats have any of those problems?

Goodbye Island Park Muskrats. Maybe we'll see you again next year. Maybe.

Happy Sunday!