Reflections of the Holidays in Pictures

Thanksgiving .... Note the VERY fancy dishes!

The boys and their technology.

Stealing a great idea from a great friend, we created a taste-testing group. We became connoisseurs of BBQ potato chips -- Lays Kettle Cooked came in an undisputed first place.

We also became connoisseurs of Root Beer - with A&W being the clear winner, and with Shasta Root Beer being likened to poison..
Here we are tallying up the votes

Festival of Lights here in our small town. We know how to do it right, eh?

Acting out the Nativity with some friends. Our little angel had a message or two to deliver.

Note Ben, I mean Joseph's stiff soldier-like arms.

Brianna's look of total disbelief to actually have received Barbie and the Diamond Castle!

Our Clone Trooper.

Yes! More Star Wars!

Brianna was totally posing for this photo.

Happy New Year to one and all!!

Public Service Announcement

Do your child's tonsils touch in the middle?

Does she have difficulty breathing in her sleep? When awake?

Has she ever sounded like this...

If so, it is time to get an appointment with your local ENT.

Please consider that doctors normally don't like to take tonsils out before the patient has reached the age of 3, therefore, dramatic video (like the one shown above) is helpful in making your case.

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Brianna's HUMONGOUS tonsils (and adenoids) are coming out January 5th. I've told her that she's having surgery to remove her tonsils, that it will hurt, and that she'll get ICE CREAM. Thankfully, she's focused on the ice cream.

James asked her what kind of ice cream she is going to have. Her answer: purple.

Merry Christmas!!

Ben offered our family prayer before we opened presents. Often his prayers are repetitive and said with the urgency of a race. Today, he thanked Heavenly Father for the birth of Jesus Christ -- without being prompted.

It has been a wonderful, peaceful day. I'm so grateful for our Savior!

We are having a "Fablis" day! Hope you and yours are too!

Merry Christmas!

Dear Santa,

Give Credit Where It's Due

Yesterday, I took my kids to see Santa at the mall. I took Brianna early in the day, and she just LOVED him. She wouldn't sit on his lap, but when he asked what she wanted for Christmas, boy did he get an earfull! Not much of it was distinguishable, but her whole face was lit up, and she was talking very animatedly. He got several high fives and "Merry Christmas"es from her. And he gave her a book about Santa's flight around the world.

So, when Ben got home, she was so excited to tell him, and she asked if he wanted to go see Santa. Ben was a bit skeptical. He's really been trying to figure out if Santa is real this year. So, he asked, "Where did you see him."
"At the mall" I replied.
"Then it's not the REAL Santa." he said.
"Well, he's as real as mall Santa's get." I said. "Do you want to go?"
"Yes." he answered.

I think this Santa just added to Ben's confusion. He had a real white beard and was a very sweet Santa. As soon as Ben and Brianna were done visiting with him, Santa got up and started walking through the mall. (I'm guessing he needed a bathroom break.) Brianna was RUNNING after him, calling his name. And Ben just kept asking me, "Why didn't he just use magic to get to the bathroom?"

When we left, Ben said, "Don't you think we should give him something? I mean, he gave us these books, and we didn't give him anything." So sweet.

After the mall, we drove around looking at all of the beautiful lights on the houses. There was one house in particular that I wanted them to see. It may be home to the Griswalds, . . . not sure. Well, when we got to that house, the lights weren't on yet, so we drove around that neighborhood, and then I decided we better get to the store and buy groceries. I told them that we would drive back by after the store to see if the lights were on yet.

Just as we pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store, I heard a terrible sound. I stopped the car and got out. We had a VERY flat tire. So, I called James to see if he could come rescue us, and we went inside to do our shopping.

In the store, we bought stuff that we could eat right then, because it was dinner time and we were starving. After we paid, we ended up eating just inside the doors, with the kids seated in one of those car carts. Every time the doors opened, we froze.

James did get the tire changed, with the help of another shopper who ran home and brought his BIG jack. (Thank you, James! -- Oh, and other shopper!)

Then we loaded the kids back up, and I drove back to the Griswald's. We weren't disappointed. The house and yard were lit up in all their grandeur! After driving slowly by a couple of times, we headed home. I said, "Now, wasn't that worth it?"

Ben said, "Yes! That was totally worth it. It was even worth the flat tire. I think Heavenly Father worked in our lives so that the bad became part of the good."

Wow! Forget Santa. Forget the Griswald's. Ben's comment was the highlight of my day.

Careful! . . . It's Contagious!

Yesterday, when Ben got off of the bus:

Me: How was your day?

Ben: Great!

Me: How are you feeling?

Ben: Great!

Me: You're feeling really good?

Ben: Yup.

Me: Oh, I'm glad to hear it, because you've got gymnastics in a minute.

Ben: Well, I do have a fever, and my throat hurts. My head is hurting too, and I'm a little dizzy.

(I took his temperture and it was normal. He went to gymnastics.)

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This morning first thing as Brianna came down the stairs after waking up:

Brianna: Dad?

James: Good morning, Brianna.

Brianna: Fevers, Dad. Gotta Fevers.

(She definitely had the same type of fever as Ben.)

What's in a Dream?

Last night was a bit rough. The sleepy bug bit me hard at about 6pm. I couldn't believe I had another hour and a half to fill up before the kids' bed time. By 8:30pm it felt like midnight. James and I crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.
At the real midnight, Brianna woke up. She has a horrible cough, and she just sounds awful trying to breathe in her sleep. I comforted her and put her back to bed. Within ten minutes or so, she had another coughing fit, and was asking for me again.
I gave her some cough medicine, and took her back to bed.
At 4am she was awake again and coughing like crazy. I rubbed her chest and back with Vick's -- which seemed to really help -- and carried her back up the stairs. On the way up, she coughed her horrible cough again, and I whispered in her ear, "Oh, baby! I'm so sorry you're sick." She whispered back, "It's o.k."
I slept the rest of the night in her room snuggled up to my baby.
I had THE strangest dreams. If you are a dream interpreter, please stop reading now. I really don't want to know.

First off, when James came in to kiss me goodbye and pray with me, he interrupted the team party. You see, I had just coached the BYU football team to their first ever SEC Championship! James was impressed, he said that no other BYU coach had been able to achieve that.

Then, I drifted back to sleep after he had gone. This time I dreamed that Ben and Brianna had a new baby brother. I rushed to the hospital with Brianna, where we found James lying in the hospital bed, holding our newborn son. Ben was also in the room.
When we came back to visit, I assume the next day, we found James mining for gold, with our baby strapped to his back. As I approached them, suddenly the baby was no longer strapped to James' back, but to the back of a tiny, fluffy blue bird. And, he had shrunk to about the size of an Andes mint. (James was still there, busy mining for gold.) I wanted to hold my baby, but as I reached for him, some LARGE bird of prey caught sight of the little blue bird and my boy and decided that they would make a tastey lunch. I hit the bird (eagle/hawk/whatever) with the umbrella which I conveniently had in my hand, which didn't make the bird too happy, but gave the little blue bird just enough time to disappear.
Then, I panicked because the little blue bird just disappeared with my boy on it's back. But don't worry, I found it hiding under the rocker recliner that was right there in the mine.

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If those dreams weren't enough to make your head spin, let me describe for you what Ben chose to wear for school today: The high temperature today will be about 45 degrees. He chose shorts and a long sleeved shirt, with a light jacket. He hurried out the door before I could see him. When I heard the door shut, I ran after him and called him back. (It wasn't even time to go to the bus stop, he was just trying to leave before I could give my two cents about his outfit.) When I called him back, I told him he was going to freeze. He said, "I have something on underneath." He sort of had that "up to something" look, so I pulled up his shirt to reveal: James' old wrestling outfit!
Well, at least I talked him into wearing a coat!

Andes Mint Brownie Cookies

1 brownie mix (I used Albertson's brand)
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 eggs

Mix above ingredients.

Add:

1 pkg. Andes creme de menthe baking chips (found in the baking isle next to the chocolate chips)

Form into balls with an ice cream scoop, or two spoons, or with your fingers. (Eat a little dough.) Bake at 350 degrees for 10-13 minutes. Take out of oven and drop onto counter. Eat the deliciousness, and consider -- maybe -- sharing. . . . Maybe.

P.S. These are only REALLY yummy for two days, then they become quite stale. Of course, I continue to "suffer through" eating them, but thought you might want to be warned ahead of time.

Let's Play

O.k., so I've been tagged twice now. It's taken me quite a while to do this, I think I must have thought that I needed to come up with 6 SPECTACULAR quirks. That's nigh unto impossible. However, 6 UNSPECTACULAR quirks is much easier.



Here are the rules:

"MY UNSPECTACULAR QUIRKS"

1.Link to the person who tagged you

2.Mention the rules on your blog

3.Tell 6 unspectacular quirks about you

4.Tag 6 following bloggers by linking to them

5.Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs letting them know they've been tagged.



My wonderful friends who tagged me can be found at: http://fromthemixed-upfiles.blogspot.com/ and http://themanofsteelleg.blogspot.com/ .



1. I have phone-o-phobia. I intensely dislike, and get very anxious about, making phone calls. When I was a teenager, I worked in a strip mall, just two doors down from a Little Ceasar's Pizza. My co-workers and I would often get pizza to eat during our shifts. I was fortunate that usually whomever I was working with would place the order. However, one time I was at work with another phone-o-phobic person. Somehow it was decided that I would be the one to call. When the Little Ceasar's employee answered, I asked, "Um, . . . how do you order a baby pan-pan?" The employee, somewhat confused answered, "Uh, you say, 'baby pan-pan'." My co-worker and I were so embarrassed, and thought it was so funny, that we began laughing uncontrollably and couldn't speak -- so we hung up on the employee. I think we waited about two hours and then walked over and placed the order.



2. I make up songs each morning to wake Ben up. I usually sing to the tune of 'Happy Birthday'. This morning's song went like this: "Happy December 1st to you. Only 24 days until Christmas. You get to go to school, and learn a bunch of great stuff!" . . . What? These are UNSPECTACULAR quirks, remember?



3. I have an uncanny knack for planting my foot firmly in my mouth. For example, early in our marriage, I attended a wedding reception with James for a friend of his. When we first arrived, he informed me that there were like 14 kids in the family. I exclaimed, "14 kids!! From the same mother??? IS SHE DEAD???" As it turns out, not only was she alive and well, but she was standing directly behind me. Yup.



4. I have not yet mastered the art of keeping a clean car interior. Honestly, it's disgusting. The problem is, I usually (with this very moment being the exception) never think about it until we are getting into the car to go somewhere. I usually don't have time to do anything about it at that time. And, let's face it, if you travel much with kids, they tend to destroy any and all efforts toward cleanliness. I suppose I could not allow snacks or drinks in the car; never allow toys or books; and take ten minutes each time we arrive home to try to enforce clean up of the car, but I'll probably just continue to travel in filth.



5. I am addicted to your comments on my blog. If I post something at midnight, and then there are no comments by the next morning when I wake up and check, I'll say to James, in my saddest voice, "I guess nobody liked my post." I only check for comments about 30 billion times per day -- even when I haven't posted anything new.

6. I have a hard time throwing out food. Even if I know no one is going to eat it, I usually have to keep it until it looks like a science experiment. Then, I have no problem throwing it out. The exception to this was when we had a dog for two months. She was very good for taking care of any food that I knew we weren't going to eat.

P.S. I'd make up songs for Brianna to wake up to, but she is nearly always awake before me.

Um, I tag anyone who has not yet been tagged, and is anxious to share 6 unspectacular things about themselves with the whole of cyberspace.

Points to Ponder

A man traveling on a lonely country road got a flat tire. He found his spare in the trunk, but no jack. In the distance, he saw the lights of a farm house. He set off on foot toward the house to ask if he could borrow a jack.
After walking a while, he realized that the fields he was walking through probably belonged to the family in the farm house. He felt a little unsure as to how they might feel about a stranger cutting through their fields. But, with no other option before him, and the sunlight long behind him, he continued on.
A while later, the farm house lights turned off. "Oh great," he thought, "now I'll be getting the farmer out of bed." His imagination began to take flight, and he could just see the old farmer answering the door with a shotgun, and an unfriendly dog.
"It's not like I had a lot of options," the man thought defensively. And the more the man thought about the whole situation, and the more he imagined the farmer's cold greeting, the more he got upset.
Suddenly, he found himself pounding on the front door of the farm house. When the bleary-eyed farmer answered the door, the man shouted, "I don't want your %^*+#@ - >%^*+#@$# jack anyway!!!" And he turned on his heel and stalked back to his car.

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An old man sat on a park bench near the main square of the city. A couple approached him and asked, "Excuse us, but have you lived here long?"
The old man replied that he had lived in this town his whole life.
"Oh, that's great!" the couple replied, "You see, we're thinking of moving to this city, and are wondering if you could tell us what the people are like here."
"Well," replied the old man, "what are the people like in the town you're moving from?"
"Oh, they're just the most wonderful people you'll ever meet! We can hardly bear to move!"
"Oh," drawled the old man, "I think you'll find people to be about the same here."
"Oh, thank you! We just knew it!"

A short time later, another couple approached the old man, and asked the same questions, for the same reasons.
Again the old man inquired, "Well, what are the people like in the town you're moving from?"
"Oh, they're just awful! We can't wait to get out of that town and away from the lot of them!"
"Oh," drawled the old man again, "I think you'll find people to be about the same here."
"We had a feeling," they replied and went on their way.

A young fellow had overheard both of these exchanges, and couldn't help but to ask the old man, "Why is it that you gave each couple such different answers??"
The old man thought for a moment and then replied, "It's my experience that your life is really a mirror of what is inside. I actually gave them both the same answer. What is different is what is inside of each of them."

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In Mormon's parting words he counsels, "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been."

We ALL have imperfections. When we are made aware of someone else's imperfections, do we condemn them, or do we thank God for showing us so that we may learn to be more wise?

A Death, A Grounding, and A Gift

My desktop computer died. I mean really died. There's no pulse. It was really old, like a dinosaur. It had a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate). The problem is: there was a LOT of important information stored there. Luckily, it was a donor, so it's possible that the hard drive could be used in a transplant. However, in the meantime, I've lost all of my e-mail addresses.

So, I'm asking a favor from my dear friends and family: please e-mail me with your address, phone numbers, and credit card # (ha, ha), so that I can create a new contacts list, I would GREATLY appreciate it. My e-mail address is the first initial of my husband's name, the first initial of my name, our full last name, at bresnan dot net.

THANK YOU!!!!!!


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Now for other news:

I am grounded from e-bay.

I very rarely go onto e-bay. I have made a bid a handful of times, sometimes on things I REALLY wanted to win. And have NEVER, I repeat, NEVER won a bid. However, approximately six weeks ago, I was feeling curious about how much a daybed with a trundle would cost to buy for Brianna. James and I had discussed the possibility of buying her a new bed for her birthday, . . . this coming June!

So, I got it into my head to start looking around. I searched all over the Internet, and it was looking way more expensive than I had thought.

When I decided to check out e-bay, it seemed an innocent enough thought. When I found a beautiful twin bed with a trundle, at just a fraction of the price of the others I'd seen, I made a bid -- without even thinking. I NEVER expected to win the bid. Did I stop to consider the gargantuan shipping cost? No, silly, I didn't stop to think about ANYTHING. I KNEW I would never win the bid. But, lo and behold, I guess there's a first time for everything.

We still haven't received the infamous bed. But, perhaps, I was not as crazy as I seemed. You see, shortly after said e-bay encounter, Brianna stopped sleeping in her toddler bed. She simply refused. She happily slept on the floor of her room. She'll sleep in other beds. But not the toddler bed.

So, last week, in an effort to gain some redemption (from the e-bay expenditure), I posted her toddler bed on Craig's list, and it quickly sold.

When I went to put her to "bed" that night, an interesting thing happened to me. I had been fine with her sleeping on the floor, when I knew that she had the option of a bed right next to her. It was her choice. But to put my baby to bed on the floor in a practically empty room, where she had no comfortable option, seemed criminal. I couldn't do it.

So, Ben and Brianna had their first sleep-over. Ben happens to have THREE beds in his room. He has the great bed that James built to go over the futon, but the futon is no longer in Ben's room. So, in a much wiser purchase, (off of craig's list) I bought a twin bed, with a trundle that fit PERFECTLY under Ben's bed. (It has already come in handy for guests, and now for Brianna).

This was all a really long explanation to get to the picture of what James found when he went to check on them later:

Good thing there are three beds in there.



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And, lastly, when Ben returned home from school yesterday, he presented me with this gift:



He explained to me that this was a massage rock for beetles or medium spiders.

I assured him that I would use it whenever I found myself massaging a beetle or medium sized spider.

Am I BUGGIN' ya? I don't mean to BUG ya!

Ben was in a school program all about bugs. We had to create a bug costume for him to wear. We turned his black sweat shirt inside out, and put yellow electricians tape in stripes. Then we stuck orange pipe cleaners through a winter hat to make antennae. But the wings were the best of all. James made them from some wire hangers and bubble wrap! They looked really great.
Ben had two performances; one for the students on Wednesday morning, and one on Thursday evening, for the parents. When he got home on Wednesday, I asked him how it had gone. He replied, "Don't EVER make me wings out of bubble wrap again! Everybody kept chasing me around the gym to pop the bubbles! Even when I asked them not to, they just couldn't help it!!" I couldn't help it, I was laughing my head off when he told me! Then, he said, "And you made my wings too big! I couldn't turn around during the songs, or I'd be knocking people over!" You guessed it, that made me laugh even harder!
During the evening performance, when the other kids turned around during the song, Ben looked right at me, and we both busted up!

So, do ya wanna know why we were late for Stake Conference yesterday?? It was all Brianna's fault! She just looked so darn beautiful that I had to take some pictures of her!!

What beautiful children/bugs I have!!

Me, Just Thinkin', Friends, Misc., A Prayer

I'm not sure what to write. I haven't had any brilliant insights, or really any deep thoughts for quite sometime, it seems. I was re-reading my posts from last November and had the very distinct thought that I liked who I was one year ago, much better than I like who I am now.

Many key things have improved in my life over this past year. I am so very blessed. However, I am feeling a bit lost, and am trying to get my feet under me. It's all part of moving, I guess.

Last time we moved, it coincided with the beginning of James' rigorous training. He began working 80-100+ hours per week. I was in a totally new town, didn't really know anyone. I had a one year old, and was a stay at home mom. James was gone, and even when he was home, he was mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted. He had nothing left to give. Though I didn't fully recognize it at the time, I fell into a deep depression.

Strangely enough, I think it was my decision to go back to work after about eight months that started to pull me out of my depression. It was only part time, two days per week, but I see it as a turning point in my downward spiral. Perhaps it was having to be dressed up and to someplace on time. Perhaps it was the interaction with other adults. Whatever it was, it helped.

There were/are wonderful people in my last ward who reached out to me, and continued to reach out to me, and who didn't give up on me even though I was very hard to reach. My shy tendencies combined with the depression did not make it easy for them. I count them as some of my very dearest friends. Whenever I sing "Nearer My God to Thee" I think of them when I come to the line: "angels to beckon me, nearer my God to thee". They are sisters of my heart. Their strength, wisdom, examples, friendship, and the beauty of how they lived their lives and how they reached out to and served me and each other truly lifted me, and helped me to become a person that I actually liked. They helped me to find a voice and a confidence that I had never before enjoyed.

I'm afraid I've lost some of that now. I may be one of those people who needs a really strong support system in order to be a balanced, positive contributor to society. I'm struggling with not having any close friends here yet. I'm struggling with figuring out James' and my roles in our new situation. And, I'm afraid, I'm struggling with another downward spiral.

I want to get back to that person that I was and liked a year ago. But, I must say, I don't want any of the trials back that have passed, whether in full or in part. Although, I am grateful for the growth and blessings that have come from them. I suppose that this is a new trial, of sorts. I'm sure that new growth and new blessings will come with this new trial. Maybe I'll even start having insights and deep thoughts, and maybe a friend or two. . . . I wish I wasn't so hard to get to know.

Can a person take all of the wonderful things that they've learned and become, and still retain them even with a cross-country move that feels as if it's turned their world on end? I know a person should be able to; but can THIS person?

Oh, please, Father in Heaven, let me retain my old friendships, and create new. Let me build on the lessons and blessings that I have received, and help me to receive any new blessings and lessons that Thou hast in store for me. Help me to be able to make a positive impact on those within my circle of influence. Help me to enjoy the blessings that each day has to offer.

O Por Satrda

The lyrics to Ben's most recent song, entitled, O Por Satrda (Oh, Poor Saturday):

Oh, poor Saturday
Forgets his underwear
Forgets his socks
Runs into Mrs. Weirdy
Never sees the sun
Everyday is late for school
Goes to the Principal everyday
His mommy gives him spanks all day
Never lets him run or play
Oh poor Saturday!!

For your convenience, I translated from the phonetic spellings. I will try to get video of him singing this for you.

A Fun and Adventurous Weekend

Look at these cute kids! Ben felt that he needed to look very intense for the pictures -- we don't know why, we don't question why.
Brianna absolutely LOVED trick-or-treating, and made a point of informing most people that she was dressed as a "fuh-fie fairy" (a butterfly fairy). She would turn around so that people could get a better look at her wings! She was really cute about the whole thing.

Then, Saturday morning, we headed off on an adventure to attend our first BYU game in a decade! It was so fun, and really quite an exciting game. BYU won, (which may be due, in part, to Ben's prayer) but it was a close, back and forth game with LOTS of mistakes. Strangely enough, that does keep a game very interesting and exciting!

I included this first picture because I look so amazingly fabulous! Apparently, James was taking our picture while I was busy eating a mouthful of popcorn. Oh well.

Isn't she the cutest little cougar fan?? She loved Cosmo, but she did keep getting confused. She kept saying, "Go Buckeyes!" I guess you can take the girl out of Ohio, but you can't take Ohio out of the girl!

Every time the other team would score, they would fire a cannon. It was quite loud, and Brianna didn't like it a bit. However, it wasn't until after the third or fourth time that I finally figured out what she kept saying afterward: "Softly! No slam the door!"

Ben liked the game as well. He was able to follow and understand it pretty well. Afterward, at the hotel, he and James watched the end of the Texas vs Texas Tech game, and Ben was really into it, and commenting. It made me smile to hear him sounding so grown up. Brianna kept yelling at the TV "Get him! Get him!" I guess she learned a thing or two about football, too.

Brianna almost got to meet Cosmo, but that was as close as they came. We had pretty good seats, and could see the field very well.

On our drive home, Sunday, our car began to malfunction as we came over some very BIG mountains. The accelerator just decided to stop accelerating, so we turned around and limped back, on a different, flatter road and ran into this scene. James immediately pulled over and jumped out to get some great pictures. In the end, we went to a Checker Auto Parts, where they checked the codes and found that it was an O2 sensor malfunction. They cleared the code, and we drove home just fine.






I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

Let the Voice of the People Be Heard!

A dear friend of mine shared with me that when she was growing up, they had a neighbor who would often comment to her mother that he always waited for the political signs to show up on her lawn in order for him to know for whom to vote.

In regard to the gifts of the Spirit we learn:

For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.
12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.
13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.
14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.
(Doctrine and Covenants Section 46:11 - 14)

I am wondering if there might be a parallel to things as they are in the political arena. I, personally, believe that my right to vote is a privilege, and I humbly acknowledge that there are many in today's world who live without that privilege. I am very aware of, and incredibly grateful for those who risked and/or gave their lives in order to afford me a right to vote. I am grateful to live in a country that believes in letting each voice be heard. I want you to know and understand that I don't take this responsibility/privilege lightly.

That being said, I feel like a total idiot whenever the topic of politics comes up. I feel like an infant trying to understand the conversation of adults around me. I trust none of the propaganda. I feel like I'm drowning in an ocean of political mumbo jumbo with every corrupt politician for himself, and I keep hoping for some life-line of truth to be thrown to me.

Because of this, I pay very close attention to the views of those whom I know and trust who are close to me. These people, though they may not know it, are like my friend's mom. I am "watching for the signs" to pop up in their yards, so to speak.

Currently, there is an on-going discussion, via e-mail, about our current political situation between my family members. I doubt any of them comprehends how I'm hanging on every word; how I appreciate the expressions of their beliefs and positions in ways that even I can understand. There are others whom I trust, whose opinions I respect and would love to hear. You, dear reader, are included. (At least everyone that I know of who reads this blog.)

Sadly, in religion and politics, people often hold back in sharing what they feel and believe, for fear of offending, or starting a heated debate. I don't like heated debates either, in fact, I usually stop listening when it gets that way. But, I do believe that we are meant to discuss and share, and that if each person understands that every person has a right to their own opinions and stances, and if we can each respect that, then why can't there be more open discussions?

For those of you who hold back for these reasons, let me just say, that there are some of us out here who need "to believe on your words." I think the voice of the people, not the politicians, needs to be heard more often for those of us who need help understanding this stuff.

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Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.
(Book of Mormon Mosiah 29:26 - 27)

Brianna Joy

Yesterday, as I was putting something on the shelf in my pantry, I knocked something off of the shelf and it fell directly on my toe. Ouch, ouch, owie!!! As I said something to this effect, Brianna inquired, "What happened? Whatsa matter?" I told her that something fell on my toe and she responded, "Oh, sweetheart! I'm sooo sorry!"

It was so sweet and came so naturally to her.

She's just like that. Very sweet and tenderhearted, but with a large dose of mischievousness. She loooves to tease. And, when she's told not to do something, she'll make and maintain eye contact with you while she proceeds to do exactly what you just told her not to do.

When we were at the store a while ago, she swiped a candy at the check-out and was holding it behind her back while smiling sweetly at James and I. James said, "No, Brianna, put it back. That's not yours." She quickly moved to other tactics, such as trying to make us laugh, while still keeping the candy. When that didn't work, the cute little stinker tried to open the package before James could get it away from her.

Yesterday, little Brianna was sick. She had a little fever and a lot of diarrhea. Her poor little bum was just hurting soo much. We talked about her getting a blessing, and later, she went to the door that her Daddy leaves and comes through and said, "Daddy, prayer" and put her little hands on her head. When daddy got home, she received her blessing and is feeling much better today.

Whenever I sneeze, I can pretty much count on Brianna to say, "bless you." She is really quite consistent with her manners: please, thank you, you're welcome, etc. She is so incredibly smart and perceptive. She misses nothing, not even little nuances of movement or meaning and can imitate immediately.

She is so strong in gymnastics. The teacher/coach and the other parents are always commenting on her strength and abilities. James and I often say how glad we are that we don't live in China, where she would be sure to be swiped for a future Olympic team. (You know, in, like, eight years or so.)

Our Rising Rock Star!!!

Ben is our rising Rock Star!! He made up this song all by himself.

Lyrics:

I try to not be funny

But I've got a little bunny.

He has two big ears that hear really well.

He's never late for the morning bell.

And the Winner Is . . .

I know you've been waiting with baited breath. So, without further ado, the winner of the drawing part of the tRcg Recipe Contest is:

Tiffany of the Would-Be Writer's Guild . Wahoo!! Congratulations Tiffany!!

Incidentally, if you're sad about missing out on the $10 gift card to Target, Tiffany is holding an $11 cash give-away right now on her site.

Now, for those of you who are of a suspicious nature, I promise there was no nepotism involved. The drawing was completely fair and unbiased.

By the way, WOW!! What great recipes!! Thanks for all of you who entered! I've got a lot of cooking to do. We have tried two recipes so far, and they were both delicious! This is going to be a lot harder than I thought. James is really excited about all of this good food that is going to feed him, and Ben is taking his role as one of the judges quite seriously. (FYI, a little authority can be a dangerous thing for a six-year-old!) Brianna, well, if we could get her to sit still long enough to actually eat a complete meal, we would consider that a success!

Recipe Contest

I have been in a dinner idea slump of gargantuan proportions. Since about, oh, February. Yes, I know it's October. That's a l-o-n-g time for my poor family to suffer for my lack of dinner genius. Even the Food Network hasn't revived my creativity.

Out of love for my dear family, and because we are sick of repeatedly eating pancakes and/or oatmeal for every meal, I am pleased to announce the first tRcg Dinner Recipe Contest!!

Here are the rules:

1. Write your favorite quick go-to meal in the comments.

2. Somewhere included in the meal there must be a vegetable or salad.

3. Recipes which include the following ingredients will promptly be disqualified: liver, brussel sprouts, pig's feet, tongue, and anchovies.

4. It has to be a recipe that YOU actually like and make.

5. All entries must be submitted by Sunday, October 12, 11pm MST.


Winners will be chosen in the following two ways:

1. All contestants will have their names put into a hat, and one winner will be chosen at random. (I promise there will be no peeking.)

2. After my family has had a chance to try the recipes, my family will vote on its favorite recipe, and that contestant will also win a prize. (This phase of the contest will take a bit longer, of course. But I promise that there will be a second winner, and they WILL receive a prize.)

The winner chosen at random will receive a $10 gift card to Target!

The winner for the best recipe (as determined by the taste buds of my family) will receive a $25 gift card to Target!

Tips: I love quick, one-dish meals. (Your recipe doesn't HAVE to be a one-dish meal. I do make non-one-dish meals too!) James REALLY loves FLAVOR.

Life is Fun

The other night, when Ben was supposed to be in bed, he came down to get us, and said that we should go check out the bathroom. He had cleaned the bathroom, and had left a note. The note read:

IhoptatyouluvewutididtoothePlas.

Translation: I hope that you love what I did to the place.

What a great kid. I suppose if you want to not get in trouble for being out of bed, this is a good approach!

*********

Why would anyone make these gross plastic cockroaches?? . . . I guess because there are little boys in the world (some of them disguised in adult bodies!)

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Brianna is certainly the life of the party. Whenever we are going to any kind of get together, I tell her we are going to a party. She gets so excited and says over and over, "Party time! Party time! Party time!"

When my mom and neices were coming, I tried to explain to Brianna that we would have a party when she woke up, because they would arrive after she was in bed. She kept asking, "Party comin'? Party comin'?"

Even though she's only two, she has a great sense of humor, and what makes it even funnier to me, is that she knows she's being funny.

A Very Fun Girly Weekend!

Well, I'm sure you knew that it wasn't fair to make a new blanket for Ben, and not make one for Brianna as well. So, here's her blanket:

Of course, I had help with hers. Last weekend I had the privilege of hosting the annual Granddaughter's Sleep-Over that my mom does each year with her, well, Granddaughters. What a cool Grandma, huh? As part of the sleep-over, they were so kind as to tie the quilt for Brianna. Aren't they cute?? We went for a scenic drive in our jammies, first thing in the morning!

Then we went to three different garage sales, IN OUR JAMMIES, with bed-head and all. Garage saleing in jammies was a high-light for the girls. (And, thankfully, I didn't run into anyone I knew!) As I passed one family at one of the garage sales I said, "If you think we look bad now, you should have seen us before we got ready for the day!"

We also did hair, and nails, and watched several movies, and visited, and ate yummy food! It was a blast! And after having been away for nine years, it was really fun to have this time to reconnect with them.

Random

**My head hurts.

**Ironically enough, I had actually ordered a parenting book for myself previous to my venting post. It came today. It is called Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic. Even with a migraine, I've read the first five chapters. It seems to hit the nail on the head with my two spirited children. I really like it's positive approach so far. (Thanks for posting about it J.L.)

**I really love my family. I have the best hubby and most wonderful children in the world!

**The last few days, Brianna has been noticing the sounds our refrigerator makes when the ice maker drops the ice; and then again when the ice maker refills with water. She always asks, "What's that??" with a very cute inquisitive look on her face. I keep telling her, "Oh, that just's the fridge making noise." Today, soon after we repeated this scenario, Brianna passed some serious gas. With a surprised look on my face, I asked "What's that?" Without missing a beat, she replied, "It's the fridge."

**My fridge is disappointingly small.

**ATT may have more bars in more places, but not around here. We have terrible reception and dropped calls all the time.

**Watching my kids do gymnastics is so fun and rewarding. They are both really good for their ages and exposure.

**I hate ironing clothes.

**Ben keeps writing nice notes to James and I and leaving them around the house for us to find. I love it. It's so unexpected and sweet, it really lifts my spirits. I need to follow his example.

**When I think of how hard James works, and what his work actually entails, I am amazed at his dedication and positive attitude. He's a pretty amazing man!

**I fixed our garbage disposal this week.

**Our sink in our guest bathroom broke. It's a fancy looking one, on a pedestal, and the top decided to separate from the pedestal and to let the water run out through that seam. Hmmm, anyone know a good plumber here?

**My migraines have become almost extinct since I purchased some orthotic inserts. Too bad nobody told my head that I was done with migraines today . . . or last weekend. Hmmm, . . . I wonder why they're back??

**What random thoughts are rolling around your head??

Interview with Brianna

I wanted to interview Brianna as well, but thought it would be more enjoyable if you could hear her responses from her own mouth.

Unfortunately, she is just a wee bit obsessed with seeing herself in the camera.

Still cute, but I guess we'll never know what her solution for the current financial crisis would have been.

An Interview with Ben

(Stolen idea from my sis.)

What was your favorite part of your trip with Dad this weekend?
Um, probably, going to Seth and Jezze's house. We played a lot. And I got to see baby Zach.

What do you want to be or do when you grow up?
I want to make a store of my own. just like i always wanted to do. And I'm going to make all of the stuff so that I won't have to pay for it. And besides, I do make stuff. And it will be called Ben's Inventions.

What are some of the things you are best at?
Making stuff. Like books and movies and toys, and well, making Christmas tree ornaments.

What do you like best about gymnastics?
Jumping in the pit and doing the bars.

Do you like school this year?
Not the mean kid named J......

What is your favorite thing to do at school?
Eat lunch and snack.

What is your favorite thing to do at recess?
I like to play on the playground with Z.... before school. We run away from Z...'s little brother.

Are you sad that you missed your Primary program this weekend?
I have no idea.

What do you miss most about our old town?
My friend C....

Would you rather marry gymnastics or a girl?
Myself.

Women Are Warriors of the Heart

When someone we love is threatened or injured -- physically or emotionally -- we as women are a force to be reckoned with.

Recently, my family and I ate dinner at a local fast food joint. Afterward, the kids played in the play area, and James and I got caught up in a conversation with another parent who was sitting there.

After a while, Ben came and sat on my lap and was visibly upset. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but wanted to leave. So, we got Brianna and our things and headed to the car.

In the car, he broke down. He said there was a kid in the play area who hated him. He said that he said mean things to him, and kept grabbing his foot each time he tried to climb anywhere. He also said the kid hit him.

Oh, was I mad. Ben wanted me to go back in and talk to the kid. I wanted Ben to know that I would fight for him, so he and I went back in. We couldn't find the kid in the play area, but then we spotted him. by himself. getting a napkin. I made my move. "Excuse me, were you mean to my boy in the play area?"

He stammered, and claimed that Ben had done all of those things to him. Being a realist, I decided that it was possible that the truth lay somewhere in the middle. So, I made them both apologize to each other.

*********

I want to thank each of you for wanting to protect me and fight for me. Thank you for being willing to go into the Nursery and talk to the leader.

I try to not write things when I'm upset like my last post, because the written word is a powerful thing. I want you to know that I'm o.k. now. I really, sincerely believe that she had no intention of hurting my feelings, and that she sincerely believed that she was helping. I'm not quite ready to be her best friend, and, to be honest, I may avoid her for a while, but I am really o.k. now. Thanks, in large part, to your encouraging words.

When I actually get to know her, I'll have to post an update so that we can all see the good in her.

The Toad Pictures

I found them!!

I told ya he was BIG!