Brownie Mom

Spotlight

2012-02-08T09:57:00.001-08:00

Third Grade students in Mrs. Strong’s class are spotlighted one day per year. If it is your designated day, you go the head of the line, get to do everything first, bring a poster about yourself, and sometimes even bring treats.

Monday morning I knew it was Ben’s day. I said, “Hey bud, you are the spotlight today. Don’t forget your poster. Do you want me to come to your class? Ben looked me up and down, and responded, “Only if you do your hair, and take off those glasses.

Am I really that embarrassing? I know I haven’t updated my glasses (only worn at night) for over a decade, but I was planning to put in my contacts. It’s not like I’m George Castanza wearing leisure velvet sweats saying, “ I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable.” Not that there is anything wrong with that.

When I arrived at Ben’s class a student ran up to me, “Mrs. Brown, do you know you are wearing the same sweatshirt as Ben. Astonished, I put my figures to my lips to hush the boy, hoping Ben wouldn’t notice. Quickly, everyone noticed! When Ben was asked further about my sweatshirt he told the kids that I had borrowed his from his locker. Fibber!

When Santa brought unisex Utah sweatshirts to every one in our family, there were only a few patterns to choose from. Wouldn’t you know that today would be the day I would wear the same sweatshirt as the one Ben 'borrowed' from another sibling.

After Ben presented his poster to the class he opened it up for questions. I couldn’t stop laughing at the silly questions third graders ask. “So what is your favorite letter?” one inquired. “X”, said Ben acting a little annoyed by the crazy question. "What's your second most favorite letter?" the question continued. "Z", Ben replied in a monotone voice. The questions kept on coming.

My favorite question was, “What are your favorite pants?” Ben looked shocked as another student blurted out, “Ben doesn’t like pants.” I think the student meant, Ben only likes shorts, but the little third graders couldn’t stop laughing.

The students are all so friendly and kind to me. They really act like they enjoy my visits. Maybe they know I bring treats! No one even seemed to notice or care about my not-so-done hair.

Super Bowl Sunday 2012

2012-02-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

The New York Giants, and New England Patriots battled for the coveted Super Bowl Champion title. It was an exciting game with the Giants coming back with a last-minute score to beat the Patriots 21-17.

Tom Brady and Eli Manning went head to head in providing great opportunities for their team to score. In the end, Manning won out. Not without a last second attempt for a win, with Brady throwing long into the end zone, for an incompletion.

I wasn't too committed to either team in the Super Bowl. My favorite NFL team is the 49ers. My fondness and loyalty of the 49ers began back when Steve Young was their quarter back and I had a slight (maybe more than slight) "sports crush" on him. Steve Young lead San Francisco to a victory in Super Bowl XXIX. He was also the MVP of the game.

Many years ago when my children were small, we were having a dinner conversation about sports players. “I love Steve Young,” I gloated. Mike, only 3 at the time said, “Well that is it, when you get divorced, I’m going with dad.” The girls and I had a good laugh.

Now Alex Smith, a former Ute, is the 49er’s quarter back and has taken Steve Young’s place in my heart. Sadly, they were beat out by the Ravens, making the Super Bowl less attractive to me.

My boy’s are HUGE Patriot fans! They were hoping the Patriots would be the reigning champions. I supported the Patriots along with them, since I am a fan of Tom Brady. Don't judge me, and don't hate me. It is just MY opinion. I think he is an incredible athlete and easy on the eyes!

Hopefully my 49er’s will be in the mix next year!

Tight Squeeze

2012-02-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

Sunday mornings we are always in a rush. As of January, church starts at 11:00 rather than our previously designated time at 9:00 am. With an additional 3 hours to get ready, it seems like I am less organized, and less prepared than I was when church was held earlier. Go figure!

This morning, as I was backing out of the driveway, a little rushed, I noticed a HUGE trailer parked directly behind me. I am sure I had sufficient room to make my turn, but didn't calculate correctly. I took the turn too soon, ran into a snow bank, and BAM, the bottom of my car is now on my lawn (we picked it up from the middle of the road).

My children, thought it was hysterical, me not so much!

Friday Night Braves Basketball

2012-02-04T09:01:00.000-08:00

Friday’s are game days. Last night the mighty Braves JV team conquered the Fighting Falcons on our home court. The Braves came from a 20 point plus deficit to a stunning win over Clearfield in over time. Trevor Lloyd hit the 3 point buzzer beater, to win the game.

Unfortunately, Mike sprained his ankle early in the game and is out of commission again. Dang!

The varsity was a blow out! I am sure Mike would have played had he not been injured.

The after-game-plan, was for Kate to help Mike get home, and for me to take Ben with me. No problem.......I thought.

Ben enjoys shooting hoops after the game, so I was planning on a delayed exit. As I was talking with some team mom’s, I finally noticed that basketball hoops had been retracted and Ben was no where in sight.

I started searching the sparsely occupied gym for him, but no Ben. I walked into the hall, and saw him running behind an adult entering the opposite side of the gym. When he saw me, his bewildered look turned to a smile. He ran in the gym after his escort to inform him that he had been found. The trusty adult happened to be one of the vice-principal’s of Bountiful High.

I might be getting a little reputation with the Administration and Staff at Bountiful High after tonight. I can recall another Bountiful High School athletic event where I lost the same child.

Ben told me that he had approached the vice-principal (not knowing who is was) and asked him if he was in charge. Mr. Smith told him that he could be in charge if he wanted him to be. Ben then informed him that he was lost. The vice-principal’s cell phone was dead, so he took him (according to Ben), to the cheerleader locker rooms (that’s a little questionable), and the administrations office to find a phone for him to call from.

They finally reached Mike and Kate, since my phone was in my purse and I couldn’t hear it, to alert them they had a lost boy.

Good thing I like to talk, because I had no idea I had a lost child, and no reason to panic or fear. Ignorance is bliss!

Basketball Team Dinner 2012

2012-02-02T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Braves Basketball team dinner was held at my house tonight. The varsity team is very tall this year, and made me feel like a little munchkin scurrying around the kitchen preparing the food.

I served homemade Cafe Rio Pork salad or burritos whichever your preference, with cilantro-lime rice, and all the toppings. It was a real hit! I thought I had over-cooked as usual, but there was nothing left but lettuce when dinner was done. Mike said it was rated by the team as the top meal yet. However, he knows how competitive I am, so that may or may not be true.

I served breakfast to the crew right after the Christmas holiday. I love cooking for these boys. They are very appreciative!

I received a phone call from Brock and Brandon Yates mom wanting some recipes and telling me that her boy's thought my meal was better than Costa Vita. So glad they enjoyed it!

Cute boys!

The Principal's Office

2012-02-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Lately dinner conversation has been very enlightening. Last night I heard Ben tell his married siblings that he had been to the principal’s office two times in one week for saying, “BYU is gay.” “What?” I said sharply trying to conceal my smile. “Why didn’t I receive a call from the principal?” I exclaimed. Silence.

I think if this had been my first child being sent to the principal’s office multiple times, I would have gone to my room, curled up in the fetal position, and begin sobbing. Well, maybe I’m exaggerating a little, but point being my parenting skills are a little lax lately. I know I shouldn’t smile, or start laughing when my child gets in trouble.

I do not condone the word ‘gay’, but if I was a lawyer mom I might say, “Well Ben was referring to BYU being in Happy Valley.” Doesn’t gay mean happy anyway (just kidding cougs). Speaking of cougars, last week I heard on the radio that they are trying to ban the word cougar, so they won’t offend women dating younger men. Wow! Sorry Demi!

Back to the issue. I thought it was a little harsh to send someone to the principal’s office for saying, “BYU is gay.” Maybe he should have received punishment by his teacher, not the principal. I think pulling a card, staying in for recess, or writing 50 times I will not say BYU is gay is more appropriate.

In Kindergarten Ben said, “BYU stinks.” His teacher mildly reprimanded him, and the issue was over. I understand that they don’t want the kids to instigate college rivalries that cause hurt feelings among other elementary school students, but are we going a little too far here?

Ben was also sent to the principal’s office last week for wearing shorts to school. The new school policy is that if there is snow on the ground, shorts and skirts are not allowed. So last week when the temperature was in the 50’s and snow was on the ground, shorts were not allowed.

I have begged Ben to wear long pants, but he claims, “It’s too hot.” The last time he had to call home from the principal’s office for me to bring him long pants I said, “Please do not call again, this is the last time I am bringing you long pants.” I have since remedied the problem by nicely folding a pair of sweats and placing him in his backpack. I told him if his shorts are an issue for that day to quietly put his sweats in his backpack on.

Ben is only in 3rd grade, I’m feeling a little too seasoned to be endure 3 more years of elementary school.

Minus Fifteen

2012-01-31T07:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday Mike said, "Do you know that I have lost 15 pounds in the last two months." My silent thoughts were, "Well you may have lost them, but I have found them," but I refrained from expressing my woes.

Since I know Mike eats lunch and dinner, changing his breakfast pattern is one of my solutions to helping him gain weight.

My kids had been complaining about me serving 'hot breakfasts' too frequently, so I went on strike. Instead of getting up early for scriptures and breakfast, we have been reading in the evening and breakfast has been on your own.

Mornings have been Mike rolling out of bed 10 minutes before he leaves for school with no breakfast. The other two kids have been scrambling for cold cereal or toast.

Monday I began making breakfast again, hoping that these 15 pounds can find their way back from me to Mike.

Harp Ensemble 2012

2012-01-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

The Harp Ensemble is a recital that I look forward to each year. Twenty-three students participated, with 15 harps available. Students perform their favorite songs with Julie Keyes, their famous, most talented teacher leading the group.

The Harp Ensemble begins with Triptic Dance and ends with the same piece. The songs range from modern to contemporary, also including religious songs.

These are two on the songs Lizzy played, Triptic Dance, and "I See the Light" from Tangeled. They are fabulous!

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Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

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

Movies are a self indulgence that I enjoy. Usually evenings are busy with the kid’s activities, so I occasionally take a day here and there to enjoy a movie with a friend. This week’s attraction was Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

I was prepared for a tear- jerker, since the movie is about the death of a father during 9-11. I was pleased that the movie wasn’t exclusively about 9-11 or death.

I was touched by the love, strength, and perseverance shown by many in this movie. There are so many phrases and feelings that I could relate to. It made me realize that there are many who grieve terrible losses of loved ones in their lives. There are also many that share the difficult feelings, and situations that grief brings. I am not alone.

Thumbs up to the movie Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

The Help

2012-01-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

Friday’s are cleaning days at my house. I have two women (who are sisters), who are originally from Mexico, who come help us clean. They clean the bathrooms and kitchen, and the kids and I do the rest.

Today, I was surprised when only one person came to clean. When I inquired as to where the other one was, Garceilia answered, “Oh, she had a baby last Friday.” I was shocked since I didn't even notice that she was pregnant, and also because she had a baby on the same day that she cleaned for me.

Garceilia mentioned that while I was at a meeting last Friday, her sister's water broke while she was cleaning my house. Instead of rushing to the hospital (like I would have done), she continued cleaning. She cleaned another house after mine, before finally deciding to check into the hospital. She had the baby at eight that night.

I’m feeling a little bad for obvious reasons. Am I totally oblivious, or is the language barrier excuse enough for not noticing obvious things?

Gracilia's sister wanted to come clean today (one week later), but she insisted that she wait at least another week.

After cleaning all morning, I left to run some errands. I left Kate in charge and this is the list she devised for my little helpers.

ATTENTION SOLDIERS AND SLAVES OF THE BROWN HOUSEHOLD::

The Commander in Chief has DEMANDED that the following duties be done in T minus 4 hours. (Since Sergeant Mike has to go to battle tonight his tasks are do no later than 13:00 tomorrow)

NOTICE: Failure to complete the following tasks will result in automatic eviction out of Camp Brown and death by an automatic firearm of Commander-in-Chief/ President Kate’s choosing.

Private Benjamin:

Clean out locker

Assist Sergeant Mike in cleaning out the bomb shelter (aka storage room)

Assist Mike in cleaning out the garage including the blood on the floor (spilt popsicle)

Corporal Liz:

Clean out Locker

Dust the Chief’s bunk room

Practice harp

Clean out three drawers of your picking

Sergeant Mike:

Clean out Locker

Clean out the bomb shelter (storage room) and the garage

Boss Private Ben around and make him do something

Finish your bunk room

Mentors

2012-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

Ben has been playing on both a rec and comp basketball team this year. In comp, team names, team colors, and team uniforms are chosen by the crew. Ben was able to choose his favorite number for his jersey, number 2. He said he chose the number Mike had while playing on the Rebel's team, and the number Mike is for Bountiful High this year. He loves to follow in Mike's footsteps. I can't think of a greater mentor.

(If you think Ben looks small, it's because they are playing on a 5th-6th grade comp team. Ben usually has to guard the "big" guy since he is one of the tallest on his team.)

To The Rescue

2012-01-10T16:36:00.000-08:00

Missing car keys are becoming a regular occurrence for me. Sometimes they end up at the bottom of a lake, or a child slams a locked car door shut. This time it was entirely my fault, AGAIN!

I had just worked out at the gym (not my favorite thing lately, but something's gotta change), and headed home to my less than tidy house. I started cleaning up and making my soup for dinner when I noticed I didn't have a few key ingredients.

I decided to quickly run to the grocery store for the few items. I was hoping I wouldn't run into anyone I knew in my current condition.

As luck would have it, as I was loading the groceries, I locked my keys and cell phone in the car. What to do? I knew I had a spare key, and I knew right where it was, but who is home during the day, and whom do you ask to enter your very dirty house.

I quickly called Becky Parry. She laughed as I told her my predicament. I told her not to mind my dirty house as she retrieved the spare key.

Becky to the rescue! I was only stranded 10 minutes, thanks Becky! When she pulled up she said, "Two things, (1) Your dog is out, (2) Your house is a disaster!" Nothing like pure honesty.

Special Delivery

2012-01-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

Proud parents-to-be

We couldn't be more excited in the Brown household tonight! Meagan and Quinn announced that a baby is in the oven! The first ultrasound was inside a small baby bottle, in a box full of pink and blue mints, with balloons attached. The due date was printed on the inside of the box.

They told me on Friday, so I have been keeping a secret for a very long time. Well, its seems a long time when it is exciting news that you want to share.

They are full of surprises! On Friday, they tricked me into going to their house to look at a new desk that they had purchased. On the desk, was a framed copy of the ultrasound with the due date written on it.

We are so thrilled! Can't wait for August 3rd!

Bountiful High School Pre-season Basketball

2012-01-07T19:21:00.001-08:00

Basketball season is off to a great start. Non-conference games have been played, leaving the Braves varsity team 6 wins out of 8 games, and JV 5 wins out of 7 games.

Below are the final scores (or if I couldn't remember the score a Win or Loss):

Varsity:

11/22 Braves 57 North Ridge 42

11/29 Braves 50 Bingham 46

12/03 Braves 54 AF 53

12/09 Braves 50 Viewmont 55

12/16 Braves 48 Judge 42

12/30 Braves 57 Olympus 60

01/03 Braves 76 Layton 61

01/06 Braves 59 Cottonwood 41

JV:

11/22 No JV Game

11/29 Braves L Bingham W

12/03 Braves 57 American Fork 42

12/09 Braves W Viewmont L

12/16 Braves 70 Judge 60

12/30 Braves W Olympus L

01/03 Braves 23 Layton 46

01/06 Braves 51 Cottonwood 50

Team captions: Brock, Brit, Mike

Mike's best pre-season game was against Bingham. He had 14 points, 6 steals, and many rebounds. Mike is a great defender as well as offensive player. He continues to be a dominant player in the games.

The game against American Fork was played during the time of Bountiful's HUGE wind storm. Game time was changed from Friday to Saturday. The Varsity game was an intense and exciting game with Bountiful up by one, and 1.15 seconds left in the game. An American Fork player was fouled, at the line, shooting 2 when the power went out. After waiting about 30 minutes in the dark, the game was called.

The Bingham game was intense. The flaring temper of the basketball coach along with the incredible spectacle he made of himself, made you appreciate our coaches. It has been rumored that Steve Brown may have encounter this coach during the Rebel's days. They may or may not have had words, and made arrangements to meet after the game to continue your heated discussion in the hall.

Off to a rough start!

North ridge

Olympus

Judge

American Fork

Cottonwood

My patient

2012-01-06T00:39:00.001-08:00

My cute little patient was dropped off to me my her dotting husband last Friday morning. She had her wisdom teeth removed..... ouch! Jordan wanted to make sure someone was watching her while he was at work, so I got the honor.

I was happy to have an excuse to relax a little and watch some movies. One of our favs was the re-make of Jane Eyre. If you haven't seen it yet, it's a must see.

If you wonder why she has pillow cases wrapped around her head, well, I was trying to keep ice on her jaw without having to hold it on, or have it slip off. Mighty ingenious if you ask me.

Christmas on the Sabbath

2012-01-01T22:04:00.000-08:00

President Eyring, who is in our ward, was the guest speaker in Sacrament Meeting on Christmas morning. He spoke about, “Remembering Him.” He said, and I am paraphrasing, “You may not remember everything you hear today, but you will remember how you felt.” I will remember the strong spirit I felt that morning. I will also remember learning of Christ, and learning to become more like him. We were taught that It is through serving others that we can emulate our Savior.

I was very emotional this morning. As I sat on the pew with all my children, their spouses, and my in-laws, I especially missed Steve today. We are just not complete without him. Sometimes my heart still feels like it is broken in a thousand pieces. Today is one of those days. Wow, how we miss you, and wish you were here, Steve Brown.

Christmas brunch brought lots of smiles, as everyone enjoyed feasting on the yummy food and visiting. We had a new breakfast casserole that Sarah brought, and the traditional Denmark ableskibers.

Jodi and Jon had a new little addition this year. One week old, Emery Brooke, graced our presence 3 weeks early. My girl’s dotted over her and couldn't put her down. We love those cute little Fulk girls!

Lizzy received Just Dance 3, a video game, for Christmas. It was the funnest gift of all. You and a partner have a “dance off” to a song of your choice. As you are dancing you are being scored, at the end one score is higher than the other, thus the winner.

If you want to have a great work out, this is the game to play. I challenged Lizzy, with a no photography of any kind rule. I got a few “perfects” as I was being scored throughout the game, but was not the winner. Lizzy is hard to beat!

We had a fun, relaxing day, with family and friends.

Opening Christmas gifts.

Brunch, and working off all those calories with Just Dance 3.

Meg and Quinn

Emery Brooke

Sarah and Jordan - dotting over the baby.

Lizzy, Tyli, Maddie, and Jodi.

The Alarming Visit From the Po Po

2011-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:00

Winter Break has turned into one continual Friday night. Kids are up late, friends are frequent visitors, movies and parties are abundant, and nothing very productive is getting accomplished. Last night was no different.

The home security alarm was set around 12:30 a.m., when the kids were all home and accounted for. Kate is best at setting the alarm, and insures that it is set correctly before running off to bed.

The alarm started blaring around 1:00 a.m. I knew the boys were downstairs and assumed that they must have let the dog out for it’s last potty run of the night. I didn’t give it much thought, until my doorbell rang at 1:15.

Frightened, Kate, Bella, and I went to the door together. I shouted for Kate to look through the peep hole before opening the door. Much to my surprise a police officer was at my door, one was in “the woods” with his gun drawn, two more were coming up the walk. I was quite startled by their presence.

“Who is in the house with you?” the police officer pointedly inquired. “Just me and my daughter,” I answered nervously, pointing to Kate and not really thinking much about the other 3 children in the house. “Are you sure there is no one else in the house?” he stated in disbelief. “Oh, well I have 2 daughters, and two sons in the house,” I responded.

“Do you need us to come in, or do you need to come out and talk to us,” he sharply inquired. Still puzzled why I was being questioned, I insisted that nothing was wrong. “Well, someone pushed the panic button on your alarm. Are you sure everything is okay?” he stated. Wondering if this was going to end with the SWAT team propelling down my roof, and crashing through the windows, I told him my son must have set off the alarm while taking the dog out. “No, it was definitely a panic button that was pushed,” he refuted.

I finally convinced him that it was human error, and the police officers left. However, not without them walking around the premises, and making a final determination of their own.

Mike came out of his room when they left. “Are they gone,” he said smiling. “Yes, and thanks for the help,” I barked. “I guess that soda I got out of the garage wasn’t really worth it after all,” he confessed.

Dancing Around The Christmas Tree

2011-12-29T17:40:00.000-08:00

Norwegian traditions are a big part of the Brown's Christmas Eve Celebration. Part of the Norwegian Christmas Eve tradition consists of "dancing" around the Christmas tree while singing Christmas carols. Hand in hand, we make a big circle with the tree in the middle. The dancing ends with the traditional O Jul Med Din Glede Norwegian song.

O Jul Med Din Glede is the crowd's favorite. It includes dancing, clapping, spinning in a circle, and curtseying and bowing. It made me a little teary eyed, as I remembered Steve's love and enthusiasm - probably more mocking enthusiasm- of this song. These are the Norwegian lyrics to the song:

1. O jul med din glede og barnlige lyst,
Vi ønsker dig alle velkommen;
Vi hilser dig alle med jublende røst:
Titusene ganger velkommen.

Vi klapper i hendene,
Vi synger og vi ler,
Saa gladelig, saa gladelig,
Vi swinger oss i kretsen, og neier.

2. I Østerlands vise, I tre stjernemenn,
Vi vet jo nok hvorhen I drage;
Ti vi vilde ogsaa gjerne derhen,
Og eder paa reisen ledsage.

Vi klapper i hendene,
Vi synger og vi ler,
Saa gladelig, saa gladelig,
Vi swinger oss i kretsen, og neier.

3. Saa rekker jeg dig nu med glede min haand,
Kom skynd dig og gi mig den anden.
Saa knytter vi kjaerlighets hellige baand,
Og lover at elske hinanden.

Vi klapper i hendene,
Vi synger og vi ler,
Saa gladelig, saa gladelig,
Vi swinger oss i kretsen, og neier.

Loosely translated it goes something like this:

Oh, Yule with your joy and your childlike delight
We wish you all welcome.
We greet you all with jubilating voices
Ten-thousand times welcome.

We clap our hands
we sing and we laugh.
That's how glad we are, how glad we are,
we swing around in circles
and we curtsey and we bow.

It is custom that In the final verse, everyone crosses arms and gives the right hand to the person on the left, and the left hand to the person on the right and ties love's sacred bond and promises to love one another. We leave that part out.

Presents are exchanged after the dancing around the Christmas tree. This year I gave Steve’s parents and siblings a special gift. I scanned Steve’s missionary journal, and with the help of a very talented and fabulous printer - Tueller’s Printing-published his journal and some missionary photos.

It was a tender moment to give and receive this special book.

Once the festivities of the night concluded my immediate family gathered at my house. We watched a video of The Savior, and talk about the Plan of Salvation. It is a tender time. I gave them Steve's published Missionary Journal. When reading this journal, I hope that they will gain in-sight to the success and struggles their Dad had while serving a mission. His service to the Lord changed the lives of many people, and generations to come. I hope they will always remember and know of his love for the Lord, and his testimony of the gospel.

In Steve's journal he wrote, "While I was glancing through the bible the other day, I came across this passage, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." That's my goal, to be able to say that at the end of my mission here in Alaska, and my mission here on this earth."

I believe that he accomplished both.

Dancing Around The Christmas Tree

Gift Giving

Cousins

Christmas Eve Wagstaff Style

2011-12-27T19:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas time is filled with traditions, many traditions that have been handed down for generations. Christmas Eve is one of those times when tradition is at it’s pinnacle.

We continue many of the Grandma Wagstaff's Family traditions, celebrating on the Eve of Christmas. Family bonding is in abundance, with cousins, and extended family getting reacquainted, and catching up on the latest, and greatest. Children and adults alike relish in the great food and company.

Hors d’oeuvres, are plentiful. Each Aunt plans and prepares her favorite homemade appetizer to share. One appetizer that remains the same is the shrimp. Big luscious, mouth watering shrimp, awaiting to be devoured. Just like the good ole days.

Christmas Eve with Grandma Wagstaff was very similar. Relatives progressed from table to table consuming their favorite appetizers. The table with the shrimp was always the most popular. That was until visitors noticed a small problem. Usually the shrimp was still frozen, and Grandma would sit at the table in her jovial style biting into the shrimp, and spewing them back into the bowl.

If you were a newcomer, and weren’t familiar with Grandma’s spewing of the shrimp, you were shocked and alarmed by such a discovery. It didn’t seem to bother Grandma, she would laugh and continue on as if she had not a care in the world.

You would think that Grandma would make sure that the shrimp was unthawed and ready for the party each year. Each year the frozen shrimp would arrive, only to unthaw by the end of the party. It was a common sight to see bits of half eaten shrimp line the bowl, which made it less than appetizing.

While traditions continue, we are grateful that now the shrimp is ONLY frozen, not half eaten. No more spewing of the shrimp at Christmas time.

Shrimp bowl - old tradition.

New tradition - Unveiling of the photo calendar.

St. George Basketball Tournament

2011-12-26T14:20:00.001-08:00

Ben and I attended the Bountiful Braves Basketball Tournament in St. George. It was a very short trip, but really fun! We LOVE watching basketball, especially when we are watching Mike play!

Sophomore, JV, and Varsity teams played, so there were lots of games to watch. We only watched the JV and Varsity, but that was still a lot of games.

Ben is fun to watch games with. He has an incredible memory. Unlike me, he remembers the stats on most players. I usually can only remember who won or lost. Ben is also very animated about the game. I have to keep him in check a bit when he yells “miss it”, “air ball”, or some other derogatory comment when the opposing team is at the free throw line.

Mike played well, and had a great time with the team.

JV Game: Snow Canyon verses Bountiful, OT 54 Snow, 53 Braves.

What Ben and I did in our spare time. He can spot a hoop anywhere.

The best cheering section!

JV Game, Final Score: Braves 53, TimpView 49

Varsity: Bountiful 51, TimpView 38.

Varsity: Bountiful 78, SnowCanyon 62.

Ben and I missed the last day of games (wedding duties were calling). We heard that both JV and Varsity games were blow-outs against Dixie.

Texting While Driving

2011-12-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

Texting while driving laws prohibit the use of electronic devices to write, send or read messages while driving. I agree completely with this law, and hope my kids do too.

Ben and I went on a road trip to St. George on Tuesday, to watch the Bountiful Brave's basketball team in a tournament. It was a quick trip, since I had a wedding to attend on Thursday morning, but we had tons of fun!

As we were driving, my phone continually alerted me that I was receiving text messages. It is SO tempting to just take a peek, but I refrained. Instead, I had my personal assistant, Ben, read me the text and I would tell him what to write back. He quite enjoyed his new responsibility. It kept him entertained and busy.

I warned a friend of mine that Ben was texting. She carried on quite a conversation with him via text messaging. I kept hearing Ben laugh, and laugh, and then he would say, “Mom, I don’t really mean everything I am writing.”

If you were one of the textee’s privileged enough to receive a text back, just remember; whatever I supposedly said, Ben was typing. One child of mine was a little irritated with the tone of my text. Hopefully, I haven't offended too many people.

Conversations with 9 year olds while driving are funny. Ben said, “Mom, I think I got a little of both you and Dad. I am smart like you, and good at sports like Dad. Aww......how adorable!

Then there were the conversations or annoying comments such as, “How much longer? Are we there yet? Repeated 50 times. I finally handed him my phone and told him to navigate to our destination and it would keep him informed as to how much time we had left in the car.

Technology......isn’t it great!

Fabulous Friends

2011-12-21T21:37:00.001-08:00

Amy and Eric Jacobsen hosted a dinner with a few of friends. The Farnes were unable to attend at the last minute, but we had wonderful food and had a great time visiting with the Cowley and Jacobsen clans. It seemed like the "good old days" watching Brady, Mikey, and Mike together.

Mikey and Brady played on the Rebel's Basketball team that Steve used to coach, and or assist. They have played basketball together from around the age of 10. Mikey and Brady now play for Woods Cross, Bountiful's biggest rival.

We all had a fabulousl time together!

Christmas at the Cemetery

2011-12-20T21:11:00.001-08:00

The Christmas season is such a happy, spiritual time of year. It is filled with shopping for loved ones; many parties with family and friends; traditions; and of course the most important part, remembering the birth of our Savior. As we experience these special times, grief seems to peak for me. It is a time when I am especially sensitive to the loss of my husband. I have a difficult time keeping my emotions in check.

This year I began a new tradition at the cemetery. We set up a wreath at Steve's grave-site to honor him. Each child brought an ornament that in someway reminded him/her of their dad and hung it on the wreath. Some were ordinary ornaments with simple meanings, others were more complex, with profound messages. Whether simple or complex, each was unique and special to the individual.

I have posted this poem before, but always love to be reminded of it at Christmastime.

I'm Spending Christmas in Heaven This Year

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below

With tiny light, like heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away a tear

For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear

But earthly music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I know how much you miss me, for I feel your breaking heart...

But through your memories so dear, we're never far apart.

I can't tell you of the splendor or the peace here in this place

Can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior face-to-face?

I'll ask Him to light your spirit as I tell Him of your love

So then pray for one another as you life your eyes above..

Please let your heart be joyful & let your spirits sing

For I'm spending Christmas in heaven, & I'm walking with our King.

Christmas Gifts

2011-12-19T15:08:00.000-08:00

I have already received my Christmas gifts.....Merry Christmas to mef! This year I splurged a little, well maybe a lot, and purchased an Apple Computer and an I-Phone. I am loving my new toys! I am amazed with how quickly I am able to complete projects with my new and improved technology.

I must say though, there is a learning curve for both. In Sunday School this morning I was using my new I-Phone to look up scriptures when it began reading them to me. President Eyring, who is in our ward, was sitting on the front row. I kept my head down, hitting every button I could think of to stop the disruption. I even sat on it, when it finally stopped.

I was hoping no one, other than the two women sitting next to me, noticed my predicament. However, as I was leaving a friend commented on the minor racket coming from my side of the room. Laughingly she said, “When I saw you sitting there, I knew it must be coming from you.” Wow, I’m getting a little bit of a reputation.

Santa Clause Is Comin' To Town

2011-12-17T23:06:00.000-08:00

The jolly, white-bearded man, with a red coat trimmed with white cuffs, red trousers, and a black belt, made an appearance at the Browns’ Family Christmas party. The children patiently waited for Santa to arrive. Their excitement grew as they sang Christmas carols and anticipated the perfect gift that Santa would have in his gigantic bag for them.

So, what could have been Santa’s delay? Could gifts have fallen out of his bag on his way?

Let me digress. As we were loading the suburban to make our journey to the Santa party, I asked Mike, “Are you sure you have loaded all the gifts I have wrapped?” “Mom, quit bugging me, they are in the car,” he barked.

Upon arriving at our destination (in Sandy, 30 miles from Bountiful), I said, “Mike, will you get the gifts out of the car, while I unload the desserts.” As he frantically rummaged through the car, I could tell by the look on his face that he had forgotten them.

Kate, who was home studying for college finals, met him half way, after she retrieved the beautifully wrapped gifts from the outside trash cans. Yep, that's right, Mike had thrown them out with the trash. Good thing they were safe and sound in the garbage bags I had placed them in.

Despite the delay, Santa was a hit as usual! He had wonderful things written in his “Naughty or Nice” Book that he read about each person.

With a coke for the road, Santa was on his way to the next house on his list to visit.

My children proudly displaying Santa's gifts.

Christmas Dance 2011

2011-12-16T21:09:00.001-08:00

Mike and Gretchen Morrison went to the Bountiful High School Christmas Dance together. They looked great together! Last minute, Kate insisted that we purchase a black shirt for Mike to wear to the dance. Her sense of male fashion paid off with Mike looking quite handsome.

Mike's group participated in the service project provided for the students at the school. It was a busy day, with basketball practice, and a day activity. He thought he may be rushed for the dance, so he brought some of his evening clothing to practice. Fortunately, when he left without them, only to return to a locked gym, we were able to raid his dad's closet (or what's left of it) for some replacements.

Dinner was hosted at the home of one of the girl's in the group. A big thanks to the young ladies and their parents for laboring to feed these ravenous young men.

The dance was held at the Union Building on the campus of my Alma mater, the University of Utah. Good thing we live up North, not down South. What a great place to spend the evening. The dance is always fun and entertaining.

The after dance party, was held at the Schmidt's. What a surprise when I received a call to bring Mike his casual clothes that he had forgotten. Luckily, they weren't locked in a gym, just sitting on a chair in my living room in a duffel bag. What a character that cute Mike is! Gotta love him anyway!

Christmas Mints

2011-12-13T20:48:00.000-08:00

Michelle - the pounder; Les - the precise cutter.

The mint making process.

It's mint making time again! This has become an annual Christmas tradition. Our candy making group has mastered mint making. Each person is skilled at their assigned job, and makes the process seem fast and easy. Actually, we have the BEST "pounder" and that is what really makes the mints work.

This year we topped our record, by making 25 pans of mints in 4-5 hours. That included a tasty lunch delivered by Wasatch Brewery; lots of chatting; and entertaining toddlers. Here is the recipe:

Fernwood Mints

22 0z. Milk Chocolate

11 oz. Green Chocolate (or white chocolate colored green)

Mint oil or Mint Flavoring

Measure 11 ounces of chocolate and melt in a double boiler, warm oven, or microwave. Put a dab of chocolate on a 12 X 18 jelly roll pan, (or cookie sheet with sides) to hold wax paper down. Trim wax paper sides or it will fall into the mints. Add 6 drops of mint oil or flavoring to taste in the melted chocolate.

Start at one end of the pan and quickly smooth chocolate with a spatula until it's even all over the pan. Grip sides of the pan and pound 6 or 7 times on counter. This makes chocolate smooth and even. Let stand while 11 ounces of green chocolate is melted.

Important: Chocolate layer in pan is ready when it barely loses its sheen all over. If it sets up too hard the layers break apart. Remedy: If too set up, put pan in warm oven briefly. Let set again to loose sheen. (This can be done to the next layers also).

When green chocolate is melted, add mint. Carefully spread on first layer. Try not to go over and over same area, as the 2 layers of chocolate will mix. When layer is on, pound and let sit.

Melt last chocolate. Add mint. Repeat process. Spread quickly, pound, sit until sheen is gone. Cut immediately into 1-inch or smaller squares. It won't cut if you wait too long. If you don't want curved edges on the outer mints, cut 1/4 inch around outer edge.

Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Lizzy

2011-12-10T21:11:00.000-08:00

Lizzy became a teenager on December 3rd! Happy Birthday to my sweet baby girl! I just adore her! At age 13 Lizzy plays the harp and piano; loves to tumble and dance; is a great student; and enjoys hanging out with friends.

Unfortunately, she had the flu and was vomiting Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night. Poor baby, she had the flu last year on her birthday too.

Saturday, on her actual birthday, she danced in a charity concert for Creative Arts Academy. She tried to rest during the day in preparation for this event.

The power went out minutes before the concert was set to start. The audience and dancers sat patiently in the dark for an hour waiting for the power to return. Audience members tried to entertain us by singing Christmas carols. I think I was more entertained by the young audience members’ shadow shows on the ceiling than singing Christmas carols. At 7:00, they informed us that the power would be back on at 8:00. The audience and dancers left and returned at 8:00 for the concert.

It was a wonderful production. The proceeds were used to assist with medical bills for a little girl named Kaidence who needs a second heart transplant.

Since Lizzy wasn’t feeling very well, we celebrated Lizzy’s birthday over several days. Saturday we decorated her room, and she opened presents. Sunday I cooked her favorite meal: paprika chicken, and pasta with asparagus. Monday we went to dinner at the Olive Garden as a family. She opted not to have a friend party this year.

She wanted to refurbish her room for her birthday. Thanks to Grandpa Brown and his fabulous painting skills, her room is now the purple bird room. Perfect for a cute little teenybooper.

Another Wind Storm Predicted

2011-12-04T13:04:00.000-08:00

A powerful wind storm has been forecast for Davis County. Some sacrament meetings were held, and others were not, as we prepare for what’s to come. The Priesthood men have been organized and are out removing debris from the area. Each house was visited by two priesthood men assessing the needs of each family.

Most residents have discarded their toppled trees, by sawing them into pieces and placing them on the curbs for City workers to pick up. However, with the prediction of another wind storm, the men are out gathering the debris to remove it, to avoid further damage or injury.

The Governor has called out the National Guard to help out in Centerville. Thousands of men and women are working fast and furious to prepare us for the storm. There is a real feel of camaraderie, unity, and comfort. I only had one strong boy to send to help, but he is a great worker and loves to serve.

The Bountiful Landfill opened to accommodate the need. There was a three mile line of people ready to unload their debris. Temporary dumping sights have been set up at churches, public parks, and schools.

Kate activated her emergency plan. Her pile of emergency essentials keeps expanding. She searched the garage for items to add to her collection. I realized today how much she is like her dad. I have an emergency generator (that I don’t know how to operate); coal buried in my backyard – somewhere; a wood burning stove downstairs (not hooked up); emergency backpacks for each child; and bins of miscellaneous emergency gear. Wow! Thanks Steve!

I am grateful for all the people, both young and old who are assisting in this massive cleanup.

Centerville Park, and Bountiful High School

Wild, Wild, Windstrom

2011-12-02T18:52:00.000-08:00

The early morning hours of December 1st were met with powerful, howling winds. We woke to the sounds of breaking branches, trees toppling, and outdoor possessions being thrown to and fro. Frightened by the sounds, my two younger kids joined me in bed. My heart jumped at every noise, hoping, and praying that my large pine trees in front would not fall on my house.

When we finally assessed our damages, we were happy to find they were minimal. Roof shingles were strewn around the yard, and two of our trash cans had rolled down the street. We were one of the lucky ones.

School was cancelled when the power went out at the Jr. High and High School. Unfortunately, I had already sent Lizzy to Jr. High, and therefore she had to be “checked” out of school in order to leave.

As we drove through the neighborhood, we were stunned by the immense damage. Centerville, our neighboring city, was hit worse than Bountiful. It was reported that winds were gusting in both areas between 89 to 102 mph. Category 2 hurricanes are winds of 100 mph.I guess we can say we lived through a hurricane.

We saw fences that were missing, trees toppled, power lines downed, roof shingles scattered, and much more immense property damage. It was reported that semis capsized on I-15, shutting it down for a period of time. It was estimated that 50,000people in Utah were without power at some time.

The majority of Bountiful residents and businesses were without power. The entire city of Bountiful looked like a ghost town. Most restaurants, fast food venues, and other business establishments were all closed. We were hoping to have electricity by evening, but continued to be in the dark.

Relatives, friends, the bishopric, and someone in the stake presidency checked in on us. How thoughtful! Many friends and family offered their home to us to crash at for the night. At 9:00 we ventured out to Centerville to spend the night at my sister’s house.

The Ashton’s are empty nesters, with a large house. They were very accommodating. They even provided a necessary barf bucket for Lizzy, now that's what I call hospitality!

Power was restored to our home around 1:00 am. There are still places in Bountiful that are without electricity. You don't realize how much you depend on electricity, until you don't have it.

Thoughts of immense gratitude surface at times of destruction. I am so grateful for a warm home, safety, electricity, and minimal damage. I am also grateful for good people watching out for each other.

My Opinion about Sports Enthusiasts

2011-11-30T21:23:00.000-08:00

I admire sports enthusiasts, I am one. I enjoy hearing the roars from the crowd, applauds for their team, and the encouragement of sports players. I think positive reinforcement is valuable to players. However, I don’t believe in dishonest accolades, I believe in authentic enthusiasm and praise.

My pet peeve to hear from a young players fan is a comment such as, “Great shot little buddy,” when clearly the child was not even close to hitting the rim of the basketball hoop. Instead couldn’t a fan say, “Good hustle”, “great dribbling”, "nice try", or another truthful comment? I believe that the player knows when their parent or fan is not being truthful.

There are plenty of opportunities for positive comments, let’s just be truthful about it. Enough said.

Black Friday

2011-11-25T21:08:00.000-08:00

My children have been obsessed with Black Friday. I have been a participant once, and once was enough. Sarah and Jordan spent hours waiting in line at Walmart to purchase video games at the best price of the season. The plastic wrapped displays of games were moved 4 different times. As each move occurred the crowd raged to better their position in line. On the last move Sarah was pushed to the ground and nearly trampled. That is when they decided that saving $20 was not worth the torment.

Mike and his friends went, but were more successful (maybe it had something to do with the fact that they were not shopping at Walmart). They arrived a little late, so many of his (my) wanted purchases were already gone. He did survive with a few good deals.

Lizzy begged me to take her, but I resisted. I told her to go with someone who wanted to go. She found a friend and her family to tag along with. She was out merely for the experience, and had quite an adventure returning home at 4:00 a.m.

Friday morning, I ventured out with the Muir’s to purchase a replacement laptop computer for myself. I converted to an Apple computer (yay me), and hope it is all I have built it up to be. On Black Friday, computers are sold at a reduced price, so it was important to purchase it today. I was very intimidated in the Apple Store, and was grateful to have Dale and Linda there to assist with my purchase.

Everything is electronically done in the Apple Store. When your purchase is being processed, the clerk orders your computer from the back room on his electronic device, and it magically appears. He then held up his device and said, “If you could just sign with your finger.” I proceeded to press my fingerprint on his device for a signature. “Umm… you need to sign with your finger,” he stated with a smile.

Maybe I should have been embarrassed, as everyone had a good laugh. But, with all the high tech going on, I assumed we were REALLY going high tech like they do on the television show NCIS. When an agent finds a dead body on NCIS, they press the individual’s finger on an electronic device, and the device identifies the person. I guess I’m just a little ahead of the times.

Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Our Thanksgiving Feast was hosted by the Ashton’s. Kay and Heidi (my sister), had a fabulous meal for around 30 people. Each guest brought their preferred side dish or favorite Thanksgiving pie. The food was abundant, and delicious!

The tables were set with fine liens and their best china. The candles in the Thanksgiving centerpieces were illuminated to create a warm ambiance, while the smell of succulent turkey baking filled the air.

After our stomach’s were full we: Watched a presentation by Kate about her trip to Ghana...

Participated in ping-pong tournaments, and played "coin games".

and.....Tried to pull off a Turkey Bowl.

I am Thankful for family, friends,the gospel, my belief of eternal life, and my abundant blessings

Procrastination

2011-11-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Eve day is here, the preparation for the Thanksgiving Feast begins. Men and women begin to flutter about the kitchen baking their famous rolls or pies, and assembling traditional salads or side dishes.

This Thanksgiving Eve I should be baking specialty pies. Instead, last night I decided to be L-A-Z-Y and have the Lion House bake my pies. When I called to place my order, the young man laughed a little and said, “Special orders are now closed. However, you may come by tomorrow before 10, get in line, and your requests will be handled on a first-come-first-serve basis.”

My “special order” was meager, but we still ventured out this morning to purchase the delicious, and famous, Lion House pies. Lizzy and I were pleased to be first in line, as we watched the line expand to the street.

Today, among other things, I am grateful for: Free parking downtown and delightful, homemade pies from the Lion House Pantry.
Baking wasn’t a complete bust; Lizzy couldn’t have Thanksgiving without making Grandma Brown’s famous molasses Turkey Cookies. They turned out just like Grandma’s, delicious!.
Today I decided our family should involve ourselves in some service this Thanksgiving. I called the Rescue Mission to inquire about serving food on Thanksgiving Day to the homeless. It warmed my heart to hear that the non-procrastinators were signed up and ready to serve. The list for volunteers was full.

Instead our family took a turkey down to the Salt Lake Food Bank. While at the Food Bank, I was impressed again, as I watched several groups of volunteers come to assist. I love to watch the goodness of others. Mike and the Varsity Bountiful High Basketball team will be serving the residences at South Davis Community Hospital on Friday. What a great group of young men.

I am thankful for many things, but this year especially thankful for the goodness of humanity.

Meet the Players Night 2011

2011-11-18T19:33:00.000-08:00

Prior to the beginning of the preseason basketball season, Bountiful High hosts a night to “meet the players”. Players are introduced, and athletes actively pursue their opponents in scrimmages. Girls' basketball players dominate the first hour, and boys' the second. Three point contests entertain us, as well as slam dunk challenges. It is a friendly atmosphere, giving us a glimpse into the new basketball season.

Preseason begins next week. From Preseason we move on to Region games, and hopefully wrap up the basketball season in the State Tournaments in March. Mike is on the JV and Varsity teams. With Bountiful High School games every Tuesday, and Friday, and Ben’s basketball every Wednesday, I am in for a very fun and busy few months. Let it begin!

The Bandit

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

There has been another sighting of our unwanted, nocturnal, predator, aka THE RACCOON. Guests visiting after dark are astonished by the size of this beast. Sarah and Jordan where shocked last night to encounter one enormous raccoon as well as a smaller one.

Besides a quick glimpse from my children, there have been other suspicions that a raccoon has been housed in my yard. First, our trusty cat Snowball was severely injured in a fight of some sort. Second, the brand new patio cushions that I received for Mother’s Day have been shredded. Stuffing was strewn all over the lawn, and teeth and claw marks are now embedded in what is left of the cushions.

Let me take you back to the summer of 2006 when I first knew that we had raccoons lodging in our yard.

The summer of 2006 we were completing a remodel job on the main level of our home. The remodel included new stainless steel appliances, counter tops, new carpet, and a fresh coat of paint in a new shade.

Amidst the remodel, we went to our summer vacation to Newport Beach. Meg, who was in college at the time, had to return early from our vacation.

Her first night home she heard a loud thumping noise on the stairs leading to my room where she was sleeping. Thinking it may be an intruder, (and instead of calling 911), she opened the door to my room only to come eye to eye with an enormous raccoon standing upright on its hind legs.

She screams, slammed the door to my room shut, and called me in California hysterical. Not knowing what to do myself, I told her to call the police, and to mention she was home alone. The Bountiful Police came to the rescue. By this time, this crazy critter had forced himself back in the heating vents away from his capturers. The raccoon was nowhere to be found.

The next day, Steve contacted Animal Control who placed a trap in our house to hopeful imprison the ravenous beast. We came home the next day, long enough to leave Sarah behind, and continue our vacation to another destination – Flaming Gorge.

At 3:00 a.m. I received another frantic call. This time it was from Sarah informing me that she could hear the raccoon vandalizing our home. She was too afraid to open the door to my bedroom to check on the damage done.

Our faithful neighbors were called in the wee hours of the morning for assistance. They turned up the heat, and waited for the raccoon to emerge from the vent. When the raccoon didn’t appear, they put flour on the floor by the exterior back door, and kept the door open all night. Raccoons are quite smart, and were not one bit interested in the trap.

In the morning the damage was assessed. Many raccoon tracks were found in the flour indicating that the raccoon had finally left. The raccoon left but not without chewing all the newly repaired and painted door trims, cutting himself on one of the many items he damaged and launching splotches of blood from his injury all over the newly painted house. The house appeared as if a thief had been vandalizing our home.

The black mask across the face of the raccoon is highly appropriate for these mischievous bandits. Until I determine how to remove these creatures from their lodging arrangements, beware of the dark at my house.

Signs of Winter

2011-11-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

We had our first big snow of the season last week. It was just enough snow, for Ben and his friend to make their first snowman of the year. With more snow predicted in the near future, I hope to see much more evidence of children playing in my yard.

I guess my little credit card thief, is a kid at heart after all.

Test Run

2011-11-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

My days of mothering infants are long gone. Since my babies are grown, I am more aware of other’s children crying and fussing around me. I have often wondered if I am going to enjoy being a grandmother.

We had a test run this weekend with a baby that Sarah is Nanning. She bathed him, fed him, and played with him at our house. His popularity was abundant, and we had so much fun with him!

Baby Cade happens to have the mildest disposition. I am not sure I have ever heard him cry. I am sure he does on occasion, but it is rare.

Besides his mild disposition, I attribute his good behavior on his mother’s ability to keep him on a strict schedule and the marvelous, wonderful, miracle blanket. If you are a young mother and don’t own one, I would highly recommend this blanket. It soothes, and comforts your little one, making him feel safe and secure.

Test run successful……ready for grandmother-hood.

Ankels

2011-11-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

Remember this, and that? Friday at basketball practice Mike sprained his ankle again! Fortunately, it is not a very bad sprain. However, it happens to be the week before basketball tryouts for Bountiful High School.

Last year he missed playing a good portion of the basketball season due to his 3 times sprained ankle, and the recovery of a broken ankle. I would hate for this year to follow suit.

Some teenage boys are convinced that not wearing an ankle brace during basketball practices and games is inconsequential. They believe that a weakened ankle will not be re-injured. However, history proves them wrong every time.

I heard that NBA players are fined if they don’t wear ankle braces while playing. Hmm….my wheels are turning, not a bad idea.

Pro Mini Hoop

2011-11-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

Today I received three packages in the mail. I have been waiting for a new hard drive for one computer, and an ac adapter for another. That accounts for two packages, so what could possibly be in the third?

Much to my surprise when I opened the third package I found a mini-pro hoop. “Who ordered this,” I snapped? “Not I”, said all 5 of my children present.” “Well, someone had to have ordered it,” I demanded. “Maybe, someone sent it as a gift,” Sarah reputed. “I don’t think so, all my personal information is on the order slip,” I exclaimed.

“I might have ordered it,” Ben cautiously replied. We all looked at him stunned, surprised, and burst into laughter. It probably was not a good response to the bad behavior. “How did you order it?” Jordan asked. “Well, I got mom’s American Express card and typed in the numbers,” he stated. “How did you know the security numbers,” I snapped? “Oh, that’s easy, they are the four numbers on the front or back of the card,” he admitted.

Who would have thought it was necessary to hide your credit cards from your 9 year old?

Once he realized that it was the wrong thing to do, he penitently gathered all his money and gave it to me for the purchase. A “good” mom would probably have sent the hoop back to teach an important lesson to a little 9 year old. However, at our house his new mini hoop is now hanging on the craft closet door. Bad parenting, I know, but happy boy!

Screaming Halloween!

2011-11-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

On Halloween, the early evening news reported that the top two candy bars preferred by children on Halloween were Kit Kats, and Snickers. Since, those are the candy bars I had to offer the scary little goblins; I thought I would have LOTS of trick-or-treaters. Not so. Unfortunately, we only had about 40. I even offered regular sized candy bars, not your small “fun size”. Do I need to up-size to king size; advertise my purchases on my lawn, or is trick-or-treating becoming a thing of the past? Not sure, but I sure missed those cute little costumed children.

We had our traditional Halloween dinner of chili, chicken noodle soup, and scones. The older kids weren’t that impressed when I turned off the lights, illuminated the candles on my Halloween chandeliers, and lit the candles in the spiders. They preferred to eat with lights on.

Lizzy dressed as a banana, and Ben as Scream. Seventh, and third grade; I think our trick-or-treating days are numbered.

Due to the lack of trick-or-treaters, the older girls and I went downstairs to watch a scary movie. Jordan volunteered to answer the door. His willingness to be of assistance might have something to do with the football game on upstairs.

The girls' and I watched, “When a Stranger Calls”. Jordan was summoned to the basement, when the screams became too intense, and the fear was overwhelming. I'm not sure I'm going to be watching another scary movie any time soon!
Lizzy as a banana; the three girls caught stealing candy; Ben as Scream; Ben, Thomas & Mitch.

Jack-o'-lanterns

2011-10-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

The The finished product!

Pumpkins inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. Porches are lined with carved pumpkins often depicting a face which may be cheerful, scary, or comical. Some pumpkins are not mere faces, but have actual characters etched on them.

Our skills used at our annual pumpkin carving party with the Fulk’s continue to improve. This year some challenged their carving skills, and carved more detailed and intricate designs. Other’s continued with the “old reliable” patterns. Whatever your pleasure, they were all fabulous!

Once the carving was complete, the pumpkins were illuminated and became Jack-o’-Lanterns. Each pumpkin’s charm came to life. They are now ready to light the way of the scary trick-or-treaters on Halloween night.

We love our annual pumpkin carving party with our wonderful friends! The night is always filled with great food, fun, and fabulous company!

Glowing in the dark!

Happy carvers/crafters. My pumpkin is the one on the end with the ribbons.

Successful Blackout #4

2011-10-29T23:40:00.001-07:00

The Ute’s Blackout football games began 4 years ago to promote team spirit and unity. Within the walls of the stadium resides 45,000 fans all dressed in black awaiting their Runnin’ Utes. The atmosphere is filled with excitement, anticipation, and adoration towards football and the players.

In this year's Blackout game, the Runnin'Utes dominated in the first half against their opponents the Oregon Beavers. My favorite player John White, aka, Wolfman, got his hand on the football 35times, and ran 205 yards.

While the second half didn’t bring out the best in the Utes, they ended with a mighty victory over Oregon 27-8.

Halloween Traditions

2011-10-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

Halloween celebrations begin with decorating the house, and porch; choosing the perfect pumpkins at Pack’s Pumpkin Patch; school “fall” parties; Friend parties; Grandpa and Grandma’s Halloween party; carving pumpkins with the Fulks’; and of course trick-or-treating.

No wonder Ben said, “Do you know what one of my favorite holidays is? It’s Halloween!”

At Grandpa and Grandma Brown's party, we enjoy chili, soup, scones, fishing, pinatas, and of course the donut game. No matter what your age, it is a fun time for all!
Andrea, Lizzy, and Liz
Cousins

Games

Airplanes, and Sticky Eyeballs

2011-10-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Lately, Ben has been fascinated with paper airplanes. He meticulously constructs his dart designed paper airplane to fly high and far. Ben and his friends have been flying their nicely crafted paper airplanes over the 2nd floor balcony into my family room and foyer. Innocent enough, right? Wrong! These airplanes have been making crash landings into my lovely chandelier. The chandelier is located in the entrance of my home where there are high ceilings. I don’t own a ladder tall enough to reach the aircraft. So……we have paper airplanes in my chandelier.

Halloween gooey eyeballs are also a pet peeve of mine. It was a bad idea for me to bring them as prizes to Grandma’s Halloween party. Now I have 10 sticky, gooey, eyeballs, stuck to the ceiling in the entrance of my home. Did I mention my high ceilings? Yep, they aren’t coming down any time soon. Not very funny!
However, there was a gooey eyeball stuck strategically to the ceiling in my room, just waiting for the perfect time to make me laugh. One night as I climbed into my comfy bed, laid my head on my soft pillow, I opened my eyes and to my surprise an eyeball was staring back at me. Since it is a reachable eyeball, it’s funny, non reachable eyeballs, not so funny.

I sometimes wonder where my children get all these crazy ideas, and then I remember some of Steve’s famous practical jokes. Back when we had infants, he took a poopy diaper, placed it in a plastic bag, and placed it under my pillow. What a lovely surprise I had when I nestled into my nice comfy bed.

I must say, if I had to choose I'd rather have a sticky eyeball staring at me then a poopy diaper under my cushy pillow. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

The Stash

2011-10-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

Kitchen widow seal

Meg to Ben: "What's up with all the flies in the window seal?"
Ben (with great enthusiasm): "You should see my stash in the laundry room!"

Laundry room window seal

Warning: You might want to ask for a paper cup to drink from at my house.

Packs Pumkin Patch

2011-10-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

Thursday during our UEA break, we planned and executed our annual trip to Pack’s Pumpkin Patch. We met Jodi and her two cute girls (one more on the way) as we usually do. Lizzy loves to mother the two girls, especially Tyli since Ty will let Lizzy carry her around. We love these girls and their cute mom.

This is the place we pick our own pumpkins from the field to carve with the Fulks’. Pumpkin carving has taken on a whole new dimension at the Brown household. There is also a very young child hay maze with a scarecrow picture gallery.

We were a little disappointed this year that there was no corn maze. This might be our last year at Packs Pumpkin Patch. We may be moving on to a more adventurous corn maze for older children.

Regardless of our let down from the corn maze, we LOVE spending time with the Fulks’and had a great time.

Christmas Dance Invitation

2011-10-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

Invitations to the Bountiful High School Christmas Dance have already begun. If you are thinking this must be another girl's choice dance, you are correct. "What"? I exclaimed as invitations were distributed just days after the Halloween Dance. I guess the saying, "The early bird gets the worm", applies here as well.

I'm just enjoying having a boy this time around!

Wadded Paper

2011-10-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, I picked Ben up at the Elementary School for his dentist appointment. He was leaving for the day, so he opened his school locker to retrieve his backpack. As I looked in his locker, I noticed several papers wadded up at the bottom of his locker. Among the crumpled papers I found this award.

I guess I should be relieved I didn't find a "Falcon Fumble", but then again, I think a parent's signature is required for those.

Way to go Ben!

Generations of Apple Pies

2011-10-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

If you aren't lucky enough to have an apple tree; apples such as these can be found at Farmer's Markets or other street vendors.

Making Apple Pies

Josh and Sarah

Grandma Brown’s apple pies have been a recipe handed down through generations. Even the apples produced for the pies are generational. They are harvested and picked from an apple tree that was planted my Grandpa Brown’s parents. The tree is over 100 years old.

This year for the annual apple pie making, with aunts, in-laws, and grandma, and grandpa, I brought Sarah. She had a day off school and was able to come and learn the pie making process. It warmed my heart to watch her being taught by her grandmother the culinary art of making pie crust. We made enough pies to last the winter. Sarah even got to take home her own pie.

Since college was on fall break she was also able to spend time with time with some of her favorite cousins.

This is grandma’s Apple pie recipe:

DOUBLE CRUST PIE
•2 cups White All Purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon salt
•3/4 cup Crisco® All-Vegetable Shortening, chilled
•1/4 cup ice cold water

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:
1.COMBINE flour and salt in large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender, 2 knives, or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

2.USE middle of bowl for a well. Place ice-cold water in well, and gently add flour mixture to the well. Toss gently with a fork; push to side of bowl. Repeat just until mixture is moistened and can be formed into a ball. (The dough should hold together when picked up and pressed, and should not crack).

3.ROLL dough gently on lightly floured surface; use a back and forth motion from center. Do not roll over the edge or it will be thin. Turn dough 45 degrees between each roll to keep it round. If dough sticks to surface, dust lightly with flour. Roll to 12 inches in diameter for a 9 inch pie.

INGREDIENTS:•Filling
•6 to 8 medium Granny Smith apples
•1 cup sugar
•2 tablespoons cornstarch
*1 tablespoon lemon juice
•1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:
1.PREPARE recipe for double crust pie. Roll out dough for bottom crust. Place in 9-inch pie plate. Press to fit without stretching dough. Trim even with pie plate. Do not bake.

2.HEAT oven to 350ºF.

3.PEEL, core and slice apples. Boil apples in water with 1/2 cup sugar until apples are tender. Drain water, toss with 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon (or more) ground cinnamon. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cover with top crust; seal and flute edge.Cut slits for steam to escape.

4.Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until pie is golden brown and apples are tender.

Autumn Day

2011-10-18T13:05:00.001-07:00

Loving the beautiful autumn colors on my brisk Fall walk!

The Halloween Dance

2011-10-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

Bountiful High School's Halloween Dance was tonight. Mike and Sierra Eggett dressed as a ref and basketball player. Fortunately, the Y on her basketball jersey was inconspicuous, so as not to cause a scandal.

Their day activity included going to the Pumpkin Patch. In the evening they enjoyed a tasty dinner catered at the Grand Ball Room. Aubrey Monson was in their group, so she had some clout with her mom Jana, the owner of the Grand Ballroom, to get a High School dinner catered at such a nice place.

Thriller

2011-10-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight we had a “girl’s night out”. All of my girls, except Kate (college duties were calling), went to The Thriller, at Kingsbury Hall. For those of you not familiar with this production, it has nothing to do with Michael Jackson. That is, other than the performers in the opening act and the finale dancing to The Thriller, one of his greatest hit songs,

The Thriller is a Halloween-themed dance. The Odyssey Dance Theatre takes your favorite Halloween characters and portrays them in fun, entertaining settings and contexts. Frightening zombies search the audience for victims to scare. There is a lot of humor in the show, using skeletons, mummies, and even the use of a chain saw.

When Sarah was a High School Junior, she invited me to attend the Thriller at Bountiful High School with her. It was performed by the talented Manadelles. I had no expectations going in to the dance since I had never heard about, or even seen the Thriller before.

The auditorium was packed that night. Dancers were displayed in the lobby; still as mannequins, with frightening make-up, disheveled hair, and chilling costumes. The ambiance was that of a scary horror movie.

It was dark, but we finally found two seats at the end of a row. Before the dance commenced, I was sitting in my seat when I got a strange feeling someone was watching me. I looked down to my right, in the aisle, and saw one of the scary creatures from the lobby squatted down, starring at me. Scared half to death, I scream as loud as I could and may have uttered a bad word (a bad word for me, not really a bad word).

Fortunately, I had a hood on my jacket that I could place over my head when the roars of laughter and cheers of the students (and maybe some adults) exuded through the audience. The frightening creature may have been pleased with the shock she created, but her expression never changed. Sarah ducked down in her seat to avoid being associated with the person that caused such a spectacle.

Tonight, I was prepared. No screams, no spectacle, just an enjoyable evening with the girls.

National Honors Society

2011-10-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

Last night Mike was inducted into the National Honors Society at Bountiful High School. To get an invitation for this event, you must have a grade point average of 3.8 or higher and complete hours of community service. The pictures are poor quality because I had to take them secretively. Mike doesn't like the lime-light, but I'm proud of him and had to post it on our family scrapbook sight (ie. the blog).

Congrats Mike!

Answering To The Halloween Dance

2011-10-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

Mike answered to the Halloween Dance last week. At dinner, he asked his siblings and brother-in-laws, how he should answer. They came up with a creative, and unique plan.

Using the "leaf" theme that the person who had asked him had used, he composed a sign that read: I would be blown away to go to the dance with you. The sign was to be placed underneath a pile of leaves that he and his friends had raked at numerous houses. He borrowed a leaf blower from his brother-in-law to complete the task.

After delivering a pile of leaves and poster to her porch, his friend Jeremy hid in the bushes with the leaf blower. When the mother and daughters answered the door, Jeremy turned on the blower and started blowing the leaves.

The mom and daughters started screaming in fright. They thought Jeremy had a chain saw. A helpful neighbor heard the commotion and ran across the street to save them. He chased Jeremy down the street for some time before he gave up his pursuit.

Mike's potential date was laughing the next day at school. Hopefully, all is well and she will still be taking him to the dance. As for Jeremy, he deserves the friend of the year award.

Duet Piano Recital

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

Ben and Lizzy played in the Annual Duet Recital for the students of Linda Jo Whitman, their piano teacher. Ben played with Dallas Whitman, A Mysterious Adventure by Bober. Lizzy performed Rhythm and Boogie, written by Bastien, with Allie Foster.

All students participated in the Duet Federation which was held the next day. The students perform two duets that were judged. Lizzy and Ben both did a fabulous job!

Value Project

2011-10-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

Remember this? I am happily enjoying the perks of another Personal Progress Value Project! Kate helped Lizzy type and organize my recipes. This is a project I have wanted to do for quite some time, but have never gotten around to it. Thanks girls!

Now, to get the boys' involved. I am sure there are some things I can benefit from in the Duty To God Booklet, and Ben's scouting book!

I used to hyperventilate and get severe anxiety each time a new booklet was introduced. However, I am learning that (1) the kids have amazing advisors that help them with these accomplishments, (2) I have personally been a recipient of great service, and most importantly (3) the kids are learning great skills, their testimonies are getting stronger, and they are learning to serve others.

A Brilliant Man

2011-10-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

It has been said that Steve Jobs has changed the world as we know it. He is remembered and defined as a visionary man, a genius. Many lives have been dramatically changed by the technology he produced.

Unfortunately, I am a little "behind the times". My limited knowledge and antiquated "techno -gear" has not brought me to the "Apple Sphere". My wish list still includes: an I-Phone, an I Pad, an Apple Computer, and an I-Pod, all of which I do not own yet. Someday, I hope to purchase some of these items and to have an even greater appreciation of Steve Jobs and his extraordinary abilities.

As I have read news articles on this acommplished man, and watched eulogies of his life, I have a great admiration for him. His life has and will inspire many. There are several quotes from his commencement speech at Stanford University that are particularly profound to me. They are as follows:

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life, Because almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

He has taught me to live in the moment. Be yourself. Do not fear rejection, or failure, and live each moment as if it were your last.

We have learned a lot from this brilliant man, his legacy lives on.

No Retaliation

2011-10-02T11:00:00.001-07:00

It takes a lot of courage for a teenage boy not to retaliate when a nice vehicle that you have been driving has been defiled. I was really proud of Mike for withstanding the temptation to even the score.

Last night, his friends gathered on the front lawn discussing what they were going to do. Each time I would drive in and out of the driveway taking kids here and there, I would roll down my window, smile, and say, "take the high road Mike".

At curfew, when he checked in with me, I asked if he taken revenge. He smiled and informed me that he had not. What a good kid!

Pranks

2011-10-01T19:35:00.001-07:00

Some pranks are not funny at all. This happens to fall in that category for me. Unfortunately, one of the passengers in the truck left the window down; fortunately, we have seat covers covering the seats. We believe it was road-kill, but none the less, disgusting. Mike came home, and scrubbed, and scrubbed to get the raccoon blood out of the seat covers.

Mike knows who was behind the shenanigans and wants to retaliate. I think its best left alone. I had to guarantee him punishment immunity in order for him to confess his retaliatory plan. I hope he takes the high road, and does nothing, but if by chance he follows through with his plan, it is at least not harmful or mean.

One.....Two.....Three....

2011-09-30T12:30:00.001-07:00

One: No Photo Available
Kate smashed in the entire side of the suburban. She was turning left, when all of a sudden she changed her mind and decided to turn right. Little did she know a car was already to the side of her turning right. She didn't stop until, the entire side of the Suburban was smashed.

Two: She got hit in the round-about at UVU.

Three: Before, accident two is even repaired she backed into another student. Fortunately, the student was an auto repair mechanic and duct taped her bumper back on her car for the ride home.

Poor little grey car, is looking older and more tattered and torn. Little grey has got to last through this child.

My wallet may be lighter, but fortunately, no one has been injured in these three accidents! As for Kate's driving skills, well, let's just say they are in question.

There is a rule about three's: "Good things come in threes. So do bad things. And even things that are neither good nor bad."Since Kate has hit the magically three number, I am hoping that she has ended her unlucky streak.

Deja vu

2011-09-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Isn't the definition of deja vu, something already seen or experienced? Only two days ago I was taking pictures of Mike and his date before the Homecoming Dance. Tonight he got asked to the Halloween Dance. Wow, girls are very prompt, and on-the-ball. Fortunately, it is a girl's choice this round, so there is no planning, and not much work to do on our part.

Not Grounded

2011-09-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, I found out from a little bird, that Bountiful High School's Homecoming dance was going to be held on September 24th. Upon my discovery I asked Mike, "Who are you going to ask to the dance." "No one," he responded. "Well then, you are grounded," I replied half kidding and half serious. He flashed me his usual smile that he gives me when I make idle threats.

That may sound a little harsh, but having 4 girls of my own, I understand how important it is for girls to be asked to a dance. If boys don't ask, girls don't go. It's as simple as that.

I knew Mike wouldn't let me down, and within a week's time, he had asked one of my favorites. They have a big group of 26 who are going to Snowbird for their day activity, Biaggi's for dinner, and of course the school for the dance. Hopefully, all goes as planned.

Hmmm, this adorable girl looks a little familiar. Two dances, same girl? That's okay, I adore Chandler!

Running Red

2011-09-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

The fiery rivalry between BYU and Utah was evident long before game time on Saturday. School kids expressed their alliance to their college of choice, bantering with their rivals as to whom would come out on top. Adults also voiced their preference through social media outlets, wearing their color of choice, and displaying flags and other paraphernalia representing their team.

Our family is no different than any other sports enthusiasts, we love our college football. Our allegiance is completely towards our crimson red Utes. Steve and I both graduated from the U in Communications and have raised 6 loyal Utah Fans. We inundated them young dressing them in the smallest Utah attire, and taking them to games at a young age. Yes, there is no mistake we are RED through and through.

Saturday night was the “BIG” game of the year, with the mighty Utes playing on the Cougars turf. On BYU’s first play, Heaps chased down the ball and tried to pick the ball up and throw it. The ball came out of his hand backward and Shelby, a defensive lineman for the U, fell on it in the end zone for a Utah touchdown. Wowza! What a way to start out a game.

The game didn’t get much better for the cougs. Seven BYU turnovers lead to a blowout, with Utah winning 54 to 10.

My favorite player of the night was John White, running back for the Utes. White scored 3 touchdowns, one being a 63 yard romp. The BYU fans were seen exiting as White made that spectacular touchdown. They'd seen enough.

Ben and I watched it on television. With just a measly two viewers at my house, the house was anything but quiet. Ben and I were very boisterous in our enthusiasm over the Utes crushing the Cougs.

During the game Ben said, "Do you feel someone else here?" Not quite understanding what he meant, I didn't respond, prompting him to ask again. This time I responded, "Do you feel Dad here." "Yep", he said a little introspectively.

Steve was one of the most avid Utah fans around. You can’t watch or attend a Utah sporting event and not think about Steve Brown. He wouldn’t miss a game, and would trek the kids to bowl games, conference games, to whatever or wherever the Utes were playing. We all believed that last night he was happily smiling down upon us.
Steve and Mike.

2011-09-17T23:04:00.000-07:00

My weekend visitors are killin' me!

Scrapes and Bruises

2011-09-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

Ben has been less than thrilled about his bike lately. He had Mike get down Sarah's old green bike, with gears, for him to use. It is a tad too big, but he still enjoys riding this bike rather than his bike which is the perfect size, but without the gears.

Ben is really quite a careful little kid. You will rarely find him with scrapes and bruises on his body. That is until he started riding the larger bike. This past week, he has had numerous accidents on this bike, but still continues to prefer it.

His last tumble was a little bloody. Not serious, just bloody. Nursing is not one of my best traits as a mom. After 6 kids you would think I would be better at it, but I am not. I did know I needed to clean out the wound, apply a disinfectant, and bandage it. Due to my lack of products (Kate took 4 first aid kits to college with her), I was left with only alcohol swabs to apply.

Sarah heard the screams from one floor down. “Mom, you wouldn’t be pouring alcohol in Ben’s wound, would you,”she shouted. A little alcohol swab is a far cry from “pouring” alcohol in a wound. Needless to say, I have up-dated and replenished my one and only depleted first aid kit.

The Adverse Effects of SpongeBob Square Pants

2011-09-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

A recent study conducted by the University of Virginia, shows that children age 4 who watched nine minutes of “SpongeBob” did significantly worse on four tests they administered, than those children that watched PBS programming.

“Apparently the fast-paced television show has profound impacts for children’s cognitive and social development that need to be considered and reacted to,” wrote University of Washington pediatrics professor Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis in an editorial accompanying the study.

What???? Poor Ben…. Ben loved SpongeBob Square Pants and watched it frequently when he was young. I may have even used it as a babysitting tool to take a quick shower, or get a thing or two done around here.

He validated his love for this cartoon as he excitedly responded to his first birthday party theme of SpongeBob Square Pants. The mere fact that he was able to verbalize the name SpongeBob shortly thereafter reinforces the absurdness that this cartoon has a negative cognitive affect on a child.

If you knew Ben as a toddler, and if you know Ben now, you would definitely have to dispute this study. He seems to excel both cognitively and socially.

Ben continues to secretly love this little guy. At age 9 it's not "cool" to watch SpongeBob anymore, but once in awhile I see him sneak a peek.

Who is going to tell Ben as well as a few other unnamed children of mine that they may have some deficits from watching SpongBob? Not me! I’m definitely not a believer!

Okay, so maybe he has just a few deficits. (Just kidding Ben)

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-12T22:56:00.000-07:00

Most everyone can remember where they were and what they were doing the morning of September 11, 2001. Three of my children were in school, two were home with me, and little Ben was yet to be born. I was preparing to bottle peaches at my friend’s house, when she called and told me to turn on the TV quickly. I watched as the second plane hit the second tower. Disbelief and horror filled my soul as I sat in complete silence watching as America came under attack.

“On Sept. 11, we saw evil in the deeds of a few, but we also saw the good in the hearts and souls of all Americans." U.S. Rep. Gary Peters

Today, 10 years later we pay tribute to those who lost their lives when America was attacked by terriosts. We also pay tribute to the heroes who selflessly risked their lives to save others. As a nation we stood united, one nation under God.

The media events covering the 10 year anniversary have been numerous. I was mesmerized with the stories of bravery, of sadness, and of loss. Tears streamed down my face as I watched the widows recall their heart wrenching stories, stories that I can now relate to in some way.

America will never be the same. We are stronger and we are resilient. President Barack Obama said, “It will be said of us that we kept the faith, that we took a painful blow and emerged stronger."

May we all honor and remember those who lost their lives, the brave hero's, and those whose lost loved ones in this most tragic event.

Fall Harvest

2011-09-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

Time seems to be going by so quickly. It has been one year since this. Last year, on September 15th, Sarah was diagnosed with a large tumor and had surgery on the 30th. There was only a 2 week period from her diagnosis, to surgery and the pathology results. Those two weeks seemed to drag on, and my mind filled with distress and concern over the challenge that lay ahead.

I tried to keep busy, and began canning salsa, marinara sauce, as well as making freezer jam, and freezer fruit cocktail as a distraction. My distraction has now become a necessity. My kids loved the fruits of my labors, and have gotten a little spoiled and picky about these few things. Needless to say, I have been busily canning this past weekend. Thankfully, my kids have been very helpful and involved to make the process easier.

I have been fortunate to have my parent's and sister’s gardens to pick beautiful, red, succulent tomatoes. There is something personally rewarding for me to gather tomatoes from these gardens to make these heavenly goods. In some small way, I feel like I am “living off the land”, so to speak, or being resourceful.

Winter hasn’t even begun, Kate has taken and used some marinara sauce down at college, and Mike has downed an entire bottle of salsa in just one day. Hopefully, the canned goods will last through winter.

My parents in their garden.

College Roomies

2011-09-08T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is a picture and text Kate sent me. The picture is of her roommate's side of the room. Her roommate is in hair school, and has lots of mannequins to practice her hair skills on.

"They won't stop looking at me."

Ben's First Third Grade Writing Assignment

2011-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

A little mature I might say, but none the less, priceless!

Meal Planning

2011-09-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Among other things, Saturday is grocery shopping day at our house. I think I have mentioned this before, that I loathe grocery shopping. Kate enjoys grocery shopping, and therefore, has been my personal grocery shopper for quite some time. Since she was in town for the long holiday, I decided to make a menu of meals, and a list of groceries needed in hopes that Kate would do my shopping.

One of the meals on my menu was Mexican Pulled Pork Carnitas, from Si’s blog. To make this meal, you begin by cooking a pork butt for several hours. I had placed that item on my grocery shopping list along with the remaining weeks necessities.

Kate searched, and searched, and couldn’t find a pork butt at the grocery store. Finally, a clerk asked her if he could help her, and she told him she was looking for a pork (smile, maybe laugh a little) butt. The clerk grinned and informed her that there was no such thing as a pork butt, that they only had rumps.

When Kate returned home, she was sure I had set her up for an embarrassing grocery encounter. I had to retrieve Si’s recipe to insure her of my innocence.

Strollers

2011-09-02T10:50:00.001-07:00

My youngest child just turned 9, so I have been without a stroller for many years. Today I was contemplating purchasing a stroller. Not an ordinary stroller, a stroller like this:

This morning my dog Bella, and I went on a walk to Vinestreet (the street at the end of Bountiful Blvd.) and back. It’s really not too strenuous of a walk. There are a few hills, but that’s the purpose of choosing to walk North verses South on Bountiful Blvd. On the way back she stood in front of me, barked, and jumped (she literarily tries to jump in my arms). That is code for, carry me. I didn’t want to carry her, and felt like she should be able to walk this simple path with me.

After multiple times of her insisting I carry her, I started daydreaming about a pet stroller. I know I would be taunted, and ridiculed, but my dog is getting lazy.

When I got home I was sharing my daydream with Katelyn, when she said, “Mom, I took Bella on a run last night up 1800 (a very steep hill).” No wonder she is tired. She’s not as old or lazy as I thought, poor Bella. I wonder if Mike took her on his run too.

No stroller necessary! Whew, I really didn’t want the taunting.

Dora the Explorer

2011-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I felt someone starring at me, looked up, only to see Ben. When I caught his eye he said, “I’m so glad your hair is long now.” “You like my hair longer?” I exclaimed, smiling, perceiving it to be a compliment. “Well, your hair used to look like Dora the Explorer”, he stated. “You think I used to look like Dora?” I repeated, trying to give the impression that I wasn’t offended, or annoyed by the comment. “Well, maybe it’s just the way I used to draw you,” he declared, wanting to withdraw his insult and appear to be complimentary.

Mother's Day Second Grade

Mother's Day First Grade

First Day Of School Pictures 2011

2011-08-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

Mike Jr. - Bountiful High
Ben - 3rd Grade Mrs. Strong Valley View
Lizzy 7th Grade Mueller Park Jr. High

To be completely honest, these are not all first day of school pictures. I wanted to keep our tradition in taking a picture of the kids the first day of school, but my boys decided to be punks. Mike came down wearing an old ratty T-shirt and basketball shorts. Basketball shorts are fine, but an old T-shirt? “What?” I exclaimed, “I thought I bought you brand new school clothes to wear.” “This is what I want to wear,” Mike refuted. Ben watched the entire encounter and pulled the same attitude. What is up with boys anyway? Needless to say, no first day of school picture for the boys. These are 1st week of school pictures.
I was happy to get one picture of Ben without wearing sports clothing. Not that there is anything wrong with that, I just want it to be known that Ben owns at least one non-sports shirt. Mike doesn't like my obsession with the camera and gave me one shot, thus his eyes are closed.

Sarah helped me with school shopping for all the kids. They think I am a fuddy-duddy, and Sarah is cool, so her opinion is what matters. Sarah could only find a couple things that she thought Ben would wear. I took him later school clothing shopping with me and the ONLY store he wanted to shop in was Fans. “I am not going to pay $50 for that jersey,” I informed him. “Well, I need school clothes and that is all I like,” he snapped. Needless to say, we left with one $15 Utah shirt. School shopping was not a success for Ben. Fortunately, for his birthday Sarah and Jordan gave him 4 sports jerseys. He loves them, and Jordan knows how to score jerseys for cheap ($5 cheap).

Lizzy was fun to shop for. Sarah, Lizzy, and I had a great time choosing Jr. High School clothes. I can’t believe my cute baby girl is going to Jr. High. Meagan took her shopping for mascara and lip gloss.

Lizzy looked adorable! Sarah came over the first day of school and spent 30 minutes curling Lizzy’s hair. I am so happy my girls have each other.

Not very successful first-day-of school pictures, but they'll have to do.

Three Years Ago.....

2011-08-25T19:58:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today I lost my best friend, and my confidant. I found this quote about best friends that describes our relationship:”Best Friends are very special people in your life. They are the first people you think about when you make plans. They are the first people you go to when you need someone to talk to. You will phone them up just to talk about nothing, or the most important things in your life. When you’re sad they will try their hardest to cheer you up. They give the best hugs in the world! They are the shoulder to cry on, because you know that they truly care about you. In most cases they would take a bullet for you, coz it would be too painful to watch you get hurt.”

I love and miss you Steve Brown! This is a lonely road to travel. Not because I have nothing to do, or no one to do it with, I have that; I am just missing my favorite person to share the journey with. Among other things, I miss “pillow talk”. You know, talking before you go to sleep about the funny things the kids did that day, what plans we have for the future, or just simply how the day went.

I remember 3 years ago in July when Steve and I were having dinner with some friends. The topic of conversation was centered on the passing of a spouse. Each person took their turn, imagining what they would do if that tragedy happened to them. That is all except me. I told the group that I knew that Heavenly Father doesn’t give you trials that you cannot bear, and therefore, that would never happen to me.

Those words felt safe to me. I felt as if that could not happen to me, if I believed I couldn’t bear that burden. I have since learned that we don’t get to choose our trials and tribulations. When these trials come our way we find strength, or are given strength, that we never thought we had.

I am grateful to have a strong religious belief that if we endure to the end, and endure it well, that we will be together again. That makes me happy, it gives me hope.

Grief

2011-08-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Grief is tricky, today I am feeling a little overwhelmed with grief. Rivers of tears have been flowing last night and today. My heart is very tender. I have been thinking back to three years ago on the first day of school. There are a lot of difficult memories to process, as everything I do or see seems to spark a memoryof that day.

I continue the first day of school traditions, concealing my sadness. When the last child is out the door, I close the blinds, block out the world, and let my emotions flow. I have been especially sad today. I thought that after three years that my heart would have healed a little more than it has.

Although this is a difficult day for me, my children seem less affected. Maybe they are just trying to be brave, as they see the tears flowing down my face. Whatever the case, I am so glad that they are strong.

Tomorrow will be a better day, it will be my baby boy's birthday!

Ben's 9th Birthday Party!

2011-08-20T15:16:00.001-07:00

We had a fun-filled time at the Bountiful rec center. We started in the party room with pizza and cake; built up a sweat playing basketball and rock climbing; and ended the party cooling off in the pools.

Happy Birthday on the 23rd Big Ben!

Carson, Jono, Mitch, Ben, Shad, Eric, Alex and Josh.
Cake, and my personal assistant getting the party started.
Basketball
Rock Climbing
The slide and pool.
Can't get enough basketball.

End of Summer

2011-08-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

Sadly, summer is coming to an end this week. We tried to get in a few last minute Family Fun Times, before it ended.

The beautiful sunset at Willard Bay, after an evening of boating. Willard Bay Cherry Hill with the Fulks'. Ben became a graduate of Cherry Hill. This year he was really brave and went on ALL the water slides. Pineview ReservoirKim and Kate, and Mike and Lizzy at Pineview.

A Mother's Prayer

2011-08-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

My heart is always filled with a little prayer that my children will be okay with the loss they have experienced in life. I am especially sensitive to the effect this may have on my boys. I always hope and pray that a coach, church leader, friend, or family member will take a particular interest in my boys, and be there in ways that only a good male role model can be. No one will ever take the place of their Father, but there are so many people who have touched their lives for the good.

This past weekend Mike went on what used to be called “The Father’s and Son’s” with a few of Steve’s friends. This is an annual trip that Steve used to take with his friends, and their boys’.

Mike enjoys spending time with Warren, Justin, and Shawn. They are so good to him. They are always a lot of fun, they have the same outdoor interests, and all love to hunt. He has had a lifetime of experiences with his Dad and these friends. They spent this past weekend at Justin’s cabin in Island Park, participating in outdoor activities, a little hunting, canoeing, spot-lighting, and having fun together.

I am so grateful that these good friends continue to invite Mike (hopefully Ben will be ready to go next year) on these excursions. They are such amazing men!

Mike also had a great time at Scout Camp. The leaders and priests spent several days at Flaming Gorge, fishing, water-skiing, and participating in scouting activities. Mike had a wonderful time, and spoke so highly of his leaders. This is another example of a group of men, taking time to make a difference in a young man’s life.

Our Home Teacher has also been a positive influence on Mike. He happened to be his sophomore Basketball coach. He would spend time after games or practice teaching Mike basketball skills, and giving him encouragement.

Ben’s sports coaches have also been so helpful and kind to him. They always give him the encouragement he needs, are willing to pick him up for practice and or games, and they provide him the positive male bonding that he needs.

I am so grateful for the positive role models in my boys' lives. Thank you!

Daily Activities in Cabo

2011-08-10T15:07:00.000-07:00

The resort pools offered us a great way to cool down from the heat of the sun. Most of the time I enjoyed the adult pool, relishing in a new book "The Help". It was a fabulous book! I don't get to read recreationally very often, so it was a nice treat. The movie is coming out soon, so I won't ruin it for you.

I did, however, set a small trend at the youngster's pool, when my kids dared me to go down the Willy the Whale slide. They didn't even have to double-dog dare me. An adult man high- fived me when I came up for a breath. After my amusement, many adults followed suit.
Body surfing in the ocean along the glistening white sand was another daily activity. The vendors along the beach were particularly fond of my kids. This might have something to do with the purchases they made.

The girl's had their hair braided. I heard there is a rule that you can't go to Mexico without getting some kind of a braid in your hair.

The evenings consisted of the Puerto Paraiso Shopping Mall, the Flea Markets, strolling along the Marina, and dining in the surrounding restaurants.

Mike over-did-it with his order of nachos. I told him his name wouldn't go on a wall of fame for consuming them all, but he didn't listen.

We decided it would be an adventure to ride the city bus with all the locals. It was quite the experience. Drivers in Mexico are crazy! We were in for a ride of our lives each time we got in a taxi or road the local bus.

Fortunately, we never needed the Emergency Room service. If would have had a medical problem, I would have flown out of there before I would enter that Emergency Room.

Everyone needs a little down time.

Overall, I'd say, we had a fabulous vacation!

Cabo Adventures Part Two

2011-08-09T13:29:00.001-07:00

The fun in Cabo San Lucas doesn't end when the sun goes down. We took a sunset cruise over and around Land’s End. It was a beautiful sight to see the Cabo San Lucas skyline as the sun was setting, the glistening white sand beaches at Lover’s Beach, and the stunning Arch, and other rock formations.

The cruise begins with your choice of beverage. Our choice was non-alcoholic mai tais, which is a fancy name for a delightful citrus drink. The others on the cruise enjoyed their alcoholic drinks. The cruise quickly became a somewhat wild and crazy booze cruise. Fortunately, there were several families on board to keep the craziness at bay.

A Mexican dinner was served. The sea was a little rocky that night, so you had to hang on tight to your meal.

Kate doesn’t love cruises. A crew member got her mind off her discomfort by dancing with her. She is quite a good little dancer.

The Glass Bottom boat was another tour that we enjoyed as a family. You are able to see the underwater world beneath you.We met the boat on the hotel beach, and went around the Sea of Cortez, up to Lover’s Beach, and around the Arch to the Pacific side.

You can bring snorkeling equipment to use on Lover’s Beach. The snorkeling looked great! If all the members of our clan would have been on board with the snorkeling, that’s what we would have done. Instead we had a fantastic view of many different tropical fish from the boat. As you would throw food into the water, schools of beautiful fish would surface.

The entire trip I had watched as parasails were out in the ocean just off our hotel beach soaring in the sky. I have secretly wanted to parasail for quite some time. It is something that I have never done before. My wish came true on our last day. Mike and I ventured out in the ocean to parasail.

There isn’t a greater way to see the natural marvels of the southern Baja Peninsula than from 600 feet in the sky while parasailing above the gorgeous Sea of Cortez. It was absolutely fabulous! I was a little nervous at first, so the guide told me to sit back, and relax. As I sat back, relaxed, and closed my eyes, I began to soar. It was such a great feeling. You feel as though you are a seabird gliding high in the air.

Mike was disappointed that it wasn’t an adrenaline rush like Zip Line, but I was happy with the relaxed feeling, and sense of tranquility.. The views from above were amazing!

Adventures of Cabo Part One

2011-08-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

Our vacation destinations usually consists of new and exciting adventures. This trip was no exception. At the beginning of the week, I let the kids choose the activities they wanted to participate in.

The Outdoor Zip Line Adventure was Kate and Mike’s first adventure. I have Zip Lined in the beautiful jungles of Costa Rica and therefore, stayed back with the younger kids.

They began by launching themselves in a series of zip lines, flying across open canyons, and crawling across the Commando Bridge before leaping onto the Tarzan Swing and scaling the Crazy Ladder.

Then they tacked the Climbing Walls, Hanging Ridge, and rappeled down the rocks. The Zip Line was fast and fun taking them over stunning scenery and back to base camp. At the end there was a short nature walk, rest, and a snack of chips and salsa.

Of course no photography was allowed, so this is the only picture I have to prove Kate's bravery.

The second adventure was a ATV tour. Mike and Ben were on one ATV, and Kate and Lizzy on the other. Ben had the best situation since Mike is an experienced rider. Lizzy on the other hand, well……let’s just say she wanted to make a trade, but it was a no go.

Kate hasn’t driven an ATV before. Some of the beautiful landscaping seemed to get in her way. To be exact, a tree, cactus, and ditch. Thankfully, none of her four crashes were significant. When she almost rolled the ATV, the guide decided he needed to be a little more pro-active and offered to let them ride on the back of his ATV. Kate graciously declined, so the guide stayed close by the rest of the way. Fortunately, Kate got the hang of it, and they all came back safely.

The ATV tour took them to the Pacific Ocean beach of Migriño, where they drove through desert and mountain areas until they arrive on the beautiful white sand beach.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 2011

2011-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:00

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico was our vacation spot for 2011. With our Marriott exchange we were able to stay at the Villa del Palmar Beach Resort in Los Cabos. We stayed in one of their two bedroom condos.We had a fabulous view from our balcony of the ocean and the resorts pools.

Our hotel was located along the Medano Beach. This happens to be one of the only swimmable beaches. We enjoy spending time at the beach and participating in beach activities, so we were very happy to be staying on a swimmable beach.

With 360 days of sunshine, weather is never a factor. It rarely rains, and therefore, is considered somewhat of a desert. It was very hot and humid!

Directly across the bay from our hotel were the famous rock formations. It is referred to as Land’s end – the place where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet. The waves are huge and there is a special rock forming a spectacular arch. Near the arch there is a beautiful beach of golden sand, called Lover’s beach, reachable just by boat.

The Villa del Palmar Beach Resort is a family-friendly property and had an emphasis on entertainment. We were happy it was family-friendly, but didn’t participate much in “their” kind of entertainment.

There are many pools on-site. Some are specifically for kids. The Willy the Whale water slide was a hit among the youngsters. If you needed a little more peace and quiet you could venture off to a more peaceful adult pool.

The Villa del Palmar was a short distance from town, and was a perfect fit for our family.

Sleepovers

2011-07-29T19:39:00.001-07:00

Summer is a time for sleepovers with cousins and friends. I'm not a big fan of friend sleepovers, but sometimes I buckle under pressure. I told them one friend sleepover a summer is my limit.

The outdoor sleepover was planned with Ben and Mitch, much to my surprise. They persuaded Mike into building them this fabulous tent. Mike slept outside with them to save me the inconvience and discomfort.

The entire night I tossed and turned, and looked out my window wondering if the BIG raccoon would be back for an uninvited visit. Fortunately, the night was very uneventful.

Bountiful High School July 23rd Baseball Tournament

2011-07-28T21:53:00.000-07:00

The 16U Baseball Tournament began on Saturday morning against Cottonwood. The Braves were able to pull off a big win against The Colts, winning 7-6. It was a real nail biter. Cook pitched 6 innings with Tommy wrapping it up in the 7th.

The team was on fire today. I wish I could remember all the boys' stats, they were impressive. Among other things, Mike (as lead batter) was 2 for 3 at the plate, one walk, and turned a great double play at second.

Tuesday, ended the tournament for Bountiful against Alta. The first inning was filled with excessive team errors, which ultimately cost the Braves the game.

While Tuesday wasn't their best game, overall this team has done very well. This sadly ends baseball for the summer.

A Night To Remember

2011-07-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

The 24th of July wouldn’t be same without the Paul’s fabulous party. There is lots of great food, friends, and relatives.
Sometimes boys' can be really boring at parties. Good thing we had Brian to spice things up a bit

Brian’s fireworks show is always a hit. This year was exceptionally exciting. In our host's very own words he says, “My fireworks show had everything. Dangerous fireworks, first degree burns, and crying babies.” Wow, and we all lived to tell about it.

To be completely fair, I think it was only the first two rows of kids that were shot with shrapnel (well maybe shrapnel isn't the right word, but it best describes it), or received some kind of burn. And babies crying, I think it was only Millie. She didn't love the noise.

Grandpa Wayne seemed a little nervous quietly moving his chair further and further back. He got out his nifty safety goggles once things got a little out of control.

We were all seated when the fireworks began (bottom pictures). As sparks began to fly, the viewers ended up in neighbor's yards, or standing on rocks (see picture top left).
This video sums it all up. I couldn't decide whether it was screams of delight or screams of fear.

Bountiful Pioneer Days

2011-07-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

The spotlight was on Bountiful Friday night as we celebrated Pioneer Day. The day starts early as hundred's of people stake out their favorite spots for the parade.Enjoying a little KFC, and some entertainment.

I was especially amused with the crowd for the "trinket toss" as I call it. You know, the stuff that you will probably throw in the trash the next day that everyone fights over.

Our favorite Millcreek cheerleader was on the school float. Go Ash!

We happened to be sitting directly across from the Bountiful Tabernacle. I found this picture of the actual tabernacle with the tabernacle float passing to be extra cool. Our favorite float! After the fireworks we had a progressive neighborhood party. We went swimming at the Gulbransen's, and walked up to watch the fireworks at the Parry's. We have fabulous neighbors and had a great time!

Kids Camp

2011-07-23T12:55:00.001-07:00

Personal Progress is a program that begins when a girl turns 12 and enters the Young Woman program of our church. Within this booklet are several values and experiences that a young woman completes and records.

Among other things, the purposes of the program is to help young women draw closer to the Savior, serve others, learn leadership skills, and develop relationships. It helps young women prepare for the future and learn skills that can prepare them for what awaits them in life.

Part of the Personal Progress is to accomplish 10 hour projects’ that can be completed with other young women. These projects help young women to learn leadership skills to be used in future roles such as a wife, mother, and homemaker. A young woman also learns how to organize, communicate, and complete a difficult task.

Lizzy, and her friend Bailee decided to create a Kids' Camp for kids 2 through 7 in the neighborhood. They spent hours organizing, and preparing for this camp. All young moms that might welcome a break from their toddlers were distributed a flyer, regardless of their religious affiliation. The camp was one week, Monday through Friday from 10 to 12.

Each day was filled with fun activities and snacks. They created crafts, watched a movie, had game day, water activities, and a challenge course. At the end of the week each happy camper was given a hippo cupcake and prize to take home.

Most days Tiffany supervised and helped the girl's prepare for the camp. I was so grateful to Tiffany for helping the girls fulfill their Personal Progress Project.

Lizzy and Bailee couldn't have been cuter. They were so patience, kind, and full of energy while supervising these activities with 18 to 21 kids a day. The girl's learned leadership skills, organizing skills, developed many wonderful relationships, and were of service to these young moms.

It is an experience Lizzy and Bailee will cherish for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, this experience has prepared them for future roles in their lives.

Water ActivityHippo cupcakes given to the kid camp participants.

The Dark Garage

2011-07-21T21:25:00.000-07:00

Bad things happen in our garage at night when it is dark. You may remember the “skateboard incident” I had while running to the car in the dark in the garage. Last night, it was Mike’s turn to have a frightening experience in our dark garage.

When Mike got home last night the garage door happened to be up. I try to keep it down as much as possible, but with teenagers’, and youngsters coming and going it doesn’t always get put back down.

When he walked in the garage he was thirsty, bent down to pick up a water bottle, and came face-to-face with a HUGE RACCOON! The raccoon hissed at him, Mike scream (yep that scary), and ran in the house.

We have had other encounters in the past, with one particular HUGE raccoon. I have to wonder if this is the same one. It stands about 3 feet tall, is big and burly, and awful scary. Not something you want to come face-to-face with in the dark.

I thought maybe the raccoon had eaten our little dog Bella, since she was MIA for the night. I wasn’t about to go looking for her in the dark after the raccoon story. However, we found out in the morning Bella had an unauthorized sleepover with her friend Max.

The deer are eating my beautiful flowers; the raccoon is tormenting my child, who needs to go camping to encounter the wonders of wildlife? Not me!

17 Miracles

2011-07-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went to the movie theatre to see the movie 17 Miracles. It is a pioneer film unlike any I have never seen before. It has increased my appreciation for the incredible sacrifices the pioneers made during their travels to the Salt Lake Valley. I have a renewed appreciation for them.

The movie is based on unbelievable actual events that the Willie Handcart Company endured. Levi Savage, one of the fearless leaders, kept meticulous records of the journey west toward the Salt Lake Valley. The film is based on these records. It is stated that “Many of the unbelievable miracles showcased in 17 Miracles come directly from Levi’s first hand journal entries. What he came to find out is that for every tragedy, there is a multitude of miracles.”

Ben, who is 8, had a difficult time understanding the miracles. He would lean over to me and say, “That really didn’t happen, did it?” One of the miraculous miracles that happened in the film was a young daughter coming back to life. I am sure this is difficult for him to process, since his experience in life has been different.

We had a FHE on Monday that included a discussion about miracles. I focused mainly on ones that he may be familiar with in the Bible.

I have a lot more teaching to do, but I hope that someday all my children will understand the beauty and reality of miracles. Although I may not have experienced the greatest miracle that I would have liked to have happen in life, I do believe in miracles.

I am so grateful for the pioneers, and the sacrifices they made for all of us. Pioneer Day commemorates the entry of Brigham Young and the first group of Mormon pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24th. I hope to be especially mindful of them as we celebrate this holiday this year.

Happy to Help

2011-07-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

Watching the neighbors house while they were out of town.....is fun to do!
Kids enjoying their pool.....with permission!

I-Pods

2011-07-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I asked Katelyn to go on a leisurely walk with me, to the temple and back (about 3 miles). She agreed, but wanted to walk to Bountiful High and back which seemed much too strenuous for me. We negotiated and decided to walk to Viewcrest (a street just past the temple).

On our walk, Kate brought an I-Pod to listen to music. “That sure looks a lot like the one you kids passed along to me”, I inquired. “Oh yea, we use yours all the time,” she laughed. I have to wonder what happened to the up-graded I-pods that I have purchased for my children over the years. I am sure no one will fess up.

As we were walking, Kate let me use one ear-phone while she used the other. How nice, my daughter let me use a portion of my I-Pod. It was a little tricky; we had to walk in sync with each other. She was very thoughtful with the music as she listened to some of my oldies, Billy Joel, The Eagles, The Beatles, and Journey. We did step it up a notch or two with the music and listened to Pink, Katy Perry, etc.

I have to admit I got a little distracted with the music. Kate would say oh, just a little further, and we kept going and going until we rounded 4th North, walked/jogged down 4th north, turning on Davis Blvd. I finally realized I may have been duped. There was no turning back at this point.

We did have a great time. When you share headsets you both can listen to the same songs and sing really loud. Not to embarrass ourselves, we would stop if we saw someone. Some 10 year olds were taking a rest on their bikes when we passed, “Taylor Swift”, one yelled. I guess we did get a little loud.

When I got to the end of Davis Blvd. I decided I was not going to make it up 1800 South. We had no phones with us, so I decided I was going to hitchhike. Well, my version of hitchhiking – wave down anyone I knew for a ride.

As we were just about to turn up 1800 I saw a white suburban that resembled ours. I flagged it down. It was cute Mike. He had gotten worried about us (because we were gone so long) and came looking for us. I was so happy to see him.

As I opened the door to the suburban he would drive off a little to make me run to the car. He did this several times, laughing, before he gave me a ride home.

After today’s adventure, I have to wonder if my kids have secretly enrolled me in a physical fitness plan.

Guilt

2011-07-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been on a guilt trip. While vacationing at Flaming Gorge this past week, my mind wondered to the last time we were there with Steve. We had so many great memories on that trip.

I have been reluctant to share a memory that happened during that trip that has always made me feel a little guilty. It happened on the night of his birthday.

Steve had really been on a celebratory frenzy the day of his birthday. We ate at the Flaming Gorge Lodge for breakfast, lunch on the boat, and dinner back at the lodge. If you have ever eaten there, you know that food portions are ginormous. Even sharing a meal between two people is a lot of food.

Steve not only enjoyed his meals, but he topped it off with apple pie ala mode, one of his favorite desserts. It was his birthday, so I said nothing. I did think in my mind about his high cholesterol, and acid reflex problem. Both aliments were not conducive to his intake of food that day, or the type of food he was consuming. He was on medicine for both, and thought nothing about it.

That night he woke me up, with chest pains. He believed it was from acid reflex, not a heart condition. He had the same situation happen two Christmas’s ago. We had gone to the ER where he was monitored, and diagnosed with acid reflex. The physicians thought it was associated with the foods he had indulged in Christmas day.

It was the middle of the night when he told me he may need to go to the hospital in Vernal to get things checked out. I thought we should leave immediately, he wanted to wait.

He was convinced that it was all about what he had ate, and as I continued to encourage him to go to Vernal, he adamantly denied. He had us walk him around outside; he sat on the condominium’s deck, took additional acid reflex pills, and after quite some time decided that it was definitely acid reflex.

The next morning he seemed fine. Still not convinced that it was acid reflux I asked him to visit the doctor when we were home. He refused, stating that the problem was solved.

Wonder if, I would have forced him to go to the hospital in Vernal that night. Maybe they would have foreseen a heart condition that would have saved his life in August the very next month, when he passed away.

I’m not sure, nor will I ever know, if I could have done something to make a difference that night. Sometimes my mind wonders, and feelings of guilt are brought to my mind.

My guilty feelings flare up now and again, until I remember that it is Heavenly Father’s will as to when a good person is taken from this earth. I am reminded of this.

Birthdays

2011-07-15T21:21:00.000-07:00

Birthdays come and birthdays go, another year of existence, with happy memories. To those that have passed on, we remember not a year lived, but a lifetime. We share memories of a life that was well lived.

Some day, I hope this celebration will get easier. For now, we recognize it with heavy hearts.

We miss and love you Steve Brown! You were one of a kind!

Black Bears

2011-07-14T21:15:00.001-07:00

I am always a little suspicious when I see signs like this while I’m vacationing in the wild.

It makes me a little leery about what might be lurking around the corner, as I make my way to the outdoor cranny by myself in the dark.
One night, around midnight, while Katelyn, Lizzy, Mike Hanna, and Trevor were playing cards outside on the picnic table, they heard a raucous in the bushes. It sounded like a wild animal was enjoying a midnight snack.

Everyone, but Trevor heard the noise. Trevor put his head down on the table in disbelief. The clatter continued, this time everyone stood up to see what creature was stirring in the bushes. They saw part of the animal, but were unsure as to what it was.

“Do you think it’s a bear”, Mike Hanna inquired in a frightened voice? “I’m getting a little scared”, he continued. Katelyn, Trevor, and Mike were all starring at the bushes, ready to take action and confront the furious beast, when out jumped a big DOG.

Katelyn fell on the ground in laughter at her scared protectors. No Bears were out tonight.

The Flaming Gorge Bridge

2011-07-14T16:39:00.000-07:00

It is rumored that my husband has jumped off the Flaming Gorge Bridge, when he was at a youth activity MANY years ago. This is a rumor that I really wish my children weren’t aware of. Rumors like this may tempt others to do the same.

This year as the 3 boats full of relatives and friends were casually enjoying the ambience under the bridge, someone, may or may not have jumped off the bridge. If this person jumped off the bridge, it probably would have been the highlight of the trip.

Unbelievable, is all I have to say! Other spectators may have stopped in awe and wonder as this particular event may have happened. The rocks under the bridge, where most people were cliff jumping, lost their allure after by-standers may have watched this risky undertaking.

Flaming Gorge 2011

2011-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

Flaming Gorge happens to be one of my children's' most favorite vacation spots. The scenery is divine with towering pine trees, and sculptured rock cliffs. Water sports, camping, boating fishing, and sometimes, rafting the Green River are among our preferred activities.

Rain or shine, we always have a wonderful time at Flaming Gorge. We especially enjoy spending time with Steve's family, and friends. We build memories that will last a lifetime.

Fun in the water.
Wake boarding and water skiing. Mike and Ben love to fish. Ben's fishing pole broke, which made Ben really sad. Mike being the kind brother he is, tried to temporarily fix his pole with some duct tape.
Camping, dinner, and enjoying each other's company. Night activities - "The masks, playing cards, and hanging out. Most nights the kids would stay out playing games until 1:00 a.m.
Tubing - Meg didn't like the double tube with Quinn. The other's had a great time.
Ben - the captain, and the beautiful scenery.
Boating - The Thomas' boat, grandpa's boat, and our boat.
At the end of the torrential downpour was a beautiful rainbow, and lots of mud. Sometimes we would hide out at Dutch John eating ice-cream until the rain would subside.

Depsite of few "unfortuate" events, we had a fabulous time!

A Series of Unforunate Events (Day 3)

2011-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to get out on the lake today. The first skier jumped in the water to ski, and I couldn’t pull him up. The boat had very limited power. Back to the marina we went.

Fortunately, Johnny (my marina friend), had some knowledge about boats. The bilge pump wasn’t working and pumping water out of the boat. Also, the fuel pump was dirty, and may have had an air bubble in it. Johnny replaced the fuel pump, and we took the boat out of the water, released the plug which drained the water from the boat. We were finally good to go.

The boat not working wasn’t the worst part of the day. The worst part was when we were informed that one of the little cousins on another boat had fallen while wakeboarding and cut his cheek.

Jackson had a very deep cut on his cheek. There was lots of blood, but he was very brave! He was taken to Vernal to receive treatment. He couldn’t remember what had happened, so they performed a CT scan on him. He had a concussion, and a very deep wound that required many stitches.

Poor Jackson....it looked much better once he was stitched up at the hospital. They were back to camp by late afternoon. I’m not sure if I’ll ever get Ben to water ski or wakeboard after this little incident. We are so glad that Jackson is doing well!

Sarah brought back a nasty bug bite. At first view she thought it was ring worm, but after Jordan’s dad, who is a physician, took a look at it, it is only some sort of bite.

There were other “unfortunate” events, but I think this will be the end of my series, phew!

Stay tuned for the fun parts of our Flaming Gorge Vacation.

A Series of Unfortunate Events (Day Two)

2011-07-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

We went out in the boat early today with 2 nephews, a niece, and my children. The sun shimmered on the glassy, quiet, pristine lake. The lake was undisturbed and perfect for skiing and wakeboarding. They had a fabulous time wakeboarding and skiing in the crisp, cool water. Everyone had a chance to participate in as many water activities as wanted.

It was a good thing, because later in the day it began to rain. It started as a small drizzle, and ended in a torrential downpour. I have never seen it rain like that. We hunkered down in tents, or in grandma’s motor home to play cards.

Once the rain subsided a little in the late afternoon, the boys’ began playing an impromptu game of wiffle ball in the camp ground streets. The women were challenged to participate. Each aunt took their turn hitting the ball. I wanted Ben to pitch to me thinking me would try to pitch a decent ball to me. His intentions were to pitch as high and crazily as he could.

Being a little competitive, I was going to hit the ball regardless. I jumped up, swung, hit the ball (mighty fine I might add), got off balance and rolled off the street and into the small ravine. I am sure it looked worse than it was. I was quite a spectacle!

The next day I felt like I had experienced a terrible wipe-out while water skiing. I had a little discomfort when I would breathe (a few bruised ribs I’m sure), along with other aches and pains, nothing serious. It reminded me of my skateboard adventure.

Meg and Quinn delivered the extra key to the Suburban this evening. I was so excited to finally have my own vehicle. They arrived in the early evening so Mike, Sarah, Jordan, and I quickly ventured over to Cedar Springs Marina to retrieve the suburban. Much to our surprise, when Jordan opened the door to the car, alarms started blaring as if we were seasoned thieves trying to steal a vehicle. We ignored the alarms; Jordan inserted the key in the ignition, only to find that the car was in “theft” mode and would not start.

My heart sunk, and my determination to not be defeated continued to thrive. I began the desperate calls again – first AAA, than Chevy roadside. Their suggestions were to tow the vehicle back to Salt Lake and get a key made. That just didn’t seem like a viable solution to me. Finally, I called Murdock Chevrolet, the car dealer who had made my duplicate key, and received a more practical solution.

They had to make several phone calls to get me the feasible solution, but once they did, I was happy. Each duplicate key must be micro chipped. If it is not, your key cannot be used unless the “theft mode” is disabled. It takes quite some time to disable, but IT WORKED!

Once the “theft mode” was disabled the battery was dead and the car battery needed to be jumped. Thanks to Grandpa Wayne, and Aunt Jen, we got a jump, and finally were able to drive the suburban after hours of working on it. Mike stayed with me the entire time. What a trooper!

The troubling part about this was that every time I locked my car and opened it, the car alarms would start AGAIN. My children always seemed to need something out of the car at 7:00 a.m. or earlier. You can only imagine the commotion it caused in our camp ground. Our fellow campers weren’t real pleased with us. After a mild cursing from our neighbors, I left the car unlocked the remainder of the trip.

One would think we had experienced enough unfortunate events for one trip. Stay tuned....there is more to come. We all were able to have a good time despite these events and enjoyed ourselves throughout the trip.

"It's not so much what happens to us but how we deal with what happens to us."
James E. Faust - Oct. Gen. Conf 2004
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