The plane ride and arriving in Houston!

The alarm clock rang at 4:00 am. It felt pretty early. But the kids were excited and we were quickly on our way to the airport to go to Houston.

We flew from La Guardia, airport in NYC to Baltimore. We had fun during our layover.



We even played several rounds of nines.


But we were all anxious to get on the plane to Houston! It was so awesome to go from 18 degrees to 77 degrees all in one day. The kids were so excited to feel warmth. As soon as we got to my parents home, the kids changed clothes and ran out to the pool. My dad had started heating the hot tub. The pool was only 64 degrees, but that didn't stop my kids. They jumped in and swam like it was summertime. I only got in the 99 degree hot tub. As the kids jumped in and out of the hot tub and the pool eventually the pool was about 75 degrees.










Shad's kids came right over after school to join the fun.

Trent chilling by the side of the pool once Owen was all done.

It wasn't long before Amber and her little girls were with us too!

But the best part was getting to see my MOM! She has finished 6 rounds of chemo so far and is on a 1 week break while we are there. We are so proud of her for battling cancer with such courage and positivity. We love her.

My First Writing Assignment

My ward has a writer's group.  I joined.  The first time it was just me and Sally.  When we left she gave me an assignment.  (she is afterall-- a teacher).  I thought about it for a month.   I wrote it a little after midnight last night and brought it to writer's group tonight.  There were now 3 of us Sally, Deborah, and me.  I thought I would share it with all of you. 

Assignment : What do you see when you look in the mirror

I was 18 the first time it happened, just a freshman in college. And I didn’t actually say them but I heard the words nonetheless. I was enjoying some down time with one of my hobbies – making cards with rubber stamps and glitter—when I needed some scissors to cut out a design. I opened my desk drawer and quickly turned the contents over, but the scissors were not there. I asked my roommate about them; she shrugged and shook her head. So I reached up for my new sewing kit and the bright blue handled scissors that were inside. The sewing kit was a graduation present from my Mom’s best friend. But I was pretty certain I would never need it. I had tried to sew before and always gave up-- finding the task too difficult; so I knew that kit was going to sit unused for a long time. My fingers were in place and as I started to make that first cut, I heard her-- right there in my dorm room. Even though I knew she was 1500 miles away, I heard her. “If you cut paper with your sewing scissors they will get dull.” She didn’t yell at me. She didn’t even correct me. She just reminded me of the facts- the simple cause and effect that would happen. I listened. I stopped what I was doing and set the scissors back in their box – safe.


Over the next few years there were many times I heard her in my head reminding me, but at least for a little while it was my little secret.

I was 20 the first time I remember hearing her words come out of my mouth-- a young newlywed. My mom always called my dad “honey” and it always seemed a little saccharine to me. But there I was one day saying, “Honey, let’s go!” and “I love you, Honey”.

And over the years the more I started to sound like her. I sang the same songs to my babies that she sang to me. I told the same stories that she told, like Fluffy the cloud. When I visited her house and answered the phone it always took me a while to stop the person talking and let them know I was not her. “But you sound just like her” they always answered back.

And the more I sounded like her, the more I wanted to sound like her. I don’t remember her yelling as much as I do. I don’t remember any sarcasm in her voice.

But I was really unprepared for what happened next.

I remember the moment pretty clearly. It was late. I was tired. I was in the bathroom in my pajamas just finishing brushing my teeth. I was smiling and vigorously brushing my front teeth while staring at the bottom of the sink. I spit and then glanced up at the mirror to check out my teeth, when I saw her. I blinked and then looked into the mirror harder, but she was gone. I had to close my eyes to remember what I saw and it was unmistakable. I saw the mom of my youth. The smile lines starting to form around my eyes, the crystal clear blue eyes that could see right through you, the slight puffiness from too many late nights and early mornings, the premature gray hair now a half centimeter showing again, the bow shaped lips and the laugh lines around them, and I was amazed.

Not only do I sound like her, but I look like her too.

And the crazy thing-- I am OK with it.

Spring Cleaning : Julianne and Catherine's Room

After working so hard on Madelyn's room cleaning and decorating and touching up and repairing, I have now started on Julianne and Catherine's room. For their room, first, I had to choose a new quilt. I found one I liked on EBAY and ordered 2 of them. A week later 2 quilts arrived -- but one quilt was the one I ordered and one quilt was similar but different. We are anxiously awaiting the 2nd quilt, which should be on its way. I love EBAY, but I hate it too. Once we knew which quilt we were going to use, the kids and I headed to Hobby Lobby to find matching paper to do Julianne and Catherine's names. (side note -- my new advice to parents -- choose short names)
The girls had a half day of school on Friday and my Mom came over and we worked as quite the team tracing, cutting, glueing, sanding, and modge podging.

Here are the letters on the new bedding. I promise I will take and post more pictures once the other quilt arrives. Waiting to go on the wall.

The final product, hanging on their walls. I still have a lot more work in their room still to do. I plan to post a list and update soon and my plan is to be done in a week. I'll let you know!

Babysitting in the dark

Tonight was the adult session of Stake Conference. (For all of my loyal readers who have no idea what that means -- at church every 6 months they have a big meeting that involves several congregations -- in the Mormon world a congregation is called a ward and a bunch of wards are called a stake-- thus the name -- Stake Conference --but really this is all very unimportant to the story -- what matters is that Trent and I both went to this meeting).

We had a very, very hard time finding a babysitter. Trent kept volunteering to stay home and let me go and I kept trying to find a babysitter. I gave up and finally called on my dear sweet mom to see if she would drive out here and watch her 4 sweet grandchildren. Naturally, she said, "Yes of course I would love to" or something like that and proceeded to arrive a half hour later so Trent and I could go.

We have been sitting in the meeting for approximately 5 minutes when Trent's cell phone starts buzzing and I can see that it is my Mom's cell phone calling.

Now, that will put panic into the heart of anyone. My Mom is amazing and she can handle anything, so I am thinking horrible things must have happened that she had to call us in the middle of a church meeting.

I am running out of the meeting and quietly whisper, "Hello . . ."

"Where are your flashlights?" My mom says.

"What??? Is everyone OK???" I am baffled that she want my flashlights.

"Oh, we're fine, but the power is out and it is getting dark and the kids are kind of freaking out and crying . . . hysterically every now and then."

And that's when it hits me . . . Do we even own a flashlight? If so, where is it???? And are there batteries in it? Suddenly I remember the emergency radio, light, flashlight thingy that I am pretty sure my Mom gave me one year. I always put it in the nightstand by my bed just in case of emergencies like this one. But as I have never had an emergency like this one, I don't even know if it works. I tell her where to look and . . . . it worked!!!!!!!

This is when I am so glad my Mom is with the kids, my kids are great, but they can get a little panicky sometimes and they excel at getting scared easily . . . I am just not sure a teenager would have survived -- We would have been on our way home immediately. But . . .

My Mom had it all under control. The kids bathed in the moonlight. Pretended they were camping, read stories on Mom and Dad's bed (that is until the light started dimming -- see I knew the batteries were OLD) and both Adam and Madelyn fell asleep. (Adam is expected, but Madelyn falling asleep with any babysitter even Granny is pretty amazing). My Mom did explain that they had to move as a pack, with only 1 light, no one was about to get left in the dark, so they were all really close. It was a great bonding experience.

The lights came on an hour or so later and we got home a little after that.

Julianne and Catherine (although a little scared while going through the lights out) are sure proud to have survived such hardships.

Adam and Madelyn are still asleep . . . losing power has its rewards.

Maybe the next time we go out, we'll cut the power . . . Heck, we'll cut it every night!

Camping with Mom (and Granny)

My mother's stake holds an annual Mother/Daughter Campout. For several years they held it at Camp Liahona (the church's property near Cleveland TX). I remember going there in 2002 (when my Mom slept in a slab and me and the 2 girls slept in her van). In 2003, we went and again slept in the van. In 2004 we went (and Madelyn was only 7 weeks old and everyone thought I was crazy). In 2005, they moved it to a "campground" called Almost Heaven. It is in Manvel TX and very, very close to my Mom's house (about a 20 minute drive). I was excited to go to it with her, but for some reason she








could not come. So I went with the 3 girls by myself. I borrowed their springbar tent (and even remembered how to set it up all by myself!) The girls and I had a great time. We were really looking forward to 2006 -- but then it rained and rained and the campground was underwater. . . seriously and literally underwater. So we had a sleepover at Granny's house instead.

These pictures are from that 2005 campout. The girls look so little!!!



But now here in 2007, we were blessed with the best weather ever! And Granny could come too! (it is a good thing, as I do not live in that stake anymore!). Amy (my sister-in-law) and her 2 kids also came along with about 7 other women and their girls. (I never said this was a well attended event -- ). After doing it all by myself in 2005, this year was a breeze! My Mom did all the food!!!! How nice is that??? I didn't so much as bring one edible item . . . and do you know how much time and energy that saved!!!!!! So thank you, thank you, thank you Mom, you are the best!!!!! But then to top it off, when I arrived at the campground, my tent
was already set up!!!!! Combine that with the stunning weather and I am telling you, I could camp every day (ok , every other day, because I would miss my shower).
So, there is a picture of the tent me and the kiddos slept in (or the tent where Madelyn and Catherine slept and Adam cried and Julianne announced she had to go to the bathroom repeatedly throughout the night.).
Here is most of the gang. Granny, Hailey, Catherine, Julianne, Zach, 2 friends, and Madelyn.

Here is Adam. He loved every minute (when it was sunny and time to be awake!)















See his cute face peeking over my shoulder!!!