A New Love

We never thought that we would love gardening so much, but Tay and I have turned into a couple of old geezers, sitting out in the yard every night, looking at the flowers. Our parents gave us some starts and we bought a few things ourselves, and we've just become addicted. We get excited about each new bloom.

I think there is something spiritual about planting things and watching them grow through each stage. A tiny seed, a sprout, a small bud, and finally a beautiful bloom, basking in it's beauty for the sole purpose of making us happy. Just another manifestation of God's love for us.

Here are some of my favorites:

Companiala (No idea how to spell this!)
Tay's Dad gave us this. I love the color!

I don't even know what these ones are called, but aren't they cool? A co-worker gave Taylor a box full of bulbs last year and we planted them, but nothing happened. I guess we did it too late. Well, we dug them up, stored them in the garage all year, and planted earlier this time. I'm sure glad we didn't give up on them, because they have been so fun to watch. You can't really tell from the picture, but they are about 4 feet tall right now, and still shooting up. The leaves are about as big as my head. They look like they belong in the rain forest, but they don't seem to mind this Idaho dry heat.

This amazing Asiatic Lily was just one tiny little stem last year, and now it's HUGE, and so hardy. I love how bright it is. Definitely and eye catcher.

Zinnias
Aren't they cute?

Can't remember what these are called (some kind of Daisy)
They came from T's Parent's yard

Of coarse, there's my Petunias. Aren't they awesome? I lvoe the smell of Petunias, especially after they've just been watered. It takes me back to Disney Land, standing in line for Magic Mountain, smelling the water and heat and flowers. Mmmmmmm.

The Park

Kellen and his friend, Nate. Kellen calls him Mate.
G'day, Mate! :)

AGAIN, can't rotate picture. So sorry! I still had to post this one. I just love the joy on Kellen's face. He always reminds me to appreciate the small things in life.

Since it was Mom's birthday (the orange date on the photos is 6 days off), the kids treated me to food from my favorite restaurant, "Donalds"!
OK, so it's Kellen's favorite, and I payed, but it was still thoughtfull, right?

Jane loved the swings!

Hodge-Podge

So, I was trying to be tricky, and post old things in the right order, but of coarse, I messed it all up some how, so bare with me! I think there are dates on most of the photos, and as you can see, these next several posts are in no particular order. Keep scrolling down, because you wont be up to speed until you get to my birthday celebration.

These are for you, Grandma and Grammy!

Best Buddies

My mischief makers.

baby Jane loves to suck on her bottom lip. I call it the Jenny face,
cause it looks just like pictures of Aunt Jenny as a baby. See it, Jenn?

"I'm so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as I can be!
Clap my hands, and shout for joy, and climb up on his knee!"

Spiderman and Princess - Best Buddies, even in sleep. :)

General Conference

(Sorry, I'm not smart enough to figure out how to rotate the picture once I've posted it. I'll have to ask Tay!)
While watching conference, Kellen must have been hearing a lot about families, because he brought his framed photo of the Huish Family down from his room, climbed to the upper portion of the refrigerator to pull down some more photos, and made this little collage. He even pulled down some snow flakes that he knew Aunt Jenny made. After he had pulled this all together he came and said he needed to show me something. He pointed to his masterpiece and said, "Ta da!" He then took a few steps back, folded his arms, and with a satisfied grin, said, "My famwee." He must have been actually listening to conference, which is not something I expected form my busy little three year old. It just goes to show, that our kids really do pay attention!

We got the blocks out to build a Temple.

Pretty cool, huh?

Kellen, then decided he wanted to eat in the Baby chair, and fell asleep before he could finish his PB&J. In this picture he looks like my little baby again. Sigh..

Conference turned out to be a very sweet time for the whole family. The kids were so calm, and we were actually able to listen to the beautiful messages. I'm sad it is over. It always gives me such a peacful feeling of home, no matter where I am. I think it must be the familiar voices of many of our apostles, who have been around since I was little.
Elder Holland's talk was especially touching. He spoke of the Saviour's Atonemnent. If you don't remember it, go back and read it, or listen to it on the internet. It is absolutely beautiful.

Play-Doh

Kellen loves play- doh!
(Sorry, can't get picture to rotate. Just tilt your head!:))

Here is Mommies beautiful butterfly. Amazing, right?

Here is Kellen's manly butterfly. I guess he decided it was looking to girlish,
because all of the sudden he grabbed two big globs of dough, slopped them on and exclaimed, "Der! Mama, yer bur-fy is reeee priddy! Kawin's bur-fy is COOL!"

Indeed, Kawin! :)

Big Boy Bike

Kellen has been wanting a "big boy bike" for a while now, but we were waiting for a good price. After a bit of shopping, we finally came home with this one. It says Rocket on the side, or "WOCKIT!", as Kell would say. He's just loving it. He rode it last night, and woke up asking to ride some more. We went for a leisurely Sunday stroll, and I let Kellen ride, thinking he'd be slow. Well, the "leisurely stroll" turned in to a wicked speed walk, cause he can cruise! He thought he was pretty hot stuff, and of coarse Jane was impressed with him, as usual. :)

Backtracking

We all had colds in May, and just felt yucky! I left Tay with the kids while I went to my primary meeting, and this is how I found them when I returned. Notice Jane, fast asleep, sitting up, with milk all over her chin! My poor babies!

Wackiest Birthday Ever!

I have the craziest hubby in the world!
Last week he told me that he would be out of town for a business trip on my birthday, today, so we would do something fun on Saturday. That is all he said so I was expecting to go out to eat or something like that. Well, Saturday came and we spent it just like we always do, cleaning the house, working in the yard, and playing with the kids. At six o'clock, just as I was beginning to get really curious, some friends showed up at the door, and then some more, and some more, and some more! All of them with presents, which totally embarrassed me. I took Taylor aside to chastise him about having people bring me gifts, like I was turning 7 years old, and he said, "Only the best for you, Honey!" He said it with a funny twinkle in his eye, so I knew something was up.
After the guests had all arrived he brought out a big Costco Carrot cake. (Yummo!) He then proceeded to embarrass me by showing our friends pictures of me as a kid! (I don't know what possessed him to do all of this! Tay is a weirdo, what can I say? :)) After some cake and laughing at pics of me in my 80's awesomeness, it was time for presents. Here is a picture of my fabulous loot!

(coming tomorrow! Technical difficulties!)

Yup, these are my presents! Tay told everyone to get me a gag gift so, I've got some Groucho Marx Glasses, three sets of gag teeth, a lovely pair of panties -- size 14 (although they look more like size XXXXL, two punching balloons, two plastic switch-blade knife thingies, a disk gun, a fuzzy jumping spider, some green putty, and a SpongeBob SquarePants paddle-ball. Can it get any better?
Actually it can, because two friends didn't get the gag gift memo, so I also ended up with two bows for Jane, some yummy, home-canned peaches, some cute decorations for my home, and... drum roll please... Tay bought me an ipod! A cute little pink shuffle! What a guy!
After cake we decided to go sing for my neighbor who was also having a birthday. We all put on the gag teeth, the panties (two of us in one pair!), and the glasses-- I brought my fiddle, and we showed up on her doorstep. She got a good laugh.
After that we all headed to Red Robin to share some fancy burgers and fries. (I know, dinner after dessert!? But it was that kind of day!) The Red Robin crew made me stand up, holding a spoon in the air with balloons floating around me while they sang! By now, nothing could embarrass me, so I just smiled and danced.
After Red Robin (yes there is more) we all came home for a wild round of Imaginif.
What a wild and crazy day! I'm not sure why Taylor chose my 28th to go all out, we usually just do something small, like a date night. Actually, that's the way I prefer it, but it was fun to change it up and be surprised like that.
Thanks, Tay! It's fun to be married to a nut like you! You'll always be able to keep me laughing! Also thanks to all my awesome friends! It's great to know that we've come to an area where the people are just as crazy as we are! ;) You are all the best, and we love you!

PS: Taylor's turning 30 in September, so I've reeeeally gotta go all out! Any ideas?

Play Time

GRRRRR!!!!!

Taylor woke me up this morning with a weird question...

"Marie, did you move your snow skis?"

"My snow skis? Huh? What?" (for a second I thought I was still dreaming. It's been in the 90's lately, so why was Tay asking me about my skis?)

"Did you move them?"

"No, why?"

"Cause they're gone. They were right inside the garage door, and now they are gone."

Yup! That's right! We've been robbed! Some not-so-nice-person (I can think of lots of names I would rather use right now, but I'd better not) came and swiped them right out from under me while I snoozed in my bed! I am so mad! I mean, who does that?!

I feel so violated! How can someone just take something that does not belong to them and still sleep at night... or even look themselves in the mirror? I know I never could!

We filed a police report, and apparently someone just around the corner from us was robbed last night as well. I hope it was just a random act of teenage stupidity, and not some adult pro that's scoping out the neighborhood.

The worst part is the wondering. I'm all shook up now, and I don't feel so safe anymore. What if they had come into our house? I actually woke Tay last night at around 2 AM because I thought I heard something. But lets face it! I'm a perinoid mom and I hear EVERYTHING (remember my super human hearing?), so it's no surprise that Tay didn't worry when I said I heard a noise. I say it almost nightly! At first I was bummed that I didn't make Tay go down and check things out, or do it myself for that matter. On second thought though, maybe it's a blessing in disguise. Maybe the phsyco had a gun... who knows?

Our bikes were untouched, which is wierd cause we have nice bikes. I'm guessing it's because our "3 car garage" barely fits our van and Honda, so the bikes were squeezed in behind the car. This has always been an annoyance to me, but now I'm grateful because it kept them safe.

Anyway, just thought I'd share that fun piece of info with you.

GRRRRRRR!!!!! Deep breaths, Marie... inhale.... exhale.... inhale.... exhale....

The Big Show and the "BWUB!"

Well, we had our spring Musettes concerts yesterday (One in the afternoon, and one in the evening). It was a lot of fun performing and spending the day with all the girls. The show was titled Welcome to the 60's. I so wish I had some pics because we looked smok'in with our 60's hair and makeup, fake eyelashes and all. We had a pretty good turn out, and I think a lot of faithful Musette supporters where excited to see the corner the group has turned, with all the fun choreography and costuming.

I won the first place scholarship for a year of voice lessons with the teacher of my choice, compliments of the Musettes! SWEET! As grateful as I am to win, it was totally embarrassing because they announced it during intermission, starting with the second runner-up. Only the presidency knew who the judges had picked, and when they called our names we had to step down and accept a certificate and bouquet. I felt like I was in a pageant or something, and I was supposed to say, "Oh, Thank you! Thank you! Meee?! Thank you! Sniff, sniff..." AWKWARD!
I may have to travel down to Boise for a really good teacher, but that's OK. I just can't wait to work at it again!

Kellen is using all kinds of new words these days, and is quite the conversationalist. :)
On Friday he woke up with a bloody nose which he brought dripping into our bed (lovely). I was in a crazy hurry for my dress rehearsal that day, so I quickly took the spray'n'wash to the comforter and hoped it would work. Later that day, when we were all home, Kellen gasped at the sight of the blood and declared, "Wook, Mom and Dad! Bwub!" We laughed because his face was so serious and he kept talking about the "bwub" on the bed. (I'm happy to report that my comforter is now bwub-free!)
He's really into letters and the sounds they make, and he can talk about it forever. He's finally got the 'J' sound down for Jane, which actually breaks my heart. I'll miss him calling her Shane. :(
We'll be driving in the car and he'll say, "Mom, what sound does Jane make?"
I then must make the J sound.
He then patronizes me with the usual, "Gooo job, Mom! Dats reeee great!"
"Thanks, Kell!"
"Yeh-wehcom, Mom!"
Then we do it all again.
I love my little Pal!

We're Back!

I haven't been posting lately. The hard drive on our little laptop crashed, so I didn't have access to the computer for a little while. I must say it was kind of nice in some ways. I seemed to accomplish more random things that I might not have gotten to if I'd had the computer to fall back on. Still, I missed reading about all of you. It's been so nice to be in touch.
For those of you who actually read, here's a little update...
Taylor has been working to get the yard in. We are hoping to get grass and a fence out back ASAP. It will be so awesome to have a safe place for Kellen to run free while I stay inside getting stuff done. Plus, we can have friends over for food and games and the kids can just go wild. I'm also hoping for a garden this summer. Lots to do! We'll see! Tay has been awesome. He put the whole sprinkler system in all by himself with no experience to help him. It was a huge undertaking, and I so appreciate all of his hard work! Thanks, Babe!
I've actually been doing a lot with music lately, which has been nice. I sing with an all female choir called Musettes. At first I wasn't so sure about the group. It's a show choir... yeah... not really my thing. I just really wanted to get involved in something musical again and this opportunity presented itself. Despite my initial doubts, I have been pleasantly surprised. The ladies are all so fun, the music is a blast, and yes, I'm even getting into the dancing a little bit! I know I look absolutely ridiculous, but I don't care! Recently the Musettes had a panel of prestigious judges come to listen to us inividually for evaluations and an opportunity to win voice lessons. I haven't found out the results yet, but the experience of auditioning was fabulous. It felt just like old times. Even my singing felt smooth and easy, which shocked me. A tender mercy from the Lord, I think.
I've also started up teaching again. Voice mostly, but also five piano students, and soon I'll have several violin students, so I've worked up quite the clientele! The hard part is getting really organized, which I must do to make it work! I've been hesitant about teaching for some time. It seemed too hard to balance once Kellen came along, but things are so different now. I'm ready to take on more and it actually makes me feel more balanced. Taylor teases me because a lot of my students don't actually pay me... with money. One family offers babysitting, which rocks because it's a family with four girls, all home-schooled, so I have free sitting any time! One friend is going to start bringing me dinners in exchange for violin lessons. Another is helping me coupon in exchange for voice lessons! Cool stuff! It's like the law of consecration, right?
Kellen has been such a good boy lately. He tells me he "wuvs" me several times a day, and I never tire of hearing it. He has such a great sense of humor and a happy demeanor. I don't know what I'd do without my little Buddie to keep me laughing! His newest phrase is, "Mom, I so hungwee!" He says it all day long! This is coming from the kid we would call "Anorexic Boy", so he must be having a serious growth spurt. The best part is that he's eating a much better variety of foods. I'd been told that kids go through picky stages (Kellen's "stage" lasting two, out of his three years of life!), and that I just needed to continue offering those "yucky" foods. I did as I was told, and I'm so glad! It's like all at once he likes everything we put in front of him! His latest discovery is strawberries! How he ever disliked them is beyond me, but it's all good now!
Jane will not be so picky, I think. She is already showing way more interest in food than Kellen ever did! She gets all excited at dinner time, kicking her feet and breathing fast, hoping she'll get a taste. Thanks to Daddy, she usually does! It reminds me of a puppy, plaintive eyes and all. She's not even six months old yet, and has already been sitting up on her own for about 7 weeks. It must be all the chub giving her extra support! :) She coos and squeals and giggles all day long. My heart does flips just thinking about her. She's such a sweetheart, and never gives us any trouble. She's truly an angel.
So, there's a "little" update! Feel free to go take a nap now! ;)

Jane's New Toy

THANKS, Aunt Tara, for all the great stuff you sent us! We LOVE hand-me-downs! Jane loves her toy saucer, which is awesome for Mommy!

I couldn't get a smile out of her, but these pictures are still cute. She gets so serious every time she sees the camera.

"What are you doing, Mom?"

Hide & Seek

Check out Kellen's hiding spot!
He thought he was so clever!

Baby Jane

Uh-oh! She likes that thumb! So cute!

I love her sweet profile! (However, this picture just doesn't do her justice at all!) I love her fuzzy hair, thick eyelashes, red curvy lips, tiny little nose, and round cheeks.
She's so soft and plump! I just can't get enough!

The Kiddie Kart

The kids love going on walks with Tay and I, but their usually asleep within a half hour or so. I should bring a little pillow for Kellen. He doesn't look exactly comfortable, does he?

Happy Brithday Kellen... again!

So, if you are a regular visitor to our blog you might be thinking that Kellen's birthday was at the end of January. Indeed it was! However, he did not know that and we were all sick with colds, so we just decided to postpone the celebration. Weeks went by and it was just too easy to keep putting it off. Well, last Sunday I finally decided to make him a racetrack cake which turned out pretty cute, if I do say so myself! He was thrilled with it and even put the cars on himself! We had our good friends, the Starkeys (A family with four girls, ages 6-15 who all adore Kellen and dote on him. He, of course, eats it up!) over for cake and some present opening. His favorite present was one of those plastic microphones that echo when you talk into it. (Like on Sid the Science Kid, for any of you who let your kids watch TV! Gasp!) I think it's great that his favorite gift was the one that only cost me one dollar! You've got to love age three! Next year I probably wont be able to move his birthday to March! :) We have candle blowing and presents on video, but I'm not sure our video camera is compatible with our Mac computer, so SORRY MOMS! No video footage of Kellen's birthday! Wish you could have been here! He was so funny!

Jane is four months old this week and already rolling around! She'll be crawling in no time, especially with kellen to show her the way. As you can see he doesn't like to wear clothes these days and no, he's still not potty trained! He can do it, he just doesn't want to, which is sooo frustrating to me! We're getting our yard and fence put in pretty soon, and when it's warm enough I think I'll just let him run around in the buff until he figures it all out. :)

Sweet Awakening

I just wanted to write a quick note to let everyone know that today was a good day! The weird part is, I'm not even sure why. The joys of motherhood really do just come in moments, and I guess today had a lot of those little ones.

It all started with Kellen. He woke me up this morning with a very mystical voice whispering, "Wook, Mom!" Then he held up his copy of the Book of Mormon. I said, "What is it?" to which he replied, "da skishwers!" (the scriptures) He said it as if he had the original plates in his hands!

After I admired the "skishwers" for a minute, he apparently saw that I was that I was still very tired, and he decided I could go back to sleep. He rubbed the back of my hand, kissed it gently and whispered, "Swee dweems, Mommy." He then left the room, and headed downstairs to start his busy day of mess-making and make-believe. Of coarse, since he was awake I had to get up, but it was still a nice gesture! What a cutie pie!

We've been trying to get him excited about reading the scriptures with us for a little while every day. It's been sort of a hit and miss... mostly miss, since he won't sit still for more than 2 minutes. It's good to know that something is sinking in. He knows they are special.

I Will Prevail!

I'm a list person, so here's a list to describe my thoughts today:

diapers
spit-up
drool
toys, toys, toys
mess, mess, mess
toilets
poopy
peepee
crusty plates of untouched food
tantrums
headaches
screaming
crying
whining
stomping
throwing
scratched walls/doors
exhaustion
time-out (for Mommy too!)
sleep (the lack of it)
diaper rash
boogers
milk, milk, and more milk
burp rags everywhere, unless I actually need one
nursing pads
dirt
fingerprints
stretch marks
wrinkles
baby fat (and I'm not talking about the kids!)

and...

CRAZY!!!!

My apologies to those of you who can't stand a Debbie Downer, but I am not one to mask my feelings very well and I just felt like writing. Let me put your mind at ease by saying this:

I love my kids, ALWAYS!

and

I love being a mom... most of the time.

Today I miss being in school. I miss taking classes, lessons, playing the violin, piano, and SINGING! I mean really singing, like I haven't done for a long time, and I don't even think I could right now.

OK! I've vented! Ahh! I feel much better! :)

It's just been one of those days! I know all you moms understand.

If any of you have had a similar day/week/year, here are some thoughts from one of my FAVORITE people, Elder Neal A. Maxwell:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echos of gunfire or the sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and neighborhoods? Will what happened in the cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congress?
"When the surf of centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution."

Kinda puts things in perspective, doesn't it? I guess singing can wait!

A Sunday Morning

Fabulous Five

OK! So this is how this works...the first 5 people to respond to this
post will receive something made by me for you.
my choice.
made especially for you.
of course there are some restrictions and limitations:

~
1 I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2 what I create will be just for you.
3 It will be done sometime this year.
4 you have no clue what it will be... it may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure. ;-)
5 I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? The catch is that you must repost this on your own blog
and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on their blog.

The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did will win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!!

Oh! And be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!!

Happy Valentines Day!

Answer the following questions about your sweetheart...

*What is your significant other's name? Taylor Carl Rasmussen

*How long have you been married? 71/2 years

*How long did you date? We dated for about one year before Taylor's mission, and wrote on a regular basis while he was gone. We got engaged shortly after his return (about a month and a half) and were married five months later. SO... if you count the mission (even though I dated other people, had boyfriends, etc. etc. etc. :)) then we dated for about 4 years.

*How old is he? 29... the big 3O in September! He, he! :)

*Who eats more sweets? TAYLOR! And yet, he stays nice and slim! NO FAIR!

*Who said I love you first? Taylor. It was so sweet!

*Who is taller? Definitely Tay. He is a whopping 6'3, and has me by a whole foot! It makes for a good kink in the neck once in a while, but I still love it! He makes me feel small, even when I'm a gigantic pregnant lady!

*Who can sing best? Me, I suppose, but I have had some training, and a lot of practice! ;) Taylor has a beautiful voice, especially when he thinks no one is listening, and he lets loose.

*Who is smarter? I think we are both smart, it totally depends on the subject. I guess if I had to pick one over the other I'd pick... Taylor. Oh, that one hurt! Don't get too big-headed Tay! ;)

*Who does laundry? I do most of it, but Taylor sure does his fair share. He washes a lot of his own stuff, and folds a lot too. He is a big help when it comes to housework.

*Who pays bills? Tay takes care of the online bills, and I do the rest. It's split pretty evenly.

*Who sleeps on the right hand side? I do right now, but it's changed a lot. I always sleep closest to the exit and/0r bathroom. You know, pregnancy, babies, and all that jazz.

*Who mows the lawn? Taylor, and he looks pretty hot doing it!

*Who cooks dinner? I do, which surprises people, since Tay is a food scientist. He claims he has some pretty sweet cooking skills, but is too sick of cooking by the time he gets home. He totally helps out with dinner all of the time by putting together what I've laid out etc., but as for these mysterious skills he has, I'm still waiting to see that! I only pretend to care. :) I like to cook for him, and especially when he takes clean up, which he usually does. He's so great! Maybe he really is an amazing chef, but he doesn't want to show me up and make me feel bad! I've never thought of that before...

*Who drives? We take turns, but usually Tay. He likes it, and I don't, so it works out! He's safer on the road, I totally admit it! I'm a little bit crazy, with quite the led foot...

*Who is first to admit they are wrong? It depends on our moods. We are both quick to apologize when we've done something wrong. I probably do it more often, but that's just because I usually have more to apologize for. I'm a wee bit... fiery sometimes. :)

*Who kissed who first? Tay went in for the kill, and I had no idea he was going for it. He sort of missed at first, but I quickly remedied that situation.

*Who asked who out first? Tay called me to go ice blocking down Old Main Hill. Dan Preece, Liz Ambrose (Granados), Ben Haslem, and Jenn Eck (Craw) were with us, and we all had a blast. I wore some cute jeans that got totally ruined, but it was worth it. I had a stomach ache that night from laughing so hard.

*Who wears the pants? Taylor and I are a team, for sure. We make big and small decisions together. Taylor does preside over our little family, though, and I love it. I rarely have to remind him to take the initiative in family prayer, scripture study, or FHE. If he were to put his foot down on something, I would trust him with whatever that was. He is very selfless.

TAG to anyone that wants to write about their Valentine!!

25 random things about me

I've been getting tagged on facebook, and thought this would be good stuff for the blog as well. It's a little me, me, me... but I guess the point is to get to know some one. I tag anyone who wants to reply! I promise to read it, because I've loved reading about everyone else so far.
Anyway...

1. I loooove babies! I always have. Some people say they are not baby people... WHAT? I'll try not to judge you (wink), but I really don't get it. There is nothing sweeter in all the world to me then a little baby. I love the way they smell, and feel, and sound, and looking into the eyes of a newborn baby is truly a spiritual experience for me. I don't think there is any such thing as an ugly baby. While my babies are the cutest of all :), there is something uniquely sweet about each one.
2. Along those same lines, I love children. I am the primary chorister in my ward, and I love it. There is so much we can learn by watching children. They are slow to judge, quick to forgive, creative, energetic, so teachable, and happy. Being around them makes me happy too.
3. Most people think I'm outgoing, but inside, I usually feel shy at first. However, that is lessening as I get older.
4. I still get scared sometimes-- I mean irrationally scared, like when I was a little girl. I'll finish watching an episode of Lost on TV, for example, and then feel all jumpy when I turn out the lights to go to bed, and I have to swallow the impulse to scream and run. So silly! I know!
5. I love the rain. I think it's romantic, plus it's so nice to cozy up with a good book and something yummy to eat while you listen to the rain. I love thunder and lightning too. I love rainy days so much that I think I could totally live in Seattle.
6. I love all kinds of music, but especially the kind that is so beautiful that it makes me cry.
7. I'm not a dessert person. I would usually rather have more dinner than move on to dessert.
8. As a young child, I was taught to pray with perfect assurance that The Lord would answer my prayers. Since than I have had many answered prayers, and while I know God doesn't always answer us when/or how we want Him to, He DOES always answer. I know he loves us ALL, and for what ever reason, I've never doubted that once.
9. I love to play games. Card games, board games, or even do puzzles. I know, I'm such a nerd! Taylor loves to tease me about it. I just think it beats sitting around watching movies. I like to interact with the people I'm with.
10. I don't know what to call my eye color. They are sort of greenish-bluish-grayish, and one has more green than the other. I can't decide if that is cool, or just psycho!
11. I have a terrible memory when it comes to certain things, like where I'm supposed be, and what time, or the name of the person that I JUST met! However, I have very vivid childhood memories. I can remember the day I first walked-- my first birthday! (If you don't believe me, just ask my Mom. I can describe specific details.) I also remember my Great Grandma Beals, who died when I was three. I can also memorize a song after one or two hearings.
12. I love looking at decorating magazines, like Better Homes and Gardens. I like to decorate my own place too, but never feel like I have enough money to do what I would really love. On the other hand, the hunt is part of the fun. I wouldn't want to decorate all at once, and end up with a matchy, boring room, that looks like it stepped right out of RC Willies. I like to see the room morph slowly into a beautiful place.
13. I took some dancing lessons as a kid. Jazz, tap, and ballet. The ballet was a joke, jazz was OK, but the tap I was actually quite good at. I would love to take some tap lessons now. Celtic dancing would be cool too.
14. Speaking of Celtic, my Grandma Huish is Irish, so St. Patrick's day was always celebrated in my family. Grandma taught us a little Irish jig and lots of Irish tunes. On St. Patrick's day a "leprechaun" always left little green footprints on the ceiling and walls, which we all thought was amazing! We would eat green foods for breakfast and lunch (green food coloring), and for dinner mom would make corned-beef and cabbage. Yummy!
15. I'm a night person-- always have been. I was always the last one asleep at a slumber party. Night time is when my wheels start turning, and I'm often full of energy, no matter how tired I was earlier that day.
16. Surprise! I'm not a morning person, though I try. I do love the smell of the morning when I'm camping, so fresh and clean! Mmmm! I also love the beach in the morning, when the tide is low. I LOVE to collect sea shells!
17. I haven't had the hiccups since I was 10 years old! Weird, I know, but it's true! I keep waiting, but they never come.
18. I have exceptionally good hearing. I kept hearing buzzing in my ears when Taylor and I first got married. My stake president was an ear doctor, and I went to his work office for a temple recommend interview. Since I was already there he said he would check my hearing at no charge! Long story short, I have unusually good hearing. Not only that, but I can hear higher and lower notes than most people, and handle noise at higher volumes before it hurts! The buzzing I was hearing turned out to be the little hairlike structures (cilia) of my inner ear vibrating! Pres. Stevenson said he's rarely found hearing so good in a person over the age of five. Funny, huh? I thought it was cool. I've got super human hearing! :) Now Tay believes me when I say there was a noise, instead of saying I'm "hearing things."
19. I don't have favorites. You know when people ask what your favorite color, food, song, animal, etc. is? I've never been able to answer these questions. It just depends on my mood.
20. My mom and grandma both served missions, and growing up, I always thought I would too. Instead I got married three weeks away from my 20th birthday! (Crazy, I know!) While I've never regretted my choice, I still want the chance to serve some day. I really hope Taylor and I get to do that.
21. I've been to as many countries as I have states! Looks like I need to get out a little more in my own country!
States: Utah, Idaho, Montana, California, Washington, Nevada, Illinois (airport)
Countries: USA, Canada, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy
22. I've always loved bugs, though I hate spiders! Growing up I thought I might study Entomology in college. I'm sure glad I changed my mind, though. What would I be doing now with a degree in Entomology?
23. I sing, play the violin, viola, and piano. I've done a lot of performing, and truly love it, but for the most part, my favorite musical experiences have been in the quiet of a church building, or the home of a sick or elderly person. That's what gives me the most satisfaction.
24. I hate grooming. I love the getting clean part, but I get sooo sick of the blow drying, straightening, curling, makeup, primping, etc. etc. etc. On the other hand, I like to look pretty so I can't give it up. Still, I often wonder how many hours of my life have been spent on this monotonous activity. Maybe if I had Brianna's amazing hair I would enjoy it... perhaps in my next life.
25. I absolutely love being a wife and mother, even though it makes me insane sometimes. Every things else fades in comparison to the love I feel for my family, and the joy they bring into my life.

OK, I'm finally done! Now I'm tagging you! If you don't want to take the time, then don't worry about it, but I thought it was fun to do a little soul-searching. :) Have fun!

Enjoying the Moment

"What can . . . young mother[s] [do] . . . to reduce the pressure [of raising young children] and enjoy [their families] more? . . .

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction.

"Author Anna Quindlen reminds us not to rush past the fleeting moments. She said: 'The biggest mistake I made [as a parent] is the one that most of us make. . . . I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of [my three children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages six, four, and one. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less' (Loud and Clear [1004], 10-11)."

M. Russell Ballard, "Daughters of God," Ensign, May 2008, 109

"Lucky" Mistake

Today I was making chicken enchiladas for dinner, and misreading the recipe, added way too much sauce. To fix this I had to double everything else. It was already a big dish to begin with, so as I cooked I kept trying to think of someone who could use a dinner tonight.

Just as I was pulling the enchiladas out of the oven, the phone rang. My neighbor and good friend was calling to see if Taylor could could hurry over to give her son a blessing for some serious pain he was experiencing. In our quick conversation I learned that she had been to the dentist for a root canal that day, thus, not feeling too hot herself, and what do you know... hadn't had time or energy to cook for her family that night!
Now this may sound silly to some of you, but I thought it was cool! My poor friend had this terrible day, and who knows, maybe said a little prayer for help, and lo and behold, I accidentally have a hot meal just waiting for a taker! Coincidence? I think not.
Truth be told, I hadn't had the hottest day myself, but this simple opportunity to help someone else gave me just the boost I needed.
I am grateful that the Lord loves us so much that He even cares about the little details, like "blah" days and chicken enchiladas.
Just a little testimony booster. I love those! :)

Happy Birthday Kellen!

Some of you might be wondering, "What's up with the trains?" Don't get me wrong, trains are great and all, but they probably wouldn't be my first choice for my blog background. However, today is Kellen's birthday, and I can't think of anything he loves more than trains (the boy is obsessed!), so they are in honor of him.

10 things I love about Kellen:

1. He is so polite, always saying please (pweese), thank you (bank you or banks), you're welcome (ya-wah-come), bless you (bess you), excuse me (es-koose me), and sorry (sa-wee). The best part is how he always puts a cute little, "oh" before it, and the name of the person he's addressing after-- "Oh, banks, Mommy!", "Oh, bess you, Mommy!" He says it all like he actually means it-- Like he really is grateful for his cup of milk! :) Oh, I also love how when I hurt myself or even just cough, he instantly asks, "Yo-kay Mom?", and, "Oooh! Es Okay Mommy! Kisses!" and he kisses it better. He really is so caring!

2. I love his enthusiasm for everything. Even when he was just tiny he always responded to a question with a huge, "Oh, OKAY!" or, "Oh, SURE!"

3. I love how he dances! His signature move is to stick his left leg out, a little to the back, with the toe pointed, and bounce. The best part is his dance face, with his eyes and mouth both wide open. I don't know how he got to be so cheesy... Taylor... :)

4. I love how strong-willed he is. Granted, it can make life hard for me sometimes, but at least he's not a quitter. When he really wants something it is almost impossible to distract him! He wont forget about it. I have always marveled at how such a small person can have such a strong will. Hopefully I can help him to put that in the right direction.

5. I love how affectionate he is. He has always been full of hugs and kisses. And of course, he adds the, "Oh!" to every hug. He's always good for a snuggle, which I so appreciate.

6. I love his sense of humor. He loves to put on a show and make people laugh. Sometimes he even hurts himself in attempt to be a clown. Again, Taylor!

7. His big baby blues, complete with the longest, thickest eyelashes. I'm actually jealous! They look especially amazing when they glisten, all soaked with his crocodile tears.

8. His crazy hair that has a mind of his own. It adds character. :)

9. I love how friendly he is. He has never had a problem with strangers, but instantly excepts others. He'll walk up to a random kid in the park and say, "Hi Kid! I Kewin! Wah pay wif me?", and he has a new friend. The very first time I took him to nursery he said, "Bye Mom!" and didn't look back. I was a little disappointed, to tell you the truth.

10. I love that he's protective of Jane, his "Baby Shane". When a "suspicious looking" stranger approaches us at the store, for example, he says, "Don toch ma Bebee Shane!" When I took Jane to the doctor for her first checkup Kellen watched as the nurse pricked her heel and made her cry. Kellen jumped from his chair, grabbed my umbrella, and gave the nurse a solid whack on the knee. I felt bad about this (luckily the nurse wasn't hurt, and had a fun sense of humor), but it was good to see that Jane's big brother already "has her back".

I am so grateful for this beautiful boy in my life. Even when he was first growing inside of me, I could feel that he was a special spirit. I am truly privileged to be his Mommy. I love you, little Kellbert!

Mother and Daughter

Oh, that is so fun to say!!! I am so exited to have my girl! I just know that she'll always be my best friend, just like me and my Mom! I love you Mom!

Jane Sleeping

Little Miracle