Tangled

We planned on getting the movie Tangled for our trip down to Utah for a treat. None of us had seen it but we'd heard great things. Yesterday, Sariah had a fever and a confirmed ear infection, didn't eat hardly anything, and hardly said a word all day long. She looked so, so sad. The only smile of the day was when James brought home Tangled. In less than 24 hours it has played 3 times, one of which was at about midnight last night after Sariah's temperature had made her hallucinate. A bath, cool cloth to the forehead, acetaminophen, and Tangled, and finally, at about 1:30am we were both out on the same couch.

Beauty Tip

Sariah reminded me of the most important beauty tip. After spending some time on my hair blow-drying, straightening, etc. Sariah came into the bathroom straight out of bed. I was looking in the mirror at the both of us together and I said, "Sariah, how is it that we can have almost the same haircut and yours looks so much cuter than mine?" Without hesitation she answered, "Because I have a smile." Instantly, she put one on my face. How I love that girl.

Today, she and Bryant are on the couches with fevers. She has an ear infection and we are headed for her prescription. She has hardly said a word all day long. Completely NOT Sariah. I miss her smile.

Sleepless in Seattle

A special occasion took us to Seattle this weekend.

I met Sharon as a new roommate on my first day back to Ricks College during the fall of 1995. She was from small town New York and a fun-loving, happy person who soon became a good friend. A long ways from home, she spent several holidays with our family in Washington. We got to be close friends and she has been to many special occasions of ours. I was so glad I was able to be at her special occasion. It was beautiful.

The boys had fantastic parent-teacher conferences and so we decided to make it a little family get away. They had a blast...

In the hotel watching TV (a huge treat).

Saturday morning, Hyrum woke up with a cough, I woke up with a sore throat, Sariah woke up with pink eye, and Bryant woke up at 4:30 with an upset stomach. James was already up working on his paper (hence the post title "Sleepless in Seattle"). Despite it all we still had a great time.

The kids swam for two hours right after breakfast.

Later on, we hit the Pacific Science Center...

The Butterfly House and

the new Star Wars exhibit with original costumes...




and some water science outside.

Back within about 30 hours of leaving home it was a quick trip to say the least, but it was so much fun.

Bleeding Blue

What don't we ever do? Pop popcorn and watch TV at dinner time. Why the rare exception?

BYU Basketball Game.

James announced at scripture study this morning that he would be home by 4:30 and that we would be watching this once in his lifetime basketball game.

The glitch? Charlie, (James's pick-up) died on the way to school this morning so we had to go and get him from school and then take him to work on the pick-up. He called it quits though when there was just enough time to make it home before tip-off. Instead, he has gone back over and is working by headlamp light to try to resuscitate Charlie.

The good news for the day, Bryant's teacher called and Bryant has been named McGee Elementary's Student of the Month for his outstanding academics and citizenship.

Your Welcome

There are some words that are just music to a mother's ears. At naptime today Hyrum shared one of the stuffed monkeys (we have two that look exactly alike, interesting no?) with Sariah. She said thank you, and he responded, "Your welcome." It was the first time I've heard him say that phrase, and it wouldn't have been understandable to anyone else, but it was without a doubt, "you're welcome." It was a wonderful sound.

Sariah and I were out late Saturday night watching Laryn pass on her title in the 2011 Connell/North Franklin Junior Miss.

Last year 2010.
I can't tell you how much I love it when all of my family is together.
This was such a FUN night last year.

Junior Miss 2011.
(I've had requests for belly pictures. I guess this is it, at 24 1/2 weeks. It looks a lot to me like the picture we took of my belly hours before Hyrum was born.)

Sariah was such a sweetheart. About halfway through the program, she asked me for a paper and pencil. I didn't have anything to write with or on. She wanted so badly to make something to give to Laryn. At one point strings of beads were thrown into the audience and then at the conclusion of the program, Aunt Stacey gave Sariah a rose. She was thrilled. Now she had something to give to Laryn. I am so grateful I have a girl to enjoy these times with. (James was watching BYU beat Gonzaga and couldn't have been happier.)

Happy Birthday Little Sis

18 years ago today, I rushed out of physics class and Dad and I sped to the hospital only to arrive 5 minutes after my littlest sister arrived in the world. Happy Birthday Laryn!

Me and Laryn (about 1994)

Tomorrow, Laryn passes on her title of North Franklin Junior Miss.
Isn't she beautiful?

Soon she will graduate from High School. I will miss not having any siblings at "home." Not only will I miss having her around, but I will miss saying that I have siblings in high school. It always makes me feel a little younger!

Firsts

My heartiest laugh of the day came when I asked Talmage how his first "health class" went. (I had previously screened the presentation to make sure it was something we were comfortable having Talmage be a part of at school.) His response went something like this. "The school nurse talked to us about how we will be changing as we grow up and I don't think it is a very good idea." Isn't that great?!

So Talmage had his first health class and he is also wearing glasses for the first time. When I called last Friday at about 4pm to see if they were in, they were expecting them in the next few minutes but that they would only be in the office until 5pm. I told them I'd be there. (After two weeks of trying to get contacts in every day I was happy to make a trip to avoid the same frustrating ritual for the weekend.)

Bryant is writing his first Haiku poems---mostly about camping an fishing.

Sariah has been helping me make our first "welcome spring" wheat grass pots.

We took them to the friend who watched Sariah and Hyrum while I went to the doctor today and the gal who does my ultrasounds with her happy southern accent.

For the first time Hyrum went down the "big" slide at the playground where we wait for the boys when we walk up to meet them after school. He had the tricky, curved ladder mastered in a couple of minutes.

The twins have gained their first pound, estimated at 1lb. 6oz. and 1 lb. 7 oz.

James has accepted his first stake assignment, counselor in the stake YM organization. Between his new calling and school, out of the last 10 days, he has been home in the evenings two of those nights (including Sunday). We have actually had to leave our kids home alone (except for Hyrum) for the first time.

We all had our first Spring excursion to the park last Friday morning on a No School Day. Met up with some friends and had a great time soaking in some sunshine. My nose even turned slightly pink.

This is the load we came back with...t-ball equipment, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, water bottles, dishes returned from a friend, and a couple of really cute kids.

And this is the first of the garbage that has blown over from the
construction across the road, a vent box.

This was the cutest thing on Sunday. When I got Hyrum dressed for church, I told him he was so handsome and we needed to get his pictures taken. (I haven't scheduled his two-year-old pictures yet.) After several minutes, after I'd moved onto something else, he shows up and hands me the camera. At first I couldn't figure it out, but he had comprehended and hunted down the camera, climbed for it I'm sure, and brought it to me to have his picture taken. (Of course Sariah couldn't miss out on a photo shoot.) I thought that was pretty incredible he'd gone to all that effort.

We left the "blankie" and the beads at home.

Rough Day

Bryant had a rough day. Distracted by his excitement for Father's and Sons, he left his backpack outside last night. It rained. He had three library books in his backpack, all of which were water damaged. Facing the fact that he has to pay for the damages has been almost more that he can bear. For Bryant, handing over that kind of money is like handing over one's first born, or at least losing an appendage. Because we have warned him so many times about leaving his backpack outside (and James even reminded him yesterday) it is one of those times when it is difficult to watch, but "the consequences will follow." So what was the distraction? The composing of a very important instruction sheet, penned by Bryant himself:

How to Camp.

1. Pack nife, bug spray, tent, flaslight, and so on.
2. Find a map and choose where to camp.
3. Travel to campsite.
4. When get to campsite find level land.
5. Pich tent on Land.
6. Put supliss (supplies) in tent
7. enjoy time with each other.
8. When done playing choose what to eat.
9. eat dinner
10. after diner go to bed.
11. When wake up cook breakfest.
12. after brecfest play
13. after that do rules 7 through 12

James says that's about how it is. Yet, Fathers and Sons is second only to Christmas at this house. Even Sariah was in tears knowing she wasn't going to get to go. I mean, come on, you wouldn't want to miss out either...

Fishing (2006)


Sleeping in a tent (2007)


Playing with snakes (2008)


Eating Creatures (2009)

Birthday #2

We went into sing to Hyrum at about 6:30 this morning so James could be a small part of Hyrum's birthday before he left for work. We made it all the way through "Happy Birthday" with the lights on and he didn't move a muscle. We figured he must really be tired so we left. We weren't all in the living room before he came bounding out. I don't think he really understands the concept of "birthday" but he wasn't going to let that get in the way of unwrapping. James went late to Wal-mart last night and I'm so glad he did. Hyrum wouldn't have been nearly as excited about his monkey apron without the 8 squirt guns and four darts to go in the pocket.


James's new calling as Stake YM secretary pulled him away tonight. When James is gone, Hyrum makes guesses as to where he might be, usually in this order: "meeting?" "temple?" "class?" Hyrum had to blow out his candle without Dad.


So who is Hyrum at age two?

he's potty trained!

he bursts into song---
"Do as I'm doing," "Open Shut Them," "I am Like a Star,"
and a line from Talmage's Christmas Program

he happily falls asleep in Sariah's bed (and sometimes falls out)

he spends a lot of time on the counter in the kitchen "helping"

his responsibility at family night is leading the opening song and he does so
with great vigor

his "thank you" sounds like "sea food"

he drags his blanket, pillow, and stuffed monkey with him when he gets out of bed

he ate 3 blueberry pancakes for his birthday dinner

he is a light in our family that we cherish

Alive and Well

James and I returned home from his mid-year conference to find all four children alive and well. I can't thank Jennifer enough for packing up her little ones to come and stay with my brood.

We traveled to Seaside, Oregon, for the Seminaries and Institutes Mid-Year Seminar. We spent our time studying the Atonement and enjoying each other and the amazing people with whom James works.