Monday, June 30, 2008

Fake Bread

Carter- "Mom, can I have some of that fake bread?"

Me- "Fake bread? What?"

Carter- "Yeah, just not toast."

Me- "Do you mean you just want a plain piece of bread?"

Carter- "Yeah, with sugar."

Didn't you all know that if bread isn't toasted it's fake? :)


***FYI- Don't forget tomorrow is Try-It-Tuesday***

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Trampoline


Hooray!!! Jarom finally broke down and let me get a trampoline for our backyard. The kids and I love it. Now I can practice perfecting those back flips. (Let's all pray that no one gets injured now.)

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Are you buddies with your Ob-Gyn?

Tonight I went to dinner with my dear friend Jennie. It was to celebrate her birthday which happened back in MAY. We seem to be in this habit of waiting a few months before we celebrate our birthdays together. This year she got patriotic paraphernalia from me. I think it's okay because I've gotten Easter stuff for my birthday (which is in January) from her. (Now that I think about though, I think she was on the ball this year and gave me a cute Valentine's platter.)

Anyhow, I had to use the restroom during our dinner. In the bathroom was none other than my gynecologist. How can you not say hi to the person who has seen more of you than you've seen of yourself? So I say hello and tell her my name. (Of course she claims she knows who I am. I'm never quite sure if she's being truthful, but I was one of her very first clients.) Then she tells me I look "great." What a sad statement seeing as I am 10 lbs heavier than the last time she saw me. (She's the one who looks great. She had that lap-band thing placed on her stomach and has lost a LOT of weight.)

I thought the conversation was over and seeing as how she was washing her hands, I thought she'd just head out, so I walked into the stall. I'm not one of those people who talks while using the potty. You know the type, the ones who take cell phone calls mid-stream. But instead of leaving she kept talking to me. "How are the kids? How old is your baby now? Yada-yada." I was practically crossing my legs at that point and just praying she would leave. "Everyone is great. I'll make an appointment to see you soon." Her, "It's so great to see you. Tell your family hello. You just look wonderful." Me in my mind, "Lady, thanks for the compliments and I know you really are a nice person, but I am going to pop standing here. I know you've all but seen my bladder, but for the love of Pete, please leave." Me out loud, "Oh yes, it's great to see you too." (Is it great? I'm not quite sure what our relationship outside of the office should be.) Finally off she went.

The moral of the story is.....When you see your gynecologist in the bathroom don't say hi. Just go to your happy place as usual and be silent. Because talking to you while you potty is as normal to her, as seeing you naked on the bed is. Odd, VERY odd.

I Survived a Japanese Gameshow


All right all you BSU people, Did she or did she not attend BSU and live in the dorms with us?
Darcy from Sandpoint, ID 31 years old. I SWEAR she went to BSU. Does anyone else remember her? I don't think this is the best picture of her. It doesn't really look like her, but it's all I can find.
Sadly she was the first to be booted so you won't even get a chance to watch more of her. But if the show airs again, check it out and let me know if she's who I think she is.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Carter and His Friend Wynter

We have a little neighbor boy named Wynter that Carter has played with a handful of times. I would consider them friends, but honestly they've only played together maybe 5 times in the 3 years we've lived here.

Well Carter has made Wynter is real-life-imaginary-friend. You should hear the tales he comes up with about what he and Wynter did. It's quite hilarious. It always goes something like this. "Mom, Mom! One time me and Wynter, we...." and then he proceeds to tell me some exciting adventure they've been on.

They've gone fishing, chased monsters, played expert level on Guitar Hero (btw Wynter is "WAY good at expert, but he's only a little good at medium"), gone swimming in the river and Carter had to rescue Wynter, raced motorcycles, had elaborate birthday parties, drank 3 different kinds of lemonade together, you name it and they've done it. (Well in Carter's mind anyway.) It's so cute and I love to hear the tales of Carter and Wynter. It drives the girls nuts, but I tell them to leave him alone and let him enjoy his imaginary friend.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Try-It-Tuesday

*Okay, let's try this thing.*
If you have a tried and true recipe that your family loves, PLEASE share it. Post a recipe on your blog and then be sure to comment here with the title of your recipe.(i.e. Elena says....Heavenly Chicken; that's all you have to type.) (And make sure you are logged in so we can find you.) That way anyone can quickly look at the recipe names listed and see if they'd like to read more about it. Be sure to tell your blog readers to post their recipe title on your own comments, etc., etc. The more the merrier in this game. Let's just see how many recipe ideas we can come up with on this first official Try-It-Tuesday!!

Heavenly Chicken

3-4 Chicken breasts (I season mine with a little season salt and pepper)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese (or a little more if you like it cheesier)

Cut chicken breasts into strips lay in bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix soups, cheese and sour cream. Pour on top of chicken. Bake @ 350 for 1 hour or until chicken is done. Serve over cooked rice.

That's it people. Easy Cheesy Goodness!

Now please share your own beloved meals.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Tagged By Kat


Kat tagged me a while back and I am just now getting around to getting it done. So here you will learn six more random facts all about moi.

1. I LOVE the shows Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers. There's just something about those crazy rough men that I love. I think it would be a RIOT to hang out with them just for a day. Jarom thinks I'm nuts.

2. I like the wind. The city we live in is always windy. I never knew that was not normal until I moved away. I couldn't figure out what was "wrong" with the air. It just felt strange. Then I realized there was no breeze. I really enjoy a good breeze. I don't even mind the messy hair that comes with it.

3. I do not believe that fruit is a dessert. If it has fruit in it, it's considered a side dish or maybe a breakfast meal. To qualify as a dessert it must be chocolate or ice cream and a combo of both is the best. The only exception to this rule is cheesecake. I do enjoy a nice piece of cheesecake occasionally.

4. I play the piano and sing. I have my bachelor's degree in Music Education. Unfortunately I'm almost embarrassed to admit to it. I haven't done anything for so long that my poor trained voice, is no longer trained. :( (P.S. Don't tell my bishop, I do NOT want to be choir director.)

5. I'm paranoid about running out of gas. If my gas light comes on, I make a mad dash for the gas station. (And I panic the whole way there.)

6. I once had a pet pigeon that I rescued as a baby. (My rotten neighbor boy was going to shoot him.) He lived in a cage in my bedroom and thought he was human. (I'm not joking.) We tried many times to let him free, but he would fly to the telephone pole, and turn right around and fly back into the house only to land in front of the t.v. (Where he would spend hours watching.) I would put him on the handlebars of my bike and ride for hours with him. He loved it and would spread his wings out and pretend to fly. Sadly one of our cats eventually got him. He was too tame for his own good. What a great pet Dandy was.

Now, I think most of you have done this already, but if you want, or if you haven't done it yet, please do so. I love learning all about you!

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum Summetime, Summertiiiiiiiiime!

It's official, summer is in full swing here. (We've waited a long time for it to get here this year.)



Cherries are in Season!

Snowcones are a must!

The outdoor pool is open!

And we are all hot and exhausted! It's great.

A couple of funnies to add:

We've all suffered our fair shares of sunburns this past week. Alyssa asked me the other day where the "A-L-O" was. She meant aloe. So funny.

Carter was hopping around on his good foot and Jarom asked him if he was a hoppy frog. He said, "No, I'm a broken man with a broken foot." Hilarious. (He can now walk around on the foot; he still limps, but at least he's not crawling anymore.)

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Carter's Prognosis

After getting x-rays today we know that Little G doesn't have any broken bones. Hooray! However, he does have a torn muscle in the top of his foot. It is very painful and he can't walk on it. But the doc said it should start feeling better in about a week. Lots of ice and ibuprofin and a little bit of love should take care of it. Hopefully he'll be up for a t-ball game sometime end of next week.

Random Pics

These girls.....what would they ever do with out each other?

Whoops, I don't feel like flipping this picture right now. I put it on here because I just LOVE the way Kate says swimsuit. "Shwimshoop", it's adorable.

Halle has been having a blast at her summer science camp. She comes home with the coolest projects and some great facts to share.

And finally, poor little Carter fell from the monkey bars last night after baseball practice and now he can't walk. (He crawls everywhere; it's pitiful.) I am wondering if he cracked his foot. I don't know what do now. I've known a couple of kids who have broken their foot and the docs said there's nothing to be done. My pediatrician isn't in today and even if he was, they don't do x-rays at their office. The ER is so blasted expensive and in my opinion, they are sometimes heartless. And the urgent care is sometimes stupid. (And by stupid, I mean they don't know what they are doing.) So what's a mother to do? I'll keep you posted.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Weddings and Water

This past weekend two of my cousins got married. They are sisters (no, they didn't marry each other) and both decided to get married on the same weekend. They live in a cute little country town about 20 minutes from Bear Lake. (A pretty popular tourist destination around here.)
Melanie and Gatlin, very young and in love. Best wishes to them!

They were married in the Oregon Trail Center. It's quite the museum and you should stop in if you ever drive through Montpelier, ID.

Their cute country wedding cake. I loved how it looked like tree bark. So fitting for them.

Janelle and Walt. They were married the day before in a canyon near by, but we weren't able to make it to that one. It was nice to be able to see them at Melanie's wedding. I can't remember the last time I saw Janelle. My how she's grown up.

My dad and my Uncle Monty (father of the brides). Get a good look because Monty doesn't dress up for many occasions.

The family waiting for refreshments in the covered wagon with giant plasma t.v. (Bet the pioneers would be really shocked to see how things have changed.)

My two men discussing important things. (Like how to behave at a wedding.)

Believe it or not, we have never been to Bear Lake, so we (my folks came too) figured since we were so close we might as well see what all the hype was about (even though we didn't bring changes of clothing).

The water is warm and shallow for a VERY LONG way out. My kids had a ball. And they all ended up riding home naked wrapped in blankets. So much for, "Just WADE!"

Something's BARE in Bear Lake!

My kids can't wait to go back.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Time Off

Okay, so I had a little break from blogging over the weekend. I read The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, and neglected just about everything. I didn't even so much as turn the computer on once. It was nice (but I feel very out of touch, I need to catch up now). I have lots of fun pictures to post but not today. I'm too tired.

Because of my book reading neglect, the house was in shambles and piles of laundry and dishes were everywhere. So today was dedicated to reclaiming normalcy. I cleaned the kitchen, got the laundry put away, cleaned a bathroom, planted the rest of my garden (thanks Miki for the seeds!!), went to a t-ball game, and finished my book. It was a good full day.

We decided to go out for dinner (seeing as I didn't go grocery shopping and there is NOTHING in the cupboards to eat). Just as we were leaving, Kate crawled into my lap and peed on me. NICE.....thanks for that one deary. Then after stuffing ourselves at dinner (Halle ate a GIANT bowl of chocolate pudding for dessert) we loaded up in the truck and Halle threw up all over the place. (Of course she had to be clear back in the third row seat.) So we rolled the windows down and headed home. And wouldn't you know it, Kate gagged from the smell and threw up too. ***SIGH*** So tonight at 10 pm I vacuumed, shampooed and thoroughly cleaned my vehicle. Just what I wanted to do. But at least it's done.

I had big plans of doing my Try-it-Tuesday post (only I was going to change the name of that; those initials really aren't the best (: ) but I'm too tired. So if you have a recipe you'd like to share post it on your blog or email me. Maybe next week....but I'm not promising anything.

Friday, June 13, 2008

What's in a Name?

My friend Stevie did a cute post about names. Where and how did we get the name we have and the same for our children? I think this is a great thing to have written down forever. So I am playing along and writing the origins of the names in my little family.

Jarom- His dad insisted on naming him Jarom. It is the name of a prophet in the Book of Mormon. His middle name is G (just the initial) which I believe stands for Gregg (his father) and George (his grandfather).

Elena- I am named after my great grandmother Daisy Eleana. My mom had me named from the time she was a tiny girl playing house. I don't think my dad had much say in the matter, but he seems to be just fine with my name.

Alyssa- I knew 100% that Alyssa was going to be a girl before the ultrasound told me. We played the name game with her thinking of Molly Kathryn, but as soon as I said Alyssa Sharee (my middle name also) I knew it was meant to be. She was named well before she was born.

Halle- She was actually named Clara Elizabeth for the first few days of her life. We have video of Alyssa meeting her in the hospital saying, "Hi baby Clara." Suddenly the video changes to us being home and me saying "Hi Halle." We had named her Clara, but for some reason Jarom just couldn't get it to roll off his tongue. He just kept calling her "baby". So I told him that I was willing to think of a new name that he felt better about. We wrote a list of names we both liked and took turns crossing off a name until the last name left was Halle Elena. And it's just perfect for her.

Carter- Jarom wanted to name him Joseph, but I wanted Carter BAD. (I really wanted Harrison, but Jarom said "No way. His name will be a sentence that kids will tease him about. Harry Man Wearing ......fill in the blank." ) When we went to the ultrasound the doc asked us if we knew what we were going to name the baby. We each said our name of choice and then the doc asked if we wanted to know the sex. Of course we said yes. And then he said, "If I can tell you 100% it's a boy, will you (Jarom) name him Carter?" Jarom said he'd agree if the doc was 100%, so the doc grabbed his chart and in PEN wrote "baby name: Carter" and proceeded to show us the boy parts. That was it, he was Carter from that day forward. He also shares Jarom's middle initial G. We like to call him Little G.

Kate- Jarom and I both have always loved the name Kate. There are a lot of Kathyrn's on Jarom's Mom's side of the family. Nicknames range from Kathyn to Katie and Jarom's great grandmother was called Kate. We decided to name her what we planned on calling her, so rather than Kathryn, we went with just Kate. In my mind a Kate is a spirited little beauty and I think our Kate fits that description rather well. Her middle name is Isabella just becuase I love the name and thought is sounded pretty with Kate.

So that's it...where we all came from. I would love to hear where you came from. So if you feel so inclined to share, please do so.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Try-It-Tuesday

So, I've been getting good feed back about maybe trying a recipe swap for "Try-It-Tuesday" posts. I think we should give this thing a whirl. Get your recipes typed up and ready to post on Tuesday. And be sure to check back here next Tuesday for more details. Who knows, maybe we'll find something good yet.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

"Oh, That's Bad!"

I gave myself a goal to try one new recipe a week this summer. I thought this would be a great way to introduce my family to ethnic cuisine, healthier foods, exotic fruits and veggies, give them a more gourmet palate, etc. I had brilliant plans to have a "Try-it-Tuesday" (or something catchy like that) weekly post complete with a 5 star rating system. Well, we are on week two and I think I'm going to give up.

Last week's Morrocan Beef and Couscous wasn't a hit for sure. Carter and I enjoyed the couscous, but everyone else "didn't get it", to use Jarom's words. I forced everyone to eat a few bites and it wasn't so bad that we couldn't stomach it, but the beef was just too sweet and strange for my garlic and onions loving family. Maybe it was the fact that I substituted the coriander for turmeric and the wine for grape juice, I don't know. But anyhow try one went into the garbage pail.

Tonight's Orange Chicken looked delish in the Kraft magazine. Jarom tasted it first and the look on his face was priceless. "Is there liquid smoke in this?", he asked with a slightly pained look. I told him that no, it was bbq sauce and orange marmalade. Then he said, "Mmmmmmmm" with an anguished grimace. So I took my bite and the only thing I could say, "Oh that's bad!" , as rice and chicken came flying out of my mouth. I didn't even make the kids try it. No need to torture them. So it's cold cereal tonight after 8 hours of slow cooking the chicken.

Who knows, maybe I'll continue my weekly try-it-out recipes and just warn you which ones to stay away from.

I Die You

Kate came in today pointing some magnetix at me. She kept saying, "I die you." I didn't get it and then she said, "Momma, I die you. You say ouch." Then I understood that she was pretending to shoot me with her homemade magnetix "gun". (Yes, she has an older brother she plays with.) It was SO cute! (In a slightly morbid sort of way.)

This picture is from the other night after Kayson's tee-pee party. I just couldn't resist her smile.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Tuesday Funnies

Today is a VERY blustery day here. (We're talking 50 mph wind gusts.) Alyssa said, "The poor trees are getting remodeled." I guess that's one way to put it. Alyssa and Halle have both been very concerned about the poor little birds that seem suspended in air.

Also today, we went to Home Depot (to TRY to find garden seeds, but the entire town is out; we're feeling rather defeated). Carter said as we pulled in the parking lot, "I want to pet the chickens!" I told him that there weren't chickens at this store so he said, "But remember, they have farms."

Me- "Farms? What are you talking about?"

Carter- "Those red farms!"

Me- "Do you mean those bully barns?"

Carter- "Yeah, I want to pet the cows too."


(For those of you who might not know what a bully barn is, I put a photo up (although it's not a red one) for educational purposes. ;) )

Happy Birthday Jennifer!!


Happy Birthday to my long time friend Jennifer P. (as she is now known in the blogging community, seriously this girl is becoming famous). I miss living in Boise this time of year because Jennifer always had such a great birthday party. My favorite being the surprise party her mom threw her. That was fun! Jennifer I hope you have a happy day today and get to do something fun. Maybe New Boots will take you for a ride. ;) If I were there I'd make you a cake!!! MISS YOU!

Monday, June 09, 2008

Manwaring Kid Fat Lip 2

So, we didn't want to be out done by Ogden and his pretty lip so I decided to kick Halle in the face and let her join the fat lip club.



Okay not really, but about 30 minutes after I read about poor Ogden, Alyssa and Halle were playing on their homemade teeter-totter swing. It collapsed and Halle got clocked with Alyssa's foot and the sled. A double whammy.


Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Today was Carter's very first t-ball game. Oh it was SO cute! I love to watch little kids play ball. Kids in the outfield tackling each other to get to the ball, other kids insisting on running the ball to where it needs to be rather than throw it. From kids running the wrong direction on the diamond, to my own son who wouldn't leave home plate once he made it for fear of getting out, it made for a very enjoyable hour.

I thought I got a video of Carter's very first bat and run, but alas, apparently I didn't hit the record button until I thought I was hitting the stop button. So I got a lovely video of the grass and me laughing and cheering for my son. ARrrgghhhh...

The Pirates did really well (and won!) including Carter. I was so proud of him and I thought Jarom might bust his buttons he was so proud.



Saturday, June 07, 2008

06-07-08 = 11

Today is our 11th anniversary. This is long and mostly written for myself as a journal entry, but feel free to enjoy our love story if you would like.

I saw Jarom standing afar on my first day of Jr. High. He immediately caught my eye and I asked around until I found out who he was. Somehow I managed to become friends with him and it was an instant bond. I had a crush on him throughout my 7th and 8th grade years, but alas, he liked my best friend instead. So I moved on and began my dating career. And although I dated many guys, Jarom was always a best friend to me. We would chat on the phone for hours and hang out as friends. And for some odd reason we always held hands when we were together. It wasn't a boyfriend-girlfriend hand lock, it was a "we are best friends from the very depth of our souls" hand lock. Like two little children who are inseparable.

When I entered high school I had the time of my life, dating away. Jarom had confessed his love to me (I told him he didn't know what he was talking about.), but I was over him at the time. I wanted to play and date a lot. But still, faithful Jarom was constantly by my side. I had not considered him as anything but a friend until one night the guy that I was in a serious relationship with said to me, "Elena you know you love Jarom." It was like a light bulb went on in my head. I did love Jarom. More than anything and suddenly I couldn't imagine EVER being without him.

I gushed my feelings to him in a note, (Isn't that the way everything was done in high school?) terrified that telling him I liked him as more than a friend would ruin everything we had. As soon as he read it, he grabbed me and took me for a ride in his car. He asked me what we were going to do about all "this". I told him, "nothing." To which he replied, "Whatever! I've waited too long to just do nothing about you." From that moment on we were an item. Exclusive and VERY much in love. (No one will ever be able to convince me that you can't really be in love and be young.)

He truly felt like a part of my soul. (He always had, but allowing the feelings of more than friendship to enter our relationship exaggerated it quite a bit.) I was NEVER nervous around Jarom and felt his unconditional love for me in everything I did. We started talking marriage long before we were old enough to really even think about it. And then Jarom decided he was going to serve a mission for our church.

I decided to move to Boise and go to school while he served his two year mission. I'll be honest, it wasn't easy for either of us. I felt like the breath had been sucked out of me for a while. And yep, I dated other guys while he was gone. But it never felt like that comfortable "I'm home" feeling I got when I was with Jarom. The minute he returned from his mission those feelings came flooding back. We felt like we hadn't missed a beat.

We were engaged 3 weeks later (He recreated our first date by taking me to dinner at the Loft and then proposed to me down by the falls.) and married 4 months after he got home. Jarom is my soul mate. We've been through thick and thin together (getting more to the thick stage of life now) and I am so grateful that I married my best friend. I love you Jarom, you stupid, stupid man! (It's a line from Everybody Loves Raymond that we like to quote around here.)

My room mates in college introduced me to Steven Curtis Chapman and I fell in love with "I Will Be Here." Jarom surprised me by singing it to me at our wedding luncheon and it has been "our song" ever since. This is a fairly long video, but listening to the song is worth watching all 4 minutes.

Friday, June 06, 2008

Allergies

My allergies are going nuts this year. I sneeze like crazy. And not just little cute aaachoo's like I normally do. These are rapid fire, you better cross your legs, from the gut sneezes. The back of my throat feels like a gob of goo is stuck in it and it itches like crazy. I have to do the back of the throat squeak honk scratch that only talented people can do. And my lips and eyes...I want to scratch them off my head. It's that annoying under the skin itch that you just can't quite satisfy. I hope it ends soon. Is anyone else suffering this year?

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Piano Recital

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! To Deanna for allowing me to enter my girls in her piano studio recital. I teach my own kids piano (but no one else, been there done that, DONE with that) so it makes it hard to have a recital with only two students. The bad part about teaching my own children is that I skip lessons WAY too often and forget to make them practice. (You'd think that after all the years of having my own studio and getting so aggrivated over non-practicers and no-shows that I'd do a little better with my own. But I don't.)

So anyway, I decided to find a recital that they could be in to make us ALL practice and have lessons on a regular schedule. And it worked! AND my girls did great; I was very proud of them. Alyssa's name was drawn to go first and I think it flustered her a bit. She left out half of her second song (her best one), but ended it nicely on a tonic chord, so I'm okay with that. Her face coming down afterwards was priceless though! (I've tried and tried to get it to work, but it won't. So I'm removing that video.) Way to go girls!!! Now, keep practicing and make your mom give you a lesson.


Hurry-Scurry (Don't know why it cut the last bit of the song off.)



Magic Pony


Air or Papa Haydn (I love how she practically has to will her fingers to finish the last measure. So cute.)

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday to my mom! My mom is a great mom and a great friend to me. She's always willing to help out whenever we need anything. My kids adore her and so does my dog. :) (He'd make a great birthday present by the way.) My mom has a kind heart and loves her family more than anything. Thank you mom for being you and Happy Birthday!
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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Happy Birthday Kayson!!


Happy 4th birthday to my cute nephew Kayson! We are so excited for your tee-pee party! Friday can't come soon enough. We love you.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

To Logan For Izzie's Blessing

Over the weekend we enjoyed spending time with Jarom's family for the blessing of cute little Izzie. Is she not adorable?!

We all entertained ourselves on Chris and Katie's trampoline. The grandkids enjoyed playing crack the egg with Papa. And I dusted off my skills of doing backflips. (Sorry folks no photo.) That's right, this old lady's still got it.

I love this shot of Truman and Izzie hanging out together. We get to do this all again next month for Truman's big day.

I decided to stay an extra day and join Missy, Katie, Becky and kids at the Hogle Zoo. It was a lot of fun with beautiful weather. The highlight of the trip came when we took all 14 kids to a restaurant for lunch. They asked us if we were a daycare......LOL!!!!

Charts


Everything at our house lately has been about charts. We have a scripture reading chart, chore charts, Kate has a potty chart. Lots of charts. So today I hear Carter say, "Okay Johnny, you didn't bark so let's make you a bark chart. You get one circle today for not barking." Then he hung Johnny's chart on the fridge. LOL!