Kids say the funniest things!

So, we have had a turkey in our freezer for a while and we decided it was time to pull it out and cook it up. Well, yesterday David got home from work and we were cleaning the turkey and chatting while getting it ready to put in the pan. Ryan was watching us and seemed very interested in what we were doing - asking lots of questions. So I go to pull the neck out of the bird and I hold it up and ask David if he wants to keep it or toss it. Ryan sees it and points and yells "Is that his wenis? You pulled out his wenis!" David and I could not stop laughing! My only comment to David was "I will never look at the neck of a turkey the same again!"

In Awe...

Ok, I know you have all heard me say how happy we are here in Arizona. I also know that I say all the time how fortunate we are to be in such an incredible ward. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful friends and ward members all around us. I tell my parents, sisters, brothers, friends, anyone that will listen how each and every day we are amazed at how lucky we are. The past 10 days David and I have been sick. For a few days we were so sick neither of us functioned very well. Now these things may seem like nothing to most people, but to me, they are HUGE!! I had signed up to clean the church last Saturday morning. Friday night I knew there was no way I was going to make it with how I felt. I didn't want to be a flake, so I called the RS Presidency and left messages -and kept calling until I got someone at home- to tell them I wouldn't be able to be there. Well, Sunday morning the RS Pres called and said she didn't realize David was also sick, and would I like her to come get my kids to take them to church. Ummm... YES!!!!! So she picked up the 3 older ones and took them to church. She also asked if I wanted her to bring us dinner that night! WOW!! My friend, Kerrie, had a birthday on Friday Jan 30th. Her sweet husband planned a party for her for Sunday (superbowl sunday) and I had to call them to say we wouldn't be there. I felt HORRIBLE that I had to cancel! What does she do? She leaves her OWN party to bring us dinner Sunday night! WOW!! Then, Monday as I am getting out of the shower I hear the doorbell. I go to the door and it's Kerrie's husband with a box of food and lots of soda's! Are you kiding me? How do I deserve these people as friends?? WOW!! I had another sweet friend call that day and ask if she could bring dinner. The list continues with so many more little things that have been done for us. These things are done regularly! Last time we were all sick (remember the throwing up post???) I had people calling and bringing dinner then too! When they took our rental furniture away the week of Christmas, someone from church called on Christmas Eve and said they had a recliner chair for us and to come and get it. I didn't want to ruin their Christmas Eve, but she insisted. Plus she had another friend who had a big oversized chair that we could take. These people were so nice! David's parents were coming to town the next day and we had no furniture for them to sit on. Now we had two big chairs that they found incredibly comfortable. WOW!! I could go on forever about all the little things that people have done for us. And it's even more than what people have done for us. It's the hugs at church, the simple smiles and friendly hello's as you pass someone in the hall at church or see them at the grocery store. It is the 'we are so happy you are here' that I hear almost every Sunday at church. The waves hello from passing cars, the happy friendly bank teller, the cheerful smiling cashier at the store, it's all of these little things!
You see, you all may think that these are no big deal. You may do this all the time for anybody. You may think nothing of it when you offer these little things to anyone who needs it. But I just want to say that they are a very big deal to me! I am IN AWE ever day at the generosity, friendship and love by everyone here. Maybe this is just the way it is here. Maybe everyone here in this area is just always this incredible. Maybe no one else thinks it's anything special, but from where I came from, IT IS!!! People didn't act like this where I came from. Maybe it is a change in me, maybe it is the people here. I don't know, but I am truly GRATEFUL!

Tyler, Tyler, Tyler...

Well, my little Tyler is quite the 2 year old. Just like most 2 year olds, he can turn the house upside down in no time! He can make a just cleaned room a mess in under 3 seconds! I seriously feel like I have to follow him around all day just to clean up all the messes he makes! I go from one mess to the next... Well, I was folding laundry, thinking the other kids were watching him (that was a mistake! It always is, but somehow I think someday it won't be!!!). I realized he was not with the other kids in the backyard, so I called for him. No answer. I called again, still no answer. I started looking through the house, and I found him. He was sitting on the bathroom sink smearing 'lotion' all over his half naked body! The only problem is, it was not lotion... It was TOOTHPASTE!!!


At first I couldn't believe what he had done! I was irritated that I would have to, again, clean up another mess. But then I just laughed! It was so funny to see him sitting there with toothpaste all over his legs and arms. At first he would not look at me. He just kept looking in the mirror with his pouty/mad face. Eventually I got him to smile and laugh with me.


How do you get mad at that face?!?!?!! Oh Tyler, you keep me on my toes!

Just a quick laugh

David and I were out shopping for furniture today when the kids got home from school. After receiving multiple phone calls from them asking about after school snack, can they eat the brownies, etc. Michael calls and says "It is so hot! Can we swim?" I laugh and look at the thermometer in the car. I try to convince him it is not HOT, it is only 78 degrees. He insists it is hot and he 'sweated just walking from his room to the kitchen.' I suggest they open some windows, that doesn't satisfy them. David says 'just let them swim.' So I agree. We are on our way home and almost home at that. When we get home, they are by the pool, waterfall on, and Michael is holding Christina's towel for her so that as soon as she jumps in she can immediately jump out and into a dry towel. Which she did. Michael jumped in, swam to the other side and back, and immediately wrapped himself in a towel. Amanda insists she is in and that it is not cold (she is wet up to her knees). 10 minutes later Michael is complaining that something must be wrong with his feet because he can't feel them. I wonder why!?!?!? He ended up warming his feet in the tub with some warm water until he could feel them again.
If they thought it was HOT today, at 78 degrees, I wonder what summer will feel like!

Inspired

OK, so in my last post I mentioned that one of my goals was to become a healthier person. I also said that I would exercise. My friend Kristine runs marathons - she says half marathons, but hey, ANY marathon is a marathon to me!!! On one of her posts I had commented that I don't run - even when being chased. Well 2 weeks ago we were at church and started talking about running. I told her I would love to start running, but I just can't do it. Then she made the comment that inspired me to give it a try. In one short, quick sentence she said "when I started I could barely make it to the church around the corner from my house." I don't know if it was the competitive streak in me - that has been a little dormant the last 6 months - or something else, but I thought 'If she can do it, I can do it!' And now she runs marathons! Well, I am happy to report that I have been running for two weeks now! I couldn't run very far that first day - like maybe a tenth of a mile!!! But each day I have tried to run a little further. Even if it is just 2 or 3 sidewalk squares. My route is 2 1/2 miles and I run a little more than 1/2 mile of it. Usually I run in two increments and sometimes - if I am feeling really good - I will run three times. I can't believe how hard it is. Today she told me I could join them in a marathon! Ha ha... Let's just take this one day at a time!

I am enjoying my time alone, and I find that I am so much more patient with my kids when I take the time for myself. It clears my head and calms me down. It is weird. But, if I don't get out there and walk or run, I am less patient and more irritable. So I guess there are other benefits to becoming a healthier person!

So, thank you Kristine, for INSPIRING me to run!

Is it really 2009?!?!?!?

2009, that just sounds so... distant. Remember the whole Y2K Bug thing?? Was that really 9 years ago??? I only had 2 kids, and our Y2K bug was a sickness, nothing techie at all! Christina and I were both admitted to the hospital the day after Christmas and we all spent New Years huddled in our bed while applying cold compresses all over Michaels body to try to get his 104 temperature down. Wow, I can't believe that was 9 years ago! Well, I have heard so many people say "Let's hope 2009 is better than 2008." It seems to be a common feeling that many are happy to see 2008 go. I am curious what 2009 will bring. I am not big on making New Years Resolutions, although this year I may have a couple. Should I share them? If I do, will they not come to pass or... If I do will it force me to be more accountable? Well, I will share one or two.
First and foremost I want to RESOLVE this insurance thing that is hanging over my head! I am STILL compiling my list of items lost in the fire. I am at 23 pages and the list is still growing. I just received a list from the insurance company a few days ago and they have 715 items listed. (not sure where they got their list from, but I will be finding out soon) Unfortunately NONE of our furniture is on the list, so I am left to believe it is from the lists that were compiled back in CA through Custom Restoration (our friends that really helped us right after the fire). So, my first resolution is to get the insurance claim resolved. Then I can go shop for furniture! :)
Next, I want to be a more healthy person. I do not like to cook. I have no idea how to prepare a nutritionally balanced meal. So, I want to learn more about that and also try cooking. Wanna share any good recipes?? I NEED good recipes! (Oh, add that to the insurance list... all my recipe books) Yes, I did own quite a few recipe books, I just never used them. Along with learning to cook and eating healthier, I WILL exercise!!! You hear that world?? I WILL exercise!! I starting walking soon after we moved here, and then David started working nights and I sorta stopped. But, I have started again.
That is all I will share for now. I don't want to shoot too high and fall flat on my face. I am interested to see what 2009 has in store for me and my family. We made a lot of changes in 2008, major life changes, and we are very happy with those changes, so I am very excited to see what is in store for us. I can only end with... NO, I am NOT pregnant!

Monday already?

Wow, where did time go? It is already Monday, and Christmas is over. That can be a relief and a sad thing. We had a great Christmas. David's parents came in Christmas evening. Got here in time for dinner! :) We hadn't opened all the presents, so after dinner we finished. We saved the best for last! We had bought a Wii about 3 months ago and it sat in my closet until Christmas Eve when I wrapped it. I thought the kids had seen it for sure, as they have been known to 'play' in the closet and climb to the Halloween candy that was stored at the top of the closet. Well, it was the last present pulled from under the tree and we gave each kid a different box to open (one was the Wii, there were 2 games and an additional DDR mat) so each of them -except Tyler- got a box to open. We had them open them at the same time. Yeah, I think they liked it!
Then the day after Christmas we went to the Mesa Temple to see the lights and hear a quartet sing. It was absolutely beautiful. David's dad said even Temple Square didn't have as many lights! It was so cold, but we enjoyed the night.
Yesterday we made one of my favoite things at Christmas time. David's dad is from Norway, and many years ago I was introduced to a favorite Norweigan Christmas dessert. Now you all know how much I love dessert. This is one of my favorites. Whenever his parents come to visit at Christmas, I BEG his mom to make it. It is called Sandkake. (don't know if I spelled it right...) It is so yummy! So his mom surprised me with the tarts already made, we just had to fill them with the creamy goodness that makes them so good! We sat and ate them all! I only had 2, ok, I may have had 3, 4... I may have lost count! :) It was fun to carry on this tradition with his parents.
Tonight we played the DDR game on the Wii. I had to get my camera and take a picture of Grandma trying out the game.
What a good sport! We couldn't get Grandpa to try -he claimed he would make us all look bad... Maybe next time.
All in all, we had a great Christmas and have enjoyed, very much, having David's parents here with us to help celebrate this wonderful time of year.