The good, the bad, and the ugly. The fun the festive and the yummy.

Here is my unnecessarily lengthy synopsis of our eventful weekend.

We planned out our Thanksgiving this year to go as smoothly as possible on all parties involved. Usually I haul a trunk full of stuff (food, kitchen tools and supplies, etc.) to Cami's as early as we can get ourselves there, and start preparing. I usually like the idea of a busy kitchen with Christmas music and hubbub on Thanksgiving. But it seems something always gets neglected or forgotten in all the business (remember my sad croissants last year?), and I don't always get to fully enjoy the culinary magic that comes with this feasting holiday. So this year, I merrily volunteered to make the meal, and have it ready by noon for our company to show up and enjoy. I like to have meals as early as possible, so I forced this upon my guests. I hope they didn't mind.

The good: The food prep could not have gone more smoothly. Like I said before, I bought most of my groceries on Friday, I did a tiny bit or shopping on Tuesday, and one last minute trip on Wednesday, all with hardly a line to stand in. I love that. Anyway, I did as much food prep as I could on Wednesday. I wanted to do a lot more including the table setting and furniture rearranging, but I was pretty burned out. I actually thought I was getting sick and had to sleep/lie down for a lot of the day. I was feeling achy and weird. But when I woke up from my nap I was feeling much better and ready to start my checklist. I even got the turkey all ready to just pop in the oven (we don't stuff our turkey, so don't worry, the stuffing wasn't in there all night). I woke up bright and early Thursday, but was not rushed at all. I turned on the Christmas music and got to work. As soon as I put the turkey in, everything else was last minute stuff. So I was able to leisurely get myself and everything ready and even sit for a few moments (and I needed it. I forgot how much working in the kitchen challenges my back.) to enjoy a little of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. KC was a great helper, and it was a fun morning together. This picture is me stuffing sage rosemary butter under the turkey skin. If you can handle getting your hands in there, it's so worth it.
The Yummy: The guests arrived with some delicious additions for the table of food, and we all sat down for a great meal. Even the kids sat for a while at their little table. I loved having the Turpins and the Cottrells in our home. It's nice to have a place this year that can accommodate everyone. We had everything from apple sausage stuffing, to macadamia nut crusted sweet potatoes, and of course our favorite pretzel jello. We ate ourselves to our fullest with the traditional feast. I'm relieved to say everything turned out quite well. We relaxed for a moment or two before we headed to the Turpin's for dessert, cheese ball, and games. KC and I did as many dishes as we could so we wouldn't be overwhelmed when we got home, and then joined everyone. We had a great time perusing the black Friday ads, and played some low key games. When we decided we were hungry again, we tried to eat some dessert and snacks. I was seriously hurting. Too much food. Also, thanks to Cami for letting me steal these pictures.

The bad and the Ugly: A while after dessert during another game, KC told me he was feeling a little weird. I was so full that I was feeling sick, so I thought that's what he meant. But he said no, it was that distinct sick feeling. After a while he said we better go home. So we started on our way and he asked me to stop at a rest stop to let the nausea pass. After waiting a few minutes, we went on our way again, but we didn't even make it home before that plastic bag I keep in the car came in very handy. Poor guy got rid of his whole day of Thanksgiving food. I was all of the sudden freaking out that he had food poisoning. But from what I heard, no one else was sick, so looks like he had a stomach bug. He spent the next few hours after that back and forth to the bathroom. How awful for my poor KC. I was so happy to see him sleeping peacefully after that hard night. Hopefully he's not completely against thanksgiving food now. We just had leftovers for dinner so I think he's okay. It took him a couple days to want any, but he's trooper. I hate to see him in such misery. I'm always so relieved when those episodes are over. A similar thing happened to me last year. What is our problem?

The fun: On Friday, I was itching to get out of the house. KC was still recovering, so gave him some choices of foods to try to eat and headed out for a little shopping. I usually avoid places where I know crowds may be present (i.e. the mall on Black Friday), and I guess I felt so cooped up from cooking for a couple days straight and dealing with the flu that I was willing to take my chances. I'm so glad I did. I went to an outdoor mall and it was so fun to see all the cheerful faces and hear the fun music. I got some great deals, and actually had some nice conversations with some friendly strangers. There were hardly any lines since I went around 8:30 am and the early morning rush was over. I also got a couple big pots of poinsettias for only 99 cents each at Home depot. Nice. And don't worry, I snagged a copy of Pee Wee's Christmas Special on sale. Oh how I love that show. Here's a little clip. Maybe it will help you see why I love it so.
You may not love it like I do, but this has been part of Christmas for as long as I remember, so I'm proud to own it and to be able to watch it every year, even when I don't get to go to my parents' house for the holidays. Anyway, we relaxed for the rest of the day and we decided a movie would be fun. We saw Four Christmases, and though a little questionable in parts, it was a good laugh. It was mostly just nice to get away from the busy weekend to enjoy some mindless entertainment. Then we just relaxed some more. Our theme for that day I guess.

The Festive: Saturday morning, after I did some Young women stuff, and KC did some work stuff, we met up with the Turpins to go cut down our Christmas tree. We drove through the beautiful Howard County, passing some gigantic and gorgeous houses on acres of land, to the tree farm. We had such a fun time hunting down the perfect tree with the little boys. We got a pretty full tree. Maybe we're just so excited to have enough space for it that we went a little overboard. Well, I love it and I love the smell. I hope it lasts this whole month. We'll decorate it soon, when we have time, but until then, I just love is as greenery in our living room. I'll post more pictures of this outing later. We ended the day by watching Dan in Real Life. I love that show. It's crazy that Christmas is here!I'll take a moment to write about how thankful I am for so many things. My sweet and enduring husband, my warm home, my extremely supportive family (including in-laws!), my loyal friends, and my loving and forgiving Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ. There are so many little things I take for granted every day. I have so much to be happy for. For all these things, I am truly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

To make up for my lack of pictures

I thought share our indulgence the other night. I was seriously craving one of those huge sugar cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles-Granny B's I think-so I came home from out dinner out and went promptly to the kitchen. Thanks Lori, for the dough recipe that doesn't have to be refrigerated before being rolled, cut, and baked. I needed these bad boys right then. And yes, they were (and still are) as good as they look.

Tidbits

I just found out that we are in the middle of National Adoption Month. How about that! Maybe we'll get some good vibes or something. Hopefully a lot of those older kids in foster care, etc. will get placed in homes. What a nice gift for them and the families right before Christmas.

Also, I don't delve much into the Twilight hype, whether it's about the literature, the author, or the film (not that I don't have opinions). But I have to say I am getting a bit tired of it. It's been on every news program, morning show, and in regular conversations/blogs non-stop for the past week or more. Seriously, is it really that good? I might see it someday since I did read Twilight ages ago (I only halfheartedly read the next one and stopped there), and I did enjoy the new story and ideas the book had. It was a nice brainless activity I suppose. But I'll definitely wait until I don't have to sit in a theater of hundreds of giggly fans. That's just not me. And just now on Regis and Kelly, they were talking about the ever-loving movie, and a woman from the audience was reading it that moment and assured Kelly she would love it because it's all "vampires and sex." Hmm. . . Aren't you glad there are a bunch of little girls seeing with with their moms? What a warm and fun family activity. Quite frankly, I usually get annoyed with most frivolous things that get a lot of hyper-fan publicity. Remember this post? Twilight just happens to be one of those. (And I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a bit glad it only got 44% on rotten tomatoes.)

On a lighter note, I woke up so happy this week with the traditional feast to look forward to. I always love cooking for Thanksgiving, if it's not hectic and I feel prepared, that is. My grocery shopping was done last Friday, and I'm feeling pretty good. I made the decision to, instead of making some new things, make all the basics as good as I know how. I feel like I always take on too much trying to make Thanksgiving new and exciting, leaving the traditional dishes in the dust not getting the attention and love they deserve. And it makes me feel like my new ideas turn out mediocre as well. We're also taking a break from the turkey fryer. I do love a fried turkey, but it's quite a bit of work and $$ with that costly peanut oil. And there are so many great roasted turkey recipes out there I love. So, looks like we're going back to basics this year. That's my goal at least.

Sorry, but there's nothing we can do about it.

I've been told this several times today about one situation or another. It's actually quite humorous that with every call, I received the same answer. In some of the circumstances, it was a relief, while in others, it was just plain annoying. Here's the haps:

• Our water has been tasting a little off, like moldy or dirty, for a week or two. I have talked to others in the county, claiming they found the same thing going on at their house. I even filter my water, and can't enjoy it unless I add a little lemon to it. So I called our waste management (or something) people, leading me on a wild goose chase of about six phone calls, each person claiming that "this is the number you should be calling." Finally, when talking to the right person, she just told me that several people have complained about this, and they do every year since it seems to happen when winter arrives. I haven't noticed it until this year, but she acted like it was just how it is, and there is nothing we can do about it. Looks like we'll be going through a lot of bottled water, which I usually only use in dire circumstances. I guess this is one. Annoying, but we'll live.
• There was an unfortunate turn of events in my kitchen this morning. I simply wanted a bowl of cereal, so I reached for my favorite little Pampered Chef Prep Bowl. As I tried to unstack it from the rest, not one, but all of them came out of the cupboard toward me, one of them landing on one of my favorite Corelle plates, taking both of them to the hard and unforgiving tiled floor. It was a mess. Glass broken like I'd never seen. Into smithereens. Dust. And two of my favorite pieces no less. I am a little neurotic about having complete sets of things, so with two of my sets incomplete, I went promptly making calls. Corelle plates are known for being chip and break resistant, so I thought they have a pretty good warranty. I read up about it online, figured mine broke under replaceable circumstances and gave them a call. Turns out there are only a couple ways to make it eligible for replacement. If it comes to you broken, or if it mysteriously breaks on its own. What is the freaking five year warranty for anyway? I didn't use it as a weapon, or use it to pry anything open, I didn't put it in the oven or on the stove top. It simply fell off the counter, and that isn't good enough for them. For a single salad plate, it will cost over $12.00, with shipping. Not too bad, I know. But still an annoyance.
  
• Now, Pampered Chef has always been good to me as far as returns, and replacements go. In fact, one of these very bowls had broken before, and it was a very simple procedure getting the replacement. So I called Molly, a Pampered Chef consultant and friend, and asked her what steps to take. She said that all I need is my receipt and I'm good to go. So, during one of my last returns, I sent my receipt, being too lazy to copy it, with the item for verification. And I can't find any of the other paperwork. I know it's around here somewhere. So she basically told me that without that, there is nothing I can do. I think I'll search around some more, and make a couple calls. I know this isn't an emergency, but I want my whole set of prep bowls, dang it.
• I went to the dentist a month or so ago inquiring if I needed to get my wisdom teeth out. I had felt a little more pressure than usual, so they took this fancy Panorex x-ray thing. I'm pretty sure I'd had that before, so I'm pretty sure I asked them if it was covered. Or they should've told me that it's usually not, or something. But I just did as I was told, and then we got the bill. About 100 bucks for that since my insurance doesn't cover more than one of those ever 5 years or something, and I guess I didn't have my records from my previous dentist sent. They also said they needed a current x-ray to send to the oral surgeon for when I see him for my wisdom teeth. So no weaseling out of that one. I know, again, it's not much money, but still a blow. I just paid it right then on the phone, and am washing my hands. Nothing I can do about that one.
  
• I thought I'd save the best for last. My car, along with a recently burned out headlight, is sporting a new sound since it's been cold. I don't like weird sounds in cars. So we took it in. I hate taking it in as well. You never know what their gonna start saying you need, and how much money you'll have to throw down. But we trust our new place, so we left it over night for them to check it first thing this morning when it's nice and cold, and the sound is the loudest. It seems to go away as the car and the weather warm up. So I called them up, and he simply said that it was the power steering pump that when cold lets a little air in it making this weird sound. He said his wife's car does the same thing and it sometime happens in the cold weather. Nothing serious or life threatening. Just a little obnoxious. But I can stand sounds if I know I'm not in danger because of it. So he was very kind and said it was fine and ready to pick up. He also looked at another simple, non-scary thing I asked him about (a loose gear shifter thing) and fixed it, no problem. It almost sounded as if there was no charge. Maybe there will be, but I'm sure if he does charge us, it won't be nearly as much as many car fixes seem to be. So this is one of the times I was kind of glad I was told there was nothing I can do, cause it means less money for me to pay.
  

So that is my long and drawn out saga about my day of phone calls, let downs, and surprises. It could be a lot worse, so I'm not complaining, just thought it was quite coincidental.

I've never been good at proofreading.

So sorry about all the obvious typos in my previous, and all my other posts. Sometimes I just miss the dumbest things. I wish I could overcome, but for some reason, those mistakes keep slipping through the cracks. I'm reminded of this post I wrote long ago. Hopefully my readers will forgive my laziness.

A true inspiration

I think everyone who goes through infertility feels like they have gone through so much, and learned so many things along the way, that they could write a book about it. It's like you've been forced into a different life so gradually, that it becomes second nature to speak this new language, or have all these procedures. It happens in so many little step,s that when you look back you realize just how much you've changed and learned. An evolution of sorts. That's why there is so much literature on the topic. I thought reading a book about other peoples' experiences might be therapeutic during this tough time, but with the vast amounts of literature out there, how is one supposed to choose? Enter KC, casually looking through the endless shelves of books at the library. He brought the book Unsung Lullabies to me, asking me if I had mentioned it before. I had, and even had it on a possible Christmas list last year, but sort of forgot about it. I was thrilled that he found this book that I'd heard such raving reviews about, and seriously couldn't wait to crack it open (I made myself finish my book group selection first, otherwise I would've lost interest being so involved in my new find). Little did I know what an impact it would have on me.

When struggling with infertility, you hear about many many people who have gone through the what they call that same pains as you. It's not always pleasant to hear what others have to say: "My friend couldn't have kids for 10 years and then finally got pregnant." (Yeah, that's not too encouraging though it might seem to be.) Or, "My brother has been trying to adopt for 4 years with no luck." (Just fyi, if you have to start a story with "I probably shouldn't tell you this", then you probably shouldn't, even if you feel like that's the only way you can contribute to the conversation.) I don't blame anyone for saying these things. And I don't want people to be afraid to talk to me. I used to be, and still am in their position, knowing nothing about any given situation that someone was going through, and probably saying the wrong things, trying to avoid awkwardness that comes with saying nothing at all. It's a tough position for all parties.

Yet some people are very encouraging with the stories of a successful IVF, or seamless adoption. I love to hear those stories (but I also get very jealous that someone has had success and I haven't yet-something I am trying very hard to overcome). But the point is, no matter what anyone else has gone through, my story is completely different. I still feel alone even with the dozens of stories I hear about people "like" me. This book made me truly realize that what I am going through has been dealt with before, and although that doesn't mean I have less of a trial, it still helped me realize that someone had come out on top, and gave me great instructions on how to do it. It took this book and these authors to do that for me. For some reason it was different than random stories I hear from people around me.

The people in the book sharing their experiences, however, were completely honest in stating that they will be affected for the rest of their lives from this hardship, for better and for worse. That also helped me. I keep thinking that this will all be in the dust one day and forgotten, but at other times I don't think it will ever go away, and I wonder how to deal with it for the rest of my life. It was like they gave me permission to feel whatever way felt best to me at any given moment, and deal with it accordingly. Nothing was right, or wrong. It just is what it is, and that's okay.

It was as if someone had taken the thoughts out of my head, conversations with KC, and words out of my journals as I read. Even thoughts and feelings that I didn't even realize I had. It validated me like I never thought possible. I could honestly take one out of every five sentences in the 260 something-page book and tell you something about my personal experience that related. My mom even read it, and I was so touched by that. When she called me exclaiming how much more she understood about us, and what we are going through, I felt such a surge of relief, like from this point on I'm not nearly alone as before.

I have had my book as a constant companion for over a month, reading, analyzing, crying, feeling upset, and feeling so comforted by the words that were written. I felt like as long as I had it with me, I could get through anything: surprise (or accidental-those are the best) pregnancy announcements, baby showers, or even just chatting with my friends since kids are an inevitable topic among people my age. I don't become upset at anyone in particular in these situations, it's just that what others view as simple, everyday things, are very difficult for me to make it through sometimes. And I hate that they sometimes feel like they have to hold back conversations for fear of hurting my feelings. I'm just feel stuck. I want so much to be involved in what it seems everyone and their dog is talking about, but instead I find myself either sitting there with a stupid smile on my face as I hold back the tears, or trying to relate by talking about my nieces and nephews or the kids I babysit. It's just not the same. But I do care deeply about the things my family and friends are going though, so I make myself ask the right questions, or do the right things, even if I feel like it's scripted. I don't want to deprive myself of these times, or let my friends or family down by not supporting them in their exciting or difficult times. So I keep the book nearby as a reminder that what I am going through is a real part of my life, and I'm not upset all the time for an invalid reason, but a real life-altering trauma that I need to deal with. And it reminds me that I can try to live my life normally under these circumstance, even though I feel like a science experiment, or a charity case most of the time.

If you are, or know of anyone who is dealing with any stage of infertility, and want to know what they are going through, what they need from you, or even what to say, this book is a must read. I can't say it enough. It's like my infertility bible. I'm not telling anyone they have to read it, or to read it as a ploy for me to receive pity, but just the opposite. Especially for those in the throes of this heartbreaking, and courageous time. It really can open your eyes, and instead of giving (or wanting) pity, or not knowing what to say to your loved ones, you can truly know the deep dark thoughts and feelings that they are enveloped in. And come out with answers and lifted spirits.

I could really go on all day (or longer) about this topic, and this blog really is a good place since I hate monopolizing regular conversations with it (like sometimes happens, and I always leave feeling so awkward and rude), but that is for a later date. This was just my review of a book I'll probably read over and over again, reaping the benefits every time. It has put me in a different place than I was before. Not that it is the secret to happiness or anything, but it was what I needed, at the time I needed it, and I think that is why it had such an impact on me. I'm here in this place, and since there is only so much I can do, I might as well get as much out of it as I can. It was true blessing from my Heavenly Father. He only gives us as much as we can handle. I'm truly surprised I've made it this far. I know he had a hand in that. And it's with little inspirations like this simple book.

Ahh. Finally got that all out.

We are nerds. . .

. . .and we know it. You will see as you view the slide show just how dorky sisters can be when they get together. There's something about being completely comfortable with your company, and knowing that whatever you do or say doesn't matter because those people will love you no matter what. I think that is the main thing I took away from this weekend.

I'll start by saying that the slide show you are about to watch, should you decide to, is pictures taken with both Cami's and Melody's cameras. So there are a lot of baby Jane shots (which are so cute), and other shots of Cami's photography skills or whatever.

So we'll start with Thursday night. They were scheduled to land at about 10 pm in DC. It was fun staying up to wait for them, but hard to wait the entire day. And to make matter worse, their flight from their layover was delayed over two hours. So the plan that Cami and I had to surprise then at the airport (instead of them taking the metro conveniently in the airpot) was down the tubes, and KC and I just went to pick them up at about 12:30. Good thing they were on Utah time and it was 2 hours earlier to them. It was hard to go to sleep with so much to talk about and wanting to just be together, but we finally did.

The next morning, Friday, we got up and got ready together. (There's something so fun about getting dressed and ready in the morning with people to talk to and get advice from. It always seems we wear someone else's clothes when we are together cause it's just more fun.) We made our way to Cami's house, and promptly went to the Mall where we of course had a great time buying things we did, and didn't need. We went back to Cami's for siesta time and to re-watch The Office for some laughs. We headed to the store for the makings of loaded nachos. It's a bad thing for me to eat nachos with everything and fresh salsa. I can't stop. So after we were sick with our stomachs stuffed to the max with the delicious junk food, we very excitedly played a few games and laughed until our stomachs hurt some more, like we always do. Amber stayed to sleep at Cami's and Melody came along with KC and me.

Saturday morning, I think we all had a little hangover from the night before, so we took it easy in the morning. The weather was weird being all 70s and raining. Melody and I went to get dinner stuff (her first time at Aldi, I'm so proud) and of course Target. It's so much more fun to do the regular things with different, people, ya know? The other girls came over, we made delicious sandwiches, and decided to take a little trip down town to DC. It is very close to my house after all. After FINALLY getting to a parking garage, we went to Ford Theater that happened to be closed, bummer. So we thought we'd just go see an IMAX at a Smithsonian museum or something. We got to a corner, something like Pennsylvania and 12th, only a few block from the White House, when we were stopped on all sides by police not letting us cross the streets. All kinds of sirens and bulletproof cars with different flags mounted on the hoods passed us. And they just kept coming. KC told us later it was the G 20, coming to discuss some economic issues or something. Pretty cool to witness nevertheless. While we were waiting to cross, merely blocks from our destination, the wind started to feel the eerie way it feels before a downpour. I warned the girls of what was to come, and not soon after, the giant raindrops were upon us like crazy. We ran into the nearby drugstore, keeping cute little Jane in mind. We bought some garbage bags to wrap our valuables in, and decided to head back to the car. It pretty much stopped raining, but we were done anyway. We rested a little at my house, did a little dinner prep, and headed to Cami's for dinner. The boys were already there watching some intense BYU game or something. We enjoyed pasta with homemade turkey spinach meatballs (soon to be in EE), and had to go on an ice cream run. The key lime pie ice cream was awesome. KC, Melody and I left a little earlier, being exhausted from our long day. We tried to stay up and watch a fun old movie, but sleep got the better of us.

So, we had big plans on Sunday. I suggested we go to Philadelphia, with that being on mine and KC's list for this fall. Amber and Melody were very excited to run up the Rocky steps, and I REALLY wanted a Philly cheese steak from Geno's. We found out from the guy behind us in line that it was the best of the best. We knew it was famous, but we were glad to have a seasoned Geno's eater confirm it. So we walked up to the window and ordered our "wiz wit" (that's the lingo for Cheese wiz with onions, the best way to have it) and thoroughly enjoyed them in the car, due to the bitter cold. We saw Liberty Hall, the Liberty Bell, walked on some charming and quaint cobblestone roads, and last but not least ran up the step of the museum that Rocky himself climbed during a dramatic scene in the movie (that I have yet to see in full. I know, I know, it's crazy that I haven't yet). This is where the extreme nerdiness came it. Amber, the craziest of us all had us laughing so hard with her energy and giddiness. She is quite a character. We all took our turns, Melody and I going together, and took a lot of embarrassing movies and pictures to prove it. It was an event to remember. We rested a lot on the 2 1/2 hour drive home, but had a nice warm pot roast and veggies ready for us in the crock pot when we got there. A great meal after a long day in the cold. We couldn't help but watch a few really funny SNL clips on hulu, including The one I have posted below, that we couldn't help but sing constantly because of the fact that we were all together, and sister, like it states in the song. I guess watching ridiculous things online is one of our favorite pastimes. Lili must have done it to us. We so wished you were there with us. Maybe you could've found more for us to laugh hysterically at. Anyway, we left exhausted once again, and went straight to bed. It's never fun waking up and getting ready the day fun guests have to leave. But their flight didn't leave until the afternoon, we we had time to grab a bite at Panera, and go to Target, yet again to get last minute items. I took them to the airport in DC, passing the beautiful monuments that are so close to the freeway. It's always nice to remember how close we are to such a historical place. We said our goodbyes, and though this usually involves a lot of tears, we were gladdened by that fact that Cami and I are planning to come there in a couple months. In fact, last night, I purchased my tickets to arrive at the end of January. It was seriously the cheapest tickets I've seen in so long. I'm staying for a long time with no plans, so it will be so much fun to chill together all over again. And this time with more people that I dearly miss.

So, sisters, I am so happy to have been able to have fun with you guys. There's really nothing like getting together with family and just laughing to tears. I miss you so much already. Cami and I will see you soon, so look at all these pictures with fondness until we take another 200 when we come to see you.

Now what?

I am sitting here alone in this house where all but one of my sisters were just sitting with me. (Lili we missed you bad!) What am I supposed to do now. Melody and Amber flew in late last Thursday night, and I just dropped them off at the airport. It was so great being with them, and we are trying not to be sad since I'm planning on taking a trip over there very soon due to cheaper airfare than I've seen in quite a while. But even with that, it's so strange to go from so much excitement and hubbub to regular old life. I suppose it's a little nice to get back to the daily grind, and maybe a few things I've been neglecting due to the great fun that comes with sisters getting together, but I do wish they were still here with me. But, Cami is, so we can still do sistery things until we are all together again to party.

Here's something funny. I only got out my camera once the entire weekend. And it was to take the picture above (that's kinda blurry but oh well). Yep, I let others take the lead with that. It was so relaxing since I usually have my camera hooked to my face. But the point of this trip to just chill and have a relaxing time. But never fear, many pictures were taken, and we are all going to use the one or two cameras containing them for our posts. So that's why I took my one picture, to tide me over for a little pre-post until I get my hands on the rest with the inevitable lengthy recount of our weekend fun. And there are things to write about. Until then.

Adios

I am done with TAMN. I have been for a while. Today just sealed the deal for me. I can take a joke, really I can, but I don't see what is so funny about most of the things "she" says. Some topics just aren't joke-worthy. She is old news to me.

A little ditty

I am - waiting for KC to get home.

I think -Alfred Hitchcock is a genius.

I want -to go to Ireland someday.

I have - the perfect water bottle.

I wish - I lived closer to more of my family.

I hate - getting lost. My GPS and I have become very close.

I miss - working in a pastry shop with really talented and well known chefs (but not enough to sacrifice my KC time to go back).

I fear - my future children's future. What will the world be like for them?

I feel - excited for future children.

I hear - the ticking of three different clocks.

I smell - the lingering scent of my lotion on my hands.

I search - for the perfect purse (I think I might've found it, but it is put away until Christmas, so we'll see. I'm actually very happy with the one I have, it's just worn out.)

I wonder - if I'll ever come away from a night with my friends without have regrets about something I said, or did, or didn't say, or didn't do. I feel like I always have to apologize about something to someone, but they usually don't even remember what I'm talking about.

I regret - Being selfish. Even in my adult years, I have said or done little things to my family in particular that were very immature. Hopefully the forgive me and realize I was having a weak moment and I'm doing better.

I love - the book I'm reading (that is a separate post, coming soon.)

I care - so much about my loved ones, it's hurts sometimes.

I always - make my husbands lunch in the morning.

I am not - a night person.

I believe - in punctuality.

I dance - on very rare occasions.

I sing - to all the tv show theme songs, commercial, news program, and radio jingles that I hear on a daily basis. KC always thinks it's crazy how accurate I can sing each one. And when he reacts, it makes me realize just how much of a sponge I am. Maybe I should be embarrassed by this. It just goes to show that I love music, wherever I can get it.

I don't always - dust the furniture as much as I'm supposed to.

I write - in my journal during sacrament meeting every Sunday.

I win -because I bought gas for $1.95 today!

I lose - my mind quite often.

I never - get tired of watching shows and learning about whales or sharks or the ocean in general.

I listen - to morning shows while I get ready for the day, even though most of the hosts drive me crazy.

I can usually be found - At the mall, Aldi, Target, or at home under a blanket on my couch. All regular actives.

I'm scared - of the idea of being alone and lost in the ocean and not knowing what is beneath me. (Probably from all the things I watch and learn about the ocean.)

I read - more now that I'm in a book club.

I'm happy about - the children that will enter our life someday, hopefully soon.

Oh yeah!.

My Dad was interviewed for FOX 13 in Utah yesterday. My parents started the Standard of Liberty Foundation which is "an LDS-oriented educational foundation which exists to raise awareness of radical sexual movements overrunning America's Christian-moral-cultural life and to inspire the public will, families, and individuals to counteract these trends."

He was asked to give his view on the backlash from the prop. 8 outcome. I am so proud that he is standing up for our beliefs. We really need to keep our faith going strong in a world so against what we believe. So to see the broadcast interview with channel 13 go here, and to see the 20 minute raw footage of the interview, including my parents hosting a local radio program, go here.

Thanks for standing up Mom and Dad!

"With my by myself."

Not that the new post below isn't important enough to keep at the top for longer, but I can't seem to get this SNL clip out of my head. I laugh out loud even when I just think about it. I keep singing the song over and over, and it never gets old. You maybe have already seen it many times since it aired a few weeks ago, but I say it's a true classic. If you haven't seen it, you are in for a real treat. And you'll understand my title. The talet these SNL people have. . .

He makes me smile

I'm not sure why I am so pressed to write this post, but I feel like I simply must write it down while these thoughts are dominating all others. I was just visiting teaching such a sweet friend, and though we had a great discussion (she is a new member and always has so many refreshing things to talk about), she said something that sums up some recent thoughts I've had. She said, "Your husband is always smiling and so nice." Such a simple comment, but I have to say that she was right on. It's not the first time I have realized this or heard it from other people. I have always known and enjoyed this. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with him in the first place. But sometimes, things like this can really hit you all at once. Or you can get used to things that other people notice more readily than you because you see it all the time. He is genuinely and truly nice and happy almost all the time. He always has something nice to say about everyone he meets. Seriously, how did I luck out with this guy?

A few days ago he said something that was so "KC" and it made me laugh so hard. But of course, I can't remember it due to him saying it late at night (not the optimal time for me to retain information). It was driving me crazy that I couldn't remember, but then I realized that it doesn't even matter what it was. The fact of the matter is that he made me laugh, and it was just him being himself. That's the coolest part about it. He doesn't even have to try. It's just the way things work in that funny head of his. Times when I think there is nothing to smile about, he finds something to lift me from my self-pity. And I know these kind of posts are silly, and I know you might not care to bask with me in my husband's goodness (I know he doesn't want you to), I just wanted to write down these thought I've been having lately, and reiterate how very lucky this wife is. Now I'll stop before I get into our little endearing inside jokes, or silly married people games we play, cause that would really bore you. So, during a time of many distractions, personally and in the world, I just wanted to remember this sweet moment when I couldn't help but think of anything besides my ever-smiling partner in crime.

Silver Lining

So there is a silver lining to this whole election catastrophe. Prop. 8 passed in California! So there is a reason to rejoice among the madness. Hooray for protecting our families. I need to have some hope for my children's future, and this really helps. Thank you, honorable people of California for standing up. This is a great blessing. I'm relieved.

No lines for me!

I am still registered in Columbia from the last election when I lived with Cami (have I really been here for two whole presidential elections?) and I don't know what the lines look like here in my neighborhood, but they couldn't have been better than where I voted. Seriously, lines were nonexistent. In and out in 5 minutes! It seems all the news is talking about is the lines that wrap around buildings and people in line for two hours or more. Yikes. I'm happy to not live there.

And if it's possible to touch a touch screen ballot with conviction, I did it! I am proudly wearing my "I Voted" sticker (maybe we'll stop by one of the places that give free ice cream or other food if you are donning the sticker), and am proud to say that I did my part. Now, all I can do is pray, and believe me, I will be praying.

Anything can happen on Halloween, your hands could turn into burritos.

(The title is to be sung to the tune of this song from "The Worst Witch." Oh the childhood memories. Gotta love those special effects.)

To begin I want to say that I think we are in the clear as far as the mothball smell. I think I caught it early enough. I believe all our clothes smell very fresh from their day in the sun and air. And if there's any lingering smell around here, it's the dryer sheets I placed everywhere. I also think the charcoal did a great job, and we're back to the musty smelling closets we had before, which I'll take any day over the mothballs. Phew! I thought we were goners. (And it doesn't look like nearly as many clothes when their in my little closet, okay!)

The Halloween fun was kicked off with a birthday party Molly threw for her one year old Nathan a couple weeks ago. It really got me in the Halloween spirit seeing all the kids dressed up and playing games. I told Molly that if she didn't have plans for the cake, I'd be happy to make one. I knew she's go above and beyond with the games and food, so I thought It would take a load off. And I wanted an excuse to make a pumpkin bundt again (this is the one I use and I love it). It was such a fun party for everyone and I was so happy to be invited to celebrate with Nathan.


Then of course we had our ward Halloween party/trunk-or-treat last Wednesday. It was, again, fun to see all the kids so giddy in their imaginative costumes. And a lot of adults got into this one too. Even in our tiny ward we had two McCain/Palin couples. One couple was supporting, and the other was opposed. The opposed couple's daughter was dressed like a little devil and I made a joke that she was Barack Obama. They had a good laugh. Good thing because as the time, I didn't know they were pro-O. (She is one of my friends so we can joke around like that.) Anyway, we also had some people donned in Russian gear so we had fun with Sarah Palin being buddy buddy with the Russians. That was funny too, but enough politics. KC and I just threw some costumes together last minute. I was a Hawaiian tourist, and KC was...can you guess? If you can't see, he has plastic knives stuck into cereal boxes making him a cereal killer. Yikes! I wasn't sure if that was church approved, but he got the idea from his friend Burke years ago and wanted to use it. He didn't put on his costume until trick-or-treating time, so I guess he found someones hat in the meantime. Each of the organizations were in charge of an activity. We, the YW, did a caramel apple station that went over really well. And thanks to Christina's suggestion, the EQ did donuts on a string. There were some other games going on, but I was oblivious to most of my surroundings making sure all was well in my responsibilities. Well, I did notice the bishopric target practice. That was funny. It was f-f-freezing outside so we decided to have the kids trick-or-treat in the classrooms around the church. We all went in a classroom and it worked great.

And on the very day of Halloween, I enjoyed the various costume and themes of many morning show hosts while I dealt with the previously mentioned disaster. Later we decided to take Chipotle up on their offer: Dress up like a burrito on Halloween and get one free. Really it meant put tin foil anywhere on your body (even as small as a ring) and you're in. The Millers were all about it. I knew there would be a long line, which I hate, so we thought we'd do the drive by and if it looked bad, we'd skip it, or try one with less foot traffic. But when we got there Andrew was pretty far up in the line and we hopped in. 2o minutes later we all had hot, custom made, delicious, free burritos. KC and I usually share one because as you know, they are HUGE, so this was quite a treat for us to have our own at no cost. Though, I still saved half of mine for lunch today and it was still so good. I made a nifty belt thing, and KC wanted to be burrito hands. That guy. He even made me open his door and drive since he couldn't with his burrito hands. He was really getting into character. The employees laughed because he asked if he could trade on of his for one of theirs. They probably needed a little humor with a night like that. I was kicking myself for not thinking to bring our space blankets. It would've been perfect. Oh man, that line of tin-foil covered people stayed long for quite some time. I wonder how they could give away so much food. It was nuts. We'll see if they do it next year (then we can use the space blankets). I'm telling you, there were a lot of people. Anyway, we ate at the Miller's, being entertained by the Nathan boy, and enjoyed some caramel apple leftovers. We also watched Lady in the Water, by one of my favorite Directors M. Night Shyamalan. Molly doesn't like scary so I thought this one was a good balance between eerie and exciting for Halloween.

So that was that and Halloween is over. November is here and wonderful. The weather is simply gorgeous in the mid 60s and the holidays are rapidly arriving. Oh, this time of year always comes and goes too quickly. I'm really going to try and enjoy each day. But it's also okay when it's over because we have a fun vacation planned for January. I highly recommend having something to look forward to after the holidays. It takes the sting off a bit. More on that to come.