Totally Quackers

I am Gini's favorite!

2012-02-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

I AM Gini's favorite! I have proof!

Regionals

2012-02-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I havn't written here in months. Probably no one will read this, but I may as well post it so I have it.

Ian went to regionals back in November and won Men's Preliminary Trot. Again, we are VERY proud of him. However, I did not get to watch as I got stuck in the barrel arena helping the judge. I was ANGRY! But at least Brian videoed it for me.
This is one of the first times Ian has ever vaulted on Max, so you can see him crawling up him. Max is a 17+ hand horse, so very tall. He's also the most gentle, sweet natured creature in exsistance.

Since this time Ian has tried out for a position in team vauting in his club. There are 6 people on the team, onlt 3 of which will be on the horse at a time, Ian will be a "base" which means he's at the one that helps the "flyers" get up in the air. Basicly, he's the muscle. He's the youngest and at the same time the biggest and strongest on his team. What an amazing kid.

Nationals 2011

2011-08-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems we have a National Champion in the family now. Yup, Ian took nationals in Men's Preliminary Trot winning first in both Compulsories and Freestyle. We are stinkin' proud of him. Here are the links to the videos first is compulsories and the next is freestyle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6lOeIYjg6c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS6367dS57o

More book winning!

2011-07-25T20:53:00.001-07:00

Go here!
http://veschwab.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/1wtnw-or-the-final-epic-giveaway-of-epicness/#comment-5827

Friday Confessions With HOT DOGS!

2011-07-22T20:57:00.000-07:00

I confess:

I haven't done this in a while. Life has been busy. But, I want to assure you I haven't died and there will be a stunning revelation that will change Hot Dogs forever for you. Promise!

I confess:

My sweet darling hubby had knee surgery this week and I keep expecting him to be a baby about it. He's not, which is a relief, however I keep thinking back to the last time I had surgery, I had my tonsils out and I am pretty sure I was a big baby about the whole ordeal. (Sorry Love!)

I confess:

I read a really good book this week. Apparently it's a New York Times best seller and one of those books EVERYBODY is reading. It's called "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Excellent read. Some language, and one very graphic part. But I read it in about 5 hours because I could not put it down. Its about being a black housekeeper in Jackson Miss. in the 1960s. When there were the race riots and Martin Luther King's march in DC. And how these women survived and what they had to put up with. The only bad thing about it is it ends rather abruptly. But it's still a fascinating read.

I confess:

My son goes back to school on Tuesday and I am sad. I like having him around. It will be nice to not have to worry about telling him to not slam the door so he doesn't wake up his sister, but otherwise, I'm going to miss him. I can't believe he's in THIRD GRADE! I hate year-around school!

I confess:

Okay here's the good part. The bit about hot dogs. I bought a Hot Dog Toaster! It is wonderful!

You pop in a couple of dogs and a couple of buns and, Voila!, instant lunch! Ian loves it because he can do it himself when ever he likes. And I like it 'cause it makes good tasting dogs. I don't like them boiled, and they're too messy in the microwave and I don't like getting a pan dirty for hot dogs. The best part is, I got it for less than $20! Yay me!

Win a book!

2011-07-18T22:55:00.001-07:00

Check it out!
http://veschwab.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/2wtnw-%e2%80%93-the-ya-rebels-giveaway/

High School Library NEEDS BOOKS. How You Can Help.

2011-07-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

I came accross a cause that is near and dear to my heart. A high school library in DC has (count 'em) 63 books, and 77 more in the area of "Pure Science" I have a more extensive library Than that in my own home! I'm betting you do too. Here is the original post with what you can do to help.

http://www.frenzyofnoise.net/2011/07/high-school-library-needs-books-how-you.html

While I was in classes a few weeks ago, I had this huge (kinda funny to me) realization. All week everyone kept talking about community. Saying "this is the place you'll build a lifeline." All week I was that smug girl who's said to myself: I have that. Because I do have that. I have it in bloggers, in readers, in writers, in authors, in twitter. I know I have people.

I know I'm part of a community that bans together to stand up for literary injustice, backlash, plagarism and everything in between. We build hashtags on twitter and give small ideas a way to be big. We're awesome.

That's why when the director of my MFA program sent us an email about a book drive, I knew I had to bring the need to my community. This community. Why? Well...

"The literature section of Ballou Senior High School's library in Washington, DC has 63 books, not enough to fill five small shelves. In the area marked "Pure Science," there are 77 volumes. The generally accepted standard for school libraries is 11 books for each of Ballou's 1,104 students."

THAT'S WHY.

It's completely unacceptable that a high school is lacking a basic need of life, a need that opens the doors to education, creativity and imagination---books. And this is the time for all of us to step up, to ban together, to help out. No matter what genre you read, because they need everything.

This selection I take out of the email from my program director because he says it better than I ever could.

"It's a challenge for kids to take their literacy seriously when they don't even have books to read. Ballou is located in the most dangerous ward in our nation's capitol. Right now, the library serves as a physical safe space and a refuge for students in off school hours, but wouldn't it be great if they had something to read while they were there--even choices across genre?....This is not the only school in the country with needs, but when the flare went up we saw it and chose to respond."

What they need:

Everything. From Shakespeare to Octavia Butler to Richard Wright. Fantasy, sci-fi, YA, adult fiction, history books, poetry, classic literature, science. Basically anything and everything that's suitable for high school. They will take anything as long as it is in GOOD condition and has no writing in it.

I've asked if they would accept ARCs (new and old), and the director of the book drive, Lisa, said YES. Please note however, that this they really need finished copies. ARCs are fantastic, but the lasting value isn't always standing.

How to donate:

If you have books you want to give, please mail them directly to:

Perry School
c/o Margaret Pegram
128 M St. NW suite 318
Washington, DC 20001

Inside the box put a note that says "c/o Lisa P. Ballou Book Drive".

They will be accepting books until August 22!!

Also, if you'd like to include some kind of quick note for the kids, words of encouragement, that would be awesome!! But it's not mandatory.

Spread the word!

Reblog this post on your blog. Tweet this post. (we're on twitter at #HSBookDrive) Tell everyone. Send books.

This is a chance for our community to step up, to reach out and to provide teens with books. This is why we are here so I challenge you to be part of this. If you can, if you have even one book or a stack of books from that project you finished a year ago, give them. Donating books is not really about the book, but about what happens when someone reads a book. And not even having a chance to read a book is completely devastating to me. I can't even imagine my life without books.

I hope you will help!! Even if you can't send a book--tweet, tell others, and take action.

Anniversary Inn

2011-07-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Brian took me too the Anniversary Inn in Logan, UT for our 15th anniversary. (Yup, 15 years, Wow!)
Our anniversary is officially not until the 13th but we went early because Brian's folk's were here for Ian's FunFest competition and we had ourselves some built-in overnight babysitters!

If you've never been to the Anniversary Inn, it's a hotel with "theme rooms". We were in the "Biker Roadhouse" room. Why? Um... why not? I know were not exactly "Harley" people, but the room had a pinball machiene, a pool table, a Harley to sit on, a huge spa tub and a huge shower as well as a king sized bed. And do you know what else it had? It was sooooo cool! A hot dog toaster! You put buns in on either side and two hot dogs in the middle and it toasted the buns and cooked the dogs! I want one! And they gave us hot dogs to toast! With condiments! So we played pool and pinball, watched TV, ate hotdogs and generally enjoyed ourselves a lot!

Thank-you Brian, I love you forever!

Technique FunFest 7/9/11

2011-07-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

http://youtu.be/aQMw1hzDxXY compulsories

http://youtu.be/UdpY3te04FU freestyle

By the way, all the squeaking you hear in the videos is not because Opal needs to be oiled. There are a bunch of barn swallows who are not happy about all of us invading their home.

Here is Ian's most recent competition. He got a blue ribbon level (highest) for his freestyle and a red ribbon level (2nd) for compulsories. He would have gotten a higher one for compulsories but he was trying to do his click (where you push off with your hands on the handles and click your feet behind you and sit back down on the horse) but he got out of alignment and ended up dismounting instead, which was the next move anyway. But he did awesome, as usual. He loves this sport so much and he really puts a lot of time and effort into it.

Afterwards, Tana rode Opal a little, and as usual, did NOT want to get off. She is so funny, she ties to do compulsories on the barrel after watching Ian do it, and she wanted to try on Opal too.

Friday Confession!

2011-06-24T08:54:00.000-07:00

I CONFESS:
Yesterday was my birthday. I am officially 39 years old. No, really. That is not a euphemism for 40, I am really 39 and next year I'll 40. I see no point in lying about my age. I'd rather be getting older than not.

I CONFESS:
Yesterday my sweet son brought me breakfast in bed. I had oatmeal, a glass of milk, and something that could be generously described as coffee. In reality it was warm water with a little coffee flavor and a whole lot of creamer. (Yes, I drank it with a smile.) I have never had breakfast in bed before, with the exception of when I was too sick to enjoy it. This was much funner as Ian, Tana and one of the cats shared it with me. Amazingly the sheets stayed clean.

I CONFESS:
My darling hubby bought me a Nook Color for my birthday. I've already bought three books and read one and checked out some from the library. This is AWESOME! I love to read. I love books. Now I can take a whole library with me wherever I go!

I CONFESS:
We went to dinner at The Spaghetti Factory. I had the spaghetti with cheese and brown butter. It was yummy! The funnest part of dinner though, was watching Tana eat. She ate Brian's salad and got dressing all over her face and down her arms and was licking it off her fingers. Then when he shared his spaghetti with her, she had a hard time getting the noodles in her mouth. Them guys are LONG! But she managed! Finally, we all had ice cream Ian and I had the Neapolitan, and Brian had vanilla. Tana did not want to share his ice cream, she wanted mine. I don't blame her Neapolitan is MUCH tastier!

I CONFESS:
So while I had to do things like grocery shop and dishes, it was a great birthday. I love my family very much and could not possibly ask for a better one! Thank you Brian, Ian and Tana! I Love you!

I CONFESS:
I used to work as a graphic designer. In the strange, mixed-up company I worked for, IT and graphics were together. We used to joke that most computer problems could be solved with "Shut-up and reboot!".
I was having a problem with my Nook. I called customer service. They told me to shut-up and reboot. Actually, they were much nicer about it but since I felt like such an idiot, that is how my brain translated it. It's working fine now.

Vaulting 6/11/11

2011-06-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

http://youtu.be/by0buOsB578

(Sorry for some reason the preview isn't working. Jus tclick the above link and it should take you there!)

I wanted to post this. Ian did a fantastic job at his vaulting demo and silent auction. We also managed to win at the silent auction, a one-on-one vaulting lesson with Cambry, his coach, and a one-on-one riding lesson with Jake one of his other coaches. The lesson with Cambry will be especially useful as he will be attending Regionals AND Nationals this year. Cambry, the head coach, really wants him to go. YAY Ian!

We May Have....

2011-06-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

We may or may not have gone to another state this weekend and perhaps bought some fireworks that might not be leagal in this state that we could, possibly, shoot off on the Fourth of July. Maybe. If you happen to be in the neighborhood, you and your family are more than welcome to come and watch the show we could be having.
I'm just sayin'....

Sad

2011-06-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

We just found out yesterday that Tana's birth father was murdered on Saturday. I am very sad about it. Whatever else he did or was, he was smart enough, kind enough and loved Tana enough to give her up and let her live a life he could not provide for her.
RIP Jakwan.

Friday confessions!

2011-06-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

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I confess:

I know not much about movies.

I've been faking it to win a contest on another blog.

I met the funniest guy on this other blog.

He goes by the name of "ratkin"

I don't know if he's old or pretending to be, but he is funnier than heck.

You need to go to http://ginikoch.blogspot.com/ and scroll down about three entries to the "Poster Frenzy Contest". Click on the comments, then scroll down until you find the conversation between "ratkin" and "ducknme".

I know it's a lot of steps but it's worth it.

Enter the contest too if you like. She's a good author.

Funny, Funny, Funny!

2011-06-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

A favorite author of mine has a blog and she's been hosting a contest mostly for movie posters and to enter you need to just comment on the entry. I started out on a whim, and got into an interesting conversation whith a couple of ladies about Catwoman. Then along comes this, well, I assume he's a gentleman but he could be a lady, named "ratkin" he is about the funniest person I ever exchanged blog comments with! I, who knows NOTHING about movies, or next to nothing anyway, am really winging it with this guy to keep him talking! You need to go over and check it out. The blog address is http://ginikoch.blogspot.com/ and the entry is "Poster Frenzy Contest", it's about the third one down right now, just click on the comments and down near the end you'll start seeing some entries for "ratkin" and "ducknme", I promise you it's worth a look! You could even enter the contest. I'm mostly trying because some of the prizes include books, and well, you know me and books, I love 'em!

Want to Know Wednesday

2011-06-01T16:50:00.000-07:00

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Hmm, I think I'll try this one out....

1} If the blogging world had a talent show, what would your act be?
I would be it the audiance. Trust me it's better that way.

{2} What's the most likely reason you might become famous?
I won't. I'd hate it. I might become infamous for something, but it won't be on purpose!

{3} What question are you repeatedly asked that you are tired of hearing?
Is she your daughter? YES! I know we don't look much alike, but she IS my daughter.

{4} What's the last thing you broke?
My fingernail. What? It hurt!

{5} Finish this sentence. I can't believe I used to ________.
Have a crush on Charlie Sheen. 20 years ago he was good looking and not so weird.

Give away at Dandelion Wishes

2011-05-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Dandelion Wishes is hostin ANOTHER give away! This time you could win a Target gift card or other fun swag!
http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/2011/05/shopping-free-stuff-and-winner-oh-my.html

NO Florida

2011-05-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Just a note, we will NOT be moving to Florida. They offered the job to someone else. We are not reaaly upset, it's just the way things are. And we are happy here in Utah. Brian has a good job working with people he admires and respects. And I enjoy the people here too. So, no worries!

CUTE little girl dresses.

2011-05-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the Cursing Crafter's giveaway on Dandilion wishes blog.
http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/2011/05/taking-back-monday-giveaway.html
CUTE, CUTE, CUTE!!!

Friday Confession

2011-05-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

http://www.ourdandelionwishes.com/" target="_blank">http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o298/TheVasquez3/FridayConfessionalButton-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" />

I confess:

My husband really knows me. I mean REALLY knows me. He had to go to Florida, (more on that in a bit.) and he brought home gifts for the kids and me. He got me a coffee mug. A BIG coffee mug. A big coffee mug with Tigger on it. Here, I'll show you.

See? How can I not love a guy who gets me like that? Now I don't need to pour myself three cups of coffee in the morning, I can just have the one and get on with my life.

Now you're probably wondering why he got to go to Florida and the rest of us had to stay home. You are probably especially wondering that if you've seen the weather around here lately. Right now it's 45F and thunderstorms. But Brian had an interview. An interview they flew him down for. And paid for his hotel. And bought him dinner. Lucky duck. Yeah. We might be moving to Florida. He had two phone interviews before this one and he interviewed with 11 (yes, eleven) different people this time. It's an Assistant Director of Pharmacy position at a new Children's Hospital that is opening up in Orlando. It would be quite a big step up for him, but one I know he could handle and even thrive while doing. So, we'll see. He may not even be offered the position. Which would be fine too, we're happy here. But I'll keep you updated.

Sweet Tana

2011-05-11T09:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, after taking Ian to school, I was checking my email when I heard the distinctive sound of a spoon in a bowl. "Hmmm," I thought, "Ian must have left his cereal bowl on the table again and Tana is in it." But, no. When I go check out what is going on I find...

Yup, Tana had discovered the sugar bowl. Guess it's going to have to live in the cupboard now.

(You can't really see it, but her hands and face are covered in sugar!)

Ianisim

2011-05-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

So Ian came running into the kitchen, opened up the junk drawer, grabbed something and was on his way back out when I stopped him. "What did you grab?" I was only curious. "Dad needs some electrocution tape!" He said holding up the electrical tape before continuing his sprint out the door. I made sure the door to the garage had slammed before I laughed at that one!

Friday Confession Again!

2011-05-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

I confess:

I only have one confession this week. My son is turning eight on Monday. I am so proud of him! He is strong, smart, vibrant and funny. He has a temper and is full of love. He loves camouflage and horses, squeaky cheese and riding bikes. He is convinced if he does something wrong the first time he has failed and will never be able to accomplish it. He is *this close* to doing a perfect handstand because Daddy FINALLY convinced him to keep practicing and he would get it. He is amazing at math but is a sloppy reader. He has the worlds cutest freckles and a smile that will light up a room. He sings beautifully and dances well (but don't tell him that. Dancing is for girls!). He hates sour cream but loves broccoli. He'd eat candy 'till he puked if I'd let him. He loves all animals, but Simon is his kitty. Tana is annoying but don't you DARE do anything to hurt her, he'll protect her to his last breath he loves her so much! He is tenderhearted and kind. He loves small children. He's silly, sweet and totally outrageous. I love him more than I ever thought I could possibly love and I am so blessed to have him for my son!

Tanaisim

2011-05-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

I like to go to a website called "Awkward Family Pet Photos", it has some hilarious posts sometimes. Today I was looking at it and saw this picture:

As I was laughing at it, Tana came along and summed up the photo nicely. She said "Baby. Meow, OW!"
That was funnier than the photo!

You can see the post here.

It's Friday Confession Time!

2011-04-29T09:07:00.000-07:00

I confess:
1. I have the cutest kids in the whole wide world! If you don't believe me, check out this link: http://rozephotography.com/blog/ian-tana/
My friend Darla does FANTASTIC work!

2. It's SNOWING again and I'm bummed!

3. It could be worse. It could be a tornado.

4. I'm praying for all who lost loved ones, homes, businesses and lives in the recent disaster.

5. I just realized I can go see what Kate Middleton's wedding dress looked like! The only part of the wedding I cared about! Hang on....

6. Wow! Nice dress! But, is it just me or do her boobs look pointed? Total fail on the foundation there, Kate!

7. Did I mention my cute kids? Go check Darla's photo blog now! (Please!)
http://rozephotography.com/blog/ian-tana/

Super Heroine / Villainess Costumes

2011-04-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

I had a dream last night and I woke up with a question on my mind I have had for ages. How does Wonder Woman's bathing suit stay on? It has no straps and she is rather, well, voluptuous. Is it one of her super powers? I mean look at her...

And how does she run so fast in those high-heeled boots? I've tried running in heels and while I don't run all that fast to begin with I am remarkably slower in heels!

So I got to looking at other characters.

Bat Woman:

Again with the heels. And wouldn't a cape get in the way while you are fighting?

Hmm. Super Girl?

Well, at least she has flat heeled boots, but a miniskirt and crop top? Seriously? Don't reach too high or kick anything! And the same thing with the cape. How do you fight without that thing getting in the way?

Well, maybe villainesses

Poison Ivy was always a favorite of mine, but check this out....

Again, no straps.

Okay, Harley Quinn...

Actually, not bad. Flat shoes, no cape, nothing's going to fall down. But all that make-up! She starts sweating and it runs into her eyes and she's all done! Plus all these women have long hair, or in Harley's case long dangely things that someone could grab and pull in close combat.

All I have left is Cat Woman.

Hmmm, now here is a good costume! Flat heels, costume that won't fall off, hair out of the way and no cape! Good on ya Salena Kyle!

Friday Confession - Whoo hoo!

2011-04-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

It's time for my weekly Friday Confession! Yay!

I Confess:

The house is a disaster! Yay!

The laundry is un-done! Yay!

The dishes have piled up! Yay!

I am going to tackle all of these things today! (un)Yay!

Why am I so excited about this? Because I have been doing creative projects instead and when they turn out I always feel so happy. I made a menu for a friend. Actually, two. An "in-house" one and a "to go" one. I'll show you their covers.

To-go

In house menu

Yay, Me! They turned out nice I think. Well, T and Becci like them anyway. So next time you go to Q4U besure to mention how cool the new menus are.

I also designed a t-shirt for Ian for his birthday. I haven't actually put it together yet because Ian has been home from school for Spring break. But Tuesday I am on it. In case you missed it in the last post here's what it will look like:

Spiffy, huh? I made it from a photograph of a guy vaulting. It was fun! So anyway...

I confess I'd better go do some housework now. (Um. no "yay" here!)

Ian's Birthday Present

2011-04-19T08:47:00.000-07:00

So last night I was working on the new menu for Q4U, (next time you go be sure to tell T how awesome the new menu is!) when I realized Ian's birthday is coming soon. I'm not really worried about it too much as we got him a vaulting barrel back in February and he was told that was his birthday gift, but I figured he'd like to open SOMETHING. When he had BarrelFest a lady was wearing a sweat shirt that a silhouette of a horse with a vaulter on the front and the back read "Your child does WHAT on the back of a horse?!" Which I totally loved. So I did an Internet search and the thing costs more than I want to spend, doesn't come in children's sizes, and really, the saying won't work for him anyway. So I decided to make my own shirt for him. All of the silhouettes I could find were very much female though, and while I realize it is a female-dominated sport, there are quite a few men who vault as well so I did an Internet search for a picture an found this cool one.

Then I made it into this:

Then I added text:

I have the iron on transfers for the printer, I just have to go buy a plain white t-shirt. I think it's gonna be awesome!

Friday Confession - Make-up version!

2011-04-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, It seems like the only time I ever post is at the Frday Confessional and then I missed last week, but...

I Confess
I was out of town for a funeral. He was an older gentlman I'd known all my life. And he, together with his daughter, conspired to introduce my husband and me to each other. He was a kind, sweet man and will be greatly missed.

Also while we were out of town, we went to my Mom's house and she was extreamly rude to my Aunt and Uncle. So much so that Dusty has sworn he is done with her and Christy isn't sure she's ready to speak to her again - a week later.
This part of the confession may put me on the outs with Mom if she happens to read it. However, let me explain what happened from my perspective. We were only staying one night, going to the funeral the next day and leaving after the funeral to head home so we stayed at a hotel then went to Mom's house in the morning. Christy and Dusty met us there. They had only been ther about half an hour and we were all sitting around sharing pleasent conversation, when Mom started huffing and puffing, snapping at everyone and generally being a big grump. We were including her in the conversation, which was mostly about books and our drive over. Nothing too exciting, but fun anyways. When all of the sudden Mom told Chris that they needed to leave. She did not want them in her house and they needed to go now because she wanted to spend time with us without them around. Now, just so you know, Mom has spent several weeks at our house in the past couple of years, usually in two week incrememts, but we have not seen Chris and Dusty in a long time.
Honestly, I was appalled. My 7 year old son was in tears and kept hugging Christy and my hubby had "that" look on his face. The one that says "if I open my mouth I'll bite her head off!" I don't know what is wrong with Mom lately, but she has said some wildly inappropriate things and I don't know what to make of it. ARRRGGGH!!!

I also helped my husband work on one of his tests to keep his BCPS. (Board Certified Pharmacist Something or another) I now know more about diabeties and other chronic diseases then I ever wanted to know. Although, I have to admit this section was better than the one about human sexuality. (I'm sorry Love, but that one was ICK!)

So, that's all the excitement for now!

Friday Confessional!

2011-04-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

I confess:
I did not do laundry this week. I should be doing it now, but I'm not. I promise I'll get to it. *eventually*
But, I have a really good excuse. I read a book instead. Oh, I know, I read all the time and you can read in between washing and folding, blah, blah. But I could not put this one down. It's one I bought at the grocery store. I was lookin at a bunch of different ones and decided to get the WWII historical novel. I grabbed it and put it in my cart, paid for everything and came home. As I was putting thr groceries away I realized I'd grabbed the wrong book. This was one about a teenager and a curse and the song "Scarborough Fair". You know...
"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
Remember me to the one who lives there.
She once was a true love of mine."
This was NOT the book I wanted. I was mad. I didn't think it was going to be any good. I was never a Simon and Garfunkel fan. I mean they are okay, but not my faves or anything. So I tossed the book aside and forgot about it. Then one day I was desparate for something to read. So I picked it up. I never put it down again.
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
If you need a good book, come borrow this one. WOW!

Also, I could use a suggestion for what to read next....

Friday Confessional Again!

2011-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

I confess:

I let my 7 year old son fly on an airplane ALL BY HIMSELF!

I was worried sick the whole time he was in the air.

I was utterly releived when I talked to him when he landed.

It was only an hour and a half flight.

He went to visit Gramma and Papa for spring break.

He is having the time of his life.

I miss him.

It's nice to only be with my daughter too.

I was so happy when Gramma reported that the stewardess said Ian was so good on the flight and caused no trouble at all. I knew he wouldn't, but it's nice to hear.

I have remembered to feed his fish every night.

However, it's only been three nights.

Poor fish is gonna starve to death.

One last thing. No one visits my confessionals, but it's still fun to do. Very cleansing.

Ah well, that's all for now!

Cute MODEST Swimsuits

2011-03-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

I found these on another blog,
http://www.wannabbalancedmom.com/2009/11/introduction.html

http://www.hapari.com/

http://www.hapari.com/womens-swimwear/
http://www.hapari.com/plus-size-swimwear/
http://www.hapari.com/modest-tankinis/

They are sooo cute! I just had to share! Plus, check out her giveaway!

Breaking the Ice

2011-03-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

Jenn at Perfectly Imperfect is having a fun link-up survey today. Such a fun way to ring in the new week! Stop on by if you want to participate, I'd love to see your responses :)

Q: What is your middle name?
A: Ann - my middle name was for my cousin Anna

Q: When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I was never sure. My sister always knew she wanted to be a nurse, but I changed from week to week. Probably race car driver came up the most.

Q: If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?
A: 1}That my children grow up happy and healthy, 2} That my Husband and children out-live me,3}to be at a healthy weight

Q: If your house was on fire and you could grab only 3 things before leaving, what would they be?
A: My children, my hubby, my pets. Everything else can be replaced.

Q: You wouldn’t be caught dead, where?
A: At a nude beach!

Q: If you could be any cartoon character, who would you be?
A: Wonder Woman (BTW, how does she not fall out of her costume? It dosn't even have straps!)

Q: Who was the last person you hugged?
A: My son Ian

Q: What do you think of when you hear the word "yellow"?
A: Daffodils - Hurry up Spring!

Friday confession time! The late version!

2011-03-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

I confess:

I cannot dance at all. I have no rythm. My daughter is only 16 months and LOVES to dance. So lately I have been dancing around the house with my daughter. So far she hasen't laughed at me, but she does give me some funny looks!

I love denim skirts. I have about 15 of them. I recently ordered two more and did not tell my husband about it until just before they came. I do not feel even slightly guilty.

For St. Patrick's day I made my family eat corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and soda bread. The kids loved it, the husband, not so much. Okay, the cabbage was cole slaw, but it counts, right?

And finally, I wore green faux Crocs with green plastic jewels on them for St. Paddy's because all my green shirts were in the laundry. It was fun.

Vaulting at the Horse Expo

2011-03-12T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ian did an awesome job vaulting at the Horse Expo! This is only the "walk" portion of the program. My camera batteries died so I couldn't record more, but it was all that Ian was in anyway. He does so well with his partner Katelyn during the doubles portion. He has been working so hard at this and Brian and I could not be more proud of him.

You'll also notice Brian is in the video. He got "roped" into holding the horses. That was Tana's favorite part.

Friday Confessional Again!

2011-03-11T10:45:00.000-08:00

I'm going to try this again, just to see.

Hmmm, Confessions....

- I'm not much talented at anything.
- I like to do graphic design, but I know there's people much better at it than me.
- I can't sing worth beans, nor play music, nor read music for that mater.
- I love to read, but there's not much call for that as a profession of any sort.
- I'm not a fashionista. My seven year old son is a snappier dresser than I am.
- I adore my family and am truly blessed to have their lives intertwined with mine.
- I love living here, but wouldn't mind moving either.
- I have a perfecly good reason for being overweight. According to my friend Sara, it makes me more holy! "If these bodies are merely tents and we are told to stretch out our tent pegs and enlarge our dwelling places then we become more holy by gaining weight"

After having read the above confessions you probably think I am a boring person. I am. Oh well, I like me fine.

A Friday Confessional on Monday

2011-03-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

I Confess:

I hate it when everybody in the household expects me to know where everything is.

I hate it when my Darling Husband uses my things not for their intended purpose. The cooling rack is not for cooking bacon on, the rolling pin is not a meat tenderizer, my bath puff is not for cleaning the shower.

I have a rich fantasy life about winning lots of money, and I would blow it all on maid service.

My children are far more beautiful and charming than yours. But don't be offended they are more beautiful and charming than ANY other children.

Laundry is a work of evil.

But the most important thing you should know about me is, as a wife and mother of a mostly happy household, I am living my dream. And I never thought I would.

Tana's Braids are OUT!

2011-02-18T08:22:00.000-08:00

I had to take the braids out! I'm so sad! It's not because they wern't holding up, they still looked great, but Tana is 15 months old. Everything from grape jelly to katsup had been put in those braids. And while I washed her hair I really needed to do a "deep clean". So what do you think of the "bad 80's perm" look? My husband came home from work and saw it and he loved it, almost as much as he loves her curls. When my son saw it he did not want to be seen with her. I'm just glad the curls came back when I washed it.

Ian's vaulting

2011-02-08T18:55:00.000-08:00

So this is Ian working on his freestyle horse vaulting routine. As you watch the video you may want to turn off the sound as it's just me chatting with Brian and one of the other mothers. The video dosn't last very long and is not the whole routine. Tana was not being cooperative, and Brian was trying to keep her out of the way.

Ian tried out for the team vaulting walk team, which means more than one person on the horse and the routine is done while the horse is walking, and he made it. He has been doing this for only about seven months so we're very proud of him. His coach even told him she wanted him to try out for the trot team next time! Okay, that won't be until next year, but still....

Jilene complained that I didn't tell her that Ian's coach was in a wheelchair, so the one in the green coat in the backround is Cambry Kaylor, and yes, she is in a wheelchair. She is also a remarkable vaulting coach.

Hair Night

2011-01-30T20:11:00.000-08:00

There is a Transracial Adoption group here in the Salt Lake Valley, and last night a bunch of us got together for a "Hair Night" where we exchanged tips and ideas for dealing with our daughters' hair. There was one lady there who had 11 children. 4 were biological and the rest she had adopted from Ethiopia 18 months ago as a sibiling group. Her oldest is Dibabe, pronounced "dee bobby", and is 17. Dibabe offered to cornrow Tana's hair and I quickly agreed. She asked me what I wanted done and, puzzled, I replied, "Cornrows?"
"Yes, but how?" she asked again. And I knew I was out of my depth.
"Just do whatever you want to do." I told her. I got a big smile for that one!

So this was the result. Tana looks so cute! I was told that the braids would last at least three weeks and probably more like five. So I have no hair worries for the next month-ish!
Tana did a great job of sitting through it. I had to hold her, but she only got upset when Dibabe did the braids at her temples and the nape of her neck. And Tana loves the clicking of her beads when she shakes her head. I love that this cost me $30 instead of the $100+ it would cost at a salon!

I Did Not Panic

2011-01-22T21:14:00.000-08:00

I was emptying the dishwasher the other day and as I finished up I realized the living room was very quiet. When I went in there Ian was playing a video game, but Tana was no where to be found. I asked Ian where Tana was. He said he did not know. I did not panic. I called her name a few times. No response. I did NOT panic. I looked in her room. No Tana. I DID NOT PANIC. I checked Ian's room. Not there either. I DID NOT PANIC! I checked my room and found this....

PLEASE HELP!!!!

2010-12-28T15:16:00.000-08:00

My Cousin posted this on her blog and I thought I'd pass it along....

www.marina.tincanbaydolphins.com.au

Please go to this website and vote against the building of a marina in Tin Can Bay, QLD. It is one of our favorite places to visit. (The Federal Gov. may be making a final decision as early as Jan 2011.) A marina would change the whole "feeling" of this sleepy little town. It would also mean that there would not be a place for the dolphins to come and interact safely with humans.

Stupid Fridge!

2010-12-20T08:27:00.000-08:00

WHY would the freezer work and not the refrigerator part!?! (SIGH) No milk. No eggs. No cheese. No fresh veggies. No bacon. No butter. Or margerine. No juice. No way to keep fruit after cutting into it, (Tana loves apples and peaches, but can't eat a whole one in a sitting.). I am NOT happy!

Adoption Journey

2010-12-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

Before you start reading this, get comfy and make sure you have plenty of time!

A lot of people have been talking lately about the adoption process and how it went for them. So I thought I would share our story a bit here.

In June of 2009 we were at a four day church convention in Riverton, Utah when Brian and I were asked if we could run to Sam's Club to pick up some supplies. Now, at the convention there was a beautiful family that had just had a baby boy. He was only a few weeks old and so precious. Both Brian and I had done a lot of holding and cuddling between meetings and had totally fallen in love. So, anyway, on our way back from Sam's Club, I finally got up the courage to ask Brian what I'd been thinking about for a few years. What did he think about adopting another child? I completely credit that little baby boy for giving me the courage to ask, because I was certain, and I don't know why, but I was totally positive Brian was against adoption.

So, I ask my loaded question five minutes from getting back to the convention grounds, and 15 minutes before the next meeting, but in the car where Brian can't escape me. And I am pretty sure it took him somewhere between a million years and a split second for him to answer me. I was all primed up and ready to cry because I KNEW what his answer was going to be, but I HAD to ask. And do you know what he said? "I've been thinking about it for about three years now."

So here's pretty much the rest of the conversation. I did not end up crying, by the way, I was too shocked by his answer!

T: You have?! So have I!
B: I was afraid to say anything though. I thought you were against it.
T: I thought you were.
B: No, I have no problem with it.
T: Huh. Me neither.
Yeah, so a precautionary tale to all readers: Communication is VERY important in a marriage!

During the rest of convention we discuss what we are and are not comfortable with in an adoption. We both wanted to adopt from the U.S., neither of us cared about the race of the child, or the sex. We talked about children with physical or mental challenges and what we felt we could handle as a family. We both felt it was best to adopt a child who was younger than our son Ian because it would be enough of a shock going from having been an only child for 6 years to having a sibling, without making him be a YOUNGER child as well. And we BOTH said we didn't want to tell anyone about our decision to adopt because we had heard so many stories of people who had waited years and years before there was a child available to adopt. I just couldn't face years of , "Have you heard anything yet?".

After convention we went home and looked at each other and said, "Okay, what do we do now?" Never having adopted before, and with no idea who to talk to, what did we do? Well, we Googled it, of course. Do you know how many sites purport to give you information on adoption? About a zillion. Do you know how many actually do? None that we could find. You go into this blind. So we decided to research agencies. They all tell you how wonderful they are, but none of them tell you about the H.E. Double Hockey Sticks you are about to go through. Brian diligently searched. I, diligently as I ever get, searched too. Brian found an agency he liked. My gut reaction was, "No." but I ignored it. I was wrong about him wanting to adopt, I was probably wrong about this too. Instead I did what I made Brian promise not to do. I talked to a friend. I told Callene we were looking to adopt but did not know where to start. She got super excited and told me about her mom's neighbor who had just adopted through a great local agency and why don't I give her a call here's her number I'll call her first so she's expecting you this is great and wonderful I'm praying for you. (Thank-you Callene, I love you too!)

The next thing we did was interview agencies. No, actually the next thing I did was call up a complete stranger in her home and inundate her with the millions of questions Brian and I had. She graciously answered each and every one of them. I came away happy. This felt right. All the praying we were doing was coming to fruition. Here was the agency we had been looking for. Brian will be so happy. Umm, no. Brian was still fairly certain this other place was the agency we should go through. NOW the next thing we do is interview agencies.

So we call up the agency Brian is interested in. They were based in California. The lady was polite, kind, enthusiastic, willing to answer all our questions, ready with references from previous clients. In short she was perfect. Then we went to the place I was interested in. In a tiny office about the size of our laundry room two ladies sit us down and say, “So, what do you want to know?” Brian explains that we know nothing about adoption and that we don’t even know what to ask. We’re told that you just fill out the paperwork and get started, and that you could download it from their website. I can see Brian getting more and more frustrated with these people as we go along, so we wrap it up and we leave with more questions than when we started. The only thing we did get out of it was the name and number of a social worker to do our home inspection.

Now I still feel like this Utah based agency is the way we should go, but I totally understand Brian’s frustration with them. We then decide we are going to start working with Brian’s top agency. We call them back and get their paperwork and are told we need to set up a home inspection as soon as possible. The only lead we have in that direction is the name and number we were given at the last disastrous interview. So we give her a call. Diana tells us that yes, she will come and inspect our home, and that we can use her report for any agency. Good to know. So we set up a date for her to come and I clean like I’ve never cleaned in my life. I was particularly proud of my bathrooms. You could have eaten off those floors. If you need to actually use the facilities, go to the neighbors, these puppies were CLEAN. Martha Stewart had NOTHING on me. When Diana arrives, she asks IAN to give her a tour of the house. He takes her in his room. He takes her in the basement. He shows her the storage room. He shows her everything. Everything except, you got it, a bathroom! They could have been pig sties, and no one would have ever known! Well, Diana liked us anyway. Maybe because I did not indulge in my desire to make her look in at least ONE of my bathrooms!
But Diana was working under the assumption we were going to use the agency I still liked, A Guardian Angel. When we mentioned we wanted to use this other agency and why. Diana suggested using them both since everyone she knew had such good results with A Guardian Angel. Well, we prayed about it and thought about it and okay fine we’ll give them a shot.

This is where the paperwork comes in. Remember how surprised you were when you bought your first home and the escrow agent plunks down a dictionary sized stack of papers that you are going to have to sign and initial multiple times? Yeah, there is about that much. Only instead of just signing and initialing, (you do that too,) you are answering questions, very personal questions. About your lifestyle, your health, your mental health, your background, the lifestyle, health, mental health and background of every relative, friend and acquaintance you’ve ever had, what you think they think about you and oh, by the way we need references and only one of them can be from a family member. And they need a doctor’s note that says you are healthy enough to raise kids. Also since you haven’t lived in Utah for five years, (it was over four! Come on!) you need a background check that looks at your record from all states! ARRRGGGH!!! But a million years later they said they were ready to show our profile to prospective birthmothers.

Oh yes, the profile. The profile is like a 10 page full color brochure about your family. It is what the birthmothers read to decide if they want their baby to go to you. There’s a letter in the front that you address to them telling them about your family, lifestyle and your desire to adopt and why. And the rest is pictures about your life, past and present, your hobbies, pets, wedding, EVERYTHING, but no personal information. You cannot include your address, last name, city you live in or any information they could use to track you down. All contact is through the agency. This is for the protection of the adoptive family, so birthmom doesn’t call asking for handouts or try to move in with you.

Anyway, once all that was out of the way we started receiving phone calls from the agency. May we show your profile to a birth mother in this or that situation? We always said “yes” and tried not to get our hopes up. We were still thinking it would be years before our child found us. Well, actually there was one situation in which we said “no”. A birth mom had tried to self-abort through the use of alcohol for the first trimester of her pregnancy. Brian works with newborns whose mothers smoked, drank done drugs or any combination of the three throughout their pregnancy and he said anything is treatable except fetal alcohol syndrome. We were so frightened to turn down this baby. Even though it didn’t feel right to either one of us, we were worried turning it down would hinder the agency from showing our profile to other birthmoms. When we were assured that that would not happen we then said “no” and a few days later we were asked about a birth family that was pregnant with a little girl. Ian wanted a sister, by the way, while it did not matter to Brian and I one way or another Ian only reluctantly agreed to accept the idea of a brother. So Ian was ecstatic about this situation, most of the rest had been boys, but this was a sister! And Brian and I were cautiously optimistic too, since the birthfather was involved and willing to sign too. So we settled in to wait.
The next day Jodi called us up. They had chosen us. This was September 26th. Coletta was due to be induced on November 6th, about three weeks before her due date. Oh! The frantic weeks of getting the nursery ready! The wonderful friends who wanted to throw us showers! And gifts! So many sweet, kind wonderful gifts! We were overwhelmed! And then Miss Tana, in a hurry from the beginning, decided to come home. She was born October 29th 2010 at 1:55 in the morning, weighing a whopping 5lbs 8oz and measuring 18.5 inches. Okay, really there was nothing “whopping” about her. She was tiny and perfect, and loved her big brother from the beginning. Instant connection. She would barely eat for the nursing staff, for Ian, she guzzled.

So on October 31st,2009 Tana came home to live with us forever, and on May 18, 2010 the legal system declared what we already knew, She is ours and we are hers!

Oh, and as for A Guardian Angel, we would highly recommend them to anyone. We found out Jodi, the lady we were interviewing with, had placed FOUR babies that day. She was exhausted!

Ummm, sorry this is sooo long!

September 11th

2010-09-11T08:32:00.000-07:00

September 11th, 1995.
What? You say that's wrong. That it was 2001. Yes, I remember that day. It was tragic. Horrible. I was at work at a time when most people in Washington state were still in bed. I cried so much that day.
But, no, I am talking about September 11th, 1995. I was in Paris, France. It was magic. Wonderful. That's the day my husband asked me to marry him. At the top of the Eiffle Tower. I cried that day too. They were tears of joy.

I love you Brian. Now and forever.

Navada

2010-09-07T07:48:00.000-07:00

I have never been overly fond of Las Vegas, it's okay, but not my idea of a great fun getaway. Nevada however, never really registered, I would now like to unequivocally state I am a HUGE non-fan of Nevada. We went down for a competition. It was 112 degrees on Friday, 109 on Saturday and 115 on Sunday. And we were cooking on blacktop. In a parking lot. It was so hot that Brian had not even lit his smokers and they were registering 150 degrees.

Then, on Friday, I get a call from the place we board our dog and am informed that we have a $450 vet bill waiting for us, for another dog. Apparently Denali got into a scuffle with another dog and caused him some damage. Denali. The dog that is afraid of our cat. Who lets children crawl all over him and pull his ears. This I don't understand at all.

But wait! There's more! As were were leaving the hotel Monday morning we discovered a broken window on our car. Yup, front passenger side window totally shattered and our GPS gone. When we went in to tell security they told us they had discovered the damage earlier and decided it was the heat that had caused our window to explode. when we told them the GPS was missing he swore. I guess it was there when they saw the car and someone had come along and helped themselves in the meantime.

Oh and if you are wondering how we did, out of 48 teams we took 36th.

So the upshot of the whole deal is I need a vacation from this vacation!

Equestrian Vaulting

2010-08-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Waiting.....

Start of routine

One foot on saddle

Hanging off saddle while Opal walks

And a Dragon, just 'cause it's cool!

Poor Baby!

2010-08-13T06:47:00.000-07:00

Poor Tana has, not one, not two, but SIX teeth coming in all at once!

Poor little thing!

Ian-isim

2010-08-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

So Brian and I were talking about a friend of ours, Colleen, and he told me she grew up "just outside of Worland, WY."
So Ian pipes up; "If she jumped out her bedroom window would she have been in Worland?"
"What!?" we ask.
"Well you said she lived JUST outside of Worland, so if she jumped out her bedroom window would she have been IN Worland?"
At this point I start laughing so hard I have tears coming out of my eyes at the vision of Colleen jumping out a window, but I manage to ask him why Colleen wouldn't just open up the front door and WALK a few steps if she's that close.
Ian's reply,
"Because it's funner to jump out the window!"

Pneumonia

2010-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

How is it, in the hottest part of summer, with temperatures hovering in the upper 90s and low 100s, I end up with pneumonia? That should not even be possible!

Horse Vaulting

2010-07-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Ian has decided to take up a new sport. He wants to do horse vaulting. We went to his first class yesterday. Since the arena is enclosed and I couldn't take a picture because the flash might startle the horse, here is a video to show you what it is.

Heaven help me.

She's All Ours!

2010-05-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday May 18th we went to court. Tana Rei Winther is now completely and legally ours. The Judge says we may not give her back even when she turns 13.

We were scheduled for Courtroom W44, but we actually went in the back to the Judge's Chambers.

Daddy, Big Brother, Judge Iwasaki, Miss Tana and Mommy

Adoption Day Cake!

Close up of the ladybug.

Family Pics!

2010-05-03T20:22:00.001-07:00

Family Picture time! And it turns out I have the cutest Kids in the world.

Just A Pic I Had To Post

2010-03-17T20:43:00.001-07:00

...And this is what happens when you lose your two front teeth and eat a blue sucker.

The Best Big Brother in the World

2010-03-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

So we're sitting in meeting today and Ian kept whispering "I want to hold Tana. Can I hold Tana?" So finally I passed her over to him. Very quietly, so quietly I wouldn't have heard it if there had not been a pause in testimony, he whispers to Tana, "You are the best little sister I could ever have in the whole, wide world."
I burst into tears.

Thank-you God

2010-03-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to post this recently as we were out of town, but I wanted to let you know, another baby has a home. The agency called me again last week with another "baby born" situation. A half Hispanic, half Caucasian baby girl born to a mother who did coke and drank beer through out the pregnancy. The urine test for the baby was clean however, and the doc said there were no signs of fetal alcohol syndrome, (apparently you can spot that immediately) and while the baby was premature, she was otherwise healthy.

So, I made calls and the people I called made calls and a little baby found a home. God did His work, and I cried again.

Dear Nana (An Open Letter)

2010-02-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Dear Nana,

I really enjoyed your last visit. Sitting on your lap, talking to me, all the attention. It was so wonderful! But the best part of all was the play mat you got me! I lay on it all the time to play with the toys, or just to rest. It's so much fun! There is just one little problem...

Will you PLEASE tell Tana you got it for me? She's always stealing it!

Thanks!

Love, Simon

A New Ian-isim

2010-02-15T18:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at meeting we heard about how when people die their prayers for us don't just disappear. Rather, that God keeps them in rememberance tword us. Today Brian and I were in the car and we were dicussing how wonderful that is, when Ian broke in to ask us what that meant. I explained how when people pray for us those prayers don't go away when they die, but that God keeps them. I think he was unsure about weather God keep the prayers or the people that die, because the next thing he said was, "Wow! God's house must be full of prayers and caskets!"

.....Annnd I lost it. ;)

Cute! Cute! Cute!

2010-01-21T20:18:00.000-08:00

I was able to meet Jacob and his new family today. Jacob is the little baby from my last post. And he lives about a block away from us. He is ADORABLE! He is also about the size of Tana. I guess he was close to 10 pounds when he was born. He has the chubbiest cheeks I have ever seen on a newborn.

The mom made a comment that really made me think about God's hand in all this. She said that they had been trying to adopt through another agency for about 2 1/2 years, they had just sent in the paperwork to continue on. She said that she told her husband they weren't going to get their baby this way, but rather that they would get a call out of the blue that someone knew someone who knew someone else. I smiled because when I first got the phone call I felt a strong feeling that I needed to call Calleen. Now Calleen has four children of her own and I KNEW she and her husband didn't want to adopt, but I called her anyway. Now sweet baby Jacob is where he belongs and I KNOW God's hand was in it.

Oddly Satisfying

2010-01-07T20:22:00.000-08:00

This afternoon as I was feeding Tana the phone rang. It was one of the people from the adoption agency. She said that there was a baby that had been born last night in another state that needed a home. She was wondering if we knew of anyone that was looking to adopt. I knew no one, but two people I had talked to recently had mentioned that they knew of families who were looking. So the first thing I did after hanging up was to call my husband to ask if HE had heard of anyone. Then we called our friends who called their friends....
To make a long story short, there is a family we don't know flying to another state to pick up a baby we've never met and bring him home. I may never meet this family and their baby, but right now I am so happy for them I'm crying.
And I feel... satisfied.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T09:34:00.000-08:00

#1 Kimberly, Wilson & Tana
#2 Grandpa and Tana
#3 Greatgrandma and Tana
#4 Picking oranges for Christmas
#5 (couch pic #1) Ian, Aunty Yvonne, Aunty Shawna, Alex
#6 (couch pic #2) Ian, Tana, Alex, Kimberly
#7 The start of The Great Marshmallow War
#8 the park will never be the same - marshmallows ALL over

We did not have a "white Christmas", but we did have a good one. We went to Phoenix to visit Dad and Tami. Shawna and her kids were there too so Tana got A LOT of loves! we had a wonderful time.

Curls!

2010-01-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

See? It really does get curly when we wash it!

Check it out!

2009-12-12T09:16:00.000-08:00

Go to http://rozephotography.com/blog/ and scroll down until you find the entry titled "Beauty" to see some fantastic pictures of Tana. The photographer is a friend of ours, and all I can say is "Wow!!!"

One more Ian-isim

2009-12-10T12:47:00.000-08:00

This morning I said to Ian, "Okay, I've got Tana ready, now I need to get me ready." His reply was, "Mom,"me ready" is impossible English!"
(I'm pretty sure he meant "improper".)

Dishonesty

2009-12-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

I asked a friend a question and she promised to lie to me, now I must make the same promise to you. Ask me any question for the next 24 hours and I promise to lie 'til my nose grows. The only caveat being you must do the same on your blog. Providing you have one.

Why?

2009-12-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

Why don't babies and children come with "snooze" buttons and volume control?

Two Cute "Ian-isms"

2009-12-02T07:49:00.000-08:00

Ian-ism #1
So, the day after Thanksgiving, we went on the "Polar Express" up in Heber and the guy that did the reading while we were on the train told us that Santa's favorite color is red because he is a Ute fan. (as opposed to BYU). Ian came home from school soon afterward and told me that Kyler and Emma did not believe that Santa is a Ute fan. First grade and already the rivalry is heating up!

Ian-ism #2
I had to take the computer in to be fixed and told Ian he would have to carry Tana's car seat in while I carried in the tower. Ian asked why we didn't use a "barbie". Being confused, I asked what a barbie was. When he explained, with much sighing and eye rolling, it was one of those things for carrying heavy stuff I finally realized he meant a "dolly".

New Pics - Thanksgiving!

2009-11-29T19:17:00.000-08:00

Grandma and her "sweeties"

SMILE!

Ian, Tete and Tana on Thanksgiving morning.

Tana's Thanksgiving feast as administered by Papa.

Everyone is exausted!

Tana and Us

2009-11-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Denali trying to protect Tana from that evil camera that causes sudden lighting storms.

I vote we ALL take a nap now.

Okay, he's my big brother and all, but WHERE'S MY BOTTLE!!!!

A kitchen scale and a popcorn bowl. How else would we weigh her?

Tana Pictures

2009-11-05T12:07:00.000-08:00

She is a genius! She already found her thumb!

Proud Big Brother at the hospital.

Awww! Isn't she adorable!

Daddy's got you! (Also a size perspective.)

Welcome Home

2009-11-02T09:59:00.000-08:00

Some mysterious person or people decorated our house to welcome Tana home. Whoever you are, (and Amy's not telling), Thank-you. That was incredibly sweet. I promise to post more Tana pics soon.

NEW BABY

2009-10-29T04:40:00.001-07:00

Yippeee. Tana Rei has finally made her appearance. She was born this morning at 01:55. She weighed in at 5lb 8oz and was 18.5 inches long. No more as of now but will keep updated.

Baby Update 3

2009-10-28T20:30:00.001-07:00

Sorry. No news on the baby front. Nothing will probably happen until mom's induction date of Nov. 6th. We are all just waiting around for the phone call. Will post more as we learn more.

Baby Update 2

2009-10-15T16:28:00.000-07:00

We are still counting down the days for Tana Rei to come into our family. We have a family bet as to what day she will really come into this world. So what is your guess?

Baby Update

2009-10-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

We met the birthmother today. Her name is Coletta and she is the cutest thing ever. The birthfather, Jakwan, did not come because he did not want to leave their other three children with a babysitter. Hopefully we'll get to meet him and the children later. It depends on if they decide they want to meet us again. But Coletta is a very sweet, wonderful woman and I am glad to have got the chance to have met her.

Ian's Response

2009-09-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

So, when we told Ian about the new baby, the following conversation ensued:

Ian: Is it going to be a sister?
Me: Yes.
Ian Good. Is she going to be tan?
Me: You mean brown? Like T?
Ian: Yes. Is she going to be like T?
Me: Yes, she'll have brown skin.
Ian: Good. Now you won't be the only girl in the family.

Kids. Ya gotta love their perspectives!

Heather! You were right!

2009-09-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

We were just informed that we were matched! We will be the proud parents of a baby girl who is due to be born on November 6th! We are thrilled and I am bawling!
Isen't life wonderful!

Right on!

2009-09-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

Your True Love's Name Is Brian W.

Now you just have to find this person!

What's Your True Love's Name?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Pockets

2009-09-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

When you find two really cool snails at recess and don't want your teacher to take them away from you, where do you put them?

Waiting....

2009-09-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

So we've had our profile shown to five different birth mothers and for one reason or another they've all chosen other families. One lady wanted the baby to go to a family that had no children, another wanted siblings, but more than one, still another wanted any other siblings to be adopted too. Things we have no control over. It's okay 'cause I know our baby is out there, but I get so jittery every time we're shown to a birth mother.

Then on Tuesday we were asked about another situation. We turned it down because we felt there was too much of a chance of fetal alcohol syndrome. The mother had drank heavily for the first trimester of the pregnancy. There were also some other clues that led us to believe this was not the child for us. (I don't want to get too into it because even though she'll never see this I want to protect her privacy. Let's just say I can totally understand her reasons.) Ian was devastated. He was so afraid that because we turned down this child we might never get a baby at all. Poor thing. How is it he worries about so many "grown-up" things at such a young age?

Anyway, we are still waiting and hopeful. God has brought us this far, we just have to wait patiently.

Soon Maybe....

2009-08-31T19:07:00.000-07:00

I got this reply in an email from the social worker when I asked her about when we could have our profile shown to prospective birth mothers

I feel comfortable telling the agency to begin to present you with upcoming situations even though you aren't officially "approved" until the clearances are back, but if a baby comes very quickly, we would have to have the attorney complete a temporary custody order for the courts so you could bring your baby home.... I'll go ahead and let the adoptive family coordinator know you're ready to be shown and she'll give you a call when she has one that looks like it will work.

...So keep those fingers crossed and prayers coming!

Rock'n Ribs cake

2009-08-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we had another barbecue competition. A big one down at Gallivan Plaza downtown. So, I decided to make "ribs". I found a very good recipe for red velvet cake, and then ruined it by running out of time and having to use premade fondant. (YUCK!) But it turned out pretty cute. I got the "fatty" streaks in it by rolling out the red and then, using a spoon, drew four lines through it into which I placed cords of the white-ish fat and rolling it out a bit more. Then I dropped the whole thing over the prepared cake. The "meat" was a mixture of red and scarlet and the "fat" was white with a little copper added. I thought it turned out pretty good. Even with the blob of "fat" I had to add to hide a hole I made. It sort of made it look more real I think. In any case I fooled a few people with it. When they saw it at a distance the couldn't figure out why someone had put raw meat on the table.

We did okay at the competition. We won a medal for 6th in chicken. So now all of our meats have won awards. Brian and I were happy as we were competing with a lot of teams who have been doing this for 10 years or more and those were the teams who won. Ian was not so happy. Running on little to no sleep he saw the trophy for the Grand Champion and was EXTREMELY upset we didn't get to take it home. I then made a major "Mom mistake". I was trying to comfort him by explaining how much experience the winning teams had compared to us, and when that did not work I tried telling him that the trophy doesn't really mean anything. You can go pick up an old one at the D.I., (our local version of the Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.,) for a couple bucks. "You can?" he says. "Sure," I tell him. At that moment Brian walks by and Ian goes running up to him all happy 'cause I'm going to go to the D.I. and pick him up a trophy. I ended up going yesterday and getting him an old bowling trophy from 1972. Seriously. He thinks it is the coolest thing ever. Who knew it was that easy?

Home Study

2009-08-14T13:21:00.000-07:00

So Monday night the Social worker came to look at our home and talk to us. We spent all day Saturday cleaning the house. I had the cleanest bathrooms in town! Then, she did not even look at them! Ian showed her around and she kind of went on a little walk through, but that was it! Brian says we've passed, and I'm pretty sure we have, but I'll be worried until some one OFFICIALLY says so. But I still need to get a Physical done that says I am healthy enough to raise a child, which won't happen until the 20th because my doc is out on maternity leave until then. (sigh) So on it goes, paperwork and all!

Idaho BBQ Results

2009-08-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

We went up to Declo Idaho for a competition this last weekend and it was so much fun! We were at an RV park called Village of the Trees. And let me tell you it was BEAUTIFUL! When Brian told me this comp was going to be held in an RV park, I had visions of an old broken-down KOA. But this place was great. It was clean, well cared for, lots of grass and, of course, trees. There was a swimming pool, showers, a laundry and a catch and release fishing pond. Ian and I both caught fish.
These Pictures may looked posed, but I swear it's true. Ian caught a good three pound trout and mine... well, mine wasn't even three inches. I did not even know I had anything on my line, I was just reeling it in to head back to camp and here I had this tiny little fry in there!

The competition went great too. We took 3rd in chicken and 2nd in ribs. Our pork was a little overdone and our brisket was VERY overdone, but we were happy with the results. I can definitely say we will be going to this competition next year. And if you are ever in need of a RV resort and you are anywhere near Delco Idaho you MUST go to Village of the Trees.

LIFE!

2009-07-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

So, I started this blog to tell you about my cakes, but to tell you the truth things have gotten far more complicated, and there is more important things to talk about and remember.

Right now we have started the process to adopt. We always wanted more children, but, frankly, it ain't going to happen for us through childbirth. So we're going to try this. We do not care if the child is male or female, and we do not care what race. We just want another baby.

(Ian does not want me to talk about this right now, he says I must talk abot racecars. Since I have nothing to say about racecars, I will move back to the previous subject.)

We are scared, well, I am anyway. But it will be wonderful at the end. Just keep our eyes on the goal. I will try to keep you abreast of what is happening, but since things are so busy I do not know how well I'll do.

We have talked to a fair few agencies, and have found one we are comfortable with. So we will probably be going through them. In the mean time we are trying to get our finances in order (AAAARRRGGG!), figure out where and how to get fingerprinted to get our FBI clearances (double AAARRRGGG!), and get our home study done (triple AAARRRGGG!). But we'll get through it.

Thirteen Things That Happened on July 13th

2009-07-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

574 John III ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1772 Captain James Cook begins 2nd trip (Resolution) to South Seas
1787 Congress establishes Northwest Territory (excludes slavery)
1836 U.S. patent #1 (after 9,957 unnumbered patents), for locomotive wheels
1865 Horace Greeley advises his readers to "Go west young man"
1868 Oscar J Dunn, former slave, installed as lt governor of Louisiana
1934 Babe Ruth hits HR #700, against Detroit
1939 Frank Sinatra made his recording debut
1943 11th All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 5-3 at Shibe Park, Philadelphia
1960 U.S. Democratic convention nominates John F. Kennedy as presidential candidate
1977 New York City experiences 25 hr black-out
1985 "Live Aid" concert raises over $70 million for African famine relief
1996 Brian Winther and Tara Wetherell were married in Everett WA.

Not News To Anyone That Knows Me....

2009-07-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Your result for The LONG Scientific Personality Test...

INFP - the Healer

You scored 36% I to E, 16% N to S, 10% F to T, and 74% J to P!

You are more introverted than extroverted. You are more intuitive than observant, you are more feeling based than thinking based, and you prefer to go with the flow rather than having a plan. Your type can best be summarized by the word "Healer", which belongs to the larger group of idealists. You have a capacity for caring that is deeper than most. You strive for unity, are fascinated by the battles between good and evil, and can be something of an idealist. Only 1% of the population shares your type.
As a romantic partner, you are usually supprtive and nuturing, however, you have a high need for individuality. Harmony is extremely important to you as you are very affected by conflict and tension, which also makes you resist confronting your partner directly about problems. When you get angry, you usually blame yourself, rather than your partner. You can also be stubborn and unyielding when you feel you are being criticized or mistreated. You feel the most appreciated when your partner listens to you carefully. You need to be understood. You need to hear your partner express their feelings, the more often, the better.Your group summary: idealists (NF)
Your type summary: INFP

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Brian grilled some salmon, corn and potatoes. The whole meal was YUMMY! Then we went and watched the rodeo, where Brian bid on tickets to a Toby Keith concert and a cowboy hat signed by some big-time rodeo professionals. We didn't win, but I got to wear the hat for a minute when the clown came by and put it on my head. It was too small.

So even though that was yesterday, that was our 4th of July celebration since Brian has to work today. We did get up early and go to a new restaurant called The Red Rooster Waffle Company, (or something like that), it was yummy! And tonight when we pick up Brian from work we are going to look out over the valley and enjoy the fireworks going on all around down there.

HappyFourth To All!

Signs and Stuff

2009-06-13T20:08:00.000-07:00

Well, if you read my blog much, (and why would you? it's sort of boring), you know we went to a bbq competition recently. I was asked to make up some signs with the team names and city of orgin. This is what I came up with: Well, the organizers liked it so much, they said they may be contacting me to do some signs for future competitions. Go me!

This is a sign Chris and Doug, one of the BBQ teams asked me to design for them. I did not charge them because Chris and Doug are both very nice guys. However, they ended up taking third place overall, so maybe I should have charged them. Just Kidding!
Then while at the competition another gentleman asked me to make a sign for his team. Since I don't know him I'm going to charge him. (That sounds weird, doesn't it?) These are the ideas I sent him, so we'll see if he's interested.

I like this one the least, but it's the one I spent the most time on.

This one is cute, the cows are all branded with "Richard's Round-Up".

But this one is my favorite, and the one I spent the least amount of time on.
So, we'll see if we make any money off my hobby. It's fun in any case.

P.S. Sorry Richard's Round-Up signs are so small, I have the super large ones I work on and then the thumbnails I send out so my designs won't be stolen, and I had to post the tiny ones.

A fun game

2009-06-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

http://www.fastgames.com/images/littlewheel.jpg">
Play This Game

I like point and click games and this is a very easy very cute one I enjoyed. Click the link above and try it out!

Sorry!

2009-06-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

Sorry I did not get the results posted sooner from the BBQ competition. It's been a little crazy around here!
First off, Brian was sick the week before the comp which is when he usually puts his sauces together. So this time the did not have time to "blend" like they usually do. Then Ian came home from school on Friday with a raging temp, so I wasn't able to stay with Brian and help out like we had planned. Then, in the middle of the night, Brian fell asleep and lost one of his fires and it took him 45 minutes to get it started again. While he was trying to recover from that, he thought he was supposed to get his ribs on, but he was an hour and a half early, when he realized what he'd done he took them off again, but they still weren't as good as usual. Then to top it all off I gave him the wrong seasoning for the chicken.
So needless to say we did not do perfectly. There were 19 competitors and overall we took 11th. solidly in the middle. We did get a 5th place call for brisket and a 6th for pork. Which, as I told Brian, for all we had going against us wasn't too bad.
However, look out next time when we're all healthy!

BBQ Competition this weekend

2009-06-04T16:59:00.001-07:00

Whoo-hoo! Our first comp of the season! I spent all day today trying to find a brisket for Brian. Two stores didn't have them, one store did, but it weighed 20lbs. (How is lbs. short for pounds? there is no l or b in the word!) Finally the fourth place I tried had a 12.6 pounder. Brian wanted one that was between 12 and 14 lbs., so that worked. I'm set! Brian... well, he's nervous.

Wish us luck!

Thank Goodness for Amy!

2009-05-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Brian has had a fever hovering around 102F since Sunday. Way too hot for my taste, but he kept insisting that it's just a virus and will go away soon. However, last night at around 7pm I took his temp and it was 103.5F. Way way too hot and I insisted I was going to take him into the ER. But there was the problem of what to do with Ian. He had School the next day and could not be out 'till all hours of the night.

That's where Amy came in, she graciously agreed to take my son for the evening and even offered to bring him home and sit with him at bed time so he could sleep in his own bed.

(As an aside, as Ian and I were walking to Amy's house when Ian saw his friends Lydia and Mikayla. When they asked him where he was going he told them he was going to Miss Amy's house because "Mom has to take dad to the OR at IFA." The IFA is a farmer's co-op. And since the girl's dad was standing there I had to explain I was taking Brian to the ER at IHC.)

Poor Amy! She had to stay in my messy house 'til after 1AM. Aren't I lucky to have such great friends?

THANK-YOU AMY!

Hamburger

2009-05-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

How about a hamburger? Nice, cheesy, juicy and fresh off the grill? Okay, this one isn't exactly fresh off the grill. Okay, it isn't cheesy or juicy either. It's cake. But boy was it fun to make!

The "sesame" seeds are sunflower seeds, the top "bun" was baked in a metal bowl, and the "lettuce" is rolled out gumdrops. Fun, huh?

Amy needed a cake for a Scout auction, (I presume they auctioned the cakes and not the Scouts), and I had a book with this cake in it and decided it was perfect. I added a few touches of my own, and Viola! a cheeseburger cake!

The Ladybugs Worked! - Finally!

2009-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

So I went back to the nursery and returned my dead ladybugs, and when they looked in their fridge most of their ladybugs were dead. Someone had turned the 'fridge up too high. But they did find me one container of Ladies that were in the middle of all the others that had been a little insulated and the bugs were still alive. So I brought them home and let them go. Sure enough on Saturday I saw ladybugs in my roses munching away on the aphids. YAY!

If this works as well as I hope it does I plan on buying ladybugs every year since I hate the aphids and the whole soap thing never seems to work for me.

Ladybugs to the Rescue!.... NOT!

2009-05-22T09:33:00.000-07:00

I have nine rosebushes. My personal philosophy is there is always room for a new rosebush especially if it promises to be one that smells good. To that end I like to cut off roses and bring them in the house for their beauty and their scent. However I HATE aphids. Nasty crawly bugs that eat my roses!
Noticing that I already seemed to have an aphid problem I went to the nursery and bought ladybugs. I bought them at about 1:00pm and brought them home and set the container on my kitchen table to release in the evening so the ladybugs would not fly off but instead make their home in my bushes. That was the theory anyway.
When I went to release them it looked like they were all dead. Now, they hadn't been moving when I got them but I assumed that was because they kept them in a 'fridge and that as they warmed up they would wake up and move around. But eight hours later they were not moving. So I called the nursery. They said to wait 'til morning and see what was what. Guess what? They're still dead. Stupid Bugs. Now I have to take them back and hope the next batch is not a dud too. If they are I'm getting my money back and buying my Ladybugs elsewhere. Humph!

Personality tests

2009-05-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Your result for The Social Persona Test (What kind of man/woman are you?)...

The Rarity (QTAF)

Quirky Traditional Alpha Female

You have an unusual and unbelievably precious combination of traits, especially in a woman. Not only are alpha females extremely rare, but traditional ones with nerdy/geeky interests are even more scarce. Unlike the other types, I can't give you a description because I'm not sure if you actually exist.

PS: I know this is not a compatibility test, but there is a very good chance you are the girl of my dreams. Not to sound desperate or anything, but please, oh please message me! (Assuming, that is, that you are between 20 and 30 and live in New England).

--Bookwyrm85

You are more QUIRKY than NORMAL.

You are more TRADITIONAL than LIBERAL.

You are more DOMINANT than PASSIVE.

When picking a date, consider: Lord of the Misfits (QLAM), The Late Bloomer (QTAM), The Snowball's Chance in Hell (QTBM), or The Manga Geek (QLBM).

(Image from http://folk.uio.no/thomas/lists/amazon-connection.html)

Take The Social Persona Test (What kind of man/woman are you?) at HelloQuizzy

Okay already!

2009-05-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

For all you people out there that seem to care how my throat is doing, and apparently there is a bunch of you and I love you all for caring so, I went to see the doc for my post-op today and he said that everything looks great. I have a little bit of something that he said was like thrush only much less so, I can't remember what he called it, but he gave me a script for some lozenges to suck on that should take care it. Everything else looks good, the swelling is going down and I feel fine.

The really good news is I told him I have been sleeping without my CPAP machine and doing well. So he has scheduled a test for a month from now that will test my oxygen levels while I sleep to see if I can get off the thing permanently. I'm pretty confident that it will work out, but keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks again to everyone for all your love and support!

Happy Birthday Ian! (a little late!)

2009-05-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

Ian turned SIX yesterday! I cannot believe it! He was born May 9th, 2003, was 8lbs. 11oz. and was 20.75 inches long. Which was pretty amazing considering he was three weeks early. Oh, he was beautiful, and at six even though he doesn't want to hear it I'm sure, he still is.

His personality was very apparent even as an infant. Pretty easy-going most of the time, but the red-haired temper could come out when pushed. He loved play, didn't mind being dirty, and REFUSED to sleep until he was completely overcome with exhaustion. He was a sweet baby who liked to be cuddled and loved Mommy more than anything. I still think I am the luckiest mom on the planet.

Now, at six years old, he is bright and intelligent with tons of imagination. He loves Daddy more than anything now but still comes to mom for the scraped knees and bruised elbows. He is affectionate and sweet, and most of the time has pretty good manners. He can still be a little shy, but is starting to get over that a bit.

P.S. I found a way to decorate the Bundt cake. Ian wanted a "monster" theme to his party, so I made a Loch Ness monster. Unfortunately the icing wasn't as thick as I wanted and it all flowed down to the bottom of the dish. Tasted good though!

R.I.P. Bob

2009-05-03T18:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a sad day. Bob died. Bob was Ian's goldfish and a first rate dragon deflector. When Ian was about 2 1/2 years old he suddenly became very frightened of dragons. In my desperation I told Ian that dragons were afraid of fish because fish live in water and water puts out fire. Ian was sneaking into our bed every night or would wake up crying for me and I was getting no sleep, so I decided to get him a goldfish. That night was the first night Ian slept through the night. It was wonderful. Ian has since added Farmer Pickles to the tank and we had to go get a new fish so now we also have America.

For all the dragons you kept at bay, we will miss you Bob!