Phippen Phamily

Hiatus

2011-03-08T17:39:00.002-07:00

I've been on blog-land hiatus. To be honest, I don't know if I'm quite ready to be back here. However, I do have some news. Rob and I are expecting baby #3 in early August. Baby three is a boy and we couldn't be happier to have him working his way into our hearts and home. That's all for now.

Christmas Story

2010-12-24T17:42:00.002-07:00

When I was a missionary in Spokane, Washington, there was a dear family that was so loving toward the sister missionaries. The Frederickson family loved Christmas stories. They made me a binder filled with wonderful, inspiring stories to read in the month of December. Anyway, I heard a story the other day that made me think of them and their wonderful tradition of stories. If you're out there Frederickson family, this one is for you.

Fresh Crab and French Bread

By Garnee Faulkner

Garnee Faulkner, “Fresh Crab and French Bread,” Ensign, June 1985, 38–39

It was a typical winter day in San Francisco, cool and damp. We had lived there a few years before and were back renewing memories. Seeing the large, steaming crab vats as we walked along Fisherman’s Wharf, I exclaimed, “Oh, let’s take some crab home to Emma.”

“Crab?” asked my husband. “Why crab?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she would enjoy it.”

Sensing my ever-present desire to bring cheer to a grieving widow in our ward, Ron counseled me to find a more easily transported gift. He suggested that we find something more suitable in one of the souvenir shops beckoning us.

In and out of the shops we went, searching in vain for just the right memento. Empty-handed and tired, we started for our car, only to pass the crab vats once more.

“Ron, I still want to take some crab to Emma,” I pleaded.

He was still resistant to hauling crab 150 miles, especially when I wasn’t even sure Emma liked it. Nevertheless, we asked the vendor about transporting un-refrigerated crab that distance.

Soon we were crossing the Bay Bridge with the crab carefully wrapped in many thicknesses of paper; a long loaf of the Wharf’s famous french bread was tucked in the side of the sack.

On the trip home my thoughts turned to Emma. I remembered the sacrament meeting ten months before when Emma, her husband, Ed, and their oldest son, David, had spoken just before David left to serve a mission. That was the last time we saw Ed. After accompanying David to the Missionary Training Center, Ed suffered a fatal heart attack while still in Utah. He never returned to California.

Ed was a gifted surgeon, highly respected in our community. His passing was felt deeply. In addition to Emma, he left six children, the youngest just a toddler.

Though many grieved with the family, it was difficult to express their sympathy because Emma was extremely reserved and quiet. Few knew her well. As the months went on, her sorrow did not seem to lessen. Grief and poor health found her withdrawing from activity outside her home.

I was determined to be her friend, her sister in the gospel, and not let fear or personal rejection dilute my concern. Each week I went to her home, sometimes to be invited in while she shared her heartache. Other times she met me at the door but quickly terminated the visit with, “Thank you for coming.”

As I rang the doorbell that day I could hear many feet running to answer. The door opened. Emma, surrounded by her children, stood there puzzled at my brown sack and protruding loaf of bread.

“Yes?” she inquired.

My spirits were dampened by her coolness, but I faked enthusiasm over our trip to the city and the gift we had brought.

As she took the fresh crab and french bread, Emma asked, “Is this for any special occasion?”

“No,” I replied, “I just thought you might enjoy some crab from the Wharf.”

“Thank you very much,” she said, expressionless, and closed the door.

I returned to the car and slumped down into the seat, deflated. All I could say to Ron was, “I’m not sure Emma likes crab.” We finished the drive home in silence.

Two days later came the following letter:

My dear friends:

I was very touched by your kind gesture last night and feel compelled to share a few thoughts with you.

Yesterday morning began with the usual daily tasks. I was out sweeping the walks when I looked up to the heavens and, noting the vast, billowing, white clouds, asked, “Ed, do you know what day this is? Do dates have a meaning in heaven? Can you possibly know how much I love you and how desperately you are missed; how I long to be taken into your strong arms and held again just for a minute?”

With tear-stained cheeks I wanted to know if he remembered twenty-three years ago, or even two years ago this day.

All day long memories came rushing back. I remembered our first trip to San Francisco and how cold it was as we walked by the steaming crab pots at the Wharf. Ed was so handsome in his Navy uniform. He always took my hand in his, and holding it tight placed both in his overcoat pocket. How comforting the warmth was. I could see him sitting in the cable car, with his boyish grin, a loaf of bread and a crab under each arm. So many times he repeated this procedure.

San Francisco was our playground. I cannot begin to count the number of seminars and scientific meetings we attended there. To learn more was almost a disease with Ed. After each session we always ended our stay by going to the Wharf. A loaf of bread and a fresh crab became symbolic of a wonderful time together. Now that he’s gone, I wonder what mysteries of heaven he is exploring, what avenues are being opened to him. So many unanswered questions … so impatient I am.

Yesterday was a difficult day to get through. In late afternoon a beautiful floral arrangement arrived with a card from the children declaring their love for me. It was heartwarming. As I looked at the two little ones, then at Eddie and Janet and Miriam—then remembered David—I could see a part of Ed in each and realized that my cup runneth over.

Then at the close of day when I opened the door and saw you standing there with a loaf of bread and a package of fresh crab, it was like a direct message. You denied knowing it was a special day. Therefore I felt it was Ed’s way of saying, “Happy anniversary. I do remember.”

As ever,
Emma

I know this isn't exactly a Christmas story but it encompasses the love that we should show our fellow men. The very love the Savior offers us. I hope you remember Him this Christmas. I know I'll try!

Shake It Up

2010-12-14T20:34:00.004-07:00

I have a favorite holiday commercial, hope you like it too!

11/11

2010-11-11T19:02:00.003-07:00

Since it is Veteran's Day I suppose I should post a little something about this day. Veteran's Day is on November 11th in honor of the signing of the Armistice treaty that ended World War I. The war ended on the 11th day of the 11th month at the 11th hour of the year 1918. When I think of this day I can't help but think of the veterans in my own family. My great grandfather, Howard McKinley Smith, served in WWI. He was gassed mercilessly with mustard gas while he fought in Europe. When he returned home to Kentucky the climate was too moist for his damaged lungs so he had to move to Safford, Arizona, because the climate was dry and he could breathe. My great uncle James Smith selflessly gave his life in WWII to save the men in his company. Both my grandfathers, Henri Milano and George Smith, served in WWII. My father in law, John W. Phippen, also served in the Army. When I think about these men and the service they rendered it makes me proud to be related to them. So please take a moment to honor our veterans and remember the sacrifices they made and continue to make to keep us safe.

Wish

2010-10-18T22:07:00.002-07:00

I wish I had one of these fantastic Madsen bikes. Can't you just see me riding around our quaint Fraser Fields with my babies in tow? Check the Madsen bike out! I wish, I wish, I wish...

The Diving Lady

2010-10-10T23:16:00.003-07:00

Dear Diving Lady,
I have never known Mesa life without you. As a small girl I would search and wait for you to illuminate the ride to Grandma's house. You filled me with wonder and I watched you dive, dive and then hit the electric water with a bright neon splash. I'm sorry for your loss dear lady. Your fateful match with that micro burst proved to be too much but know that you'll live on in the memories of the generations of Mesa dwellers that witnessed your pure electric elegance. Farewell, dear lady. The classy Starlite Motel will never be the same without you.

RAOK #5- Doors, Simply Open Them

2010-10-10T22:57:00.002-07:00

So for my fifth random act of kindness I just simply opened the door for a mother pushing her baby in a stroller. I recall the days of pushing the behemoth stroller loaded with baby gear of all sorts and coming to a door and having to stop and struggle to get everything through the door while people were rudely whisking by me. I now try to always help those mommas because it's the nice thing to do. Also, if you see anyone that needs help with a door you should just lend them a hand. It takes mere moments and it helps more than you know.

Swap It!

2010-10-10T22:46:00.002-07:00

It's that wonderful time of the year again... Time to Swap it! The Fraser Fields Swap will be Friday, November 12, at 7 pm. The theme is Tweed so bust out your finest hounds tooth and grab a few items to swap with us. It's always a grand ol' time chapettes. Check it out here. Oh, and for tweedy inspiration check this out... how fun!

Sunday Love

2010-10-03T12:11:00.002-07:00

Today we're feeling the Sunday love. We're watching our church's General Conference sessions and snuggling. What's not to love about this?

Hello Tomorrow

2010-09-28T22:03:00.004-07:00

Today was one of those days. You know those days that should really be spelled daze? I woke up and after about five minutes of wandering around trying to get oriented I heard my bed calling, in a far off beckoning type voice, "Come back. This day is just not going to happen". Oh, how I wanted to surrender to my bed's call but alas I cannot leave 23 six-year-olds stranded nor can I justify letting my kindergartner ditch school. Despite my heroic efforts of actually getting dressed and making it to work with my kids in tow the day was not by any means a fantastic one. I felt like I was in some kind of far away bubble. Kind of like bubble boy on Seinfeld. With my nasty Diet Coke in hand I tackled this day only to be thwarted at every dashing turn. I'm glad it's all over, I welcome tomorrow.

No Birthday Blues

2010-09-19T19:25:00.006-07:00

I totally forgot to post about my birthday. Here is the quick version... I had no birthday blues this year. My hubby got me a cool gift, my students gave me a generous gift card and lots of cute hand-drawn cards, my friend Kelly and her kids left me balloons and a greeting by my door, my pal Jeni and my mom called and gave me a happy greeting, and I got sushi for dinner. I am so blessed and that's why this year I'm going to try to pay if forward. Thank you everyone for making my birthday so stellar!

RAOK #4- Doughnut Time

2010-09-19T19:10:00.003-07:00

My Grandma Elma is a 90 year old wonder woman. She has lead an amazing life and is a pillar of faith, strength, determination, and the original mom turned business woman. She has one dent in her armor though.... chocolate! My friend Julie brought us a dozen Bosa doughnuts. When I opened the delectable box of fatty treats and spotted a single chocolate cake pastry I knew it was RAOK time. Lillie, Julie, and I walked next door to give Grandma the doughnut. Lillie presented it to her and I knew we had made Grandma's morning. She even called later to let me know how yummy the treat was. My favorite part of this little RAOK was that Lillie was so delighted to give her great-grandma a treat. She was beaming with warm fuzziness!

Oh, and Dear Doughnuts:
Why are you so delicious yet so bad for me? Please stay away. It'll be better for us both.
Your Fan,
Starr

RAOK #3- Helen's Hope Chest

2010-09-19T19:00:00.002-07:00

So my third RAOK was kind of an easy peasy lemon squeezy one. My church is doing a drive for Helen's Hope Chest, a program with the Mesa United Way organization. This program helps foster children and families by providing them with needed supplies. Helen's Hope Chest also gathers gently used items and puts them into a store type setting so families in need can "shop" for clothing. This program is in desperate need of new hygiene items such as: toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, floss, deodorant, feminine products, bath towels, wash cloths, etc. For more information on Helen's Hope Chest and where you can drop of supplies go here. Anyway, I gathered up some hygiene supplies and dropped them off with the Relief Society service liaison. So easy and I still got a few warm fuzzies from it.

RAOK #2- Fire Fighter Love

2010-09-18T22:19:00.005-07:00

It is a well know fact that most women love fire fighters. They are masculine, sweet, and oh so nice to look at but they are also dedicated community heroes. One of the thoughtful things the fire fighters do is provide stuffed animals to children when they respond to a traumatic call. In the midst of tragedy and loss the children are given something to cuddle and find comfort in. We donated a bag full of soft and snugly critters, beef jerky, pickles, and doughnuts to the fire station. Yes, we gave them pickles... in case some of the fire fighters were more health conscience and did not want a fatty doughnut. ;) The fire men thanked us for our generosity by taking us on a fire truck tour. We got to climb in the trucks, see all the bells and whistles, and the kids even got to ring a bell too. It was a rewarding and fun RAOK.

RAOK #1- Birthday in a Bag

2010-09-18T22:08:00.004-07:00

Well, after evaluating my life, realizing there was no earthly way I could accomplish 32 random acts of kindness in a few short hours, I resolved to do 32 random acts of kindness in the next year. Much more reasonable, eh? Well I'm happy to report on my first RAOK. I had a lot of help with this fun service. My gal pal Julie, her son Jaxsen, Jonas, Lillie and I put together five "birthday in a bag" kits. We included a cake mix, frosting, a bag of balloons, a streamer roll, plastic utensils, paper plates, paper cups, party hats, and party favors in each bag. We dropped them off at the East Valley Child Crisis Center to be used to celebrate when a resident child has a birthday. I hope the children enjoy their parties as much as we enjoyed creating their "birthday in a bag" kits.

Talent Crush

2010-09-16T18:00:00.001-07:00

I was introduced to this little songstress and I cannot get enough of her vibrant, happy sound. This video is so simply cool too. Check Kina Grannis out!

To Be Well Read

2010-09-11T16:14:00.007-07:00

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my vision of myself. Do you remember when you were little and you had big plans for what you were going to be when you were "all growed up"? Or how about when you were a teenager and you told yourself ,"I'm NEVER gonna do that". My favorite plans for myself were made in my enlightening college years... I would travel the world with my guitar and be a well read individual. :) Well, I think as an adult I can look at my life and realize that I have brought a few of the visions of me to life. However, there are many visions that have changed, been forgotten, and thankfully been dismissed with time. One of those visions I want to bring back is being well read. I have searched high and low for what the definition of being well read is. My grandmother, Mary Alice Smith, was an avid reader. After reading all the varying opinions on what it actually means to be well read I can confidently express that my grandma was the picture and definition of a well read woman. Well, in all my searching on this subject I did stumble across this little list of 100 Literary Works You Should Read Before You Die. (Unfortunately when I printed the list out it did not include the website credit on it). So, to whom ever compiled this list... thank you. I hope to read some of the titles on your incredible list so I can claim my vision of being well read.

On a more shallow note, don't you just love the look of the above pictured books? They are the Penguin Classics Hardcover series that is being released this year. I love them! I think I need them to sit in my corner and look pretty... oh and I should read them too.

PS. I remember today. Do you?

Photo Faux Pas

2010-09-02T23:58:00.004-07:00

A faux pas (pronounced /foe-pa/, plural: faux pas) is a violation of accepted social norms (for example, standard customs or etiquette rules). Faux pas vary widely from culture to culture, and what is considered good manners in one culture can be considered a faux pas in another. The term comes originally from French, and literally means "misstep" or "false step". I believe a photo faux pas happens when a movement happens at the same instant the camera's shutter captures resulting in photos like these...

Hence photo faux pas.

32 Flavors and then Some

2010-09-02T23:40:00.010-07:00

I am turning 32 in 12 days. I know it's not the social norm to proclaim your birthday or your age as a grown woman but I really don't care. I have some big and exciting plans for my birthday. Over six months ago I read a woman's blog about her Random Acts of Kindness Birthday. After I read about her experience I decided, with tears in my eyes, that I wanted me a RAOK birthday too! Then today I read about another RAOK birthday. Needless to say I've made a list of 32 RAOK tasks I'd like to do for my birthday. I'm dubbing this RAOK project my 32 Flavors and Then Some Birthday. Anyone wanna join me? I could use a couple pals to help me perform my do-gooder deeds. ;)

A Day in the Life of a Mother

2010-08-26T22:32:00.003-07:00

So today was one of those days. I was exhausted from teaching 23 cutie-patootie kids all day. The pads of my feet were swollen and tender to the touch. When I told JoJo it was time to leave school he had another embarrassing melt down and became very obstinate with me in front of my colleagues. I raced home knowing I had to rush my little Lillie lovebug to her first dance lesson only to find that she had not put her new ballet shoes and leotard where they were supposed to be. I frantically tore her recently cleaned room apart finding the missing dance attire. Meanwhile Jonas was tiredly asking me questions that I answered with a few bitey snaps. I was defeated, upset, hurried, I felt a turmoil inside me as I thought, "This mother thing is a bit too much sometimes." Well, as I turned on my computer to work on my school and church lessons I stumbled across this video. I watched it as tears welled in my exhausted eyes and I knew that my chancing upon this message was not a shear act of serendipity. I believe that every momma needs to see this, especially if your day was anything like mine.

Mothering Authentically from Amelia Maness-Gilliland on Vimeo.

♫ Whenever I Hear The Song of a Bird

2010-08-24T23:42:00.000-07:00

The 3 Grand Weekend

2010-07-26T00:10:00.008-07:00

No, we did not either spend of earn 3 grand this weekend. We did, however, experience a 3 grand weekend! The 3 grands are Grandma Ivie, Grandpa John & the Grand Canyon! I've lived in Arizona most of my life but I'd never visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon before. It was so gorgeous. I liked it better than the South Rim for sure. The children got to stare down the belly of the canyon and see the teeny, tiny Colorado River. They even braved a few of the walk out views. The kids got spoiled by Grandma and even read a new favorite story with her. We followed the Grands down to Cameron Junction. The kids loved the garden courtyard splendor as they ran around singing, dancing, and acting out their own version of a Newsies inspired creation. We even ventured down to Wupatki National Monument with Grandpa. The last time I had visited Wupatki I was with my own Grandma... I thought that was kind of a cool coincidence. The trip was fast and furious but we're so glad we went.

We had an amazing Copper State adventure last weekend. We met Grandma Ivie & Grandpa John and the Grand Canyon. I've lived in Arizona most of my life but I'd never visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon before. It was so gorgeous. I liked it better than the South Rim for sure. The children got to stare down the belly of the canyon and see the teeny, tiny Colorado River. They even braved a few of the walk out views. The kids got spoiled by Grandma and even read a new favorite story with her. We followed the Grands down to Cameron Junction. The kids loved the garden courtyard splendor as they ran around singing, dancing, and acting out their own version of a Newsies inspired creation. We even ventured down to Wupatki National Monument with Grandpa. The last time I had visited Wupatki I was with my own Grandma... I thought that was kind of a cool coincidence. The trip was fast and furious but we're so glad we went.

Save Some Money Honey!

2010-07-21T23:14:00.010-07:00

Money is something I love and hate fiercely at the same time. For example, I love earning money so we can be a self-sufficient family. I love money when I have it sitting in the bank. I love money when I can do something adventurous with it. I hate money when I don't have any. I despise money when I don't have any saved. I really hate when my money seems to always disappear without any real idea as to where it all went. You get the picture, right? Well, my friend Julie's sister works in the banking industry and she too shared my sentiments about family finances. Where was all her money vanishing to? Well, she took a class on how to change the nasty cycle of earning and spending with nothing to show for it money blues. She wisely shared what she learned and here are the guidelines to being better with your money:

1. Stop using your debit card! Live off of a cash budget. Sit down and decide how much cash you need to survive through a week. Here is an example of a basic family of four:
$50 for wife's gas
$50 for husband's gas
$100 for family's food
$50 for wife to have as spending/play money
$50 for husband to have as spending/play money=
$300 TOTAL for the week
Pull that amount of cash out of the bank on Saturday. Divide up the cash accordingly and remember YOU CANNOT USE YOUR DEBIT CARD! Any money you have left for the week is yours to save. :)

2. Play the savings game and pay yourself for a change! Here are the rules to the savings game:

First, if at anytime someone gives you a five dollar bill as change you mustn't spend it. Take the five dollar bill and put it into a savings jar. You can also add your loose change to the jar and watch your savings grow.

Second, after you go shopping check the bottom of your receipt. If you shopped sales the receipt will read something like, "You saved $14.22 today". Take the amount you saved and transfer it from your checking account to your savings account to pay yourself for being a smart shopper.

My friend's sister followed these guidelines and in just 6 weeks her family had over $1200 saved. Amazing, huh?

Naturally, Rob and I jumped on this money saving bandwagon. We haven't even followed the guidelines for a whole week and we already feel so empowered. I challenge you to give this money game a try. Go on and save some of your money honey!

Oh, and if the above post didn't get you all fired up to take charge of your money here is a quote that may do the trick...

"To pay our debts now and avoid future debt requires us to exercise faith in the Savior- not just to do better but to be better. It takes great faith to utter the simple words, "We can't afford it". It takes faith to trust that life will be better as we sacrifice our wants in order to meet our own and others' needs". --Robert D. Hales

He's a Lego Maniac

2010-07-21T22:23:00.017-07:00

Jonas the boy is a self-proclaimed Lego maniac. He will sit for hours and build with those innovative little plastic bricks. He is also obsessed with creating new Lego mini-figures. I love that Jonas loves Legos. I happen to know that Legos have been identified in many research experiments as "brain building toys". As a teacher, and a parent, I appreciate any toy that helps build brains, can't you? Anyway, Jonas decided that for his birthday in lieu of a big party he wanted to go to Legoland. I did the math and with some deal finding I figured that a trip to Legoland would cost about the same as a big birthday party. Nevertheless, we took a jaunt over to San Diego with our dear friends Julie and Jaxsen. We stayed on "Jaxsen's Papa's boat" and had a few adventures in the chilly, no sun in sight, San Diego weather. It was a great vacation and Jonas had an awesome 5th birthday too.

A Very Nice Fork

2010-07-21T22:04:00.006-07:00

I have become a huge fan of a particular fork. Why am I so fond of a fork you ask? Well this is not your regular run of the mill fork, it's not stainless steel, gold, or platinum... it's of a natural design. We went camping at the West Fork of the Black River this summer. Our friends, the Whiteners, invited us to meet them up in the White Mountains for a retreat from the valley heat. It was wonderful. It was the perfect camping spot for young families. A few blunders happened on the trip though. First off, we forgot our tent. As we were frantically packing Rob grabbed what he thought was our tent. He was briskly walking the camping stuff out the door when I reminded him that he did not have the tent... he was holding the sunshade. He just answered me with a grunt and an annoyed look. Needless to say he was surprised when we arrived at West Fork and he opened the "tent" to see it was the sunshade. Luckily, the Whiteners had an extra tent that they let us use. The other mishap was more serious. Our little Lillie has a severe aversion to wearing shoes. She cannot keep them on her cute little feet for longer than ten minutes. Well, whilst we were camping Lillie held true to her no shoes behavior and stepped on some hot coals! She burnt her little foot pretty badly. Right after it happened Rob was so smart and ran her to the creek and chilled her foot. He was such a sweet dad and kept taking her back to the creek when she'd cry for relief. Luckily, her foot healed quite quickly and well. Overall it was a sweet camping trip that was made even sweeter with some good company. Thanks Whiteners, Gessels, and Lintons for sharing the wild of the West Fork with us Phippens. We'll definitely have to use this fork again!

Lost

2010-07-14T22:51:00.002-07:00

So I've been lost for awhile. We, the Phippen clan, have had a few adventures and a few lazy days too. I'll work on posting them soon... or I may still have a massive case of the lazies.

Dad's Tribute

2010-06-10T01:20:00.005-07:00

So my dad has joined the ranks of Facebook. He wrote a tribute to my Great Uncle James in honor of Veteran's Day and I'm posting it on our blog for all to read.

Tribute to Uncle James
written by David James Smith

I generally post to Facebook with what might be characterized as a cavalier attitude toward subjects. Today, Memorial Day, for at least one post, I feel inclined to be a bit more serious. Attached you will find some photographs of James Harrison Smith, my father’s older brother, in whose memory I received a middle name. I never had the privilege to know him as he died on March 31, 1941, violently, in a jungle, 7,600 miles from home. He was 19 years, 6 months and 9 days old. That was eleven years before my birth, a long enough time for his family’s grief to evolve back into every day living and their mourning to morph into occasional glances at his picture on their fireplace mantel. For the past two generations Uncle James’ life, when remembered, has been condensed into the singular act of his death accompanied by the sentiment of the lost opportunity of a full life. That is a shame. Ignorance of all that he was cheats the future generations of his extended family of the knowledge of the fullness of his sacrifice. I feel it is important that my relatives that haven’t heard his story read it now.
James was born August 22, 1921 in Baldwin, Kentucky. He grew up as the oldest sibling, his elder brother having died in infancy. He was adored by his sister, three years his junior and worshiped by his little brother who was six years younger. In 1922 his family had moved from the humidity of Kentucky to the dryness of southeast Arizona in regard to his father’s health. His father’s ill health was not the result of natural infirmities but the product of inhaling mustard gas dispensed by a German artillery shell during WWI.
James matured to be a hansom boy, 6’2” tall weighing 195 pounds with brown eyes and naturally curly brown hair which he hated. By necessity, he learned to work hard and do without during his formative years. He worked year round along side his father on the family truck farm growing vegetables and as a gas station attendant on the 6 PM to 6 AM shift during the summer. He caught rattlesnakes and sold them to the area stores and filling stations for their “zoos”, a common feature of retail establishments in those days. Until Christmas of 1932 he lived in a house with no indoor plumbing. New Years Day 1933 would find the water service brought from the street to the front porch but no further. An outhouse was still in use when he left for the Army. He had two sets of clothing, one for school and one for church. His mother would wash, dry and iron his clothes at night so he could go to school in clean clothes. When a carnival came to town during the Depression, the Smith children were given one nickel apiece to spend. He excelled at school as a straight A student, played the lead in school drama productions, right tackle on the football team and bugle in the drum and bugle corps. He was two merit badges short of the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, an unusual accomplishment at the time. He loved the outdoors and his favorite subject was Biology. He collected over 100 insects indigenous to the area and kept them mounted and cataloged in a 2’ x 3’ case covered in glass. His career plans were focused upon becoming a Forest Ranger after college. He had a steady girlfriend and their families hoped they would someday marry. He was very close and protective of his family. In 1935, when he was 14, a disgruntled welfare recipient tried to kill his father with a pick handle. James took the weapon from the assailant and knocked him to the ground, holding him there until the authorities arrived. In order for him and his sister to receive free lunches at school, he worked part time as a server in the cafeteria. When his shift was done he would run home to eat so his mother would not have to eat lunch alone.
Upon graduation from Thatcher High School in 1939 James and his father entered into a partnership with a Mr. French to develop a large truck farm and sell produce to the area stores. His father would provide the farming expertise, Mr. French the money and James the labor. He worked long hard days taking only Sundays off. It was James’ plan to use the money to go to school and get started in life. When it came time to settle the accounts, Mr. French disappeared with all of the profits. With the little money James had left, he enrolled for the fall semester at Eastern Arizona College as a student and member of the football team. By November the weight of being a full time student coupled with the inability to find employment became too much. The ongoing Depression placed many students in the same predicament. James and four of his friends visited the Army Air Corps recruiter and signed up after eliciting a promise of stationing in Hawaii, far away from the ongoing conflict in Europe. After two months of basic training at March Air Force Base in California he set sail for Hawaii and two years of commitment, scheduled to end in February 1942. As the military is want to do, Hawaii turned out to be Nichols Air Field south of Manila in the Philippine Islands. James was still recovering from a serious bout with Yellow Fever when hostilities broke out with Japan. The Japanese had invaded the Philippines simultaneously with the attack on Pearl Harbor and were met with similarly unprepared resistance. The rifles, artillery, armor and aircraft meant for the Army in the Pacific had been diverted to the Lease Lend program in Europe. With no air support and antiquated weapons, the U.S. forces fought a losing, defensive action. Four and a half months into the battle, eight days prior to the surrender of the Philippines to the Japanese, James was killed.
There is no official action report of the skirmish in which he died but a fellow soldier that survived the war related the following account to his parents. In an attempt to gain intelligence of enemy positions the Americans would send out small patrols continually during the day. Each soldier took their turn once a day as a patrol participant. On the day of his death James had already gone on two patrols. As a later platoon prepared to head out, their BAR gunner, being afraid, refused to go, even under the threat of court marshal. James, feeling sorry for the boy, volunteered to take his place. Sometime during their reconnaissance they made contact with the Japanese and a fire fight broke out. The Americans found themselves pinned down on the opposite side of a small air strip from their lines. Unable to withstand the superior numbers of the attacking force, the patrol decided to fall back rather than be overrun. James felt it would be suicide to retreat unprotected and volunteered to lay down covering fire with the BAR while the others ran. Once they were across the air strip they would provide cover for his retreat. As planned, the rest of the platoon crossed the strip to the safety of the main American force under suppressing fire of James’ BAR. Before he could retreat, however, his position was overwhelmed by the enemy and he was killed by a grenade. For two days his fellow soldiers tried to retrieve his body but the Japanese were using it as bait to draw out targets. Each time an attempt was made, they were driven back by small arms fire. To this day, the location of his remains is a mystery. For the ensuing four years James’ family did not have the benefit of this account to bring closure, he was simply listed as missing in action. As the war raged on, the letters sent between family members would reassure each other that as a “Country Boy” James would know how to live off the land and was surely living and fighting with the Philippine Resistance, but the truth was otherwise.
A saying is attributed to Josef Stalin, the Soviet dictator that goes “The death of one man you know is a tragedy, the death of millions you don’t, a mere statistic”. My hope for you who read this, especially James’ nieces and nephews, is that now you know something of him, he will cease to be a statistic. That you will better understand the tragedy of war and the real cost of freedom and that you will someday tell your children about their Great Uncle.

Summer, Summer-time!

2010-06-07T21:06:00.002-07:00

Hip Hip Hooray Summer is here I say! It's June and I could not be happier. I bid farewell to my adorable first graders, put my classroom under lock and gave away the key, then sped to my cute home to begin my summer, summer, summer-time (insert DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince music). All I can express is I'm ready for some good ol' summer adventuring! What will your summer adventures be?

Everything-ness and No Way Jose

2010-05-07T21:33:00.006-07:00

Do you ever feel like your being engulfed by a sense of overwhelming everything-ness? I'm feeling that way today. It's May and in teacher land that translates into AHHHHHHHH! There are grades to be updated, curricula to wrap up, classrooms to de-junk, parents to please, classroom kids to enjoy, budget cuts to worry about, the list goes on. I also have a church job that occupies my Wednesday eves, my Sunday mornings, and in-between days that I spend planning for lessons I get to teach, activities I need to orchestrate, etc. Oh, and I haven't even gotten to my own family... There are messes to pick up, junk corners to be organized, dishes to hand wash and dry, children that need to be read to, loved, taught, and snuggled; a hubby that needs to be heard, appreciated, and kissed; puppies that need to be fed and bathed; weeds that need to be pulled, a garden that needs tending... it never ends! Now if there was only 5 of me I could possibly get it all done. Oh, but I remember that movie Multiplicity and that ended up in a weird way... Especially when it came to the whole spousal privileges part. All I can say to myself is, "Self: You only have a few weeks of school left and then you can take a breather from the everything-ness. Oh, and you need to say NO WAY JOSE sometimes when people ask you to do things". By the way does anyone know this NO WAY JOSE cuz I need to take a few classes from him. He probably never gets a serious case of the everything-ness.

Just A Little Puff

2010-04-26T21:38:00.002-07:00

So on Friday I strolled outside headed to recess duty, with my 25 students behind me. I saw Jonas randomly running in the big soccer field all by him lonesome. I hollered for him and he jubilantly ran over to me and yelled ,"Hi Momma!" I then asked ,"What are you doing in the field?" His reply was, "I'm doing the fun run cuz Miss Andrea told me to gets my energy out". Good strategy Miss Andrea! Then I noticed he was not wearing the shorts I sent him to school in. Instead he is wearing his spare pants, which are now too small for him. Curiously I asked,"Where are your shorts that you had on this morning?" He then proudly pointed to his pants and exclaimed, "I had an accident!", loud enough for the whole world to hear. Then he ran off to the playground in all his 4 year old glory. Needless to say my class was laughing. After school I had to ask JoJo what this accident was all about. He told me, "Don't worry. It was just a little puff." I had no idea what this meant. A puff? Hmmmm. Was this a word his teacher used in class? I probed more. "Okay Mom. I thought I had to toot but then squishy peanuts came out instead and they were in my undies so I had to put on the pants." So THAT is what a little puff means. Who knew?

I've Got the Funk

2010-04-13T20:19:00.006-07:00

So I am definitely in a funk. You know... when you don't wanna do a single productive thing. You know... when you spend more time than you should watching Tivo-ed trashy TV. You know... when your kids say they're hungry so you relentlessly feed them leftovers and/or cold cereal. You know... when the list of things to do seems so overwhelming you just might as well NEVER start taking care of business. Yep, it's that kind of funk, not the cool "Ya sista, you got the Funk!". How do I get out of the funk? Any great, big ideas?

Easter Time

2010-04-04T10:54:00.006-07:00

This year I feel like a total slacker when it comes to Easter. I feel like it crept up on me and I was too lazy to really care. However, we did do a few springy things... I'm not a total slacker.
My friend Kelly and I took our church class of girls and our families to the Easter Pageant. Jonas was so funny during the pageant. He kept whispering, which is quite loud, comments throughout the show. A few of my favorites were: "Those are REAL humans up there", "When are the bad guys gonna come get Jesus", and then "Jesus should not come back to life 'cause those bad guys are just gonna make him dead again". Don't worry I did my due diligence as a parent and addressed the issues that came along with those comments. :) Lillie sat very seriously as she soaked in every detail of the pageant. She really liked the dancing and at the end of the show she exclaimed ,"Jesus is alive and he's flying and glowing!".
My mom had the grand kids over to dye eggs. Jonas and Lillie were "into it". They even completed the activity sporting dye drenched hands and clothes. They even got to bake a few of Grandma's famous sugar cookies. Lillie was ready with the chick cookie cutter in hand and did not wait for directions as she attacked the rolled dough with the chick. Jonas kept changing his cookie cutter while making comments like ,"Hmmmm. I think we need a rabbit to eat next".
This morning we met the Linton and Gessel families and let the kids hunt for eggs. Jonas and Lillie had a blast darting for eggs amongst their neighbors. We even had Great Grandma Elma peek out and watch the children for a few moments. It's so nice to have fun families close to us!
Now we're trying to pay attention to the messages of our church's General Conference. My goal this year is to NOT fall asleep during any of the sessions. I've never accomplished this feat before so I hope the force is with me!

How Bazaar

2010-03-22T19:17:00.003-07:00

Are you in need of some fun girl time? Are you available this Saturday? Well, great then. It's a bazaar date. Come join me at the Spring Bazaar in my neighborhood. It'll be cheery and you can get all gussied up to come shop & munch. Check out all the goodies here. Really, it'll be great so you should come. :)

St. Patty's Day

2010-03-17T20:33:00.005-07:00

Last year I decided to start a St. Patty's Day dinner tradition. We make a dinner of corned beef and green things. The kids think it's so funny to eat green things. This year I didn't go all out. Mainly because my St. Patty's decorations are somewhere buried beneath Rob's garage disaster. Anyway, I did green dinner on a whim this year. We had corned beef, green jello, green kool-aid, green peas, and rainbow tie-dye cupcakes. Also, a leprechaun left us a note telling us that he hid his gold somewhere in the house. Jonas & Lillie had the most fun looking for the gold but alas they were tricked. Don't they know a leprechaun would never leave his real gold laying around for us to discover?
The cupcakes got Jonas' stamp of approval.
Lillie is nuts about the rainbow tie-dye cupcakes.
Here's a bad pic of our green dinner complete with Jonas' finger in the jello.... nice!
Here's the gold the kids found!

Lucky

2010-03-17T13:46:00.003-07:00

In honor of St. Patrick's day I thought I'd take a moment to list the reasons why I am one lucky momma!
I have a home.
I have a job.
I have a family.
I have a faith.
I have good health.
I have amazing friends.
I have a husband that makes me smile.
I have a bright future ahead of me.
I am so very lucky.

Spring Break, Day 2

2010-03-16T20:20:00.003-07:00

Can you guess what I did today? Cleaned, again. It's funny how four kids running a muck are able to devour a clean home without even trying. Needless to say I entertained 4 children most of the day. After that circus I was tired, so we ventured to buy The Princess and the Frog on DVD. Alas, no "projects" were touched. I made a yummy dinner, the kids took baths, and now we're watching the movie as a family. Just a normal, mundane day but I am enjoying it! It's funny how sitting with my babies and my hubby can make me feel so calm and happy. Now, if that calm would only last...

Spring Break, Day 1

2010-03-15T20:49:00.006-07:00

So far I'm sticking to my Spring Break plan. What is that plan you ask? Well, it involves cleaning, painting, maybe a day trip to thrift with my gal Jodi, letting my children have grand adventures in the yard, and whatever else may happen. Oh, and I have to grade papers and do report cards somewhere in that mix of happenings. I heart Spring Break! Today was day one and this is what we did:
1. Cleaned the bedrooms.
2. Did the dishes, which is more than the usual chore because we don't have a dishwasher!
3. Ran to Hobby Lobby and miraculously did not buy a single thing... even though I wanted to.
4. Managed to let Rob sleep... he's working nights this week. :(
5. Swept and mopped the floors.
6. Invited cousins to come sleep over.
7. Cousins came and the kids, with the guidance of Rob, constructed a makeshift fort in the backyard.
8. Cooked dinner.
9. Got some paint samples from Home Depot and sampled one of the colors in the bathroom. By the way, I love the fact they have the $3 paint samples there now. What an ingenious idea!
10. I managed to actually put on normal clothes and make-up before 11 am.
I'm feeling pretty good right now tootin' my own horn. Let's see if my productivity continues the rest of break!

Here's the gang in front of their "fort".

I never thought I'd actually have my very own garbage pail kid. Well, I guess she was at least thinking green and playing in the green yard waste barrel.
Jonas found a stick and it instantly became a gun. Why are boys born with this innate skill?
Dottie Lou decided that the top of the fort with Kehl was the place to be. Could the Cheez-its have anything to do with that?

A Clean House

2010-03-14T21:39:00.005-07:00

Spring Break means cleaning time for me this year. Which brings me to think about these two opinions...

versus
Hmmmm.... Which philosophy rings true? I know I feel good AFTER the cleaning is done. I feel like a "good" housekeeper. I feel like I've fulfilled my 1950's womanhood dreams. I feel like I can conquer the world.... then my kids walk in from the backyard and drag in mud, grass, and occasional dog doody, smearing it all over the tidy white tile. My spotless euphoria bubble is instantly popped. On the other hand, when my house is in disarray I feel flustered, stressed, a little jumbled because my environment is. I don't like feeling that way cause when momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy! In any case, I have some spring cleaning and projects to complete this week. I have no choice but to emulate Snow White and whistle while I work. What are your thoughts on cleaning your house?

Swap it, Now Swap it Good

2010-03-08T14:16:00.009-07:00

I attended the ever so fun Fraser Fields Swap. It was a good time for all involved. Are you interested in being the hostess with the mostess for a Swap? Jenni can help you out with that, just visit her blog for more info! By the way, I swapped 3 of my old items for a needed magazine rack, a purse for Lillie, a shutter, and some candle sticks that I can transform. There were a few unique and lovely vendors there too.

This is Becki from Whippycake. She has some fabulous headbands.

Here is Kelly with her funky and fine jewelry found at Bella BeJeweled. She's my friend that made my favorite necklace with my babies' names on it.

Here were a few of the much sought after swap items...

Mirror mirror at the swap, will I score you? Probably not. :( At least I scored a pic of me taking a pic.

Here are all the gals swapping, swapping it good...

I think you should have a Swap in your area soon!

Time, I Wish I Had More

2010-03-08T12:47:00.030-07:00

Lately I've been wishing I had more time. Alas, working full time and raising 2 kids has allotted me about 20 minutes a day, if I'm lucky, to myself. So I dream of having time to create inspiring things like...

1. This amazingly chic hair bow holder. I can just imagine it in my "girly" bathroom displaying all of Lillie's and my accessories. There's even a tutorial here.

2. I heart this canvas quote. Now if I just had a Cricut expression I could whip one out. Oh, and then there's the whole no time thing. The tutorial is here.

3. How cool is this idea? Maybe the kids would actually put the mailbox goodies away? Or, I guess I could be super mom and write them a little love note to place in the mailbox? Hmmmm. I want to make a few! Find the directions here.

4. Would not this fabric rosette add some panache to a tee shirt? Maybe a pillow? Let's make one, the how-to found here.

5. How posh and lovely does this little goody holder seem? It's easy to make, find the idea here.

My friend Kelly already made one and featured it at the Swap... isn't it purdy?

6. How about this book bag? Part of me doesn't want to destroy a printed work of art to make an accessory for moi, but then again.... find the tutorial here.

7. What would you do with these funky burlap blooms? I can imagine a few different things I could do with them! Tutorial here.

Seeing all these luscious little projects brings me back to my main point... Time. How do all these people have the time to make this stuff? Hmmmm.

Z is for Zoo and a Birthday too

2010-03-06T19:33:00.009-07:00

Lillie turned three. She saw a commercial for the lizard exhibit at the Phoenix Zoo and decided that she wanted to ,"Go to the Zoo and see the BIG lizzz-ards". Well, her wish was granted. On her birthday we headed off to the Zoo and what a grand day out we had. With wagon in hand we toted the kids around the zoo. Jonas became the litter policeman extraordinaire. Everywhere he saw trash he darted to it, picked it up, and deposited in the proper trash receptacle. Lillie's favorites were the giant tortoises and the giraffes. She loved her birthday adventure and has slept with her pet giraffe every night since our trip. Happy birthday darling Lillie Alice... we love you!

Hey Dumb, Dumb... Where's your Gum, Gum?

2010-02-21T13:39:00.004-07:00

Lillie is a gum fiend. She is always snooping through the rummage in my purse in search of the pack of Extra gum. Occasionally I find something she has traded for the gum... a skittle, an M&M, a muddy penny. Most of the time I just find the gum wrappers scattered all over the bottom of my purse. Yesterday Lillie accompanied me on a day of shopping. She was being such a splendid companion so when she asked me for a piece of gum I naturally obliged. Well, hours later she fell asleep in her car seat, being exhausted from her great shopping behavior. After we arrived home I placed her in her bed so she could finish her nap. When she woke up I noticed that her hair looked especially unkempt. I examined her closer and noticed that she had gum ratted into her golden locks! I was puzzled, seeing how I had given her gum 4 hours before I found some in her hair. Yep, after asking her she told me that she had that same gum in her mouth for that length of time... EEWWW! She informed me she was saving it for later, aka ABC gum. When she fell asleep she the gum was released from the cheek prison she had it stored in and it found its way into her hair. Looks like I'll be spending some time rubbing and combing peanut butter through her gorgeous tresses. Lucky me!

It's All in the Details

2010-02-18T20:06:00.003-07:00

So Jonas and Lillie are gleefully drawing pictures of their own design. The kitchen table is cluttered with their splendid creations. Jonas is working on a drawing. I look over at his art and see a little box man with arms, legs, eyes, an Afro and mouth. I feel proud of all the details he remembered to add to his character. Lillie is scribbling various colors over a black lined princess in her dollar store coloring book. She leans over to inspect Jonas' work. She gets a concerned look on her face and grabs a crayon. Lillie asks Jonas if she may add something he forgot to his little drawing. Jonas agrees. Lillie adds two dots to the chest area of Jonas' little person's chest. Lillie smiles and looks at Jonas and exclaims, "You forgot the boobies. Now it is good". Well, I guess Lillie has already learned it's all in the details.

Good Natured

2010-02-18T19:48:00.010-07:00

So I've been a blogger dud. If anyone out there even cares... I'm sorry. Here's what's happened as of late... Valentine's Day. Every year I feel sorry for myself around February. I vie for a wonderful bouquet of flowers from my hubby but no dice. Last year I thought to myself,"Self, Rob cannot read your mind. Let him know that you expect a bouquet of Costco's finest flowers on either the anniversary or Valentine's Day. Also, it'd be nice to get a bouquet dropped off at work on my birthday so all the other females at my school can be envious that my hubby is sweet enough to give me flowers on my birthday." After I had that conversation with myself I told Rob of my plans. He just looked and me and said nothing. Did the message get through? I had no real indication it had. Fast forward to my birthday... no bouquet to encourage envy from other females. Fast forward some more to our 8th Anniversary... no dice, or flowers. Needless to say I was feeling mighty sorry for myself. Poor Starr, the girl that never gets flowers. Boo hoo. Well, Rob did come through on Valentine's Day. He gave me a gorgeous bouquet of 2 dozen red roses and a funny card. Hooray! He also took me to dinner and a movie. While at dinner he had 4 full cups of ice cold liquid dumped right on his private parts. Lucky for him, eh? The restaurant gave him a bowl of tempura shrimp, a sushi roll for free and a $10 gift card so all was right in the world. Good thing my hubby is so good natured.

Oh, and here are our handmade Valentine love notes. We had so much fun creating these!

Just Swap It!

2010-02-16T22:30:00.008-07:00

Would you like to get rid of a few of your oldies but goodies? Are you in want of a few new to you items to fancify your life? Well, have I got the event for you! Here in our historic neighborhood my pal Jeni is hosting the 2nd Fraser Fields Swap. Check it out here my darlings...

Favorites

2009-12-28T21:05:00.005-07:00

So, I forgot to post our favorite gifts we got this Christmas. Lillie asked Santa for a bathtub Ariel doll and because she was such a good girl she got it. Jonas wished for some new Star Wars Lego's and his wish came true too. Rob got the puppies for an early Christmas gift, they qualify as his fav this year! My favorite gift was a necklace that has my children's names stamped on it. If you like the necklace and want to order one visit Bella B e Jeweled. What were your favorite gifts?

Christmas Day... Hooray!

2009-12-25T17:11:00.011-07:00

Every year there is so much to do to prepare for Christmas. Well, at least there is a lot to do when you're the Mom. There's the decorations, the shopping, the baking, the cooking, the mailing of the cards, the visiting of family and friends, the wrapping, the keeping up of Christmas appearances, the figuring out of actual putting Christ in your family's Christmas, and all the other fa la la la la stuff. It can be exhausting! However, when you see the joy on your child's face as they behold what Santa brought them as well as the wonderment in their eyes as you teach them about Jesus' birth... all the hustle and bustle of the season suddenly becomes worth it. Hope you have a Merry Little Christmas.

On the First Day of Break...

2009-12-21T18:49:00.005-07:00

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! School break is here! Being a teacher, winter break is a much needed time away from work. I love not having to get up super early and race to get my children to the sitter's before I start the school day. I love not having to deal with super excited first graders the week of Christmas... no offense but they get a bit crazy. I love not having to do anything! So on the first day of break I took Lillie, Jonas, and Lola to see The Princess and the Frog. Lillie has been begging to see this movie since she first saw the preview months ago. I kept telling her, "When mommy's break starts I'll take you to see it at the movie theater". Well Friday, at 3 pm when I arrive at Sherri the babysitter's home, Lillie ran to me and jubilantly asked ,"You on break... You take me to the mo-veee tee-a-ter". It was so funny, no hi mom, no hug, just a very specific assumption. My friends Carol and Stacey met us at the movies, we watched the show, went to the Disney store, let the kids play on the playground, ate at Red Robin, went home and painted some pictures. It was a mighty busy and fun-filled time. By the way, the movie was super cute. I thought the voo doo stuff was a bit scary but other than that it was adorable. The little fire fly Ray was awesome and sweet. Good morals about hard work were taught too. Good music also. We gave it 2 thumbs up!

Happy Christmas 2009

2009-12-15T19:04:00.003-07:00

Here is an online version of our Christmas letter...

Lillie Alice is a true, spunky little girl
She vies for purses and her hair to curl.
With all her socializing and wild tricks
Lillie makes time to learn in the mix.
Playing with friends and making messes
She is one smart cookie with golden tresses.

Jonas, the boy, is a preschooler now.
He's learning to count and that C is in cow.
He likes to say hi to people when meeting
Then follows them until they return the greeting.
Playing with Lego's, friends, and the Wii
Jonas is happy... jolly as can be.

Starr is still a teacher you see
Six years she's been teaching 3 + 3
She's busy being a working mom
And thinks that her hubby is the bomb.
She longs to take a few exotic trips
And is trying to give up Diet Coke sips.

Rob is still a busy company man
SOURCE sends him all over driving their van
Installing drivers and keeping things cool
He's learning a lot and wants a new tool
He too longs to take a good, long trip
Climb a few walls then do a nice flip.

This year has been long and busy, it's true
With much to learn, see and do
In a world ever changing and unclear
We know that we have nothing to fear
For Christ is with us, the hope of all men
We wish you great love in 2010.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2009-11-29T15:02:00.007-07:00

My mom is the queen of decorating Christmas trees. When I was young she got invited to decorate a tree in Washington, DC, for some thing or another. People pay her to create amazing holiday trees too. Anyway, the first few years I was married my mom would get me Christmas tree "stuff" for my Christmas gift. At the time I was a bit annoyed because there were so many other things I needed, being a poor college student and all. Now I'm glad she gave me all the tree goodies because I have not had to buy anything for my tree! Yippee. In honor of my mom I decided to list the rules for creating a beautiful Christmas tree look. Here they go:
1. Decide what kind of a look you want for your tree. Do you want certain colors or a theme? Do you want an eclectic family tree? Gather your supplies for creating your look.
2. Place your tree where you want it. To be safe you can wire it to something if you'd like.
3. Start with the lights. Wrap the strands around the branches from the inside out. Mom likes to start at one end of the tree then work up or down. A general guideline is you use 100 lights per foot so if your tree is 6 feet tall you'll need at least 600 lights.
4. Add your garland and/or ribbon trims next. Wrap the garland around the ends of the branches in a circular, drapey like mode. Weave ribbons along the branches making sure to sweep up and down as you go.
5. Hang your basic, traditional ball ornaments. Tuck them closer to the trunk of the tree to fill the spaces and create pops of color.
6. Hang your ornaments. Eye the spacing as you hang to create a fuller, luxe looking tree.
7. Add the tree topper.
8. Place a tree skirt or pool material at the base of the tree to finish it off.

Black Friday Buns

2009-11-27T22:39:00.005-07:00

Do you know why today is called Black Friday? I always thought it was because those working retail wish they could "black out" the biggest retail day of the year. Having worked in retail for many years, that's the only conclusion I could come to. Today I found out it's called Black Friday because it's the day the retailers get out of the red and into the black, financially speaking. So those of you who braved the insane crowds of focused, competitive, "get the deal or die" consumers- I commend you. I have yet to decide that getting up at 3 am to wait in lines that may or may not yield the deals hoped for is worth it. So, having avoided all retail stores what did we do...
Rob decided to bake cinnamon rolls. Great idea for the day after eating 'til we are forced to sleep because our bodies can't take anymore, I know. His buns turned out nicely... almost as nice as his own personal buns! Then Rob baked bread. He was a baking fool today! I, on the other hand, decided today was the do-or-die day to put up Christmas decorations. The first hours of my day were spent reorganizing my Christmas songs in my iTunes so I could load them on my iPod. Hey, I needed some mood music to get me going. Also, I couldn't get motivated to start decorating. Oh, the distractions I create to avoid work.

Baked Buns...

Rob's buns, Hee Hee...

Thankful

2009-11-26T19:05:00.003-07:00

I try to be a thankful person. Some days I'm better at pulling off the thankful attitude than others. Since today is the day devoted to being grateful, and I didn't feel too gracious, I'd like to make a list of my blessings. Maybe it'll change my mood! Here it goes.

Things to be Thankful For:
My family- we may not be perfect but at least we have one another!
My home- it may be small but it sure is comfy.
My country- a place founded on freedom and the liberty I love.
My health- I can get out of bed, hold my children, and so much more.
My job- when so many people are out of work I'm busy growing children's minds.
My Faith- my testimony of the Savior has carried me through many ups and downs.
My mind- it's healthy and whole.

I know my list should go on and on but alas, I'm too tired from turkey coma so I think I'll end the list. Wish me thankful dreams!

Polar Express

2009-11-22T19:08:00.004-07:00

Every year I have students tell me their stories about taking the Polar Express. Their little faces light up and their eyes sparkle with Christmas warmth. This year I decided that my children should be the little ones with lit up faces and sparkly eyes. I looked up the Grand Canyon Railway website and low and behold they had a few train tickets left! Yipee for me! We took the trip this past weekend, it was really fun! Not only did we get to ride the Polar Express train, we got hot chocolate and cookies made by Mrs. Claus! Santa even boarded the train and gave the children bells to help them Believe. Jonas and Lillie were honestly enchanted.

YW Lesson #45- Value of Work

2009-11-19T13:25:00.003-07:00

YW Lesson #43- Righteous Living

2009-11-19T12:11:00.003-07:00

Here is my hand out for the Righteous Living lesson.

I Have a Dream...

2009-11-14T16:03:00.001-07:00

This picture sums it all up for me. If only there was a clean house fairy. (Sigh).

Just Say No

2009-11-14T15:53:00.005-07:00

I knew adopting those puppies was a great moment of phenomenal weakness. Why didn't I just say no? The family was against me that day... All of them pleading for puppy love. Then there was the destitute ward member needing to sell the puppies, another amigo against me. I could've stuck to my guns and turned away from these cute little wiener pups but noooo, I let it all be. Now I get to clean up diarrhea and wee wee in piles and puddles around my house. If you haven't gotten the message I'm trying to send, this is it.... REGRET, day #1. So all of you moms out there denying your family their pleas for puppy love, remember my message- JUST SAY NO!

New Arrivals

2009-11-12T19:36:00.002-07:00

Oh, I forgot to post about our new arrivals. We adopted 2 daschunds, Ginger and Dottie, this past weekend. Crazy, huh? What was I thinking agreeing to this! They are very mellow puppies and the kids and Rob are in love. Wish me luck with this endeavor.

Vet's Day

2009-11-11T21:34:00.006-07:00

Today was a wonderful day. I got to stay home and clean out cupboards... yes I'm actually serious about calling that wonderful. I'm planning on having a yard sale soon so I need to get my de-junking on! Anyway, as I was getting my elbows dirty with cupboard dust I had the neighborhood kids run in and yell,"We found a turtle in the backyard"! "Say what?", was my awesome reply. I followed them out to our run-down, supposed to be a garden area. Sure enough there was a small turtle chilling. We couldn't figure out where the turtle came from. A wandering pet? We took the turtle indoors and had our friend Google help us find some turtle info. We figured out that the turtle was a red eared slider turtle, which thrives in water. Maybe the turtle got washed up in the irrigation? The kids tried to convince each of their moms to keep the turtle as a pet. Alas, we decided it needed to go live in a pond at the park to live in a more natural habitat. So this Vet's day felt more like the animal doctor kind instead of the soldier kind. By the way, do you know why today is Veteran's Day? Today is Veteran's Day because World War I ended on 11/11/11. I am grateful for all the sacrifices Veteran's have made. In my own family my great grandfather served in WWI, both my grandfathers served in WWII, and we even lost my great Uncle James over Japan during WWII. Thank you Veterans, because I know freedom is not free.

Grandma's Lesson in Living

2009-11-02T20:24:00.005-07:00

My grandmother will be 90 in January. She has lived a long and full life. She is passionate about many things: music, family, Cadillacs, healthy living, and the church to name a few. A few years ago she started writing a series of tips she calls Lessons in Living. You can find the whole series here. Anyway, she had her lessons bound and gave me a copy. I opened it up and read the following gem. (Grandma found it in the newspaper decades ago and saved it. The original author was Dr. Frank Crane).

12 RULES FOR RAISING DELINQUENT CHILDREN

1. Begin in infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.
2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he's cute. It will also encourage him to pick up "cuter" phrases.
3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait til he's 21, then let him decide for himself.
4. Avoid using the word "wrong". It may help him develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe, later, when he is being arrested for stealing a car, that society is against him and he's being persecuted.
5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around- books, shoes, and clothing. Do everything for him so he will be experienced in throwing all responsibility onto others.
6. Let him read any printed matter he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let hi mind feast on garbage.
7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your child. In this way, he'll not be too shocked when the family is broken up later on.
8. Give a child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own money. Why should he have things as tough as you did as a child?
9. Satisfy every craving for junk food, drink and comfort. See that every sensual desire is gratified. Denial may lead to harmful frustration.
10. Take his part against neighbors, teachers and the police. They are all prejudiced against your child.
11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize for your parenting by saying, "I never could do anything with him".
12. Prepare for a life of grief. You will be apt to have it.

A Spooktacular Feast

2009-10-31T21:23:00.014-07:00

My mom started a spooktacular Halloween tradition when I was a little girl. Every Halloween, rain or shine, before we went out into the night to beg for candy; we would dine on ghouly guts and bat blood. This disgusting sounding meal is known otherwise as spaghetti with tomato sauce. This year I had the pleasure of hosting the Halloween dinner. I had so much fun searching for creepy treats to serve. This year's menu included: ghouly guts and bat blood (spaghetti), goblin goulash (salad), mini mummies (wrapped hot dogs), witch fingers (bread sticks), Franken-brownies, eyeballs a la fork (donut holes), poison apples (caramel apples), and monster's brew (root beer). It was truly spooky eating. I'll post the recipes at Scrumptious Serendipities very soon.

Halloween Happenings

2009-10-31T20:54:00.006-07:00

It has been a happening week at the Phippen house. We have been preparing for Halloween all week long, I'm glad it's finally here! Let me fill you in on a few high points of the week... Jonas got to wear his costume to preschool on Thursday. I woke him up that morning and got him into his costume. He then ran into Lillie's room and let out a big crow, in true Neverland fashion, to wake up his sister. It was one of those great moments... The ones that remind you that it's great to be a parent. Lillie got to be Tinkerbell at her sitter's too . After I dressed her in her costume she informed me that she was now Tinkerbell and that she wouldn't respond to me calling her Lillie anymore. With all the Tinkerbell and Peter Pan action going on Jonas decided that Rob needed to dress up as Captain Hook. Rob informed his mother of Jonas' plan and she sent him a box with a few Captain Hook props. Rob was a good sport and wore them trick-or-treating. All I can say is that he was enjoying the little hook hand way too much. I wore my standard leopard witch hat complete with black boa... I can't go wrong with that! It was hilarious to watch Jonas work the 'hood. He has no fear of people so he would cut across lawns and bang on doors. He would strike up conversations with the neighbors. Here are a few examples of Jonas' antics: "Hi. I'm Jonas. Do you have candy for me?" or there was ,"Hey, that house next to you over there (pointing) they had a pumpkin out but no one was at the door. No candy! Can you believe it?" Lillie was no fraidy cat either. One of our neighbor's did a spook alley in their garage. Jonas led the way as we walked, his hand gripped around his Peter Pan knife just in case he needed to defend us all. Lillie strolled right alongside him, she had a petrified look on her face the whole time. When we exited the horror and Lillie got her candy she told our neighbors, "That SCARED me!", with a very disapproving look on her little fairy glittered face. All in all, we had a spooktacular Halloween.

Fall Frenzy

2009-10-26T21:47:00.003-07:00

Every fall there are a few things I insist we do. One of those past times is heading to the pumpkin patch. We went over to Mother Nature's Farm in Gilbert about 4:30. There was hardly anyone there. It was spooktacular! Jonas and Lillie got to choose their seat on the hayride, they didn't have to fight other toddlers to pick the perfect pumpkin, they didn't have to wrestle children in the bouncy house, and they got to decorate their pumpkins in peace. It was choice I tell you! Another fall must-do is seed the winter lawn. If you're not a native Valley of the Sunner that probably sounds odd. Yes, we over seed the lawn, manure and all, to sustain an evergreen lawn. Rob found a special friend as he worked in the yard... a young praying mantis! I thought about trapping it and taking it in to school but then I remembered Braveheart screaming, "Freedom!", and so we set the mantis free. Aren't we great? I think we'll go and join PETA now. The other fall frenzies we participate in will be posted at a later date 'cuz they have to do with Halloween. All I can say is I love fall!

YW Lesson #41- The Ability to Succeed

2009-10-23T23:52:00.005-07:00

My Aunt Mila had a little sign in her home when I was a girl. The sign had a drawing of a boy sitting, looking all disgruntled and it read "I know I must be somebody 'cause God don't make no junk". This very sign is mentioned in lesson 41. I copied the words from that sign for this handout. I'm going to glue little craft mirrors onto the handout. There is a second handout that quotes Eleanor Roosevelt if you like that one too. The digiscrap stuff I used is from Shabby Princess.

All That

2009-10-21T21:46:00.013-07:00

I know most of us have days when we feel like we're not all that. We focus on our flaws and compare ourselves to others. We stare at the celeb on the magazine cover and think, "Wish I looked like that". Well, this is a clip that my cousin's associate put together. It's nice to know that even the models aren't really "all that". (You may want to scroll down the sidebar, push pause on the music playlist before you watch this to avoid having too much noise).

Don't Ask, Unless You're Sure.

2009-10-20T22:11:00.004-07:00

First off, I'd like to state that I know I have a fat tummy. After two kids I've been blessed with lots of lovely extra skin in that particular area. I've been trying to loose weight, and I've been somewhat successful. Since after having Jonas, that being my heaviest weight, I've dropped 30+ pounds. The best part about me loosing weight is my legs get thinner, my arms get thinner, my face gets thinner, but my extra belly skin stays put. Uuuuugh. Can anyone say tummy tuck? I'm still trying to loose about 20 more, but that's neither here nor there. Back to my non-flat belly, yesterday someone asked me if I was pregnant. This has happened to me about 3 times in the last year. Now I know I may appear slightly pregnant and sometimes the shirts I wear have a tie in the back, but honestly, who asks unless they are 100% sure? I NEVER ask that question unless their navel is poking out and you can pretty much see the fetus gestating. If I'm curious I do the whole detective/snoopy person thing and ask someone who would know. So please remember my sad words here and don't ask if someone is pregnant unless you're absolutely sure they are. Enough said.

*Here is an example of when someone looks pregnant enough to ask them ,"Are you pregnant?", because it's obvious. Hmmpf.

The "Letter"

2009-10-20T22:02:00.003-07:00

Rob ordered pizza. He and Jonas drove over and picked up the Chicago style pie complete with cheese and olives. They brought the pizza home. Taped to the pizza box was the receipt. Jonas saw the receipt as Rob laid the pizza on the table. Jonas shouted ,"It's for me Daddy". Rob, being puzzled, asked, "What's for you, the pizza?" "No, no. The letter", retorted Jonas. He then grabbed the receipt from the box and gasped, "It's from Dumbledore. I can go to his school. I can go to Hogwart's!" Jonas then ran most excitedly to inform me that he would be shipping off to Dumbledore's school as soon as possible. Jonas even had his wand in hand. He then began practicing the spell he memorized from the first movie. Oh, to be a child with such a great imagination. As my mom-in-law says ,"An imaginative and bright child is never bored". Here, here to that!

A Phippen Garage

2009-10-14T19:50:00.009-07:00

In Rob's family there is a running joke about garages. Rob grew up with a garage that, more often than not, housed a plethora of objects. Most of the time the garage was spilling over, if you know what I mean. Well, as the Phippen boys have grown up they have all followed suit with their own garages. I informed Rob that this fall break I would be organizing and de-junking our house. He got a tortured look when I told him that because he knew that I would insist that he clean out the garage. Well, Rob started cleaning the garage early Saturday morning. The first thing he did was remove all the stuff from the garage and put it in piles on the carport. While we were cleaning at least 6 cars stopped to ask if we were hosting a yard sale. (Not a bad idea though). Rob slaved away, he even politely told me that he didn't appreciate my help in the garage. :) He quit organizing around 3 o'clock in the morning. He went back to garage on Monday and I must say it looks pretty good. We're still trying to go through all of the stuff we had packed in there but... DRUM ROLL PLEASE... we can safely walk through the garage now! Good job Rob getting all your stuff in order. Oh, and I do take up a corner of the garage with holiday decor and crafting supplies, so it's not all Rob's stuff. Just had to clarify.

Sunday

2009-10-11T21:25:00.004-07:00

When I was growing up I abhorred Sundays. I had to go to church and I could not go socialize with my friends... my parents were so mean, huh?:) Well my whole attitude toward the Sabbath changed while I was on my mission. Sunday was the only day we didn't have to work from dusk til past dawn. We actually got to sit at church and not have to worry about anything else for a few hours. I loved Sundays then and I still do now. For three hours I get to sit and not worry about anything. I don't have to go to work, I don't have to clean, I don't have to shop for groceries, I don't have to do anything except be with my family. Some Sundays I don't even have to worry about cooking. One Sunday a month I get to host dinner for my extended family, one other Sunday I feed just my family, and the other Sundays I get to be fed by others... it's awesome. Today was a "fend for yourself" Sunday. I tried a new recipe in my slow cooker and it turned out (phew). If you want to check out what I made go to my recipe blog. Happy Sunday everyone.

Tag.. I'm It.

2009-10-05T21:38:00.005-07:00

The Rules:

1. Go to your documents/pictures.
2. Go to your 6th file.
3. Go to your 6th picture.
4. Blog about it.
5. Tag 6 people to do the same. (I invite anyone who wants to be tagged to go for it).

And the winner is.....

French Toast baby! Rob and the kids made me this super yummy sourdough french toast for Mom's Day breakfast. I had to take a picture of it. Maybe I'll put it on my food blog someday. Here are a few more photos from that morning.

FHE... Sort of

2009-10-05T20:16:00.003-07:00

I must admit, we have not been very good at having Family Home Evening. Today I decided, "We will have FHE, come what may"! I'm proud to say we did have FHE... sort of. By that I mean we actually did something as a family, there was absolutely no spiritual happenings though. We dug out all of the Halloween decos, that have not seen the light of day in at least 3 years. We got the outside stuff up and then played some Wii. Next week I'll try to actually do something that counts. Any ideas on how to actually do a real FHE?

YW Lesson #39- Drug Abuse

2009-10-04T15:24:00.003-07:00

This lesson obviously hits close to home for me. I've been putting a lot of work into it. Here is my handout.

What's Cooking?

2009-10-04T11:47:00.005-07:00

I often have friends asking me for my family recipes. Don't worry, I'm a recipe sharer! To check out what I grew up eating, as well as any new cooking endeavors I take on, check out my recipe blog Scrumptious Serendipities.

Warm Fuzzies

2009-10-04T11:24:00.003-07:00

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in case you didn't know. :) Every six months my church holds a meeting called General Conference up in Salt Lake City. This conference is broad casted worldwide. Today the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, gave a talk about service. He mentioned a great idea that a group of primary children carried out. The children were challenged to carry out acts of service that would give them "warm fuzzies" in their hearts. Every time the children accomplished this task they got to place a "warm fuzzy" ball (aka craft pom-pom) into a large jar. In no time the children had filled the large jar and became addicted to service. I think I'm going to try giving this ingenious idea a try in my home and classroom. After all, don't we all need more "warm fuzzies" in our lives?

He's Dirty Thirty!

2009-10-02T22:57:00.004-07:00

Rob turned dirty thirty this week. This is what he got on his big day: the sickness his wife had the week before, his work hours switched from day shift to night shift, a note from Jonas' teacher informing us that Jonas bit another boy! I felt awful as he left to go to work on the night of his birthday. I had no money, which equals no flashy present honey. I wanted to do something to make Rob's day better. At around midnight I thought of a good idea. I wrote 30 little notes expressing how much I appreciated Rob. I scribbled on colored paper then taped the notes all over the house. I ended up writing 30 notes since Rob was turning the big 3-0. He got home about 4:00 in the morning and saw all the notes. He told me that was the best present ever and I felt better about not spoiling him with some new toy. I eventually was able to take him to dinner too. Oh, and Jonas gave him the Lego Batman game for Wii and Lillie gave him a book. All in all, dirty thirty turned out to be alright for Rob.

Freezer Finds

2009-09-25T23:13:00.005-07:00

Today we got home from a night out. Our friends Carol & Dave offered to take our children for the night, we jumped for joy at the opportunity. We went to dinner, did some shopping, and then walked around for awhile. It was enjoyable just to be together and talk to one another without any little interruptions. When we got home I decided I wanted a glass of ice water. I opened the freezer, noticed something weird was on my package of frozen broccoli steamers, and read it. Rob had written a tiny love note on my food. The I turned to the freezer door and saw more messages. Then I opened the fridge to make a milk for Lillie and saw a note written on the milk. I laughed and then asked Rob when he wrote these funny messages. He replied, "I did that on Tuesday... took you long enough to notice". These messages were in retaliation for the Napkin incident. I guess I was pleasantly surprised by Rob's ability to keep it all quiet for 3 whole days, unlike his impatient wife whom demanded notice for her napkin note after 12 short hours! If this is a game, Rob is definitely ahead now. Shoot! I better get scheming.

Home Sick

2009-09-24T16:45:00.003-07:00

I have a fever, sore throat, and a sinus headache. Lucky me. I would've driven my kids to the sitter's but I didn't feel like it. It's hard to be getting rest when your babies are climbing on you saying things like, "I'm hungry", "Come play with me", and "Why do you look like that?". The funny thing is if anyone came over and saw how my kids were dressed they'd ask that same question. Mom sick = toddlers dressing themselves. I do love those babies of mine!

He Couldn't Go on the Bear Hunt

2009-09-22T21:15:00.004-07:00

Today I had my first official turning-of-the-table, if you will. Jonas' preschool teacher tracked me down to tell me about his not so great day. I cannot tell you how many times I've been the teacher calling the parent in situations like this. It was weird being on the flip side. Apparently Jonas threw not one, but two giant fits in class today. Not my child. The first fit was after he was not given second helping of chocolate frosting. They put frosting on the children's upper lips and ask them to exercise their tongue, which is great for kids with speech issues. Miss Andrea told the children if they wanted a second helping they needed to ask politely like a big boy/girl. Jonas did not want to ask. He was very stubborn about it. Again, not my child. When the teacher began cleaning the frosting up Jonas had a royal melt down. After he got his frosting he turned the tears and grouchiness right off! What a little turkey. Later, he smart mouthed his teacher so she put him in the visitor chair (aka time out). When Jonas realized that they were singing the "Going on a Bear Hunt" song without him he had royal melt down #2. Rob and I sat Jonas down, had a talk, and informed him that he could not watch his 2 favorite cartoons or eat ice cream. Jonas responded with a very dramatic ,"Oh man!". Followed with a rather professional looking pouty lip face. Who knew chocolate frosting and bear hunts could be so dramatic?

Young Women Goodies

2009-09-21T21:24:00.004-07:00

I got called to be an adviser in the Young Women organization of my church. This church job involves attending a mutual gathering every Wednesday evening, teaching lessons at church, and hanging out with 14 & 15 year old girls! I even get to work with my cousin's wife, Kelly, whom i adore. How fun is that?! Anyway, I have made a few handouts. If you are teaching a YW lesson feel free to steal these handouts, posted below. Just right click on the images and save them to your computer. You can send the images into an online photo center, like what's offered through Costco or Wal-Mart. Pick up the prints and you have an instant handout. Lovely, isn't it?

YW Lesson #24- Prayer

2009-09-21T21:23:00.001-07:00

Here are the handouts I created. I used Summer Driggs' digital papers found here.

YW Lesson #26- Testimony

2009-09-21T21:22:00.002-07:00

Here is the testimony lesson handout. I used more of Summer Drigg's designs as well as other free digi-scrap stuff. I cannot remember where I got it to give proper credit. My bad!

YW Lesson #30- Service

2009-09-21T21:21:00.002-07:00

This hand out was more last minute! Sorry. It still worked out though. I found some polka-dot file folders. I clipped the saying "Dot your life with acts of service", to the folder. The girls were excited because school started that week.

YW Lesson #33- Degrading Media

2009-09-21T21:20:00.003-07:00

The main idea of this handout was actually in the lesson manual. Again, I used free digi-scrap stuff that I cannot properly credit. Oooops.

YW Lesson #36- Truth

2009-09-21T21:19:00.003-07:00

For this handout I used free stuff from Shabby Princess found here. I found little vintage looking keys at the craft store to add to the corner. I tied ribbons around the key and attached it with a fastener.

Jonas' Bow Tie

2009-09-20T19:02:00.009-07:00

Today was Jonas' debut on stage. The primary program stage that is! He got a front row view, being a Sunbeam and all. He swayed back and forth every time they sang and even waved to his audience a few times. Lillie stood on my lap so she could see her brother and shouted ,"Hi Jonas", then clapped after the first song was finished. When it was Jonas' turn to speak he said,"The scriptures teach me about Heavenly Father... and how to get toys". Apparently, they had asked the little ones questions and turned their responses into their lines! It was so cute. I'm glad to know Jonas feels that scripture reading is a good thing. I dressed him in his new white shirt, tan corduroy pants, and a striped bow tie. That's right, Jonas sported a bow tie. My dad has pictures of him as a toddler wearing a "little mister" outfit complete with bow tie. I felt that Jonas needed a similar photo to be embarrassed of later in life. Quite a few ward members told both Rob and I that Jonas' bow tie made their day. Who knew that a silly boy in a bow tie would be such a hit?! Rob and I were both very proud to have experienced our family's first official Primary Program. We're looking forward to the joy of many more programs to come.

Phippen Reunion '09

2009-09-20T01:56:00.002-07:00

Hope

2009-09-18T21:05:00.009-07:00

With everything that has gone on with my family lately I found this video quite uplifting. I think hope carries us through tragedies and helps us arrive to better places. I'm thankful for hope. I hope I always have it in my life. (You'll have to scroll down this page, click the pause button on the music player on my sidebar, to hear this video).

New Moon Countdown

2009-09-17T22:31:00.002-07:00

When I Grow Up...

2009-09-17T22:09:00.003-07:00

We were driving home from a lovely dinner at my buddy Julie's house. I had the radio turned up, enjoying some classic rock, when it dawned on me. I hadn't visited with my children yet today. I turned off my tunes and thought of a good conversation starter. "Jonas and Lillie, what do you want to be when you grow up"? No answer. "Mommy is a teacher and Daddy is an electrician. Do you know what you want to do"? Lillie then states, "I will be a princess when I'm big". "Fancy", I say. Jonas then chimes in, "I want to be a master Jedi like Obi-Wan-Kenobi". Oh, to be a toddler with big dreams! Jonas then followed up by telling me ,"On Saturdays my name is Donkey". Say what? I told him I will only call him Jonas because that's what his name is and he told me ,"I will only answer to Donkey on Saturdays". That kid has some kind of imagination!

31 Flavors, and Then Some

2009-09-13T21:12:00.006-07:00

When I was a little girl my Grandma Elma did something amazing to celebrate my birthday. She would pick me up in her sparkly Cadillac and whisk me away to one of her favorite places. The place of our birthday date was Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors. Oh the wonderment! Behind the frosty glass laid 31 different types of creamy, dreamy ice cream. "Which flavor will it be today?", the scooper would ask. I would sample a good three or four flavors before I would politely state ,"Cookies and cream please". Grandma would always chose the chocolatiest flavor they had and we would sit and enjoy time and a treat together. Grandma was a busy businesswoman so time with her was golden. Today is the eve of my 31st birthday. 31 seems like such an odd number. Well I guess technically it is an odd number! I'm glad to be thirty-something. I feel like this next year is going to be a good one. Today we met at my parents to celebrate my birthday, one day early. My parents made my favorite dinner, chicken a la creme, and cherry pie. They forgot to buy 31 candles, which I was relieved about, so I only had to blow out a few hodge podgey candles. Actually, Jonas blew them out before I ever had a chance! I called him Andy junior. (My cousin Andy always blew out our candles at family functions right before we were about to do it). It was a fun night and I'm glad to be alive and learning.

Thank you family for a happy birthday dinner! I love you all.

Age

2009-09-12T22:00:00.006-07:00

It's odd, but I'm happy to be aging. When my mom worked coordinating events at a retirement community she would often invite me out to join her for lunch. I would drive my little Honda out to east Mesa and find my way to the office she worked in. Along the way I would marvel at all the older people. They were swimming, all just wearing their swimsuits, not worrying about their not so svelte figures. They were jogging in the tackiest jog suits I ever did see, not caring what the latest fashion trend was. They were riding old school ten-speed bikes, laughing, and pausing to wave at their neighbors. They were walking to craft classes, book club meeting, and game rooms to enjoy their free time as they wished. I began to grow envious of their status as oldies but goodies. These people were happy, content, and not worried about what others thought. They had raised their families, worked through their careers, and it was time to celebrate. As a twenty something, and a thirty something, I often feel overwhelmed by expectations. "If only I could get it ALL together", is a thought I have often found myself emitting. As I grow older I realize more and more that no one has it all together all of the time. Maybe that's why those oldies but goodies seemed so content, they didn't care if they had it together all of the time; they just cherished the time they still had.

The Napkin

2009-09-12T21:28:00.004-07:00

This past week I was thinking about my hubby. I was thinking how great he is in his own way. I wanted to do something nice for him. A little unexpected touch to let him know I am crazy about him. I got an idea late Monday night. "I shall make him a lunch to take to work tomorrow. I shall secretly stash a little love note on a napkin that I will put in this lunch that I make. He will read it and smile and the world will be right", I thought to myself. I schemed together a few sloppy sandwiches, a bag of crackers, an apple, and a little love note on a white napkin. "I shall write the love note with a fatty-bo-batty, black permanent marker then place the napkin betwixt the two sandwiches I made so my lovey will not miss the message so thoughtfully written to him on the napkin", I concluded then placed the lunch in the fridge and went off to bed. Tuesday night after putting the children to bed we laid down. I coyly asked, "Did you like your lunch today"? "Sure. It was alright", he said. My mind began to wonder. How could he not mention my wonderful love note? I sat for a whole thirty seconds, wrenched with the desire to probe him for more info. "Did you like the note I left in your lunch"? "What note?", was his aloof response. Oh the horror of it! I took the time to try and do something romantic and alas, it was discarded and unnoticed! I tried to contain my feelings of disappointment but my lovey picked up on my attitude with my oh so subtle body language of crossing my arms, flipping over in bed so I was no longer facing him, and my utter silence. "Are you mad that I did not see your note?", he asked in sincerity. No response from me for about thirty seconds as I reasoned, "I know I should not be upset that he did not notice my note but I wrote it in fat, black marker and pressed it in between his sandwiches! What were the chances of missing that. Here's your sign honey!". I heard a very abrupt standing up, then heard pants being zipped back up and stomping of feet. "Where are you going?", I queried. "To my work van to get the note". "WHAT! Don't do that. The whole thing is ruined and if you go get it now..." It was too late. He had gone to get the despised, could have been romantic note. My lovey walks back in and states, "Thank you for the note", in a very business like tone. I'm still pouting, probably worse now than before. Poor me. I have a great hubby who just didn't notice my note. I deduce, "Note to self: don't try to write a secret, 'I know he'll discover it and smile' note and stash it in a lunch. It just doesn't work". Maybe I'll try again in another 7 or 8 years. :)

Wants, Not Needs

2009-09-07T01:01:00.003-07:00

One of the units I have to teach my first graders is all about basic economics. I reduce the fanciness of the economics down to "Wants vs. Needs". One of the main projects I do with the children is a tree map comparing their own personal wants and needs. Parents send in those lovely Christmas wish books full of toys and we cut them up. The children glue down their wants and then on the other side we glue pictures of needs. Thinking about this project made me want to do a version of it for myself except I'm gonna be unrealistic and just focus on the wants I have at the moment. I know I won't get any of these wants in the near future and quite frankly, I can barely cover my needs right now. I just want to have some fun pretending that my wants will one day be mine. Let's start at the shallow end of the want pool shall we...

Material Wants:
A digital SLR camera; preferably a Canon.
A newer, larger vehicle; maybe a 4Runner.
An iPod classic; my good ol' Nano can't hold all my music.
A trip with my love to Europe, Hawaii, NYC; basically anywhere I have not been yet.
A Cricut expression machine; oh the crafting possibilities.
All new stainless steel appliances for my kitchen; especially a dishwasher.
A bathroom remodel; I have great ideas for this.
A Bosch mixer; maybe I'd actually bake bread if I had one?
A million dollars in the bank; It would be so nice.
A cabin up north; escaping the heat would be grand.
A large and sharp LCD television; it would be much used.
A playhouse/playground combo for my backyard; my kids would love it.
A matching set of bedroom furniture; maybe I'd remember to make my bed then?

Non-Material Wants: (Caution entering the deep end of the pool)
For my children to never, ever abuse drugs or alcohol.
For my children to make good choices and remember whom they are at all times.
For my hubby to be happy and healthy and to know that I love him.
For me to be healthier so I can stick around and see my grandchildren play.
For our finances to be in complete order so we can have more freedom.
For my family to have peace and understanding in their lives.
For my garden to get squared away so I can grow things.
For my house to be in order so I don't feel so scattered all the time.
For my time to be spent making memories with those I love.
For my country to find balance and recover from our mistakes.
For my Faith to be renewed and sustained always.
For my mind to stay healthy and aware all of my days.
For my students to know that life is beautiful.
For my heart not to hurt for my loved ones' bad decisions.
For my friends and family to look passed my many faults.
For my life to be a gift to God.

Thank Goodness It's September

2009-09-06T21:52:00.004-07:00

August was the longest month of my life. I had back-to-school, oh I have to work 8+ hours a day again, let's get into this mom has to work routine, where are we gonna find the money to pay this, family tragic event kind of a month. Whew. Now it's over, hooray for September!
I'm enjoying my class this year. I have 25 little children pouring into my classroom with smiles and cute personalities. As usual, there is one little guy that needs extra TLC. I'm relieved there's only one thus far.
Jonas is attending the Amancer preschool program at my school. His class contains 14 children, ages 3 & 4. The neat thing about his class is half of the children have speech issues, Jonas being one of them, and the other half are "normal". He is learning so much, loving his teachers Miss Andrea & Mrs. Denise, and getting speech help from Ms. Robin. He is very social, loves the playground, and the monkey alligator song he gets to sing in class. Jonas also gets to ride the short bus from his sitter's to school. Let's just say he enjoys the bus and it's awesome yellowness.
Lillie has no qualms about sending Jonas on the bus every morning. Lillie has found that in Jonas' absence she can rule supreme at the sitter's (Mrs. Sherri). Lillie is the only hen in the rooster house and enjoys her job of keeping those boys in line. She bosses them around and mothers them and assists Sherri in all her domestic duties. Lillie has discovered Barbie dolls, costume jewelery, and make up. To describe her as "busy" is a severe understatement.
Rob continues to be busy with work and the Percy Jackson and the Olympians books. His brother Sam recommended them and now Rob's addicted. We purchased the first book The Lightning Thief with a gift card one of my students gave me. Rob read it in a few days and then just had to have the next book. I went into my school's library in search of the book and was surprised to find that all four copies were checked out to sixth grade boys. Should I be worried that my hubby is reading the same books as sixth grade boys? Hmmmm. :)
I am constantly doing something these days. Between family, school, and young women I can barely find time to breathe. I'm convinced that being superbly busy is a blessing right now with everything that has gone on. September is already looking up, with a 3 day weekend and all! I'm determined to put my front room back together. If I get it accomplished tomorrow I'll post some pic of the magnifique job Rob did. Keep your finger crossed for me!

A Living Nightmare

2009-08-17T19:35:00.008-07:00

Last week was the longest week of my life. First of all, I started teaching school. In the past school has always started on Wednesday. That was perfect. I only had to teach for 3 days, the kids had that time to readjust to sitting in school, and I wasn't super exhausted. This year we started on Monday. Let's just say it was a tiring work week. Friday evening I drove to my parents house. My mom and I decided to make some pasta. My kids were having a blast playing and the food was extra yummy because I didn't have to cook it or clean it up by myself. All in all, it was a good night. Rob and I sat talking with my Dad and we watched a bit of TV too. It was getting late. I thought to myself ,"I need to be going home. My kids should be in bed." Something kept telling me to stay there and keep visiting. This thought of leaving and the "stay here" feeling repeated itself until about 12:30 am. Just after that my brother Preston walked from out of the laundry room into the kitchen. I heard Jonas, who was in the kitchen, start whimpering and then Preston, in a very clear and calm voice, spoke these words ,"Dad. I love you. I'm sorry but I have to go home". I stood up to look at him and saw an awful sight. I gasped and started to cry. My Dad stood up and rushed to Preston shouting, "What did you do!?" Preston turned and ran out to the laundry room with Rob and my dad in pursuit. Preston had taken razor blades and cut up his arms. On his right arm he had 13 deep cuts that ran up and down the width of his forearm and wrist. On the left arm he had one cut that ran from where his forearm and elbow meet down through his wrist as well as one wide cut. All of the cuts went through the skin and muscle reaching the bone. After seeing him I immediately called 911. Rob and my dad caught Preston as he was running out the back door and held him. Rob pulled off his belt and cinched it around Preston's arm and my Dad grabbed a towel, ripped it and tied it on the other arm. I talked to the 911 operator and then gave the phone to my Dad. Preston pleaded with Rob over and over to let go of him and throw him in the backyard so he could go home. I ran back into the family room and escorted my children into my sister's room. I thought she had left but to my surprise she was up watching a movie with her boyfriend. I told her what had happened and she ran to help my Dad and Rob. I stood awkwardly in her room with her boyfriend and my crying children when I realized that no one had told my Mom. I ran upstairs where she was sleeping and yelled that Preston had slit his wrists. She shot out of bed and scrambled to get clothes on. By the time she got downstairs the police and paramedics were there. She only ever made it to the kitchen and saw all of the blood and broke down. The police and my sister did not allow her to enter the much bloodier laundry room. My dad left with Preston in the ambulance and Cicily and I started cleaning up all of the blood. I then called Hunter who rushed over to help us clean. After my mom was ready I accompanied her to the hospital. When we arrived the doctor told us Preston's blood pressure was lethally low and they had to rush him into surgery. My parents waited for over 3 hours while Preston was in surgery having his arms repaired. By some miracle Preston has missed all major arteries and tendons in arms.He was then put in the ICU. It is an understatement to say that this experience was a nightmare for all of us involved. When I think about the whole night there are a few things that stick out to me. First, if Rob and I had not been there one of 2 things would have happened: 1. My Dad would've gone to bed and never have heard Preston in time to save him. OR 2. My Dad would've been watching TV and wouldn't have been able to catch and hold Preston by himself. Second, I am infamous for NOT having my cell phone on me. (I stash it in my purse, which is never handy). For some unusual reason I had put my cell phone in my pocket that night and so I was able to call 911 immediately when no one else had their phone. Third, right after I saw Preston I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort a sort of motivation to have a clear head and a voice told my heart that he would survive. Fourth, my siblings and I were able to clean up all of the blood so my mom wouldn't have to do what no mother should. Through all of this it has been confirmed that Preston has schizophrenia. He was hearing many voices all day and night commanding him to do things. He was unable to sleep and "muffling" the voices by consuming alcohol and marijuana. He decided he could not resist when the voices told him to cut himself. He thought it'd be easier to "go home" then deal with the voices for one more day. He is having some relief from the voices after Rob and Grandpa Speck administered a blessing on Saturday afternoon. The psychiatrists started giving him medication on Sunday to help with the schizophrenia and he is already sleeping better. He told me he's sleeping better than he has in 2 years. He feels like he doesn't have to listen anymore. He has a long road ahead of him but we are hopeful that his life will be better now. I am thankful that Preston is still here and that the Holy Ghost spoke to those of us involved. This whole experience confirms to me that God does know us and love us and that He has a plan for each of us. I just hope I never have to experience this living nightmare again. We love our Uncle Preston too much to lose him.

Summer

2009-06-23T18:06:00.008-07:00

Every year I look forward to the summer season. Yes, I know it's unbearably hot outside, the days are long and children are running a muck all over the neighborhood... I love it! I guess the main reason I enjoy summer is that I get to stay home with my own babies. :) So far we've done swim lessons, cleaned out the hall closets, taken 3 trunk loads to the DI, and started a living room project. I'm already feeling more productive than I did last summer. Here are a few photos of all the summer fun, well so far...I have way too much craft and school stuff and I need a place to store it and work. I have this corner in my living room... hmmm.... I can work with that!

Here is what Rob has accomplished thus far. It's big and beautiful! I'll have a work space/desk/shelving. I'm so excited for him to finish it.

Here Rob is working away on our back porch.

Jonas & Lillie are "helping" their "Big Daddy" as they call him.

I made these silhouettes to display. I took profile photos, printed them on card stock, cut them out, painted them with black craft paint, glued them to a 8x10 piece of paper, added a ribbon border, placed them in the $2 Wal-Mart frames, and glued buttons to the corners to dress them up a bit. I love the way they look!

Lillie is very serious about swim lessons. She LOVES swimming and is a little too adventurous around the water.
Jonas also loves swimming. He thinks he can swim all by himself now... scary! He's not quite there yet.

I Enjoy Being a Girl... Most of the Time

2009-06-17T18:11:00.002-07:00

Most days I love being a girl. I love finding cute shoes, being a mommy, cooking yummy new food, reading new books, putting on make-up, and all the other wonderful feminities us girls enjoy. However, along with the perks of being a woman comes a few draw backs. The last 3 days have been defined as ,"Sometimes it is not fun being a girl". Here is the break down:
1. I had to go to my annual well woman exam. Enough said.
2. At my appointment my doctor found 2 lumps in my breasts.
3. At 30, I experienced my first mammogram. Also, they had to take 11 photos instead of the standard 4. Can you say OUCH with me!
4. I then had an ultrasound of my chest. Not nearly as fun as the, "Look how amazing my baby looks inside me" ultrasound. No, this was more like, "This is SO bizarre staring at the insides of my boob".
5. I then had to sit for what seemed like hours to hear if I had breast cancer or not. My mind wandered to all sorts of places and back again. It was torture I tell you!
6. Good news. No cancer. Hip hip hooray! However I must watch the lumps closely and get screened annually to make sure the lumps don't morph into cancer.
7. I have to take the films of my boobs, which were cased in a discrete 14 x 20 manila envelope, to my doctor's office for review.
8. After examining the films, it is decided that I have 2 cysts most likely caused by stress and the caffeine I drink in my beloved Diet Coke.
9. I have to switch to caffeine free Diet Coke which does not have the oooompf of the caffeientated stuff. I'm sad but willing to do it if it means I can get rid of these growths.
10. I am glad that I'm fairly healthy and thankful that I can enjoy being a girl for years to come.

The Letter

2009-06-17T18:04:00.001-07:00

This is a letter from an Arizona woman calling on our government to get it together. I love it! She hits so many points on the head.... Enjoy reading it.Glenn Beck - Current Events & Politics - Glenn Beck: The Letter

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Exiled

2009-04-20T21:16:00.005-07:00

The theme for the American Idol show a few weeks ago was "Songs from the year they were born". After watching the show, feeling like an oldie but goodie after all their songs, I began to wonder. What was the #1 song on the charts the day I was born? After some research I found it, the answer to my burning question. (Drum roll please). The number one song in America, on the day I was born, was Kiss You All Over by Exile. Yes, this is the song that Happy Gilmore sings to the elderly Asian lady through the speaker to win her affections. I mean with classy lyrics like ,"I wanna kiss you all over, over and again (dun dun dun) 'til the night closes in", how could this song NOT be #1? Oh, the classiness of the late 70's!

Little Lillie Lady Lovebug

2009-03-12T20:47:00.005-07:00

Well, my Lillie Alice is no officially 2 going on 14. She is such a precocious little lady, and a tom boy too. We had a small dinner party with a few friends and family in her honor. My friend Julie and her son Jaxsen gave Lillie a tiara, just what every 2 year old needs. She wore that crown on her head as she pranced around the house saying,"For me"?! Great Grandpa Speck, Shauna, and Great Grandma Elma came to see Lillie on her big day. A big day it was, at least presents wise. We decided to not go big this year but somehow Lillie ended up with a whole slew of "small" toys... Just more picking up for me to do if you know what I mean! All in all, Lillie had fun and we're so glad to have her in our family. She is a little spot of joy in our lives and charms all who know her. Happy Birthday little Lillie lady lovebug!