one crazy home

Leo Carrillo

2011-06-23T01:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Tara took a trip back east to spend some time with her sisters. She took Melina and left me with the other three. Outnumbered three to one, I had to come up with some pretty good activities. Fortunately, Super Dad came through. I took the kids down to Leo Carrillo State Beach at the low tide and the sea life didn't disappoint. We held all sorts of weird stuff - star fish, urchins, crabs, mussels and snails. Ian in particular got a real kick out of poking every single anemone and watching them close.

BTW...no one got hurt or went hungry. Thanks to help from Callie and our friend Melissa, I was even able to get some work done while the boys were at school! All in all, a great opportunity to spend quality time with my kids.

Cool snail we found, just chilling on an exposed rock. He probably wanted to climb back towards the water.

The boys pose with some star fish.

The boys were pretty quick to ask Lani to crawl into that little cave first.

Purple and gold...who knew that King Triton was a Lakers fan?

This was when we first arrived...everyone's still dry!

Ian smiled but was a little busy keeping balance. The waves kept rolling in at our feet and the rocks we were standing on were pretty slippery. The starfish and anemones stuck on the rocks were pretty cool and added a lot of neat colors.

Fathers & Sons

2011-06-23T00:27:00.001-07:00

So about a month ago (yes, I'm that far behind in just about everything I'm doing, even work) I FINALLY got to attend my first Fathers & Sons camp out as a dad. Last year, I was here and the boys were in UT. Year before, we were selling our house. Year before, I was graduating from University of Utah with a masters degree. So this year, I took the boys to Coriganville Park in Simi Valley, near where I grew up. We got pizza on the way, stayed up late, woke up early and had a great time. All those kids running around...it was absolute chaos! Best part of the trip was the morning hike. Another dad and I took a few boys to the top of the hills we camped against. We were just south of the 118 at the Santa Susana Pass, looking out over Simi. Reminded me a lot of catching a few sunrises at Rocky Peak back in high school.

"See this rock I'm standing on? It's big like my arm muscles!"

Nice shot of Aaron as we start the morning hike.

Here's all the local hood-rats looking for trouble.

Apparently "make a funny face" translates to "look like a sissy" when you're eight years old.

Easter

2011-04-30T12:27:00.002-07:00

Before I get to the pictures, it's confession time. (As a side note, blogs seem to be a GREAT place to confess your parenting shortcomings without your kids ever actually become aware. Until they learn to read. Then you transition to Facebook, I guess.)

Anyway, Easter Eve, Tara and I were watching a movie. She was writing clues for the kids to find their Easter baskets but never got around to finishing them by the end of the movie. Instead of staying up late to finish, we *MAY* have told our kids that Peter Cottontail was busy placing Easter baskets around the world and couldn't get to our house until a little later, say 10AM, so they should sleep in. And surprisingly, NO ONE SAID A WORD! As a parent all I can say is: Best. Easter. Ever. With that out of the way, onto the pictures.

Hear No Evil, See No Evil, and...wait, what was my line again? Still trying to get this whole reading thing down.

Gratuitous Candy Shot ahead!

My name is Inigo Montoya...

Catch Up Time

2011-04-30T00:32:00.000-07:00

So I had a fun experience this week: I inadvertently crashed my laptop. While fixing it, I couldn't get any of the MS Office programs to behave correctly (serious problem for work), so I switched over to Linux. It's been a steep learning curve, but I'm typing this from Xubuntu now. And the best part, certain parts of my laptop, such as Bluetooth, now work better than before! So I can get my pics off the camera and onto the blog MUCH easier. Here's a Melina post:

Hide and Seek

Melina likes to play hide and seek and peek-a-boo. Not a very popular hiding place amongst my more odor-discerning children (though I'm surprised she's the first to start hiding there).

When A Sweet Tooth Goes Wrong

Tara had stashed some jellybeans in my office prior to Easter (I may have opened the bag and sneaked just a few). Melina saw Tara take a few and decided to follow suit while Tara wasn't looking. I came home to find a recreation of that scene in Sixth Sense (couldn't find a good Youtube link) where the little dead girl goes into Cole's tent and barfs all over the place. There was no barf and I laughed pretty hard.

Quintessential Kid Shot

So I was in my office working the other day and was a little hungry so I went out to the kitchen to grab something to eat. Tara had bought some flour to bake with a little earlier in the day, which must have caught Melina's eye. Don't ask me how she go into Ian's robe.

2011-04-11T08:52:00.001-07:00

On Thursday I was driving through Redding, CA to visit a client. I missed the turnoff and found myself on the way to Shasta, a small historic site a few miles away. As I looked for a place to turn around, I came face to face with a familiar family name!

It's spelled the right way so I knew it was from the same family. After spending some time on both Google and LDS Familysearch, I was able to make the connection. The street is named for Dr. Benjamin Shurtleff, MD, who lived in Shasta and later moved to Napa in the 1800s. He originated from Massachusetts and sailed to San Francisco during the gold rush. He settled in Shasta and had a storied political career in addition to his medical career.

From what I could find, Benjamin is 4th cousins to Luman Andros Shurtleff and they lived about the same time. They both come from the William Shurtleff line - William Shurtleff was one of the first Shurtleffs from England during the colonial period, back in the 1600s. Luman Andros was descended through William Shurtleff's first son, William, while Benjamin was descended through William Shurtleff's third son, Richard or Abiel.

Miscellaneous Pictures

2011-03-05T10:53:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures floating around on my phone that I've been meaning to put up on the blog:

Here's Melina learning to be a Jedi Baby form her siblings. I think's it's fair to say Star Wars was a great movie, but I don't know where my kids are getting this whole Star Wars kick from.

This is a picture of Kailani getting a fairy package from Grandma. She absolutely loved it. The only problem? So did Ian. We had to convince him that fairy wings don't belong on boys.

This is a picture of Melina on a recent drive back from Salt Lake. We stopped at the McDonald's in Victorville for lunch and Tara thought it would be a good idea to lure the children back into their seats with ice cream cones. Apparently, so did Melina.

Sock Hop

2011-03-05T10:41:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day, someone came up with the idea of doing a sock hop at Church. It actually worked out really well for me, as I was traveling for work on Valentine's Day. None of the pictures turned out great, but here's the best one we got.

Saturday Hiking

2011-03-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Since I've been relieved of my blogging responsibilities, I haven't been overwhelmed by the content published (sorry honey). So I figured I'd go all old-timey and throw one up just to show what I've been up to.

Last Saturday, Tara was busy with a Church function, leaving me with an unprecedented amount of responsibility - the livelihood and well-being of all four children...simultaneously. So we hopped in the van, packed bikes and a stroller, and went exploring. There's a great hike here locally that I've been meaning to check out with my family, the Sycamore Canyon hike through Mugu State Park and down to Sycamore Cove on the PCH. I hiked it *many* years ago, growing up in Simi, and figured it would be a great way to spend the morning with the kids.

Here's some pictures, all taken from my phone (can't remember the last time I actually brought a camera). We went in about a mile, most of which was paved. The kids had a blast, and with all the rain we've had, everything was very green.

This is us at the trail head, which was surprisingly dry. There were puddles, and each of the kids on bikes came home (to my utter dismay) with "butt-stripes", but at least they had a good time.

About a half mile into the hike, there's a Native American hut and fire pit. My kids thought it was fun to walk around the fire pit on the log seats.

Here's a picture of the five of us sitting on the trail with the Dos Vientos neighborhood in the background. The trailhead to this hike is literally a five minute drive from our house.

Here's my little angel posing for me in front of Mt. Boney. I told her to smile, and this is what I get. Still cute, though.

Four kids

2011-02-24T22:04:00.001-08:00

I have four kids. Aaron is so smart that he often rattles off random facts about space that I had never heard before. He is so sensitive to my feelings that when I start yelling a little too much about why nobody ever picks up their clothes he gives me a hug and picks up everybody's clothes. Ian has the most awesome, winning, handsome smile. His laugh is contagious even to his siblings and, usually, he says he is sorry. Kailani can color in a coloring book for hours, but she also loves "school time," painting nails with mommy, and her favorite thing is to curl up and read books together. Melina is a little pixie. She points a lot at the rabbit that lives in our bushes and says Mommy, and cookie, and ball. In the morning when I get her out of her crib (that's right, her crib-not my bed) she gives me the tightest hug around my neck. I have four beautiful, adorable kids.

Christmas

2011-01-09T21:15:00.001-08:00

Christmas was spent at home this year. We skyped Brad's family Christmas Eve morning and had pancakes with Callie, then that night had dinner with my parents and some friends of theirs. I was glad the kids still got to act out the Nativity story. Christmas morning was exciting, but quick because then we headed to San Diego to visit (and meet) more cousins. I met some cousins I'd never met before and they welcomed us in and even had a present for each of my children. We came home and ran over to Callie's for some pizza dinner. Did I mention I love having Callie close by?

The kids loved everything they got and the boys can't wait to get back to the ocean to try out their wetsuits and boogie board.

My Girls

2011-01-09T21:09:00.000-08:00

I just can't help myself. I love this video. Melina already wants to do everything her big sister does. She steals her blankie, she follows her around. If Lani has a friend over, Melina is more likely to let me put her down because she wants to do whatever Lani and Seamus are doing.

Christmas dresses-Kristen long ago made Melina's dress. I made Lani's out of the same material.

Twinkle toes

2011-01-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

I may a little bit want to live out my dreams through my children. Maybe that's why I put Lani in ballet. But...she really learned to like it. Lani has some social anxiety so about half the time she went to the class, and the other half we sat outside while she cried for me to not leave her there. This is the same girl who I would drop off at the gym daycare to cry for 20 min so I could go work out. Maybe the social anxiety is a result of that. I don't know. Anyway, I discovered if she had a nap the day of the class, she was more likely to stay in the class (and stay awake until 10 that night). So, the day they let the parents visit I was sure to make her take a nap and whala...Lani danced for us.

I love my Lani girl! After the last class Lani begged me to sign her up again so hopefully we will enjoy more footage like this.

I am Back

2011-01-09T20:33:00.001-08:00

So, I've decided it's time to take back the reins of the blog posting responsibility. Brad did an excellent job, but I just noticed his last post which was on our daughter's birthday was about an interesting article he had read with no mention of our daughter. Thank you honey, I'll take it from here.

Melina turned 1 on Nov 5. She had chocolate cupcakes (hence the face) two days in a row because I believe you should always get cake on your birthday even if you actually celebrate it at the beach the day before (see Callie's blog for a great Melina photo at the beach).

We took Melina for her one year checkup in December. We headed to Utah and visited my brother and went in to see my kids' pediatrician who I love. Melina weighs about 18 lbs and some change. 48%! This is pretty unheard of for one of my kids. I mean, look at those cheeks. But she really is a skinny minny. Of all my kids Melina has suffered through the most change-Daddy leaves for two months when she's barely 4 months old, then we move to completely new surroundings. Forget regular naptimes, we have no time for those. Maybe that is why she still clings to me. Or maybe I let her a little bit more because she's my baby. My mom says it takes a lot to get Melina to smile, but when she does it's so worth it. It's true.

Interesting Article

2010-11-05T19:31:00.001-07:00

It seems I've taken over as the family blogger...not quite sure how I feel about that. But I read an interesting article on Yahoo that popped up on their homepage. It's all about habits of happy moms. Good reading for all you moms, good reading for your husbands. Just don't expect him to help you accomplish all those things without giving him an explicit list of how...anyone who's ever been married knows that mind-reading is not a gift, it's a complete hoax.

Piano Lessons

2010-11-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

So I guess it's just ageless DNA at work, but my kids LOVE music. Aaron has really shown a desire and knack for playing the piano so I found an AC adapter for our old keyboard and pulled out the old Alfred Piano Method. Below is a video of my newest little Mozart:

Aaron continues to fly through the book. Last week, his "lesson" consisted of him playing me the songs I had assigned, followed by the next three songs, which he decided to learn because I had been out of town on work and he didn't want to wait until I got home. Next up: learning to read the staff.

General Update

2010-10-24T21:27:00.005-07:00

For all you "How I Met Your Mother" fans who read this blog (which is probably just Tara and I), you should be saluting each other by the title of "General Update." For the rest of you, if you receive said salute, just know you're missing out on a really funny show.

So big news in the Jones household...it's almost Halloween and there's still no snow!!! I talked to my parents today and was notified that there was snow with 50 mph wind gusts in the weather forecast for Rexburg. Not sure about the rest of you, but I have a pretty good idea of what my own personal Purgatory would look like were I to opt out of the whole Plan of Salvation deal. Sorry, Rexburg.

In other news, we had parent/teacher conference two weeks ago. Turns out that both Ian and Aaron know how to read and write. The real shocker is that Ian is extremely well behaved, except for when he's talking too much. (No, I did not mix up the names of my boys.) Aaron is also well-behaved, he just likes to lolly-gag (which, I believe, is the technical and scientific term for "too much like your father"). They're both doing well and have enjoyed the first few months of school. Plenty of new friends, teachers are nice and boys even get to see each other at recess sometimes.

Everything is pretty quiet at the moment. I'm still working (and surfing), though I wish I were doing more of each (that darned learning curve). Tara has found a fun group of mommies here in Newbury Park, most of whom are in our ward. Most days are spent watching extra kids or dropping ours off. Melina's even starting to adjust to it a little. Slowly but surely we're nudging her towards that big 1-year jump-off point where we start to retain our personal space a little more. (Not much, mind you, but every little bit seems like a county mile at this point.)

Below are some pictures I took of Melina being herself, which is to say, just as crazy as the rest of my kids.

2010-09-10T16:30:00.004-07:00

Here's a quick summary of how our summer looked. Lots of fun. Best part is the boys can now practice YEAR ROUND!!!! (I think Tara's pretty excited at the prospect of sending them outside year round without worry of Child Services. *KIDDING*) Also, this video was on my phone (which started a 48-hour death march yesterday - we now have limited time together, necessitating getting all the videos and pics off of it). So I can't vouch for the quality. But the videos go up, none the less. And I think they're missing audio because of the conversion.

As a side note, they have both started taking my skateboard out, luging down the hill skeleton-style, so they can practice their pop-ups on the move. I'd grab a vid of that, but it would probably TKO my phone.

And for those keeping score, that's Brad - 2, picture-taking-devices - 0. I'm doing my best Ray Bradbury impression on digital media for the good of humanity. (Bragging rights to the first one to get the literary reference.)

First Day Of School

2010-09-01T10:47:00.019-07:00

So today was kind of momentous: first day at the new school, and Ian started kindergarten. We're a little anxious about Ian and how he'll handle sitting in class all day without hitting anyone. We're also dreading the call home about an "accident" and a change of clothes. We'll see how it goes. But Tara's pretty excited to be home all morning long with just the girls.

The other kids in the picture are a family in our ward that we've become friends with. They walked out of their house as we were walking past and their little girl Patricia is in Ian's class. He seemed pretty excited to already know someone on the first day of school. We saw several other

families from church that live in the area (not all in our ward), which was kind of fun. California isn't considered one of those conservative-values states, so it's nice walking into a new school seeing people of similar values there. While I'm sure there are families of other faiths with similar values (NP is pretty conservative itself), I just haven't met any of them yet - good thing we've got Boosters (PTA) as a chance to get to know them! (Yes, Tara's already signed "us" up for some class activities and "fun"-draisers.)

California Cars

2010-09-01T10:35:00.003-07:00

We were driving to Callie's a few weeks back and we pulled up behind one of the local cruisers in our neighborhood...a bright yellow Lotus Elise. Not sure why you would adorn such a nice car with such a horrible spoiler, but I guess money's not an issue if you own a Lotus.

And in case any of you are wondering, I'm WAAAAAAAAY out of my tax bracket here. This picture was taken while driving either my 2000 Toyota Sienna minivan or my 1996 Civic, both of which are paid off and still run. Seriously, I was pretty happy in my previous post about how excited I was to get a used surfboard on craigslist. But at least I can take my kids on a surfboard, right?

(BTW...Aaron stood up the other day on the Anderson at Mondos. He's pretty excited to get out and try it again. Pretty soon he'll be joining us on those family dawn patrols when everyone's in town. Maybe he can join Brayden and Owen on the Jr Jones Pro Circuit.)

My new board!

2010-08-29T21:53:00.006-07:00

So I wasn't planning on buying a new surfboard AT ALL this year. Yeah, I had hoped, but it was more wishful thinking. And then, this nice girl named Kirsten down in West Hollywood decided to deliver me Christmas early at a PHENOMENAL price. Gotta love Craigslist.

For those interested, it's a 9' 6" pintail, knifey rails and a nice little rocker in the nose allowing for late take-offs. The board turns super smooth and is pretty fast. The color is a lot prettier than the picture - it's a really light green, almost a mint cream color. And Dad, yes you can try it out but you'll buy me a new one if you ding it.

BTW...this picture was taken with my camera phone. Until Tara picks a new camera, that's all we'll be posting for the next little bit.

2010-08-25T20:16:00.003-07:00

So, you may have noticed...no pictures in awhile. That's because Brad broke my camera...again. I'm kind of having withdrawals without it. I'm afraid if I don't actually document what we're doing we must not be doing anything. Well, that's not really true.

We did make it to Silverstrand and I'm not a huge fan. Part of it may be that I didn't like the whole trek with the kids by myself. Parking was limited, the walk was pretty far, and the beach break scared me with the kids. Needless to say, we didn't stay long.

At the beginning of August, I went to Indiana with just my girls. I had so much fun with my sisters and my nieces. I can't believe Taylor's going to college! Despite the humidity, I loved being there and talking to my sisters, hanging out with my grown up nieces, and eating from Sara's lovely garden! I'm sure a few more weeks and Melina would've let me put her down:P I'm pretty sure my boys enjoyed a break from mommy, a dodgers game, and just hanging out with their laid back daddy. Thanks mom for taking a picture!

We also went to Zuma a couple weeks ago. It's always great to see Uncle Chris and Aunt Lu, and Kristen and Josh were there, and Justin, and Gabby, and their new baby Liam, and Chels and Dave were in town, and Callie amazingly brought her clan all on her own and my brother and his wife even showed up. I'm finding here in California someone is always in town. It's great because it gives us an excuse to get together.

Honestly, although I love discovering new things here, I can't wait until school starts. I'm counting down the days until I can go grocery shopping during the day without 4 kids. It is exhausting to go to a store and have to say no and stop touching things and please stay next to me that many times. School starts late here date-wise (to me)-not until Sept 1. Also, time-wise, early 8:15 am! No more 9am school. I hope I can get ready early enough:) I'm excited and nervous for Ian to be in school for 5 hours. That's a big difference from 2 1/2 hrs two days a week. The first few weeks may be rough.

Hopefully, I will have pictures again someday... or else Melina will be one of those last children who say their parents never took pictures by the time they got to her...

The Adventure Continues...

2010-07-28T11:41:00.003-07:00

So a couple of weeks ago my sister and brother were in town so we headed to the Getty Museum. It was cool and great hanging out with the fam, but not really a kid place. They did have a small kids area plus an amazing rolling hill, but the security guard kept having to come tell me to keep my kids away from the water. What can I say we love fountains. Plus, we have discovered the Janns Mall Fountains which you can run through-not quite as spectacular as Gateway's fountains (SLC), but pretty good!

My mom took us to the Sylmar Wildlife Learning Center last week and the kids had a blast. The macaws said hello to us, we were introduced to Walter the porcupine (who modeled for Over the Hedge), and the kids touched four year old tortoises which were smaller than our hands and pretty cute actually. Overall, fun trip and we all learned something:)

Still on my list of things to do before the kids go back to school are:

Temescal Gateway Park, and Bennet Honey Farm

Stay tuned for more adventures.

Birthdays

2010-07-05T21:17:00.006-07:00

June 21st we celebrated Ian's 5th birthday. I still can't believe he is 5. We had a Pokemon theme and he had a big party. He had cousins, aunts and uncles and mema and tutu man. This smile pretty much says everything about Ian. He is a crazy ball of energy, but he is so cuddly and lovable too. He plays hard sometimes, but he is also very protective of his family.

June 29th Lani turned 3 years old. We had a Care Bear party with a princess cake and celebrated with different cousins, a different set of aunts and uncles, and mema and tutu man. We love parties! I have a tradition of taking diapers away when my kids turn 3 years old (with some training beforehand). I was a little unsure of how this would go since I tried it with her a couple months ago and it didn't quite work. I guess she just needed more time because she is doing great now! She is such a doll. She loves to help mommy, sometimes even disciplining her brothers.

Today, July 5, Melina turned 8months. I haven't blogged about her in awhile so I wanted to give a little update. Melina has been crawling for a couple weeks now. Currently, she not only crawls pretty fast, but she is pulling herself up on chairs. We keep looking for a walker for her, but by the time we find one she'll probably be walking. She's 2-3 months ahead of the rest of my kids. She's definitely trying to keep up. Either that or she is trying to catch me to pick her back up. She's been through a lot of changes with moving and meeting new people so she's a little nervous around people and wants to be held by me most of the time. She grabs at everything and gets the best smile and little laugh in anticipation of food. It's the cutest!

California Adventure

2010-07-05T20:55:00.006-07:00

I call this the California Adventure because even though we live here now, it still seems like we are on vacation (especially with the amount of family coming and going and well, Brad working from home). I told Brad that since we live here we are actually going to go out and explore this state of his. So we've been doing alot of exploring.

.I guess Mondos isn't really exploring since we end up here every year, but I did realize I've got to get a little bit better at my "get ready for the beach routine" since apparently we will be going alot. And, maybe I'll have to get over the don't get sand on everything mentality.

We also hiked to Paradise Falls. It wasn't exactly Paradise, but good job kids for walking about 3 miles and good job Dakota (our friend/cousin) for carrying Lani a good bit of the time.

Last week we joined Callie and her kids on their fieldtrip to Leo Carillo. This was very cool and a perfect day for a trip to the beach (sadly, we didn't take bathing suits). The kids saw all kinds of sea creatures and had a blast. Owen's ability to touch anything has really encouraged my kids to be a little braver.

Today we went to the Santa Monica Pier and Third Street Promenade. I didn't take pictures, but imagine my kids in front of a pier with a ferris wheel in the background or crowded around a bunch of street performers. Aaron actually won an overpriced game and I got a sincere "thank you for bringing me here mommy." This was preceded by a "why did you bring me here to the beach without my bathing suit and why do I have to wear a sweatshirt that is too big for me?"

All in all, I think that is a good start for our adventure. Hopefully, we can take a day off before we check out Silverstrand Beach on Thursday:)

We Made It!

2010-06-13T19:53:00.002-07:00

We made it to California and are finally together as a family again. A little over a week ago, we drove from Utah through the night. Brad was already here so my friend generously offered to drive with me. I'm not sure she knew what she was getting into, but it actually went really well. The kids eventually fell asleep and we listened to a lot of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol.
So far things are going really well. Brad did a good job picking out a house for us. I love the area. It's pretty easy for me to find my way around, there are lots of parks, and lots of kids (in the primary at least). I've been a little preoccupied unpacking and registering my car (it was up in May and I was a little busy...), and we've been doing a lot of visiting family... so I will post pictures soon...maybe...

1st Grade Assembly

2010-05-13T20:25:00.004-07:00

Aaron's 1st Grade Assembly was today. I thought the songs were so cute and I like that they did some sign in one of them. It's so hard to believe that he is finishing the first grade. He's getting into the years I actually remember some of. I have to admit I got a little teary eyed thinking about how grown up he is.

Fancy Nancy

2010-05-13T20:19:00.002-07:00

So, my niece wanted a Fancy Nancy tea party for her 2nd birthday. I decided it was time Lani had a princess dress. She was so fun. She even said she wanted red lips like me so I dabbed a little lipstick on. The party was so cute. Zoe had bracelets and stick on earrings and crowns for everyone. Arie, my 4 year old niece told the boys they had to dress handsome...so they wore their Iron Man and Wolverine costumes.

6 months

2010-05-13T20:12:00.003-07:00

Melina is 6 months now. She weighs a little over 15 lbs, so about the same as where Lani was at at this age, but nowhere near the boys. She's in the 33 percentile which seems low to me considering her chunkiness. She is such a happy girl, but she does like to be held a lot. I can put her down alot in the morning after she first wakes up (maybe she's just used to it-the get everybody ready routine), but by dinner she's done with having to be last for my attention. She's starting to sleep really well at night-up once, sometimes twice at night, but naptimes still aren't consistent or over an hour. Maybe someday when we have a real schedule, she'll figure one out. None of my other babies had to be carted around so much. She's starting to make real baby sounds, mostly ba ba. I love it. She is the most precious little thing.

Ian's Preschool

2010-05-13T20:08:00.002-07:00

So Ian had a little Art Show at his preschool. They sang songs, then we got to walk around the room and look at all their art projects for the last few months. It was really cool and Ian was really excited Daddy was in town to see it.

I am an island...

2010-04-26T12:01:00.002-07:00

That's how I feel.

I am an island surrounded by phrases like "Ian is hurting me" and "umph" (this is what Ian says when I tell him he shouldn't do something) and "it was an accident". In the last week or so I've been smacked with a rope (by Ian) and my foot has been stepped on (by Ian's shoe). Sometimes as soon as I leave a room where the kids are playing or getting dressed, someone starts crying (usually because Ian hit them). I sigh, roll my eyes, and turn around to go yell a little bit. Then, I feel bad for yelling, then 15 min later I do it again. I try to tell myself there are women before me who have had it much worse, but sometimes it doesn't help. So I go eat some chocolate. And I feel better for a little bit. Then, I run out of junk food and I don't want to take kids to the store so I snack on marshmellows. Gross. This and my baby weight compels me to go running (I had this idea that I would be skinny when Brad came back, ha, ha). Luckily, if I can get the kids all in bed by 8:30 (average twice a week with soccer now) I can go running.

So, two more days until Brad comes for the weekend. I am counting down. At the same time, I'm thinking, then four more weeks of this! Yes, we are crazy.

Soccer

2010-04-17T20:53:00.003-07:00

So this is us at Soccer games this morning. My brother and his wife came to cheer on the boys and help out with the kids. As we sat on a blanket snacking and enjoying the weather laughing at kindergarteners trip over each other, my brother made the comment that this is what Saturday mornings should always be like. Growing up in a soccer family I had to agree. It brought back some fun memories and it is so much more entertaining at this age! I may feel differently soon. Ian has practice Tues nights, Aaron has practice Wed nights, and they have games Thursday AND Saturdays (usually at about the same time at different fields). The clips are for Brad, wish you were here.

Ian starts out on the left (number 5) and works his way down the field. Of course when he kicks the ball, the camera doesn't catch it. I veer upwards so I can look away from the camera and actually see it. Oops. Brad-Stanton down the street was on the opposing team this week:)

Aaron (also number 5) kicks the ball at about the same time I press record so you this is right after that moment:)

Fun time!

California Spring Break

2010-04-14T09:37:00.008-07:00

We sent Brad off to California by spending Spring Break there. We had a lot of fun and it made me wonder just a little bit why we are waiting to all move down there. Then I remembered we were staying in other people's houses.

We had a great time with Mema, Tutu Man, Ben and Mariela who are getting also moving to Woodland Hills. The kids played outside (with no chance of snow) and followed Boone (the dog) around everywhere. My mom hosted the annual easter egg hunt and the kids gorged themselves on candy as always.

We also had a great time at Callie's where Brad quickly made himself at home. The kids played at the park, made jetpacks out of cereal boxes (great idea Jessi), and kept each other awake:) After driving around for a bit and looking at neighborhoods I'm feeling a little more comfortable with our moving plans and I'm glad we are choosing Newbury Park.

For my birthday, my mom sent Brad and I on a dinner/dance cruise. It was very cool and I had a blast. The dinner was great, the view was fantastic, and I forced Brad to dance. Great birthday present! It was a great break from the kids too!

My dad helped me drive down (Brad drove his own car by himself) and my mom helped me drive back up and we stayed in the same great hotel both times. The kids loved the pool even though it was still a little chilly.

We're sad to be without Brad, but we are glad to be home and ready to pack up to be with him again!

Crazy Whirlwind

2010-03-18T12:17:00.004-07:00

Well, things are happening so fast now that I can't keep track of them, much less blog about them. First of all, Ian learned to ride his bike without training wheels! Yeah. I'm so proud of him. He literally got on and took off. I had a video, but sadly I can't find it.

Aaron also had another birthday! Happy 7th Birthday Aaron! He had a bakugan party complete with battle training and an obstacle course thanks to Brad. They scavenged for battle gear and opened presents. We still can't believe he's 7 years old although he acts much older. He is so responsible, he is such a great help to me. Sometimes it amazes me how thoughtful he can be.

Yesterday Lani, Ian, Melina, and I braved the free day at the Children's Museum. If you are afraid of your kids running away, a free day is not a good idea. It was so crowded I kept wondering if it was some kind of fire hazard. After an hour and a half of holding my kids close and sneaking in front of others so they could actually do something, I'd had enough and we enjoyed the beautiful weather by the fountain. Eating lunch and watching Lani and Ian "fight" the water made me think about how much I am actually going to miss a few things about Utah. Oh yeah, Brad will be starting work in Sunny California April 1st. We'll be here until Aaron's done with school in June (can we say crazy?).

So, yeah, we don't like snow, but I have to say I am going to miss the fountain, how easy it is to maneuver downtown, and the area we currently live in. Aaron has made such great friends here and I love my friends here! I've never really had girls' nights until this past year and I have to say it has been wonderful. Callie, I'm so glad you are in California otherwise I might be having second thoughts:) Spencer, I know you just bought a house, but you should consider California, too...

My New Hobby...

2010-03-08T15:23:00.002-08:00

Spending money. Well, that's how it feels right now. I'm trying to clip coupons and shop the deals. If you want to check out my journey to a savings account blog go to:diarypennypincher.blogspot.com. You may find helpful hints or you may decide I am not saving more, but spending more. I'm still trying to decide which one it really is:)

Jones House

2010-03-08T14:46:00.002-08:00

Melina started on rice cereal. Guess what? She's a pro. My kids sure do love food and they get these great squeezable rolls. It is wonderful!

Fort time again! Brad camped out with the scouts last weekend. After a night by myself I was counting down the minutes until Brad walked through the door so I could run some errands almost by myself (Melina is an extension of myself for awhile longer). This is what I came home to. I love that Brad plays with the kids.

By the way, Melina is smiling here, but don't let her fool you. She knows she is the baby of 4 because she hates walks! Everyone else loved them, but she screams. I hold her for a block and she is silent, I put her in the stroller and she screams. We compromise and I alternate holding and pushing every block.

Despite the brief snow Friday morning, we are loving the warmer weather!

Teacup pig

2010-03-05T09:16:00.002-08:00

We have all agreed-Aaron, Ian, Lani, and me. We want a teacup pig!

Presidents Day

2010-02-17T17:54:00.002-08:00

So, for Presidents Day, I was so excited to get out of the house (the kids have been sick with RSV) only to finally notice the rain. Despite that, all in all we did have a pretty good day. Brad let me sleep in and took the kids to the grocery store for cinnamon rolls and smoothie ingredients. Yum. I've been wanting Brad to change the kids' intertubes for their bikes ever since the snow melted and Aaron had some great dad time learning about the process (inside of course because even the garage is too cold for Brad). Rain doesn't keep my kids indoors and when I brought out bubbles, Ian wanted them outside. We even went out to the mall because none of my jeans fit me right. It was interesting watching Brad with four kids while I tried on jeans, but it makes me love him more that he would make the sacrifice bringing them just so he could give me his opinion. (Of course now I have to return them because they are already loose; the weight is coming off slowly, but surely.) The best part to me was later that night when we played duck duck goose. Sometimes there are rare moments when I watch my kids and I just can't stop laughing. Ian is new to this game and thinks he has to run around the circle and through the kitchen and back. Lani has no idea what she's doing and just runs through the kitchen and sits down in an open space even if she is "it." It really is the funniest thing. Anyway, it was a great day, no pressure to get things done or go anywhere, and I finally have a little more energy to keep up with my kids!

Brad's Post #2

2010-02-06T23:00:00.001-08:00

Hope you all enjoyed my last post (the "Avatar" post) - I know I sure did. Anyway, I received an email from a friend at work with a link to a YouTube video from a band called Shallow Day; I've taken the opportunity to link to the video below. If you have ever read any of the Twilight books or are married to someone who has, this is a *MUST*-watch. Enjoy!

Anyone seen Avatar?

2010-01-30T09:33:00.001-08:00

Because apparently Lani has. Tara and I were upstairs getting ready for the morning. Turns out Lani was downstairs getting her inner Na'vi on with the water colors.

Harry Potty Extravaganza

2010-01-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

So, we've been reading Harry Potter every night to the boys. Brad calls it Harry Potty and they still laugh every time. Aaron loves it and hangs on every word. Ian is put to sleep by it and thinks it's cool because someone stays with them for a little while longer. So, we finished the first book and decided they had to see the movie (in the afternoon so it wouldn't be so scary). Brad refashioned his Halloween hat into a sorting hat and we sorted them, made them wear their robes, gave them wands (red licorice), and every flavor jelly beans (mike and ikes). Aaron loved it and kept yelling out, I remember this part (which shows me he really did understand a lot). Ian got a little bored. Lani was a lot bored and actually peed on the futon (we're off and on in undies now). All in all it was a really fun activity. We have started the second book so maybe by the end Ian will think it's cool too.

My Girls

2010-01-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

First, finally...pigtails. Kind of. Lani is 2 1/2 years old and people ask me if I cut her hair. Of course not. She just still doesn't have much. But it is getting longer and today I got pigtails. She's so darn cute.

And because I got a good picture, here's one of Melina, too. For about 15 min. every few hours I can put her down in her swing until she cries to be held again. So, here's her in her swing, smiling.

By request...

2010-01-11T15:35:00.001-08:00

Okay, Holly and Jana, (and anyone else looking for a good homemade bbq sauce) here is the sauce I made the other night-it's actually Betty Crocker's recipe-

Smoky Barbecue Sauce
1/2 c ketchup
1/4 c water (I never add this)
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons white vinegar (I actually use apple cider vinegar)
2 teaspoons celery seed (I don't keep this around so I don't add it)
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (mmmm)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper sauce (you can add more for a little more spicy)

Heat all ingredients to boiling in 1-quart saucepan; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 min, stirring occasionally.
OR
Throw everything together. (Double ingredients because it's also great on top of rice.) Pour onto whatever meat you are baking (I've tried chicken and pork ribs, my favorite). Cook in the oven for however long you normally cook your meat:)

Christmas

2010-01-05T14:46:00.001-08:00

I kind of skipped over Christmas so here's a little rewind. Most of my family was in town and that was so fun. I wish I'd taken pictures, but I didn't get the new camera until after Christmas. We did manage to get one of Melina in her blessing dress, Brad's work had Santa visit with the kids, and I took a couple with the old camera of the kids opening presents. The kids made out great as always. Thank you family! But I'm glad they are back in school and can no longer play the Wii nonstop.

2 Months

2010-01-05T14:26:00.001-08:00

Melina is two months old today. Since it's been awhile since I've posted, I decided to post her stats today.
10.56 lbs 43 percentile
22 inches long 36 percentile
She is such a smiler and she even chatted with Dr Vierra for a minute. We call her mood swing Melina because she will smile one minute and then that very same smile turns into a cry. She is so sweet even if she does have to be held every second of everyday. Today I discovered mobywrap.com. My sister-in-law has been telling me about it, but I finally went and bought some material to learn how to wrap Melina close to me. So far it is a great help!

November

2009-12-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

As you can imagine November has flown by for us. Brad was a little sick the first week after Melina was born, but luckily my mom was still here to take care of us. By the end of the week Brad was feeling better and even designed and obstacle course to keep Ian and Lani busy while I napped.

The kids have been doing great with Melina. For better and for worse they always want to be near her and give her kisses. I definitely have to be careful when I leave her alone. People have been asking me how I am doing with four kids. My answer is: I have about the same amount of patience that I've had for the last nine months which isn't much. Hopefully, that improves with sleep. I did cook Thanksgiving dinner and we had my brother Ben and his wife over. It wasn't too much work because Brad cleaned and hung out with the kids so I could just cook. I was gong to take a picture of our beautiful setup, (I decorated the table from some ideas online) but as soon as I thought of it, it was over-four kids now you know. We wrote what we were thankful for and I was surprised by Aaron's long list. I hope some of that carries over to this month. On Black Friday the only thing we bought was a Christmas tree. We finally turned on the Christmas music and started decorating. All in all, November was a great month, but I am really excited its December. We've already started planning our Christmas crafts and baking! Brad would say I'm so domestic...

More Melina

2009-11-10T15:36:00.000-08:00

Just adding a few more pics of our new baby girl...

Halloween

2009-11-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick review of our Halloween since I kind of skipped that. Since Ben's wedding was the week before it took a back seat to other things most of the month. But don't worry, somehow we got in the cookie making, pumpkin carving and of course trick or treating. We were lucky to have my Aunt Jane and my mom here to help with the carving and we finished in record time. The highlight was when the two broke out in song about the hypotenuse of a triangle. This year we had Minnie Mouse, Wolverine, and Iron Man and also the Mad Hatter who spent more on his costume than any of the others and a rabbit because I could pull it off being pregnant. Brad and I were invited to our first couples only Halloween party which was really fun. The kids had party after party the week of Halloween (3 total) and also their friend Jordyn aka Raphael came trick or treating with us.

Baby Melina

2009-11-05T18:51:00.000-08:00

If you're hoping for a nice introspective mommy post I'm sorry to disappoint - no mommy insight here. Tara's still in the hospital so you get my world view here.

Today Tara was induced and this afternoon delivered our newest addition, Baby Melina. Don't ask about a middle name...just know that we're working on it. The baby specs are 6lbs 12oz and 20 inches long. As you can see from the pics below, she has dark hair and eyes. This may sound a little "dad-like" but honestly, if you've seen one of our newborns you've seen them all; she looks just like the other three did. (The lone exception was Ian, who looked a little more Viernes than the rest - gets it from his Tutukane.)

Tara's doing well and she sailed through the delivery with flying colors. I knew she was doing well afterwards when she supplemented her hospital dinner with a honey-do: McD's cheeseburger, McFlurry and a movie from Redbox - you can always tell when everything's right in the world. She's welcome to phone calls - call me at our cell number and if I'm not already at the hospital I'll give you the number there.

Ben's Wedding

2009-10-25T20:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh. That was a sigh of relief because soccer season is over and Ben's wedding is also over. I can now breathe and impatiently await the birth of my next child. The reception was pretty much a disaster with the bride and groom making their entrance around 8pm instead of 7pm. Most of the food was ready by 7:30, but we did have a few punctual people who either mulled around wondering where Ben and Mariela were or they were recruited to help in the kitchen. Here's a few pictures that captured the good moments.

Strike 3

2009-09-18T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, as some of you may know, Brad has in recent years had trouble with his esophagus. Strike one was in January '08 when I was accused of trying to off my husband with roast beef that became lodged in his esophagus. Strike two occurred in Oct '08 when Brad tore his esophagus while enjoying some ribs (that I did not cook) at BBQ house in downtown SLC. The last strike was Wednesday night spent in the ER again because of some chicken that got stuck in Brad's tiny esophagus. Luckily, the third time is a charm and we finally got a diagnosis for his problem. He has something called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Basically, he has some allergy and will be sent to an allergist with the hopes of figuring out what it is. Also, I have been told that I never have to cook again because it may hurt my husband. I think I could deal with that, but somehow we have to eat...

More Stress

2009-09-09T13:18:00.001-07:00

So, I sewed this in 5 days. Okay, it was a one hour easy sew pattern, but I am a little busy with other stuff too. I am quite proud of myself because I told the girl I couldn't do it at first and she told me no one else could do it for her (it's for her cousin's wedding luau/reception this Saturday). Unfortunately, I don't have much of a backbone says Brad and I couldn't say no even though I have a lot of other things on my plate right now (like 5 kids). I had to take a picture of it before she comes to pick it up because I am so amazed at my talent:)

Preschool

2009-09-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday Ian started preschool. I'm glad I got him in because this was much needed in our lives (mine and Ian's). It's really not for very long, but luckily it still tires him out a little:) Here's some pics of the dropoff:

One bonus because I waited until this year to send Ian to preschool (we skipped it last year) was that while other kids were crying for their mommies, Ian was pushing me out the door. Did I mention he was ready?

Brad's Accident

2009-08-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

So, Friday night Brad made a new friend at a church bbq. Brad takes the longboard everywhere so he's skating around the park and his new friend is real impressed and wants to go skating together after the kids are in bed. As Brad is leaving I remind him that he is old and to be careful, but he still comes back pretty scraped up. They took a hill that cars actually drive on (Brad does not usually go this crazy). Brad's excuse is not that he is old, but that his longboard is not made for that kind of skating. It's true, it picks up speed way too fast.

So he has a few injuries and some lortab to help with the soreness. Luckily no broken bones, mostly bruises. Unfortunately, somehow this trumps my pregnant invalid status so that we have to take care of daddy. We did learn a valuable lesson:

Helmets and padding are a good idea!

First Day

2009-08-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

When Aaron went to kindergarten last year I took his picture and I worried about him opening that big door all by himself. This year I believed I was prepared and ready for him to be gone all day long so I could have one less child to cater to. I was wrong. I had nightmares the night before and I woke up early, anxious about my little boy making friends. As we walked to school on the big day I wondered if I had prepared him enough for the tough days ahead. After I kissed him good-bye I remembered I never taught him to tie his shoes by himself. And at lunch time I worried that he wouldn't be able to open his fruit roll-up by himself. Finally, 3:15 rolled around and I could find out how everything went. When I picked him up I excitedly asked how his day was. This was his response: "Mom, we get two recesses!" What was I nervous about when he gets two recesses? Here's some shots of my first grader.

Monster Jam

2009-08-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, this deserved a post all it's own. Brad told the boys on Thursday that he had a surprise for them on Saturday. They knew they were going to take the train, but had no idea where they were going or what they would be doing there.

Just a little background-Aaron, so of course Ian, loves anything that has to do with cars or trucks. For three years he has checked out nonfiction books about drag racing, Nascar, and monster trucks from the library. I do not encourage this, but it seems beyond my control at this point. Anyway, he's begged us to take him to the Rocky Mountain Raceway, but neither of us feel real compelled to go so we tell him no. Anyway, Brad's work was offered these discount tickets for the Monster Jam at Rio Tinto Stadium and he couldn't pass up the chance to take his boys. What a good daddy! As Ian said when I picked them up from the trax station, they had a great adventure!

Gymnastics, Babysitting, and Lani

2009-08-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

I am way overdue for a blogging update, but we've been busy and I've been tired. I do need to document that Lani had another birthday-oh, 2 months ago. She turned two and we had jello to celebrate because Ian's birthday was the week before and we had Ian birthday cake, then Father's day cake and we were all caked out. Lani didn't seem to mind.

Fast forward a couple months and here is our Lani after school shopping looking her usual cute self. She's our little chatterbox and her favorite things are care bears, babies, and telling her brothers what to do. (She got the great dollhouse for her birthday).

Things have been a little busy here because I am watching my nieces everyday while their mom coaches the Murray High Soccer team. It's been a lot of fun for the kids and I'm glad to have this time with them. Soccer season will be over just before my brother's wedding, then I'm pretty much due to have my baby. So I figure I'm booked til Christmas and I'm sorry if I can't remember anything these days:)
(Arie and Zoe are on the right).

And finally, Ian's summer gymnastics ended and I had to post a few highlights. He looked so forward to this every week that we may have to find another class:)

Summer Fun

2009-07-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

So, I've been a little bit lazy with the updating. This is our summer in a nutshell:
As soon as Aaron was out of school we headed up to Idaho.

"Sister Week" with Brad's sisters involved kids, Ian's dinosaur party, a little bit of shopping, and lots of fun! Despite a lot of rain, the kids had a blast and I did too! Thank goodness for nearby playgrounds when the rain took a break and even if it wasn't summer hot, the kids still loved the waterpark.

A week after recovering from our first two week long vacation, we set out for our long drive to California to see my parents.
I'm not great at the picture taking so (none of the Idaho pics were actually from my camera) I don't have any of the swim lessons, or the fourth of July parade or even of mema and tutu man. But I took a couple:

So since I've been back, we have been trying to relax. I'm trying to stay out of all the heat, but for some reason the kids won't let me. Next week is another Jones family reunion as Jana gets married, then I register the boys for school again. Wow, summer has gone by fast!

It's a girl

2009-06-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

It's a girl! I am a little relieved. I'm pretty sure I can only take two little boys who love potato bugs and wrestle every chance they get. Yes, I know this can happen with girls, but it is so different. The drama from girls you can just roll your eyes at, but the fist fighting sometimes gets a little out of control and since I have three brothers I know it gets worse. Okay, yes, my sisters and I fought as well, but my parents never had to repair drywall because of us. So in order to avoid disappointment I have only thought of boy names. Any ideas for girls? For some reason those are harder for me to think of.
Here are my kids reactions to "you'll have a new sister soon":
Aaron, "Let's name her..." (all kinds of suggestions like Frosty and Frosted...???)
Ian, "Huh." [Turn back to his movie]
Lani, "Let me see it." "It's in my tummy, Lani." "Let me see it now."

Picture Time

2009-05-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Because of our busy last couple of months, and my laziness, I have not put pictures up for awhile. After I uploaded what was on my camera, I realized I had pictures there since Easter. Oops. So here's a little collage for you guys.

Okay, before I post these I get script instead of pictures to move around so I can't edit. Anybody know how to fix that? Anyway, so that was Easter, Wheeler Farm, the Hutchings Museum fieldtrip in Lehi, and bowling last week.

That's about everything. We'll have more outside playing in our baby pool soon!

Update

2009-05-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm not ready to do the work of actually putting photos up, but I will give an update to those of you wondering if I will ever blog again (all two of you). We are settled in our new house. By settled, I mean, we finally have internet again. It didn't take long and no, there is no lasting attachment to our old house. I love our location and everyone has been really friendly. I think mostly I love having a garage and a fenced in BACKyard (no more sideyard). I can't wait until Summer because then I can stop trucking Aaron back and forth to school in Kearns. It's not that far, but two times a day in a matter of 3 hours is long.

Other news, I guess I'm ready to admit it on the blog-I am pregnant again. There are gasps of horror to this statement, I know. When I walk through Target with two out of my three kids screaming I see the looks I get and I can just imagine what those people are thinking when they notice my round belly. I have nightmares just thinking about adding another to the mix. But then I see my beautiful kids and how great they are turning out despite me and I know, somehow we will manage. Plus, since Lani is such a chatterbox now she is very good at expressing how much she does not want to do something. So, it might be nice to have one who doesn't know how to talk back just yet. Well, for the short amount of time that that lasts.

Busy, busy, busy

2009-04-08T08:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, so news...Aaron got glasses, I turned 30, and oh yeah, we sold our house.

Aaron has an astigmatism which means his left eye is a little lazy, his right overcompensates making the left lazier so hopefully the glasses will help with correcting this. Seriously I think from now on Brad will go to those appointments because I hardly understand what the doctor is talking about. I've never had glasses and well, Brad has for a really long time. Anyway, I think he looks really cute in them, but he's a little self-conscious.

Monday I turned 30. Honestly, I don't feel old. I've done a lot in the last ten years plus I still look 16. We didn't do much, just the normal. My brother and his wife came over for cake, then the kids and I colored eggs. Low key, good birthday.

And our exciting news-we sold the house. I can still hardly believe it. It took less than a month and they want us out April 29. Any ideas on where we should live? I'm going to go look at some rentals today hopefully, then I have to start boxing things up. I'm a little nervous, but can't wait for a new adventure.

BTW, the SLC marathon is next weekend and sadly I will not be running in it. I think I will start with a 5k and work up. Plus, I haven't been running a lot lately so... Anyway, who wants to do the Race for the Cure in May?

Banana Bread French Toast

2009-03-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

Brad is really good at making breakfast. Usually he sticks to his own pancake recipe, but every once in awhile he likes to change it up with french toast. Well, I had some banana bread that wasn't getting eaten (rare, but sometimes it happens) and I was about to throw it out. Brad decided he would make banana bread french toast for dinner that night. I thought it might be a little too much, but it was excellent! Just thought I would share. Good job honey!

Happy Birthday Aaron

2009-03-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

We spent Aaron's before birthday weekend in Idaho so Aaron got to have a family birthday party with Grandma and Grandpa. He was very spoiled and loves hanging out with Mackenzie. Then, this past Saturday he had a couple friends go to Jungle Jim's Playland with him. It's like an indoor mini amusement park. They had a great time on the rides and ate lots of ice cream and root beer. Ian had pink eye so he missed out on the fun, but Daddy took him to see Bolt at the Dollar Theater. They had a great time eating lots of candy! In a way, I can't believe Aaron is six, however, from the way he acts, you'd think he's 8. He is the best help. Every once in a while, when the kids are all awake and Mommy doesn't want to get up yet, Aaron will just go get cereal for everybody so I don't have to. It's so nice. What's more unbelievable is that I have a six year old!

For Sale!

2009-03-11T20:53:00.001-07:00

Our house is officially for sale! We have a sign out front and everything. We're not sure what is in store for us next or how long the "next" will take (considering the market), but we are excited and feel good about our decision. I know I am going to go crazy being a super neat freak, but so far the kids are being really great:)
Here is our listing: Here
We've had six showings since Thursday!

Balloon Volleyball

2009-03-11T20:46:00.000-07:00

I don't think I have ever posted about this so...balloon volleyball. If you are ever stuck inside and the kids need to get some energy out this is an easy, fun way to do that. You just blow up a balloon, put up some masking tape as the net and go to it. It entertains for a really long amount of time, but occasionally the balloon does get stuck to the tape.

Half Marathon

2009-02-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I decided I'm going to run a half marathon April 18th. Anyone want to do it with me? It will be so fun!!! Well, we'll see if I actually do it or not, but I am posting this so I can stay motivated. Go ahead-tell me I can't do it. My biggest issue is time. Who has time to train for these things? I've been going to the gym and Lani's been much better, but surprise everyone got sick again last week. Lani has RSV so I can't take her anywhere. Just a minor setback. If I can just squeeze another 3 miles in today, I will be back on schedule. Wish me luck.

Me and my honey

2009-02-20T13:29:00.000-08:00

I'm stealing this from Jami who stole it from dooce

What are your middle names?
My middle name is Kealoha. His middle name is Scott, both family names.

How long have you been together?
Eight years next month.

How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Three months. I was dating someone else.

Who asked whom out?
Brad was in the middle of asking me out, but was taking too long so I handed him my phone number.

How old are each of you?
Brad is 30 and I am 29 for two more months. (He's 3 months older than me).

Whose siblings do you see the most?
I have two brothers here in Utah so I guess mine. Although that wasn't true until last Summer.

Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Maybe Brad's "executive decision" to buy our house. Alot of equity requires alot of sacrifice. Or, maybe when he went back to school. I was on board, but it was still really hard.

Did you go to the same school?
The same college-BYU

Are you from the same home town?
Couldn't be farther away. I am originally from South Carolina, Brad is from California.

Who is smarter?
Brad. Sometimes it amazes me the way his mind manipulates things. He is a problem solver. I see him in Aaron already.

Who is the most sensitive?
Me, although, Brad can be.

Where do you eat out most as a couple?
We don't much. For Valentines we went to Hoppers, an old favorite because of their Cream Soda. I love to eat out, Brad would rather have a home cooked meal.

Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Hawaii.

Who has the craziest exes?
I probably have the lamest, but Brad was practically engaged before me.

Who has the worst temper?
Brad has a shorter temper with the kids, but usually he's a lot more laid back. I am more high strung and if things don't go my way, I am more upset.

Who does the cooking?
Me.

Who is the neat-freak?
Me.

Who is more stubborn?
Brad.

Who hogs the bed?
Lani.

Who wakes up earlier?
Me. I am an early bird. Brad likes to stay up late.

Where was your first date?
Fun Dome. I know it's amazing we had a second.

Who is more jealous?
Neither of us are the jealous type. Although, sometimes when he is sleeping and I am not I am very jealous.

How long did it take to get serious?
About 6 months for Brad, two weeks for me.

Who eats more?
Brad, but I eat treats way more.

Who does the laundry?
Me.

Who's better with the computer?
No question-Brad (even with my computer minor).

Who drives when you are together?
Usually Brad, but sometimes me because he dislikes the minivan.

Feel free to answer some or all of the same questions about your significant other on your blog.

Girly girls

2009-02-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

So, today we are all sick with this head cold, scratchy throat business. It feels weird and nice to just stay home for once and not even make an effort to yell for my boys to get dressed. Yes, it is 2pm and the boys are still in their pjs. They don't need clothes to watch movies and play the computer. This is rare for us-I'm kind of a clothes for the day enforcer. Anyway, so Lani and I needed an activity. Since I painted my nails yesterday, Lani was interested in "pwitty wails." So, we had our first girly bonding (besides the occasional chic flick that just puts her to sleep).

Isn't she cute!

Sports Extravaganza

2009-02-18T12:13:00.001-08:00

So, for the month of February I decided to keep my kids busy playing sports. To set an example (and get a good workout) I played basketball Saturday mornings for January and February, but I think we were beaten out of regionals. Aaron has basketball at the rec center 2 days a week for an hour. Ian has soccer at the rec on Saturday mornings for an hour. You would think this would really tire them out. So far, that hasn't been the case. They are having a lot of fun, though. I will definitely keep Ian in Soccer (he's like a caged animal that constantly needs a wheel to run on). Aaron, however, might need to switch to piano lessons soon. He loves basketball, but I'm not sure it's his gift;)

Hallelujah!

2009-01-28T19:05:00.001-08:00

I have to write this down so I can reread it when I have a tough day (like tomorrow or later tonight). I'm not sure where my actual journal is, but tonight this is it. So, I've been going to the gym for about a year now off and on. Lani has a really hard time and cries for most of my workout. (The church nursery ends up about the same.) Today the most amazing thing happened. We got there, she knew where we were and she did not start sniffling as usual. She walked right inside of the baby gate and picked up a baby doll to play with. I almost cried because she did not. When I picked her up an hour later the lady (we know so well now) said Lani did not cry until about 10 min. before I got there. This is miracle number one.
Miracle number two happened later tonight. Lani has a fascination with the toilet already so I've put her on a few times not expecting anything. Well, tonight before bedtime she wanted to sit on the potty after Ian and Aaron did their business, and wonder of all wonders, she squeezed some pee out.
Now, most of you know that my kids are not sleepers, they wake up in the middle of the night and they do not go down well. In fact, Ian and Aaron have already been separated for the night because they won't stop yelling and playing around. (And Brad just put them to bed like 20 minutes ago.) Anyway, I put Lani to bed at the same time. I sang her a song, gave her her baby dolls and closed the door. Guess what? She stayed in there. I have not heard a peep. Sigh. My little girl is growing up so fast!
Okay, still bragging...Aaron. We've been trying to read the Book of Mormon every night (we are bribing our children with a wii that we will get after we finish the Book of Mormon). So amid Ian jumping off the couch and Lani asking for other books to be read to her, Aaron reads verse after verse and I am amazed at how good he is getting. Not only that, but he asks about what he is reading. The other day he asked why did Nephi's dad murmur-I thought he was a good guy. We had to explain that none of us are perfect. On a bad note, we are teaching him to read words like, whore and ass. The last one he was trying to sound out and I told him donkey-he said mom, that doesn't look like donkey.
Okay, so anyway, today I have hope. I have hope that what I do actually will make a difference if only in the lives of my children. And, I love my kids and I'm sorry I haven't taken pictures of them lately because they are cute:)

Weekly Post

2009-01-27T20:04:00.001-08:00

I am at a loss for things to post lately. I think it's because it's cold outside so we basically hibernate and I don't have any new pictures to show you guys. So...I will finally post my recipe. I was waiting for us to eat something really great and take a pretty pic of it, but...that never happened.

Crockpot Kalua Pork:

3 cups of apple juice
1 pork roast
rock salt
liquid smoke
rice
cabbage (optional)

Rub pork roast with rock salt and 1 tsp of liquid smoke. Place in crockpot with apple juice for 8-10 hrs (depending on how big a roast). Shred cooked pork (keep some juice) and serve over rice. Boil cut up cabbage and serve with pork.

Leftovers are great for sandwiches, or with BBQ sauce on a bun, or with green enchilada sauce on a tortilla.

Oh, my favorite cleaning product, Jess, is Walmart's brand of all-purpose cleaning wipes: Disinfecting Redi Wipes. I just like to throw yucky stuff away (that's not very green of me, but it's true).

44th US President

2009-01-20T10:39:00.000-08:00

Obama's inaugural speech today really inspired me. I loved the message of hope and the emphasis on service. I was very moved and I am excited for the next few years. I am excited to see the changes that inevitably will come. My two favorite lines were:
of our nation "...we are ready to lead..." and to those who threaten our nation, "...you will be defeated." If you missed it, go read it!

Back up...to December

2009-01-12T14:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, now that I've found the camera again, I'm ready to play catchup...
In December, we did a lot of Christmas crafts:

We played in the snow:

Aaron had a Christmas concert:

And we hit the road for a Christmas in Rexburg:

It was a great trip and a great Christmas, which is why it is taking me this long to recover!

New Years Resolutions

2008-12-30T21:31:00.000-08:00

I love the feeling of having a new beginning. You can start from scratch, ignore the way that last year's goals fizzled out and try, try again. Here are some of my New Years Resolutions:
Educational:
1. Finish writing my book.
2. Design a webpage
3. Take the GRE
4. Finish Queen Liliuokalani’s autobiography/and Healing the Child Within (Sara gave me two years ago).
Physical/Emotional Well-being:
5. Work on my food addiction-eat less junk food
6. Participate in at least a 5k
8. Go back to my hip hop class
9. Have regular girls’ nights
Charitable:
10. Get involved in the community
11. Help someone who needs help
12. Hold a charity dinner.
Hobbies:
13. Take a sewing class
14. Make Lani an Easter dress
15. Refinish my chairs
16. Reupholster my sofas
Wants:
17. See Wicked
18. Hold a 4th of July party in our circle
19. Have a 30th birthday party
20. Go see my parents in California
21. Prepare a will-notarized
22. Have a date night once a month-the temple every other month (every month is not realistic for me)
23. Spend more quality time with my kids.
24. Next year, enroll Ian in preschool
25. Teach a Hula class at Golds Gym
26. Get a new desk
Financial:
27. Spend less money (after the after-Christmas sales)
28. Save money every month.
29. Totally finish the house. (Trim, shelves for toys, some electrical...)
30. Stick to my budget.
Church:
31. Do my visiting teaching without kids.
32. Make a bulletin board for primary.
33. Read the Book of Mormon with Aaron.

Belated Family Letter

2008-12-30T21:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, I meant to send this out, then email it out, and well here it is on the blog...some may call it procrastination, I call it modern technology...

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, we have faced a few challenges this year. Perhaps it is when faced with adversity that we are able to realize all the amazing things we have. They are not always recognized, but they are definitely there. In the spirit of Christmas, we’d like to share a few from our lives to yours.

Brad completed his MBA in March. In an effort to remain productive and keep up the study habits, he has begun working towards his CPCU, the highest insurance designation. A temporary setback, in October Brad ruptured his esophagus. Despite the seriousness of the injury Brad was in the hospital for only one week and did not undergo major surgery as most with this injury would have. Instead the tissue is repairing itself and with a diet of ~~soft foods~~ ice cream and follow-up visits, Brad is home and wrestling (gently) with the boys.

Three kids have been a small challenge in my life this year. Luckily, having one in kindergarten at least offers a reprieve from constant fighting. Somehow I am still able to finish project after project. I am also blessed to have Spencer and Jeni as well as Ben nearby this year to step in when necessary, like in October. It is nice to be able to trade off with Jeni as well as invite myself along for her and her sisters’ girls’ nights. However, I have found amazing support through our ward and close friends during trying times; that should not have surprised me, yet it did.

Aaron started kindergarten this year. He excels at all things academic and I am happy to have found an environment which seems to encourage this. He is a great help to me, almost always doing what I ask him to do with his younger brother and sister. Brad has implemented a new time out consequence in which Aaron must read a book to Ian or Lani when he gets in trouble.

Ian, our teddy bear, wants to grow up, but he feels he may miss out on the perks of being a baby. Despite his destructive tendencies, he loves anyone and everyone and shows it with his many hugs and kisses.

Kailani seems to learn a new word daily and already has dance moves we envy. She thinks her brothers are hilarious, but often makes her own trouble independently. She has a flair for the dramatics, but when you look in those blue eyes it’s hard to say no.

As we think about the past few months and look around our cozy home, it is impossible to ignore the blessings bestowed upon us. We hope this Christmas Season brings joy to your home as it does to ours!

Love,

Brad, Tara, Aaron, Ian, and Kailani

Attempt Number One

2008-12-09T12:37:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to me-I got a sewing machine last week. Here is my first attempt at making something. I thought I would practice on a baby doll dress and work my way up to making Lani a dress. I think I went backwards because it is so hard to sew in the little nooks and crannies. Maybe I'll try Lani's dress next. Luckily, Lani hugs her baby so tight that you can't see the imperfections.

Update III

2008-12-03T16:04:00.001-08:00

Lani loves to take care of her little baby. She wraps it in a blankie. Not hers, those are off limits even for her baby. But she kisses it goodnight and pats her back. It's the cutest thing. Her favorite new words are "Let's Go" and "Good girl." My girl is growing up so fast.

Update II

2008-12-03T15:49:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving. I apologize for the lack of pictures. Thanksgiving was at my house this year and well, so relaxing that I did not take out the camera very much. I helped with the meal, but whenever my mom comes it's like I start to do something and a few minutes later she's already done it. Plus, Jeni and Spencer brought half the food along with cousin Nona and Malia. The pictures are of the play that my mom helped the kids put on for us about Farmer Boone and his turkeys with a surprise visit from a Transformer that went into Space...Aaron made it up. My parents are moving to California (so much closer for visits) so it was great that we were on their way. We enjoyed their visit even if they did bring their dog, Boone, along with them.

Time for an Update

2008-12-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

I feel sometimes like I am so busy, but I'm really not. My kids just need their own game system so they will stay off my computer;) Right now Lani is asleep and the boys are watching a movie so I can finally update. I'm sorry this will update backwards on the blog. Oh well. First of all, I love Fall. I hate raking, but I love to see the leaves Fall. I like to color over them and hang our pictures up and the chill gets me in the mood to start baking. And after everything that has been going on in our lives (I feel I've been playing catchup with my "home responsibilities"), it is nice to go outside and play in the leaves. The kids have a blast.

Just like Jana

2008-11-20T07:54:00.000-08:00

I am told Lani has similar fashion tastes to those of Aunt Jana (like 20 something years ago). Of course, Lani has no rocking horse and keeps her diaper on (for now). But she does have some great dance moves in those boots!

Litttle Samarai Class

2008-11-20T07:17:00.000-08:00

Last day of class I remembered the camera:

This is usually how the first 15 minutes of class goes. The kids run around while the teacher gets the mats out and decides what to do. (With community ed classes you get what you pay for-not much).

This is the usual warm up. Notice, Cousin Arie running around, Aaron is left of the guy jumping in circles, and Ian has to be held by the instructor.
This about sums up the rest of class. The teacher tries to explain something while the kids wrestle. He really forgets there are three year olds in his class. Example: Cousin Arie can't sit still. Aaron takes it well.
Ian is actually so tired by 5pm that he is spastic (defense mechanism against sleep). Half the time he is going crazy trying to beat up Arie or anyone else in his way.
Meanwhile, Lani is on the sidelines playing with her new friend. Well, she follows her around to sit by her anyway.

And that is our karate class. It really is pretty hysterical. I'm considering investing in real lessons (as opposed to what we got). I mean, I already invested in the gi attire. Some say this encourages violence, but if you know my boys, you know that violence occurs without any encouragement in my house. Aaron might as well learn how to defend himself, right?

Send To Phone

Projects

2008-11-15T20:13:00.001-08:00

I can't help myself. I always have a project going on. It might keep me sane. I always feel better when I see a finished project. In the past few months I have refinished my old kitchen table as well as my new kitchen table. I am working on refinishing some chairs. In between I decided to build some storage space in my basement entryway. I bought the stuff yesterday and put it up today. Brad's in California this weekend so I wanted to get it done before he got back. I can't take all the credit because I needed my brother, Ben, to use his strength and help me keep things straight. But as the engineer, I am pretty proud of my work. I made all the cuts myself, too, even though the table saw scares me. To celebrate, we had my other brother, Spencer, and his family come over for dinner and root beer floats!

Brad is home!

2008-11-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

Yeah, Brad is home. He is not up to his usual strength, just looking at our kids seems to tire him out:) But at least he now gets a steady flow of applesauce, cream of wheat, and an array of soups. Soon he will graduate from liquids, but we are taking it slow. By the way, Kristen, who really needs sleep?
Thanks for the prayers, love, and support we have received. We are blessed to have such a support system to take care of us whether you are near or far. We did not even realize just how serious the injury was until the doctor showed Brad Tuesday morning the original cat scan taken last Wednesday. His esophagus was cut through and around in a semi circle, then on through the muscle. He truly is fortunate to be home without a scar over his chest.

FYI

2008-10-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, Brad was admitted to the Thoracic ICU because he lacerated his esophagus (there are underlying issues that we didn't take care of before this so...here we are). His doctor is hoping that while they pump him with antibiotics for any possible infection, the laceration will close on its own making a surgical procedure unnecessary. Today he was moved out of the ICU to a regular patient room until probably Monday or Tuesday. He is bored out of his mind so feel free to visit if you can. We will be going hospital trick or treating in a little while.

Chelsea is here to help, but unfortunately is having a few difficulties of her own and last night got to have a little reunion with Brad in the ER (Yes, Brad can talk people into letting him leave the ICU). The hospital thanks us for our business:)

Edit: Brad's hospital phone is (801) 507-4403 if you want to call.

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-31T13:01:00.000-07:00

Girls Night

2008-10-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

Gardner Village-"Puttin' on the Witch"
For a fun girls night, I went out with my sister-in-law and her sisters and we got witch makeovers. We had a great time finding our inner witch!

Fall Break

2008-10-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures. This past weekend was Aaron's Fall Break from kindergarten. I seek to make my kids' lives as busy as possible so this was our weekend:
Wednesday-Tracy Aviary, karate lessons
Thursday-Children's Museum, Cousin's Birthday Party
Friday-Gardner Village with some friends we hadn't seen in a long time, Babysat cousins
Saturday-Uncle Spencer and Aunt Jeni babysat my kids (took them to the park and Mcdonalds), then we went to the park
We had planned on a Pumpkin Patch for Monday, but somehow Lani got sick (probably from running around so much). We'll leave that one alone for a few days.

Saturday at the Park

2008-10-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Not too far from us there's a park called Germania Park. We really like it because there's a paved path that goes along the Jordan River Parkway and there's also a playground and a big grassy area. It's great for playing, skateboarding, bike riding and just about everything.

Cookie Decorating

2008-10-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last week's Monday night activity: Halloween cookies. You may notice, Ian does not like frosting on his cookies. I know, wierd. And Daddy is all about his masterpiece of a cookie.

Gardner Village

2008-10-12T17:18:00.001-07:00

Gardner Village
Aaron had a day off from school so I felt we had to do something fun. I packed a lunch and we were off. The kids had lots of fun looking at the witches, feeding the ducks, and watching the other kids. I bought way too much fudge. We didn't even make it to the petting zoo-maybe this week.

15 Months

2008-10-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Lani's 15 Month Checkup:
21.44 lbs
30.5 in
Lani handled 3 shots like a pro, despite Aaron's yelling over his flu shot. She is our little chatterbox lately, especially when Daddy comes home. She hears the door, walks to the stairs and starts her gibberish mixing in "Dad" every other sentence. I think she's telling him about our day. She does so many things we tell her to including throwing away our trash and taking things to her brothers when I ask her to. She is at the stage where she actually enjoys putting away her toys and shows me for my approval. She twirls in circles to music and smiles all the time. She is our little sunshine even though her independent streak is starting to show through her stubbornness.

Happenings

2008-10-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

This week Aaron was sick, then we all got flu shots, then Ian got sick. I am not looking forward to Winter. Also, the boys started their Samarai class along with cousin Arie. It's great. They jump and run around the gym and roll around the mat for an hour. They went to bed so well Wednesday night. Pictures soon with the gi uniforms:) I've started carpooling with a lady down the street getting Aaron and his new friend Caeden back and forth to school. It is so great to only make the trips half the time (there is no bus system at this school). The kids are keeping me really busy. Lani is down to one nap a day, every other day during this time Ian and I do "school time." I've forgotten what "quiet time" is anymore now that Ian does not nap and will not sit through a movie. This is requiring real mental exercises to prevent yelling at my children. Now that they are in bed and I look at the pictures of the last week I wonder, why would I ever be mad at them?
Aaron reading to his brother.
Look, I'm a transformer.
GQ shot.
Courtesy of Aaron, the photographer.

Aloha Festival

2008-10-02T20:06:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to the Aloha Festival in Midvale. The boys made bookmarks from palm fronds, we ate shave ice, and watched the halaus perform. It was a fun family day with a little culture thrown in. However, it began with Aaron whining that he didn't want to go to the Hawaiian Festival because he said, "I don't like Hawaiians." So much for having a cultured child. He forgot he's Hawaiian.

Lani and the Giant Peach

2008-09-26T20:42:00.001-07:00

Today we went to the Farmers Market in Murray with Jeni, Arie, and Zoe. (Did I mention my brother moved back here? It is so nice to do stuff with my family. Plus, it seems Arie and Ian are similar in many ways, meaning they are both bouncing off the walls most of the time.) So, Jeni and I bought a box of peaches and a box of pears and split them both so we could have yummy fruit. My kids love fruit (see above). So, I left the box of peaches on the floor to deal with later not even thinking that Lani would notice and get into them. Well, she did. She ate that whole peach all by herself. Notice that smile.

Skater

2008-09-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

We ran over Aaron's bike a little bit ago, so he's been able to practice on his skateboard a lot lately. He had his first field trip last week at school and he had so much fun. I dropped him off in the morning and they didn't come back until 2:30. (His kindergarten is just half-day.) I felt a little bad that I didn't go to help chaperone, but he survived the whole day without me. He came home with an uneaten sandwich that I had packed him. That means he had a healthy lunch of fruit snacks and a capri sun. He says his bestfriend is Amethyst and they play Transformers together at recess. He loves his teacher, but he comes home with 2 pages of homework somedays. I think it's excessive, but I make him do it anyway and we made a deal so he doesn't complain too much anymore. He was all torn up last week because we sold our fish. I had to explain that Po Po was going to a better home. Koi fish just need more room than a 10 gallon tank. It was a little traumatic, but I think he got over it once the lady gave him a 5 dollar bill.

Buddhist Monk

2008-09-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

Brad buzzed Ian's hair a little close this time. But it's okay because we all feel very lucky when we rub his head. He also volunteers to pray a lot. Sometimes I try to convince him to meditate, but he just doesn't have that one down yet. I'm trying to get him in a Samarai class. He'll look so cute in that gi or keikogi uniform and hopefully get some exercise. He is a ball of energy that sometimes explodes on his brother and sister.

Table Painting

2008-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

This is Lani's new art form:

We call it table painting. It's easy, really. You just take some food, like yogurt, and paint the table with it. Masterpiece. She's also really into her daddy these days. She can't get enough of him. She even calls him dad. Not da da, dad. She's so funny. She's a little smarty too. She has added "uh huh" and "bye-bye" to her vocabulary. We rarely have communication problems because she likes to take my hand and drag me to whatever it is that she wants.

If you haven't seen this...

2008-09-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

it's very funny: SNL video

Who doesn't love Saturday Night Live?

Palin VP nominee

2008-09-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Okay, I think serious concerns have been raised about the Palin nominee. I've been an Obama supporter since I first heard about him. I like his idealism, his attitude toward change, and the fact that he opens up the subject of race in a country that sometimes tries to hide the existence of racism. (I'm not necessarily a democrat, I just like Obama.) I don't know that he will be effective in the White House, but I am willing to give him a chance. On the other hand, McCain does have experience, military and otherwise. But, Palin? I'm not sure about her. Matt Damon also raises some concerns about Palin.
Did anyone else know that Palin was mayor of about 7000 and governor of less than the city of Salt Lake? Anyway, I think she is very inexperienced. I admire her showmanship and Glenn Beck's view here paints a nice picture.
Still, apart from her lack of experience in foreign policy, I have other concerns as well, but in that department maybe I'm just too traditional for modern America. Anyway, I think everyone should seriously look at the candidates this year. Do some research and make an informed decision. I doubt my vote will make much of a difference in Republican Utah, but I will cast it anyway.

No, no, no

2008-09-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Little Lani is learning to communicate very effectively. Mostly, she likes to shake her head no at me a lot. But really, it's like a whole head and shoulders movement where she twists and turns. It's cute and I thought you guys might enjoy seeing the "No" dance.

Speaking of dancing, here's another cute one.