The Texas Pratt Clan

M.O.T.Y.

2009-04-29T11:10:00.008-04:00

I had an experience today that reminded me of why I will NEVER be Mother of the Year. Nothing profound, mind you...just a typical day in my life. I will preface it by saying that I hate school photos. I think they look cheesy and boring and every time they come up, I think of all the reasons why I do not want to succumb to the pressure of ordering them. However, every time I still order them. Something inside me says that to be a good mother, you have to order school pictures...like my kid would be the only one in the class without the $90 check in the envelope while every other has the top of the line package marked on their envelopes. (I only imagine this but don't really have any idea what other mom's order) I don't think it's the money that bothers me because generally speaking, I am not a cheap person. I hate scrap booking and I don't have one of those frames that contains the mat with cutouts of each grade's picture. These pictures are stashed in a rubbermaid container that I will someday organize. I would just rather have a beautiful photo than a school photo. In the end, I always mark the cheapest package just to satisfy my own ego or my child's or both.

For a week, I have known that Fisher's preschool is taking their SECOND picture set of the year....BUGS!!! Anyway, he was supposed to wear his purple preschool t-shirt so they all look the same. He only wears this shirt when it is mandatory which means it has been worn maybe 3 times. The teacher kept reminding us to have our freshly laundered t-shirts ready for picture day:) Preschool starts at 9 a.m. and we live right around the corner from the building. I am not typically one to procrastinate things. At 8:55, I went to get Fisher's preschool shirt from his drawer. I found it crumpled in a ball in his drawer and got a little worried. I thought I'd be a good mom and iron it so that he would be in top form for this ever-so-important photo.

First, I noticed that it was covered with dried food...sauces, etc. I got a wash cloth to erase all of these since there was NO time to launder it. Next, I ran the iron across it forgetting that the print on the front is not meant for high heat so the iron dragged the white lines of the graphics across his shirt...permanently ruined! After picking up the iron, I noticed a stench coming from the shirt. I thought it must be the burning smell of graphics but oddly enough, it smelled like urine. After being disgusted, I remembered when Fisher wore this shirt last....a few weeks ago to a PETTING ZOO! It had food, goat, pony, deer, pig and chicken smell and whatever else he hugged all over it and to top that off, he had an accident in the bathroom that left urine on his shorts and the bottom of his shirt (too anxious to get the pants all the way down.) I burst out into laughter because could a shirt really have anything worse or more smelly on it? Maybe dried blood or something.

In the end, I had no recourse but to spray Kevin's cologne on it and send him to preschool for the coveted school photos that will sit under my bed in a rubbermaid container.

Nearly finished kitchen update...family room next.

2009-04-24T10:35:00.006-04:00

Spring Break 2009

2009-04-24T10:07:00.016-04:00

We had so much fun over Spring Break. This is the time of year that you DON'T want to leave Houston, because the weather is so amazing. A big city is a great place to do a stay-cation because there is so much to do!

The beach was so much fun. We don't go nearly enough. It was a perfect, beautiful day and we all had a great time.

Lots of jelly fish in Galveston!

We drove to Brenham to visit the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. You drive past fields of beautiful wild flowers along the way...anyone who has ventured into the fields knows that the picture is always better than the experience because it's scratchy, buggy and doesn't usually smell as good as it looks! I am not much for telling the kids what poses to get into, but Emme kept coming up with her own, so I went with it.

With cousins from Jeremy and Anna Lisa's family at Blue Bell. Emme looks thrilled to be milking the cow...she would have done well as a pioneer:)

Christmas Surprises!

2009-01-04T21:22:00.010-05:00

We give our children 3 big presents each Christmas. This year, a couple of those three were group gifts. The second was a Wii and the 3rd was a letter that gave them a clue to another location in the house. This went on for 5 more clues until the final clue said, "Your final gift awaits you 3 hours from here, so pack your bags and let's get going." They had no idea where we were going and I have NEVER seen them so excited. They were completely taken off guard. We packed our stuff and about an hour later, we left for San Antonio. We went straight to the zoo which was cool. I couldn't believe it was open on Christmas Day! Then we went to our hotel on the Riverwalk which is beautiful and full of life. That was really fun. The next couple of days, we went to Sea World. None of us has ever been, so it was great for us all. It couldn't have been a better Christmas and we enjoyed being together.

"Oh the First Snowfall of the Winter..."

2008-12-10T20:08:00.014-05:00

I love this song by Karen Carpenter...I used to sing it all of the time in Utah whenever the first snowfall came each Fall. I figured it had to be shelved for a while since we live in HOUSTON...but TODAY IT SNOWED!!! It only happens about every 4 or 5 years down here, so my kids were in heaven tonight. It's a night they will never forget. I don't really miss the snow, but I got teary-eyed when I saw how excited they were about it. All the neighbors are outside just staring...I guess it takes hurricanes and snow to get people to hang out outside:)

I figured this was as good as it would get...that I'd better take a photo before it melted!

They managed to get a baby snowman complete with cherry tomato eyes and a mini carrot nose. The snow was so hard and compact that they practically bloodied their fingers trying to bury their vegetables in the snowman.

Sheer joy on the trampoline.

...coming in for a brief break to get warm.

Tagged....

2008-11-10T10:36:00.007-05:00

Monday, November 10, 2008

Tagged by Megan

I was tagged - so here goes with my extremely interesting answers:

8 TV shows that I love: (I don't have cable, but like these shows)
1- The Office
2- What Not to Wear
3- 20/20, Dateline and the like
4- Lost(just started on DVD)
5- 24 (watched all six seasons last Fall)
6- Little House on the Prairie...still love
7- Without a trace
8- I am ashamed to admit it, but I like The Bachelor if the guy seems nice...I won't try to justify it.

8 Restaurants I Love:(in no particular order)
1- Chuy's
2- Italianos
3- Cafe Rio
4- Pei Wei
5- Berry Hill
6- Another Mexican restaurant that I cannot think of right now, but it has the best salsa and avocado ranch dipping sauce for chips
7- That's all I can think of.
8-

8 things that happened today:
1-Woke up at 6:30 and got kids ready for school
2 -Read scriptures as family from 7:15-7:30
3- Took the kids to the school book fair before school
4- Planned on spending $20, but spent $55:(
5- Came home and sat down with Fisher to look at one of our purchases....it was actually super fun!
6- took Fisher to preschool
7- cleaned house and started laundry
8-avoiding exercise by looking at Megan's blog first

8 things I am looking forward to:
1- Christmas
2- Thanksgiving, too
3- my hair appt. on Wednesday
4- becoming meek and merciful...something I am working on (seriously..this is always on my mind, so I have to put it.)
5- The day that Kevin will let me refurnish my back T.V. room to my liking.
6- Megan's ultrasound
7-Being surprised by Kevin when he takes me to Hawaii (hint)
8- Everything I can do to my house and to make it perfect

8 things on my wish list: (not in order, of course)
1- To be an amazing mother who is adored by her children forever...seriously
2- A brand new Landcruiser fully loaded with every possible gadget
3- The means to go wherever, whenever for vacations
4- to look back and know we spent the holidays in a way that would make the Lord happy
5- For my kids to have strong testimonies and the desire to do what is right
6- a dream backyard
7- to be the kind of person that improves and inspires the lives of others
8- A million dollar savings account so that I can spend all of our extra money without feeling guilty.

I don't normally tag, but I will tag Nancy G., Kari C., Heather B. and Sarah D. ( I know she won't do it, though)

Halloween in the Book of Mormon?

2008-10-30T09:35:00.005-04:00

This morning when we were reading before school, we read a passage that is so perfect for Halloween. It is in Helaman where Nephi is talking about the wicked band of Gadianton robbers. Helaman 11:34 (read a little differently, my daughter's ears were perked)

"Now this great evil, which came unto the people because of their iniquity, did stir them up again in remembrance of the Lord their God."

After reading it she said, "What was that about a great, evil witch?"
Can't you just imagine a great, evil witch stirring up the wicked in her cauldron...only she is stirring them up in remembrance....if you were being stirred up in a big pot by a great, evil witch, wouldn't you remember God?:)

Mafia Wedding Murder Mystery Party

2008-10-22T17:22:00.017-04:00

This year, we had another Murder Mystery party. Our theme was a Mafia Wedding Reception and it was super fun. We invited 20 people who each dressed and acted as different characters, lied, cheated, bribed and one even feigned death! Anyway, I highly recommend starting this tradition (not lying, bribing, and feigning death, of course...but having a party like this) because they are so worth the effort. You can purchase them online and then just download everything you need except for the decorations and friends. I bet you could find some friends online, too if you needed some. Here are some photos of the party.

The picture above is of those who would really stand in the wedding line...not all of the guests. When the bride and groom were walking into our house, someone down my street congratulated them. It was so funny. We had signs around the neighborhood that pointed to our home, saying "Giovanni Reception," so she really thought we were having a wedding reception. It was so funny. The other photos are of "Karen Cake, the Wedding Coordinator, the Bride and Groom, Grandma Selma and Biff Buffolini

Happy 36th Birthday, Hun!

2008-10-14T12:30:00.005-04:00

Kevin at the BYU/TCU game last Thursday....what a bummer!

1. Where did you meet? We were in the same district as missionaries in Minnesota. I was attracted to his sense of humor, but lest you make any rash judgments, there was no mission romance...we were only in the same district for a few weeks.

2. How long did you date before you were married? We dated for six months.

3. How long have you been married for? In February it will be 14 years...

4. What does he do that surprises you? He never complains about what I cook. He is super easy to please when it comes to what I feed him. Seriously, I don't think he's every complained about my cooking and it's really only so-so.

5. What's your favorite feature about him? I love his hair. It is such a beautiful color. He has great coloring...dark hair and gorgeous blue/gray eyes. He also has great legs and is the perfect height for me.

6. What's your favorite quality about him? He is not needy or high-maintenance. He is frugal. He is great at making us laugh.

7. Does he have a nickname for you? What is it? We call each other "hun" all the time...rarely by our first names.

8. What's his favorite color? BYU Blue all the way!!!

9. What's his favorite food? Anything Mexican for sure.

11. Who said I love you first? I thought he did, but he was actually mouthing, "Olive Oil" and then I said it back, so I guess I did. NICE.

12. When and where was your fist kiss? In his truck, after a hike.

13. What's your favorite thing to do as a couple? Work on house projects....J/K...that is what "challenges" our marriage. Actually, eat and watch dvd seasons of 24 or lost or The Office. We like to play games like Settler's of Catan, Phase 10 and Ticket to Ride (unless one of us keeps getting killed (me)).

14. Do you have kids? 4 super cute kids...all thanks to Kevin's genes!

15. What's a hidden talent that he has? He is an excellent artist. He is also pretty neat. His closet is nice and organized. He is super athletic (not so hidden), but he is a great basketball and football player. At this point, he always gets hurt playing, so he's tapering off.

16. How old is he? 36 on October 19th

17. What's his favorite type of music? He loves all the stuff we loved in the eighties and nineties. He listened to Metallica, Bon Jovi, etc. and the like, growing up. He likes everything except country and classical. He recently told me there was a station he liked that played some cool jazz and when I listened to it, I laughed because it was the elevator music-type jazz, but at least he's open, right?

18. What do you admire most about him? He is easy to please. He always tries to lighten the mood and make everyone comfortable.

19. What's his favorite past time? He likes to read and look at cars on Ebay...especially old Landcruisers.

20. Do you think he is going to read this? Oh, for sure.

I love you, Kevin!

Hurricane Ike...lessons learned

2008-10-14T10:59:00.007-04:00

I know it has taken me a long time to give an update on the aftermath of the storm, but my reason is simple. I have been waiting for a time for Kevin to show me how to upload video from our camera to show you some of the damage and we have been crazy busy...seriously. For now, I will just fill you in until I can get the video up a couple of years from now. Because I am an Arntsen, I am a minimalist and while deep down I hope for the storm to hit, I talk like it will never really come our way. What was my biggest concern when we knew Ike was coming our way? I had two, really. One was: How long will we have to live without power? and the other was: Will I get to see the fury of the storm since it's coming during the night? I mean, seriously, if you're going to sustain damage, at least give me the pleasure of watching it.
Around 1:30-2:00a.m. on the Sat. of Ike. the wind was getting very scary. It had been blowing hard for hours, but it was "white-knuckle-on-your-pillow" kind of scary. Since we have huge trees on all four corners of our home, we moved into the middle of the house and made beds. Somehow, I was able to fall asleep. When I woke up at 6:00 a.m., there was NO WIND. I walked into the kitchen to find my little brother asleep in fetal position on the tile with a blanket over him. I couldn't figure out why when he had a mattress in the other room, but later found out he was so afraid that that was the only place he felt safe (he stayed up later than the rest of us because he had consumed 3 Rockstar's...waaaaay wacked out...you should have seen him dancing the night before. He definitely kept us all laughing). Anyway, I walked outside where there was no wind and only drizzle dripping from trees. It was still dark, so I used a flashlight. I could see huge branches down from our trees...one landed on our zipline. Our fence blew down and a huge tree was leaning toward our home now. It was a mess. What was my prevailing thought?....It was that I was so bugged that I had missed the storm altogether...I had seen nothing but the damage it left. I was kind of bothered. Around 7 or so, the wind began to pick up again and it was then that I realized I had earlier walked out into the eye of the storm. It was a huge eye and it went right over Kingwood and it was this amazing calm in the middle of a raging storm. I was able to see the back end of the storm which wasn't as entertaining as I had hoped. We drove around afterward and were amazed at all of the humongous trees downed everywhere. Most did not fall on houses but in front or on the sides...the Lord's mercy for sure. However, some homes were heavily damaged in our neighborhood.
The power had gone out the night before and we hoped it would be back on in 3 or 4 days, but it didn't return for 13 days!!! Fortunately, the weather was amazing after the storm and we have a generator, so we were fine. However, the kids were out of school for two weeks, which made things a bit crazy...we always had like 20 kids at our house.
So, what were the lessons learned?
1. 72 hour kits and emergency preparedness are so inspired and bring so much peace. We found that it was almost precisely 72 hours before gas stations and grocery stores began opening again though most did not open for at least a week afterward. 2. When you have no power, you are not preoccupied with electrical gadgets. Everyone ventured outside and we spent a lot of time visiting with our neighbors. It felt so great. Spirits were high and it is definitely because people were bound by a common cause...and they really had no where to go. We knew that the return of normal life would be bittersweet. We rarely see our neighbors now (except for the few we normally see). 3. It brought so much peace to know we are part of a ward family that all looks out for each other. My visiting teacher's husband came over after the storm and saw our leaning tree and though it was a super risky venture to move it, he and his son took it down. 4. This comes from the storm and from reading Robinson Crusoe....we really don't need all of the stuff we think we need. Things are just fine and we become resourceful when we need to. I can't really complain because having a generator made a huge difference, but I loved the simple life and kind of wished I lived in a time when things were like that(I still craved my power and my kids' return to school most of the time) 5. As weird as this is, I kind of connect with my houses...I feel like they are glad to have us living in them...like they have been waiting for our family to take care of them, make them beautiful and fill them with happiness and contentment. This said, I was grateful that my sweet, beautiful house was spared any damage. That brought me great happiness. I am grateful for what I have been blessed with. The Lord is so generous to us and always has been. Sorry this was all so wordy, but for the few of you who keep up with my monthly posts, I thought you might like an update!

School's out!!!

2008-09-11T09:46:00.008-04:00

Have you ever been through a hurricane? I have. When I was 11, I can remember looking out the front window of my home to watch trees fall around my neighborhood. I live in a forest, so there are a lot of them, but I couldn't believe the power behind the winds that would literally snap huge pine trees. I remember the loud sound of one falling through the center of my neighbor's home across the street. It wasn't scary for me because it was immensely entertaining....thrilling, even. Later in that night, there were tornadoes spinning off of the hurricane and a family in our ward had to flee to our home because their home was destroyed by the storm. The parents were lying in bed and the mother woke up with the feeling they needed to get out of their room to check on their children. After doing this, a tree fell literally across their bed! After getting their children out of the house, another tree fell on their family living area. As an adult, I still feel a bit of the adrenaline rush that comes with watching a powerful storm, but I have more to lose now. My kids have taken my place and are eager for the show, but I am a little worried about the power being out for days because it's just way too hot for that. We are located a little North and East of Houston in Kingwood. If the storm turns to the right as they say it might, we could have it a bit worse. Either way, we are on the "dirty" side of the storm and can expect some tornadoes and nasty weather. I will take photos to show the effects in our area. Even an average storm makes a mess when you live in a forest and the streets become littered with branches. We'll keep you posted.

The Eagles

2008-09-10T17:12:00.009-04:00

When Kevin informed me that he got us tickets to the Eagles concert, I wasn't super excited or anything, but figured it would be great to get away together for the night. I did listen to them when I was younger (especially Don Henley),but haven't really kept up on their music. I was amazed when we listened to them at how amazing they are in concert....STILL after 40 years together!!! They are all so incredibly talented. They each recorded songs of their own that were big hits (Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh) but also blend incredibly well. Check out "Waiting in the Weeds" on youtube.com. It's a beautiful song. This is from their new album and it gets rave reviews. It was a blast and I am so glad we went. It helped that we were in a suite stocked with food and drinks, too! You gotta love those company perks!!!

The Olympic Spirit Lives On

2008-08-26T17:35:00.003-04:00

BACK TO SCHOOL!!!

2008-08-25T10:34:00.005-04:00

Now that the kids are back in school, I can go back to days that are absolutely crazy when they're home and utterly peaceful when they're not. I have a list a mile long of things I would like to do, but my hours of freedom won't truly begin until Fisher starts preschool next week. Until then, I'll enjoy time with my baby.

Lake Conroe

2008-08-13T22:42:00.006-04:00

We went with some friends up to Lake Conroe for a couple of days. It is a nice lake about 50 miles NE of Kingwood. Some friends own a lake house with a boat and wave runner. The kids had so much fun and it was the perfect amount of time to get away.

The water was the perfect temperature. It isn't crytal clear like Bear Lake or Powell, but it doesn't look or feel dirty, either. It kind of looks like a bluish brown glass. We were excited because it is waaay nicer than the lake we live next to (Lake Houston).
We pretty much had the lake to ourselves. We wondered if there was something in the water we didn't know about. It rained in the morning and then was fine after lunch, but I guess everyone was at work since we were there Monday and Tuesday. It was great for us!

"Sure and Steady Wins the Race"

2008-07-16T09:33:00.005-04:00

Girl's camp was a huge success this year...though I can't imagine a time when it was a failure. The Lord always blesses these types of events and they always seem to come together in the end. Let me just say that being Stake Camp Director is the most fun calling I have ever had. I love it. I wasn't sure at first, but after going last year, I realized that I want to keep this calling for a long time. It helps that "camp" in our stake is more like "retreat." (We have Stake Camp here, every year). I found a Presbyterian camp where they have an area for large groups (we had 140) and we stay in a motel-ish dorm area complete with a/c which is a must in Houston in the Summer. There are rolling hills and so many trees you can't see beyond your immediate surroundings ( I love that about where we live because then you forget there are no mountains around you).
We had all of our meals cooked for us and cleaned up after us. We had an Olympic size swimming pool, a high ropes course and a huge climbing wall with a zip line. There was a small lake complete with a waterslide, a big blob to jump on and launch others off of and various big blow up toys to climb on in the water. The camp ran these activities for us, so all we needed to do was focus on the spiritual aspects, the certification and various small activities. We did assigned dorm rooms which is a pain until the very end, but is worth it. We used the fable of the Tortoise and the Hare and found so many applications to the gospel (as is referenced in Elder Bednar's Jan. New Era talk). The girls used the fable for skit night and we used the motto "Sure and Steady Wins the Race" throughout the week. We had a race theme going on (you know how competitive I am) all week with acts of kindness and service and the winning team got the chocolate candy "turtles" at the end of the week. The rest of the girls got the candies "hugs" and "kisses." Each team had a turtle that would move along a board indicating points earned each day. It was so fun.
The very best thing about girls camp is seeing the transformation that takes place in each girl in only a few days. Some of them show up a little nervous, maybe even with not a great attitude and by the last night, girls are filled with the spirit and show you their very best sides. It's amazing to look at 140 girls with awe and love and affection.
Basically, girl's camp is like painting for me, only better....I can do something that requires effort but get to see the amazing transformation immediately! That's not something you get with most callings. I got to see the fruits of my labors all week long. The other reason I love "girl's retreat" is because at night, I got to go back to my motel room (dorm) with the other Stake Leaders and while we would work on things for the next day, we would eat chocolate and laugh all night about the "camp babies" we would need to birth when we returned home (with the help of a good colon cleansing). It was like a slumber party for adults and though I was happy to go home, I mourned the end of experiences that only girl's camp can produce. I can't wait until next Summer!

2008-07-05T23:54:00.008-04:00

My sister, Megan is an amazing photographer. She recently moved away, which means I will no longer have amazing photos of my kids...actually, it means I will have to pay for them and since I am cheap, I will no longer have amazing photos of my children (unless we go visit Aunt Megan). Anyway, before she left she took some fun ones and I can't wait to see them. Here are a couple she sent me. I love the colors. These look grainy, but the finished product will be amazing because she has an incredible camera.

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND, TEXAS

2008-07-05T22:04:00.012-04:00

We spent the week of the fourth of July on the Island of South Padre in the southernmost tip of Texas. We were anxious to see if the water was any better than the beaches by us which isn't hard. The water was awesome and the sand was clean. The weather wasn't cooperative, but we still had fun. We went to Schlitterbahn, relaxed and ate the kind of food that requires a colon cleanse the following week.

The water was beautiful but it was a bit overcast and windy.

This town's claim to fame was that it had "The World's Largest Fly Rod and Reel." Definitely worth the 6.5 hour drive. (The beach made it even better:))

Waiting for fireworks

The night of the fourth was a beautiful night and we were just grateful for the clear skies and perfect temperatures. In years past, we spent the day eating and hanging out with lots of family, so the experience of being on a beach full of strangers was new for us. We had high hopes when we found the perfect spot to see the fireworks display over the bay of South Padre Island. However, as families began pouring in, we were a little disappointed with the "atmosphere." Just see the short video clip below.

Kevin was trying to be discreet, but we were one of two or three white families where we were hanging out, so we were the only "white" trash around. Keep in mind that Padre is only 30 miles or so from the border of Mexico. We were the clear minorities. The rap went on for 2 hours, but I think they felt they were doing the world a favor because it was "Christ-centered" rap....seriously. I am not prejudiced against Mexicans, just against chest thumping rap music played while our children are waving glowsticks while waiting for the fireworks display that celebrates something that is supposed to be special. (I know that is a wordy sentence and I did it for effect:)) In Utah, the fireworks were serenaded by the best patriotic songs ever written...almost powerful enough to evoke tears...either by that or by the fact that we had been waiting for hours dealing with children who were exhausted and were fighting over candy at the earlier parade, or glowsticks 14 hours later. Anyway, we are not sheltered anymore. That realization is a little sad, but we're dealing.

The Evolution of Glory Days

2008-04-13T22:17:00.003-04:00

As a youth, I was a pretty fast runner. I can still remember my best times for the events I participated in and even though they will mean nothing to you, I will reveal them (imagine Napolean Dynamite's uncle who talked about how he could throw the football a "quarter" mile) I was a sprinter and a jumper (triple and long). My best time in the 100m was 12.4 and in the 200m was 26.2. For a white girl in Houston, that wasn't too shabby. The sad thing is, that type of ability does nothing for me now except let me kick some serious booty against depressed children who have just lost a race to the one person who should let them win. Plus, even when I sprint now, I feel sick and wet my pants a little bit. I love a good race, but I don't enjoy running any longer than about 100m. I don't like jogging, but I so wish that I did. I have always wanted to be the kind of girl who runs marathons, but I have no desire to run one.
After that little fitness competition we did a couple of months ago (by the way, I lost 8 lbs, yeah!!!), I learned to enjoy riding a stationary bike. I NEVER thought I would enjoy this. Since then, I have loved going out on my mountain bike. I decided that I wanted to get a road bike because I can actually enjoy something, get somewhere and stay fit all at the same time! This is my sweet new set of wheels and I am in love with it. I have to learn how to get my shoes out of the pedals so I don't fall over at stoplights, but I am super excited to get started. I will let you know how it goes.

Recipe Tag by Patria

2008-04-13T22:16:00.003-04:00

Peanut Butter and Banana Muffins from "Deceptively Delicious."

Ingredients

nonstick cooking spray

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter

1/2 cup pureed carrot or pureed cauliflower

1/2 cup mashed banana

1 large egg white

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tins with nonstick spray.
Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, peanut butter, vegetable puree, banana, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Jessica says use a large wooden spoon.
Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. I'd put it in bowl and combine with a whisk, but Jessica suggests putting them in a ziptop bag and shake.
Fold the dry mix into the wet mix and combine until just lumpy. Don't overmix, these are muffins. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar and stir once or twice. Jessica says this puts a crust on the top of the muffins.
Divide the batter between the muffins. Cook until lightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 15 to 20 minutes.
Store at room temp for up to two days, or freeze for up to a month.

I loved these. They were dense and satisfying...not a cakey muffin. Super yummy.

My cousin, Patria (Beachcombers), tagged me and I am supposed to tell you about my typical menu. I will give you what was on the slate for last week:
Monday: I made the peanut butter and banana muffins for an after-school snack. I loved them and the kids "liked" them. We had frozen pizza for dinner(we had to take the kids out in the canoe for family night and had to get out as quickly as possible before dark, so I had to do something speedy...is this justification?)
Tuesday: Toasted bagels with cottage cheese (and tomatoes and lemon pepper for the adults) and cantaloupe.
Wednesday: Chicken salad on croissants, fat-free lays potato chips and a super yummy veggie-filled green salad.
Thursday: For breakfast, I made sweet potato pancakes from "Deceptively Delicious" and for dinner we had the rice balls and some spinach nuggets (yummy with marinara) from Costco.
Friday: Girl's night out...so who knows what Kevin made them.

Some weeks, I go all out with these recipes and I always feel like a better mom when I do. Plus, I can feel better about the frozen pizza dinner nights when I am trying on a few of the other nights.

The Greatest Birthday Gift of My Life

2008-03-10T17:35:00.006-04:00

Appropriately Brown!

OK, so going to Michael Buble was a pretty awesome gift from my husband. It's always nice to get away for an evening to be entertained. However, as you are driving home, there's that tinge of sadness over the built-up event being over. When you get home, everything is still there right where you left it...waiting for you. I don't refer to the children, but to the unfinished dishes, piles of laundry and weed-filled flower beds. I guess I am the sort of person that tries to come up with a gift that keeps on giving...something that will last again and again. That is probably why I prefer to buy things for my house over traveling more often, even though I realize that memories are more important than things. Anyway, on my birthday, my 3 1/2 year-old son gave me something I have been wanting for at least a year. Poop--that's it! Not in the diaper, not in his underwear, not even smeared across the T.V. screen(yes he did that once)---but in the toilet! This has been the biggest thorn in my side for the past year. I have tried so hard time and again to make this happen and I was powerless. I offered every possible bribe...even one of those Power Wheels cars for kids. The day before my birthday I tried again as I had every day to bribe him to use the toilet. I told him I would take him to Cici's Pizza and that he could eat pizza, brownies, and cinnamon rolls and that I would give him money to play the video games. He lit up but began crying because he just didn't feel ready to do it. I blew it off because I have had to get used to doing that. On the morning of my birthday I was putting on my make-up and Fisher proceeded to sit on the toilet to poop. He did it and I actually got tears in my eyes. When he finished, we jumped up and down together. What a triumph. He said, "Now can I go to Cici's?"
It wasn't exactly my idea of what I wanted for my birthday lunch, but of course I had to deliver so I promised I would take him at lunch time. After all of my errands and chores, we went to a late lunch and he was starving. I had played it up all day to get him excited. When we finally arrived, with a worried tone he said, "Hey, this isn't Cici's!" I said, "Yes it is...look...right there it says 'Cicis'." He kept insisting that it wasn't Cici's, even as we walked through the doors and then it dawned on me. All along, he thought we were going to Chuck E. Cheese! I said, "Oh, did you mean 'Chuck E. Cheese'?" "Yeah." (in a very sad drawn out voice). I felt really bad. What a gyp for him. All of these months, all of these promises and in the end, he didn't even get to go to the lousy restaurant of his choice. Well, a mom knows how to fix this, so I gave him a couple of quarters and he bought some chicklets and other nasty candy and was as happy as he's ever been. Ever since then, he has defacated in the appropriate place and miraculously doesn't even wet the bed at night. Seriously, this all happened in one day....my 36th birthday. That beats Michael Buble any day because after Michael leaves the stage, forgets all about me and moves on to other adoring fans, I come home to a dang cute son that poops on the toilet. That was the best birthday gift ever!

Invisible Mother

2008-03-06T23:38:00.012-05:00

I have received this email before, but keeping things in perspective can be difficult at best. Some people might think this is just a nice thought to make you feel better if you have nothing better to do than to be a stay at home mom....no career, no traveling, no recognition. However, I whole-heartedly believe this is true and that the greatest sense of achievement and satisfaction will ultimately come from being invisible....

Invisible Mother.....

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this ? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!?

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from

England

. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard
not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to m with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:
'To Charlotte , with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our
lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table. That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Me and Mr. Jones, I mean Mr. Buble

2008-03-02T01:16:00.009-05:00

Me with my sister-in-law, Anna Lisa Arntsen

We just got back from my boyfriend's concert at the Toyota Center. It was as fun as I expected it to be as Michael Buble is an amazing entertainer. We found out about the concert in November and got the best seats available at that time which were on the floor, about 20 rows back...not bad. He said that we were the largest audience he has ever performed for in North America...12,020! That was pretty cool. He seemed excited about that. When he first came out, he looked pretty haggard. After viewing his touring schedule, I can see why...he has like 4 or 5 concerts every week and goes from one state to another constantly. I shouldn't feel badly for him but that sounds kind of lame. He had some serious bags underneath his eyes, and I know I wasn't the only one to notice it. I could hear people around us whispering about it, too. It was as if we were worried that we'd been gypped...we weren't getting the guy we've seen on TV and heard on the radio...this guy looked tired and worn out. It didn't take long before he looked good because he is so charismatic and entertaining. He is super fun to see in concert and I highly recommend it. He is one of the few that sound as good in person as on their albums. He loves to engage the audience and would point out specific people and talk to them and make funny comments.
He made a comment to all of the men there about how he knew many of them may not even known who Michael Buble is, but that they would be thanking him later on because his songs have a tendency to get women "in the mood." Of course, he didn't say it that way but it was pretty hilarious. What he actually said was that "while you guys are sitting back smoking in bed and saying 'pass me the macaroni and cheese' later tonight, I will be on a tour bus with a bunch of band guys."
Half of the fun of going to concerts is watching the people. You can see people from nearly every walk of life there and he has all kinds of fans. There were people in their 70's, parents with their 4 year-old daughter, drunk, scantily-clad women dancing NOT with the beat and drooling all over their dates and every kind of person in between. There is an energy about experiencing a concert and being only feet away from someone you like that is famous. I always get bugged when people act ridiculous and hyper and shamefully throw themselves at famous people, but if I had been close enough, I would have wanted to touch him. Actually, I would have wanted to make out with him, so it was for the best that I was 20 rows back. I kept my cool, behaved like a 36 year old Mormon woman should, and enjoyed every minute of it.

Angry Diets

2008-02-21T22:42:00.010-05:00

O.K., so I have never been on a diet for more than one day in my entire life. The Sunday before last, we had some friends over for dinner and these friends happen to be the most physically beautiful couple we know. After a great Cafe Rio style dinner and bellies full of Barbacoa beef and brownies, they proceeded to tell us about their diet contest they were starting on Monday. Kevin and I are both heavier than we have ever been (excepting pregnancy, of course) so we felt a little silly. After all, these people appear to be the ultimate goal. She is 40, is 5"7 and weighs 132. She has perfect looking body but it is not perfect enough for her standards...she has a couple of tiny rolls on her belly which you would only notice if she was wearing something skin tight or a bikini. He is 6"3 and weighs 214, which happens to be Kevin's weight (kevin is 6"0) Up until we moved to Texas, I was able to maintain my imperfect, but satisfactory weight of 118 (I am only 5"5). After the move, I have put on 8-10lbs.

Now, we could just feel right at home since Houston is one of the fattest cities in the U.S., however, we felt a little ridiculous listening to our friends when we knew full well that we were the ones that needed to do this. We entered an agreement and the contest will last for 4 weeks. There are individual prizes for the greatest percentage of weight lost as well as couple prizes (which ever couple wins has to watch the other couple's kids for a 3 day trip) When I told my sister, she laughed out loud because how could we compete with perfection?

I only bring this up because I was discouraged today after going to lunch with my girlfriends, which includes this perfectly figured 40 year old model (actually she and another friend whose b-day we were there celebrating were models for years). While I ate the chips and salsa and got some tortilla soup, she got the "snapper" and didn't eat anything on the side. She is absolutely stalwart when it comes to eating and has no problem denying herself when she wants to. I am the one who has schemed about all sorts of diets, most notably the "jello diet" my mission trainer and I worked out on full stomachs Sunday night, only to break Monday by lunch. Denying myself makes me angry, but maybe if I did it consistently enough, it would make me happy. I will have to say that I am pretty proud of myself because I have done great for me these past 11 days...I have worked out 6 days a week (not super hard, but still I have been active) and I have denied myself much of the time....this is good since I normally eat what I want, when I want it and however much I feel like eating...even if it makes me sick. Back to the point....today at lunch, or afterward, I felt discouraged. So, I ate about 6 or 8 girl scout cookies this afternoon. I can find all sorts of reasons to quit because I simply cannot compete with any of the other participants (my husband is dropping pounds like I do cookies); however, I really do want the results of a slimmer figure, fitting into my old clothes and feeling better in general.

So, even though I may not win my couch (my individual prize if I win), there is still something to be gained or lost?! I decided to post this on my blog so that I am a little more accountable for these next two weeks. Maybe since you know about it, I will try harder and come out victorious. I have lost a couple of lbs (maybe negated that today) and need to lose 6 more. I was about to show my before picture which is utterly humiliating, but it is slightly immodest since I am in my bra and swimsuit bottoms, so I will refrain. So, if any of you have any tips that don't involve constant exercise and calorie deprivation, bring it on because I am back in the game. I'll do my best to be happy about it!

2008-02-01T16:06:00.000-05:00

I'VE BEEN TAGGED!! I thought it might be helpful to share the rules of this activity, because I have been tagged many times and never knew I needed to list people's names when I was done.

If you have been tagged.
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names.

What was I doing 10 years ago? 10 years ago this month is when I was I broke my teeth with my snowboard. I had a newborn and I was exceedingly happy. My life was perfect! (except for my broken teeth)

5 Things on my to do list today: Make lemon bars, make bread, get a birthday present for Eden's friend, Ellen, pick up a few things at the grocery store, pick up Fisher from his friend's house and go have dinner at our friend's, the Herrings, house tonight. I am not always this domestic, but you caught me on a good day.

Snacks I enjoy: Snyders of Hanover's lightly seasoned honey mustard and onion nibblers...awesome...especially accompanied by a string cheese. I am into pickles and cucumbers with vinegar right now....I am into spicy and sour stuff.

What would I do if I were a billionaire: Build a perfect, beautiful house that is like the Eastern coast style Craftsman house and have a chef and a maid, pay off all of our sibling's houses (parents are already paid off, thank goodness, so that'll save us some dough), put away plenty for retirement, missions, college and weddings. Go on service missions around the world...with my kids while they had a private tutor to school them. I am sure that given time, I could think of more!

3 Bad habits I have: Picking my zits, "forgetting" to exercise:) and buying things.

5 places I've lived: Sacramento, California and bay area until I was 10, Kingwood, Texas until I was 18, Provo, Minnesota for 18 months for my mission, Salt Lake City (Sugarhouse, Taylorsville, Midvale and finally Murray) and now, Kingwood, Texas AGAIN!

5 jobs I've had: Peon for my dad's office during the summers before and after my Senior year, BYU catering, BYU television, BYU bookstore and Recreation Therapist Specialist at Primary Children's hospital for 9 months before I had Emme....nothing since then.

Things people don't know about me: Every time I think of something, I can't type it because I don't want people to know it about me! Here's a boring one... I once had a tumor removed from my leg that the doctor thought was "the worst kind of cancer" (which he told me later), but it ended up being benign! OK, here is one more, after making the the questions and statements above bold, I remembered that I get bugged when headings aren't parallel...those are not parallel and normally I would correct them, but then I wouldn't have as many things to tell you that you didn't know about me. (I love to edit papers)

I will tag 3 people that may or may not respond....my world-traveling, world-class friend, Sarah Davis, my dad (you won't see his blog) and my cousin, Stephanie (Carlie and Lindsay...make her do it!!!)

2008-01-31T16:43:00.000-05:00

10th anniversary photo

Has it been that long and has it only been that long?

My friend, Nancy, tagged me with this questionnaire about my husband and the timing couldn't have been more perfect! I wanted to say a little something about my sweet husband, Kevin anyway because our 13th anniversary is this Monday. I always figured I would find my husband at BYU and I came close to doing that once...however, I will always be grateful that the Lord knew what I needed better than I did. Against my better judgement, I met my husband in the mission field! I had no inkling then that we had a future, but I was attracted to his charismatic personality. After the mission, we started "hanging out," but as you'll learn from the list below, it didn't take long for me to be attracted to more than that. We have had a happy and peaceful marriage and the Lord has so blessed us along the way. Kevin is steady, easy-going (except for when he has to do a house project that I have demanded) and loves to make people laugh. He can laugh at himself and is not easily offended...that's good when you're married to someone like me! He is very accepting of me and I completely trust him which brings so much peace and contentment to our marriage. I have learned time and again that I need him and look forward to many more years of happiness. I love you, Kevin!

His name? Kevin Pratt

How long have you been married? 13 years on Monday, Feb. 4th

How long did you date? We started dating about 3 weeks after I got home from my mission and we were engaged two months later.

How old is he? 35...October 19th is his birthday.

Who eats more? Kevin...especially late at night and it always involves cheese.

Who said "I love you" first? Technically, I did, but he pulled the "olive oil" trick from a distance which caused me to say it. He is super mature.

Who is taller? He is 6 inches taller than me.

Who sings better? Me...I thought I should say something that makes me seem more humble, but I do sing better.

Who is smarter? When we first got married, I would have said that I was,but after 4 kids and little brain stimulation, I am officially dumb now.

Whose temper is worse? He raises his voice more readily, but I have a worse temper.

Who does the laundry? I do it, but probably not as quickly as he would like. I say buy more g's....I shouldn't have to do laundry more than 4 times a week! I HATE folding and putting away laundry.

Who does the dishes? Mostly me and the kids, but Kevin is always willing to clean up and often does it without being asked.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? In every house we have owned, I have slept on the side closest to the bathroom...habit from years of pregnancy. I now sleep on the right side, which is furthest from the bathroom (I think that subconsciously, it reaffirms that I will not be pregnant again...so far it has worked).

Who pays the bills? I pay the bills and I do the apologizing when I mess up with the money he makes.

Who mows the lawn? We both do.

Who cooks dinner? Mostly me, but he recently started cooking on Sundays...NICE!

Who drives when you are together? Mostly him...I hate the responsibility.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Neither...we are both pretty stubborn, but we don't hold on too long when we have disagreed. We usually just forget about it and move on.

Whose parents do you see the most? Mine because we live in Texas and so do my parents.

Who proposed? Kevin...he put my ring box in a pumpkin we were carving for a contest on Halloween!

Who has more friends? Me, of course!

Who has more siblings? I have 5, he has 4.

Who wears the pants in the family? Ultimately, Kevin. But make no mistake about it, I am pretty persuasive.

Another Great Injustice

2008-01-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

I got word of the death of our beloved prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley an hour after his death in Salt Lake City. I was surprised at my own response which was relief and gladness for him rather than the profound sadness I expected to feel. When I woke up this morning, I was anxious to see the Today Show. Surely they would cover this story as a major headline, right? After an hour passed with no mention of him, my eyes burned with tears and I couldn't help but feel the sting of the great injustice of politics, sports, Hollywood and a two-women theft spree stealing the headlines from a Prophet of God! Surely he doesn't mind. However, you know they know about it, but don't consider it important enough to mention it. If it were the Pope or Heath Ledger or even a mass murderer, news of his death would be covered at great length. He spoke for the God of us all and though I know the world could never do him justice, I find peace knowing that there was rejoicing in heaven upon his return. I imagine that had the Savior lived in our day, His passing would have elicited a similar response from the world. So, in a strange way, I find peace knowing that things aren't any different for the Lord's prophets and people today...at least there is some consistency! Justice is the Lord's and surely this amazing man in justified in heaven today.

TAG- 7 Unique Things About Me..or stuff you maybe didn't know.

2008-01-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

1. When I was young, I always had super short hair...they called it a "pixie" cut. I called it the lazy, sweaty boy cut. It was just easier for my mom, I guess and it suited me because I was a tomboy...or maybe I just was condemned by my hairstyle to be less feminine and clean. Anyway, to get to the point, when I started dating my husband, I looked at his High School pictures and laughed out loud at his full-on mullet. I told him that it was a lucky thing we didn't meet until the mullet was gone or else we just wouldn't have hit it off. I really laid it on thick and gave him a hard time about it...for years. After we were married, my mom gave me an old box of pics and stuff I had left at home. As we perused the memorabilia, to my horror, I found a picture of me in 7th grade where I had a full-on mullet!!! To make it worse, I had glasses, too. I so wish I could put it on here but I don't have a scanner. It was feathered on the sides and long in the back. It was the first time I had had anything other than my boy cut...now I had the freedom to have a white-trash boy cut! I can't laugh at my husband anymore (at least not about that).

2. I don't have a birthmark, but my right arm cannot rotate beyond a certain point. For example, can you put both of your hands forward and face your palms upward? I cannot make my right palm face the ceiling...it will only go about to about the 10:00 position.

3. I started snowboarding after I married my husband. I never got very good at it, but the last time I went was just after my first daughter was born. It was me and about 5 guys (husband, brother and his friends). I had an O.K. time, but was anxious to get back to my daughter who was only about 3 months old. I was super engorged and cold and just wanted to go home. I digress....We were all standing around talking before getting into our cars and someone said something funny. I am very grateful for that joke, because at that very moment, my snowboard slipped out of my hands and hit me square in the two front teeth. Had I not laughed, it would have sliced through my lip! Anyway, my two front teeth broke and the pieces (dumb and dumber) that broke off fell into the snow. Amazingly, I found them immediately, but it didn't matter much...I now have two crowns for my front teeth and it has been a pain and something to complain about ever since. I haven't gone snowboarding since. I should tell people I was doing a cool jump or something.

4. I always sat on the front row in my classes at BYU. I liked to focus and not be distracted. One time when I went to American Heritage, I took off my navy overcoat in the back of the auditorium and walked to my front row seat to sit down. It was then that I noticed that my knee length skirt was tucked into my tights in the back...completetly showing my underwear. Needless to say, I didn't turn around or look anyone in the eye for the rest of that class.
5. I can still do a round-off back flip on the ground although it is much less graceful than in my days of youth.
6. I only kissed two people in high school and they were small kisses. I had to make up for lost time at BYU and while I didn't keep a running total, my roomates and I tallied them up just before my mission. I counted 25 guys and then I kissed two after my mission. My husband made #27. The sad thing is, there was even a guy in there that I didn't remember kissing and was told later that he said we went out a couple of times and kissed. I remembered being his friend, but not kissing him! Any regrets? Nahhh!
7. I can't whistle and I don't know how to make myself burp (I know it's a stretch, but I really can't think of too many things that make me unique)!

TAG----You're it!

2008-01-16T09:26:00.000-05:00

O.K., after using something from my friend's blog a couple of days ago, I felt ashamed...not because I didn't give her credit, but because I should be thinking of my own "material." I vowed to not use someone else's stuff and to be authentic....until today. When I read this entry on my sister's blog, I laughed until I cried and knew that a few of my Utah friends, at least, would so appreciate this experience!

FHE Bowling & Self-Effacing Humor

Tonight for family night we went over to the Texas A&M's student center to go bowling. My score - I finished last - was a measly 63 - my two year old scored 64. Anyhow, my post isn't really about that, but what happened at the end of the game. Andrew needed to use the restroom and since Mike had already made one trip there with him that night - I couldn't really get him to take Andrew so I had to take him. When asking about where the restrooms were located the girl informed me that the first three stalls in the women's restroom were "female urinals".

Female urinals? I was intrigued - no, excited to reach the restroom and see exactly what this meant. I acted like, "Gee, that's strange but I'll never use one of those..." But inside I knew I was up for the experience. (It's kind of been a secret jealousy of mine - I have four brothers and now two sons.) Anyhow, when we got there I got Andrew situated in his stall and headed back to the urinals. Amazingly I found an image of the internet of the actual urinals in that very bathroom - some site catalogs all of the female urinals around the country - most seemed to be at universities.

Well, there weren't any instructions and I was pretty sure I could figure it out on my own. At first, everything seemed to be going pretty well - it was kind of fun - but then suddenly things spiraled out of control(literally) and I was left with a mess.

The thing about peeing on yourself as an adult is that you still have to pull up your pants and move on. It's kind of weird. You just stand there for a second not knowing what to do. No diaper bag change of clothes - no patient mother to sort out the mess. Just mother and her own mess. I actually feel really bad for the janitors. Oh well...

It appears there used to be instructions above the urinal on the wall - I looked and they weren't there tonight. I REALLY could have used those...
In the end, the question is - were people - women specifically - demanding to get these installed in the restroom? Did anyone think, "Man, I sure wish we had female urinals. That would be soo much better..."? And have any of you experienced the female urinal? If so, was your experience much like mine or were you more of a "natural"?

p.s. There's a part of me that wants to go back there and master that thing. Just to regain some self respect.

DEGREES OF BLOGGING

2008-01-14T15:38:00.000-05:00

This comes from my friend, Julie's blog:

"Ever heard of the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon? Where every actor can be linked through their career to Kevin Bacon? I'm convinced that this phenomenon also applies to the blogging world. Take any random persons blog and after clicking on a few links of family and friends, you'll find someone that you've known in your past.

The bad thing about this is it feels very stalk-ish. Though I feel vulnerable doing this, I'm exposing some of my blogging faux pas anyway! For example, I've happened to click on someone I know off of my sisters blog, which lead to someone else (I didn't know very well, I'm embarrassed to say) and found my back door neighbor's blog. Seriously.

Do I make a comment and admit how I found them? Check in once in a while and not say anything? Anonymously complain that their weeds are creeping to our side of the fence:) Joking.

Once I happened to comment to my husband about a really funny post I'd read that day. He asked me who it was and I had to admit that it was a kid I went to high school with that was a few years younger than me. I got that stare--the "What are you really doing at 6:30 in the morning when I think you're just checking your emails" look. Or, it could have been the "Wow, I married a stalker" look."

The way I look at it is if the person has not made their blog private, then I am invited. After all, people have met their spouses online...why can't we make acquaintances and maybe even good friends? I trust that my friends have friends that I would like too, so I invite myself to investigate the possibility. I have commented on people's blogs who probably barely remembered I was alive and we are chums now. So, I agree....we are all curious and want be voyeurs in the most virtuous sense of the word. If we haven't privatized our blogs, then we are inviting anyone interested enough to peek into our worlds!!! What do you think?

2008-01-09T12:42:00.000-05:00

I am completely entertained by Fox's "24" lately. I am always late getting into things, but we have watched 5 seasons over the last 3 months and I am hooked. I could never watch it on TV because I need to see 4 episodes in a row. It is absolutely riveting. I am not a fan of many things on TV, but I can promise you that if you watch season one, you will be hooked. So far, I think season 5 is the best, but that is probably because I am near the end of it.

Murder Mystery Party

2008-01-09T12:29:00.001-05:00

We had an amazing murder mystery party. It was called "Knight of Murder" and we invited 18 people...couples. It was scripted and we told people to bring appetizers that were Medieval style. They each decorated their own goblets prior to coming and there was a contest for most creative. We had torches lining the walkway to our door, a sword fight, fun artwork on the walls and lots of candles. It was a blast. Unfortunately, my camera could not retrieve the millions of photos we took of the event. I was super impressed with our guest's costumes. They went all out and really played their parts! These are a few I got from a friend, but only represent half of the guests. If I get more photos from the guests, I will add them to the slideshow.

2008-01-07T16:01:00.001-05:00

OK...a little late as always, this is my new obsession. I am not a good mother when it comes to making nutrition a priority for my kids. This may help. I will admit that the reason I love this book is because it so so stinkin' cute. Of course, I have to buy cuter dishes and newer kitchenware because the food won't look as appealing in my old, rusted muffin pans and boring corningware dishes. So, I am off today to begin to collect what I need to be deceptively delivering delicious delights to the kiddos. One tip she gives that I feel is a must is presenting foods in cute little ramekins. Sometimes, presentation is all it takes!

Camp Theme Ideas

2008-01-05T11:28:00.000-05:00

O.K., so here is the perfect excuse for having a blog...I need ideas. I am the Stake Camp Director and the YM/YW theme this year is Mos. 5:15..."...be steadfast and immovable always abounding in good works..." I do not like cheesy camp themes that are typical. So far, the 3 images in my mind that best illustrate this scripture are a rock, a fruit tree and a lighthouse (which are only as firm as their foundations). Now, how to turn one of those images into a camp theme is what I will be working on over the next few days. If any of you have anything that might spark further development of these ideas or something different altogether...lemme no!

Lake Livingston, Texas

2008-01-03T19:56:00.001-05:00

We decided to look for some fun camping spots, because we haven't gone since we lived in Utah. This was a fun place and we'll definitely try it out soon.

Christmas Morning 2007

2008-01-03T11:05:00.000-05:00

2007-12-23T22:30:00.001-05:00

Me with the kids before church today.

2007-12-23T22:03:00.001-05:00

Here is our "underdeveloped" tree house gingerbread house. It was one of those "could have been so beautiful" projects, but the idea was cute. We went to a friend's party where there was a contest and we forgot our frosting, candy and pretzels, so had to use leftovers ...the stuff we like best about it is the rope /pretzel ladder and donut tire swing. The frosted mini wheat roof would have looked better with the white frosting. I'll post some of the others that put ours to shame. We'll have to put more thought and effort into it next year...or just drop out altogether! I would have liked it better if we could have done it at home and brought it, but there was a time limit and we weren't at home. Too much pressure.

2007-12-22T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here is my humble abode. I love it. I think it has a lot of character and I think it is big...not by square footage standards, but by feeling...it is open and spacious. A few months ago, I took a walk with my kids in some of the "greater" neighborhoods and my girls asked when we were going to build a house like "Camryn's." I told them that we will never build one like that and that our house is great and perfect for us. I also told them it was too expensive for our budget. My daughter very sincerely replied, "Mom, why don't you just go up to one of these big houses and knock on their door and ask them where their dad works, then our dad can get a job there!" She thought it was such a simple concept and probably thought we weren't very bright for not thinking of it first. Being the insensitive mother that I am, I laughed out loud and chuckled several times afterward as we continued our walk home. Anyway, I thought I would just pass along this great idea, especially for those of you who may be unsatisfied with your or your husband's employment...just food for thought!

2007-12-22T15:17:00.001-05:00

Ok, so now here is Eden and Malery's friends' house...about 4 times the size of ours. They had a party at their house today for nearly everyone in their grades at school and their backyard was basically a circus. As you can imagine, they have every possible toy and gadget and camryn's (7) closet is about the size of my girls' bedroom...full of clothes that still have tags hanging off of them. I need to interject that while I wouldn't mind being as financially comfortable as they are, the house and its decor are so far from my taste that I'm not attracted it. Their pool is amazing. I don't feel sorry for myself, just for my kids when they have to leave this house to come home to ours!

2007-12-20T19:51:00.001-05:00

My friend, Stacy, requested some pics of the house so I am posting a few here. This is the tile that covers my whole first floor except for the master bed and bath. There is a wood floor inlay in my family room. Some day when I clean my house, I will show you the rest of the house.

2007-12-20T19:48:00.001-05:00

These are my wall decals from Blik. I am so into birds right now! I love this one.

2007-12-20T19:45:00.001-05:00

Here is the arrangement over the couch with the Blik decals. I'm not normally a wall decal person, but I love the Blik website and I have gotten several of them.

Dining room pics

2007-12-20T19:43:00.001-05:00

2007-12-20T19:39:00.001-05:00

This is the fabric we put underneath a two inch piece of beveled glass. I absolutely love it. It is unique, you get the look of super cool fabric, but you can just wipe it down after you eat! It looks great with the black beaded wood trim around the edge of the table top.

2007-12-13T23:41:00.001-05:00

Here is an update on the passing of our sweet, hairless rat, Lulu...It has been so strange for me, but I have been so sad and racked with guilt since Tuesday night. I have cried several times a day and told Kevin that I hope she comes to me in my dreams and forgives me and tells me that she is glad and it was no big deal. Of course, she'll have to speak in tongues because I don't understand "rattish." Watching something die is terrible...even a little wrinkly rat! I am sure I will be fine in a couple of days, but these emotions were pretty unexpected for me! Just thought I would show you what she looked like before her huge belly tumors.

Michael Buble

2007-12-11T23:31:00.001-05:00

We recently purchased tickets to see Michael Buble in concert on March 1st. I'll admit it, he makes me sweat...so does spicy salsa, but Michael doesn't leave me bloated in the morning. My girlfriend Angie will be jealous.

2007-12-11T22:48:00.001-05:00

Dang! I have cute kids....
especially when they are
clean and in matching clothes.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-11T22:45:00.001-05:00

Megan took this photo of the kids and I love it. It is part of our Christmas card this year.

Don't flag me, I meant well

2007-12-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight has been rough. I anticipated it would be, but didn't expect things to turn out quite the way they did. After weeks of research about home euthanization methods, I felt like I came to a peaceful conclusion. We have owned 3 pet rats that we have grown to love very much. Rats are great pets. They are super smart and social and love their owners...unlike hamsters and mice, and the like. If let out of their cages, which I think is best for them and their happiness, they do some damage. Ours chewed through wires and made lots of holes in our kids' quilts. I was bummed, but figured it was part of pet ownership and we'd get new ones when they passed away (quilts, that is). Other than that, we really enjoyed them for the short time they lived...about a year and a half. The first died at only 6 months from a stroke and it was quick. The second and third both developed tumors that made their quality of life terrible in the end.
Taking rats to the vet for "the shot" is said to be very painful and torturous for them because the needle must be injected into their heart or abdomen. We determined that CO2 overdose would be the best method because she could just fall asleep and then with prolonged exposure to the CO2, she would stop breathing and pass away. We thought we were doing what was best for her because she was miserable. We set it all up but put her in a larger container than the prescribed method. The CO2 is formed by mixing baking soda and vinegar. We didn't account for the increased amount of CO2 we needed to pump into the container to make her anesthetized. So, instead of it taking 1 to 2 minutes as it said it would, it took 17 minutes for her to fall asleep....in that time, she was frantically trying to find a way out of the container that she wasn't used to being in. I was so mad and I was crying, but knew it had to be done. So, we patiently waited and once she was asleep we increased the CO2 to make sure she would stop breathing....she wouldn't! After 30 more minutes of her being "knocked out," we had to stick the hose to the tailpipe of our car to get more CO2 into the container. That worked of course. I know she wasn't in pain, but I feel sad because her last minutes were distressful to her because she was scared. The whole experience was lame and is the worst part of pet ownership. I am glad she is out of her misery, but we'll remain in ours for a few days.

2007-11-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

Here is Malery after we cut about 6 inches off of her hair!

2007-11-06T22:20:00.000-05:00

Some of the neighborhood nerds posed with the kids.

2007-11-06T22:17:00.000-05:00

Here are our zombie soccer players

2007-11-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

Here is Kevin, waiting to welcome children to our foggy porch... quite a few turned around about half-way up the walk and said,
"mommy, I don't want to go here."

Faulty equipment

2007-11-06T21:15:00.000-05:00

O.K. so not only did I forget about my blog, once I remembered that I made one, I couldn't remember the info to get into it. (Faulty equipment episode #1) I guess if I spent more time on it, I might remember it, aye? Since that last post, we had an amazing murder mystery party with 20 of our most fun Texas friends and family. We bought a game from Night of Mystery on the web. We did the "Knight of Murder" party and I would highly recommend you do it. We took about 50 pictures because the costumes were amazing and everyone did such a great job with their characters. However, once everyone left and we sat down to view the photos, our camera said it could not read the disk. (Faulty equipment episode #2) So, we have not one photo to remind us of this awesome party.

We do, however, have photos of Halloween night. Last year, Halloween was a bit of a letdown because it was so hot and muggy. This year everything was perfect and we enjoyed sitting outside and visiting with the neighbors while Kevin scared unsuspecting children. I didn't dress up this year...too lazy.

"TEXAS, where everything is always bigger and bigger..."

2007-09-26T14:32:00.000-04:00

I am a pretty prompt person and you can count on me to be where I say, when I say I'll be there (unless I forget, of course); however, I am always a little late in the game when it comes to the hippest trends and great ideas. I am completely uninterested in them until a year after everyone else is on board and only then do they seem to be enticing to me. Maybe I just want to make sure that the craze will last before I invest my time and effort into it. Now that I realize that a blog can take the place of scrapbooking, I am 98% on board. I am not a scrapbooker, but want to make sure someone in this family will remember something we have done for more than two weeks, and this may be our answer. So, while this blog is really for me and is my best attempt at multi-tasking, hopefully it will be a fun way to keep friends and family outside of the 2nd biggest state "in the know" about our fast-paced, livin' large life in Houston, Texas.