9 Long Years

It has been 9 LONG years since my dad passed away. He died on February 29, 2000. That's right he died on a leap year so everyone, every year could be confused as to what day his death anniversary is....Feb 28th or March 1. It doesn't matter anyways because I think about him everyday. Every time my kids do something funny I think of how much my dad would have enjoyed that or days that I want his advice on something. I think of him daily and I miss him more and more. I guess he's been on my mind a little more than usual lately because of the time of year and the older my children get I want them to know him, so I find myself telling stories about him. Anyone that knew my dad, loved him. He was one funny and loving man! The sad thing is I don't think I ever fully appreciated him or understood him until I became a parent myself. I always thought I was so much like my mom, which I am. But, the older I get I realize that I'm so much like him too. I love picnics, I love going on drives with my husband and kids, I love openness (is that a word?), I love my privacy, I love being outdoors, I love Don Williams and most of all I love being with my family above anything else but I will never love Cherry Cordials or Maple Nut Ice cream...there, we will never be the same. I was going through some pictures tonight and found these. I suck at scanning...first time, but I wanted to show these pictures. The picture below was taken at Strawberry Reservoir about 13 years ago. It was my dad, mom, Joe, Dolly, Neil, me and Jer (he was taking the picture). All 7 of us crammed into this tiny tin boat and headed out to the middle of the lake. I kid you not the water was only 1-2 inches from coming into the boat. It was such a memorable fishing trip and I think the smile on all of our faces shows how much we loved it!...

This family picture just made me laugh! I love the look on Matt's face. Classic mormon, 1980's family picture.....

and I LOVE this picture of my mom and dad! I love that my mom's glasses take up 3/4 ths of her face and she still looks adorable. They were such a good example of what a marriage should be and what is of the most importance in your life...family. I love them both. I miss my dad so much, but have been lucky to have some very special experiences since his passing. I know he is doing more important work somewhere else but that he cares about what is happening in his family's lives. I don't think it ever gets easier having him gone, I just get used to feeling that void in my life...I do have an amazing father in law though! I just pray that I can help my children get to know this wonderful Grandfather of theirs through stories.

"I'm eating cow?"

On Sunday I made a roast. I'm getting some cups to put on the table when I hear the following conversation between Chris and Halle....

Halle: That looks like some good chicken!
Chris: That's not chicken Halle, that's beef.
Halle: What's beef?
Chris: Beef comes from cow.
Halle: Why would we eat a cow?
Chris: Because it's good.
So later that night I'm sitting on the couch and I hear Halle say, "mom, blah blah blah blah?" So I asked her to repeat herself and she said, "do you mind if I set my cow on the chair?" I look over and Halle had gone into the kitchen and got herself a huge chunk of roasst out of the fridge and was getting ready to put it on my nice chair. Since sunday I have heard Halle ask me at least 3 or 4 times if she can have some more cow or when I'm going to make some more cow. I have never in my life been disgusted by the thought of meat....until now.

My kids

She is definitely my daughter! As a child I used to torment my older sister Amy, who is afraid of EVERYTHING, by chasing her with bugs. Halle found this HUGE snail in the window well in her bedroom and insisted that I help her catch it. So she went and picked some grass while I pryed the snail and 2 others from the window well. She thought this was the greatest thing ever! She named them Pongo, Ping Ding and Ping Ling....don't ask......I'd like you to notice the two random bright red fingernails that are painted.

This is Spencer. There are four things that this adorable son of mine can't live without. The first two things he asks for in the morning is, his ball and "where's my dad?" Those are his exact words. His world revolves around his dad. The other two things he can't live without go hand in hand....his blanket and........ his thumb. Sure it's cute now, but when he's 10 and he wants his "woobie" and thumb in the middle of 5th grade, how cute is it then? Ehh, I guess we'll deal with that when we get to that point.

Ethan, famous for the girl on girl post, went to the dentist for the first time. Don't let this picture fool you. This is AFTER the dentist when he's riding their electric horse out front. He starting crying from the time they put the led apron thing on him, while they tried to convince him to lay down to watch a movie and while the dentist prodded his teeth. He kept looking at me and saying, "mommy, I done. We can go." As soon as we walked out the doors he said, "mommy, I did it!"
I didn't have the heart to tell him...."well actually son, no you didn't. You just cost mommy the most expensive horse ride in history." Oh well, he was happy and look at that face.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS SEXUAL CONTENT: PARENTAL DISCRETION IS ADVISED

Tonight I was in the kitchen cooking dinner. When my husband yells for me to come into the family room and to bring the camera. What did I find, you may ask? Well, I found the following.....

Disturbing that my little boy was playing with barbies? I think NOT! I think we have no need to worry about Ethan. I think he is a healthy, normal little boy who thinks like every grown up boy!

The Wizard

My husband is great! He constantly gives me the comic relief from life that I need every day! The other night as we were getting ready for bed we had the following conversation:

Chris: "You know how I've been getting a lot of headaches lately?"
Me: "Yeah"
Chris:"I think I've figured out why"
Me:"Could it be because you've been reading book after book the last 3 weeks?"
Chris:"Nope, in my book that I've been reading, the men start having a lot of headaches when they've discovered that they are wizards! Carrie, I'm a wizard."
Me:"Well, where do we go from here?"
Chris:"We have to find me a sorcerer to fully release my powers".
Me:"I'll get on that. I'll call all of my potential sorcerer friends to get your powers released"......we laugh.....then laugh even harder at how ridiculous we are.
Me:"At what point to I start to worry that you really think you're a wizard?"
Chris:"When I start wearing a robe around."

This is why I married my husband.

8 is GREAT!

I just got my first tag from my friend, Carly...so here it goes...
8 tv shows i watch:
1. The office
2. The fringe
3. The biggest loser ( not this season though, the contestants are really pissing me off!)
4.30 Rock
5. espn...not by choice!
6. espn2....again not by choice
7. sports center...actually I do enjoy this because Kenny Maines is hilarious!
8. The food network..drive inns, diners and dives, and the iron chef we are valiant watchers of. Also, that gross guy that eats crazy animals and things that shouldn't be eaten. I don't know his name but it's disgusting!
8 things I did yesterday:
1. Woke up while it was still dark outside...I hate that!
2. Changed diapers
3. Raked leaves, played in them with my kids.
4. Went to work....boo!
5. Changed more diapers
6. Made dinner
7. Did dishes
8. Went to sleep way too late. Yes 11:00 is too late for me! It was a really boring Wednesday. You should hear about my Thursdays, they're wild!
8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Chris being done with school, so I can quit my job! Don't worry, I've already given them my 2 year notice....May of 2010 I'm outta there! I like to think I'm that irreplaceable and it will take them that long to find a suitable replacement for me.
2. Thanksgiving
3. Christmas
4. Ethan to be potty trained..I've been putting it off and it's time.
5. The weekend
6. Tax season...I love my kids, especially around jan/feb because they are some good deductions and credits. I love them for other reasons too, calm down.
7. The day when I don't get woken up by kids at night. How sad is it that it's my 4 year old that wakes me up?
8. To be able to make a comment in church without rehearsing it 10 times in my head first.....Oh, I also want to be a powerful speaker like my husband.
8 things on my wish list:
1. My own house
2. Chris to be graduated
3. To be skinny
4. To have more babies, which won't help w/ my number 3 wish. Don't worry, I don't want another one until Chris is finished with school.
5. To be the best mom!
6. To be able to give my husband the bulldog that he wants so bad.
7. Be able to overcome my addiction to reality shows....it's a weakness of mine.
8. I want to be a better member of the church.
8 friends I tag:
1. Jalyce
2. Micah
3. Mandy
4. Heidi
5. Marlyce
6. Brooke
7. Hayley
8. Annie
I'm a little embarrassed that you all know how utterly boring and repetitive my life is. Oh well, at least I like my husband and kids and we can all be bored together.

You don't love me!

My daughter, Halle, is hilarious! She drives me crazy, good crazy, about 75% of the time! Last night my brother and mom were over watching t.v. w/ chris and I. The movie was starting to get a little gory, and it was getting close to Halle's bed time, so I told her it was time for bed! Unlike my friend Micah's daughter, who suddenly gets paralysis of the legs during her temper tantrums, my daughter starts spewing ridiculous things at me. So....when I told her it was time for bed she started crying and throwing her little temper tantrum. I told her to stop and she looked at me and said, " you don't love me! You don't even like me!" I seriously start laughing about it right now, a day later. The 8 yr old in me wanted to respond and say, "No, no I'm not a big fan of you right now. You're right!" But, don't worry..I told her I always love her even though I didn't like what she was doing...blah, blah, blah. She's ridiculous!

She came up to me tonight, out of the blue, and said: "I'm going to lick your face and kill your boobs!" What? I don't even know if I should laugh or be scared! For all of you who are thinking she overheard me and Chris dirty talking....NO! We're much more imaginative than that!
For as crazy, hectic and loud as my house can get at times. It definitely is never boring! Kids really do say the funniest things!