The Dobson Family

Blogoversary

2009-08-10T13:04:00.002-06:00

Since I've been oh-so-good about updating my blog, I didn't realize that today was my Blogoversary until someone posted a comment congratulating me on it. Hmmm...I suppose that means I should post more often. Ooops. Maybe now that both of my kids are back in school, I'll have more free time. Of course, do I want to spend that time blogging? Yeah, I probably do.

Blackened Sunrise

2009-07-29T18:55:00.002-06:00

My nephew, Cody, is in a teen metal band called Control the Chaos. The band has won numerous contests and played at countless venues around Vegas and Southern California. They are known as Vegas' Hottest Teen Metal Band. They recently completed a professional video for their song Blackened Sunrise. Even though Metal is not my kind of music, I'm still impressed that a bunch of teenage boys have the conviction to follow through with their dreams. I wish them all the best in the world in making their dreams come true. Cody, I'm proud of you!

Remembering

2009-07-16T07:59:00.006-06:00

Four years ago today, my brother-in-law, SFC Ron Wood, was killed in Kirkuk, Iraq. Last year I posted a memorial video that Ron's brother and a friend made that was shown at Ron's funeral. The video below was made by some of Ron's men in his unit and has clips from the memorial service Ron's unit held in Iraq.

We miss you, Ron. We think of you every day. You'll always be our hero.

The Passing of Two Icons

2009-06-27T16:09:00.012-06:00

I know there are other things I could choose to update my blog with since it's been far too long since my last update, but I'm going to start with the passing of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson.

First, Farrah Fawcett passed away on Thursday, June 25 after a courageous battle with cancer. Of course, my first introduction to Farrah was though "Charlie's Angels." I can't think of a better way to remember her than to quote what my friend, Traci, put on Facebook:

"Not only was she a gorgeous icon, but she put up one hell of a fight against cancer and showed the world what a horrible disease it is. How many celebrities out there would admit they have anal cancer and then be filmed throwing up with a bald head? Probably close to zero. She was a fighter. That kind of courage rarely comes wrapped in such a beautiful body with teeth that white. Bravo Farrah! You are a hero."

Well said, Traci. She was beautiful, brave, and smart -- the complete package. I wish Farrah and her family peace.

Now I know there are people out there sad at the passing of music legend Michael Jackson, who died just hours after Farrah Fawcett, and others who are saying "good riddance" to an accused pedophile. But I don't want to talk about his personal life, because as eccentric and aloof and strange as he was, it's his music and his dancing that I choose to remember.

I remember the golden age of MTV. You know, back when they actually played music videos introduced by VJ's like Martha Quinn and Nina Blackwood. I remember watching Michael Jackson videos brought into our home courtesy of one of those ginormous satellite dishes that were something like 12-feet wide. Watching videos like Beat It, Billie Jean, and Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', just to name a few, was the highlight of my after school hours, you know, when we weren't watching the "After School Specials" (what ever happened to those?). You have to give credit to Michael Jackson for being the Consummate Entertainer. The man could sing in three octaves and dance like no one had ever danced before. I dare you to listen to a Michael Jackson song and not want to get up and dance. Go ahead, I'll wait....It's simply not possible. His music and his videos changed the course of Pop Music as we know it. Do you think performers like Prince, Britany Spears and Justin Timberlake would be where they are now if it weren't for Michael Jackson? I doubt it. You can't deny that Michael Jackson was one of the the top performers ever, right up there with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Elvis. There is a reason "Thriller" is the top selling album of all time, going Platinum six times, having seven Top Ten hits (there are only nine songs on the album) and winning a record eight Grammys. In my book, it is one, if not the single Greatest Album of All Time.

Like many celebrities, it seemed Michael Jackson chose the path that lead him into trouble in his personal and, even sometimes, his professional life, but despite that, Michael Jackson had a gift and we were all lucky enough to have had the opportunity to watch and listen.

P.S. My friend, Farrukh, wrote this article for Islam Online regarding Michael Jackson's death which I thought I'd also share.

Welcome Little One

2009-05-11T13:01:00.006-06:00

My dear sister, Kim, and her husband, Steve, are the proud parents of a baby girl!! Sawyer Kate-Rhianan was born on Sunday, May 3rd, at approximately 5:15 pm, weighing 6 lbs 2 oz and 18 inches long.

Unbeknownst to a lot of friends, and even some family, my sister and her husband have been in the process of applying for an adoption for about a year now (my sister also has two grown sons from a previous marriage). About three weeks ago, they turned in the last of their paperwork and were prepared to wait the year or more it usually takes to adopt a baby in this country. Then just a week later, they got a call that a birth mother wanted to meet with them, so they met and just a few days later, their baby was here. It all happened so quickly, but Kim and Steve are thrilled, excited and overjoyed with the love they have for their daughter.

I haven't been able to make the trip to see Sawyer, but I get to hear her squeaks, sighs, burps and cries over the phone. I can't wait to get my hands on her and kiss her chubby cheeks!

Here's a little scrapbook I put together with the photos I have of Sawyer (some are blurry because they were taken with a cellphone camera):

Make a Smilebox photobook

Welcome to the world, Sawyer! I can't wait to meet you!

Love - Aunt Kate

Do You Have a Secret?

2009-04-22T15:11:00.007-06:00

I've been reading Post Secret for a few years now. If you don't know what Post Secret is, here's a basic rundown... A man named Frank Warren started Post Secret as a small art project. He stood on the streets and went up to random strangers saying, "Hi, my name is Frank and I collect secrets." He would hand them a blank, self-addressed postcard with the instructions to create their own postcard with a secret they've never shared with anyone else and then mail it to him anonymously. What began as a small project quickly escalated into hundreds and then thousands of postcards. These postcards are featured weekly on his blog (new secrets every Sunday!), in museum exhibits, in books and during his live lecture.

Earlier this month, I, along with my friends Janice and Anjie, headed to Logan, Utah, to hear Frank give a lecture at Utah State University. The tickets were just $5.00. Because the lecture was during the evening, Janice used her employee status to get us a discounted room at the Holiday Inn Express in Logan (they even upgraded us to a suite, so we all had our own bed). We headed to Logan in the afternoon, checked-in at the hotel, and then went up the lecture hall. They had only 500 tickets available and they sold all of them (well, students got in free).

We listened to Frank talk about how he started the site. He talked about putting the books together and why some of the secrets he wanted to include were banned, mostly for copyright issues. For example, one secret was written on what was thought to be a page from a Disney coloring book and the lawyers told him he couldn't put it in the book because, "Disney will sue your ass!" (Am I right, Anjie?!) He told how his dad finally shared his secret with him and how it changed their relationship, how they grew closer because of it. Frank shared his personal secret, then opened up the floor to others to share there secrets. It was so hard to hold back the tears as some told some heartbreaking, but ultimately redeeming, secrets. Secrets that once they unleashed them, it allowed them to be free. To grow. To be better people.

After the show, Anjie got in line to have Frank sign a copy of one of her Post Secret books. I didn't have a book, but I met him and told him how much I've enjoyed the website and books. He was very nice and thanked us for coming. As we were walking away, a local paper asked us for an interview. (Sadly, I forgot to make a copy of it and now it's archived. Anjie or Janice, do either of you have a copy of it?) We went to dinner and then back to the hotel for the night. The next morning we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and got some coffee at Starbucks, then headed home. It was a great night with great friends. Thanks for going with me, ladies!

Anyway, if you haven't read Post Secret, I urge you to check it out. And remember to share your secret with someone you know or even mail your own postcard to Frank. Don't hold your secrets inside. As Frank said, "The world needs to hear your voice."

Happy Happy Birthday!

2009-04-20T21:00:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note to wish my mom the Very Best Birthday Ever! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you! Love you!!!

Excuse Me, I've Been Preoccupied

2009-04-18T19:00:00.006-06:00

Man, oh man, has it been a while since I posted on my blog. Ya'll probably thought I forgot about you. I haven't. I've just been preoccupied with this crazy thing called "life." Maybe you've heard of it. Better yet, maybe you have one!

Well, I've got a lot of things to blog about. Too many to fit into one post. Or at least too much information for you to read if you have one of those "life" thingys I mentioned. So here's a teaser of what's to come:

My trip to Logan to listen to the PostSecret lecture.
My kid's T-Ball and Soccer seasons.
Review of Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
My venture out to The Kings English Bookstore to listen to Dooce read an except from her book and have her sign my copy.
Review of Dooce's book: It Sucked and Then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, A Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita

Maybe I'll think of a few other things, too. But those are what I can remember off the top of my head. A very tired head. One that needs a Margarita.

Bowling

2009-03-30T08:22:00.005-06:00

Saturday night, some of my friends and our husbands got together for some bowling. We had a great time. I think all of us ended up with a few strikes here and there, but by far, my friend Traci's husband, Wade, had the best under-the-leg shot of the night (check it out at 0:49 seconds in):

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T12:15:00.006-06:00

I hope you remembered to wear some green today so you didn't get pinched!

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the kids made Leprechaun traps to hopefully catch one of the tiny, sneaky, messy Leprechauns that come out this time of year looking for some gold. I asked Seth what kind of trap he'd like to make. At first he wanted a cage to drop on top of the Leprechaun, but since we couldn't come up with a way to design that (I'm not an engineer) we thought about a way to make him fall into something. We headed to the Wal-Marts craft section and with help from Daddy, Seth picked out some gold sequins, gold glitter, some sticks to make a ladder and a cup to catch the Leprechaun.

This is Seth's final product. Of course, I helped him with wrapping the box, holding some things in place while he glued, and cutting the wood for the ladder, but Seth did the majority of the decorating and choosing what we used where.

Garrett also wanted in on the action and made her own trap. Of course she didn't have to take hers to school, so she didn't have a box to go along with it. Here is her trap:

While neither of them caught an actual leprechaun, the Leprechauns did visit their schools. The Leprechaun at Seth's school made a mess in the classroom and left a note saying he didn't get caught, but better luck next year! The one that visited Garrett's school left green footprints all over the floor! The kids had fun making their traps. It will be fun to see what they come up with next year.

My Favorite Thing #4

2009-03-14T14:27:00.011-06:00

When I was a kid, even as a teenager, I didn't like anything spicy. Even mild salsa was too hot for me. However, in my early twenties I was swayed into mixing a little Tabasco in with my ketchup for my french fries and that was it....I was hooked. That's right my friends, one of my favorite things is Tabasco.

Eventually, a little Tabasco turned into a lot of Tabasco. Then I started putting it on my burger, too. And Mexican food. And baked potatoes. And eggs. Well, I think you get the idea. Tabasco was my gateway-drug to my love of all things spicy. Now, I don't like things so hot that they are virtually inedible (think wicked burning without any flavor), but a nice little sting is always appreciated by my palate.

Tabasco. Give it a try. You might just find that you like it.

Or not.

Fit for a Queen...or at Least a Princess

2009-03-13T12:20:00.005-06:00

On Monday, Garrett had a very small Princess birthday party with just her cousins, Blair and Lela (and baby Gabe, but he just watched) and two friends, Colin and Lilly. We had pizza, cheesey bread, cake and ice cream. It wasn't anything fancy. Since two of the guests, Seth and Colin, are boys, they dressed up as Knights, since most boys I know don't want to dress up as Princesses. Although I do know some men who like to dress in women's clothing, that's an entirely different subject not related to Garrett's Princess Party.

Most of you know I made a Princess Castle cake for Garrett. If I were a professional baker, this cake certainly would've ended up on Cake Wrecks, but since I am not, I think it turned out rather well, considering my lack of any sort of cake decorating skills whatsoever.

Garrett received some fun gifts and had a great time. And she loved the cake, so when the Birthday Girl is happy, everyone is happy!

Here is a slideshow of the rest of Garrett's party:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Four Years Ago Today

2009-03-07T19:35:00.009-07:00

Four years ago, at this very moment (approximate 7:30 pm) I was lying on my bed watching American Idol (surprise!) and timing contractions, breathing through each one as they got closer and closer. I was not expecting this to be happening that day. You see, I was scheduled for an induction the next day so my sister could be with me as I gave birth to my second child. She'd never seen a baby be born and Bob and I had already done the "couple only" thing with our first baby. Plus, I just really wanted her there.

My day started out as any other day, I had finished packing for my scheduled induction, I played with Seth, ate some lunch, and did some cleaning. Nothing spectacular. Somewhere around 2:00 pm, I recall feeling a lot of pelvic pressure and a few contractions, but nothing out of the ordinary. However, around 4:30 pm, the contractions started getting more intense. By about 6:00 pm, they were starting to come more regularly and Bob was home. I'd been asking him to take Seth to get a haircut for days and I insisted that he take him despite the fact that I was in early labor. Bob left with Seth and I laid down to relax. I called my sister, who was already on her way to our house so she could be at the scheduled delivery the next day. I told her that I was in labor and she should hurry. She was still at least a three hour drive from our home.

Bob came home around 7:30 pm with dinner and Seth did not have a haircut. Bob said the wait was too long. He asked how I was doing and I told him the contractions were about 15 minutes apart. When they were finished with dinner, we packed up the car and headed to the hospital. It was now 8:30 pm. I think that was the longest ride of my life as the contractions intensed. Bob called his dad to let him know we were going to the hospital and he said he would meet us there to pick up Seth. I asked Bob to call my sister to see where she was and to have her meet us at the hospital. She was still at least an hour away and driving as fast as she could, probably breaking the speed limit.

When we arrived at the hospital, a little before 9:00 pm, I was ready for my epidural as the contractions were now painful. Bob walked to the check-in desk and said, "My wife is in labor." The nurse said, "Is it your first?" Bob, holding Seth, said, "Uh, no." The nurse asked where I was and Bob pointed to me as I was leaning against a chair breathing through another contraction. The nurse said, "Oh my!" and came over with a wheelchair. As she pushed me to a birthing suite, I said, "I want an epidural." She said okay and the proceeded to she ask a million questions: When did my contractions start? Did my water break? How long was my first labor?

Once in the birthing suite, a couple of nurses helped me get changed into a gown because I couldn't do it myself through the contractions. Finally, they were able to check me. The nurse said, "Oh, well, it's kind of hard to tell. I would say, 8 - 8.5 cm with a bulging bag." I said, "WHAT?!" There was NO WAY I was 8 cm. My first labor was 15 hours and I was only four hours into this one. Then another nurse came in and said, "I've got some bad news." I thought she was going to say the baby had turned and I was going to need a c-section but instead she said, "The anaesthesiologist is in a c-section and you'll deliver long before he's done." I was mad. Mad I didn't listen to Bob when he suggested we come to the hospital instead of taking Seth to get a haircut. Around this time, Bob's dad showed up to get Seth and Bob called Kim who was still about 15 minutes away.

However, it wasn't but a few minutes later that I said to the nurse, "I need to push." She said, "You need to wait, the doctor isn't ready yet." Yeah, like that was going to happen. I said, "No, I need to push!" The doctor ran in and threw on a gown and gloves and told me to push when I needed to. Two nurses got on either side of me, sort of pushing Bob out of the way. I pushed a couple of times, screaming through the pain, then my doctor said, "Katie, listen to me. Now this next push is really going to hurt..." (Are you kidding me?!) "...but if you just push through the pain, you'll be done." Okay, I can do this. I pushed. I pushed as hard as I could. It was agony. Torture. I thought, literally, this is what I thought, "I'm going to rip in half. I'm really going to rip right in half." And then the doctor said, "The head is out. Don't push!" I yelled back, "I gotta get it out! I gotta get it out!" and kept right on pushing. Then she said, "It's a girl!" I looked down and all I saw was...well...girl parts. I was sure she was a boy. Then I said, "Can he [Bob] cut the cord?" (because he didn't get to with Seth). They placed my daughter on my chest and as soon as I smelled her, that was it, I knew she was mine. I loved her. I would do anything for her. I'll never forget that moment.

A nurse took her to clean her up and a few minutes later my sister walked in the room. I said, "I'm sorry. She wouldn't wait." She'd missed the birth by about 10 minutes. Kim said, "Now I'll never get to see a baby be born." But she was the first person to hold Garrett (after myself and Bob). And she also picked out Garrett's middle name, Reese.

So that, in a nutshell, is the story of Garrett's birth. Born March 7, 2005 at 9:13 pm, 6 lbs 3 oz and 18.5 inches. Four years ago today.

Happy Birthday my sweet angel girl. I love you so much.

To see a slideshow of Garrett's first year, click here.

Designer Babies

2009-03-05T16:43:00.008-07:00

Earlier this week, The Today Show did a story about a fertility clinic in California which is offering clients the option to increase their odds of select traits such as eye color, skin tone, and hair. This is in addition to already selecting the sex of the child.

Some wonder if this is the first step towards "designer babies." You know, babies where parents decide nearly every physical and emotional trait of their children. Personally I don't think we'll ever get to that point nor do I think many parents would want to choose every aspect of their children. There's something fascinating about waiting nine months to see if your baby will have brown eyes or blue, have curly or straight hair (or any hair at all), and if they'll have your fingers or those of your partner. And then watching them as they grow older, noticing personality traits and skills of yours or your partners or personality traits and skills that come from neither of you. Why would any body want to pick these things out before? I know I wouldn't.

However, I don't have any problem with people who want to choose the sex of their child. Some couples might want to balance out their family or maybe they have five boys and desperately want a girl. Or maybe the parents know they are carriers for a certain disease and would prefer to have a child without subjecting them to that disease. In that case, this is where this type of "pick and choose" works out in the best interest of the child and family.

I once watched a show about a couple who had a terminally ill son who needed a bone marrow transplant and no one in the family matched. This couple went through two rounds of IVF to find an embryo that would match their son and then had to wait nine months for the birth all while hoping and praying their older son would live long enough to be able to use the new child's stem cells from the umbilical cord. The son did live, received the transplant and is healthy this day all because of a younger brother his parents decided to have to save his life. People judged this couple saying that they were "playing God" by creating a life to save another; that they were "using" their new child. But this couple loved their new son as much as their other children, even though the circumstances for his birth were not considered "traditional."

While I don't think we'll ever get to the point of making true "designer babies" I hope that people are wise enough to realize it's one thing to pick the sex of your child, but an entirely different thing when it comes to picking other traits. Sometimes it's best to just let things be decided by the old-fashioned way. As I always tell my kids: You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.

While Technically Not the Correct Answer, It Certainly Was the Right One

2009-02-27T20:46:00.005-07:00

This evening, we had to make a trip to the $200 store (also known as Costco). Before we left, we stopped at the Food Court to get ice cream to eat on the way home. During the drive, we were having Seth practice spelling words from his reading assignments.

Me: Seth, how do you spell "yum"?

Garrett: ICE CREAM!

My Favorite Thing #3

2009-02-25T17:38:00.007-07:00

Easter is coming folks. So here are my two favorite things about Easter. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this "Favorite Things" post is a twofer!

My very favorite Easter treat is Cadbury Mini-Eggs (not to be confused with the Creme Eggs, although I like those, too). I love the crunchy outter sugar shell and the smooth milk chocolate on the inside. I could eat bags and bags of these. Actually, my family HAS ate bags and bags of them. But don't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret, okay?

My second favorite Easter treat is Peeps! Yes, this is one of those "Love 'em or Hate 'em" things. I definitely fall in the "Love 'em" group, while Bob is a Peep Hater (Grrr!!). Seriously though, what's not to love? A plump, gooey marshmellow center shaped into either a Chick or a Bunny, covered in your choice of rainbow colored sugar with little chocolate eyes? I guess if you're diabetic, it's probably not the best choice of treat, but guess what? I'm not diabetic. Yet.

If you're a Peep lover, you know that there are certain "rules" to Peep eating. Here are the ways I like to eat my Peeps (that probably sounds as bad as I think it does, right?):

1) Bunny Peeps - I bite off the ears first, then turn it around and eat the body, therefore saving the head for last. Very morbid. Very, VERY tasty!

2) Chick Peeps - I bite off the tail, then I eat the head and then the body. Not quite as morbid, but still very, VERY tasty!

I also like my Peeps soft. My step-father, Lee, likes to open the package so they get hard on the outside and then eats them. I guess to each his own. But, in this case, I'm right.

My Favorite Thing #2

2009-02-19T12:51:00.007-07:00

Most of the people who read this blog either live in Utah or are from here, so they know this particular item very, very well, even if they don't use it. I'm talking about the glorious Utah original - FRY SAUCE.

Now for those of you who don't live here or do and, gasp!, have never heard of the stuff, here's a quick run-down: A local chain restaurant called Arctic Circle claims to have invented Fry Sauce in 1948. It's typically a mixture of ketchup and mayonnaise, but sometimes people/restaurants add spices, pickles, a dash of mustard, or a little Thousand Island dressing, but however it's made, it's usually very delicious and the perfect accompaniment to fries, among many other things. Because of it's popularity here in Utah, many restaurants in states surrounding Utah now serve Fry Sauce. It's such a Utah original, that during the 2002 Winter Olympics, they made a Fry Sauce pin (which we happen to own, along with the Green Jello with shredded carrots pin - another Utah original). For years, when we wanted Fry Sauce, we had to make up our own little batch, that is, until Some Dude put some of that there Fry Sauce in a bottle and made my life so much easier. And flavorful.

So my favorite thing #2 is Some Dude's Fry Sauce. Available at fine retailers (like the Wal-Marts) everywhere (in Utah at least). Pick some up to make your fries, burgers, tots, chicken nuggets, etc, that much better! You won't regret it. But don't hate me if your thighs double in size. Consider this fair warning.

My Favorite Things

2009-02-18T15:31:00.006-07:00

I know, it's been a while since I posted to my blog. I've been busy (Hello? Facebook anyone?), had some internet issues, and, frankly, just didn't have anything interesting to write about. However, just the other day I was folding up my favorite blanket and I thought I should write a post about it and a few of my other favorite things. Then I thought, why not just feature one item occasionally and so here you go: One of my favorite things....

Favorite Thing #1

I've been trying some new face products and thought I'd give Olay's Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum a try and found that I really, really love it. It makes my skin feel so soft and velvety smooth and I've notice that it's helping to minimize the wrinkles on my forehead. I love finding new products that actually work or at least make me feel better about myself. Now a friend of mine swears by the product StriVectin SD, but at $135 a bottle, that's out of my price range. The Olay Serum retails around $20. And, here's a bonus, if you shop at the Wal-Marts, they have a line called Equate that make a knock-off version that's just as good and almost half the price.

You're welcome.

It's A.....Celebrity Meeting! Sort of.

2009-01-31T17:08:00.007-07:00

Today Garrett was invited to a birthday party for one of her classmates. It was at a local amusement center where they have games and rides. I felt a migraine coming on as we were heading to the party (frankly, when DOESN'T going to a child's party at an amusement center give one a headache?) so I wasn't in the best of moods to begin with. Of course, being a Saturday, the place was PACKED with screaming, running, excited kids, including my own, so I was just aching to get out of there as soon as we could.

After riding the rides, playing some games, having pizza, cake, ice cream and breaking a pinata, I was sure this was the Neverending Birthday Party. I was so tired, so I told Garrett she could ride two more rides and it was time to go home. After all, I had some of the Pioneer Woman's Bread Pudding to bake. As Garrett was climbing onto a fairly fast ride, I noticed a young girl standing in line and I thought to myself, "Hey, I know that little girl." And then I looked at her father and said to myself, "OMG! I know that guy!"

Let me just break here to tell you that the only celebrity I've met before was Corey Feldman. Not even the "good" Corey (Haim)! I was about 14 or 15-years old, so it was when "The Two Coreys" were in their prime and Corey (the "bad" one)was in town for some University thing sponsored by one of the fraternities, a fraternity that our next door neighbor belonged to, so Corey (the "bad" one) was at our neighbors house playing pool with a bunch of the fraternity guys. When I saw him, all dressed up in his best Michael Jackson-wannabe wardrobe, I was so shy and embarrassed that my brother had to go get his autograph for me. (I still have it, by the way.) So THIS time, I wasn't about to be shy and let this opportunity to meet this person pass.

I walked up to the man, tapped him on his shoulder and this was, more or less, how the conversation went:

Me: I'm sorry to bother you, Jon, but I'm a huge fan and wanted to say hello.

Jon: He smiled and said, "Oh, well thanks. It's nice to meet you."

Me: I actually noticed Leta standing here and then I saw you and I just had to say hello. Is your wife here, too?

Jon: No, she's out running errands.

Me: Oh, well, I just wanted to meet you and to let you know what a huge fan I am of Heather's and yours.

Jon: Well thank you. Thank you very much.

And then I left him alone because I'm not a crazy internet stalker.

Now, if that conversation didn't tell you exactly who I met, it was Jon Armstrong and his daughter, Leta. Husband and daughter of world famous blogger, Dooce. Jon was very nice and didn't seem at all bothered that some crazy lady "knows" him and his daughter. (On a side note, it was funny when I said Leta's name, she turned around and gave me this look that basically said, "Who are you and why do you know my name?")

Actually, several months ago my friend Michelle was at Costco and was talking to me on the phone when she suddenly blurted out, "Oh my God, there's Dooce and Leta."

Me: You have to go introduce yourself.

Michelle: No way.

Me: Then just yell out, 'Dooce' and wave. She'll wave back.

Michelle said she wouldn't and it wasn't but a few days later that Dooce had a post saying she rarely gets recognized here in the Salt Lake Valley, but she's constantly recognized when she's out of state. So because of that, I felt I couldn't pass up the opportunity to say hello to Jon as chances are, he probably doesn't get recognized in Utah all that often either.

I know there has to be a term for when you feel like you know someone famous because you can rattle off tons of details about their lives, yet they know absolutely nada about you so it's really just a one-way relationship. So it was funny to see Jon and Leta, him trying to see if she wants to ride a ride, Leta thinking she does and, in true Leta fashion, deciding last minute that no, in fact, she doesn't want to ride that ride (this happened on two rides). Again, I'm not an internet stalker, but I just was in such awe that I'd met these people I've been reading about since 2005 that I couldn't help but watch them for a few minutes. Shortly after meeting them, Garrett and I headed home. My brush with internet celebrity over. At least until I get to meet Dooce at her book signing in April.

No I'm not a stalker. Honest!

He's Wired, People!

2009-01-24T15:10:00.005-07:00

President Barack Obama is the nation's first "wired" President. Instead of doing a weekly radio address, he's actually doing a weekly video address. He's also the first President to get to keep his Blackberry. (Shannon, I think you can appreciate that! Janice and Bob, you're probably wishing somebody would take yours away!)

So, in case you missed it, here's President Obama's first weekly address:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You can watch future Presidental addresses here.

These Ain't Peter Brady's Pork Chops

2009-01-23T18:20:00.005-07:00

When you think of pork chops, who else thinks of that episode of the Brady Bunch when Peter Brady says these famous words:

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I'm not a huge fan of pork chops per se. A few weeks ago Costco had a coupon for boneless pork chops, so we bought some and I thought I'd try to find some new recipes to mix things up a bit since my standard pork chop recipe is Shake-n-Bake. The first recipe I tried was just okay, so today I went in search of yet another recipe. First I tried FoodNetwork but almost every recipe used apples (I guess Peter Brady was onto something with the applesauce) and then I remembered that my friend Anjie likes to use AllRecipes.com so that's where I headed.

I was feeling lazy today (as if I'm ever NOT feeling lazy!) and wanted to use the slow cooker so I simply typed in "Slow Cooker Pork Chops" and up popped a TON of recipes. After looking at several recipes, I decided on the following recipe simply titled: Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker. (GENIUS!) After reading some of the reviews, I tweaked the recipe and the result was sweet, savory and delicious pork chops. They were so tasty, that even the kids ate them and there weren't any leftovers. This is definitely one recipe I'll keep using! So I give you:

Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker (Katie-style)
4-6 boneless pork chops
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Place the pork chops in the slow cooker. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over the pork chops. Cook on low about 4 hours or until pork chops are cooked through. Remove pork chops and add 2 tsp of cornstarch to liquid, whisk together, replace lid and cook on high approximately 5-10 minutes until thickened.

I served my pork chops over rice and spooned the thickened sauce on top. It was delicious. It's very reminiscent of the BBQ pork you can get at Chinese restaurants. You might want to double the sauce if you are cooking six pork chops, but I thought there was plenty for the four pork chops I cooked.

Here's to Peter Brady! And to Pork Chops! May they always be so yummy! (The pork chops, not Peter Brady.)

It's Like Crack...Only Better

2009-01-21T19:22:00.005-07:00

Let me just preface this post with the statement that I have never actually used crack, nor any other illegal drug, for that matter. With that said, I thought I'd let you know about my current addiction.

You may have heard of a little social networking program called Facebook. If you haven't, you are probably living under a rock or being held captive by aliens. If it's the latter, I highly recommend using the Internet connection your using to read this blog to let someone know you are alive and where to find you rather than signing up for a Facebook account (that you can do after you've been rescued and then you can update us on the status of your life "after abduction"). If you don't have a Facebook account then I can tell you two things: 1) It's a great way to keep in contact with friends and family on a very regular basis and 2) it will totally take over your life -- just like crack. Which is why we call it "Crackbook."

The thing I love about Facebook is that I'm able to keep in contact with my friends. Friends from school, friends from work, friends from MOM'S Club, spouses of friends and friends of friends. I even have friends I don't even know! (Those are lovingly referred to as "Facebook" friends.) I love reading my friends "status" updates - the little updates that let your friends know what you are doing at that very moment. I love some of the fun games that they have on Facebook (Pet Society, Scavenger Hunt). There are virtual gifts you can send your friends for fun (Pass a Drink) and those that claim to do some good like saving the rain forests ('Lil Green Patch). There are groups you can join (Obama's Mamas) and photos to comment on. It's your own little (virtual) society on your computer and you don't have to get dressed to talk to anyone!

For those of you who, like me, are addicted to Crackbook, I present you this video and I know you'll enjoy some hardy laughs. For those of you who don't use Crackbook (gasp!), you'll have to trust me when I say this video is hilarious and Oh. So. True.

And, oh yeah, sorry for crowding out your news feed. Please forgive me and I'll send you some Flair!

A New Day in America

2009-01-20T14:46:00.003-07:00

Today, some friends and I gathered at our friend Holly's home to watch the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America - Barack Obama. It was a lovely morning full of good food, great friends and cheers as we watched President Obama take the Oath of Office.

We had our children watch President Obama take the oath in the hopes that one day, they will realize the significance of this day, that someday they can tell their children "I watched history in the making." I've tried to explain what this day means to Seth and I know that some of it is lost in his 5-year-old mind, but since the kid sometimes frightens me with his outstanding memory, I have no doubt that he will remember this day. Garrett was excited that today, "Arock Obama" was going to be our new President, but she was very disappointed when I explained that he wasn't coming to the "party" at Holly's house. She thought she was going to get to meet him.

I'm very proud to be an American. I'm very proud of America. I'm very proud of President Obama. I have high hopes that he will have success with many of the promises he's made and get this country back on the right course, even though it will take years of hard work and sacrifice.

I am honored to call him my President.

Honoring a Fallen Hero

2009-01-16T09:58:00.007-07:00

Yesterday, Bob, the kids and I attended a dedication ceremony for a new TASS Training Complex at Camp Williams, Utah. This ceremony was very important to us because the building is dedicated in honor of my brother-in-law, SFC Ronald T. Wood, who was killed in action by a roadside bomb in Kirkuk, Iraq, while serving with the 148th Field Artillery Unit of the Utah National Guard.

Ron had been a trainer at Camp Williams prior to being deployed to Iraq so it was only fitting that this building bear his name. It's a beautiful building with state-of-the-art classrooms that I know Ron would have loved teaching in.

Ron's parents and siblings were at the ceremony yesterday, but sadly, my sister, Kim, was unable to attend. I know she was there in heart and spirit. The dedication was also attended by Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr, and Major General Tarbet of the Utah National Guard.

Here are a few pictures I took and you can link to an article in the Deseret News here:

Bob playing with part of the 23rd Army Band at the dedication.

Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr, speaking at the dedication. (I'm sure Governor Huntsman would LOVE to get a copy of this photo! )

The plaque in the entry of the TASS building.

Another view of the plaque. I couldn't get a straight shot because of all the people.

I know that Ron would be really honored to have this building dedicated to his memory and, as Kim said, I'm sure Ron is looking down proudly with a beer in his hand!

How in the Hell Did This Happen?!

2009-01-14T15:37:00.005-07:00

On Monday, I turned 35. Yep, the big Three-Five. I know it's not the BIG FOUR-O, but it means I'm on the downward spiral towards it. The thing is, I don't FEEL thirty-five. Thirty-five is for grown-ups. I'm not a grown-up, am I? I mean, sure I have a mortgage, a husband, two kids, and a dog (not necessarily in that order and no, we don't actually have a dog because, well, that would just be too much work). I guess... (sigh).... I guess I AM a grown-up. So I ask you, "How in the hell did this happen?"

I swear it was just the other day that I was hanging out in my bedroom with Carrie, Annette and Brixen listening to Depeche Mode and The Cure and trying to keep my brother, Brad, from bothering us. It was just the other day that the three of us spent countless hours at Carrie's house because she didn't have any siblings to bother us, pooling our money together so we could order a pizza and watch a movie in her dark, cold basement with the wallpaper mural of the mountains. And didn't I just apply for college and make sure that my graduation announcements were ordered? That wasn't last week? Are you sure?

Who is the woman I see in the mirror with the ass that's giving J-Lo's a run for it's money? And the creases on the forehead and the beginnings of crows feet? Plus, what's with all the gray hair? Who is she? Oh, right. She's the woman who got married, bought a house, had a baby, quit her job to take care of said baby, had another baby, sold the house to buy another house, etc. I guess that explains the ass, the wrinkles, and the gray hair.

Really, though, I can't complain. Life has been very good to me. I had great friends in school (and am still friends with them, twenty-plus years later!), received a good education, enjoyed life as a working woman, married a wonderful man, have two extraordinary children, a job I love, and nice home and fantastic friends, not to mention a family who I adore - craziness and all. And if I had to give it all up so I could look like Heidi Klum and live a jet-set lifestyle, I wouldn't. You know, being thirty-five isn't so bad after all. In fact, it's down right awesome!!!

I Like Mine "Stubby Style"

2009-01-10T20:23:00.006-07:00

If you've ever been to California, particularly Southern California, you've probably heard of, or better yet, ate at In-N-Out Burger, a very simple burger joint with a limited menu and a not-so-secret special menu. Many people in Utah get this glazed-over look on their face and a gleam in their eye at the mere mention of an In-N-Out burger because, well, you just can't get them here in Northern Utah. However, slowly the chain has spread to other Western states and now has one location in Utah. (That location is about 10 minutes from my sister's house, so we eat at In-N-Out whenever we visit her.)

About a year-and-a-half ago, a restaurant opened in Utah County called Chadders. It has a limited menu and a secret special menu, the same color scheme of In-N-Out Burger, etc, and it wasn't long before In-N-Out filed a lawsuit against Chadders claiming trademark infringement, etc. I tried to see if the lawsuit had been settled, but couldn't find anything online, maybe it's still pending, but Chadders recently opened a new location not too far from our house, so tonight we went to check it out and see how it compares to In-N-Out.

The look and feel of the restaurant is eerily similar to In-N-Out as is the Chadders menu. As for the secret menu, instead of ordering your burger or fries "Animal Style" as you can at an In-N-Out, you order it "Stubby Style." Other than that, it's pretty much the same, with two exceptions: 1) at Chadders, you can get Fry Sauce for your fries, not just ketchup (and let's face it, if you live in Utah, you want Fry Sauce with your fries, am I right?!) and 2) the level of customer service. At an In-N-Out, you always receive top-notch customer service and at Chadders, it's just the same as any other fast food restaurant, which in my book, means if I had a choice between the two restaurants, I'd opt for In-N-Out 100% of the time.

So if you're craving In-N-Out and you aren't planning a trip to California (or any of the other few cities with locations outside of California), stop by Chadders. Just remember to order it "Stubby Style."

Our Yuhnke is Gonna Get Cronked!

2009-01-09T15:13:00.008-07:00

If you're a fan of The Colbert Report, then you know he likes to interview politicians and ask them crazy, and some times not so crazy, questions and convinces them to do some interesting things. Well, on January 6th, Stephen Colbert interviewed Jason Chaffetz of Utah's Third Congressional District and they leg wrestled and Mr. Colbert won arms...wait...legs down:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Better Know a District - Utah's 3rd - Jason Chaffetz

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

(Yes, the 3rd District is MY district, but I certainly did not vote for Jason Chaffetz! I'm one of the "token Democrats.")

Then Jason Chaffetz went on Utah's own KSTU Fox 13 Good Day Utah (featuring Kerri Cronk and Kirk Yuhnke, and my favorite/hottest weatherman, Damon Yummy, I mean, Damon Yauney) where Representative Chaffetz said he wanted a rematch. Stephen Colbert accepted saying he was going to wrestle all of Fox 13 and Cronk his Yuhnke:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Leg Wrestling Rematch

Colbert at Christmas
Colbert Christmas DVD

Green Screen
Bill O'Reilly Interview

This morning, on Good Day Utah, Kerri Cronk and Kirk Yuhnke said they would accept Stephen Colbert's request to come to Fox 13 studios and leg wrestle. I can't embed the video from Good Day Utah, but you can see it here.

It will be interesting to see if Mr. Colbert comes to Utah to leg wrestle the anchors of Good Day Utah. I'd love to watch!!!

FYI: Kirk Yuhnke is not the regular anchor, he's just been filling-in for Dan Evans.

Wii Fun

2009-01-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

When the Wii Fit was coming out, I had the opportunity to pre-order it and decided I'd wait to see how the reviews turned out. Now most of you know the reviews were pretty much that it was fantastic and, therefore, it became very hard to come by and I regretted my decision to pass on the pre-order. However, my wonderful husband was able to find a Wii Fit and gave it to me for Christmas. Now I would never recommend a man give a woman any sort of exercise equipment as a gift, but in this case, Bob knew I really wanted one and I had asked for one for Christmas, so he did not end up sleeping on the couch for a week.

As you know, we headed out of town after the holidays, so it was just this last weekend that we were able to actually open the Wii Fit and try it out. All I can say is, "Oh. My. God. It is fun." I'll be honest here and just state for the record that exercise has never been my forte. As a very good friend of mine, Carrie, says, "Running is for when your life is in danger" and I tend to agree. I know exercise is good for you, I know I should get some exercise every day, but I just don't have the motivation or the desire because I find it so boring. However, the Wii Fit isn't just exercise, it's fun games (although it does have Yoga and Strength Training with a "trainer" that's pretty straight forward, those exercise also have neat little visuals to show you how well you are doing during each activity). I haven't unlocked every game available, but it has things like Hula Hooping and Step-Dancing/Aerobics that are tons of fun, at least to me they are. Plus, it doesn't hurt that my kids love it, too. I think they've spent more time on it than I have!

Now I've only used the Wii Fit for a couple of days, but I'm hoping that I find it just as fun in three months as I do today. And maybe in three months, I'll look better and feel better. At least that's the goal, right?

Here's a video of the kids doing the Hula Hooping or, as Seth calls it, Hulie Hooping:

Happy Belated New Year!

2009-01-03T14:52:00.004-07:00

Yesterday we returned from a trip to visit my family and celebrate the holidays with them. We had some lovely dinners at my mom's, my brother's and my sister's homes. The kids had a few gifts waiting for them and we had a few gifts to deliver. It's always a lot of fun to visit with my family because, well, we're crazy. And we don't try to hide it, we bring it out to the front room and show it off!

We played games, ate food, read books, ate food, shopped, and did I mention we ate food? Yeah, not so good for the waistline but oh so good in the belly!!! My sister-in-law, Laurie, made this wonderful and sweet Chex mix recipe that didn't really have a name but was utterly addictive. After we all just couldn't stop eating it, we've officially named it Crack Chex because it's THAT addictive. I insisted Laurie send me the recipe so I could include it into next years official Chex Mix gifts - a Chex Mix Duo. We'll certainly be buying Costco out of their Chex cereal come next Christmas!

We also headed just a little further south to visit my sister, Kim, and her husband, Steve. While Steve and Bob went golfing in the sunny and warm weather, Kim, the kids and I went shopping. As per our frugal nature, we ended up with some awesome deals on clothes and Christmas decor (although Bob did complain that we'd have to get these items home, he is a master trunk packer and managed to make everything fit).

We spent New Years Eve on the couch watching Robbie Madison jump onto the Las Vegas Arc de Triomphe and jump off it on his motorcycle (see the video below). My hands were literally sweating thinking, "Oh, I'm going to watch a crazy man die." And then we went to bed around 11 pm. What a bunch of old farts we are!

As for New Years Resolutions, I don't really have any other than I'd like to get in better shape and lose some weight and be better organized at home. But that's pretty much what I think all the time, not just for New Years. However, I do have the Wii Fit, so I'm hoping that will help with the 'getting fit and losing weight' goal.

Here's to a wonderful and happy 2009!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T21:18:00.005-07:00

Another Christmas has come and gone. And in just 365 days, we'll do it again, but before we do, let's re-hash this years festivities, shall we?

It all starts on Christmas Eve, as it does for most of us. Last night we invited Bob's dad over for Grandma Dobson's Pork Pies. Now they aren't really pies, but that's what Grandma Dobson called them, so that's the name we call them. Grandma Dobson passed away four years ago come March, but Bob and I are trying to continue her tradition of having her Pork Pies on Christmas Eve. And boy are they yummy!

After dinner, we headed across town to attend the Christmas Eve candlelight services at the Congregationalist church (the church Bob attended while growing up, the church we were married at, the church his dad still attends every Sunday). Now, we are bad Christians and only attend church once or twice a year, but just because we aren't religious, doesn't make us any less spiritual. However, I've realized lately that there are a lot of things my kids don't know about God and Christ that I would at least like them to be aware of and my mom was kind enough to buy them a children's Bible for Christmas. The reason I bring this up is because the minister started the service off talking about God and Seth leaned over to me and said, "God is going to be here tonight? Cool!!!" Yeah, I've really got to be a better mother in regards to my children's spiritual guidance. But I digress...

After church services, we headed back home where the children opened one gift (new pajamas), hung their stockings by the chimney with care, left milk and cookies for Santa, and then headed off to bed where we read The Story of Christmas and Twas the Night Before Christmas. It wasn't long before they were dreaming of sugarplums and Santa could finally visit our house.

We had a huge storm come in during the night and the kids woke us up at 7:30 am, only I didn't know it was 7:30 because our power was out and the house was cold! Which meant there wasn't any coffee. Which meant we couldn't open presents by the light of the Christmas tree, but instead opened them by the light of a flashlight. Just not the same, people. Just not the same at all. Thankfully, our fireplace has an option to use batteries to power the switch, so the house stayed a little warmer than it could have been. I found out from a friend that the power went out around 6:30 am and we didn't have it restored until after 10:00 am. And then it was a rush to make breakfast and some desserts to take to dinner with my in-laws.

The kids really enjoyed opening their presents. Garrett was upset when she thought Santa forgot her Snow White dress, but there was one present left under the tree and you can guess what it was. She was a very happy girl. Seth got PixOs and Moon Sand (messy!) and so he was very happy, too. I got a Wii Fit, which I'm so excited about, and Photoshop. Bob got a Nintendo DS, games and some accessories.

This afternoon, we headed over to Bob's dad's house for Christmas dinner with Bob's family. Then we opened gifts with Grandpa before heading home in yet another storm. Or maybe just another part of the same storm. At this rate, it doesn't matter, a storm is a storm is a storm and it's just not fun to drive in! But now we are home, the children are all nestled snug in their beds and I'm going to enjoy a drink in my jammies.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, too!

Christmas on the Tube

2008-12-21T07:38:00.006-07:00

If you know anything about me, you probably know that I love movies. Sadly, I don't get to actually see many movies at the theatre anymore, what with finding and paying for a sitter on top of paying for the tickets, so I usually just enjoy my movies via DVD from NetFlix.

I love this time of year because it has some of the best "feel good" movies. I mean, really, who wants to watch a depressing Christmas movie? I used to watch It's a Wonderful Life every Christmas Eve, but since I've had kids, that movie is way too long to watch after putting the kids in bed and I always fall asleep watching it. I think this year I may have to switch it up and watch A Christmas Story instead. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie. The stories are great, I love the actors, and it's got more memorable quotes than any other Christmas movie I know. ("You'll shoot your eye out!") It's a PERFECT, well, Christmas story.

Another one of my favorite Christmas movies is Elf. Another charmingly perfect Christmas movie. Buddy the Elf ("What's your favorite color?") is so innocent and naive that he makes you want to believe in Santa again. Or at least believe in being good for goodness sake. Plus, running a very close second to A Christmas Story in quotable lines doesn't hurt either. "I like smiling. Smiling's my favorite."

So here's a list of my Top Ten Christmas movies/holiday specials:

A Christmas Story
Elf
It's a Wonderful Life
The Santa Clause
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Christmas Vacation
Love Actually
The Bishop's Wife
Miracle on 34th Street
Scrooged

What's your favorite Christmas movie?

The Visit with Santa: 2008 Edition

2008-12-18T13:11:00.006-07:00

Yesterday, Santa made a very special stop at Bob's work (as he does every year) and I took the kids so they could sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

First up was Garrett. Although this year, she didn't run and jump into his arms yelling, "SANTA!!!!" but as soon as Santa said, "Garrett, it's so good to see you!" she carefully walked up to him and climbed into his lap. Santa told her how important it was to listen to Mommy and Daddy and to be a good girl. He asked what she would like for Christmas and her answer was simple, "A Snow White dress." Just one thing. It's so easy to please a 3-year old.

Next up was Seth. Or as Santa called him, "The Other Dobson Child." He told Seth he'd grown since he saw him last year and asked Seth if he was enjoying school. Then he reiterated how important it is to listen to his parents. And when Santa asked Seth what he wanted for Christmas, Seth didn't pull a Ralphie Parker and freeze up, but instead gave him a list of several things he wanted for Christmas. Let's just hope that Santa can manage to provide at least one of those things, so keep your fingers crossed!

After visiting with Santa, the kids got a cookie and before we left, they were able to give Santa a hug goodbye. We're so thankful Santa makes a special trip to Bob's work, so we don't have to stand in line to see him at the mall and pay $15 for a picture. Thanks, Santa! You ROCK!

O Christmas Music

2008-12-15T15:58:00.007-07:00

I know that some people hate Christmas music, some like it in moderation and some start listening to it in June. I really love Christmas music. It's all I typically listen to from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Not that it's on all the time, just that if I'm listening to music during that time frame, that's what I'd prefer to listen to. It is the Christmas season after all.

It's really hard for me to pick just one all-time favorite Christmas song. I really like them all. There's not a Christmas song I don't like. One of my favorites is Carol of the Bells. Actually, I didn't even know that song had words until I was in my twenties. Honestly, I'd never heard it with words until then! Another one is O Holy Night. I think I fell in love with this song when it was featured by the children's choir in Home Alone and still my favorite versions are always sung by children's choirs. Another song that always touches my heart is Mary Did You Know, particularly the version sung by Kenny Rogers. The first time I heard that son was when I was driving home the first Christmas after Seth was born. There is a line that goes, "When you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God." I just thought it was perfect, especially for a new mother. Another song I disliked as a child was "The Little Drummer Boy" but once I actually paid attention to the lyrics, I decided it's a great song.

My favorite Christmas CDs are the "A Very Special Christmas" versions 1, 2 and 3. My favorite songs are Sting's "Gabriel's Message" and "I Saw Three Ships," Eurythmics' "Winter Wonderland," Alison Moyet's "The Coventry Carol," and Natalie Merchant's "Children Go Where I Send Thee." Other favorite Christmas CDs are any by Harry Connick, Jr, The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Chris Isaak's "Christmas" and the sound track to "Elf."

So where do you fall? Do you love or hate Christmas music? What's your favorite song(s)?

I'm Beginning to Go a Little Crazy

2008-12-13T13:36:00.003-07:00

This last week has been insanely busy for us. I still had quite a bit of Christmas shopping to do, parties and a meeting to attend, Book Club to host, photo Christmas cards to make and order, a photo book and CD to finish and order. Oh, and let's not forget sick kids to nurse back to health. Makes me tired just writing about it.

So what did I accomplish? Well, I finished the majority of my shopping (thanks Amazon and it's free shipping!), I attended Barbi's birthday party, my MOM'S Club Christmas party and MOM'S Club board meeting. I hosted Book Club, made and ordered our Christmas cards (thanks Costco!), and finished our Disneyland photo CD and photo book with the very kind use of Anjie's computer since our Internet service decided to stop working (thanks Anjie!). Then my kids were kind enough to not get sick until Friday when, thankfully, I didn't have anything planned, and since they were sick on the same day, I really only had to deal with one bad day of stomach flu instead of a spreading it out over the course of a few days (thanks kids!).

So what's in store for us before Christmas? Another birthday party, making our annual Christmas Chex mix for friends, Bunco (heaven knows I'm going to need a night out to relax), taking the kids to see Santa, Garrett's preschool Christmas program, Bob's company Holiday Party, presents to wrap, and my nephew's baptism. Oh, yeah, and then this little holiday called Christmas. Maybe you've heard of it.

That said, I now I think it's time for a drink. Is it five o'clock yet?

They Get Their Singing Skills From Their Mother

2008-12-09T14:29:00.004-07:00

My kids put together this show completely on their own. I love them so much it hurts.

The Angel Gabriel

2008-12-05T16:25:00.004-07:00

Not the angel Gabriel from the Good Book, but the little, tiny, angelic newborn baby I got to hold today. My brother, Steven, and his wife, Raschelle, welcomed their third child, a son, yesterday. Gabriel Ben was born at 5:25 pm, weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces and 18.25 inches long. Gabe and his mommy are doing well and his older sisters are anxious to have him come home.

Gabriel Ben

Steven, Raschelle and Gabe

Aunt Katie and Gabe

Seth and Gabe

Garrett and Gabe

To Get You in the Christmas Spirit

2008-12-04T13:43:00.005-07:00

More videos at Holdman Christmas. And, FYI, if you feel like taking a trip to Lindon, Utah, you can see the display in person (directions are on the website). How crazy is that?! Apparently, they had to move the display to a new house (the owner's parents house) because of complaints from neighbors regarding the high traffic in their private, gated community. I think Bob and I are going to have to head down to Lindon during our annual Christmas Lights drive.

Another One Bites the Dust

2008-12-01T11:51:00.008-07:00

So another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Once again, our family traveled south to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, but this year my sister, Kim, and her husband, Steve, hosted dinner at their house. Guests included: Kim's sons, Brennen and Alex, my older brother, Beau, his wife, Laurie and their daughter, Courtney (they brought their trailer so they had proper beds to sleep in), my younger brother, Bradley, and his daughter, Chandler, and son, Bridger, our dad, Carl, and my sister's friend, Kym. The only ones missing were my youngest brother, Steven and his family. His wife, Raschelle, is expecting their third child and they didn't want to risk going out of town since she has a history of early deliveries (and thankfully, she didn't have the baby over the holiday). And Beau and Laurie's sons, Brendan (and his wife and son), Cody and PJ (who were with other family in Las Vegas).

We spent the day before Thanksgiving baking pies, making stuffing and picking up last minute items like rolls and drinks (premixed margaritas are the best! Thanks for the tip, Janice!) and cleaning the turkey. Have you seen that commercial where the lady is trying to clean the turkey and it keeps slipping out of her hands? Yeah, that was me, except I was lucky enough to keep the turkey in the sink and didn't throw it across the room. Then Steven broke out his newest purchase: Guitar Hero, Complete Band edition. The kids had so much fun playing, but sadly, I forgot to break out the video camera.

Bridger on drums, Garrett on bass, Chandler on guitar in the back, and Seth on vocals sitting in the chair.

My sister and I got up at 7:00 am to put the turkey in the oven (an hour later than we planned, darn those margaritas!). We spent the day just hanging out, getting other food ready and cooked before we sat down to enjoy a wonderful meal. (Great job, Kim!!!) Then we played games and starting putting together an Elvis puzzle and enjoyed some lovely, delicious, cellulite-making pies.

Seth, Chandler, Steven and Garrett starting the Elvis puzzle.

Courtney (brown shirt), Laurie, Brennen, Kim, Kym, Steve still working on the Elvis puzzle.

Since there weren't any fabulous Black Friday sales this year, we slept in and didn't hit the stores until about 9:30 am or so and were done by 11:00 am and got most of what we wanted. Then it was just more of the same - games, hanging out, eating, and another puzzle. The second puzzle was one I brought that was a map and my nephew, Brennen, and I stayed up until 1:00 am trying to put together and managed to maybe get half of it done! But we all started working on it again in the morning and we were able to complete the puzzle.

Then we headed up North to my mom's house where we had a lovely dinner of corned beef and cabbage, which I hadn't had in YEARS! It was so yummy! And the next day we headed back home.

It was a wonderful Thanksgiving and I am so thankful for my family and friends! Now onto Christmas!!! Lord help us all.

My family! Back row: Courtney, Laurie, Beau, Carl, Bob, Steven, Alex, Bradley. Middle row: Katie, Brennen, Kim. Front row: Bridger, Seth, Chandler, Garrett.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now stop reading my blog and go spend time with your family. Like I'm doing.

Enjoy your turkey.

Yes, I'm a Freak

2008-11-25T10:36:00.004-07:00

If you ask my husband (and my friend Melissa, because she's one, too!) I'm a "freak" because I went to the midnight showing of Twilight.

I've read the books and fell hopelessly in love with them. Along with a certain male character who shall remain nameless. Yeah, right, Mr. Edward Cullen!!!! So I was very excited when I found out they were making a movie based on the first book. Then I was worried that there was no way the movie could ever live up to the book. Now I'm a movie junkie. I love movies. I know a good movie from a great one. I know that it is possible to take a book and find just the right scenes to put into a movie so that you can love both the book AND the movie. So I was really hoping and wishing that they would be able to do that with Twilight. But they didn't. And I KNOW it could've been better.

The movie itself was true to the book for the most part. But I felt that they left a lot of really great scenes out and put a lot of "filler" scenes into the movie. Not to mention that there were some really cheesy special effects. I understand the budget wasn't that big and sometimes you have to make do with what you have, but honestly, I would rather they left out the "cheese" in order to include some of the more poignant scenes in the book. Also, I was never fond of the casting of Robert Pattinson in the role of Edward. Frankly, I just don't think he's good looking enough. There was a lot of over-acting in the film by the two main actors, but I chalk that up to the fact that they are still young and growing into their own selves.

So, if you've read the books, I would still recommend you see the movie, just because it was fun to see the story come to life. But don't expect anything better than an average movie, and certainly don't expect it to be anywhere near as good as the book. If you haven't read the books, you might find the movie cheesy, but know that the book really is a whole helluva lot better, and I highly recommend reading it.

Twilight (the movie): C
Twilight (the book): A++++

They've already greenlit the second book, New Moon, so I'm hoping that with a bigger budget, they'll be able to make a much better movie and that, hopefully, the actors will have grown up a bit and really get to know the characters they are playing and play them well! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Passing the Time

2008-11-20T22:16:00.004-07:00

I'm sitting here trying to kill some time before I head on out to catch the midnight showing of Twilight. I'm also usually in bed at this hour and the movie doesn't even start for another hour and forty-five minutes! I'm hoping the excitement from the other fans and, frankly, the movie can keep me up for the two-hour running time. That will get me home around 2:30 am. I guess it could be worse...I could be going to the show STARTING at 2:30 am.

It's Just Another Manic Monday

2008-11-17T18:35:00.003-07:00

Every Monday, Shannon at Just Breathe, posts a few fun and interesting Manic Monday questions. It's fun to read her responses and to answer them, too. So head on over, take a look and answer the questions. And then return on Wednesday for Wednesday WhatsIt questions, too. Hell, just visit every day! Shannon is very smart and very insightful and her blog is fun to read.

High School

2008-11-15T06:05:00.001-07:00

This is one of those "tag" games, but I won't tag anyone. However, it was fun to do!

1. DID YOU DATE SOMEONE FROM YOUR SCHOOL? Yes. They don't call it a High School Sweetheart for nothin'.

2.WHAT KIND OF CAR DID YOU DRIVE? Red 2-door Ford Escort. I don't recall the year but I'm sure it was a mid- to late-80s model.

3. DID YOU PASS YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE TEST YOUR FIRST TRY? Yes.

4. WHERE YOU A PARTY ANIMAL? Nope, I was a good kid.

5. WERE YOU CONSIDERED A FLIRT? Yes.

6. WERE YOU IN BAND, ORCHESTRA, OR CHOIR? Nope.

7. WERE YOU A NERD? I did well in school but wasn't part of the 'nerd' crowd that's for sure.

8. WERE YOU ON ANY VARSITY TEAMS? Ha ha ha. That would be a big fat NO!

9. DID YOU EVER GET SUSPENDED/EXPELLED? Hell no.

10. CAN YOU STILL SING THE FIGHT SONG? Yes and it's has violent imagery.

11. WHO WERE YOUR FAVORITE TEACHERS? Mr. Sorensen by far! I had him all three years: Biology, AP Biology and was his Lab Assistant. Coach Cowart, until there was a little something going on between him and a cheerleader. The Vice Principal, Mr. Pensis, (yeah, you can figure out his nick-name from that) because he helped me graduate a year early.

12. WHERE DID YOU SIT FOR LUNCH? In the halls.

13. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S FULL NAME? Cedar City High School

14. WHAT IS YOUR SCHOOL'S MASCOT AND COLORS? Redmen; Red and Gold (although really, they were more maroon and yellow)

15. DID YOU GO TO HOMECOMING AND WITH WHO? No, but I went to a few other dances. By far my most memorable was the Graduation dance with my high school sweetheart, Mark.

16. IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND DO IT AGAIN WOULD YOU? Yes, because I would definitely do even better at school and I think I would be more outgoing, try new things, date more. And no, because I have great memories and I really don't want to start life again, it's great now!

17. WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER MOST ABOUT GRADUATION? A beautiful rainbow. My family screaming hysterically when they called my name. Graduating with my very dear Brixen, and Annette being mad at us for leaving her to muddle through Senior year on her own. Spending the entire night out with my friends and then heading to Vegas for the weekend. Easily the best night of High School.

18. WHERE DID YOU GO SENIOR SKIP DAY? They didn't do that at my school. Damn, we were robbed!

19. WERE YOU IN ANY CLUBS? Drama Club although I didn't really do much "drama" stuff.

20. HAVE YOU GAINED SOME WEIGHT SINCE THEN? Next question....

21. WHO WAS YOUR PROM DATE? I didn't go to prom.

22. ARE YOU PLANNING ON GOING TO YOUR 10 YEAR REUNION? That was seven years ago (good grief!) and no, I didn't go. I still keep in contact with most everyone I cared about in High School.

23. DID YOU HAVE A JOB IN HIGH SCHOOL? Nope, my parents wanted me to focus on school, not a job and I thank them for that!

Baby Pictures

2008-11-14T17:51:00.002-07:00

A couple of snap shots of little Morgan:

I was lucky enough to monopolize this child for a full hour! I heard his little sighs and squeaks, watched his tiny face grimace and relax again and felt his very soft hair. He's a wonderful child and his parents are totally smitten with him, as they should be. I can't wait to watch him grow up!

It's A......

2008-11-13T21:13:00.004-07:00

....BOY!!! Congratulations to my BFF, Michelle, and her husband, Michael. They welcomed sweet baby Morgan Thomas this evening at 6:07 pm, weighing in at 8 pounds 2 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Seriously, I thought he'd be longer since his parents are so freakin' tall! I had a niece who was 23 inches long. Three nurses measured her because they couldn't believe it and that girl now towers over me. But that's another story for another day....

Congratulations Michelle and Michael. I know you'll be wonderful parents to your much loved little boy. What a fun adventure you're just starting. I can't wait to meet little Morgan.

(Hopefully I'll have pictures soon.)

I Wanna Fly Away

2008-11-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the kids come home from school with cute pictures or crafts and this was one of them:

"Plane" by Seth

Watch Me!!!

2008-11-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

A big heartfelt thank you to Shannon over at Just Breathe for sharing this with me!

I'm Just a Cook

2008-11-10T15:14:00.005-07:00

I am not a chef. I don't pretend to be, although I really enjoy cooking and baking. I don't ever recall coming up with an original recipe, but I can follow a recipe like it's nobody's business and tweek a recipe so I like it better. However, I am always impressed with chefs. The idea that they can walk into a kitchen and come up with a new and exciting dish is just inspiring.

So as you can imagine, I'm excited that one of my favorite new shows in premiering this Wednesday at 8 PM MST on Bravo: Top Chef. If you enjoy cooking (not necessarily baking, because they aren't pastry chefs) and you've never watched this show before, you are missing out! This season, they are starting out with 17 chefs and they will slowly whittle them down to three who compete for the title. Along the way they have them perform a multitude of cooking challenges, often with techniques and foods I've never even heard of, and they usually do it quickly and beautifully. It makes you want to lick your TV screen and wonder why no one has yet to invent the Smell-O-Vision. So if you're looking for something to do on Wednesday, tune into Top Chef and watch out for the drool coming out of your mouth.

Where Did We Go Wrong?

2008-11-06T11:01:00.004-07:00

As you know, I'm very proud that the majority of Americans chose Barack Obama to be the next President of the United States. I think America is ready for change, to head in a new direction, to fix the problems that have plagued this country for too many years. And on the very same day we took a huge step-forward by electing the first African-American President, California and a few other states, took a big step back by passing state legislation that bans same-sex marriage.

I just don't see how two men or two women being married hurts anyone. Why do some people think that the love between a man and a woman is somehow superior or more valid? Allowing for same-sex marriage doesn't lessen the importance and significance of marriage between a man and a woman. Why spew all this hatred towards people who just want to love each other and make a public and legal commit to each other? I have lots of friends, gay and straight, who are in long-term, loving, committed relationships and the fact that because some of them are in a relationship with someone of the same sex, they are not able to make their commitment to each other legal and binding is just absurd to me. I hope that in the future, more Americans will open their minds and will vote to make same-sex marriage legal in the United States.

Love is love, no matter who you love.

Where All Men Are Created Equal

2008-11-04T21:07:00.002-07:00

What a fabulous day to be an American! Today, we elected Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. As a child you always hear, "You can be anything you want to be...even President of the United States." Mr. Obama took that to heart and he didn't let anything hold him back. And, today, Americans were able to look past the color of a person's skin and voted for the person they thought would do a better job as the leader of the free world. Today, I'm proud to be an American! A land where (finally) ALL men are created equal.

Get Out and VOTE!

2008-11-04T06:00:00.002-07:00

Today is Election Day. I hope all of you are registered and if you didn't already vote during early voting, that you'll exercise your right as an American citizen and get out and vote today. I don't keep it a secret that I'm hoping we elect the first African-American as President of the United States, but whether you vote for Obama or McCain, I just want you to vote!

Anticipation

2008-11-03T12:28:00.003-07:00

I'm sitting here waiting....just waiting, waiting, waiting for my phone to ring. I'm waiting for a phone call from my BFF, Michelle, to tell me that she's in labor, on the way to the hospital, at the hospital or that she's finally delivered her baby! I'll take any phone call she wants to make!

Michelle's due date is tomorrow and she doesn't know if she's having a boy or a girl. According to you (my readers), 72% of you believe she is having a boy, and I'm going with those odds. But right now I don't really care if she has boy or a girl, I just can't wait to get my hands on that little bundle of joy. To hold him or her all wrapped up like a little burrito. To smell his or her tiny little precious head; that "new baby" smell is so intoxicating. To see if the baby is a miniature version of Michelle or Michael. To watch my friends become first-time parents. To marvel at the miracle of a perfect, tiny, wonderful new life that is already so loved by so many people.

It's all terribly exciting and I'm just sitting here in anticipation. Come on phone, RING!!

The Day After

2008-11-01T13:27:00.006-06:00

Yesterday was Halloween and it was a busy day for us. Seth was a Ninja and Garrett was Cinderella and they both had school parties and costume parades. After school, we headed over to Bob's work for Trick-or-Treating, then to a Corn Maze for more Trick-or-Treating with some friends. Then we still had even more Trick-or-Treating around the neighborhood. Both kids have giant bags full of candy.

My sister, Kim, and her husband, Steve, are visiting, so they were able to go Trick-or-Treating with the kids. It's great having them here to share in the excitement of Halloween.

This first video is Garrett's preschool singing a Halloween song. (Garrett is on the front row, third from the right.)

This second video is the kids 'practicing' Trick-or-Treating.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-10-31T09:40:00.001-06:00

Wait a minute, it's not Christmas already! (Although the stores seem to think it is, but that's another subject for another day.) It's Halloween! I love Halloween. I love the scary decorations, the costumes, the movies, the treats. Mostly I love the treats. (And my thighs show it, but that's another story for another day.) I also love watching all the fun and, usually, scary movies. Of course there is lighter fair like It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!, to which no Halloween is complete without, and Hocus Pocus (Amok! Amok! Amok!) but I wanted to talk about downright scary movies.

If I had to pick my favorite Halloween movie it would be, surprise!, John Carpenter's Halloween. I watch this movie every Halloween night....well, that is until my kids were old enough to be scared by it, so I watched it a little early this year. Here are a few of my other favorite scary movies:

The Amityville Horror (both 1979 and 2005 versions) - Demons, possessions and previous murders in your new home. Does it get any scarier than that?

The Omen (1976) - The Anti-Christ is born. 'Nuff said.

The Exorcist - Demonic possession of a little girl. Oh. My. God.

The Shining - Jack Nicholson scares the bejesus out of me. And the blood. Oh, the blood.

Poltergeist - This movie is why I hate clowns. Scary, scary, evil clowns.

An American Werewolf in London - Best soundtrack in a scary movie. Fantastic special effects.

The Haunting (1963) - It's what you DON'T see that's scary: the sounds, the feelings. I dare you to watch this movie in the dark by yourself and then try to go to sleep alone. Come on, I double-dog dare you!

Have a Happy Halloween!!

Halloween Fun

2008-10-30T16:25:00.004-06:00

Halloween is such a great time of year, you know, if the weather stays nice. Lucky for us, it has been very pleasant this last week and so we've been able to do a few activities.

Earlier this week, we went to Gardner Village, a local boutique (or should I say BOOtique?) shopping area to look at the fun witches they have scattered around. Garrett's preschool class had a Halloween party, including a costume parade. And this afternoon, I took the kids to get some pumpkins at a pumpkin patch.

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Embarrassed to be a Utahan

2008-10-29T14:20:00.004-06:00

When Brokeback Mountain was released in 2006, one very prominent local business man, Larry H. Miller, opted to not show the film in his theatre chain because it portrayed homosexual sex scenes. Now, Mr. Miller is at it again with the movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno. He announced at a press conference he will not be showing this movie at his theatre chain.

I've never been a fan of Mr. Miller's since I had a horrible experience purchasing a car from one of his dealerships many years ago (and I've never purchased a car from him again and never will) and I try my hardest not to patronize any of his businesses if I can help it. But the controversy here is not his right to show or not to show a movie because he has concerns with the subject matter and/or title, but about his hypocritical beliefs. You see, Mr. Miller is also a very well known member of the LDS (Mormon) church and the LDS church teaches that members should shy away from movies rated-R, not work or spend money on Sunday's and avoid alcohol (among many other teachings). Which, again, is not controversial in the slightest. "To each his own" I say.

However, Mr. Miller also owns the Utah Jazz, who play games on Sundays and beer is sold at the Energy Solutions Arena where they play. Mr. Miller's movie theatres are also open on Sundays and they show rated-R movies - movies that are rated-R because of violence and sex. The real questions are: Why have two movies been singled out for their sexual nature when many other's haven't? Why doesn't Larry H. Miller practice what he believes? When does making the all-mighty dollar trump The Almighty Himself?

I, like most people, have no issues with him choosing not to show a movie at his privately owned theatre chain based on his moral beliefs because there are plenty of other places to see movies. I am, however, so tired of this very rich man drawing attention to his choices as if to say, "This is how all Utahans feel about this." It makes the state look bad, it makes Mormon's look bad, and it makes all Utahans in general look bad.

On an interesting side note, many people were in one of Mr. Miller's movie theatres to see High School Musical 3, when the projectionist forgot to replace the previously shown film, Sex Drive, and therefore, the first few minutes of the rated-R film were accidentally shown, which includes nudity, to an audience expecting to see a G-rated film. Do you believe in karma, Mr. Miller? I sure do.

Barackrolled

2008-10-29T12:49:00.003-06:00

My friend, Melissa, posted this on her blog and I thought it was funny. Mostly because of the editing that makes McCain look all pissy....wait, that's his normal everyday look isn't it?! But I also found it funny because I still love Rick Astley and so I wouldn't mind being Rickrolled. Take that, John McCain!

(I'd embed the video, but it just doesn't want to seem to load once it's embedded.)

It's All Wobbly

2008-10-28T15:48:00.003-06:00

As we walked into the house this morning after arriving home from school Seth said, "Mom, why does my tooth feel funny?"

"What do you mean 'funny'? Does it hurt?"

"No, it just feels weird."

I looked over and he was pushing on it with his tongue. I smiled really big and said, "Seth! You've got your first loose tooth!"

He smiled back at me and said, "Alright, the Tooth Fairy is coming!"

Body Worlds

2008-10-26T16:10:00.007-06:00

I just returned from the Body Worlds exhibit and I must say that I was totally impressed. It was amazing to see bodies, body parts, and how every system in your body actually functions. I've taken physiology and anatomy courses and found it fascinating then, but knowing that these were real body parts and entire bodies, not just plastic molds, was just incredible. Seeing kidneys (not as big as I thought they'd be, and in my family, kidneys are a big deal since one of us has three and half in his body and none of them work!) and uteruses (amazing how they are so tiny, yet can grow to accommodate a baby, then go back to their original size) and cancers (incredible AND scary) was just something you don't get to see in many college courses.

Also, the exhibit wasn't nearly as creepy as I thought it would be. The bones, tendons and other tissues look like plastic and the muscles look like beef jerky, except that the color is lighter. The only parts that I thought were kind of creepy were the toe nails, eyebrows and the few plastinates (bodies) with hair. So if you have the opportunity to see this exhibit, either here in Salt Lake or at another time and place, I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

P.S. Thanks to Michelle and Michael for going with me...lucky for them, no hand-holding was required.

Onto A New Stage

2008-10-24T12:59:00.005-06:00

A dear friend of my family has passed away. Barbara Adams, co-founder of the Utah Shakespearean Festival, died Wednesday. I first met Barbara when my sister, Kim, was engaged to her son, Addison. My dad is also a member of the same LDS ward as Barbara and her husband, Fred. Barbara was a very sweet woman who treated Kim like her own daughter and Kim's boys like her own flesh and blood grandchildren. She always made me and everyone feel welcome in her home. Although it has been years since I had the opportunity to see her, I know she will be missed by so many people, but her legacy will live on each year during the annual Utah Shakespearean Festival. Farewell, Barbara. May you rest in peace.

You can also watch a clip about Barbara on KSL news here.

Photo Tag

2008-10-23T19:18:00.009-06:00

I've been tagged!

This is a blog-tag, in the form of a Google Images survey. Each question of the survey must be answered with an image.

My favorite vacation:

Seeing my children enjoy Disneyland made it so much better than any other vacation I've ever had.

A little known fact about me:

I've done this three times. Which, by the way, was three times too many.

My favorite color:

I like them all.

My favorite treat:

Mmmm.....Mocha.

My favorite fruits:

My middle name:

Where I live now:

I wish the picture was bigger, it's SLC during the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic games.

Where I grew up:

This is almost the view from my dad's house in Cedar City where I lived from age 13 to 20.

This is Wide Hollow Resevoir at the Escalante Petrified Forest State Park where I swam almost every summer day from age 4 to 13. Our home was just over the ridge on the left. (My dad was the Park Ranger)

Where I'd like to vacation:

My first name:

My pet peeve:

My favorite animal:

My Past Love:

My greatest wish:

I tag Janice....and Anjie! :-)

Beautiful

2008-10-22T21:40:00.008-06:00

I am a big fan of Ellen DeGeneres. She is so funny, smart, beautiful and just an all-around decent human being who just wants to make other people happy. Since California law now acknowledges same-sex marriage (unless Proposition 8 passes - and I hope it doesn't!), she and Portia de Rossi tied the knot this summer. As a wedding gift, Ellen surprised Portia with the song, Today, performed by Joshua Radin. (Below the song is set to scenes from Garden State, written, directed, and staring Joshua's friend, Zach Braff. I'm not sure if it was featured in the movie, but it's not on the soundtrack.) It is a beautiful song and I just thought if you haven't heard of Joshua Radin, you are surely missing out on some wonderful music by a very talented musician.

You can also watch the acoustic version he performed on Ellen's show here.

Inspired

2008-10-20T15:59:00.009-06:00

My friend Allison, or better yet, her daughter Isabelle, inspired me (with this post) to make pumpkin pancakes for breakfast this weekend. And I, too, took the easy way out and just colored the batter rather than make actual pumpkin pancakes with pumpkin puree. The kids were totally suprised and gobbled them right up. Thanks for the inspiration Allison and Isabelle!

Update: Check out these pancake molds from Williams Sonoma. They would be perfect for Halloween morning.

Scared

2008-10-16T19:21:00.006-06:00

This afternoon, the kids were watching a Halloween cartoon and after it ended, another Halloween movie for the younger set (Goosebumps or something similar) came on. Seth was sort of hiding behind the couch so I asked if he wanted me to change the channel. "No, I want to watch this."

"Okay, but it's going to be scary." I said.

"I know."

He watched the entire movie with wide eyes. Aunt Kim should be so proud!

I also snapped this picture of him clutching his security object (the Football Pillow) while watching the movie.

Annoying

2008-10-15T13:30:00.002-06:00

Today I stopped by Kohl's to exchange a shirt I bought for Seth and as I walked up to the Customer Service counter, a lady had walked up right before me. I'm a fairly patient person so one person ahead of me is no big deal. Except for today. The woman pulls four items out of a Kohl's bag, then opens her wallet and pulls out a HUGE pile of receipts. She asks the employee at the counter to help her look through the receipts to help her find the ones that have the items she wants to return on them. After about five minutes of this, they have no luck finding ANY receipts that match the items she wants to return and I wanted to say, "Hey Lady, some of us actually make sure we have our receipts BEFORE trying to return something. Would you mind stepping aside and looking for them so those of us behind you can make our returns?" I could tell the employee at the counter was really annoyed, too, because the lady would say, "Oh here's one." and the employee would say, "No, the UPCs don't match. You have to match the numbers." Lucky for me another employee walked in and opened another register and I was done with my return before the lady even found ONE item on her many receipts. Seriously, is it too much to ask that you have your receipt ready when making a return? Or just tell them you lost it and take a store credit.

You Learn Something New Every Day

2008-10-13T12:52:00.003-06:00

As I was driving home from picking up Garrett from preschool today, I heard my all-time favorite song on the radio: Tainted Love by Soft Cell. I was going to post the video and when I found it on YouTube, I noticed in the comments that several people mentioned that Soft Cell actually covered this song, which was originally performed by Gloria Jones in 1964. I have loved this song since I first heard it during the summer of 1982 and I never knew that it was a cover!!

I can't embed the Soft Cell video, but I linked to it above. Here's the original version by Gloria Jones:

Dancing with the Girls

2008-10-12T20:48:00.003-06:00

Last night, our very good friend, Janice, and her significant other, Cobby, had a party at their house. Their daughter, Carli, our other friend's daughter and Garrett decided to dress up and put on a little dance show for us. So check out the L'il Cheetah Girls.

Picture Tag

2008-10-10T19:32:00.004-06:00

This one's for you, Red!

Picture Tag: You are supposed to pick the 4th file and the 4th picture and post it to your blog.

This picture is from this past Spring when Seth was playing in a Pony T-ball league. He and some of the neighborhood kids got together for a pick-up game of T-ball. It was a lot of fun to watch.

Now I tag Anjie!

Those Crazy Duggars

2008-10-09T12:12:00.003-06:00

I watch Jon & Kate Plus Eight every week because their kids are just too damn cute to ignore and it makes me realize that if they can handle two 8-year olds and six 4-year olds then I have nothing to complain about. And then I'm ever so thankful that I'm not them. But I digress...

So last week as I was watching Jon & Kate I noticed a new show on TLC, 17 Kids and Counting, about the Duggar family from Arkansas. In case you live in the woods, the Duggar's are a very ultra conservative Christian family who has let God bestow upon them as many gifts as He thinks they can handle. By gifts, they mean children, and that number of gifts is seventeen, with number eighteen on the way. Now, I really have no problem with the fact that they have seventeen children as long as they are able to provide them with a home, food, love and attention without the help of government assistance and it seems as though that is exactly what they are able to do, so more power to them. I think they are a very nice family with good, wholesome values (although definitely too conservative for my choice of lifestyle) and their children seem very happy, taken care of, educated and loved.

What happened in the first episode didn't really bother me so much as just seemed so far out in right-field that I just wanted to write about it. In the first episode, the oldest son, Josh, decided to ask a young lady (whose name escapes me) to marry him. This is normally a very exciting time in a person's life and it was for young Josh and his new fiance. The odd thing was that because they are an ultra conservative family, the Duggar's believe that if you date, you are giving away a part of your heart to someone you might not marry and that you should save your entire heart for that special someone. So Josh became engaged to a very sweet girl, but now that they are engaged they are FINALLY courting, you know, really getting to know each other. And they still haven't kissed because they are saving their first kiss for their wedding day. After this girl accepted Josh's proposal, Josh stood up and gave her what I would call a "buddy hug": side-by-side and one arm around her shoulder, then shortly thereafter they shared their first "I love you." I guess it seems weird to me that you could tell someone you don't really know that you love them and have committed yourself to spending the rest of your life with them but still haven't shared a simple kiss. Now I know they both said they prayed about this relationship and that they both felt it was right. I believe in the power of prayer and that it can help you make choices in your life, but I guess I just see the whole thing as a bit odd. A bit TOO conservative.

I dated other guys before Bob. I can tell you that I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted in a relationship by dating others so that when Bob came along, I knew that he was the right person for me. We lived together before we were married and so I REALLY knew that I could live with him and HE knew that he could live with me. We both agree that when our kids are older, that we will tell them to live with someone before making a life-long commitment and that they'll learn so much about the other person and themselves. Now I know that it's not the right choice for everyone and I wouldn't suggest it would work for everyone. And I'm certainly not suggesting that Josh and his fiance run out and have pre-marital sex, but I just don't see how a kiss before marriage, while engaged, is going to ruin their relationship or make it any less special. I mean, they're ENGAGED! Be happy! I don't see how a little peck on the lips would be inappropriate.

My BFF Michelle always says it must be scary for people who get married, move in with someone and lose their virginity on the same day. Each one of those things on their own is a lot to deal with, but to do it in JUST ONE DAY must be mind-blowing! But even then, most people who have saved themselves for marriage have at least kissed the person they are marrying.

I know this probably comes across as me advocating pre-marital sex for everyone. I am not. I respect people who choose to save themselves for marriage. It's an honorable choice, one that Josh and his fiance have thought about carefully and I'm sure they are very excited for their wedding day. I just have to say that first kiss better be really extra special because they've waited SO LONG for it! I know I could never wait and, obviously, I didn't!

A Break From All That Disney Business

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

Today I got to see another one of my friends from high school, Annette. She, her husband, Troy, and their son, Canyon are in town for LDS General Conference and to visit family and she was kind enough to set aside an afternoon to visit with me and my kids.

I met Annette in the eighth grade. I was 13-years old. That was forever ago, but the strange thing is, it doesn't FEEL like it was forever ago, but more like just a few years ago. I once read that there is a chemical in your brain that has an effect on how you perceive time and that the amount of that chemical starts changing around age 21 therefore giving you the sense that time is passing by more quickly than when you were a kid. That explains why school years were SO LONG when you were a kid and yet way TOO SHORT when your kids are the ones in school!

Anyway, so Annette and Canyon stopped by for a visit today for a few hours. We caught up on our families and our own lives while the kids played. I tried to get a picture, but Canyon was being a bit camera shy. It was so nice to catch up with her in person and not just by short emails. As she was getting ready to leave, Annette remarked on how I was lucky enough to get to see all of my high school friends in the last few months and I said, "Yeah, maybe next time we can get all four of us together in the same place at the same time." But with us having our own families and busy schedules, I'm thinking that won't happen for quite some time....but it's nice to dream, right?

Good Job Young Padawan

2008-10-06T06:00:00.002-06:00

While at Disneyland, Seth was selected from the audience to participate in the Jedi Training Academy. After being trained how to use a Lightsaber and using the Force for good, not evil, Seth got to try out his new skills on none other than Darth Vader himself!

And here's a short clip of him fighting Vader.

(Don't mind Bob's handy camera work, he was trying to watch the show, too.)

A Bunch of Characters

2008-10-05T00:05:00.001-06:00

As you know, we recently returned from a trip to the Disneyland Resort and the kids were able to meet a bunch of the characters from Disney movies (I think the only Princess Garrett didn't meet was Mulan). Below is a slide show of the kids and those characters. You'll notice Seth is not in some of them because he didn't want to be in the pictures. Oh, and the show is kind of long, so make sure you have about 15 minutes to spare.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

More pictures and, hopefully, videos to come soon!

California Dreamin' - Day 7

2008-10-04T00:15:00.003-06:00

We just got back from our last day at the parks. The kids (and parents!) are exhausted. We tried to ride all of our favorite rides again today, but both parks were really busy with lines about twice as long as they've been all week, so we didn't get to ride too many rides. The kids did get to meet Goofy and we caught a glimpse of Donald Duck.

We left the park for dinner and headed back to ride a few last rides and watch the fireworks show, but after a short delay, they finally cancelled the show due to high winds. The kids were so disappointed they were in tears. Sadly, the day didn't end on a high note, but I guess things are never perfect.

Well, tomorrow we head back home and THEN you'll get to see videos and pictures. You know, as soon as I sort them out. All 700 pictures or so. And I'm so not kidding about that.

California Dreamin' - Day 6

2008-10-02T21:35:00.003-06:00

Well, this trip of ours is nearing the end. Only one more day of fun before heading back home. But I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed with my own pillow. You all know how that is.

We spent most of the day at Disneyland re-riding a lot of the rides the kids love (tea cups, Matterhorn, rockets, Haunted Holiday Mansion) and a few of the rides we still hadn't been on. I took Garrett to the Princess Fantasy Faire where she met Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Pocahontas. I'm pretty sure that's all of the Princesses, but I may be wrong. She also got to meet Winnie the Pooh and Tiger, too. While we were in line to ride Pirates of the Caribbean again, Captain Jack Sparrow came walking by and Bob picked up Garrett so she could see and Captain Jack said, "Oh, please don't throw your children at me, I'm not catching them today!"

Then we headed back over to California Adventure so the kids could talk with Crush, the sea turtle. If you ever make it to California Adventure, I highly recommend going to this show, even if you don't have kids, it's really fun. Then we walked over to ride the new Toy Story interactive ride which was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be.

After the parks, we went to Downtown Disney where we ate at the ESPN Zone. Yeah, I'm sure you all know that was TOTALLY my idea. I'm not really sure what our plans are tomorrow morning (maybe a trip back to the beach?) but tomorrow evening, we'll be back at Disneyland to watch the Parade of Dreams and fireworks!

California Dreamin' - Day 5

2008-10-01T22:15:00.003-06:00

Wow! Five days in sunny and warm, no, make that steaming HOT California and we still have two more days of fun to go!

Today we headed back to California Adventure to catch the Playhouse Disney show. My friend, Dave, lives here in Southern California and his boyfriend, William, is one of the puppeteers for this show (although I don't think he was working today) and I haven't had the chance to meet up with Dave (I'm crossing my fingers for tomorrow!). Then Garrett and I headed into "A Bug's Life" land while Seth and Bob went to ride Soarin' Over California again. By this time it was so hot and the kids were so miserable, we decided to head over to Disneyland and get some ice cream.

After the ice cream, we thought it would be a good idea to check out some shows. On our way to Frontierland, we ran into Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, but the Captain was in a hurry, so we didn't get any pictures (maybe tomorrow). By the time we made our way back to see Woody's Halloween Round-up, they had closed it temporarily, so we made our way over to listen to Princess Jasmine tell her story of meeting Aladdin.

On our way over to Tomorrowland, we ran into Alice and the Mad Hatter. Alice walked over to Garrett and said, "Oh, I love your braids! Come, let's walk shall we?" and took Garrett's hand and walked her the rest of the way to Tomorrowland where she posed for a picture with Bob, Seth and the Mad Hatter. A few more rides in Tomorrowland, then a ride on the Jungle Cruise and we called it a night.

Tomorrow is our Magic Morning early entry day, so we'll be needing to get lots of sleep tonight!

California Dreamin' - Day 4

2008-09-30T22:28:00.003-06:00

It was yet another fun and exciting day for the Dobson's at Disneyland. We started off the day in Toon Town and took the kids on their first roller coaster (and I'm pretty sure it's the world's shortest coaster ever) and they got to meet Minnie Mouse.

Next we headed over to Fantasyland where we rode every ride there (even a few twice!) and we met Alice and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland. Garrett asked Alice, "Did you really follow the rabbit down the rabbit hole?" Alice replied, "I sure did follow that silly Rabbit all the way down the rabbit hole. I went down and down and down and it was a wonderful adventure!"

Then we headed over to Tomorrowland where during a "Jedi Training" show, Seth was one of the kids chosen out of the crowd to be a Padawan. First he had to learn how to use a Lightsaber (he was having some issues with his, so they gave him a new one) and then he got to fight Darth Vader! Seth thought it was so much fun and he even got his own Lightsaber.We spent the rest of the day riding more rides in Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.

Tomorrow: More fun and shows at California Adventure, then back to Disneyland to hit some of the other lands and catch some more shows.

California Dreamin' - Day 3

2008-09-29T22:20:00.002-06:00

Today was a wonderful day! We started out at California Adventure meeting Ariel and some of her friends for lunch. Seth was not very keen on spending a hour or so with some Princesses when he could be riding rides, so he wasn't in the best of moods, but Garrett was so excited!

We headed down a staircase where Garrett was able to meet Ariel herself. Ariel was very nice and even asked Seth if he would come and visit her, but he just shook his head no. Then we sat down for lunch which was actually pretty good (I'd heard it wasn't always good) and they've changed the menu from what I found on-line. It started out with an appetizer platter and salad, then lunch (Bob had chicken, I had steak and the kids had spaghetti and meatballs) and then a dessert platter. While we ate, the Princesses came around to greet each table. We were able to see Snow White, Jasmine, Belle and the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella. Garrett was wearing her own Cinderella dress, so the Fairy Godmother was most impressed. The Princesses were all so kind and sweet, letting us take plenty of pictures and videos and signing autographs for the kids. (Pictures and videos to come soon.) If you have young children who are interested in the characters, I highly recommend one of the character meals. They may be pricey, but when you see your child's eyes light up, it's totally worth it. I had tears in my eyes all morning.

After lunch, we started riding the rides. First up: the giant ferris wheel. The kids picked a swinging gondola and about half-way through the ride, Seth said he felt sick, but luckily, nothing came of it (if you know what I mean). Then we went on a few more tame rides. I wanted to go on Soarin' over California (which is a ride that makes you feel like you're flying over areas in California) but Garrett wasn't tall enough, so Seth and I got FastPass tickets for later. Then Seth said he wanted to ride the elevator ride (The Tower of Terror) so he and Bob got in line while Garrett and I went to catch a show. The show ended up being wonderful because afterwards, Garrett got to meet Woody from Toy Story, Cinderella and Mickey Mouse.

The show ended just around the time Seth and Bob got off the "elevator" ride which Seth, surprise!, didn't like at all. Yeah, I don't like 13 story drops...over and over...either, kid. Then I told Seth it was time to go ride Soarin' with me, so Bob took Garrett to get a treat. Seth was really excited to ride Soarin' until I locked his seat belt and then he started to cry. He said he didn't want to be dropped again. I told him it wasn't that kind of ride and once it started he LOVED it. Afterwards, he couldn't wait to take Bob on the ride with him.

By this time, California Adventure was close to closing, so we hopped on over to Disneyland. We headed right for Pirates of the Caribbean but the ride was broken, so we went over to the Haunted Holiday Mansion, all decked out in The Nightmare Before Christmas garb. Seth was a little unsure about this ride, but Garrett sure liked it. We then rode a few other rides before heading over to Pirates, which was working again. Then we decided to call it a night.

On our way back to the hotel, I asked Seth what he liked and he said the flying ride, but not the elevator ride and when I asked if he like Pirates he said, "Uh, it was just okay." So there you have it, folks, Pirates is "just okay."

Tomorrow: More fun at Disneyland.

California Dreamin' - Day 2

2008-09-28T21:24:00.003-06:00

The kids decided to start the day off early at 6:30 am. Don't they understand this is a vacation and you get to sleep in on vacation? Obviously not. So I got up with them and let Bob sleep in since it's pretty rare that he gets to sleep in. While Bob was sleeping, I decided to take a shower and told the kids to just watch TV (it was on the Disney channel) but when I got out of the shower a movie was on. A Pay-Per-View movie. Seth said he was trying to change the channel. Well, that was an expensive channel change kid!

After we got some breakfast, we had a couple of hours to kill so we headed West.....all the way to the beach. It was really foggy so you couldn't see very far and the water was cold, but Seth wanted to play in the ocean and that's what he did. He kept running from and jumping over the waves. Garrett thought the water was too cold, so she just played in the sand and collected sea shells. After the beach, we headed up the Pacific Coast Highway on our way to Long Beach and the Aquarium of the Pacific but not without a pit stop at an In-and-Out Burger with some fries Animal Style. Yummy!

We then headed up to the aquarium where we met up with my Uncle Skip, cousin Tyler and his girlfriend Mel. Sadly, my cousin Autumn couldn't make it. I don't have many cousins, but by far these cousins are the closest. Autumn is just a few weeks older than I am and Tyler is just a few weeks older than my brother, Brad (they are the children of my mother's sister). It was always so much fun hanging out with them when we were kids and I think the last time I saw them I was (gulp) nineteen-years old, so that was 15 years ago. They are exactly the same! So much fun and so sweet. Seth and Garrett clearly took a liking to their Uncle Skip and he was so eager to lift them up so they could see the fish or help them touch the sting rays (and Seth's reaction to touching a sting ray was to pull his arm back and elbow Skip in the nose; sorry about that Uncle Skip!). After the aquarium, we headed over to Tyler's favorite BBQ joint, Lucille's. It was SO GOOD! And after dinner, it was time for us to say goodbye. It was so good to see family and I hope we don't wait another 15 years to see each other again!

Our plans tomorrow are to head over to California Adventure and have lunch with the princesses at Ariel's Grotto. We've already purchased our autograph books, charged the cameras and we're ready to go have fun!

California Dreamin' - Day 1

2008-09-27T18:49:00.005-06:00

Our day started off by getting on a flight to LAX. We arrived at the SLC International Airport and it was crazy busy. The line to get through security was SO LONG, but thankfully, Bob is a Platinum Medallion member with Delta, so we were able to use the "First Class/Medallion" security screening line which allowed us to just walk right up and go through the security check. I guess there is a silver lining to all of Bob's traveling!

The kids thought the plane ride was really fun. Although once we got to cruising altitude, Garrett asked how much longer until we landed. We're not even in the car and she's asking, "Are we there yet?" I asked Seth if flying was a fun as he thought it was going to be and he said, "No, it was funner." Yeah, we're still working on proper grammar.

Once we finally got our rental car, we headed over to check-in at our hotel. I'm not sure if it was Bob's boss or his friend Chris and his cohorts, but some one must have mentioned something to the hotel to "treat us right" because when we walked into our room, there was a welcome basket of goodies for all of us and some stuffed animals from Finding Nemo for the kids. They thought it was so wonderful, they didn't want to leave. I told Bob, "Who needs Disneyland, we could have just booked a suite in SLC and got the kids some new toys! It probably would be cheaper."

Eventually we convinced the kids that there is more to this vacation than our hotel room and we headed out for a late lunch and then over to Downtown Disney. The LA version is not like the DisneyWorld Downtown Disney, but they have a HUGE Disney store. We purchased autograph/photo albums for the kids and Garrett picked out a new Princess bracelet. The kids also got to help put some Lego blocks together that they are using to build a gigantic R2D2 and Seth picked out a Lego helicopter at the Lego store.

We're back at the hotel now since we have a busy day planned tomorrow. We're going to the Aquarium of the Pacific with my Uncle Skip and cousin Tyler who I haven't seen in nearly 15 years. How sad is that? I'm so excited.

I know it's been years since I've been out to California, but I don't remember it being so humid. But other than that, the weather is great. Well, except for all the smog. Even one of Utah's worst days of inversion doesn't look this nasty.

Here is a (very bad) video of the kids and our hotel room. I hope you enjoy it (with my apologizes).

Twitterpated

2008-09-26T10:15:00.002-06:00

So I was having some issues trying to get mobile blogging set up (yes, I'm cell phone-challenged) and my good friend Anjie said, "Why don't you just use Twitter?" Genius! So I set up an account on Twitter and finally figured out how to add it to my blog. (I'm not blog-challenged, it just kept coming up with all this extra junk and I couldn't figure out how to get rid of it.) So now I'll be Twittering while on vacation because I know you all want to know exactly how I feel after I've been standing in line for an hour just to ride Dumbo.

Busy Bee

2008-09-25T09:38:00.006-06:00

Most of you know we're getting ready to head off to California in search of adventure, princesses and R.O.U.S.es (Rodents of Unusual Size -- anyone?), so things are kind of crazy here at the Dobson house. (Okay, so when it is NOT crazy?!) I'm hoping that I won't be too tired after traipsing around Disneyland and California Adventure to blog about it, so keep checking back to see if there are updates and, hopefully, pictures.

In the meantime, enjoy this clip from David Letterman.
(Don't forget to pause the music player before launching the video.)

Binkies, Bottles and Babies

2008-09-22T19:46:00.006-06:00

This past Saturday, I threw a baby shower for my BFF, Michelle. You see, she was kind enough to throw me my baby shower when I was expecting Seth and then Michelle's mother beat me to the punch when it came time for Michelle's bridal shower. So I told Michelle that in no uncertain terms, when the time came, the baby shower was mine. And I waited FIVE years to host this shindig. Five long years.

The shower started out with food and drinks (non-alcoholic, of course, because that's just cruel to taunt the Guest of Honor with drinks she cannot partake of), then we moved on to a few games and then the best part - PRESENTS! Here are a few pictures of the event:

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I'd also like to give an extra special thanks to Barbi, because she came over early to help me clean and set up, during the party she helped clean up lunch, set up dessert, timed the games and took photos. I couldn't have paid for better help and she did it out of the kindness of her heart. Thanks a million, Barbi! I owe you one.

Kind of Creepy and Kind of Cool

2008-09-19T12:18:00.007-06:00

If you live in Utah, I'm sure you've seen the advertisements for Body Worlds. If you haven't, it's an exhibition of real human bodies, preserved by a process called Plastination where they remove the water and replace it with a plastic that preserves it perfectly (they also de-fat the bodies, as if that doesn't sound gross). Then they place the preserved bodies in a range of poses like gymnastics and dance moves to sitting or leaning back and so forth. They basically remove most of the skin so you can see the muscles and tendons and they even open up some bodies so you can see organs and brain and some of the exhibits are just preserved body parts or slices of the body.

I'm totally intrigued and also totally creeped out that these are real bodies that people donated specifically for this exhibit. Most of the skin on the faces has been removed, so it doesn't seem "real" but knowing that it is real is what freaks me out. I'm pretty sure that eventually, I'm going to be interested enough to venture downtown and check out this exhibit. Does anybody out there want to go with me....and hold my hand?

Ouch!

2008-09-18T09:11:00.004-06:00

Yesterday I took the kids to get flu shots. Or as Seth calls them "pinches." Seth asked why we were going to the doctor and I said he needed to get a flu vaccine. He realized that means a pinch, so he was not very pleased. When we were checking in at the office, Seth was visibly upset. Garrett walked over to him, softly put her hand on his back and said, "It's okay, Seth. You don't have to get a pinch." I said, "Actually, he does. And so do you." (I'm not one for "surprising" my kids, I'd rather they know what to expect.)

We walked into the room and the nurse asked who wanted to go first. Seth volunteered Garrett. The nurse asked Seth to go pick out a sticker while Garrett got her shot. Since Garrett wasn't quite sure what was going to happen, she was very cooperative. As soon as the nurse gave her the shot, Garrett looked at me like, "What the hell?" and then smiled. That was it. No tears. No whimper. She got up and when she saw Seth she said, "It didn't hurt. I didn't cry." And off she went to pick out a sticker and get a sucker.

Then it was Seth's turn. He told the nurse, "I don't want to get a pinch!" And we explained that this little pinch is just so he doesn't get really sick later. The nurse asked if he wanted to lay down, sit down or sit on Mom's lap. He said, "I want to sit on my mom's lap." So he did, I held his hands and it was over before he realized it. Then he started laughing and said, "That wasn't so bad."

Yes, I do realize there is nasal spray vaccine, but the nurses had no idea how much it was or if our insurance would cover it (they did say that most insurances won't or will only cover a portion of it) and our insurance covers 100% the cost of the shot, so that is why they got a shot instead of the spray. Call me a mean Mommy, but that's why we have insurance.

Differences in Going to School

2008-09-17T12:10:00.005-06:00

Every morning when I take Seth to school, he gets out of the car, puts on his back pack, walks to the sidewalk, then looks back at me, blows me a kiss and waves goodbye.

Every morning when I take Garrett to school, she cannot wait to get her seat belt off, practically jumps out of the car, puts her back pack on as she's running down the sidewalk, walks into preschool and never bothers to look back at me or say or wave goodbye.

Funny thing is, she has always been, and pretty much still is, a "Mama's Girl." Who'd of thought she'd be the one going to school so willingly and with so much excitement and not really missing her mama all that much? I'm not complaining. I just really thought she'd be the one clinging to my leg and crying as teacher pulled her away and told me "She'll be fine." (Seth did that just once.) But she's not. And I'm proud of her for that.

Palin and Clinton Address the Nation

2008-09-15T00:30:00.002-06:00

Because she didn't want it enough. Enjoy!

P.S. You'll have to pause the music on the Project Playlist player on the right side of the blog to hear the dialog.

Lions, Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

2008-09-14T08:58:00.003-06:00

Yesterday, Bob's company held it's annual Summer Party at Hogle Zoo. It was held in the late afternoon/early evening and include dinner and unlimited rides on the train and carousel. Also, the zoo closes at 6 pm, but we got to stay until 8:30 pm so the zoo was pretty empty except for our private party and one other private party. It was such a nice change to visit the park in the evening because the weather was nice and cool and the animals were very active. The kids had a great time and so did we, especially since I got to see a bunch of my old work friends and see countless cute babies - both the human and zoo animal varieties.

Here's a slide show of our visit. Please excuse the sometimes blurry pictures (I had my camera on the wrong setting) and some unfortunately dirty glass at some of the exhibits.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Another Great Move by the Utah Legislature

2008-09-13T10:56:00.010-06:00

You may be aware of the new liquor restrictions passed by the Utah State Legislature earlier this year, but if you're not, let me catch you up. Starting October 1st, grocery and convenience stores will no longer be allowed to sell flavored malt beverages such as Smirnoff Ice or Mike's Hard Lemonade or beers with flavorings like lime or raspberry. The law was brought into effect because of fear that the so-called "alcohol pops" (which is a term someone who obviously doesn't drink coined because no one I know had ever heard the term until someone in the legislature brought it up) were enticing minors to drink, that minors aren't smart enough to realize that these drinks contain alcohol. The State Attorney General claims the law is in place because the "alcohol pops" flavoring comes from distilled spirits, which by State law, must be sold in State liquor stores (but the amount is negligible at 0.22 ounces). Governor Huntsman signed it into law as a compromise to allow for 1.5 ounce liquor in mixed drinks available at bars from the previous 1 ounce pour, an effort to make tourist happier with Utah's whacked out liquor laws.

The way I see it is that instead of restricting these drinks from minors as the Legislatures hopes, it's only going to drive them to get alcohol from the State run liquor stores (where you can purchase higher alcohol content drinks than the 3.2% currently available at grocery and convenience stores). Let's be honest, kids that are drinking flavored malt beverages are doing so because they KNOW it has alcohol and, I agree, that to a teenager, it's probably more palatable than beer, but kids who want to drink will drink beer or whatever else that's readily available. If these kids want something that is more palatable to them, they'll just have the adult who is purchasing alcohol for them buy it at the State liquor store, you know, where the drinks have a higher alcohol content. And adults are now going to be forced to make a trip to the State liquor store to purchase any alcoholic drink other than beer so I doubt many will opt to purchase a 3.2% flavored malt beverage (at a 85% markup no less) but instead will buy something else with more "bang for their buck" if you know what I mean. Also, the State is requiring new labels for these beverages to be sold in State liquor stores and, last I heard, not one of the companies had complied, which means they most likely won't even be sold in the State liquor stores, at least not anytime soon. Which brings up the fact that that's A LOT of lost tax revenue for the state whether these drinks are sold at traditional stores or State liquor stores.

Now I'm a responsible drinker but many others are not, and now those people will be getting drinks with more alcohol at bars or liquors with higher alcohol content at the State liquor store. I won't purchase alcohol for minors, but there others who do, and now the minors they are buying alcohol for, you know, those same kids who are KNOWINGLY drinking alcohol, usually for the sole purpose of getting drunk, are going to have access to those same liquors with more alcohol. Something tells me that this law wasn't completely thought out nor did the writers bother to talk to anyone who actually drinks alcoholic beverages. In this State, it's seems like it's always about restricting people's access to what some see an inappropriate.

Read the Salt Lake Tribune's article regarding the sale of Flavored Malt Beverages here.

Because One is Not Enough

2008-09-12T09:56:00.004-06:00

Many of you know that my husband, Bob, is a HUGE football fan. Bob's Facebook account profile picture is a Ute football helmet. His favorite team is the Detroit Lions, which really doesn't make any sense since we don't live in Detroit and Bob has never lived or even visited Detroit, but since he was a kid, his favorite team has been the Lions. His ring tone on his phone (or at least it used to be before his phone died) is the music to Monday Night Football (dun dun dun DUN!). Yeah, imagine THAT going off at 3 am. Come on, I dare you. Yeah, it's THAT annoying. Well, at least for ME it is. Bob even has several Fantasy Football teams. If he could, he would watch football all day on Sunday, then catch Monday Night Football, and any game in between. It doesn't matter if it's college or professional football, as long as he can watch it, it's a good day in Bob's World.

Well, last night Seth was upstairs playing when I called him down for dinner and as he walked down the stairs he was singing, "Are you ready for some football?" You know, the old Hank Williams, Jr theme to Monday Night Football. Bob just grinned ear to ear while I thought, "Because one football fanatic is not enough in this house...."

In all seriousness though, I really don't mind that Bob likes Football. It doesn't take over his life and if we need to go somewhere or do something, Bob has no problem turning off the TV. The only exception is when the Lions play, and since we only get to see a few games a year, I'm happy to let him watch it in it's entirety. And it makes him happy on Thanksgiving because he can watch football instead of hanging out with my crazy family. (That's the crazy family that I adore!) But now that Seth is showing an interest in football, I guess Garrett and I are going to have to find something really girly to do on Sundays....like go shopping!! I think we TOTALLY got the better end of this deal.

We Remember

2008-09-11T07:40:00.007-06:00

In honor of all who lost their lives seven years ago.

In honor of all brave enough to run in when others were running out.

In honor of all who fought back.

In honor of all who have to continue on without their loves ones.

We remember. We will never forget.

Another Visit with Another Old Friend

2008-09-08T12:13:00.004-06:00

In high school, I had three best friends: Carrie, Brixen and Annette. We were pretty much inseparable. I met Annette in Eighth grade and I met Carrie in Ninth grade. Carrie was already friends with Brixen and so we all introduced each other to another and that was it - the beginning of life-long friendships. I still keep in contact with Carrie on a regular basis through email and occasional phone calls (and you may recall her visit here to Salt Lake a few weeks ago). I don't get to talk to Annette much (she's always doing something to keep her busy) and Brixen is so busy with school, that she barely has time for herself these days.

Brixen is currently attending nursing school in Montana where she and her husband just purchased a new home - their first home. However, yesterday Brixen was on her way home from visiting her family in southern Utah and she had a short layover here at the SLC airport, so I picked her up and we went and got a drink and chatted for about an hour or so. Even though our visit wasn't very long and it's been three years since I've seen her (her last visit was shortly after Garrett was born), it was just like old times...the kind of visit where you just pick up right where you left off.

Next up is a visit from Annette. She is living in Texas with her husband, a Chaplin in the U.S. Army, and their three-year old son. They are coming to Utah in October and hopefully she won't be too busy with family and we can squeeze in a quick visit. Believe it or not, it's been three years since I've seen her, too. How odd that I'd go three years without seeing any of my oldest friends only to get to see all of them over the course of a two-month time period.

I guess being such close friends in high school is what has made us all stay in touch over the years. I know I'm so lucky to have such good, life-long friends. And even though I haven't been friends with some of you since High School, I hope you all know that I consider you life-long friends, too, and I hope that we'll be able to stay in touch for the rest of my life!! Thanks to all of you for being so wonderful and supportive.

I'm Stuffed

2008-09-06T20:35:00.005-06:00

You know if I said that I was "stuffed" while in Australia, I would be announcing a pregnancy. And that is SO not the case. But my belly is full after a delightful dinner of Greek food, courtesy of the Greeks at the Utah Greek Festival.

Bob and I have been attending the annual festival since we met 12 years ago. The food is always good (although each year it gets a little more expensive, we look past the cost because the festival is only held once a year) and we've now learned the ins and outs of attending the festival (get your food to go!) and what to get (gyros) and what to pass on (squid).

I was going to take a picture of all my yummy food, but by the time we got home, I was so hungry I just sat right down and ate and ate and ate. Only to realize after the fact that, oops, I forgot to take a picture. Oh well. You'll have to trust me that it looked as good as it tasted.

What was on the menu today? Well a gyro, dolmathes, pilafi, souvlakia, spanakopitakia, kalamata olives, baklava, macaroons, kourambiedes and, of course, loukoumathes. No trip to the Greek Festival would be complete without some loukoumathes.

Excuse me, my mouth is watering....

Barackin' the Vote

2008-09-04T21:13:00.010-06:00

Now that both Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin have given their acceptance speeches, I feel the need to say my peace....for the time being at least.

Really, I just wanted to talk about Sarah Palin. I'm not even sure where to start....how about with her family. I'm not about to accuse her of being a "bad mother" or blame her for her teenage daughter's pregnancy. Lord knows her daughter is not the first, nor will she be the last, pregnant teenager and parents are not to blame for their teenager's choice to have premarital sex and I'm glad to hear that they are offering her and her new fiance their support. I don't think Palin is a "bad mother" for choosing to work instead of being at home raising her children. I'm sure she can manage both her career and family (and she says her husband will be Mr. Mom). I would like to think that in this day and age, men and women would realize that it is possible for both sexes to work outside of the home AND have a happy family life, too. I praise Obama for putting her family as "off limits" in regard to his campaign.

When Chelsea Clinton spoke of her mother at the DNC, she mentioned that her mother put 18 million cracks in the proverbial glass ceiling. So Hillary wasn't the first woman to receive a major political party's nomination for President, but she was damn close. Then McCain picks Palin to be his running mate and they claim that this "shattered" that glass ceiling. Maybe to the GOP it did, but do you recall a woman named Geraldine Ferraro? She was the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee in 1984. 1984 people!! Let's give credit where credit is due and it's not due to Sarah Palin or John McCain or the GOP. I would like to think that any woman who supported Hillary's campaign for the Presidency would be smart enough to realize that Palin and Clinton are nothing alike and that you shouldn't vote for some one simply because of their sex. But I don't think the GOP is giving women the benefit of the doubt to figure that out for themselves, but instead is saying, "Look at us! We nominated a woman. Vote for her! She's got cute shoes!"

Now let's talk about Palin in her role as a government leader. Do I think she's ready to assume the Presidency if McCain is elected and dies while in office? Hell no. What experience does she have? She was in the PTA, a mayor of a small town and Governor of Alaska for less than two years. And the Republicans have the nerve to call Obama inexperienced. Seriously?? What does she bring to the table? She's ultra conservative, pro-life, opposes same-sex marriage, supports the war in Iraq and calls it "God's plan." She's the ideal Republican to be McCain's running mate because some call McCain too moderate for the GOP. Oh, and she has a vagina. Let's not forget that!

Shannon over at Just Breathe had this link on her blog and I thought it was hilarious: Palin raises millions - for Obama

I know this didn't come out as eloquent as I'd like, but that's the way I feel. Even though I live in one of the reddest states in the nation, I'll still cast my ballot and so come November, I'll be Barackin' the vote. And I hope you'll join me.

Obama '08

*I know this is a sensitive issue and not every one agrees, but I welcome your comments either way.

Videos, Videos and Even MORE Videos

2008-09-01T15:15:00.014-06:00

This weekend VH1 Classic ran 80 Hours of 80's videos. And it was awesome. Rad. Bitchin'. Totally tripendiculuar, don'tcha know? Like fer sure! It was a weekend trip down memory lane...videos that I haven't seen in years, some I've never seen before, guys with too short shorts , guys that looked like Joey Buttafuoco, girls with big hair, acid wash jeans, and lace gloves. God, the 80's were great!

However, this trip down memory lane reminded me of the time my sister, Kim, and my friends Annette, Brixen and Holly and I went to the filming of a music video. I doubt any of you remember the rock band FireHouse, they had a couple of hits here in the states in the early 90's and, apparently, they are still making music and doing well overseas. Well, in September 1991 they decided to film a music video at the O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in Springdale and we already knew a few of their songs and thought it would be fun to be at the filming of a video that would be played on MTV and, possibly, even be IN the video, so we headed down to Springdale.

If you haven't ever been to a music video filming, let me tell you that even if you don't know the song (and likely, you won't because it hasn't been released as a single yet) you WILL by the end of the shoot because they play the song over and over and over and over. The song/video is called All She Wrote and I swore that if I never heard that song again, it would be too soon. Thankfully, it was a good three months before the song was released as a single, but even then, we were over it. (On a side note, as I was watching the video I realized I STILL know all the words to the song.) So the shoot started out being a lot of fun with screaming and dancing and all sorts of excitement with a packed house of teenagers eager and hopeful to be caught on film (I know my sister was friends with some of the girls that got close-ups). However, near the end of the taping, more than half the crowd had left and it was hard to fake excitement for a band and a song you had no desire to ever hear again. I'm pretty sure we left even before they finished. I do recall we were sitting on the right side about one-fourth of the way up but there weren't any shots used in the video that are close enough for you to pick us out. But, as usual, it wasn't so much the band or the music that was fun that night, it was just hanging out with friends.

Here are some (bad) photos to prove that I really was there (and be sure to watch the video here):

Filming the video early in the day.

Some of my high school friends: Brixen, Holly and Annette. (Hey Barbi, guess what brand of pants Annette is wearing? Yes, that's right! Girbauds! And they are pegged.)

My sister (in black). Kim, don't hate me for posting this picture! I have no idea who the guy is but here's an interesting twist, the girl in the peach colored dress sitting next to Kim is now married to Kim's ex-husband and is the step-mother to her boys. Small towns, ladies and gentlemen. Small towns.

Later that night, still more filming.

What a fun memory. Thanks for coming along with me.

Noises in the Night

2008-08-29T16:01:00.004-06:00

Last night at approximately 3:30 am I was awakened by a loud crash in my house. After about 15 seconds, I realized that it was just the shampoo, shaving cream, etc, falling out of the shower caddy and onto the shower floor (you see, every once in a great while, the caddy slips down the shower head and kersplat!). Once I realized that I knew what happened, I threw the covers back so I could get out of bed to clean it up, but Bob quickly grabbed my arm as if to say, "Wait!! I'll go check it out! I don't want you to get hurt." And then just as quickly, he removed his hand from my arm as if to say, "On second thought, why don't YOU go check it out and if you need me, just scream and I'll call 911" Thanks, honey. Love you, too.

As Soon As the Sun Sets Behind the High Rise

2008-08-28T09:00:00.002-06:00

Yesterday afternoon, I was instant messaging a friend of mine, Nicole. Otherwise known as "Crap Bag," CB for short. I met Nicole through MOMS Club and it was just in the last several months that I really got the chance to get to know her. And then she had the nerve to move away to Lost Wages.

Let me tell you a little about CB. She's tall, skinny, and beautiful. You know, your basic nightmare. I know, I know, how could I be friends with such a person? Well, here's the kicker...she's one of the nicest people you'd ever have the privilege to know, she's super funny, she gives nicknames to everyone (mine is Giggles) and she loves her friends and family more than anything and would do anything for them. So as much as you'd like to hate her for being practically perfect, you just can't. That's Nicole.

Nicole has a little girl she calls "G" and G looks strikingly like my daughter, Garrett. Lots of people have commented on how closely they resemble each other and some have gone as far as to assume they are twins. In our conversation yesterday, CB mentioned that she loved me because "our girls both came from [my] womb." I told her it was the easiest twin delivery I never had.

Now obviously I don't know Nicole as well as some of the other ladies in MOMS Club. But in our messaging, here's what she had to say about some of them...

Me: [Are you] missing everyone like crazy? I know Anjiepants is missing you like mad.

CB: I can't talk about Anja... When I think about her, I tear up. She was and IS my rock. I never realized that I would miss and love her this much.

Later she mentioned that she loved the fact that Anjie misses her and I said...

Me: And Allison and Kelly and Holly and me....

CB: You all are obligated [to love me]...... I love each person that you just named, and you all have to suffer through my love for you.

Then she demanded that I have more CB posts on my blog. I told her I would write a post especially for her, but that she needed to comment otherwise I'd come down to LV and kick her ass. She said she wouldn't comment just so I would come down and when I come I have to bring floaties, brownies and Anjiepants. I told her I would and she called me her "Oprah."

So, CB, I just wanted to reiterate to you, that it's not an obligation for any of us to miss or love you, it's our privilege and our honor. You're a wonderful woman with a beautiful family and we're so bummed you had to move, but now we have a reason to come to Vegas. And if we bring the kids, we'll be sure to take them to the homeless shelter/strip club/children's museum.

With love,
Giggles

Budding Photographer

2008-08-27T15:04:00.002-06:00

When Carrie and her family were visiting, Seth wanted to take his own photographs, so I gave him my old point-and-shoot digital camera and let him go for it. He ended up with lots of unusable photos, a few interesting ones and a few that were strikingly like the photos that Raymond took that are shown at the end of the movie Rainman. And I like those photos at the end of the movie.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Friendly Visit

2008-08-25T17:34:00.003-06:00

Our visit with Carrie and her family went well. We didn't end up going to the zoo or the children's museum, we just hung out and spent time together. Which is good because it's been three years since we've seen each other! The kids played and played and played. And I've already promised Carrie that next time it's our turn to visit her which means a trip to Alaska for us!

So I didn't take a "million" pictures, but here are some for your viewing pleasure.....

slideshow - Powered by Smilebox" src="http://www.smilebox.com/globalImages/blogInstructions/blogLogoSmileboxSmall.gif" width=386>

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Plans

2008-08-24T07:12:00.004-06:00

My very good, very dear and very old friend (no, she's not old, our friendship is old), Carrie and her family, husband Jomo, daughters Chloe and Ava and even Carrie's mom, Marsha, are visiting for a couple of days. Carrie and I met in ninth grade when we were the only two freshmen in a sophomore biology class and we've been friends ever since. Folks, that was 20 years ago. Maybe we ARE old!!

Anyway, our plans today include Hogle Zoo, the Gateway Discovery Museum and dinner. But together we have four kids ages five and under, so we'll just have to see if our plans work out. Who knows, we may end up just hanging out at the pool. And that would be fun, too.

I'm sure I'll take a million pictures, so slide show tomorrow!

And on the Opposite End of the Spectrum

2008-08-21T12:20:00.004-06:00

My last post was regarding Seth claiming he was "too sick" to go to school, but not sick enough to miss having fun with his friends. But Garrett is just the opposite. She LOVES going to school. L-O-V-E loves it! Every day she wakes up and asks, "Mom, is it a school day for me?" When I tell her it is, her eyes light up, she smiles and says, "YES! It's a school day!" And when I tell her it's not a school day, she instantly starts crying, saying, "But I want to go to school!! How come I can't go to school today?" She even cries when we drop Seth off and we don't immediately go to preschool because it doesn't start for another hour. She just cries, "But it's a school day! I'm ready to go to school!" I feel so bad that she's upset, but really, I'm just so happy she loves school. My wish is that it will always remain that way. And don't tell me that's not possible, because I was one of those kids that actually liked school and only on the rare occasion did I ever not want to go. There's hope for my daughter yet!