Odds and Ends

Just a little housekeeping of interesting things/photos that don't really merit an entire, stand-alone post.

Upon hearing a pitiful crying "Mama, mama, help me," I came into the living room to discover: Nate stuck in one of the boy's shoe boxes.

If only I'd known it was THAT type of container earlier.

Jacob has invented a poor man's snorkel.

Warning: Relying upon two straws stuck together to breath underwater is inherently dangerous, because said straws leak. Dangers include, but are not limited to, choking, gasping, swallowing water, drowning, brain damage, and even death. (No worries, Jake is still with us.)


In the more recent windstorm, these neighbors weren't as lucky as they were the last time.

Neither were these neighbors.

Having grown up here, we know this area can get some seriously high winds. But we are all in agreement that this spring has had more high windstorms than any other we can recall. Of course we are blaming global warming. And also President Bush.

Since I was at my 7:30 am meeting, Dan got the boys ready all by himself, AND had time to take pictures, AND was seated in the chapel early.
Hip Hip Hooray for Daddy! He's the best!

I'm Speechless

When Dan and I were newlyweds, we moved into a BYU married ward and met another couple, Jason and Robin. Jason and Dan had lived in the same dorm freshman year, and Robin and I clicked, so we became couple friends.

We'd get together for dinners (I always knew the food would be good when Robin was cooking!), and to watch BYU football or volleyball. Eventually, we each graduated and moved on from our first apartment complex, but we managed to follow each other around the country a bit.

When we lived in Sunnyvale, Jason and Robin were in San Francisco, so we got together for dinners (memorable time at a Thai restaurant where the servers teased Jason and Dan for being "girls" because they wanted "not spicy" dinners), cruises down Castro Street, and other events. They came down for Gabe's blessing and Jason stood in. We should have done more together because we always had the best times, but you know how busy schedules can be.

In August 2005, Jason and Robin came to visit us in Nevada. Jason had just started his dental practice in Sacramento. We had a wonderful visit, including getting to meet the darling Hailey. Robin and Jason thoroughly enjoyed our local legend "El Charros." It was great to catch up again, and we planned more visits in Sacramento.

At the end of August, Robin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. She updated her journey on her website, and as a result, she was able to share her brave fight and her wonderful spirit with many people. Last Friday, Robin lost her battle.

As we've been checking her website daily for funeral arrangement information, tonight I saw this link: Last Mementos of Cancer Victim Stolen from Family Car.

I'm speechless.

Just Thinking . . .

Tomorrow night is a fund-raising dinner at the Governor's Mansion for "Food for Thought," a local charity started by a PTA mom at Gabe's school. From what I understand, based upon the fliers, the charity provides easy meals for the weekend to "homeless children" within the school district (it started at Gabe's school and has grown). There is no registration or background check, as far as I can tell from the divulged information, but needy children are discreetly provided with a sack of food on Friday. Whether the children themselves just decide to go get it, or whether the teachers recommend particular children, I'm not certain.

But the point of this post is that we will not be attending, even though it would be fun to see the Mansion up close. And it's not just because we are already huge contributors to the Save the Boys' Vision Family Fund. It's because I'm not comfortable supporting this particular charity. My reasons?

1. The school district already provides breakfast and lunch five days a week for children. Is asking parents to feed their children two days out of the week seriously asking too much of them?

2. But you insist, these children are homeless. Really? The tomato-licker wasn't homeless, but he received his sack of Friday food (and we also smelled the BBQs his parents held in their backyard). Does renting a house make a child homeless? I think not. I also don't think living in a hotel/motel makes a child homeless. Sucky, yes, but there is a roof (plus free HBO and a kitchenette). Maybe the charity uses the term "homeless" very loosely, but I'm still not swayed. I don't appreciate the dramatic over-exaggeration.

3. Okay, even if the kids aren't technically living in cardboard, they still are very poor and there is no food for them to eat over the weekends. Pardon me, but isn't this a situation where food stamps should be used? Aren't there federal and state programs and soup kitchens and churches that could help for a couple days? Aren't my taxes already paying for such programs?

4. Well, they have food stamps, but the parents are so strung out on meth that there is never any food in the house. This one really gets me. I understand there is a meth epidemic in our area. But if the parents are using so much that they are unable to provide basic needs for their children, isn't that a situation in which children should be removed from the home? By providing food to the children, aren't we enabling the parents to perpetuate their neglect?

I realize this makes me sound a bit scroogey. I certainly don't want to see children suffer and go hungry (unless they are my own who have refused once again to eat the delectable meal I slaved over for them). I read The Glass Castle; I certainly don't want children eating out of trash bins. But I still can't bring myself to support this charity.

Am I a scrooge?

Number 3 Turns Three!

Last Thursday our third son Nate turned three years old!

Nate thoroughly enjoyed his presents--carefully selecting the next package to unwrap and appreciatively admiring each gift. He enjoyed celebrating with his brothers and cousins Sam and Anne.

He also burst into tears periodically whenever someone wished him a "Happy Birthday." I think it's because his older brothers told him now that he was three he would wear big boy underwear and go to school and miss mom.

Nate requested chocolate cake with whipped cream, so he got "Better than S*#" cake. Turns out he doesn't like crushed Heath bars. Oops. Guess you've got to be older than 3 to appreciate this cake. :) When first asked what type of cake he wanted for his birthday, Nate insisted on pancakes. So, that's what we had for dinner. Also, whenever Nate sings "Happy Birthday," he ends the song with a big "Whew!" to blow out the candles. Finally he got to put it to use.

Because Nate is one of the most photogenic babies we've ever had, I'm including some of our favorite shots of him for your viewing pleasure. Indulge me.

Spring 2005.

Cousin Cooper (1.5 mos.) and Nate (3 mos.), July 2005.

(Not an entirely fair representation, since Cooper was born six weeks early and Nate is, well, one of our boys.) FYI, Nate has 5 boy cousins born within 6 months of him, 4 of them within 2 months of his birthday. MTC, beware.

Cruising in his crib, Fall 2005.

Nate and cousin Owen, Christmas 2005.

Fall 2005.

Nate and cousin Isaac, Spring 2006.

More spring 2006.

A couple of my favorite boys, Summer 2006.

Say cheese!

If only he was this cute during Church.

His first trike, Christmas 2006.

We offered him as a sacrifice. T-Rex wasn't interested.

Determination. Hiking the Spooner Lake 2.5 mile loop, Spring 2007.

My little surfer boy. August 2007.

Lil' Stinker, Halloween 2007.

It's almost like he knows how darling he is. March, 2008.

Gone Country?

My husband has eclectic tastes in music. His ipod includes artists from Sarah McLachlan to The Beastie Boys. He didn't have much interest in country music (unless Dan Fogelberg and Crosby, Stills, & Nash from the 70s counts), until I came along.

I like to think I helped him to go country. I mean, this is our song. Recently he went so far as to buy this song from itunes without me first requesting it.

However, he's not completely converted. In fact, we have a serious disagreement about this song.


He says it's everything he hates about country music.

I say it makes me happy, even if it is a bit hokie. Maybe it's because I think tractors are sexy, or maybe it's because I'm a former 4-H president. From the comments on YouTube, it appears we are not the only ones with strong reactions to this song.

So I'm wondering, what do you think? Whose side are you on?