My Life in the Car

When I was a teenager, my family took a vacation to Sea World.   

Since I was in the self-obsessed, world revolves around me 
stage of life, I don't remember very much of that trip.  I 
remember my brother and sister getting splashed at the whale 
show.  I remember wearing my brand new letterman jacket 
around and that's about it. However, my most vivid memory of 
that trip was watching a Chinese performing troop do a "plate

spinning" act.  I was astounded as the two performers ran from 
one end of a long stage to the other, keeping the dishes moving, 
sometimes catching one seconds before it began the dangerous 
wobble and crash.  At the time, this was somehow entertaining 
to me, but now that vivid memory feels only too real.  I am in 
the plate-spinning phase of my life.  Mostly this is a peril of my
own creation...I over commit myself and my children; I choose 
to send my children to schools outside our boundaries; I 
purposely chose to have 4 children in 9 years; I say yes when I 
should say no.  Every week feels like a race to just get through 
this "crazy week" in the hopes that next week will be better, 
but of course every week is just as crazy as the one that 
preceded it.  Some days I handle it without pause, and others I 
am hanging on by a thread.  Every once in a while I get a 
glimpse of perspective.  In a few short years, the number of 
plates in the air are going to be sadly fewer as kids grow up, 
grow independent and leave home.  I remember the years 
when I was hostage to preschoolers and nap times and car 
seats and potty training and 10,000 readings of "No, David!"  
And then suddenly, I came through that tunnel and discovered 
I missed those little 3-year-old terrorists.   I know at some stage

that is closer than it feels, I will miss this busy time as well.  
So for posterity's sake, I decided to write down what I did today 
as a fairly typical example of my days so that I can look back 
someday with a mixture of regret and relief.

7:00 am: Get everyone up and out of bed

7:00-7:55 am: Get everyone breakfast, correct Anna's Math 
homework, go through the missed problems with her and help 
her fix them.  Family prayer, say goodbye to Zachary when his

ride arrives, say goodbye to Cory.  Make sure everyone else is 
dressed, has their backpacks and lunches loaded, their hair 
brushed, and is in the car.

7:55-8:15 am: Pick up car pool; drop everyone off at school.

8:15-9:45 am: Gym! 

9:45-10:30 am: Shower, dress, get ready for the day

10:30am-12:30 pm: Color, cut, and design a door decoration for 
5th Grade teacher--teacher appreciation week starts Monday, 
doors need to be decorated on Friday.  Get online to purchase 
and print out a fishing license for Noah.

12:30-12:35 pm: Eat lunch

12:35-1:10 pm: Go to school, assemble door decoration and put 
up on classroom door.

1:10-1:30 pm: Drive elementary kids home from school--early 
release on Fridays.

1:30-3:15 pm: Make jam (strawberries are starting to mold), 
put away laundry that was washed Monday and has been sitting 
in a basket ever since, clean kitchen

3:15-3:25 pm: Help Anna find shoes and piano books for piano 
lesson.

3:25-3:30 pm: Drop Anna off at piano

3:30-3:55 pm: Run to grocery store to pick up food for weekend 
Scout campout.  Also grab a movie from Redbox to watch with 
Anna and Isaac while Dad and the older boys are

camping.

3:55-4:25 pm: Help Noah get packed and loaded for campout.

4:25-4:36 pm: Pick up Anna from piano...they're running late.

4:36-4:40 pm: Run back home to get the fishing license Noah 
forgot to pack with his stuff.

4:40-4:55 pm: Drop Noah off at church with other scouts.

4:55-5:00 pm: Get Anna changed for tumbling, get Isaac ready 
for lacrosse practice.

5:00-5:10 pm: Drive over to pick up neighbor for lacrosse 
practice.

5:10-5:22 pm: Knock, ring doorbell, call, track down Mom of 
friend, wait, and eventually give up on friend coming to 
lacrosse practice.

5:22-5:33 pm: Drop Anna off at tumbling.

5:33-5:46 pm: Drop Isaac off at lacrosse.

5:46-6:03 pm: Drive back to tumbling.

6:03-6:35 pm: Sit in car waiting for tumbling to end; type half 
of this blog post on IPad.

6:35-6:51 pm: Drive back to lacrosse.

6:51-7:10 pm: Wait for practice to finish, continue typing.

7:10-7:25 pm: Drive home.  Call my dad to wish him a happy 
64th birthday.

7:25-7:45 pm: Feed Anna and Isaac highly nutritious dinner: 
donuts and milk.

7:45-9:00 pm: Watch "Frankenweenie" with kids while folding 
rest of laundry.

9:00 pm: Family prayer, Send kids to bed, finish post, crash.  
Read? Watch TV?

Thankfully since Cory was going on the campout  I didn't have 
to find a way to pick Zachary up from baseball practice at 6:00.  
 I have to laugh whenever someone calls me a "stay home Mom."  
 Still, I am grateful for this time of life despite the frenetic pace 
and I'm grateful that I have a partner to help a little with those 
spinning plates.  We only break a few now and then.

Then Sings My Soul

I'm back but I make no promises to stay on top of the blog.  I found myself
busy and stressed and began avoiding not only writing in my own blog but 
avoiding reading anyone's blog.  There was too much guilt associated with it 
so I took a step back and decided to come back to it when it didn't cause a 
wrenching sensation in my stomach.

Earlier this spring a friend of mine sent me an email about auditions for a 
choir she is part of led by Barlow Bradford--The Utah Chamber Artists.  She 
has talked to me about this choir before and although it sounded great I never
felt like I was in a place to take on a commitment like an audition choir.  
However, having been released as YW President I decided that I might now 
have the time to try it out.  I got audition information and emailed the choir 
president to set up a time.

I then spent a few weeks pulling out my old classical repertoire and choosing 
and rehearsing a piece.  It was wonderful to sing in Italian again! 

My audition date came quickly and I found myself driving to Kaysville on a 
Monday afternoon, arriving way too early in my worry to avoid rush hour 
traffic.  The audition was in the home of Barlow Bradford...the former 
associate director for The Mormon Tabernacle Choir...check out any MoTab 
CD's you own and odds are you will find some Barlow Bradford 
arrangements.  I came in and met him and the choir president and filled out 
a choir experience resume.  Resume?!  This was intimidating since really the 
only choir experience I have had since high school are in ward choirs, stake 
choirs, and other special church choirs.  To up the intimidation factor, the 
two men chatted about the vintage organ one of them is restoring in his 
home.

Then it was time to sing.  I handed my music to Barlow who can sight read 
anything perfectly and started to sing.  Or tried to...I actually started out 
sounding more like an adolescent boy screeching into his changing voice.  
I stopped and asked to begin again.  This time it went better but I was still a 
bundle of nerves and felt sure the first impression had done me in.  Barlow 
was kind in a "don't call us we'll call you" kind of way.  He had me do a few 
vocal exercises, asked me to give him a little more volume on one section of 
the song again, and overall was nice but non-committal.  He complimented 
my pitch, tone, and musicality but made it clear that my talent was raw and 
undeveloped.  He did not have me sight-read anything as I had been told I 
would be asked to do as part of the audition.  I got it...why waste anymore of 
his time when he had other people waiting to audition...singers with vast
experience and probably a resume complete with head shot.   I thanked him, 
walked out and drove the hour back to Draper. 

Overall I decided it had been a positive experience.  It had been a joy to sing 
"secular" music again and had been a life experience that was valuable.  It 
was intimidating but also incredible to meet a musician I have admired for 
years.  It made me decide that I should look into other community choirs in 
the area with more amateur needs.  It really was great to sing again.

Weeks passed and I forgot about my audition...it had been self-evident as I 
walked away that I had not made it.  And then I was sitting in church in 
southern Utah with my in-laws waiting for Sacrament Meeting to start.  I was 
expecting an email about Youth Conference details I was planning so pulled 
out my inbox and discovered an email from a name I did not recognize.   I 
opened it and was stunned to discover it was from Jared Gunnerson, UCA 
choir president inviting me to join the Utah Chamber Artists when they began 
rehearsing again in August!  I was so shocked I said out loud "I made it into 
that choir!"  Anna has always been very empathetic and something about how 
or what I said made her jump up out of her seat, run over and give me an 
excited hug.  

After a busy and wonderful summer, I found myself at my first rehearsal at 
the University of Utah sitting in a real recital hall once again.  It was 
overwhelming and stunning to sight sing through a challenging repertoire of 
fall recital music with 39 other talented musicians.  We didn't spend one 
second of rehearsal time playing parts or talking about vowel sounds...we 
worked on expression and color and making music.  The 3 hour rehearsal 
sped by too quickly and invigorated me.  Every song was my favorite.  I felt 
so honored and blessed to be in that alto section.

The way rehearsals work for this choir fits into my life so well.  We have 4 
concerts a year so we rehearse twice a week (Sunday nights and Thursday 
nights) for about a month until each concert.  Then we take a month off.  
There is a nice long summer vacation as well.  It is perfect for me and makes 
it possible to feel like I'm doing something remarkable for myself without 
burdening my family too much.   In addition to our planned concert in 
September, we were invited to do an hour long live concert on KBYU radio  
that was broadcast nationally.  Very cool to listen to yourself on the radio!  
And most exciting of all, the choir is preparing to go on tour to Germany, 
Austria, and Czech Republic in June 2014!  Cory has already committed to 
come with me and we have started making payments for travel expenses.  
We will be able to sing music in Europe in some of the very places it 
was composed.

Our first concert was 2 weeks ago.  We performed at the Cathedral of the 
Madeleine in downtown Salt Lake.  The venue is stunning in its own right.  
The stained glass, sculpture and art are spectacular.  The acoustics of the 
vaulted ceilings are astounding. The guest musicians were "The Fry String 
Quartet"--an Internationally acclaimed group.  As part of the concert, each 
piece is performed in a different part of the cathedral.  There is a lighting 
designer who essentially "choreographs"lighting to enhance the music.  
There is no applause until the very end of each half so the music moves 
seamlessly along.  You never know where the next sounds will come from.  
As choir members we had to wear slippers to make our movement around 
the building silent.  We sang around the font, on the front marble, behind 
the bishop's screen, around the piano and the corner pews.  There was in 
addition to our songs and the quartet, a full string orchestra, a harp and 
flute duet, and a solo vocalist.  The theme of the concert was "Light and 
Shadow" and the selections reflected the lighter and darker sides of music.  
I found myself almost moved to tears as I could see my own awe reflected 
on the faces of the audience.  Even my children loved it...an hour and a half 
of sublime music.  When we finished I felt a sense of regret that I had never 
known about this annual concert.  I would have come to listen every year we
 have lived here if I had only known.

I still feel a little out of my league as I look forward to my month off.  I 
assure you I don't say that lightly or in any way to be self-effacing.  To be 
among singers of this caliber is humbling to say the least.  Although our time 
off  is definitely a needed break, at the same time I will be missing my weekly
lift.  I can't wait to be in the choir seats again.

Our final song was an arrangement done by Barlow Bradford, "For the Music 
of Creation."  It is sung to the same tune as "Come Thou Fount of Every 
Blessing" but with a different text that Barlow discovered.  It's a testimony
and prayer of gratitude for the gift of music.

For the music of creation,
For the song your Spirit sings,
For your sound's divine expression,
Burst of joy in living things:
God, our God, the world's composer,
Hear us echoes of Thy voice.
Music is your art, your glory;
Let the human heart rejoice!
 

Psalms and symphonies exalt you,
drum and trumpet, string and reed.
Simple melodies acclaim you,
tunes that rise from deepest need,
hymns of longing and belonging,
carols from a cheerful throat,
lilt of lullaby and love song
catching heaven in a note.

All the voices of the ages
in transcendent chorus meet,
worship lifting up the senses,
hands that praise and dancing feet;
over discord and division
music speaks your joy and peace,
harmony of earth and heaven,
song of God that cannot cease!
      Shirley Erena Murry

Photo Catch Up

I keep waiting to get Cory's pictures so that I can post the events of the last few months, but it's not happening, so I will at least post the pictures that I have and try to download his eventually. Maybe when my kids have all graduated from college.

Cory turned 38! on October 15th this year, but unfortunately was out of town on a Partnership retreat and had to celebrate with us late this year.


In October, I took the kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Panguitch during their Fall Break. We hiked in Bryce Canyon and Anna turned out to be an enthusiastic hiker! No one was more surprised by this turn of events than Anna.


For Halloween this year, Anna wore an adorable Rapunzel costume made by Grandma Talbot. The frying pan was a hit on the trick or treat route, although we were careful not to let her actually hit anyone with it.

Isaac was a dementor from Harry Potter. He has been obsessed with the series over the last few months and is finishing the last book right now.
















Noah had the coolest idea for a costume this year...he went as Chuck Norris! Chuck Norris jokes are all the rage right now, so I thought this was clever.


Zachary stayed home and gave out candy, but he did help us carve our jack-o-lanterns!


In November, Noah turned 12! He got to go on a special trip with Dad to Sea World where they took lots of pictures and had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures to show you here.

A week later Cory had surgery to repair his achilles tendon. Again, we have some cool pictures on Cory's phone, but maybe it's better for the squeamish if I don't post them on my blog.

We hosted Cory's parents, sister, and a friend for Thanksgiving. I made 10 pies! (2 chocolate cream, banana cream, coconut cream, mixed berry, blackberry sour cream, crumb-top apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, and lemon meringe) I'm pretty sure we will not have that many pies ever again.
Our other big family news is that on the day before his surgery, Cory was called to serve as the 1st Counselor in our Bishopric. This will mean some big changes for our family...and hopefully some blessings too.

Anna is once again participating in the Children's Nutcracker this weekend. This year she is in 2 dances...she's a soldier and a Chinese dancer.



We are looking forward to the holiday here, and enjoying the time we have to spend together!

Cathartic Journaling

Back in the way long ago of my intention to write more consistently in my blog, I talked about an essay about journal writing. It was a really fun discussion about different styles and forms of writing, written by a Louise Plummer for a class she was teaching about different methods of expressing yourself in your journal to make it more interesting to read. I think it's time to investigate suggestion number two...cathartic writing.

Cathartic writing is basically a form of venting on paper. It's blowing off steam or exposing your frustration or challenges in an unapologetic way.

Boy would that make a blog more interesting to read.

Maybe a little too interesting

Here goes...

I have had it with the geniuses who peddle junk to my kids in the checkout line of every grocery store in America! Who thought it would be a good idea to put candy at eye level with toddlers? I want to take that Market Research moron on a shopping trip with me someday. He can push the cart and try to keep track of my wandering, bickering, complaining children while narrowing down the best deals on chicken thighs, enchilada sauce, and fabric softener. Then he can escort one of those kids to the bathroom because they have to go RIGHT NOW and come back to find that a well-meaning employee has now put away all the items you painstakingly had placed in your cart before the unscheduled break. Then he can find a way to satisfy the tastes of 4 different children as you make your cereal selection. While he stands in an endless line of carts waiting for a turn to explain the different headlines your curious 1st grader is asking about from the cover of this month's "Cosmo," I think I will sit and watch while I luxuriously drink a carbonated beverage. I will play a game where I tally the number of times he has tell one of my children "No, you can't buy that!" The final count will be the number of times he will be required to now load all the groceries into my car, and unload and put them away at my house.

There, that feels better.

What I did last summer

Summer oh summer where have you gone?
The shorts and the flip-flops we no more can don.
With events crowded in from beginning to end,
It seemed you flew by my old fair-weathered friend.

In June I spent two weeks driving down to the Y
For Zachary's math camp, where he learned about pi...
And bubbles and code-breaking, and his Rubik's cube,
Welcome alternative to surfing You-tube.

There were things going on with the rest of my crew...
Cub Camp, ballet, track...to name just a few.
And Zachary enjoyed Provo and campus a lot,
So he tried EFY and was spiritually taught.

The first week of July I was in charge of Girls' Camp.
Which meant giggling and staying up late with a lamp.
We went for an imaginary trip on a boat,
And came back with testimonies, crafts, and good quotes.


Just in time to get ready for Pioneer Trek,
Where "Pa" Cory prevented a tragic cart wreck.
From rugged Rocky Ridge to quiet Martin's Cove,
The lessons we learned are worth a true treasure trove.




Back home we were busy with more summer fun.
Camp-outs, river rafting, shooting a gun.
Even Anna got into the firearm drama,
Shooting targets, (or trying to) with Grandpa and Grandma.



I made a dash South with some girls from my book group,
To catch "The Bard's" plays performed by an acting troupe.
Although Richard III was my favorite play yet,
I also truly enjoyed Romeo and Juliet.


We snuck in a quick Frey Family retreat.
To see cousins play nicely together was sweet.
We did Tahoe, water slides, and a 3-legged race,
Not to mention smashing an egg on my face.






Now we're well on our way into a new school year.
My head's filled up with schedules and plans ear to ear.
I've neglected my blog in a scandalous way,
But my life is so full with both work and with play.

There you are dear sister...I hope this satisfies the requirement.

Journaling

I recently read a collection of essays by writer Louise Plummer, titled "Thoughts of a Grasshopper." They are delightful...funny, uplifting...a boost of positive thought and energy. One of the essays is a talk she once gave about writing journals. She talked about a number of different approaches to use in journal writing. I was completely motivated and decided I will try to implement some of her ideas on my blog, starting today.

Her first style of journaling was "description." This is my typical writing style...I describe a vacation, a day, a life experience. She recommended describing the types of things your posterity would love to know about you someday.

Here goes...

My first memory:

We have been at an evening swimming party. I remember Mom and Dad and older sister Larissa there, but not my baby brother who I assume would have been around somewhere. I have spent most of the evening sitting on the very top step of what I remember being the pool of someone from church. I am timidly splashing the couple of inches of depth. Every once in a while, Dad carries me out into the bigger, deeper areas of the pool and I am equally parts thrilled and terrified. My more adventurous sister seems to be everywhere at once. Eventually the party winds down and I am fascinated watching a rolling, tarp-like cover stretch out across all that blue. Mom has dressed me in a green jumper with enormous pockets and is now distracted...I think with a barbecue or one of my siblings. I stand at the edge of the covered pool as my curiosity flows. Finally, I leap into the air and land on the pool cover only to discover I am sinking. I don't have enough time to feel any fear because in a matter of seconds, someone pulls me out and I have only had time enough to wet the pants of the green jumper. I am in the bathroom with my mom who is soothing and drying me simultaneously.

This memory is so vivid in my mind, but I still am not one hundred percent it really happened or was just a dream. I have asked my parents about it, and they say it sounds vaguely familiar, but can't fully corroborate. If my facts are right, I would have been 3 years old at the time...the memory is so full of clear detail that I think it must have really happened.

Pioneer Teenagers Sang? As They Walked

I'm back, but only briefly...I'm gearing up for Trek next week where, with the help of my husband, "Pa," I will shepherd my family of youth across the plains and ridges of Wyoming. I think it will be fun. This is one of those youth activities that falls perfectly within my mantra, "I can do hard things."

Here's our Pioneer Trek experience by the numbers:

8: The number of youth ages 14-18 who make up our "family"...3 boys, 5 girls.
11: The number of buckets that will be loaded into the handcart that we'll work together pushing and pulling along the National Historic trail, Rocky Ridge, and Rock Creek Hollow.
36: The number of miles we'll cover on foot in 3 days.
98: The number of pages in the notebook/guide/journal given to all 400 participants of the Trek...so if nothing else, we're covered for toilet paper and firewood.
6: The number of times I have run to Wal-Mart this week to "pick up a couple more things for Trek" even though I was officially packed last Saturday.
52: The number of neck coolers I have sewn this week only to find out that the forecast for next week is predicting cool temperatures.
15: The number of pioneer skirts I have made or helped make in the past month.
1000: Roughly the number of dollars I have spent outfitting Zachary, Cory, myself, and my Ma and Pa bucket for this event.
12: The number of months our stake has been having planning meetings to prepare for our 3 day excursion.
3: The number of weeks the real Martin and Willie handcart companies spent preparing for their 1300 mile journey...including building many of their handcarts.
11: The number of first aid kits within a 3 foot radius that will be available at any given time.
5 1/2: The number of hours we will be traveling on buses next Tuesday beginning at 5 a.m.
11: The number of catered meals we will be enjoying during our week...just like the real pioneers. (Are we talking about a re-creation of the experience or recreation? hmmmm...)
6: The number of miles Cory says it will take to walk the "whine" out of our teenagers.
20: The number of times I will laugh at Cory during the Wednesday night "hoedown."
9: The average number of hours we will be walking day 2 and day 3.
6289: The number of times we will have to answer the question "How much farther?"
1500: The number of pages of preparation reading we were assigned.
1100: The number of pages I actually read. (Hey...I still have 4 days!)

So why do we do this all? Why do we spend a vast amount of money, time, stress, and volunteer hours to pull this off?

200: The number of lives sacrificed in the Willie and Martin handcart companies so that a posterity could enjoy the blessings of worship free from persecution. We're here because they believed.

This blog has been temporarily suspended..

by all things Girls Camp. Please check back in two weeks as we return to normally scheduled programming.

Thank you.

Summer, Help Me!

I am not a fan of the month of May. Take a look at my desk calendar and you'll understand why. Now keep in mind that I don't write down everything on this calendar...things that are part of our weekly habit don't show up...like Mutual, Scouts, ballet, piano, or Lacrosse practice. Everything on this calendar is EXTRA. Dance recitals, awards assemblies, class parties, field trips, PTA recognition, school programs, field days, make-up games, etc. Most days for the last two weeks we have had at least 4 things going on in the evening, and most days I have had 2-3 places to be as well. So you can imagine my relief when May 31st rolled around and I could turn the page on the desk calendar.

Unfortunately, this is what I discovered when I turned that page...


It's going to be a very short summer. All of my friends are worrying about bored kids and not enough structure. Not me...I'm praying for boredom.

And since it's that time of the year...here is the annual Spring Ballet recital post. This is actually dress rehearsal, so it's a little rusty, but you get the idea. Also, I had to borrow Noah's camera since mine is STILL in the shop. It turns out that every camera part known to man is produced in a factory in Japan that was damaged in the earthquake so will be back-ordered for the next 27 months or something like that.

Independence Day

I have never been a mother who craves needy, mommy-reliant children. I love, love, love infants with their downy heads and smells. I always loved that moment in each of my four babies' lives when I came to their cribs in the middle of the night and they recognized ME with a look of pure and trusting adoration. I even found it amusing in late baby months when they would all go through that stage where everyone but Mommy is a bad guy...even Daddy.

But! I have always been a great believer in the cutting of apron strings. From toddler-hood I have always tried to expect and teach my toddling protege the things that chubby hands and legs can do for themselves. I have designed chore charts and study schedules and cooking lessons. I expect everyone in my house from 1st grade up to make their own lunch, school-day or no.

And yet! As I am embarking on teenage full throttle, it seems their dependence on me is increasing instead of waning. Some days I feel crushed by the weight of expectancy. No one can seem to get ready for school in the morning without incessant reminding. Homework, chores, and piano practicing seem every day to be a novel and unexpected suggestion. Minutes ago, our carpool showed up to taxi the younger two to school and had to wait for Anna whom I discovered in her room just pulling on pants after being sent up to get dressed 25 minutes ago. She wears a uniform...getting dressed for her means: open bottom drawer, pull out navy skirt or pants and white shirt! If something is lost, it's my responsibility to find it. If they get to school without their lunch/homework/coat I can depend on an urgent and demanding phone call.

Now keep in mind that I am no helicopter parent! Nine times out of ten, when I get that emergency phone call, my response is: "That's too bad, I guess you're going to have to stay in at recess today...or turn it in late...or beg your friends to share their lunches with you."

I think I always imagined that once I got past the baby/toddler stage, things would run more smoothly, effectively, efficiently. I would say, "Go upstairs and brush and floss your teeth," and magically, ten minutes later-mission accomplished! Despite my expectation, instruction, and nagging, I have managed to turn out four exceptionally needy human beings. And for some reason, in the past several weeks, this has become an eat-me-alive kind of problem.

So I was pouring my heart out today in prayer when I suddenly realized the irony of my words. Because how could I expect to turn to a parent to assist me with my needs when I resented the petitions my children are consistently directing to me? I think tomorrow, I need to dig deep for a well of patience and gentleness and truly make the effort to enjoy the un-snipped apron strings for a little longer.

Hotel Talbot

I haven't journaled anything in a long time, but I have something of an excuse...this week will mark the 8th weekend in a row when we either have had family staying with us here or we have gone out of town.

Week 1: Carrie-anne, Ryan and their kids joined us for the weekend while their kids were off on Spring Break. I pulled my younger kids out of school one day to spend a morning at the Tracy Aviary and Liberty Park. It was a good time but oh so cold! This year has been the year of no spring. We had a nice dinner out at The Cheesecake Factory...just grown-ups...to belatedly celebrate Ryan's birthday.

Week 2: Grandma Talbot bunked with Anna for a couple of nights while she finalized the cleaning and closing of their once home in Sandy. It was the end of an era as the house Cory lived in his entire childhood and youth was sold!

Week 3: Double the Grandparents! My parents and Cory's parents both spent a weekend with us in order to attend Mission Reunions. My folks were able to extend their stay through Wednesday which was fun until I came down with strep throat. Probably had something to do with the late nights and delicious but less than nutritious food we ate all weekend.

Week 4: The day after my parents left, Larissa, Nathan and their 5 kiddos stopped for the last two nights of their week-long Utah excursion. It was great to see them, but they got the back end of my illness and had to work around an 11-year-old scout campout in the back yard.

Week 5: Another brief appearance of Grandma and Grandpa Talbot as they dropped in up north for a wedding.

Week 6: Our Spring Break coincided with my sister's sealing in the Reno Temple so I courageously packed the kids to my parent's house where we met up with Karla and her foursome as well. It was a mixture of chaos and meaningful memories. We went to Boomtown, hung out and TALKED, and had a beautiful day in the temple. My mom kindly housed 8 children and their mothers and the dads joined us at the end of the week. The only major disasters were a teenage, end-of-week meltdown, and an expired temple recommend.

Week 7: All the sisters-in-law and the mother-in-law came north for a "sisters weekend." Carrie-anne ended up bringing her family along as well. The kids and dads played while all the girls enjoyed a much needed respite from responsibility. We watched "Sheer Luck Holmes" at Desert Star playhouse, went shopping, checked out Kim's new pad, went out to dinner, shopped some more, and caught a late movie. It was wonderful even though my mom hours kicked in just as the movie was beginning. I'm not a kid anymore it turns out.

Week 8: Ma and Pa Talbot have more wedding weekend plans coming up, so we will look forward to seeing them this weekend. After that? As much fun as it has been, I think I might just hang a "No Vacancy" sign for a little while.

Rules For Grown-ups

I have been reading a book in the last week called "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. While ultimately, I find that I have not loved the book because it's a little self-righteous, insecure, and inconsistent, I have found some little nuggets of ideas from the book that have managed to stick in my conscious and unconscious mind. One of them comes right from the start of the book. The author makes a list of "rules of adulthood" or things that she has figured out as an adult that were not always self-evident to her younger self. Among them are things like..."Ibuprofen really does help a headache go away, so just take it." And my favorite, "No one should ever begin a sentence with the words 'No offense, but..." I figured that since I'm 35 now, surely I must have figured out some of my own rules of adulthood.

Here is what I have come up with:

-In a group, the pickiest eater should always choose the restaurant.
-Not everyone has to like you.
-Don't "yuck" somebody's "yum" (Meaning, if sushi, classical music, or hang-gliding aren't your things, it doesn't mean the person who does like them is stupid or crazy.)
-If it takes less than a minute to put something away...just put it away.
-I am a work in progress.
-So is everyone else.
-Never get into a serious discussion when you're tired or hungry.
-Siblings are the only people in your life who totally and completely "get it."
-A nice email/note/Facebook update really does make you feel good.
-White shirts and toddlers just don't mix.
-Be 100% loyal to your spouse.
-If you haven't worn it in more than a year, just get rid of it already.
-Your life will be a lot less stressful if you give people the benefit of the doubt.
-It's okay to say "No" sometimes.
-If you're always too busy to help out a friend, it's probably time to cut something out.
-Don't ever let anyone take a picture of you in a bathing suit.

That's it for now...I'll add to the list as grow up a little more.

Isaac Turns 9

I am suffering my second camera catastrophe in less than a year. I was getting ready to download my most recent pictures from my brand new Christmas present camera this morning, and I somehow managed to completely strip the place where the USB port enters the camera. So no pictures from Isaac's school patriotic program...no pictures from his birthday...no pictures from the Where's Waldo activity our youth participated in last week.

I'm feeling glum...and frustrated...and angry...and hungry...but that's because it's Fast Sunday. Anyway, I decided that I can't fall back into the old trap of thinking I can no longer blog without photo evidence so I am trying on a positive attitude and if I manage to get the camera fixed, I can always add the pictures to the post later, right?

Last week Isaac turned 9. We had a party with 9 of his friends at Planet Play. Basically this is an establishment that is the crossroads between the baby-ish "Chuck E Cheese" and the obnoxious teenage hangout "Boondocks." Although I know it's less expensive to throw parties from home, you have to love the ability to let someone else do all the work of entertaining 10 feral boys. Isaac is a mild, good-natured, cheerful boy...but let's face it...Laser Tag is a far more appealing "boy cage" than pin the tail on the Donkey.

Sunday was Isaac's actual birthday, so we focused on celebrating together as a family. I have decided this year that I want to implement more family traditions, and one idea I had was to make a "birthday poster" for our family members on their special days. I made it and Anna helped me decorate it, and then I asked every family member to write a special message on it for Isaac. I could tell that it meant a lot to him to read kind words from his sometimes taciturn and teasing older brothers. We hung the poster up in the kitchen and have left it up all week.

After church, Isaac requested a special dinner of "make your own pizzas." We had aunt Kim and some friends from the ward over and loaded on all of Isaac's favorite toppings. Usually when we do pizza, I make salad to go with it. As most people know, Isaac would rather eat a fried worm than a piece of lettuce, so for an added birthday treat, we dispensed with his nemesis. My children all have rather refined palates when it comes to treats, so Isaac had requested his birthday candles be ignited on individual "Molten, Chocolate, Lava Cakes." We spent the evening playing games, watching Veggie Tales, and hanging out. All in all, a satisfying weekend.

Deja vu

I felt the need to re-post this entry this morning for some reason.

Ode to a Utah Spring

Birthday Blues

I turned 35 over the weekend. I had relatively low expectations set for the day. I wanted to 1-exercise, 2-use my Valentine's gift certificate for the spa, 3-eat good Thai food, and 4-go to a movie.

1-I woke up at 6:00 a.m. to go for a run. I got dressed, hydrated, geared up, walked out the front door and discovered it was snowing. Plan B was to go to the gym once the kids were all at school. Unfortunately both the carpools we're a part of had conflicts and had asked me to drive for them. This meant that I had to drop off Anna and Isaac at 8:00. The middle school has late-start on Fridays so Zachary needed to be dropped off at 9:00. The elementary school has early-release so they needed to be picked up at 1:00, and then I had to go back for Zachary at 3:00. In the few hours that I wasn't driving kids back and forth, I had to find a birthday gift for the party Isaac was invited to, look for a a replacement jacket for Noah, and drop off a forgotten lunch. No gym.

2-And no time to go to the spa.

3-Early in the week Cory did a thorough internet search for the best Thai food in Salt Lake City. He sent me various menus and locations, and we finally decided on a spot. He called the restaurant to make a reservation, but they told him they were small and didn't take reservations. They assured him they would be able to fit our whole family in on Friday evening when we showed up. To accomodate our movie time, we needed to do dinner by 6:00 and since the restaurant was downtown, Cory suggested I drive the kids over and meet him there. Thirty minutes of traffic and bickering later we parked a block away, trudged over and discovered the place was no more than a pick-up cafeteria with 6 chairs. Since 2 of them were taken, this meant either find a plan B or eat standing up. I can just imagine that whoever took Cory's call about "placing a reservation" earlier in the week must have thought this guy was totally crazy. Since we were downtown, we decided to try out "Thaifoon," an Asian chain that we'd heard good things about. Friday night downtown, meant that we waited 30 minutes before finally finding a seat and another half hour before we got any food. This began the "tears rolling down my face" portion of the evening. By this time, I was so tired and hungry and disappointed that I just couldn't hold the frustration in any longer. Anna seemed very concerned, and the boys a little uncomfortable, but finally after a trip to the bathroom and a good nose-blowing, I actually felt a little better. The food was over-priced, un-authentic, and really salty.

4-By this time, we had to hustle to have enough time to get the kids home and to bed and back to the movie theater for an 8:45 showing. We had to sacrifice Cory's plan to pick up an ice-cream birthday cake. Fortunately we made it about halfway through the opening previews of "True Grit." I have to say, I wasn't that sure about a western, but I ended up really enjoying it. It was darkly funny...(Let's just say the movie opens with a comical hanging scene.) ..just what I needed to end my own comedy of errors.

5-I finally made myself a birthday cake two days later.

I know this post comes across as whiney and I should probably have just put a cheerful face on and been more grateful, but I truly do want to remember the events of the day now that I can laugh about them.

Better luck next year.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Cory:

the good--He survived a full week being both Mom and Dad while I went to help my mom out after surgery. The house might not have been sparkling clean, and one or two homework assignments may have missed the refining touch of a mother's supervision, but everyone was fed and clothed when I got home. He is finishing up the season as Zachary's basketball coach where he has done a great job. He also has kicked into P90X gear once again and has been steadily losing weight and bulking up muscle. Drat..I guess that means I better get up and go to the gym now.

the bad--Cory lost a cousin in a tragic industrial accident a few weeks ago. Cory was able to drive out to Eastern Utah with his father and sister for the funeral and see many family members he hasn't talked to in years. Rest in peace Cody McMullin.

Cami:

the good--In spite of the fact that my trip to Sparks was facilitated by my mom's emergency hystorectomy, it was a pleasure to spend a quiet week with her and my dad. I was glad that my children are old enough to be left fairly easy and that my husband was at a place in his work where he could sacrifice the time to be at home with them when they got home from school. I also got to spend some memorable moments with all of my siblings except one while I was staying in Nevada. I LOVE my brothers and sisters! It has taken the better part of a week and a half to get my Utah life back in order, but spending the time away has helped me better prioritize my home life and to appreciate my own dear little family.

the bad--My mom's surgery led to the discovery of uterine cancer. However, last week she got the good news that there was not cancer in the lymph nodes which means she will not have to have chemotherapy or radiation and has a very slim chance of any recurrence.

Zachary:

the good--He made it to the Countdown Round of the Chapter Math Counts competition and will most likely be moving on to state. He'll find out for sure at the end of the month. He was called as the Deacons Quorum President and is showing tremendous responsibility in this new calling. It is great to see him take this duty so seriously.

the bad--Between my distraction with my trip and an exceptionally busy holiday season, Zachary found his grades in a few classes crash and burn in the last quarter. Hopefully, this is a chance to learn from mistakes and recommit to finding better organizational strategies.

Noah:

the good--He continues to be a self-motivated, commited student, piano player, and basketball player. We have seen him really shine on his basketball team this season and finally find the competitive drive that lives up to his height and natural athletic ability. He has been working harder than any of the boys on preparing for their March piano assessment and his talent is blossoming.

the bad--Noah procrastinated his Science Fair project until I got back from my trip and discovered we only had a couple of days to pull it all together. After a stressful race to the finish, he pulled it off and got it up and displayed. Then of course, I totally blew it and forgot to go to the school for the actual presentation. The day after all of this stress, Noah casually mentioned to me that the Science Fair was a completely optional assignment!

Isaac:

the good--Isaac has finally found the books that have turned him into a hungry reader! He discovered that he really likes Fablehaven and it is great to see him reading for the pure joy of it for the first time. He also was excited to drive down to St. George with me, Noah, and Isaac to see his cousin Emily get baptized. Cory and Zachary couldn't join us because it was the same day as Zachary's math competition.

the bad--The night before the baptism while staying in St. George, Isaac started throwing up..so we managed to expose 5 different families to a stomach virus.

Anna:

the good--Our little budding artist won in her division for the school Art Express competition. She also independently wrote special Valentine's notes to every member of the family. They were so thoughtful and sweet...she truly is my best example of being kind and loving.

the bad--Anna loves reading and we have recently discovered that she has been staying up a little too late at night to finish books. This has meant a few cranky, hard-to-get-out-of bed mornings.

And now for the ugly...