Merry Christmas!

I love my imperfectly decorated Christmas tree. Sometimes I walk into a home with a large, beautifully decorated tree with perfectly color-coordinated ornaments and I think, "wow, that would be nice!" But really, this picture says it all. I love when sweet little arms that are too short to reach the top of the tree put all the gold beads in a cluster. I love when large areas of the tree have no ornaments and other branches loaded with ten ornaments sag down low. I love that each ornament carries a memory or was made with love by one of my girls. I'm glad that my perfectionist mind allows for an awesomely imperfect Christmas tree.

Keeks has a new new nick name to add to her list. 'Kee-Bee'. I think that takes her up to approximately 38 nicknames now. The miraculous thing is that she answers to all of them. We love our little Kee-Bee.

Christmas Pictures.

I had fun experimenting with my photo editing tools.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

10th Birthday Bash

In our home, we do "late-overs" instead of sleep-overs. Amazingly, our children are growing up plenty happy in spite of it. So, for Kay-Kay's party this year, she had a craft, movie, dance late-over. Fun was had by all and when I crawled into my warm, soft bed at 11:00 and listened to the, well nothing actually. Just silence, AHHHHH. I thought to myself what smart parents we are!

Watch the above video clip to get a glimpse into an ALL GIRL world....my world.

Gorgeous Girls

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Kay Kay and Keeks

Keeks turns FOUR!

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O.k., so I'm a little late posting these pictures. But better late than never, right?!? My Baby is FOUR!

Birthday Girl!.

Birthday breakfast!

Birthday charriot rides by Dadddy!

Birthday love from Crewie!

Birthday Tea Party!

Why I Love Him...

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I'm a lucky girl. My husband works in an office in our backyard. If I'm having a rough day, in about 25 steps I can be in the arms of the man who can make all my troubles melt away. At night, when I'm in the kitchen making dinner, I can look out and see him in his office. At 5:30, I start watching to see his office lights click off and know that I will soon be getting a big hug and (much to Ash's chagrin) a yummy KISS!

Monday night when Jeff came in, he could tell I'd had a long day. With no dinner in sight, he popped some chicken nuggets in the toaster oven, whipped up a fruit smoothie and declared he was taking me out to dinner. "We can't go out to dinner, it's not in the budget AND it's family night!" I declared. (I'm one of those black and white thinkers) "We'll have family night when we get back and we'll use a coupon," he said. So, we got the kids settled with their dinner and then hopped in the car with our coupon to 'Baja Fresh'.

Upon arrival, I was past the point of no return. For those of you who don't know me or my siblings very well, that's the point when you realize you should have eaten an hour ago and you are no longer able to function, act rationally or think clearly. Something to do with our hypoglycemic mother, low blood sugar, blah, blah, blah. We can recognize it in each other and our brilliant spouses have learned to recognize and remedy it promptly (...which is very much in their best interest). My sweet husband asked me what I wanted to eat and discussed the three different coupon options. All I heard was, "wah-wah, wah-wah, wah-wah". I just stood, staring. Then he said those 8 little words that made me remember all over again why I love this man so much. He said, "do you want me to decide for you?" I mumbled a grateful "yes" and collapsed into a nearby chair.

Of course he ordered me the perfect thing. The thing that I wanted but didn't know that I wanted. The burrito that had lots of chicken and rice, but no beans and of course utilized the coupon that maximized our savings. It even had a few tortilla chips with melted cheese on the side. Yum! How did he know? And does it get any better than this??

Happy Halloween!

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Ahhh. My least favorite holiday is over and now we can move on to the GOOD ONES! Jeff was some sort of Scottish dude (inspired by his birthday trip to London and Scotland). Not too many men can pull off wearing a skirt. I have to say, even in a skirt and hiking boots, he's so darn sexy! Ashey (and her cute friend "O") were puppets, Kay Kay was a rock star, Dani was a singing Diva and Keeks was a washed up Mermaid. She chose the most tattered costume in the box with only a few remaining sequins. But Keeks wants what Keeks wants so she was a Mermaid with a dirty green cast and a few random sequins hanging on for dear life. I was a tired Mom with a pumpkin shirt. Thank goodness we needed someone to take the picture so I didn't have to be in it!

More Conversations with God...

The minute Keeks started praying this afternoon, I could tell it was going to be one of her classic "lecture prayers". I was around the corner in the office so I opened my eyes, grabbed a pen, and jotted down her words. I know, I know, that probably wasn't very reverent on my part but I couldn't resist.

Here's what she said:

"Dear Heavenly Father, Please bless the food, please bless Dani not to be mean. Please bless that Kay Kay will be nice to me, please bless Dani won't be so picky anymore. And please bless ASHEY won't be so picky anymore! Please bless that Kay Kay will love me. Please bless Kay Kay to be safe. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

I think we need to work with her on more thanks, less lecture...

Yesterday, in the space of 90 minutes, while standing at an intersection holding "Yes on Prop 8" signs with friends and other supporters, I was called:

• A bigot
• A christian wacko
• A hate monger
• Stupid
• Hateful
• Uneducated
• Ignorant

Oh, and I was also given the "one finger salute" a few too many times.

It's interesting to me that these people who were calling me hateful as I stood there smiling and waving, were the ones acting so incredibly hateful, mean, and just plain rude. But I'm brushing off the bad dreams I had last night about my home being vandalized and people yelling at me and trying to hold onto the images of the MANY (probably 80%) honks of support, waves, thumbs up and personal thanks we got for having the courage to do what we were doing.

Sadly, although we live in a free country, there are many who don't think we are entitled to an opinion if it is different from their own. Perhaps if all our signs weren't stolen or vandalized within hours of being displayed, we wouldn't have to be standing on street corners to have our voices heard. I don't understand all the hate that comes from a difference of opinion. Wouldn't it be nice if we could RESPECTFULLY 'agree to disagree'? Just askin'...

This morning I read a quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley that seems to apply.

"Draw comfort from the words of the Master....when we are spoken of by those whose lives are torn with hate. They lash out at one thing and another. They manufacture and spread vile falsehoods behind which there is not a shred of truth. There is nothing new about this. But we shall go forward, returning good for evil, being helpful and kind and generous."

Very simply put...

Tales of Deceit

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Today while cleaning my office and doing laundry, I decided to take a little break and enjoy a little reward for all my hard work. So I went and scooped myself of an ever so tiny bowl of chocolate ice cream and sat down at the computer to browse the internet while eating my ice cream. Well, having your husband work in an office in the back yard sometimes has its disadvantages. Through my open window, I heard his office door close which meant he was headed my way. Not wanting to be caught sitting and eating ice cream while he was hard at work, I quickly stashed my bowl in the cupboard and resumed doing the laundry. He walked in, said and hello and then looked around almost as if he could sense that something was awry.

In my zeal to look busy, I forgot where I stashed the bowl and opened the cupboard right in front of him to grab some stain remover. Luckily, he's not very observant and didn't notice the bowl of ice cream with a spoon sticking out of it in the laundry detergent cupboard. I guess I must have been acting a little shifty because he stuck around for a few minutes whilst my ice cream was in the cupboard melting.

Eventually he headed back out to his office and I finished my ice cream. Maybe I need to check myself in somewhere....isn't closet ice cream eating a bad sign of something??

Suddenly I had a flashback from my teenage years of when I would be happily sitting on the couch eating a bowl of ice cream when the rumble of the garage door opening would be heard signaling the arrival of PARENTS!! One particular time in my haste to stash the evidence and still make it to the piano and quickly begin playing, I stashed the bowl in a cupboard under the t.v. and later forgot about going to do away with the evidence. I don't remember how many days went by until it was discovered but I think Brandon might have gotten the blame for it. Sorry little bro., I owe you a bowl of ice cream!!

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.....Smile Moments

Dani and Keeks squealing "WEEEEEEEEEEE" as I pushed them down an ever so small hill in their 'car' grocery cart. AND, their joy in finding a 'car' grocery cart that wasn't being taken by some other lucky kids for once!

Kee Kees giggling with delight as we rode up and down an escalator four times at her request. She was so excited, you would have thought we were at Disneyland. Apparantly we don't get out much...

Ashey's dimples and cute freckled nose.

Kay Kay offering a long, dramatic, drawn out prayer before dinner (mostly with the intent (I think) of annoying her big sister).

Kee Kees whispering VERY breathy and moist secrets in my ear.

Conversations with God

Dani's prayer at the dinner table...

"Dear Father in Heaven, we bow our heads before thee...and please bless that we can all be here together as a family (we were), and please bless that we can be a forever family (we are), thank you for this food, please bless that we won't have bad dreams, and please bless Mommy to be safe and Daddy to be safe and Ashey to be safe and Kay Kay to be safe and me to be safe and Kee-Kees to be safe. And please bless that my sister can stop banging her cast on the table (she was), and please bless Kee-Kees to be reverent (she wasn't). In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen"

I'm pretty sure I know how Heavenly Father feels when Dani prays, because I know how I feel...

It's my blog and I'll rant if I want to.

Wait.....why are we voting on this again?? Oh yeah, because 4 unelected judges decided THEY knew better than 61% of California voters!
Remember Prop 22 in 2000... when 61% of us passed a proposition stating that marriage should be between a man and a woman? Well, here we are doing it again. This time if we can pass it, it will amend the California Constitution and NO ONE can change it.

Why do I support a YES vote on Prop 8? Because I believe:

"The Family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity".

While death and divorce may prevent it in too many cases, the ideal situation for children is to be raised by a married mother and father. Prop 8 will protect my kids from being taught in public school that same-sex marriage is the same as traditional marriage. It's not the same. New institutions need new names. Marriage is between a man and a woman...and if you're really lucky, it's with a studly man like mine!

We in California do not want to be dealing with the same things that are occurring in Massachusetts - religious based adoption agencies having to close their doors in order to prevent being forced to conduct gay adoptions (Catholic Charities in Massachusetts) and my children being taught in public schools that a prince can marry a prince (1st graders in Massachusetts are being taught this). California already affords all of the legal rights of marriage through the Domestic Partnership Act. This is not about legal rights and equality. Same sex couples already have equality. This is about preserving a natural institution that has served society for thousands of years. It is not bigotry - it is biology. This is not an anti-gay issue. I know, respect and love many gay people. We can love someone while still maintaining and advocating our standards and beliefs. I believe in marriage. I believe it's sacred. I believe marriage should remain between a man and a woman.


All four Presidential candidates also support marriage between one man and one woman.

Deep Thoughts by LaLa

Where are all the hair brushes?? I keep buying them and they keep disappearing. I think I've probably purchased ten hair brushes in the last two years and yet when it's time for school, I can never find one. Am I going to open a random drawer one day and find them all just sitting there? I know they get stolen away to brush a disheveled Barbie head now and then, but surely that would only account for one or two, not all ten! Do you think they go to the same place as mismatched socks? Where could ten hair brushes be that I never just happen upon them....especially those two soft ones that seem to brush more gently and cause fewer tears, where are they and will they ever come back??

We love Daddy!

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We found our 'You are special' plate in a box in the garage and we're back to the nightly rotation.
Tonight's menu: Mesquite marinated chicken, rice pilaf & garlic sauteed green beans with toasted almonds. Person of honor: Daddy. Why: Because he rocks!

Some of the reasons mentioned for his specialness... "he tickles me, he loves me, he takes good care of us, he makes money so we can buy stuff, he's funny, he helps me with my homework, he protects us, he's a babe and he is righteous"

My four girls and I are sooo lucky to have a man like Jeff in our lives!

Again...REALLY????

. Sometimes when you've broken your arm for the SECOND time in three months and it's hot outside and your cast raises your body temperature at least 10 degrees, you just have to hang out with no shirt on. Are we really doing this AGAIN????

Um, yes.

Having had only two weeks with her cast off, adjusting to having it on again was no biggie!

I need a new hobby

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I've decided I need a new hobby. Since I had to give up my singing group because of too many Mommy duties, I think I need something new and fun but not quite so time consuming.

I want to take pictures.

I don't know that I'll be particularly good at it but I've always loved photography and think it would be fun. I don't want to make a business out it, I just want to take pictures of my adorable children and other beautiful things.

So, I got my pretty pink jar, put in all my spare change and started my new camera fund.

Impractical to buy a new camera you say?

Yes, it's true that I have no flooring on the entire first floor of my house. And yes, my three year old DID just turn her bathroom faucet on and plug the sink producing a fabulous waterfall cascading down onto the new carpet, FLOODING the room, running through the floor and down into the ceiling and walls of our freshly painted and carpeted downstairs guest room.

And then there's the slab leak we just discovered which will cost a yet-to-be-determined amount. Oh, and we can't forget the idling problems my car just began having...it's in the shop.

I DON'T CARE, I'M STILL SAVING FOR A FABULOUS NEW CAMERA!

I have approximately $5.39 and no income....so it may take awhile. Wish me luck.

But who doesn't want to just sit and take pictures of this cute little mug all day?!? Cute, but devious and destructive!