Family Friday - Lindy

Born in 1983, Lindy is the third child out of five. She is six years younger than me. I remember when my mom was pregnant with Lindy, we had a family meeting to talk about her name. We had to decide if we liked "Lindy" better or "Lindsay", and Carly and I voted "Lindy". When my mom left home to give birth to Lindy, to me, as a near-six year old, it felt like she was gone for an entire week!


At that age, I thought it was so fun to have a baby sister! I would love her, and tease her, and play with her. When Lindy was around three, I loved to take a bath with her and I had a mean ritual where I'd scream "there's a 'pider on your head!".....and she would freak out every single time! Without fail.


Lindy was the peacemaker of our family. She'd see me and Carly get into knock-down-drag-out fights and would stay totally neutral and calm. She was always willing to serve and help others. Lindy was quiet, but I always knew there was a lot going on inside her head.


There were many times growing up that I wished Lindy and I were closer in age. When you're young, six years is a world of difference. So I found it really fun when I was 21 and Lindy was 15, she was able to come stay with me in my college apartment in Utah for like a month. That's when I first started to feel our age gap closing just a little.


Finally, Lindy graduated High School the same year I graduated from the University of Utah with my Bachelor's. And slowly, over the next few years our worlds collided. Lindy moved in with Tucker and I to be our live-in nanny for a few months after Jordyn was first born. I loved that! It was then that she met her future husband, Mike, and was soon a married woman just like me!


Two and a half years ago, Lindy and Mike moved just a few miles away from us here in California. It has been so fun to share in motherhood with my sister just down the street! We spend so many days hanging out together, we go to church together, laugh together, have heartaches together and watch our kids grow up together. The six years has completely melted and disappeared (except I have more wrinkly and saggy skin already), just as I'd always hoped for. I honestly don't know how I'd survive without the relationship we've developed.



Lindy is still the peacemaker in our family. She loves deeply, but avoids contention and is always supportive. It's been so fun to see Lindy evolve from a shy little girl to a beautiful and talented wife, mother and most of all, friend! Lindy and Mike along with Lyric (3) and Paxton (1) play a key role in our family and we all love them very much!!!

Cam-pete-ing

I don't discuss politics much. Not because I don't care, but I think I've figured out that it's partially because I am really not a competitive person. I mean, sure, I like to win a game of cards....or know that I did my best on some project I've done. But overall, I'm turned off by having to PROVE who I am or WIN people's interest. And that is exactly what you have to do in politics!

As I was watching the news this morning, it was reaffirmed to me how the Presidential capaigning (or cam*pete*ing) - although essential to our political structure - epitomizes what I personally would rather die than do.

I also hate how it has to turn into a campaign about why the OTHER person should NOT win, rather that just about the candidate and their position. I mean, I see the ads on TV, and if I was uninformed, I would probably believe all the anti ads I see. I don't know, it just seems like it turns into a bashing competition and that turns me off.

So I'm trying to find a way to stay interested and informed even in the midst of my skin crawling at the popularity contest part of it. That being said, with how incredibly close this race is, I sure hope people in our country step up to the plate and VOTE. Not only for the President, but I hope we are all educated on the various propositions as well. Otherwise, we can't complain, right?

Little Dancers

Well, dance has started up again. Jordyn and Lexi are taking a tap/ballet/jazz combo class. We were so happy it worked out to take dance for another year with their friends Maddie and Jaycee. Cute girls!

Stay at Home Mom, aka Chauffeur and Secretary

It's been interesting to have two kids in full-blown school this year. Every evening, my counter looks exactly like this. I open their backpacks and they literally explode with papers. It can be any combination of the following:

• homework (every night)
• parent volunteer form
• school shirt purchase order
• school picture order
• back-to-school night info
• fund raiser! (puke)
• books/reading log
• join parent club!
• grandparents day info
• every single paper they ever touched that day
• (all of this x2, I can't imagine having more kids in school)

Sometimes, at the end of a long day, my brain can hardly (or doesn't want to) process it all. And Jordyn (1st grade) and Lexi (Kinder) have an unusual situation because they are at SEPARATE schools. We do not have K-6 here, so I get EVERYTHING sent home double, but it's all slightly different. ie: Jordyn's back-to-school night is one week and Lexi's is the next. They both have the same fund raisers at the same time. And pick-ups/drop-offs have different times at different schools. Anyway, I often feel like their chauffeur and secretary!

Good news is, Jordyn is an exceptional reader and so she will do all of her homework while I'm doing other things around the house and I just answer occasional questions. She is very self-motivated and actually loves to do her homework. So, I'm seeing the importance of promoting them to take responsibility so I'm merely directing the show and they know their part!

And with that, I will remind myself yet again "welcome to motherhood"! It's like I continually have to be inducted into the club of motherhood. And honestly, I don't mind it. I actually get sad sometimes because the busier we get, the faster they seem to grow up.

Here's to Ninety Years

Tucker's Grandpa passed away last night at 90 years old.....in his home....after he'd been lovingly cared for by many, but especially all 10 (yes ten) of his children over the last months as his health has naturally declined. The legacy that he and Tucker's grandma are leaving behind is pretty amazing. Having raised 10 children is remarkable anyway, but the entire family is talented, strong, musical, giving and very family-oriented! His passing is (of course) sad for the obvious reasons. But it becomes bittersweet to know that he was physically deteriorating and he is now free of pain and discomfort....and also to know that he righteously fulfilled his mission here on Earth and was ready to go back "home".

I'm so glad we took the time to see them when we were in Utah at the end of July, and that we took this special picture of Tucker, his dad, his grandparents and our girls.

I was like "what?"

My girls have really loved the talent competition show on ABC "High School Musical: Get in the Picture". We have it DVR'd and they watch it all the time.

So today, on the finale, they kept showing the family of one of the 17 year old finalists, Stan. And everytime they showed his fam, I was more and more sure I saw my High School Principal, Stan Carrizosa sitting in the audience. So I googled it and sure enough, the winner of the show, Stan, has the last name Carrizosa! I'm assuming he's the son....or at least nephew or something, of my High School Principal. Just thought it was funny! Not often you recognize someone on TV. Plus, I know some of you out there would appreciate it since you had him as your principal too!



Nighty night.

"Pliano" (as Jordyn still often says)

Our house is full of constant piano playing. I absolutely LOVE it. And since we have 2 girls playing piano, and a third who wants to be just like her big sisters, there is lots of piano-competing that goes on around here! Who can do it MORE, LOUDER, BETTER! Who'd of thought I'd have to say "Girls, please stop playing the piano now!".

Jordyn has done two years so far (she's 6, she started young). And she has a definite knack for it. She gets SO mad when she can't perfect a song, and will work really hard until she's got it just right.





Jordyn and Lexi both have to be really patient with their almost two year old sister banging on the keys along side them. This video makes me laugh and shows Jordyn persevering amidst the banging of the wild-haired pianist next to her.

When the Cat's Away

Yesterday while the girls were at school, I accomplished..........oh, yeah NOTHING I was supposed to do. Besides hanging out with Peyton, I completely neglected many of my duties. And since Tucker is gone this weekend, I needed to do something fun to break up the time. I picked up the girls from school and we went out to an early dinner at Chili's.

You may wonder why that's "fun", but if you ask my girls where they want to eat, they will always say Chili's (okay, maybe McDonalds first). And since Chili's is one of my loves too - dating back to college, when I was a server there - we were all happy!

So we had a fun girls rendezvous! We even splurged and got a Molten Chocolate Cake dessert!

Except.....before I move on to the pictures, I have a complaint. A BIG one actually. My two favorite things to order at Chili's are: Lettuce Wraps and Carribbean Salad. So imagine my disappointment when the server told me they took those TWO things off the menu!!!! What the heck? I don't usually submit complaints, but I will on this one!

(Don't mind my drunken look - was my Diet Cherry Coke spiked?)

(Jordyn would never go to Chili's without getting Boneless Buffalo Wings!)
(Peyton is so friendly - she was constantly waving like this to our server)

(Thumbs up on the dessert, Mom!)

(As you can see, Peyton loved it too!)

*******************************

After our early dinner, we got an invite from my friend Jamee to go swimming and celebrate her son Ethan's birthday at the Johnson's house. My girls were surrounded by boys, but didn't seem to mind!

(pictured: Cody, Evan, Alex, Lexi, Peyton, Jordyn and Ethan)

So, we've survived yet another few days without Tucker, and even managed to have fun. But he's coming home tonight, so we're glad about that!

Family Friday - Kristy

Kristy is my youngest sister, and the fourth out of five children.

Just as with Ryan, I can distinctly remember when my parents sat us down and told us my mom was pregnant. I was 11 years old and was in the 6th grade. I thought it was the COOLEST thing in the world that we were going to have a baby in our house, and I remember my friends and teachers all being excited right along with me.


I also remember how we all felt when the doctor circled the you-know-what on the ultrasound picture and announced "It's a Boy!". We were all thrilled at this news and eventually settled on the name Riley for our new brother. Well......all of us, except my 10 year old sister Carly who wasn't convinced. I remember thinking Carly was a little kooky when she kept insisting that she thought it was going to be a girl the whole pregnancy.


So you can imagine how my mom felt when she heard the words "It's a Girl!" uttered from her doctor's mouth just seconds after giving birth to her new "son"! It was totally jaw-dropping for all of us, and we had a hard time registering that the doctor had made a mistake....and we actually had a new sister! Once the shock wore off, it took my parents a couple of days to come up with a girl's name to replace "Riley" (although that IS a cute girls name these days).


Kristy had an amazing amount of energy from day one. She was cute, spunky and a total ham. I remember plastering my pillow over my head on Saturday mornings when I, as a 15 year old, just simply wanted to sleep past 5:30 am......which felt nearly impossible with my wild, early-rising little sister bouncing off the walls! Even with the lack of sleep, we loved the spirit Kristy brought into our home.

As Kristy grew older, it continued to be her trademark to be full of energy, spontaneity, and determination. I was especially excited to move closer to home and develop a better relationship with Kristy when she was 13 years old. She was at a perfect age to love our little babies and our home soon became her second home. Kristy was always around and we loved it. I will always be particularly fond of the two years I served in the Young Women program at church and was able to be with Kristy even more often. We were able to go to Girl's Camp together, dances, rock climbing, service projects, Youth Conference and all sorts of other events. Whether boring or fun, I was always happy to spend time with my little sister.


Now Aunt Kristy is not-so-little anymore. At 19, we have really seen her grow up into a beautiful woman. She is incredibly gifted in music and instruments of all kinds (especially guitar and piano), she is fashionable, talented, smart and can do anything she puts her mind to. She is such a fun Aunt too. My girls have never known life without Aunt Kristy....they think she is some sort of celebrity! For many years, before she was "all grown up", she was our #1 babysitter!


Kristy is in the middle of the young adult years. Watching her reminds me of both the fun and the confusion that can accompany such huge decision making years! I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Kristy because I know the possibilities are endless for her. I'm so happy to have her as a sister. She is such an important member of our family with her undeniable energy and contagious personality. We love you tons Kristy!!

Hypothetical Story

(Cousins Paxton and Peyton, all freshly clean after a much needed bath)

Let's just say.....hypothetically speaking.....that you are getting dinner ready. As you are putting food on the table, you notice your 22 month old and her 14 month old cousin went outside to play in the backyard, but you figure "that'll keep them quiet till we're ready to eat in a couple minutes", so you continue one with what you're doing.

And then let's say.....hypothetically speaking...that your four year old daughter runs in and says "Moo-oom, you need to come see what the babies are doing". A little annoyed, you say "I can't come, just tell me".

"No Mom, you need to come see this" she says.

"Just TELL me please!" is your response a little more agitated.

"OK.....there is POOP all over!".

So (hypothetically) you RUN outside to see your 22 month old using her poop as play-dough, smashing it all around in her hands, and your nephew is crawling around in it, smashing it into the cement.

Do you puke? Do you scream? Do you yell? Do you run?

Well, hypothetically, my husband would rush them off to the bath tub......while I would scrub down the cement and playhouse with comet, just praying that it all comes off, and that no one ate any.

But that is just all hypothetical, right? Luckily, YOU probably didn't have that happen to you today. Hopefully you didn't, and hopefully you had a nice, poop-less dinner.



"

Primary, oh Primary!

One of the things I love about the church I belong to is the opportunities it provides me to serve....in ways I may not otherwise encourage myself to do. For the past nearly three years I have been able to serve in the Primary Presidency, and for the past few months I've been given the *opportunity* to be the President. Our primary has around 50 children ranging in ages 3-12. I have to say, I've really loved this calling and opportunity to serve these children and be inspired by wonderful teachers and leaders! I work with wonderful women in the presidency and they motivate me to want to do better. Sometimes it feels stressful, and during church on Sunday you can usually find me with a post-it attached to my fingers running around doing administrative odds & ends, but the spirit I feel from these children and the purity they exude uplifts me more than anything! I feel especially thankful that I get to see and teach my own children the truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ not only at home, but at church too! There are often times I want to complain to myself and rebel against the responsibilities that fall upon me as the President, but I truly know that the blessings outweigh the sacrifice when it comes to serving God's children (both little and big!). So, for now it works and for now I'll serve in this capacity! :-)

I Stand Corrected!

For 9 1/2 years....ever since I met Tucker......I've made claims that "he isn't what you'd call a handy man" (actually, he is the first to admit it). Over the years, there have often been times I've wished he wanted to run to Home Depot and build something on a whim of mine.

Deep down, I wondered if there was SOMETHING there he could tap into. Some hidden talent. I mean, his dad built in their basement for heaven's sake! Didn't he inherit or absorb ANY of that? I have wondered.

And now I can safely say that I stand corrected! Deep down, there is a tiny bit of a handy man inside Tucker! And now he can no longer deny it. Check out what he did in the laundry room. It may not look like a huge deal, but to us it feels like he added on a room to the house! We keep walking in to stare at it! He built it perfectly, and I painted it to make it look like part of the house.

I've also learned a lesson. Sometimes things like the laundry room shelf full of crap (with a capital "C") falling down.....are actually blessings in disguise. Because now, instead of closing the door and avoiding the laundry, I actually WANT to do laundry in this clean, organized space!

Here are the before and afters:

Weekend in Review

Finding the perfect balance of fun and productiveness on weekends is difficult for me. Its gotta be just right. Or maybe tilted just a bit more toward the productive side. Because to me that IS fun (man, that makes me sound boring).

This weekend had a good balance and I felt extra happy about it since Tucker will be gone this upcoming weekend for Woodbadge Training (for scouts).

Let's see.....we had a couple family bike-rides, worked on the project of the 'disaster laundry room' (pics to come), cleaned the house, watched the Utes on T.V., Tucker and I went on a date, went to church with a linger-longer and a baptism afterward (long day!), played with cousins, I did some couponing with Lindy, bought a new vacuum, made cookies, and really just enjoyed time as a family! Gotta love these three-day weekends, huh?

Me....thinking we're posing for a cute self-portrait. Tucker.....being Tucker!

I got a good laugh out of it too.

Thanks for the fun date night!

What a beautiful day! And a beautiful girl!

Pey....lookin' a little ghost-like in the sun!

Since Jordyn is doing so well on her two wheel bike, we can enjoy some family bike rides. Although we have to go REALLY slow....this is me thinking "you guys coming?"

"Sure, after I get the splinter out of my foot!" cries Jordyn.

OK, all better. Lexi hopped off her bike and decided to take it easy in the trailer.

What a handsome bike-riding husband, huh?

I'm trying to include pictures of me, even if I hate them. Here you go.

The girls helped me make cookies. Although, in this picture, Lexi had to just watch and could not help since she decided to shove a bunch of Hershey Kisses in her mouth and then hide...even after I asked her not to eat anymore. She's going through a very sneaky phase right now! But, she still got to eat a cookie later, don't worry.