How will you die?

Last weekend after parting with Clint, I took the boys to the video store to pick out a movie to watch while I unpacked from the trip. While at the store this movie was under the "guaranteed in stock or you get it free" sign. All the movies were gone, so I figured why not just get the receipt, and then if I ever want to see it, it will be free!. Backfire, when I asked and they handed me one that had been returned, but not replaced. So I brought it home, and watched it the night before it needed to be returned. I wasn't sure what to expect from the previews. I did think that Will Ferrel did a good job. I felt that the movie could have been pretty good, but was just ok., which is pretty much what they say in the movie about the book that the movie is about. (I think you know what I am talking about if you have seen the movie). All this to say that it is interesting to ask oneself, and others, "if you could find out when and how you were going to die, would you? Clint and I had talked about this a week or two before I saw this movie, we just came up with a yes/no answer. But I am still thinking about it. I do have to say I usually like movies better after I watch the background and interviews included on the tape, it was the same with this movie.

Would you find out when and how you are going to die, if you could?

Do you tend to like a movie, song, show, better after learning more about it?

Pledge Time - - check!

I have no shame in saying I love NPR and PBS. Its pledge time, and I feel it my duty, as a daily consumer, to pledge to my local stations. Check it,s done. I don't pledge much, but make sure to do it when there is a challenge grant so I can feel like my pledge is being matched and therefore doubled. When I move from here and don't pay HOA fees that make me pay a quarterly cable fee of $50 (even when I don't want cable, and don't even have a working t.v.), I will be giving this money to these stations.

Welcome Martin!

Welcome to the newest mamber of the clan! My sister just got this adorable dog and named him Martin. I am giddy for him.

An answer to the challenge

Day 1. OSTRICH FESTIVAL -Chandler, AZ
We were pretty excited for this event. I wanted to go last year, but it was rained out. Who can resist the lure of watching ostriches race? Well it wasn't all that great. As you can see from the background a large fair accompanied the event, and although the races were pretty fun (racing ostrichs as well as camels, and chickens), the highlight for the boys was the $4 pony ride, and for clint it was watching the slingshot ride you see at these sorts of things and figuring out how it worked. These places draw an interesting crowd. We held off on the deep fried, below health code made food available at the fair, and ate at Cafe Rio... the highlight of my day.

Day 2 ... I skipped Sunday.. we were up to no good this day.


Day 3-HIKING THE 'TABLETOP' (or at least the attempt)
We were off to a rough start with this one, taking the wrong way to get there, which added 30 min. to the drive, Getting to the start of the trail at high noon, in March... in Arizona...(I think you get the picture, and then the complete contents of one kitchen cupboard that Clint put in a backpack for us to carry.. Holy smokes! But we didn't make it to the top. The hike round trip would have been 8 miles, and because we didn't want our kids to hate us and the word hiking for the rest of their lives, we opted for the 2-3 miler. We were in awe of the many ways a saguaro cactus arms tend to be... some had none, some up to 8. Many looked like things we had the octopus cactus, the dancing cactus, the giver cactus. Isaiah had a hay day with this one. So I posted a picture of a cactus revealing its inner infrastructure. I thought it was neat and didn't use the thumbnail on purpose so you can zoom in on it and take a look around. We also saw some cool military airplanes out training in the desert. They were very low and so easy to watch.


Day 4- LAUNDRY DAY
Not much excitement in this one, but that is what the challenge is about I guess, the day to day. Very true to form Ruby was intent on undoing all the good I was attempting. Why does it seem laundry takes all day!


Day 5- CHILDREN'S ART MUSEUM
I belong to a play-group that does some real fun things. This week we were at the children's art museum, with the theme of under the sea. I tried to take some better pictures of the boys here, but got BUSTED for taking pictures in an art museum... DUH!, the experience left me a little gun shy to take pictures even in the kid areas, but I mustered up the courage for this one of the boys water-coloring.


Day 6- WATER PLAY
I pulled out the hose and put it on the tramp for the boys. They were in heaven. Mason was a whole different boy than a year ago when he wouldn't even get near the water at splash pads .. too unpredictable I guess.

Day 7- FAREWELL TRIP
We wanted to go on a trip with Clint before he left, and do so in a way that would break up his trip a bit. We wanted to go to the Grand Canyon, but opted for a place called Sedona instead. On the way there we stopped at this place called 'Montazumas Castle'. It was an unplanned stop. I have wanted to have those every time we travel to Utah, but we usually just want to get there and so we don't stop. This place was just off the road and worth the stop. Sedona was pretty, kind of a mix between Moab and Park City. Utah has much more to offer. And the bad news of the trip was the lack of camping spaces. Most campgrounds were closed the rest full. So after about 4 hours of trying we gave up on the hunt for a site, and headed into Flagstaff, got a motel, and microwaved the hot dogs. Still a great trip. The next morning we said good bye to Clint, for x amount of time,and headed home. No pictures here.

So that is it. A challenge complete. After about a week of sitting on it, its posted. I am not sure how I feel about it but I did it. Maybe I will try this for a month... or maybe something else. Who knows.

Challenge #2 A week in the life of....

Ok, Ok, I know that some of you are still working on the 100 things challenge, some even on the blog creation challenge. But I have to keep the ball rolling, because we don't want to be a bunch of deadbeat bloggers. So here it is. I am assuming that we all have a digital camera, if not you will have to be creative. Lets go over the background first. A few years ago Oprah had the founder of Amazon on her show, Jeff something, my mind is blank right now. Anyhow, one of the things that he would do is take at least one picture a day. I don't remember the details of all of this, just that I thought that it would be a great way to be more attentive to things surrounding you, or creating an event out of something that may be typical to your day. Since I am trying to be more mindful, I am going to do this. Of course you can take more than one picture a day, but in the end you must share only one a day, and maybe a blip on what it represents. Lets do it for a week straight, starting when you read this. I think you will find it is a fun way to be reflective and share your world with us. Happy snapping!!!

100 things about me

Don't be scared off by this, it only lets you know I am human and a work in progress..



1. I am popular (this is a joke I have shared with many of you.. made funnier by the wicked soundtrack)
2. I am a horrible shopper- I really broke a sweat and was blushing when I talked to a salesman in Pottery Barn a few weeks ago
3. I have won 3 notable awards in my like (jr. High science fair, caring award, the golden scaler) I don't feel I have deserved any of those
4. I have frequent buyers remorse
5. I have a bad habit of picking my kids noses
6. I don't own a cell phone (this just changed)
7. I don't recall ever being in a homes with security systems until we moved to AZ, now they are in about 50% of the homes I go in
8. I work in the cub scouts, and love it
9. Growing up I wanted to be a grocery checker, back then they typed the prices in by hand and I thought that was cool. The scanners have made the job loose its appeal for me.
10. I am embarrassed when I get a haircut, I don't like the attention, so I end up wearing my hair in a ponytail for days and then slowly introducing the new cut.
11. My ideal vacation is visiting family (I have been to San Diego, Seattle, Vermont, Nashville) I like having the automatic tour guide
12. Listening to certain types of music brings out the dancer and singer in me
13. In my mind November = BYU vs. Utah football game
14. Some of the best moments in my life have been at BYU football games
15. I carried a plastic bowl everywhere with me for the first 2 and 1/2 years of Masons life.
16. Im waffly
17. I have to go to a dark place in my head when we make big purchases
18. I have had some amazing conversations with others, but can't seem to remember key points of the conversation even 10 min. later (maybe I am a feeling person)
19. Growing up we had oatmeal for breakfast most mornings, Cold cereal was a rare treat. I am coming back to the oatmeal ways, though the rest of the family will stick with the cold cereal.
20. I am a wanna be perfectionist. I like the results but not the time or demand it creates.
21. I have felt an addiction to running before.
22. My marathon experience- especially the training was a pleasant surprise, and one of the best times of my life
23. I like being a mom more than I thought I would
24. I can't decide if I am an optimist or a pessimist. I think I am only a pessimist with Clint (poor guy)
25. I have a hard time believing I do anything well.
26. I scream while I am in labor
27. I am willing to try most things.. except... ok well some things.
28. I am close with the ladies of the family
29. I like getting to know new people
30. I wish I were more patient and organized. I would have more kids.
31. Clint is a very patient person, but I really tend to push the limits
32. I wish I had taken education more seriously
33. I long for security, but have no idea what that is in my mind
34. having a girl has made me want to be more feminine, I still don't know how to wear makeup
35.I like a sense of humor in people, and when its mixed with intellect its golden (Pres. Hinckley)
36. Im grateful for growing up where I did.
37. I don't think I would raise my kids there
38. I am grateful I had such good friends in high school, and believe they played a part in making me who I am today
39. I don't think we will ever own a brand new car
40. I think my kids are going to be better than I was, or am
41. I have enjoyed our time in AZ
42. I don't like juice or pop - water for me
43. I think I have an addiction to sugar
44. I am uncomfortable around people who worry about their weight.
45. I have discovered wrinkle creases on my forehead that make me feel like I must walked with a surprised look on my face all day
46. I like low rider jeans
47. I like reef flip flops
48. I don't have any fashion sense beyond that
49. I don't think my in-laws are weird. In fact I really like them. This is more rare than I thought.
50. I was a bit of a puppet for my sisters, luckily they were good puppeteers
51. Writing this has made me very self-conscious of my grammar and spelling skills.. and my personality.
52. I get a weird energy and enjoyment out of being the teacher of a group that has no choice but to listen to me. That must be why I enjoy working in primary and why I went into dental hygiene
53. I had spinal meningitis as an infant
54. I played quarterback for our ward intramural flag football team
55. I was on two championship BYU intramural teams (both softball) our first year there. This is a goal of many and reality of few in their time at BYU.... or at least I like to think so.
56. I feel I have grow in our short time away from Utah and family
57. I am not looking forward to moving back although I do think Utah and my family are wonderful
58. I would rather attend a sporting event than go shopping or spaiing (is that a word??)
59. My favorite form of exercise is playing sports... though I am not all that good at them
60. I have NPR on in our house and car almost constantly.
61. I like PBS.
62. I am shocked that anyone would HATE #60, #61. I have met her.
63. I wish I had more time to read, and like to do so in bed before I go to sleep.
64. I don't wear makeup and wouldn't know where to begin. This worries me.
65. I think I am going bald. Clint thinks it worse for a man to go bald than for a woman. WHAT!
66. My ideal exercise routine would include weight training, swimming, yoga, and running. Not in one session of course.
67. I would have liked to have lived more places.
68. I have a lack decorating skills
69. I have a desire to be more 'outdoorsy'
70. I wish I were more creative
71. I would like to be a good teacher.
72. I feel I have bad teeth for a hygienist. I went to the dentist last week and didn't let them know I was a hygienist.
73. I often compose thank you letters in my head, but rarely send them.
74. We live in an area where all the houses are brand new. I don't know that we would ever buy a brand new house again.
75. I wish my grandparents were still around
76. This list is getting really hard to make.
77. I have a weird fear of making goals
78. Clint just got me an ipod. I didn't think I wanted it, but it is wonderful
79. I think I am pretty independent, but I think I get reliant when Clint is around
80. I rarely laugh out loud, even if I think something is funny
81. I think this will be a fun list to read in the future, and am excited to read other peoples.
82. I have had the same best friend growing up, we share birthdays, and I still consider her one of my bests
83. I wear glasses/contacts.
84. I have pretty good pregnancies
85. my natural tendency is to claim more of my Italian heritage than my German, even though I have more german blood. Something is just cooler about Italian.
86. I used to be self-conscious about my nose, now I don't care so much.
87. I have big teeth. I think this helped me get a job in the dental field
88. My pre-dental field jobs were all janitorial. I still don't know any cleaning tricks.
89. I don't think the women in my family know how to take time for themselves
90. I have had to kick my boys out of the house, feed ruby about 1 lb. of cheese and put her to bed to be able to write this post
91. Growing up I felt that my best friend was smarter than be because she had cable, now I think it is because she read more
92. My favorite halloween costume was a pippi longstocking outfit. I loved her!
93. I don't like to have the same things as other people, but don't want to be odd either.
94. I sometimes leave conversations thinking "why did I say that, or did I talk about myself the whole time?" things like that
95. My favorite thing to say when I was little was "don't bug me", I still say that to my kids sometimes, and feel bad./
96. When I am pregnant I tend to have space and touch issues
97. I did my great brain project in 3rd grade on popcorn, a regular snack our family.
98. My toenails are usually painted (red or purple.)
99. My favorite movies usually are sad and funny (Life is beautiful, My life)
100. I feel bad that I challenged others to make this list...but I know they can do it.

A call to blog

Today I sent out an elite to several friend as a call for them to join me in the blog world. I hope they will heed the call and we will have a great little circle to work with. Here are the people I invited and the area in which I feel they will be able to contribute in a way that no other could:
Julia-friend from hometown. Recently had a son with health problems, always a learning experience.
Erin Y- Classic style! And she does it on a budget. Lets learn.
Lorie- the best friend. Same birthday and an eternal connection. World traveler, almost 30 and still single (gasp!!)
Melissa B- the cutest mom and best cook, combined. She could teach me a thing or two.
Celia- blog leader. She knows the ins and outs of it all, and already has an awesome thought stimulating blog, you will love it.
Charlissa- Back in the home-state, enduring the student life still.
Jen- woman of mystery. who wouldn't like a peek into the mind of this intellect. She could give us some great book
recommendations
Misti- A glimpse into the life most of us won't experience .. Harvard.. as well as being an amazing mom of 4 younguns
Allyson- Playgroup genius. She coordinates with the best of them and will be one of my few links to this small town.
Lorilynn- fellow "Utes make my blood boil", I love the BYU football love in this lady.
Sara D-AZ pal, coupon savvy, dancer, teacher, and owner of the cutest dog!
Kerry- family history link and techno chick. Kerry I am going to be shocked if you don't have a blog yet
Lesley-the girl that made hunny notes really work (remember these??, I think its genius) Living in Indiana fixing up the house and living on rice and beans.
Erin R- fitness and nutrition pro. Plus a lover of JCrew. Ready to embark on new adventures in grad school, bring us along.
Becca L- MOTIVATOR!, She can get you to do anything and feel great about it. The coolest chick ever.
Marliese- the most dedicated runner I have ever know, she will be our New York connection.
Angelica- the silent hero. I can rattle off a list of people who have been influenced by this people loving lady. A small town girl who can hang with the most elite.
Jessica- the creative mind. I am so glad to have reconnected with this lady recently. She is amazing.
Karalynn- Can see the humor in it all, but also a great thinker, socially conscious, and fellow law and order fan.

So there is the list. Amazing women who have influenced my life, and each others. At BYU we talked about having a 201 reunion someday, and I think that this is a start. Don't feel pressure, but I am counting on you.