Please Keep Sneaking Into Our House

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place. ~Mark Twain

These "people" scare the CRAP out of me! Especially the one in the office chair. I think I punched it in the face. But we still love it. We have such CREATIVE friends! 

Growth

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!" ~Robin Williams

And also saying "Get to work - your yard looks awful with those dead bushes."

So I got to work. HARD work. Including digging up 2 huge bushes with my father-in-law and a pick (it was AWESOME!)

It took 3 weeks of Yard Waste collection to get rid of everything.



Grow little plants, GROW!



I learned a lot - like you aren't supposed to put bark so close to your plants. I was so hestitant to plant anything, but then my mom told me the best advice that encouraged me to start planting. She said "gardening is like a science experiment - you just have to keep trying stuff and learn as you go." I was always too afraid of making mistakes but then I dug right in! Thank mom.



Wesley learned you aren't supposed to eat plants. Or pull out the flowers.



Preston learned Heidi's cell phone number - haa haa haa haa haa haa - Poor Heidi (she will get me back some day)



Yeah for summer! Boo for watering! Yeah for pretty lavendar smell!



School's Out For Summer!

Oh! The lazy days of summer are soon upon us!

Two milestones that show us summer is soon here:

1. Last day of school: (Mrs. Jones is the best!)

2. The FRECKLES are coming out!

They are appearing on his arms this year in the most adorable "dots" you've ever seen. 

Not "Just" A Fireman

"Never do anything that you wouldn't want to explain to the paramedics"

Over the past couple of months, Uncle Branden has been focusing his attention on becoming a real life hero: A fireman. I asked him what we should call him now: officer, lieutenant, sergeant but he said he is "just" Firefighter Werry.

Branden: You are not "Just" Firefighter Werry. You are OUR Firefighter Werry. Which makes you VERY special.
 

What are these 2 going to be when they grow up? I can't wait to find out!

A Monarch Farm

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.  ~Author Unknown

Target is my favorite store because they have everything - including Butterfly Farms. We bought the kit and went online with our coupon and a couple of days latter a little jar of baby catapillars came to our house.

They grew and grew and grew and grew until one day the catapillars weren't little - they were big FAT catapillars.

You know the rest of the story......... because I know every household owns "The Very Hungry Catapillar"
(if you don't, I'll give you one of our 5 copies of the book.)

We ooohhed and aaahhhed over our butterflies for 2 weeks until it was warm enough to set them free.
 

Scrub A Dub Dub

Scrub-A-Dub Dub
Three men in a tub


It's crazy around this hub

Sock Storm

Keep a thing seven years and it's bound to come in handy. ~Russian Proverb (and Tom's too)

Tom has a flaw. He cannot throw anything away - including unmatched, holey, thinned out SOCKS!

I considered having an Organizational Therapist come over, but then I found the best solution is just to wait until he is gone to throw away or donate his stuff.

It's a good thing he doesn't read my blog.

Then when he asks where it is I tell him if he didn't have so much stuff he probably would be able to find it.

I have yet to figure out how to get rid of his "bin" of old cell phones.

But then he will get rid of my bike.

Couples should not clean out garages together.

Can life get better? I submit that it CANNOT!

"Say 8... say 8... Happy 8 day." ~ Brian Regan

This night showed Tom that my family does not do so well meeting Famous People:

Me: Refuse to submit myself to such ridicule so I stayed back talking to Tim through his car window looking like a prostitute (according to Tom).

Mom: Was so paranoid she was going to miss seeing him when he came to get on his bus she stood right at the door but when when he came out she hid behind my dad. Then suddenly came out and said, "Let's get a picture with the girls."

Heidi (slowly): "Hi! I'm Heidi" (shaking his hand)

Dad: Wouldn't go up to see him, but then pouted when he didn't get his ticket signed

It was an evening of constant entertainment. From the dinner at our house feeding 20 people to laughing on the way home about my family's awkward famous people reactions.

My tummy was sore!

Who's Child Is This?

"Your children can embarass you more than you could ever embarass yourself" ~Heather Matthews

Men's Retreat 2010

Most men go to Vegas for whatever is supposed to stay in Vegas. (Can anyone not think of Vegas and not have that annoying cliche phrase come to their mind?)

But these real men go to Vegas for Basketball & Temples

Vegas Temple is my favorite celestial room. I love the Silver.

And of course, a famous Pawn Shop for our TV addicts.

It's a whole new "Vegas" experience for our B.

He could explain what is supposed to "stay" in Vegas, but I don't want to ask because he will probably laugh at me first and say, "Oh, Heath"

Happy Easter 2010

No words in Christendom mean more to me than those spoken by the angel to the weeping Mary Magdalene and the other Mary when, on the first day of the week, they approached the tomb to care for the body of their Lord. Spoke the angel:

“Why seek ye the living among the dead?

“He is not here, but is risen.”

Thomas S. Monson, “He Is Risen!,” Ensign, May 2010, 87–90

 

Happy General Conference

"Be strong and of good courage. You are truly royal spirit daughters of Almighty God. You are princesses, destined to become queens. Your own wondrous story has already begun. Your “once upon a time” is now."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Your Happily Ever After,” Ensign, May 2010, 124–27

Heidi made Pioneer Woman's Maple Cinnamon Rolls that we stuff ourselves with all weekend.
We definitely filled our physically bodies & our spirit bodies this weekend.

PS: Our YW Camp Theme this year that we chose in January is "Happily Ever After." You should have seen our shock when President Uchtdorf's talk was titled "Your Happily Ever After." The Lord works in mysterious ways and often when we don't even realize.

This Is How We Roll

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable. ~Plato"

Where Is your mother? It's raining, you have no pants, and you are eating a Popsicle.



This guy has a good mother.
Always dressing him appropriately for the weather.
(but he has a Popsicle too - haa haa)
I was probably babysitting him - oops!

Popcorn Popping

"I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn Popping on the apricot trees"

During the winter Preston kept asking when Spring would come. I told him when the popcorn trees come out. The day we noticed they were all fully bloom he ran downstairs and got his swim suit on.

My favorite seasons: Spring & Fall

They both mean my ideal of "perfect" weather: warm but cloudy.

I'm a true Northwesterner.

Actually not, because I don't like the rain.

When it rains we ALWAYS sing "Rain, Rain Go Away, go take your clouds to Spain"

But then I realize if it doesn't rain that means I have to water my flowers and garden (note: which consists of 3 small garden boxes). And I hate to water.

So I guess rain is okay.

Self Awareness

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. ~Anaïs Nin

May we all strive to be a little more self-aware. And not always try to be the center of attention.

I was trying to get a family picture of the Morelands when Preston brought Tanner over to the camera and posed - thinking it was his turn.

Self-Awareness.

This post made me think of my favorite quote. The only quote I keep on my fridge. I don't ever want to forget it. Must we all give each other the benefit of the doubt :) Because we all make mistakes.

"Charity is, perhaps, in many ways a misunderstood word. We often equate charity with visiting the sick, taking in casseroles to those in need, or sharing our excess with those who are less fortunate. But really, true charity is much, much more.

Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. It makes the thought of being a basher repulsive.

Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other."

Marvin J. Ashton, “The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword,” Ensign, May 1992, 18

Another Attempt To Being A Photographer: Puddle Hopping

Did you ever wonder if the person in the puddle is real, and you're just a reflection of him? ~Calvin and Hobbes

Seattlites get lots of opportunities for puddle hopping. Not surprisingly, we own more rain boots than shoes or snow boots.

This was another effort on my part to become a better photographer:

Lily follows us whenever we go on a walk. The neighbors laugh. She is strange. All cats are strange.

Obviously I do not have a creative photography bone in my body. This is the most awkward set up.

These are my favorite pictures: "Make a funny face"

That really captures a moment.

Especially in our house.

Learning To Be A Photographer: Trip to Bellingham

There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs. ~Ansel Adams

We took a trip to Bellingham to the Beaver House and I put myself to the task of learning how to be a better photographer. Both Carlen and The Pioneer Woman said they learned by taking TONS of pictures. What they don't tell you is that you will then spend hours going through TONS of picture - 99% of which are horrible.

I think I'm going to give up and just take boring pictures. It gets the job done, right?

Here is my attempt:

I gave Tom the camera and told him to practice.

He did worse than me.

Horrible.

If I am better than Tom, then at least that's something.

And it means that I don't have to be in the pictures.

Note: I took about 25 pictures of this dumb little chipmunk. None of which were even a tinsy bit exciting.