Today's Etsy Pick

Esty seller GootchieGoo makes these black and white prints. I love it. So now I'm trying to decide which would look better: a print of the word "Family" in, say, a black and white guest bedroom or the boys' names for their bedroom. What other word could I do? Amy--you could do something cool like this with your photography skills!

Working It

My neighbor and I are both certified teachers, but she babysits. I don't have a job right now, but will babysit twins this fall. We love our children, but staying home does nothing for our slender pocketbooks. We were talking about the quandary of getting a teaching job when you have little kids. Sure, we like kids, but I have a feeling that dealing with kids all day as a profession would be a little. . . redundant. Did I say redundant? I meant noisy. I really should have majored in something that'd get me a job working at a tranquil spa or at a monastery.

Then I came across this on Facebook. Cheesy, but funny. It seems I'm not the only one searching for employment:

My first job was working in an orange juice factory, but I got canned because I couldn't concentrate.
Then I worked in the woods as a lumberjack, but I just couldn't hack it, so they gave me the axe.
After that I tried to be a tailor, but I just wasn't suited for it. Mainly because it was a so-so job.
Next I tried working in a muffler factory but that was exhausting.
I wanted to be a barber, but I just couldn't cut it.
Then I tried to be a chef--figured it would add a little spice to my life but I just didn't have the thyme.
Finally, I attempted to be a deli worker, but any way I sliced it, I couldn't cut the mustard.
My best job was being a musician, but eventually I found I wasn't noteworthy.
I studied a long time to become a doctor, but I didn't have any patients.
Next was a job in a shoe factory; I tried but I just didn't fit in.
I became a professional fisherman, but discovered that I couldn't live on my net income.
Thought about becoming a witch, so I tried that for a spell.
I managed to get a good job working for a pool maintenance company, but the work was just too draining.
I got a job at a zoo feeding giraffes but I was fired because I wasn't up to it.
So then I got a job in a gymnasium (work-out-center), but they said I wasn't fit for the job.
Next, I found being an electrician interesting, but the work was shocking.
After many years of trying to find steady work I finally got a job as a historian until I realized there was no future in it.
My last job was working at Starbucks, but I had to quit because it was always the same old grind.
You have any ideas for a job? Maybe you have something that Works, because I don't.

Simple Joys

The conversation with our five-year-old that ended ". . . you mean I can even flush the potty and wash my hands?!?" actually began yesterday when Ben got home from work. We decided to spend a few minutes before dinner putting up plastic sheeting over our newly-insulated laundry room ceiling. As Ben picked up the long box, the roll of sheeting fell out. On its way to the ground it hit the nozzle at the bottom of the water heater, cracking it off. Let me try to put a positive spin on this next part: our laundry room got a pampering most laundry rooms only dream of--a drenching, actually, in 50 plus gallons of hot water and the pore-refining steam that comes with it. If only laundry rooms had pores! We shut off water and started researching on-demand/tankless water heaters. Then we headed to Lowes and Sears where we found none in stock. After talking with a Home Depot guy for a while we decided trying to fix the nozzle on our water heater was the way to go if we wanted any hot water in the next 21 days (the timeline for a special order and installation).

The next several hours played out like a game of Mouse Trap as we fixed the water heater. The nozzle didn't crack off neatly so we bought a gizmo to insert into the plastic broken threading. The gizmo didn't work, so we got out our dremel to grind out the plastic threading (because apparently dremels aren't just for shaping pinewood derby cars!). That went well, but the replacement nozzle we got wasn't quite long enough to fit into the water heater, so it was back to the store to get some extension pieces. While, there we got some more copper piping and a shut-off valve cold water line above the water heater so we could have running water even if we couldn't get the replacement nozzle part figured out (and because the Home Depot guy tells us it's a smart idea to be able to shut off water to your water heater). Then we came to the conclusion that now is as good a time as any to move the water heater since it was empty and relatively lightweight. So we built a wooden 20" x 20" platform (out of treated lumber) for the water heater to sit on. Then we skootched it up tight next to the drywall so our half wall next to the dryer can run the full length of the wall. I finished the cold water supply about the same time Ben finished putting in the new drain nozzle. What's gonna work? Team work! It was at this point that we prematurely declared ourselves victorious and turned on the water. We found one leak, turned off the water, tightened up a loose fitting, and turned the water back on. Could have been worse, right? We came upstairs to proclaim true victory over our 16-year-old water heater that will probably last another year or two. And that's why S. was so excited about being able to flush and wash her hands! Sometimes it takes 50 plus gallons of hot water on your laundry room floor to really appreciate the simple joys in life. Indoor plumbing is truly lovely. And I'm declaring it right here in this very post: whoever invented being able to flush your business away--TOTAL GENIUS! Did I forget to intertwine into my plumbing play-by-play dinner, taking the boys to scouts, bedtime, Ben calling in late, getting the kids off to school, and S. coming home from preschool? Nobody claimed we work faster than plumbers, just cheaper!


Now where were we? Oh yeah, putting up plastic sheeting. . . maybe that can wait until tomorrow, I need a nap, wait, no, I need a hot shower. My pores could use some refining.


A cute story: On the way out of Sears, Baby C. was walking toward the road. I decided rather than scoop her up I'd teach her to stop at the curb and look both ways. She is 22 months old, after all. So as she approached the curb I called out "Stop!" Without missing a beat she picks up her knees, sticks out her elbows, and with the boogie-woogie rhythm of a toddler, proceeds to "Stomp!" out into the road. Look both ways before you stomp across the street!

May's Book Club

I'm now heading up our ward's R.S. Book Club. The blogging world is cordially invited to read with us. For beautiful blogging friends in our ward, please consider this your invitation to join us on Thursday, May 14th at 7:00pm, location posted in the bulletin.


We're reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver.


It's a great Spring read. When Kingsolver and her family move from suburban Arizona to rural Appalachia, they take on a new challenge: to spend a year on a locally produced diet. "Our highest shopping goal was to get our food from so close to home, we'd know the person who grew it. Often that turned out to be ourselves as we learned to produce what we needed, starting with dirt, seeds, and enough knowledge to muddle through. Or starting with baby animals, and enough sense to refrain from naming them."

What an interesting, well-written book! Imagine sustaining oneself the way our ancestors did--without Doritos. Happy Reading! This book inspired my inner gardener and made me hungry for good, healthy food from my local Farmers' Market. Happy Reading.

Post a comment if you've read it and write your own review!

Spring has Sprung

It's a rainy day today, but not too cold. Our daffodils and tiny blue flowers are gorgeous and I don't want to hear the words "It's snowing" for at least 6 months. (Is that asking too much?!?)

I took this picture of my girls with Sister Clifford on Easter Sunday. Last month Sister Clifford said "Hope you don't mind my asking, but can I please sew Easter dresses for your girls?" I said "Sure!!!" Aren't they adorable? She did such a great job and S. loves that it spins just like a princess dress.

And let me just put it out there so everyone is clear on this: Please feel free to sew things for my girls anytime!

Not to be outdone, our eight-year-olds got new church shoes. I'll post a picture of their old ones too so you'll believe me when I tell you that they REALLY needed new church shoes.
Ben continues to be quite the loser. He's lost 20 pounds in seven weeks! As of last week every co-worker weighs less than they did seven weeks ago--their office total is 61 pounds lost! That's not to say there haven't been a few questionable methods involved. Two weeks ago, one of Ben's co-worker drank tons of water before the weigh-in because he figured he wouldn't win that week anyway. It improved his chances the for following week's weigh-in. Sneaky, eh? This is the same guy who brings a whole cake into the office every Friday in case people are hungry! Ben has admitted to wearing light-weight clothes and taking off his shoes and belt for the weigh-ins but at least he hasn't been employing his old wrestling tactics. In high school Ben had to lose weight before every wrestling match. One of his favorite tricks was to fast and then wrap himself in plastic wrap and go running before weighing in. (My favorite is that after making weight he'd scarf down a sleeve of Ritz crackers with cheese and drink a Coke.) Don't ask me why his coach couldn't just be sensible enough to put him in a bigger weight class. Ben wonders if wrestling in the wrong weight class through high school stunted his growth. If nothing else, he knows how to lose weight when he wants to! He says the trick is not stuffing himself at meals, not eating donuts and running. Good advice--not to brag, but I already knew about the not eating donuts part. (Not only is Ben skinnier than he's been in years, but his wife is hecka hilarious!)

This Biggest Loser thing is all in fun, but I wonder if all this dwelling on weight-loss is doing permanent damage to the kids. The three oldest kids, but the boys especially, must have weighed themselves a hundred times at Grandma and Papa's house (we do not own a scale). They would randomly run to the bathroom to weigh themselves, eat something, run back to weigh themselves, jog in the basement, run back to weigh themselves, drink something, then weigh themselves some more. Possibly more running around than Papa bargained for, it kept them occupied and out of the snowy cold weather. And it made me and Grandma laugh a lot!

Yes, R. is wearing fuzzy pink socks. They're mine. I was sitting on the couch sporting my fuzzy socks and he walks up to me and yoinks them! Sweet kid. . .

So I haven't been to Provo since August of '07, but with a DVD player in the van and overnight pit stops it was a bearable journey. We stopped at a hotel in Montana on the way and ran into our neighbors, the Ericksons, in the lobby! Too funny.

The two highlights of our Spring Break were watching General Conference and J.'s baptism. Grandma took me and the boys to the train "Trax" in Sandy early Saturday morning. The girls stayed in Provo. We rode to Temple Square then waited in the rain in a pretty long line with our tickets (thanks, President Pitcher!). It was so interesting to see the behind-the-scenes side of conference. I think the boys and I will be looking back on our Conference session as we watch for years to come. We studied the T.V. cameras, big screens, and sign language section with fascination. And when President Monson arrived, everything got quiet and we could each feel the Spirit telling us he is a prophet of God.

We won't do it again for the girls, but we (actually J.) decided that since R. was baptised in the Icicle River that J. could be baptized at his other grandparents' in their stake's baptismal font. Ben and his mom drove down to join us for the baptism. It was worth the headaches to have his uncles, aunties, some cousins be there and participate in the program. And if it's possible, I think J. has matured a lot since his birthday. If anyone has better pictures than these, let me know. This shot has a thumb in it! I almost don't want to post it, but I can't help myself I guess.

Several fun activities helped round out a very busy, fun-filled trip:

We couldn't call it a true trip to Provo without a visit to The Museum of Paleontology at BYU a.k.a. "The Dinosaur Museum" in the Southeast corner of the LaVell Edwards Stadium parking lot. The kids always have such a good time there and we always have the whole "museum" to ourselves.

For FHE we went to the farm part of Thanksgiving Point where the kids saw a bunch of animals, got a pony ride, and colored a butterfly. We rebounded nicely from the butterfly coloring activity with dinner and ice cream.

Grandma, Papa, and Uncle Buckethead took us to the 3D movie of Monsters v. Aliens. Loved that the President of the United States communicates with the aliens via rockin' keyboard riff! Loved the cheap popcorn and soda too (every city should be a college town--such good deals in Provo!)

We took full advantage of this college town with a trip to the Monte Bean Museum. The insects and ocean creatures were our favorites. (I remember the hammerhead shark and swordfish from my childhood.)
On my birthday we bounced around at Jump On It and then wasted no time replenishing any lost calories at Dad's favorite restaurant Los Hermanos. We wanted to hike the Y but it was snowing and we couldn't really see the Y. So instead we strolled/hiked up Rock Canyon. And collected rocks. We can't seem to hike without bring home a rock or two. Or ten.

We stayed with friends from our Moscow days on the way home and even though the trip was great it was so nice to get home. Even if it means cutting wall board and spending too much money on boring stuff like dry wall screws and two-by-fours.

We had a fun spring break and are grateful that my kids got to connect with their grandparents, and my awesome baby brothers and their awesomer (yesitsaword!) wives. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for putting us up, putting up with us, and spoiling us all rotten!