Perhaps I am a Zerbra?

"I asked the Zebra,
are you black with white stripes?
Or white with black stripes?
And the zebra asked me,
Are you good with bad habits?
Or are you bad with good habits?
Are you noisy with quiet times?
Or are you quiet with noisy times?
Are you happy with some sad days?
Or are you sad with some happy days?
Are you neat with some sloppy ways?
Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?
And on and on and on and on and on and on he went.
I’ll never ask a zebra about stripes...again."
— Shel Silverstein

Livin' It Up!!!

Basketball Stake Champions!!

Way to go boys...who would have though it after watching the first game, maybe the Suns do have a shot after all...

A Priesthood Duty

Last night we had the wonderful opportunity to participate in seeing our nephew be ordained an Elder. He is the first in a long line of young men that will hopefully be receiving this same ordination. This young man holds a special place in my heart. 1. Because his parents are my **Favorite** wink, wink, 2. Because he is named after my true Love, and 3. Because there is just a little something that has always been in his eyes that that has drawn me in, not sure exactly what it is but I love it and I hope it never goes away.

As we sat there, I could not help but remember a young 3 year old hiding in a T.V. cabinet at the beach house. How he has grown up!! Or watching him slide down the stairs into the closet door, well, not much has changed there...

Over the years one thing as always impressed me, his constant love and respect for his parents and his family. I treasure that...though I am not part of his immediate family I see him often enough to see what once was a boy, is now a man prepared to serve the Lord. A constant example to my boys and his other cousins, a gift that I will forever be grateful for...

Michael thank you, thank you for leading the way...for taking this role that was given to you with out being asked, dealing with all these little eyes watching your every move...you are a leader, and true example, and we love you!!

Wish You Were Here

To know me is to know one of my BIGGEST pet peeves is "texting" and the entire cell phone thing in general!! I have gone periods of time where I have taken a "leave of absence" from the whole electronics part of my life and actually lived to tell about it. Nothing is MORE irritating than trying to have a conversation with someone and all you hear is a "BEEP BEEP" or a "VISS VISS" or even worse yet, NO eye contact due to the fact that their thumbs are too busy typing away something SUPER important like, "Ya, totally, her shirt was like way UGLY", ya, thanks for the heads up on that tid bit! Nothing says your not worth my time like a "text message". I'm just gonna put this out there...if you text ME and I don't respond this is what I'm saying to you...YOUR NOT WORTH MY TIME...call me, come over...MAKE AN EFFORT...have we really entered a time in our lives were talking is THAT bad? I can remember when all I did as a kid was stay up all night and TALK to my friends. Do people even KNOW how to do that know with out using symbols and texting sings? I for one will not allow my boys to text their friends. If they want to talk then they are more than welcome to CALL or GO OVER and TALK to them like a HUMAN. I will not raise savages.

Don't get me wrong, texting is great for quick last minute things like "where are you?", "what time is the game", "can you pick up some milk?" "the movie is at 7"...Not for things like, "my wedding is on March 12th, @ 9am Please RSVP" ummm NO!

OH BROTHER!

Unique is one way of describing my brother...I prefer "ONE in a MILLION!!"

... I'll even stand by him in this hideous Halloween costume he wears every year!

When I was younger, I could not say two nice words to my brother, and vice versa...it took our parents moving us back to Arizona my senior year that changed everything. It was HIM or no one...He became my best friend weather HE liked it or not. And...we have been friends ever since. Ya know, I'm not sure if he knows it, but he has been there for me like clock work and for that I could not be more thankful!! He has never missed an important event in my life...BIG or small...and he's even managed to teach me a few things along the way.

He has blessed my life with family...
With Humor...

(shirt says Recycle My Sister)

He gave are family joy with Far...
And what kind a brother doesn't just have one of these laying around?

Bud, thanks for all you do...thanks for loving my boys! Thanks for giving them all pocket knives and telling them to use them :D...Thanks for coming over at 11 at night to set up my elliptical. Thanks for always being there for Mike and for not only being a friend but a brother. Thanks for talking me off a cliff my first day of school. Thanks for laughing at my jokes, even though they ARE funny! AND Hazer, thanks for being worthy to help give me blessings when I need them. I LOVE you. I love your family. I love that you live so close and that I can see you and your family any time of the day. I feel blessed to have you and your family be a part of of my family's life...what an example you are to me...who knew it would turn out so wonderful? How great for us!! I love you!!

It's all my Dad's fault!!

All growing up (and still to this day) I am convinced that it is my Dad's fault I eat the way I do...

Example:

*"cake has egg's and milk in it...you can eat it for breakfast!"...
*"the best time to eat ice-cream is on the way to seminary, it won't melt in freezing cold!"...
*"would you like to have bread with that butter?"...
*"the more dough-y it is, the better!"...
*"If I'm gonna die, I'm going to die eating what I like!"

THUS, I eat nothing but JUNK! It has been a way of life. I am now realizing I don't need to punish my self, it's all my Dad's fault :D...until TODAY!!

Me: "O, please make your lunch."
O: "I did"
Me: "You did?", "What did you make?"
O: "My lunch."
Me: "Can you show me?"
O: "Sure!"
...1 juice box, 1 chocolate covered granola bar, 1 ding dong, 1 star crunch...
Me: "Where is your healthy food?"
O: "I ate it!"

Like Mother, Like Son...
(thanks dad...I LOVE you!!)

Question?

This is how I think of Crate...quiet, sweet, loving...

Today was a BIG step for me. Crate received a call from a good friend at school asking if they could go to a rec center and play while his mother went to work.

Initially my reaction was NO WAY!! I am not a big fan of "playing with school friends". Not because they are bad, but because I don't have the opportunity to meet their parents, see where they live, know how they behave... I am just an over protective mom I guess...no, I just AM! no guessing. So I looked at those BIG BLUE AMAZING EYES and thought...he's not my baby any more...We have taught him well and it's time to put that trust into action...even if it includes trusting others...which I'm not very good at.

So, off he went...panic in my heart, a SMILE on his face. "Thanks Mom"...and the door shut. Tears are streaming down my face...WHY?

They grow up so fast, I haven't aged at all...

My boys are my LIFE. They are my everything. They make me who I am. I know that they will one day grow up...just not ready for that to happen TODAY!