That %*&^# Truck!

Sorry about this, but I just have to vent. Last December, we bought a Dodge Ram long bed truck - something Jason's wanted for a l o n g time. Jason drives the car to work since the gas mileage is obviously better, so I have the "opportunity" to drive the truck. At first I thought it would be cool - you know - cute chick driving a big truck. Right now, I'm just hoping never to drive the dang thing again. Today while backing it out of our small garage, I turned the wheel, trying to give myself more room and s c r a p e - it grated against Jason's pontoon which was hanging from the wall. CRINGE. There is now a huge, deep scrape in his nice truck. It would be one thing if this were the first time I have done damage with this truck. Here are my other offenses (I'm preempting the coming "discussion" tonight):
1. Not directly related to the truck, but I scraped the right side of the car trying to pull in far enough on the right side of the garage to give Jason plenty of room to get the truck in.
2. One side of our garage is deeper than the other, but it is just BARELY wide enough for that blasted thing. I pulled in and grazed the right front corner against the wall corner.
3. I ran over my bike rim with the truck.
4. I was pulling into my mom's driveway & didn't turn wide enough and bumped my brother's back right bumper with the truck's back right bumper.

I consider myself a decent driver. Only one stupid ticket in my life, but apparently I am retarded when it comes to big trucks. I hope Jason permantly revokes my license to drive that thing. So there you go. I have vented and admitted my lack of "deftness", "catiousness", whatever with the truck. Maybe I'm subcounciously trying to hurt it because it hurts us in the wallet so much (diesel).

Birthday Shout-Out & my Ode to Technology

I couldn't very well post today without wishing my sweetie a happy 31st birthday. I give him a hard time about being "into his 30's," yet every year as I watch him get a year older, thinking wow - he's getting old - I inevitably catch up to him in the next couple years and think hey, maybe it's not that old. Funny how that works. Anyway, love, hope you have a wonderful one. All your girls at home love and adore you.

Now, I have a list of random things I've wanted to post about, so here's one of them: My "Ode to Technology" or maybe "A few things to make your kids realize how deprived you were growing up" or "Am I that old?" (this will be a good one for my hubby)

I've just been thinking about all the technology that has come about or at least become mainstream in MY lifetime. Not the lightbulb, or the automobile, but nonetheless, these are things I don't think any of us would live without. So, here are a few things I'm so thankful for*

THE INTERNET
Obviously you wouldn't be reading this right now wihout the web. My first recollection was my junior or senior year in high school & we got on it in the computer lab. I really had no idea what it was, but it seemed neat. Then, in college, chat rooms and e-mail and registering for classes online - wow! Now, if my speed is anything less than cable internet, I have to take lots of deep breaths to keep my patience.
Here's what I think a future conversation with my kids might sound like-
kid: "So... if you didn't have the internet, how did you do your research papers?"
Me: "Well, we had to go to the library for hours at a time and look at all these books called ENCYLOPEDIAs and actually photocopy articles from magazines. Pretty crazy, huh?"
kid: "Yeah. So without the internet, you didn't even have e-mail?"
Me: "Nope. Makes treking to school in 5 feet of snow uphill both ways look pretty weak, doesn't it? We actually had to mail letters or more popularly, talk on our CORDED phones if we wanted to contact someone"

DIGITAL CAMERAS
Wow. Aren't they amazing? We got our first in 2002. We had a 35mm underwater camera for Hawaii this past May and I kept checking the back after I had taken the picture to see if it looked good. I am SO used to my digital! Digital cameras have completely transformed picture-taking. I can just snap away (and do) usually taking over 150 pictures a month! My kids are probably going to be overloaded with all the pictures I have of them -especially the everyday kind, but they are my favorite and I'm so thankful we can all be so carefree with our snapshots, that we can check them after we take them, and that we can SHARE THEM (this is a subtle hint to family & friends that never share their pictures)


CELL PHONES
So, here's another future conversation:
kid: "So, didn't you guys have cell phones growing up?"
Me: "Not really. The first ones came out when I was in college and they were huge box-y looking things."
kid: "So, what did you do if you were like at the mall and needed to be picked up?"
Me: We actually had to find a pay phone (do those exist anymore?) and put money into it and call our parents."
kid: Bummer! (OK -maybe it probably won't be that word, but you get the idea)!
We have gone through some hard times financially in the past - and we have lived without cell phones before - but we would probably budget better in our food department than live without our cell phones.


COMPUTERS
Ok, so they were around when I grew up, but to compare a computer in the early 90s with the ones we have today would be pretty rediculous. Back then, I used the word processor and played silly games like pong and frogger. Now, they have computers with a TERAbyte of hard drive space. Amazing! I know by the time I have the technology conversation with my kid, a terabyte will be small, but wow. It sure is amazing.

So, there you have it. It really makes me feel as though I've lived in another time when I think about all the things I grew up "living without." Maybe they will re-name the period I grew up in the "semi-dark" ages. And I will be able to tell my kid how lucky they are to have the things they have just like my dad would tell me about writing his 100+ page thesis paper on a typewriter. And don't get me wrong - I had a fabulous childhood "living without," but I can't wait to see what they come up with next.


*WHEN THEY WORK - funny how when they don't, they just make our lives more difficult

Give it a TRI!

Today was my 4th triathlon - 2nd Olympic distance (1 mile swim, 26 mile bike, 6.2 mile run). It was the Provo Triathlon. I have trained for a few months, so it was nice to finally get here and do it. I was a bit worried about it for a few reasons: 1) I had 2 tire blow-outs on what were supposed to be my longest briks (Bike-Run), so I never got the full training in that I needed. In addition, I actually (yes) ran over my rim with our truck and had to plunk $150 for a new one. 2) I've had a sore throat the past few days. 3) Today was the hottest day of the year in Utah so far and I have been mostly enjoying cooler spring temperature training.
That said, I think it went pretty well. The start on the swim was a bit late, and their buoy system was a bit frustrating because it wasn't a direct triangle swim. More like an isosceles or something, so I kept having to re-orient myself and I'm sure I wasted probably 5 minutes just getting back to the right direction. Also, no wetsuit strippers.
Oh the joyous bike. My biggest weakness. This year I had clipless pedals, so that helped, but I did have some girls pass me, which kills me. It was a loop course, and the Olympic athletes had to go around 4 TIMES. It was a pretty course, so that was nice, but the road going out was not good at all. I was PRAYING not to get a flat. The good parts were that Jason was there to cheer me on as I lapped and we did get to ride on some new asphalt.
I was so thankful to be done with the bike, but facing the run was a bit daunting. It was already so hot. Olympic athletes had to go around the campgrounds, out on the jetty, and past transition 3 TIMES. My affectionate name for the jetty is VALLEY OF DESPAIR. It's such a long out and back & when you turn around, the sun is just glaring on you. They really should have had a water table there. As it was I was taking 2 cups when I got to the water station and pouring one of them on my head. It was also so disheartening to go past transition 2 times and see all the sprint people who were done and hanging out and know that you have so much longer to go.
Anyway, that's my Provo Tri. My time was 2:48, which was 8 minutes faster than my first Olympic (which was before kids)! I was 4th in my age division (bummed that I didn't get in the top 3), but still felt good about it & glad that it's over with!
Here's my "victory speech": Thanks first goes to my Heavenly Father - to whom I was constantly praying "I need thee every mile" - He never forsook me. Thanks also goes to my hubby, who was so good about waking up with the girls in the morning while I was training - even when he'd stayed up till all hours of the morning studying. I love you. Thanks to my little girls. I wore one of their little hair clips in my hair to give me inspiration and strength. Thanks, mom, for watching the girls this morning while we took off at 5:30am and for cheering me on. Also thanks Edwards clan for coming with your cute signs and smiles. LOVE YOU GUYS!

Perplexing Potty Problems

O.K., so back in NOVEMBER, we went through potty training with McKinley. I did the "potty training in a day" thing and after about 4 or 5 days, she seemed to "get it" and went almost all of the time by herself. For some reason, around February or so, she seemed to regress. Since that time, she has had 3 or 4 accidents a day. I keep thinking if I just don't make a big deal of it and not get mad when she has an accident then she'll just want to go on her own and the problem will go away. Obviously it hasn't. And it's getting more and more frustrating. I can see that she needs to go, but if I ask her if she needs to go, she'll say NO every time. If I tell her to go, she won't. I can take her to go potty & she'll go, but then she doesn't learn to go ON HER OWN. I've read books - some are big on rewards. Others say that rewards just make them use the potty soley for the reward and they don't do it for themselves. Any suggestions in this department would be greatly appreciated. It would SURE be nice if she were 100% potty trained by 3 years old!

Happy Father's Day!

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." ~Mark Twain, "Old Times on the Mississippi" Atlantic Monthly, 1874

I liked this quote because I realize more now than ever how much my father - and my mother - were right about so many things. When I was a kid, I thought my dad was so old-fashioned and completely STRICT. I read in a journal from when I was about 8 when my dad had a talk with me because he thought my attitude "sucked." I crossed out the word "sucked" and put "wasn't so good." I'm positive I am getting plenty of payback for my stubborn, defiant, rebellious childhood ways and I'm sure it will keep coming as my girls get older. I just want to thank them for a wonderful childhood. When you're a kid you have no clue how much patience, sacrifice, and frustrations your parents go through. You just kind of expect that adults are there soley for the purpose of helping you, getting you stuff, and being there for you. Now that I'm on the other side of parenthood, my appreciation is very deep for my good parents. Especially when I hear stories of other people's childhood troubles and dramas, I am ever more thankful for mine.


Now to my sweetheart, the father of my children. When I first learned we were pregnant, I was so excited. I knew you would be a good daddy and you have never disappointed me. You do not make me feel like I'm doing this alone and are so good at changing diapers, talking me through "what should we do about this?" situations with the girls, cuddling on the couch with the girls, waking up with them when I'm exhausted or am training, coloring, tea parties, horsie rides, bath time, kissing owies, saying I LOVE YOU, and many, many other countless daddy duties. I love you enormously and your girls adore you. Tonight while you were talking to your dad and I was putting McKinley to bed, she looked at me and said "Where's daddy? I want him to be here." She asks about you multiple times whenever you're gone. "Is daddy at work?" "Is daddy at school?" We all love you, daddy, and think you're #1.

Today for Father's Day, we let daddy sleep in and mommy made french toast while McKinley colored daddy's pencil holder. We woke him up with breakfast in bed and his pencil holder and tie card. We were late for church, but it was good and fun to see all the primary and nursery crafts that the kids made. After church we took naps and woke up right when we were supposed to be at Grandma Tew's for a father's day BBQ. We were an hour late, but we still had plenty of great food and fun. All the kids (Talon, Ireland, Stellar, Tucker, McKinley, Michael, Tiarra, Kalli, Ripley, Ivory, and Cannon) had a blast running through the sprinkler, throwing water balloons, and going on the slippery slide. It finally felt like summer! Thanks for hosting a great get-together grandma. We love you!

Guitar Grandma

My daughters are so lucky to have such an awesome grandma. Here's a cute clip of Grandma singing Old McDonald.

It's a beautiful thing!

Ok - so my kitchen is not exactly beautiful right now, but a freezer full of 30+ meals truly is. This is the third time I've done the "30 meals in a day" plan. It gives a new meaning to the phrase "slave over a hot stove." It took about 9 hours, including shopping, prep work, and cooking time, but last time I did this, they lasted for over 2 months, since I didn't use one every night. But there you go - I just had to show off my full freezer after all my hard work. Hooray for a month + of not having to wonder what's for dinner!

The Da Vinci Code

Ok - so I know all of you have already read the book and seen the movie and it's old news now, but I just saw The Da Vinci Code for the first time last night and my mind is still reeling this morning with questions.
How did she figure out the account code for the keystone box? Why did the policeman wait at the gate before bombarding the old guys' house (do you like how I remember the names?) Why did they take the white "ghost" guy with them to London? In the church, how did the white guy know that the assistant guy was "The Teacher"? Was Tom Hanks' character really a "holy grail" himself - what about the blood that dripped into a knife? It makes me wonder if he was the "killed" brother in the "accident". Some of these I could probably answer if I watched it again. Unfortunately, it was erased from our DVR & I'd have to rent it, so feel free to answer.
Of course, then there's the deeper questions - How exactly would finding the Holy Grail prove or disprove Jesus Christ's divinity? Because people wouldn't believe Christ's divinity if he was married & had a child? But what of the scriptures that tell us that Jesus' conception was by the Holy Ghost? If this is true, he was divine not matter what, right? Also, the "other books" of the Bible fasinate me - the fact that Phillip or even Mary Magdelene had written accounts of Christ's life. You just wonder what treasures they might contain and what the council that decided what to put into the bible really was like.
Anyway, there's my ramblings and questions. I'm sure those of you who have read the book have very insightful answers. As far as I'm concerned, It really wouldn't suprise me a bit if Jesus were married and possibly had a child - and either way it doesn't take away one bit from the miralces, words, actions and especially atonement of Jesus Christ. In some ways, I think all these questions and speculation about Jesus' marriage distract us from his messages. Obviously this movie distracted me.

Newsletter

Just an FYI post. My monthly newsletter is posted on the left margin & has our events this month on it. Just click on the 2008 May Newsletter and hit open. It may take a minute, but will open in Word. It has our doings this month as well as some things my ever-entertaining children have said or done. Hope you enjoy!