Visions From a Generation Ago

When I was a little girl, my mom would pack the 5 of us kids into the station wagon, drive to Arizona one day and then the very next day continue on that with that journey and drive down to Colonia Dublan, Mexico. My Dad was born there and, to this day, we still have lots and lots of family down there. That place is very special to me and our family.


One of my most fond memories of going to Mexico, were not the broken arms, stitches, tetanus shots, stepped on rusty nails, family reunions, or the fabulous thunderstorms that would inevitably knock out the power. But rather, seeing my Grandmother, Mom, and Flora (my aunts housekeeper) bottling peaches. My uncle, Darryl Wagner, owned huge peach orchards down in Mexico. My brothers would go pick peaches from these orchards. Within 24 hours, they were going straight from the orchard to the bottles.


I can vividly remember going down the stairs into the basement of my aunt's house and walking into the "cellar". In there was shelving that contained rows and rows and more rows of bottled peaches, apples, pears, and a whole plethora of other fruit. As I got older, I had hoped that I would learn how to bottle peaches and other fruit.


So, as if I didn't have enough going on with school, kids in school, and every other chore to do to keep the house running, I decided to tackle the process of canning fruit....again this year. Unlike last year, this year the fruit turned out ah-may-zingly well. I did approximately 76 lbs. of peaches 38 lbs. of apples and 38 lbs. of pears. In total, it came out to be 30 quarts of peaches, 14 quarts each of apples and pears, 2 1/2 quarts of peach freezer jam, 6 quarts of cooked peach jam, and, finally, 7 quarts each of pearsauce and applesauce.

(Apples & pears oh my!)

(The peels, & cores from the apples & pears)

There's no way that I could have canned all of this myself in a timely manner. So, my sister-in-law, Karina, was gracious enough to come and help me do the apples and pears. (A bribe of lunch at El Rey's in Globe didn't hurt either.) She's even patient enough (really, who isn't more patient than me in this world?) to let the ever-present, wanting-to-help-at-every-turn Owen, take a shot at working the gadget that does the coring, peeling, and slicing of the fruit.

(Proof that I really do this myself - I'm making the cooked peach jam here)

I'm never really sure why or how the fruit turns out looking so pretty when it is bottled and preserved (or, commonly called "put up"), but it really is, especially the peaches. It's almost a shame to open the bottles and use the fruit because it does look so pretty. Not to mention the work involved in preserving the fruit and bottling it. Countless hours on my feet, a few Advil and Tylenol for the backache, more than a few dishes done, dishwasher ran a couple few times to clean, sanitize and heat the bottles, just about all of my pots and pans out to accomplish this feat and the floors mopped and mopped because they are extremely sticky from all of the fruit juice dripping onto the floor.

(from this.......)

(to that......)

I always pictured myself doing exactly what my mom had done in Mexico while we were there to visit my Aunt and cousins. So, when I pictured myself being a "sahm", I KNEW that I wanted to learn how to bottle fruit. And now, I've done just that. As simple as a "dream" as this may be, it really is exactly what I had envisioned. It's strange, when I'm doing this, I feel as though I am "in my own element". I am comfortable doing this type of work and really enjoy doing it.


I am hopeful that Caroline will remember this and have the desire to do the same thing. It's not complicated, and is actually quite simple. Time consuming, yes. Difficult, no. Not to mention the money that is saved. Maybe she, too, will have the some of the same visions I did as a little girl and she'll bottle her own fruit to provide for her family all winter long.

He's Cruising!!!!

He has finally done it!!! Not all the time or everywhere, but HOWIE IS WALKING!!!! He looks so incredibly proud of himself when he's walking and it's so dang cute, to boot. He looks back at me or Adam and just has the cheesiest grin on his face that we really can't help but to laugh and think he is even more adorable than ever.

Howie is also saying more and more words these days. He loves to say "ball", "Daaaaaaa-yeee" (daddy), "bear", "more" "kiiii-yee" (kitty) and the list goes on. He's not nearly as verbose as Caroline was at this age, but has many more words than Owen. Again, this kid just seems to be smack in the middle of just about everything he does - except for walking. I love this little boy. He is such a joy to me and is a bright spot in my day, everyday, all day!

Where Has September Gone?

I can't believe that September has all but escaped past me in the blink of an eye. We haven't gone anywhere or done anything really exciting, yet I can't believe the month is over!

Between school for both of the kiddos, school for me, soccer for Owen, dance for Caroline, getting ready for the Savvy Sale, canning pounds and pounds and pounds of fruit, the month is gone.
One tradition that we started this year was to take the children to Constitution Week here in Gilbert. I think it is never to early to start teaching the children how wonderful this country truly is, how this nation was started by Divine inspiration, how there have been many people throughout the decades and centuries of this country that have died to defend the privileges, freedoms and opportunities we enjoy today.

(Owen & Caroline standing near the "Liberty Bell".)

This year, Governor Jan Brewer was there to give a speech about the importance of our Constitution, Country and the freedoms we enjoy. Even though in the picture Owen does look happy to have met her, he really was happy to have met her. He shook her hand and, then, she was gracious enough to let us take a picture of her and Owen together.

(Owen & "The Gov.")

I took this opportunity to tell the "Gov" that even though I wholeheartedly stood in opposition to her on Prop 100 (when is any tax "temporary" after the government gets their hands on that kind of money - NEVER) I supported her with that much enthusiasm on SB 1070. She thanked me for the support of her in SB 1070 and assured me that people from all over the nation have called her, e-mailed her, written letter to her, donated money for the defense of the Bill, all in support of this Bill.

(Cute little Howsie B waiting for the fireworks to start.)

It wasn't much longer have we returned to our seats on the grass that the music started and we were entertained with patriotic music. Then, the real fun started - FIREWORKS!!!! Owen and Caroline and not get enough of the fireworks. Howie, on the other hand, has a love/hate relationship for those things. He doesn't like the loud booms, but loved seeing the colors and patterns. As long as I was holding him and sushing him, he did fine. Whew!!!!

Howie - 15 months

Howie hit the whopping 15 month mark not too long ago. This means a trip to the pediatrician for shots, checks, and suckers!

Weight: 25 lbs. 15.5 oz (really won't you just write down 26 lbs.?) - 50-75%
Height: 33 inches - 95th%
Head 19 inches - 75-90%

Once again, I don't have to wonder for a half second where the genes are coming from on this little boy. He is getting around much better, but still refuses to walk on his feet. Instead, he walks on his knees. I'm tired of black knees, shins and tops of feet. I wish he would just stand up already and take off. All in due time I suppose.

School Begins....Times Two This Year

All last school year, Caroline would whine and cry when it was time to go pick Owen up from preschool. Not because she didn't want to go get him, but because SHE wasn't the one being picked up from school. When it came time to register Owen for 3 day/week preschool I devated seriously about whether or not to put Caroline in preschool. I knew she would absolutely LOVE it, but wasn't so sure we could afford it.

After himming and hawing, we bit the bullet and put Caroline in 2 days per week. And, just like I thought she would, she absolutely, unequivically LOVES it! Everyday she asks if she can go to school. Her preschool teacher even supplies the kiddos with backpacks (they get returned to her at the end of the school year). When it came time for Caroline to leave the "meet the teacher" day and she didn't have her backpack, she burst into tears. Her teacher felt so guilty about it, she gave the backpack to her a day early. From day one, she hasn't cried or worried about going. She can't wait to go. Caroline only looks back to yell to me "Goodbye, Mom!"

Owen is off to preschool 3 days per week and is loving this too. I am absolutely impressed with his preschool teacher. She knows the cirriculum of the school district where I plan to send Owen next year (already?!?!?!) for kindergarten. She follows that cirriculum for her preschool class. Owen has known for a while know his letters and numbers. His teacher is teaching him the alphabet in sign language, beginning sight words, and simple addition. And, just like Caroline, he ran for her home on the first day of class. The Friday before, we had his "meet the teacher" and he picked out his own cubby to put his crayon/pencil bucket and his backpack. He was quite shy and didn't want to do much this day. On Monday of the following week, he literally ran to her door and NEVER looked back, not even to say goodbye. I was speed walking in order to keep up with him and he never looked back. He LOVES his class and really loves that he has a friend from church in his class and his cousin. I love this too!

I think one of the best things about having 2 kids in preschool is they are going on the same days during the same two hours each day. This has opened up all kinds of time for me to get to the gym, run errands, do chores around the house, or, when I start school, get a few more study hours in for my class!

Like the rest of the parental population, I took a few pics of the kiddos on the first day of class they both had for the first week. They loved it and so did I. It's just hard to believe that I have 2 kiddos who are in preschool. I didn't think it would ever get here and now that it has, I'm not so sure I'm ready for it.

It's That Time Again....

School is starting. I can't figure out how I really feel about it. I am thrilled to see my kids grow and learn, but also sad that they are reaching the age where they are wanting/needing to go to school.


Owen will be going to preschool M/W/F from 9-11 am and then a science class on Thursday from 9-10. This year, Owen will be attending a new preschool class. He will have a couple of familiar faces there too. His cousin, Agnes, will be going and also a friend from church, Kent, will be going to the same class. I'm at ease knowing he'll have a couple of friends already.


Caroline will be attending preschool this year too. She will be going to the preschool Owen went to last year! Caroline will go M/W from 9-11 and Friday she has a dance class from 10-1045.


Did you see something in common there? Look again. Yep! Owen and Caroline will be in class at the SAME time, SAME days. This means that I can get so much more done, including going to the gym in the morning, which I prefer, with only 1 kid in tow. Or, I can go grocery shopping with only 1 kid and not have to go at night, which I don't like to do.


I took Owen shopping on Saturday to buy a new backpack. He was so excited to get his very own and very first school backpack. He picked out the one he wanted and, fortunately, it was only $9, thanks to Wal-Mart, err Barf-Mart. A couple of weeks ago, I took him to get some new tennis shoes. We picked some out from Sketchers and he liked them because they "are loud." That was his only criteria for shoes, they had to be loud. He would put the shoes on, run through the store and then jump. If they made a loud noise, he was exuberant. We compromised and picked a design that I liked and shoes that weren't the loudest ones, but were loud never the less.


This also means that it is time for me to start back at school, too. This semester, I am taking Anatomy & Physiology 201. I am so incredibly excited to start this class, but also apprehensive. It's going to be tough. It's not just learning where things are located on/in the body, but also how they work and what causes them to work. It will be a ton of information, but very useful information. This semester will go flying by, just like the last one, I'm sure. But, it just means that I am that much closer to my ultimate goal.


Wish us all luck as we all start on new adventures!

"California Here We Come!"

On a whim I decided to take the kids to California for a few days. I asked Adam if he would mind if I went and he didn't. I mean really, who would mind having a quiet, clean house for a few days all to yourself? I certainly wouldn't.

I got the kids packed and then the car packed. Hooked up the DVD players, loaded the kids into the car and left for the long drive across the desert by myself with 3 small kids. It didn't take long before Owen needed help with the DVD player so I had to pull over and help him - only about 20 minutes after Howie has fallen asleep. Needless to say, as soon as I pulled over to help Owen, Howie woke up.

Then, from that point it was like I had 3 little angels in the car. Not a peep out of them, except for Howie that is. I think he is part screaming mandrake! He likes to scream really loudly in close, confined areas. Other than the constant shushing of Howie and asking, pleading with him to stop screaming, they all fell asleep and watched movies like champs! We got to Blythe and I let 'em out to run and play at the local Carl's Jr. After inhaling their lunch it was back on the road for the longest part of the drive ahead of me.

Just as I was dropping into the Coachella Valley, Caroline's little voice from the back says, "Mommy, I need to pee!" I look back to see Howie asleep again and, of course, needing to pull over so 2 of the three could do their business. Once again, as soon as I pulled over, Howie woke up. I carefully unloaded the 2 needing to complete their business and took them off to the weeds. Two empty bladders later, we headed for the home stretch of the drive. Just a short 1.5 hours to go. "I can do this! I am doing this!"

We pulled into my parents' house in good time and well ahead of the rush hour traffic. It was good to see them, again.

The kids and I went out the next day to see Uncle Jay and Aunt Kristen. The kids played and whooped it up with cousin Ethan and cooed and gooed with cousin Samantha. We had yet another great trip to the beach. But, really, how can you go wrong with going to the beach? Grandma accompanied us to the beach. We sat and visited watched as the kids dug in the sand. Owen was running for the water and couldn't wait to play in the waves. (It looks like he takes after me with his love for the beach - YES!!!!!) That day was completed with one of the best comments I've ever heard from my kids - "thanks, Mom for taking us to the beach. It was the best day ever!" Hearing simple things like that make it all worth while.

On Tuesday, we met up with Aunt Kristen, Ethan and Sam once again. This time, Kristen offered to watch the kiddos while I made a mad dash to TPT! Thanks, Kristen - it was wonderful! We took the kiddos to lunch for behaving well and then, well, McDonald's had no clue what hit them. Between Owen, Caroline, and Ethan, it was louder than some major sporting events in the play land. Even I was wishing for some ear protection. But, it was sounds of great jocularity. Laughter, giggles, squeals of excitement, kids chasing one another, going down slides and climbing, climbing, climbing what could those kids want more.

We were sad to leave California, once again, but were so excited to see Daddy, especially me! I'm not so sure Daddy was ready for the noise, mess, screaming, fighting and arguing that accompanied us coming home, but I'm absolutely sure he was ready for smooches, hugs and squeals of delight in having the kids see him walk through the door.

After all, even though we all like a quiet house every now and again, we love to hear the "I love you's" and feel the hugs and kisses from our little angels. Now, can I get a quiet, clean house to myself for a few days?

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Over the River & Through the Woods......

....to Grandmother's (and Grandpa's) house we go!

After we left Idaho, we stopped and stayed with Adam's parents for a few days. It was good to see them and have the kids see them as well. The kids had a lot of fun playing with their cousins, Connor, Heather and Shawn. In fact, later in the day we pulled into town, we went over to their house and the kids jumped on the trampoline for what seemed like forever. The kids had a blast jumping around and burning some of the extra energy they seemed to have that day. Maybe it was the 4 1/2 hour car ride. Just a thought.

We took the kids on bike rides, went to the park and even took them swimming. They played and played and played with cousins and had such a great time playing with everyone.

One day that we were there, we went to Park City and rode down the Alpine slide. Rebecca, Adam's sister, her 3 kids and Adam's parents joined us on this adventure to Park City. When we pulled into the parking lot, we ate our picnic lunch and headed up to buy the tickets. It was no sooner that we were headed up that it started to rain. Not just rain, but pour and then hail. It quickly passed. But, the slide was still not open. To reopen the slide, the operators must wait 30 minutes from the last time thunder was heard AND the slide must be dry. So, instead of waiting around for the slide to dry, we went to the outlet mall and went shopping. I had planned on doing this anyway, but not in that particular order. (I got some great deals on kids' clothes for next summer.)

Before driving back down the canyon, and since we were only 4 miles away, Adam called to see if the slide was back open and they were! We ran back up the mountain and bought our tickets. I asked Owen if he wanted to go with me first or watch Adam and Caroline go first. He chose to watch. So, I waited at the bottom of the mountain with Owen and Connor while Adam and Caroline and Rebecca and Heather rode down the slide first. Adam's parents watched the littlest of the bunch, Shawn and Howie. Seth rode down the slide by himself, for the first time ever! He did such a great job.

Halfway down the mountain, Adam asked Caroline if she wanted to go slower. She yelled back to Adam, "No Daddy! I want to go faster!" So faster they went. She loved the slide and had a wonderful time.

Next up, me and Owen. Owen was a little nervous to go down the slide, but when I reassured him he could control the slide, he was excited and could hardly wait. We finally got to the top and waited in line to go down. Finally, it was our turn. Part of the way down, Owen screamed, "Mommy, I want to go again!" That was music to my ears. He had such a great time and laughed the entire time.

The last and final ride, Adam rode with Owen and I rode with Caroline. We decided to have a race down the hill. With the weight distributed between the two slides pretty equally it was going to be a good race. Now, there's some controversy to this and it depends on who you ask, but I'll tell you the correct version of the story.

After riding once again up the ski lift and getting in line, it was our turn to race down the mountain. Adam took off and got a good jump on me. At one point he was a good 10 yard ahead of us. But then, the tides turned. Caroline and I dropped the hammer and we took off! We were catching Adam and Owen and gaining on them quickly. Then, the glorious moment happened and we passed them. They came back quickly and then we were neck-and-neck for a short distance. It was then that Caroline and I took control and passed them for good. We smoked them down the mountain. We left them in our dust!

A short 7 yards before the "finish line" there were 2 slides ahead of Caroline and I so we had to stop. There was no one ahead of Adam and Owen. We finished as far as we could - without crashing into someone and causing serious bodily injury - before them. We may not have actually crossed the "finish line" before them but we smoked them down the mountain. But for, the 2 slides ahead of us, we would have finished before them. So, my story is we finished the ride before they did. Adam just doesn't want to admit defeat. I definitely want to have a race down the mountain with just me and Adam to see who would win that one. My guess is me! (Can you tell I'm just a tad competitive?!?!)

Later that night Adam and I went to dinner with his friend Brian and his new wife, Emili. Even though we were up there in Salt Lake just a long 2 weeks previously for their wedding and reception, we didn't get to spend much time with them (as can be expected) so dinner was great! We caught up on old times and Emili was awakened to a new side of her new husband she didn't know about. That was really fun! That was a long day and long night, but so worth it!

The next day we spent just hanging around, getting errands done and getting ready to leave for home. Me, I was taking the opportunity to go to Tai Pan Trading (oh how I wish they had that store here in Arizona! Adam may not wish that, but I certainly do!), pick up my wedding band that got resized, and mentally preparing myself for a 10 1/2 hour drive back to the 110+ degree heat. I didn't want to leave the cool refreshing air.

We had a great time this trip and loved seeing everyone. The next trip up there will be just as great with even more things planned and a little bit older kids. (Who would've thought traveling with kids gets easier and better as they get older?!)

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Our Own Private Idaho

July in Arizona is mis-er-a-ble. It's terrible. The heat is creeping up the thermometer and the monsoon season is starting in as well. Trust me when I say that 110 degrees is not fun - but add humidity to it and it's downright horrible! We decided to spend the 4th of July away from Arizona and in much, much, much cooler surroundings.

So, in continuing with traditions past, we escaped and went to Idaho - Hailey, Idaho to be exact. We packed up the kids and left to visit Aunt Mindy, Uncle Jason and all of their kids. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we also had a stowaway in our car. We took my older sister's, Jenny, youngest boy, Seth, with us too. We set off for Idaho and left the 113 degree heat that day at 2 in the afternoon, anticipating to get to at least Beaver, Utah (about 1/2 way) that night. I was hoping to get all the way to Salt Lake City. This would make just a short 4 hour drive the next day.

We stopped in Page, Arizona to fill up with gas and grab a bite to eat. It was a much longer stop than we anticipated. The kids were thirsty and drank quite a bit. Caroline used the bathroom a couple of times during that stop. She was good to go. Owen and Seth made their respective pit stops and they were now good to go.

Somewhere between Kanab and Beaver, Owen piped up from the backseat and said, "Hey Mom, when we get to the hotel or Grandma Grimsley's house I'll go to the bathroom then." I asked him if he could hold it another 20 minutes and we would be able to let him out and use the potty. He assured me he could. As Adam was driving along, in the dark by this time, we were noticing the number of deer on the side of the road. This slowed us down considerably. It took us much longer to get to Beaver than the anticipated 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, Owen fell asleep in the car. Needless to say, a little boy who has had a lot to drink and who has fall asleep equals empty bladder by the time we stopped. I felt so bad - it was totally my fault. I should've stopped when he made the first comment. LESSON LEARNED.

We got to Beaver about 1130 at night. Adam and I had discussed and decided to stay the night in Beaver. What's the ole saying, the best laid plans......yada, yada, yada. We pulled into Beaver and found a hotel. There was a sign taped to the door that read NO VACANCIES! We found another hotel and, yet again, there was a sign taped to the door - NO VACANCIES. At this point in time, not knowing whether we were going or staying, we decided to fill up with gas.

We found a third hotel and there was no sign! We're in luck, or so I thought. Adam got out and went into the office. I waited in the car with the kids. After seeing Adam through the office window I could tell he was debating a matter. I got out of the car and headed in. He told me the good news was they had 1 room left. The bad news it was 1 queen size bed and a smoking room. I looked at Adam and said, "We're going to Salt Lake."

Adam and I debated stopping in Fillmore, just 45 minutes up the road. By this time it was 1230 am on the 2nd of July. After much discussion it was determined that by the time we got to Fillmore (assuming they had a room available) got checked in, settled down and to sleep, we were still looking at the time being 3 am. Instead, Adam called his mom and told her we were coming all the way to Salt Lake. By the time we got there, the kids on the couch, a load of laundry going (all the pee clothes and the seat cover to Owen's booster seat), and to bed, it was around 330 or 345 in the morning. This was much, much, much better than sleeping in Fillmore.

When we awoke later that morning, and got everything back together and loaded, we left Salt Lake and headed to Hailey around 1130. We arrived in Hailey about 330. We let the kids play for a while and they were all excited to see one another. Later that night, Jason, Mindy, Adam and I all went to see Peter Cetera in concert. Mr. Cetera lives in Hailey, and this is his very first concert he has done there in the 20+ years he lived there! Mindy and I were in heaven! We sat next to one another and had a great time singing all the words to all of his songs.

It was a long day and night, but so worth it. We had so much fun just hanging out, going to the antique fair (it is the best ever!) eating yummy food and seeing one another.

Oh yeah, did I mention that we had brought our bikes with us?! We went for bike rides - that was so much fun - not much exercise involved, but fun anyway. Adam had a blast going on some of the mountain biking trails there in Hailey. He even rode down a couple of the ski runs from Baldy there at the Sun Valley ski resort.

The weather was to die for, especially folks like us coming from 113 degrees. On the 4th of July, it was 65.....for the high!!!!!! It was absolutely refreshing and marvelous. I tried to soak as much of it up as possible fully knowing that I would be headed for the nasty triple digits when we got home. We huddled around under blankets on the 4th and watched the fireworks from Mindy and Jason's front yard. That was great. Howie slept through everything and not one boom or explosion in the sky woke that sound little sleeper up.

We had such a wonderful time. I can't wait to go again next year. So many memories made and such great hostesses. I miss them already but, always look forward to the next time.

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The Circus Is In Town - Family Style

Adam and I celebrated Adam's birthday by taking the kiddos to the circus. I hadn't been to the circus since many moons ago, somewhere along the age of 5 or 6. I'd always wanted to go back and now I have....and the kids got their first trip in too.

The traffic to get to the circus was horrendous! It took what seemed like forever to move 1/4 of a mile. It was incredibly frustrating because we were so close - we could see the arena - yet so far. By the time we got inside and settled, we missed the elephants and 75% of the tiger show. Caroline LOVED the tigers and didn't want to see them go. I was kind of sad to miss the elephants as well but, later in the show they brought them back out, along with the newest little elephant and her mommy! It was too cute.

Owen loved see all of the motorcycles inside the cage driving all at the same time. That was pretty neat to see, if I do say so myself. This show wasn't as exciting as the Disney show we took the kids to, but they loved it nonetheless.

We had a good time. The kids behaved really well. Regardless of how frustrating the night began, how much we had to pay for parking, or how far we had to walk once we did find a parking spot, no matter how heavy Howie got while caring him back to the car because he fell asleep (yes, Adam did offer to carry him), it was a really fun night spent together as a family.

The Great Outdoors

Instead of going on the Fathers and Sons campout with our ward, Adam decided he would take both of the kids camping. I, of course, had no problem with this, with maybe the tiny exception that he didn't take Howie. Next time for sure. They left yesterday afternoon and it was just a quick overnight trip. But, this time gone has left me all kinds of time to catch up things that I have neglected, like our blog.

Caroline did okay sleeping in the tent and sleeping bag, with the tiny exception of having an accident in the sleeping bag. Owen loved it and did just fine. The kids were kind of disappointed because there was a fire ban and that meant no s'mores for the kids. Maybe next time there won't be the ban.

All-in-all, the kids had a great time and we got caught up on our blog.

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What's In a Name Anyway?

I've always loved the name Caroline, long before I was married or even seriously dating. I think it came from the many Sunday afternoons of watching Little House on the Prairie and watching the strength of Caroline Ingalls care for her children, work the farm, run the house, etc. all with such a gracious way about her. Truth be told, THAT is where I got her name. It didn't hurt that it was just about the only name that Adam and I could agree on when I was pregnant with this little girl.

When Adam and I decided on Caroline's name, we (okay I) didn't think there was going to be much in the way of confusion. It's pretty straight forward - how hard can it be really. No, it's not a common name, but it's not unusual either. She's been called and/or her name has been misspelled like "Karalyn", "Carolyn", "Carol Lyn", "Carey", "Kerry", or "Cary" are just some of the examples. The misspelling of Cari, I understand. There's a lot of different ways to spell that name. But CAROLINE?! C'mon really?

She is getting tired of being called "Carolyn". Now, if you ask her what her name is it's "Car(e)-o-line". Try saying it differently and she'll correct you. Maybe she's getting to the point of not wanting to go by the nickname of "Cari", but prefers Caroline. Don't know. Just watch out if you mispronounce her name.

One of the reasons I really wanted to name her Caroline was because of my cousin Cari Jo. Cari and I are less than a year apart and have a wonderfully fantastic relationship. I asked Cari Jo if we named our little girl Caroline would she mind if we called her Cari, after her. She was thrilled and was really flattered. So, it only makes sense to derive the nickname, and spelling for that matter, of Cari from Caroline and after Cari Jo.

Here's a recent picture of the two "Cari's" together. I absolutely LOVE this picture of the 2 Cari's! The other picture, not so much.

Survival Season

We have officially entered what I like to call "survival season" around here. Because, truly, that's all that one can do here in the summer is just survive. It's not a pleasant season. There are many ways to help the survival of summer, but one of the best ways is to be in the pool!

All of that means that once again, swimming season has come upon us. This means it is, once again, time to get the kids into swim lessons. I wasn't worried about Owen. I was pretty sure he was going to pick up right where he left off from last season. I was right in this prediction.

We can't seem to keep Owen out of the water. I swear that kid has a set of gills that he grows during the summer. He constantly is asking to go swimming. We happily oblige him as much as we can.

Caroline on the other hand, well. She's a totally different story. At the end of last summer, we couldn't get her to put her head under water no matter what we bribed her with. It didn't seem to matter. Candy, money, ice cream, chocolate, nothing would do the trick. I worried about her and whether or not she would even want to go swimming. I figured she would scream and cry hysterically during her swim lessons. I was right in this prediction.

I had been kicking around the idea of enrolling Owen into private swim lessons. But, I didn't want to fork out this dough if we were going to have to do "catch-up" from last year. I decided to start with the first session of lessons through the city. Of course, and as per the usual lately, I was late in signing the kids up for lessons through the city. But, as luck would have it, there was an opening for each kid at the same time at a pool that was about 20 minutes away. It turned out to be more than a blessing. Owen was enrolled into the "shrimps" class (6:1 ratio). Caroline was enrolled in the "tadpoles" class (3:1 ratio). Owen was one of 2 kids in his class. Caroline was the only one in her class - which was really the best thing ever!

Owen frolicked and played and did great in his class. Caroline, she cried, screamed, howled, thrashed about, and more each day for the first week of her lessons. But, by the second week she was showing major improvements. Caroline's teacher was unbelievably fabulous. I told her that it was probably a good thing that she only had Caroline because her behavior was enough for the three kids that were suppose to be in her class. She kind of laughed but I could tell she totally agreed with me. However, my the end of the second week of lessons, she had Caroline not crying at all and jumping INTO the pool. This was the girl who was terrified to get her face wet and REFUSED to put her head under water. That teacher was truly a lifesaver.

I wanted to continue to build on this success so I enrolled the kids into the second session of swim lessons through the city. This time, Howie will get to participate in a parent-tot class. Adam gets to take him to that one! Owen has advanced to the "otter" class. Caroline needs to repeat the tadpoles class one more time and then she will be able to move on to the "shrimps" class. Either way, we are so incredibly proud of the kids and the advances and drastic improvements they have made in such a short amount of time with their swimming skills. After a short 2 week break, we will have the kids in private swim lessons (yep, I bit the bullet, forked over the money, and put them both in for 3 weeks). The will get plenty of swimming instruction this year and hopefully there won't be too many more years of lessons.

Caroline's pictures of swimming!



Owen's swimming pictures (I couldn't get a lot of Owen because he was always under the water. In one picture you can only see his feet!):

Memories Over Memorial Weekend

For Memorial Weekend we decided to take the kiddos to California. It was our first trip out of the Valley since Christmas/New Years' - long overdue. I'm sure we would've gone somewhere sooner, but I was in school and really, couldn't leave.

I have very fond memories of going to the beach as a teenager and spending all day Saturday there - baking (more like frying really) in the sun. I enjoyed the people watching. I have always wanted to take my kiddos to the beach in the hopes that they will have some of the same fond feelings for it that I do. I truly is the ONE thing I miss about living in Cali.

Saturday morning we got up, not in a rush or hurry, got the kids ready and headed to the beach. We invited my mom to go along with us and she did. This was only her second time ever going to the beach at Newport Beach. The first had occurred just a couple of weeks before our invitation. Caroline was terrified of the surf going back out and didn't like the rushing feeling against her at all. The water was terribly cold but that didn't seem to stop Owen. he just kept going back. Adam helped the kids build a sand castle and Owen was determined to put water in the middle of it and "fill it up." A few waves helped with that but he still kept going back for more.

Howie hung out with my mom under the umbrella in the shade. But, despite my best efforts, he still ended up getting sunburned. I think it was the picture I insisted on taking with all three of them in the sun. Fortunately, the burn was too bad, but I still felt guilty nonetheless.

The hope for making lasting and fond memories of the beach seems to have worked. Now, every time Owen and Caroline see a picture of the beach, hear the word beach or, sometimes out of the blue, will talk about the beach and wanting to go back. THAT is definitely one promise I will keep for as long as I can.

We had a great time at the beach. The weather was be-a-u-tiful, even for California weather. Seriously, it couldn't have been more perfect.

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One other memory that was made and captured was the celebration of Howie's first birthday. We didn't celebrate Howie's birthday on his actual day - we couldn't. It just wasn't going to happen despite the desire to do so. After the beach, we went to the place for Mexican food while visiting my parents (a trip to see my parents MUST include at least one visit to this place). Between my mom and I we couldn't shovel the refried beans into Howie fast enough. It was so delish! Sunday was the actual day of celebrating Howie's momentous occasion. We grilled and had yummy food. It was topped off by and even yummier dessert. My mom made a wonderful chocolate sheet cake. We all loved it. Howie was the first and only kid of ours to actually do something with/to the cake. Owen cried. Caroline wouldn't touch it and Howie didn't do great, but once he got going was happy! Howie would use his thumb like a spoon. He would get a bunch of cake on it and then suck it off. It was funny to watch him do this. By the looks of things, he loved the cake too!

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We all had such a great time. We can't wait to go back again and again - hopefully sooner rather than later and, definitely BEFORE school starts again.

Give Me Ordered Chaos, Not Just Chaos.

"Behold, mine house is a house of order, saith the Lord God, and not a house of confusion." - Doctrine & Covenants 132:8

Do you have one of THOSE drawers in your kitchen/office/home where you just throw whatever you have no idea to do with those things into it? I do and right now my life feels like the junk drawer in my kitchen where everything is in complete disarray. There's no order. No rhyme. No reason. Just chaos. I don't do well with chaos. Organized chaos - yes. Chaos - no. I like things to be in their proper place. I don't care if there are several piles, as long as the piles are organized and whoever the pile(s) belongs to knows what is contained in them.

I feel like someone has come along and overturned my nice neat organized drawers, made them chaotic and then walked off. Now, I'm left to reorganize, reprioritize, rearrange, and declutter the inner drawers of my life. I don't like this feeling. It tends to make me very unsettled, unsatisfied and ungrateful. I have so much to be grateful for and satisfied with, but because of this disarray, I feel......disarrayed myself.

As I asked the kids to pick up the toys before they went to bed, I noticed that toys and the respective pieces were strewn from one end of the room to the other and beyond - in complete disarray and chaos. I've asked. I've begged. I've pleaded. Nothing seems to be working. So, much to my dismay, my inner chaos came out. I've realized that not only have things not been put away properly but, now, pieces to toys are missing. It's not about the toys. It's not even about the money spent on the toys. It's about the organization (and lack thereof) that bothers me. I don't want to spend my time looking for pieces when kids want to play with their toys and they ask me to help them find the missing pieces. I want to play with them and their toys.

I'm trying really hard. Really I am. I don't expect perfection. I don't expect everything to be completely smooth from one day to the next; or, even from one hour to the next in the same day! I don't expect sunshine and lollipops everyday or even every other day. But, to just give me organized chaos, rather than just plain chaos and I can function. I can make order out of organized chaos. I just can't do it out of chaos.

Maybe, just maybe, one day mine too will be a house of order and not confusion/chaos/disarray.

Howie is 1?!

Are you kidding me? Are you for real? Was it already 1 year ago today that this little boy was born into this world? It can't be possible. Time has gone by way to quickly for him to be 1 already.

I didn't think it was possible to be completely head over heels (again) for another little one. There truly is something different about the third baby. Don't know what it is, but it is definitely different. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's him. Maybe it's both of us. It's not that I didn't enjoy Owen or Caroline when they were this age, it was different though. Owen was first. I had absolutely NO CLUE what I was doing. He was so tiny when I realized I was pregnant with Caroline (6 months to be exact). I feel like he got gypped of a good portion of my attention when he was 6 months to, well, some days current time. Even though Caroline was a good baby, it was difficult having 2 kiddos just 15 months apart. There were mornings when I was nursing Caroline and feeding Owen his breakfast. The fog set in quickly with her and most days I don't even remember the first 6 months of her life.

So, with Howie I vowed to make it different - especially knowing this was the last one. I have cherished each day with him. It's not the big things that are different, it's all of the little ones. I find myself more relaxed about his schedule and don't get so uptight about whether or not he's at home at the right time for his nap. But, the trade off is, he seems to sleep when he can, wherever he can. I love my Howzie B. I just can't believe it's been a year already.

Happy Birthday, Howzie. We love you to pieces and are so incredibly grateful to have you in our family. You truly do complete our family. Love, Mom & Dad



Follow-up (5-26-10)

We couldn't celebrate Howie's birthday today. I had the stomach flu. It was terrible. The only thing I managed to do was to drag myself to the car and drive to Krispy Kreme to retrieve his free dozen donuts for his birthday. Really, I don't think he cared or even noticed much different, who would at 1 year old? But, I felt guilty. Owen and Caroline sang happy birthday to him. He loved that! I didn't even buy him a present or anything else. I had planned on shopping for him that day. The best laid plans........ So, I guess when we go to California for Memorial Day weekend we'll celebrate his birthday then. Complete with the cake smashing.

I took Howie to the doctor yesterday for his 1 year appointment. He weighed in at 24 pounds 12 ounces and was 31" long. I don't have (or can't find) Owen's 1 year stats, but at 15 months he was 29 pounds and 33 inches long. Caroline was 30 1/2" long and 22 pounds. So, the trend carries on with Howie. He may be the last child, but he continues to be in the middle with everything else he does.

9 Years Ago Today.....

...and at this very moment I was walking out of the LA Temple because I had just married the man of my dreams. Happy Anniversary, My Love. You are my best friend, a wonderful husband and a great dad. You continue to make all of my dreams come true. I love you with all my heart and will for eternity.

BIO 181

This subject has consumed my life. I've thought about it. Learned about it, Dreamed about it. Laughed about it. Learned more about it. For the last 12 weeks, every Tuesday and Thursday night, I departed the house at about 6:45 pm and was gone for the next 3 1/2 hours. I was gone to my Biology class. It was one of the best classes that I've ever taken on a collegiate level. I learned so much from this class, it was ridiculous. There were lots and lots and lots of late nights. Many nights, especially those nights that I had school, I quite often did not go to bed until 1230 or 1 in the morning. I would come home to do some homework and then my brain would not shut down until really late. I would even try and watch a little bit of TV to help me relax, usually to no avail.

Let me tell you, it was ALL WORTH IT. Every single late night. Every single homework assignment. Every single night away from my family. Every single sacrifice of not going running on the weeks that I had an exam. Every single late night study session with a gal that has now become a great friend. Every single moment. Every single one. My professor was absolutely one of the best (maybe that's why she's now off to teach at BYU!!!!! - seriously) I've ever had on a college level.

All of the hard work paid off. I got a 94% on the comprehensive final exam and an overall 96% in the class. I loved, loved, loved this class. I can't wait to take Human Anatomy & Physiology in the fall. I just hope I love that class as much or more than this one.

One of the things that really made me love this class was the fact that it helped to solidify my testimony of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I was able to see just how little I really know about life and how there really is a master plan created by the Master of us all. It truly is a miracle that each one of us are even here and to know that He has made that all happen is humbling to say the least. I gained an appreciation for knowing there is still so much more to learn about this life, earth, and everything that goes with it. We only know a minuscule amount of information and, what we do know, is astounding.

The human body is more than just bones, muscles, organs, and genes. To learn on an intimate level what each cell is doing each day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, for years on end is amazing. There is no way one can learn this information and not know that there is a Father in Heaven who loves us. He created us in his image so that we can come to this Earth to learn, to grow, to obtain all the knowledge we can to become like Him. To return to live with Him one day.

Baxter 3-31-98 to 4-17-2010

We lost a very dear member of our family this past weekend. Baxter has left this earthly life and has moved on to the doggy parks in the sky. Adam got Bax when he was just 8 weeks old. Bax turned 12 on March 31st. He lived a very full life and did a lot of things most people cannot say they have done. For instance, Baxter swam in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and in Redfish Lake in Redfish, Idaho. He hiked along the Appalachian Trial, Mt. Timpanogos, Millcreek Canyon, Grandaddy Lake in the Uintahs and countless trails throughout Virginia and Utah. I would swear that Baxter hiked three times as far as Adam and I. I am a very slow hiker and while Adam would be ahead of me, Baxter would be running up and down the trail in between the two of us to check and see where I was. Baxter would go off and blaze his own trails and then sure enough here in this cloud of dust would come Baxter running up the trail. That dog LOVED hiking.

Bax would dive for rocks thrown into the water and retrieve them in his mouth. This is at Redfish Lake.


On our trip to Grandaddy Lake in the Uintahs, he ate some "magic mushrooms" along the trail. We had to stop hiking at one point along the trip because it began to rain. While Adam and I and our friends, Jeff and Kelly, were under trees taking shelter, Baxter was running around so crazily even Adam hadn't seen him behave that way. By the time we made it to the Lake and made a fire, Bax was still running around. Shortly before going to sleep, he was OUT! He wouldn't move he was sound asleep - or so we thought. Baxter was allowed to sleep in our tent, on Adam's side of course, a decision I'm sure Adam regrets. It seems in the middle of the night, Baxter got sick from whatever he was eating along the trail that day and threw up IN THE TENT, on Adam's side of course. Looking back, I still get a chuckle out of that!

Bax flew in airplanes,traveled across the country in a moving truck from Virginia to Utah and then Utah to Arizona.

Bax with a Lincoln as a kitten.


Once the kids came along to our family, he became even more near and dear to my heart. Bax would let the kids sit on him, poke him, tug on him, have things tied to him, and on and on and on all without doing anything other than laying on the floor and allow it to happen. He was also a great protector of the kids. I never let the kids outside without letting Bax out with them. I knew that if something were to happen, Bax would start barking until I came out to see what the commotion was about.

These are probably 2 of my favorite pictures of Baxter with Owen as a newborn. Immediately he was Owen's friend and protector.


It was not uncommon to have Baxter asleep with the kiddos climbing all over him or even sitting on him.


There is nothing that dog wasn't willing to do. He loved life and loved new visitors at the door. There are so many stories of Bax and what he did or what happened to those in the story that this post would go on for many pages. There is definitely a hole left in this family without Baxter there to fill it. No, we won't get another dog for a long time, if ever. This hole is way too big and won't be filled with another dog or another pet. We will cherish Baxter forever.

Caroline Turns 3!

Happy Birthday to my Biggi! Oh my sweet girl, I can't believe you are three today. It seems like just yesterday you were an infant and I had just had you. (Maybe the fog is lifting from the blur of the first 6 months of your life). You are such a sweet little girl who can definitely give me a run for my money. You will, at the drop of a hat, do anything I ask you to do and are always trying to please others. You and Owen are the best of friends and the worst of enemies. He'll tease you and then you'll do something that will make him more mad at you. You have such a tender heart and side to you - you got them not only from your daddy, but from mom and Grandpa Robinson as well. You're doomed, what can I say. You've got a sharp sense of humor and are quick to display it as well. You are good to your friends and are concerned about their feelings and constantly try to make them happy as well. There is not a day that goes by that you don't say or do at least 1 thing that is absolutely hilarious and absolutely frustrating. But, each night when I give you a kiss good night and tell you I love you, in your kind-hearted, tender voice which brings tears to my eyes, I hear you say, "I love you too, Mommy." We love you our "Sweet Caroline" and nothing will ever change that. We hope you have had a wonderful birthday. ~Mommy & Daddy~

Yep, this girl is three. We started off the day by going to get her free dozen donuts at Krispy Kreme. Then we headed off to Costco for pizza (her choice) where we met Karina, Clark and Agnes. Boy, did she love seeing them come down the way to us. After your nap, she insisted on a bean and cheese burrito for dinner, so off to Rubio's we went. Next stop, Wal-Mart to pick up the much anticipated and much wanted (and needed) bike for this girl. She had been asking for quite a while now and, finally, we decided she was ready for this purchase. Needless to say, she hasn't wanted to get off the thing since we brought it home. She took off peddling away - complete with her new "fairy princess" bike helmet courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Grimsley. Every present was accompanied with the usual ooooh's and aaaaah's and "this is my favorite toy ever", until the next present was opened.


She's been spoiled beyond belief by friends and family. So, even though she's 3, she definitely thinks she 23. I can't wait to see what this next year will bring. Happy Birthday Biggness!

Impending Day of Doom

When Owen was 2 years old, his pediatrician suggested that I have him evaluated for his speech. I do so and was glad I did. He was delayed in his speech. A short 9 months later he was done with speech therapy having caught up and, in some cases, passed, peers of his age group. Owen has come such a long way with his speech. It still isn't perfect, but it has improved leaps and bounds.

This past New Year's we spent at my parents' house in California. It was on that trip that my Dad said to me that he thought Owen's adenoids were enlarged. He had a very nasally quality to his voice, much like someone with a cold sounds, he breathed only through his mouth - regardless of him sucking his thumb - snored, and no matter how much we brushed his teeth, had bad breathed (because he breathed with his mouth open). I told my Dad that I thought he was getting a cold and that's why he sounded so nasally or stuffy in his nose. My Dad told me to watch it and see what happened over the next 10 days to 2 weeks.

At his 4 year appointment, I mentioned something to the pediatrician and she suggested that I give him 1 teaspoon of Zyrtec once a day at night for a month and see if that helped. It did. Only slightly though. Not to mention that when I ran out of the Zyrtec, the same stuffy sounding voice came back.

Needless to say, I took Owen to the ENT that did my tonsillectomy in December to get his opinion. He asked me several question and looked at Owen. At the end of the exam and having answered all of the questions, it was his opinion that Owen have his tonsils and adenoids removed. I knew that answer was coming, but I didn't want to hear it, really. I could have set the surgery right then and there, but decided to push it out a few weeks and think it over. Long and hard. The surgery day was set and then the waiting began. The impending day of doom was looming closer and closer.

Not knowing whether or not I should say anything to Owen, or better yet, how to explain it to him I, once again, made a phone call to my Dad. He suggested that I tell Owen that he would go see the doctor to fix his nose. He would be given a little bit of medicine to help him sleep and, then, when he woke up, I would be there.

That's exactly what I did and we didn't have any trouble with him at all. He walked back to the OR holding his "little blankie" in one hand and the OR nurse's hand with the other. He was such a brave little boy. The surgery was just 20 minutes long. When Owen was done, the ENT came and talked to me. He said that Owen's tonsils were normal or average sized, which I expected. Then he told me that his adenoids were "huge", "enormous". I was kind of shocked to hear that, but also relieved. I was relieved to know that I just did subject my baby to a surgery that could have been for not. I knew it wasn't, but to hear the confirmation was even better. I just had to wait for Owen to go to recovery and then I could go see him.

He didn't cry going into the surgery - it was coming out of the anesthesia that was the hardest part for him. Owen, the usually mellow non-combative boy, became very combative, alligator rolling, IV tangling, screaming, crying little boy. It wasn't until he saw me that he began to relax, if only a little, so the nurses could unwrap the IV line (that was still attached to his hand mind you) from around his body due to his constant alligator rolling. Once he figured out that I was there and wasn't going anywhere, he started to cry and just kept asking to "go home". He dozed off to sleep and when he would wake he instantly looked to see if I was still there. I felt so bad for him. Almost guilty for doing this.

But, knowing that the enlarged adenoids were affecting his speech, after working so hard to get him caught up to his peers, I knew it was inevitable and that it was a necessary procedure. My impending day of doom has now turned into impending DAYS of doom as Owen cannot run, jump, play, ride his bike or scooter, go to t-ball or anything else that may be deemed strenuous for fear of bleeding. THAT is going to test my parental competency to its maximum. Regardless, I'm glad I made the decision and that it wasn't so bad afterall.

Spring Cleaning Catch Up

I have had a list of "to do's" growing by what seems the hour since Labor Day. Those plans were obviously thrown out the window. So, this month seems to be the month that we are getting caught up with those to do's. I painted Caroline's room. Adam painted Caroline's dresser, washed the windows and screens, while the rest of the month is flying by faster and faster. There is still so much that needs to be done, like replacing the pool filter, fixing the cars, getting my flower beds together and planted and, oh yeah, did I mention that we had to replace our water heater in the middle of all of this too. It was spewing water by the gallon one night, fortunately while we were home.So on the rare occasion that we weren't doing much outside other than pulling weeds and goofing around with the kiddos, I took Howie out and put him on the grass. Figuring he would scream, just like the other 2 did when they first touched grass, I went back in to get a blanket. But, instead of screaming, he liked it. Instead of blanket, I grabbed the camera and started snapping away.
As I loaded these pictures on to the laptop, I couldn't believe, once again, how big the kids have gotten in such a short amount of time. Honestly, where has the time gone? Owen is now 4, Cari is staring 3 in the face in a matter of about 10 days and Howie is going to be one in just 6 1/2 more weeks! Really!!? Can we slow this whole time machine down some, please? Even though I'm excited to see my babies grow up, it's tearing me apart knowing that they are growing up. I want my babies to be babies and not have the cares, the worries, or the stresses of this world. It's almost too much for me to bear some days. But alas, I guess the world won't stop for just me or my wishes/desires. I'll have to do my part in making these memories last a little longer by snapping a few more pictures. Really, who cares if the house isn't perfect or toys are strewn from one end of it to the other. As long as I have the chance to capture more memories like these, I won't care, I promise.