25 Things About Me

I accidentally signed up for facebook the other day and have no idea how to work it. Apparently I was tagged on Facebook, but since I don't know how to post anything there, I will put it here.

The idea is to make a list of 25 things that other people may not know about you. Here goes:

1. I HATE, HATE, HATE calling people on the phone. I daresay it borders on a phobia. Makes me a dud as a Visiting Teacher.

2. I hate feet. In fact, I tried to make Burke wear clean socks to bed when we were first married. His answer: "Are you kidding?"

3. We have two drivers and three vehicles in my household. If I have my way, it will always be like that. (There are some "issues" behind that).

4. When I cook, somehow myself and every dish in my kitchen ends up dirty.

5. I was once a directory assistance operator.

6. I love ice cream.

7. My love language is quality time

8. I love to travel

9. I have a minor hearing loss. It's all my mom's fault (kidding, mom).

10. My least favorite chores: laundry, mopping, cooking.

11. I have lived in 8 different homes since I was married.

12. I have known my husband for 20 years.

13. I have a binder that contains 20+ pages of pre-clipped and filed coupons.

14. My favorite TV show is 24

15. I love to listen to talk radio. My kids know who Glenn Beck, Dr. Laura, and Dave Ramsey are.

16. I tried to change my name to Crystal in fourth grade.

17. I would love to take ballroom dance lessons someday.

18. I am shy

19. I cannot remember a name or a face to save my life.

20. I would like to become more politically active once my children are a little older, or Burke is out of the bishopric.

21. I am a procrastinator.

22. Someday I would like to visit Europe. On a cruise ship.

23. I secretly love it when my kids stop their chores to sneak in some reading.

24. I really admire my mother-in-law for her devotion and care of my father-in-law.

25. Once I get an idea in my head, I work through it, on it, or think about it, until it is resolved, figured out, or I have a meltdown. Perhaps that is called obsession? ;)

There you go. If you have read this, consider yourself tagged.

Bliss?... Sometimes. Happiness?... Always!

It has been 13 years of ups and downs. What a lot we have learned since the day we made our promises in the temple.... in the middle of one of the worst snowstorms in two years. It did make for some beautiful wedding photos, though.

We were married one year to the day Burke came home from his mission. He told me he wouldn't get married before he had been home a year. Otherwise, who would ever get married in January?

Now 13 years, four children, two states, three university degrees, and 8--yes 8 --moves later, I love him even more.

My latest RS lesson was President Monson's talk: Finding Joy in the Journey. That is what I think we have done all these years. We met when we were 14. We have grown up, grown together, and made a family. I am so grateful for what we have been able to experience, and I am proud of what we have accomplished, and even more proud that we were able to do it by working together.

I love you baby!

It's All Fun and Games 'Til Someone Gets Sick

We recently celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary. It was Burke's turn to plan our Anniversary Date. We started the evening by dropping the kids off with Grandma and Grandpa (thanks again). We headed to our favorite Brazilian restaurant for some really yummy food. I actually liked the feijoada the best, surprisingly.
After dinner, Burke had a surprise planned for us. We went to an indoor racetrack to race go-karts.

We paid for a 40 lap race, watched a little training video, put our gear on, and got ready to go. I was ahead right at the start, but there were some really sharp tight turns, and Burke pulled ahead soon after. After a few more laps, I caught up to him and was trying to pass, but he kept blocking me out. (Thankfully, we had the entire track to ourselves).
We kept at it like that for a while, when I was finally able to pass him. I was feeling quite proud of my driving skill when I noticed he wasn't even keeping up with me. He got further and further behind until I finally passed him a second time. I became a little concerned when I saw him pull into the station to get out of his kart.
And then it dawned on me.... HE'S CARSICK! After all, we are talking about the man who got sick on the merry-go-round at Disneyland. *Sigh* I finished my race, gathered my stats (I did have the fastest lap time, even before he got sick. Girl Power!) and gathered up my husband. He was looking a little green, but felt a little better after getting rid of some of that yummy dinner we had.
I drove him to Grandma's where he spent the next hour laying down before we left to go home.

He may not be the next NASCAR sensation, but I love him!

Slummin'

I took the kids slummin' for MLK day last week. This is an activity my parents did with myself and my siblings when we lived at home. It basically consists of showing them "where we came from".

I took them to the city where Burke went through school for undergrad. I didn't have terribly happy memories of that time in our lives...

This is where dad totaled our car, our only car. He also ended up in the hospital for a few days to recover from where the airbag deployed into his chest and abdomen.

This is where I used to work graveyard shift while pregnant, with sciatica. (This elicited a comment from Kade: "Oh, yeah. I forgot you were a nurse." Sigh.)

That happens to be the same place where I was in the hospital for a week before being transferred to another bigger hospital for two more because I was so sick.

Oh, the campus building that 2 year old Nathan said was "Daddy's house" (he practically lived there) has been torn down.

Once I got going though, there were some fun memories that came up...

This is where our first apartment was, we brought Nathan home from the hospital to this place... and didn't know what to do once we got him there.

In this apartment, you had to step over the soggy spot in the subfloor to get to the bathroom so that you didn't fall through to the first floor.

This is the window that was the perfect height for a 12 month old Nathan to peek out and watch the neighborhood's comings and goings.

This is the neighborhood that Nathan went trick or treating in for the first time. He was a rabbit, and Burke dressed up in his hunting orange and put parsley in his hat to be a carrot. (First time parent excitement, I doubt I could talk him into that now)

This is the creamery where the best ice cream in the world is served.

This is the other apartment where we lived after completing an intership in Michigan. We rented it sight unseen, and it was sans dishwasher.

It is also where we lived when Burke graduated, and got his first "real" job offer.

Maybe it wasn't so bad after all...

Cough, Cough

We're #1!

This past week we had the worst air pollution in the nation. That is saying a lot if you have see the air in the LA area. The kids have been complaining about their throats hurting. The dark smog just adds to the bleak feeling that goes along with winter after Christmas is over.
I am ready for spring, not summer (not a big fan of heat). I wish spring lasted more than five minutes around here.
It should start clearing out this weekend as a storm rolls in. In the meantime...cough, cough, huff, puff.

Wishing for summer

Now that Christmas is over, Annika has been asking just about daily when it will be summer and when the snow will go away. She was less than thrilled when I told her that it would be a few months.
Adrienne has been looking forward to summer too. I put all her summer clothes away a month ago, yet when I asked her to go get dressed so we could go exercise the other day, this is what she put on:

Nice socks too, right? Notice she did get the coat on though.

Later that day she was wearing this:

I did a really cute hairdo on Adrienne this morning, and I thought to take a picture of her before the first wardrobe change of the day.
Notice the little elastic she's holding... That's what I gave her to play with while I did the 'do so that she would hold still.

The little criss cross "braids" are actually just pigtails that have an elastic wrapped around them. You just stretch the elastic over the entire piece of hair instead of wrapping it over itself again and again. Clear as mud? Really easy to do, but a little difficult to explain.

Ohio, Land of the Free

I found freedom in Ohio. It was so great to be able to get up when I wanted, get myself dressed without any helpers coming in to check on me. I even got to eat a meal with out getting up five hundred times.
All in all, I achieved my goal of having some time to myself, and missed my family too. Although, I am already thinking of places I can take off to again someday... Hawaii sounds good.
We did lots of fun things besides holding cute babies, playing with hilarious two year olds, and playing Rock Band (I'm saving my pennies for that one. It was so fun!)
Here are some pics of my trip: We went to the location where the Wright Brothers had their bicycle shop, and where they worked on the Wright Flyer. They had some very interesting displays, which I actually took the time to read because I was kid-free that day. It is amazing what you can learn when you take some extra time. There was a display of all the family pictures and a brief synopsis of every member's life. I was struck by how supportive the Wright family were of Wilbur and Orville.


There was an exhibit about parachutes along with the information about airplanes.

This is my mom and my nephew checking out the store.

There was a flight simulator there where you can try to fly an updated model of one of the Wright Flyers. It was a little difficult to figure out, but we finally did it after crashing twice. This is me and my other nephew.
Finally, the whole purpose of going was to be present for the blessing of my newest nephew. It was nice to be there for the big day.

It was a wonderful trip full of good cuisine, good conversation and lots of fun with big kids and little kids. Thanks guys!

Crocs and Gift Card freebies

Today I finally got my Crocs! They are quite comfy, if not exactly stylish. I got them from a Proctor and Gamble mail in rebate that occurred in October.

I also recently recieved a $5 gift card to Albertson's from a mail in rebate they had last month for popcorn. I am going to put that in the cash column.
This past year, I also participated in online surveys. I just cashed out my accounts so that I could track how much money I made for this calendar year. I have received my first check and the second is on the way. It should total just over $60.
That's my fun money.
For fun stuff like the crown I had done on Wednesday. Doesn't a trip to the dentist sound like great fun for all?

Free Stuff

I got more free stuff:
A year of Self Magazine, and a year of Woman's Day. I really love magazines. They are fast, easy, and if you are interrupted by a child begging for food, you don't need to worry about losing your place. They also make a workout at the gym pass a little faster.

I got them from filling out a survey from Rewards Gold. I am currently also getting Redbook, Prevention, and TV Guide from this same place.

Prices for these magazines are $8 for Self, and $10 for Woman's Day.

January Birthdays

We have party time here during the first part of January. Annika's birthday is one week before Burke's. We have lots of cake, presents, and cards to celebrate with.
For Annika's birthday, we went to Chuck E Cheese. I have to say that Burke and I wanted to run the other way when we saw the chaos inside, but her sweet little disappointed eyes melted us, and we dove in head first. We had a lot of fun and got enough partying in to last until April (when Nathan will make us go back for his birthday).



The next day Grandma and Grandpa W came to visit. They got quite a show and were able to hear all about Christmas (whether they liked it or not). After they left, Annika got to eat her birthday dinner (lasagna: it is all over her mouth on the rest of the pictures, oh well). We ate birthday cake and opened presents. It was a really fun day.

Burke's birthday was the day I got home from Ohio. We celebrated by going out to dinner with his parents and my parents. He got to open his last present when we came home. I had made arrangements with a "little bird" to deposit an air compressor in the garage for him to find when we got home. It is so exhilarating to pull off a surprise. I like being rightfully sneaky.
Of course, no birthday dinner is complete until the guest of honor has been loudly serenaded "Happy Birthday" so the entire restaurant can hear. This time, it was Annika that told the server about Daddy's big day.

Happy Birthday to both of you. We love you so much!

Out of the Loop

I haven't been a blogging maniac because I have been out of town. That's right...I up and left Burke and all the kids to fend for themselves while I went to Ohio to visit my sister.
When Burke would travel for work, he would come home and tell us how much he missed us. I always wondered what it would be like to miss the kids. I never had the opportunity to miss them. One or more of them have been with me constantly since Nathan was born more than 9 years ago.
I finally got the opportunity of a lifetime when Burke volunteered to stay home and take care of kids so I could fly out to see my sister, her new baby, and the rest of the family.
It has been a wonderful trip. I have had a lot of fun with the kids and the adults while I have been here. I am excited to get back home and see my own kids though. Today is Burke's birthday, so we will celebrate when I get home.
I have lots of stuff to post, so I'll be busy with getting it all done for the next few days.

Free Stuff Alert!

I was able to download the entire Enchanted album for free on Saturday!

This is how I did it:

I purchased my new camera from Amazon during the Christmas shopping season (Black Friday deal, of course). I then received a $5 credit from them for any MP3 download until January 31, 2009.

Amazon had the Enchanted album on sale for $1.99, so with my credit, I got it for free and still have $3 left over.

After looking around on the site, I found a few free downloads that I liked, including OMD's If You Leave. That was a blast from the past! I used two more dollars downloading two songs from Phantom of the Opera, so I have one left... Hmmm...

Every Little Girl Needs a Good Daddy

Adrienne has been very busy this morning. She played Wii with Burke this morning, watched some cartoons, ate breakfast, got dressed, and got a great boogie in.
Shouldn't we all start our day with a good boogie?


After the boogie dance was over, she decided to play beauty shop with a very patient Daddy.
She hairsprayed, combed, and even flossed her dad until she decided he looked "handsome".
She finally ran out of gas around 4:00 PM and needed a little recharge...

More Flying

I was having some technical difficulties with my new camera software and getting the video to upload. After some grumbling, arguing with Burke on the best way to proceed, and some restraint from throwing my new laptop out the window, we have some results.
Here is Burke's flight:



Here is Grandpa's flight:



Doesn't it look fun?

Flying High

Burke and my dad went skydiving today!

Well, it was actually indoors, but had the same sensation. My dad was a Green Beret (his hands are registered weapons), and he was in the Airborne division. That means he used to jump out of airplanes back in the day.

We wanted to give him that same opportunity, except without the element of danger, so we got him an indoor skydiving experience for Christmas.

Burke had already gotten a certificate for Father's Day, since he had been not-so-subtly mentioning it since the place opened.

My dad and Burke got together and "flew" today. They did great and had a lot of fun.

New Slideshow

I made a new slideshow of Christmas/New Year's photos at the bottom of my blog. My favorite is Adrienne rocking out wearing only a pillowcase.

Party Hearty

We had a little family party for New Years this year. We wanted to do a party with some actual guests, but because of the infectiousness and overal crappy-feeling-ness of myself, we decided against that.
Anyway, we took the kids to our favorite Mexican restaurant, then went to 7-11 for a steamer (just learned about those, yummy!)
After that, we all came home to put on jammies and have Wii tournament and eat the goodies we made. Guess who helped with the frozen bananas? Adrienne helped with the sprinkles. They may not look so good, but they tasted great.

We did the puzzles that Aunt Brooke gave us for Christmas. The helpers for this came and went, depending on which Wii game was being played.

The girls made it until about 9:00 PM, then came and asked to be put to bed. The boys, especially Nathan, talked a big game. When it came down to midnight, it was only Burke and I who were watching the ball drop while sharing an alcohol-free toast.

Happy New Year!

Finders Keepers

I am really excited to begin a new running bit on my blog for this year. I have been working hard to find great buys and save money as much as possible for the past few years. This past year I have gotten lots of help from Pinching Your Pennies. I have also gotten creative and resourceful and found some on my own.

I have found lots of great deals, rebates, and other ways that I can "find" extra money. It is usually fairly small amounts at a time, but I know it adds up. I am going to add a spot to my sidebar that keeps a running tally of the small bits of money that I make over the year, and share those money making ideas with you.

Now, this won't include the great grocery deals I get by using coupons and shopping deals, it will only include things that come to me in cash (or gifts- I am currently waiting for a few things that should be coming in the mail, including a pair of Crocs).

When the money starts trickling in, I will begin the box on the sidebar, so keep a watchful eye, and we will see if it adds up to anything substantial.