The World According to MoJo

Happy Birthday Wesley!

2010-09-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

Today is my baby's birthday. He's 20. This is the first time he's been away from home for his birthday. It's probably more traumatic for me than for him. Wesley was actually born on Labor Day, so the nurses had some fun with that one. He's been a pleasure from Day 1 and was the perfect caboose for our little family. I'm really missing him right now, but he's happily serving a mission in Washington, so I'm happy when he's happy. When Wes was in highschool, he wanted some pretty expensive shoes. I can't remember if it was football or basketball season, but he wanted these custom Nikes that he could have personalized. I agreed to pay for the shoes if he would have them personalized with "Mama's Boy" instead of his jersey number. I thought that would get me out of buying the shoes, but Wesley was proud to put "Mama's Boy" on his shoes. So, Happy Birthday to my Mama's Boy!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2010-08-08T15:19:00.005-06:00

If you read my blog expecting a good laugh, well...better move on past this post. If you can believe it, I've got nothing funny to say today. That said, it doesn't mean that what I have to say isn't important, because it is.

I took this picture yesterday (Saturday) afternoon from my backyard. It was actually a double rainbow, but the lighter, fainter rainbow above this one isn't visable in the picture. It was really beautiful and had I thought to run around to the front yard, I could've captured the other end of it. A full rainbow right over my house...which led me to a little bit of introspection and Judy Garland singing:

"Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

And so I'm thinking that this song lyric is right! That may seem a little sappy, but honestly, when I was a youngster growing up in a single-parent home it was only a dream that I might have something better than the family life I was experiencing. It wasn't all that bad, but I wished for something better.

I'm NOT thinking that dreams come true without any effort on our part. Quite the opposite. HOWEVER, it is the least little effort on our part that allows a loving Heavenly Father to bless us beyond our dreams. And that is precisely what He has done for me. I'm just writing this to say that I recognize the hand of the Lord in my life and I'm THANKFUL for what he has given me. The skies at my house are not always blue (We have our trials just like everyone else. Okay, maybe DoJo has more trials than most people because he PICKED me...but it's too late to feel sorry for him now!) but I'm grateful for my husband, children, and grandchildren that are part of this dream I call reality. Life is good.

I'm NOT Exaggerating!

2010-07-28T20:42:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I've been known to exaggerate a tad, once-in-awhile, in order to make a good story even better. I prefer to think of my tendency to exaggerate as an enhancement, kinda like how super models' pictures are airbrushed to make them look even thinner. EVERYTHING you are about to read is totally true. Really, you can believe me.

I arise early every morning to power walk. It helps me justify the afternoon nap. Occasionally, I take a little 2-mile jaunt that includes passing an over-grown glade area where I'm sure all kinds of wildlife lurk. I like this trek because it has a slight incline and it challenges my cardiovascular system. That means I'm sucking wind by the time I crest the little molehill! One morning last month as I was headed up the hill, I noticed a strange looking cat crossing the road in front of me. It was between 5:30 and 6 am, so the sun was not completely up yet, but it wasn't dark. This cat with an awfully strange gate proceeded to climb a cottonwood tree, and I thought that I'd never seen a cat climb like that before. I was keeping my eye on him/her thinking all the while that this gimpy feral cat was going to jump on my head just as I passed by the tree it was climbing. I never really believed that old wives' tale that "wild animals are just as afraid of you as you are of them." If that were true, bull snakes would be scream when they saw me pass by my snowball bush.

So, just before I get to the tree with the cat, the cat turns to look at me, and WHOA! This was no cat. It was an albino raccoon! I knew this because it didn't have a cat nose and it had rings on its tail (but they were whitish rings!) AND it had beady little pink eyes. I would've taken a picture with my cell phone, but that never works out nicely for me. I usually get a nice picture of my finger. Besides, the coon was staring me down and I was a bit nervous. CREAPY, but cool. It also gave me an adrenaline rush that shaved 4 minutes off my 2-miler.

This was a real wildlife sighting for me, so once I got back into my neighborhood and back to my walking buddies (Toni, Pollyanna, & Che), I told them about my close encounter. They believed me, so I just assumed that EVERYONE would believe me. NOT! As it turns out, the females in my life believed every word, but the males, well...not so much. Seriously?! Who would make up a story about an albino raccoon? I did think about embellishing the story with a little side note about how the ghost coon jumped out of the tree onto my head and got its claws tangled in my hair and how I had to use some cage fighting moves to put him down. But then, that just seemed unbelievable, so I refrained. I almost felt betrayed in the face of so much skepticism, so I did what anyone else would do...I Googled it and here is what I found.
This coon's eyes are not pink like my coon, but still, I felt that a picture was proof. Albino raccoons exist. Toni's husband, BP, I can't reveal his true identity so as to protect him from ridicule, even sought me out at church to make fun of my close encounter. He told me that while he was driving across the reservation on his way to work he spotted a North American Desert Albino Moose. What BP didn't realize is that I'm a native New Mexican and I know there is no such thing as a desert moose. Albino, maybe, but meese don't dwell in the desert. When my daughter, Amanda (a believer) told her husband, Jeremy, (an unbeliever) that it was real and that I had Googled it, Jeremy's reply was "Duh! If you Google UNICORN I bet you'd find a picture of that too." AAARRRGH! All this skepticism! So, I Googled unicorn and this is what I found:

A deer with one horn growing in the middle of its head. Fox News. It's real! And that makes my Ghost Coon story valid, so there you go male skeptics! I have to add here that my missionary son totally believed every word, but then, I send him money?! Wes said that he imagined that a Ghost Coon sighting was a lot like a BigFoot sighting...only a select few get the opportunity.
Now, for the best part...BP had Toni forward this picture to me, taken over in Aztec in the dumpster at the Senior Center. I think this is BP's way of apologizing for his unmerited skepticism and his outlandish tale about the moose.

Lastly, my friend Marla sent this picture to me today. Yeah, it pretty much looks like an up close picture of a window screen, but if you stare at it long enough, it turns out that there are raccoons behind the screen. It was taken last night, and lo' and behold, one of the raccoons is an albino! Another eyewitness. Marla is not prone to exaggeration. She did, however, suggest that our wildlife encounters may be print worthy...like National Geographic or National Inquirer. I say National Inquirer because I think they pay.

So there it is: MoJo's BELIEVE IT OR NOT!

Next posting: BigFoot Stalks 6th grade Teacher!

Trophy Wife

2010-07-19T13:07:00.003-06:00

Some time ago, I read a Dear Abby column about a man of retirement age who was upset that his 59-year-old "trophy wife" wanted to let her hair go grey. Since then, I've been thinking about what a real trophy wife is and I've decided that I am one. DoJo is NOT retiring, and I'm YEARS from 59, but just take a look at me...I AIN'T GONNA LIE TO YOU...I'm hot. Like literally H-O-T! Not hot like high school girls dreamily declare "Edward is sooooo hot!" Not hot like Thigh-Masters or PedEggs. Not even hot like Sean Connery or Clint Eastwood in their golden years. No, I'm just plain ol' hot like my core temperature is 110 degrees Celisus. Hot like back sweat. Hot like a dog with his head out the car window just trying to catch a breeze. Yes, I'm HOT! And I've got a picture to prove it. (See below.)I'm smiling here because when a person gets too hot, a sense of disorientation, confusion, and hallucinations set it, which are all symptoms of heat stroke, a mallady known only to those of us who get

TOO H-O-T!

Isn't DoJo lucky to have a trophy wife? Besides that, take a look at my work...(see below)

I mow on the diagonal twice a month! Who could ask for more than that? However, I will say I'm getting pretty sick of passerbys stopping to ask me if I speak english and how much I charge per hour. Seriously people, get your own trophy wife. I'm all DoJo's!

By the way, Abby's reply to the stupid guy who was worried about his wife's grey hair was "even black cats are grey in the dark." Like duh! Who cares if her hair is gray? Can she mow on the diagonal? Those corners are tough you know!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

2010-06-19T09:45:00.000-06:00

When my children were children, I made most of their clothing. I love to sew, but in those days, fabric and patterns were much cheaper (HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE COST OF A PATTERN LATELY? $13 AND CHANGE FOR TISSUE PAPER?!) and I sewed out of neccessity because we were sorta poor. Nowadays, I sew because I can. It is a joy for me to cut up fabric, sew it back together, and create something unique. My talent-pool is a shallow one, but I can sew and I love having little girls to sew for. (I will say that doing a set-in sleeve on a size two dress was just as tedious as I remembered!) Sew, sew, soooooo, Grammie got busy and made some summer dresses for the girls.

Summer Fun

2010-06-11T15:27:00.012-06:00

We spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer. We have a covered patio that functions as our outdoor living/dining room. Since the most of the grandkids live right next door, we see them daily. Here are a few of precious moments from my first week out of school.

Roasted corn-on-the-cob for dinner (thanks to Reed!).

Grandpa DoJo gives Drew his second buzz cut of the summer. Check out that farmer's tan!

When the folks at church complimented Andrew on his haircut, he rubbed his head and said "Grandpa cut my hair."

He's handsome, no matter what haircut he has.

Here you see Drew contemplating whether he should get into the backyard pool. I fill the kiddie pools with our well water, which is icy-cold even on the hottest summer days.

The girls don't seem to mind. Check out those swim goggles and Kourtney's "princess pose." These kids are goofy, but I love 'em!

HONESTLY? What's not to love about this?

There are lots of things I like about summer, BESIDES not being at work. Lots of free time in the backyard is number one on my list!

Mr. Good Idea

2010-06-09T08:00:00.002-06:00

This is my son-in-law, Reed, otherwise known as Mr. Good Idea. (Yeah, he's the one who thought putting an engagement ring in a Frosty was a good idea.) Reed's family gave him the nickname. It's well-earned. His wheels are constantly turning.

This is Jared. Jared has lots of ideas, but I'm not sure they are all good ideas. His idea was to use my new garden cart as a carnival ride for the grandchildren. For a "big" boy, Jared can run pretty fast!

This is Rudy. He thinks he is one of the grandkids. He is one year old, which makes him seven in dog years. He acts like a seven-year-old boy. He's our only granddog, so we love him a lot.

Reed noticed that Jared was tired from running around the yard with the garden cart. That's when he came up with the good idea to hook Rudy up and have him do all the running.

Rudy loved it. The kiddos loved it. Everyone was happy.

Rudy runs faster than Jared...

...and he will lay on the grass with all the cousins.
*No animals or children were injured as a result of Reed's good idea. Whew!

World's Greatest Band Teacher

2010-06-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

Pictured here with DoJo is Janet Isham, the World's Greatest Band Teacher. Janet retired this year after 36 years of teaching. DoJo is actually one of her oldest students, since she was doing her student teaching at Kirtland Central High School when he was a senior in 1975. (Yeah, he's THAT OLD, but he doesn't act his age!) Apparently, listening to DoJo on the trumpet was not enough to deter Mrs. Isham from having a great career as a band teacher.
Janet Isham helped me (and countless others in our community) raise my children. Each of my five children started off with Janet in Beginning Band at Grace B. Wilson Elementary School in 5th grade. Apparently, even THAT didn't make her give up. I must admit that I haven't always blessed Janet's name. She insisted on having her students practice every night AT HOME. Let's just say that I felt her pain every night for years!

We LOVE Janet Isham and she will be sorely missed in our schools. Here she is with the Whipple girls. Megan played the tuba, Amanda played the French horn, and Kaitlin played the trumpet. Not pictured are Jared, who played the trombone, and Wesley, another trumpet player. When I told Janet how much I appreciated her helping me raise my kids and thanked her for putting up with Jared (She nagged him about his grades, taking some of the burden from me!), she chimed in that she was happy to put up with each of them, but that it was a blessing that I had spaced my family so that she never had to have two Whipples in the same band at the same time. Then she revealed the secret to her success...Jared actually PREPARED her to deal with Wesley! Thank you again Janet. I couldn't have done it without you! Happy retirement.

I've been busy, okay?!

2010-06-07T16:54:00.009-06:00

How embarrassing! I just looked at my blog and saw that my last post was in April. Sorry to all my readers (all three of you!), but I've been sorta busy. When I start sewing, it is hard for me to do anything else. Yes, I sorta get obsessed. I know, it IS hard to imagine me being obsessed. Most people just think I'm possessed. Really, they are almost the same thing, just a few letters difference. But honestly, I have been busy.

First, I finished Amanda's mini-quilt for her April 14th birthday.

Then, I finished Desi's mini-quilt for her April 25th birthday. I asked Desi to pick out her own colors and block patterns. I wanted to surprise her, but when I asked Jared about her favorite colors, I realized that he didn't know what he was talking about. Some things never change!

And last but not least, Megan's mini-quilt received its finishing touches. Her birthday isn't until July 17th, but she has already seen the quilt. Once Megan got wind of the mini-quilt project, she put in her special order. She wanted a long rectangle to go over the headboard of her bed.

Besides these little treasures, I've finished a full-size quilt and a baby quilt. In addition to sewing a lot, I also have this incredible family I enjoy spending time with. Here you see my three oldest children. This picture was taken in early April, just a week or so before Megan (far left) delivered our precious little Clara Jane Stewart on Desi's birthday, April 25th. Amanda is due in early July. She is having another girl, bringing the granddaughter count to 5 and the grandson count stays at 4, for now. As for Jared, well, we are not sure what he is "due-ing" in this pic! Just being Jared, I guess. Gotta love him!

Here's big sister, Olivia, holding her new baby sister Clara.

And a little more recent pic of the little darling. She was full-term and weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. She is just a Little Bit! I could hold her and rock her and gaze into that sweet angle face all day.

Grandchildren are the Lord's way of rewarding you for not killing your children. I've been especially blessed.

Saturday Sampler

2010-04-03T20:20:00.000-06:00

It's the 1st Saturday of the month and that means Saturday Sampler at the local quilt shop. Saturday Sampler is the day the I pick up my new block of the month. It is fun! Megan has gone with me the last two months. The quilt shop is like Fabric Wonderland, which Megan deemed as heavenly, so she invited herself to come along with me today.

This is my March block. I've never done Flying Geese (the middle-side blocks with little triangles) before, so this was a learning experience for me. Let's just say, I have a seam ripper and I'm not afraid to use it!

I love Saturday Sampler days because of the feeling there. I see all kinds of people there, acquaintences and people I haven't yet met, and EVERYONE is smiling. Today I was befriended by a lady who promptly took me by the hand and introduced me to her "quilting lady" (a.k.a. lucky gal with a long-arm quilting machine.) Saturday Sampler begins with a little pep talk about the new block and a show-n-tell of new fabrics, books, and sewing toys. They also announce any upcoming classes or events happening in the store. Last month, when the store's 7th anniversary celebration was announced with a special price on fabrics, everyone clapped! Megan laughed. Today, when the upcoming scissor sharpening day was announced, there was a collective "ooooh!" from the quilters and Megan laughed some more. After announcements, the quilters show-n-tell their projects. The ooohs and aaahs continue. It is great fun to see all the neat things people do with fabric and to chit chat with like-minded folks. This is a fun hobby. Even if you don't sew, you've got to experience Saturday Sampler just once.

A Perfect Saturday

2010-03-28T15:23:00.023-06:00

Alexis and Kourtney had a "sleepover" at my house Friday night. Grandpa DoJo promised them breakfast at a restaurant. This is one of DoJo's favorite things, breakfast at a restaurant. As for me, well, not so much, but I went along anyway.

Everyone is excited!

DoJo, Kourt, and Lex await their food.

Even Kourtney's nappy-haired baby, RaJessica, made the trip. Her appearance sometimes freaks other people out, so she did some time in DoJo's pocket.

THIS is a kid's meal? Whew! Glad I ordered off the adult menu!

Lexi is always ready to pose for the camera. After breakfast, we went to the local Alco store and bought sunvisors and sticky things. I had to do a drive by in the fabric department while we were there. While looking for straight pins, Lexi asked me if I would teach her to sew "when summer comes." Oh be still, my heart!

The goal with the visor is to pack a lot of sticky things on there, including your middle name. Kourtney is four and needed absolutely no help at all picking out all the letters for her first and middle name. Just look at that sweet face! And to think I get to live next door to this!

AND this!

Later in the afternoon, Jared, Desi, and the boys came out. Since the weather was cooperating, we decided to fly my giant dragon kite.

This is what we looked at for a good portion of the afternoon. It took awhile to get it aloft, but once up, everyone enjoyed a turn at holding the string. Since DoJo and I are way past the running stage of our lives, the job for getting the kite up in the air fell to Jared. If I were better with my camera, we would have video of Jared's antics, but second best, just imagine my big boy running around with a six foot dragon kite behind him only feet from the ground. It was funny.

Mason wants to go where Daddy goes. He sees Daddy running forward while looking backward and decides that must be what you're supposed to do.

Uncle Jared astounds and amazes his nieces with his kite-flying skills.

Lexi takes a turn at the helm, but seriously, the winds up high were so strong that the kiddos had a hard time holding on to the handle. Maybe the size of the kite had something to do with that too.

In spite of the fearful look on his face, Mason really is having a good time.

Grandpa DoJo babysits Brennen while the rest of us stare at the kite. Really, it was amazing. And the sky was sooooo blue!

Olivia is cut from the same cloth as DoJo. If she could've flown her Barbie kite from a recliner, she would have! Hanging out the window of the car is the next best thing.

When kite-flying and running around after Dad gets a little tedious, Mason retires to the sandbox while Jace, Kourtney, and Olivia have some fun on the trampoline.

Nolan takes his turn at the dragon.

After everyone had a turn with the kite, we all retired to the patio. Here you see Jared and Amanda discussing how many hundreds of dollars they should spend on my birthday present.

Megan listens intently, all the while thinking that Jared and Amanda are not planning on a sufficient amount of money. I hope they listen to Meg.

Jeremy ponders how he can sabbotage the whole discussion. Then again, I AM his favorite mother-in-law. In his opinion, NOTHING is too good for me!

Any Saturday spent with my kids and grandchildren is a perfect Saturday. Life is good!

No Lie Mr. Groundhog!

2010-03-10T07:39:00.006-07:00

Yep, the groundhog saw his shadow and look what happens! We live in a desert and are thankful for the moisture, but this is crazy! March 10th? Not unheard of, but definitely not ordinary.

My rosebush.

My snowball bush...ha ha...get it? SNOWBALL?!

Beautiful!

Backyard playground.

The pond in my driveway (foreground) and my neighbor's winter wonderland. So much for spring!

Empty Mailbox

2010-03-07T16:22:00.003-07:00

Typically, this image wouldn't unsettle me, but it has been a whole month since I've heard from my missionary! Two weeks ago, while donating blood, one of Wesley's friends stopped by my gurney to say that she had just received a letter from Wes that very day. This was two weeks into the letter drought and I commented that I was glad she had heard from him and if she intended to write him back, she should tell him to write his mother. A reasonable request, or so I thought! The girl's mother, who had just given a pint of blood (so, perhaps she was a little light-headed) commented that although it was important for a missionary to write his mother, it was just as important to "stay connected" with his friends. Let's just say that had I not been laying there with a needle in my arm, that woman would've given more than just a pint that day! Whenever I whine about my empty mailbox, most people try to console me by saying that not hearing from him means he's busy doing the Lord's work. Well, I hope so, but I still have a hard time believing that he doesn't have a few minutes each week in which to drop his mother a line or two.
So, I've quit complaining. This week I sent Wesley the same photo you see posted here on my blog. It's my version of tough love.

Hanging Planter in Washington

2010-02-15T13:39:00.003-07:00

My kids are funny. Not funny weird (except for one of them), but funny, as in ha-ha. My missionary sent this picture in his last letter. Wes has gained about 20 pounds since arriving in Washington, giving his older sisters and I an opportunity to make a few fat jokes at his expense. I haven't felt bad about it, since he is the Ultimate Fat Joke King. In retaliation, he sent this pic with the comment that it reminded him of me and the girls. Actually, I never knew he'd seen me in my swimsuit, but the likeness is UNCANNY!

A Single Shard

2010-02-09T17:32:00.005-07:00

I just finished reading this book with my 6th grade students and they loved it! I've read it several times and found it just as enjoyable this time as I did the first time I read it. I like the life lessons taught in the book and the way the author presents some of the very struggles my students face, like cheating, lying, and treating others with respect. It's an easy read, and well worth your time even if you aren't in 6th grade. The author, Linda Sue Park, has other books, but this one is my favorite.

Grandma's Sweethearts

2010-02-07T18:03:00.003-07:00

I found this picture on my camera when I was posting my quilt blocks (keep reading). How cute are these two munchkins? Kourtney LOVES to hold babies and last Saturday she got to hold her baby cousin, Brennen. Brennen was happy, Kourtney was happy, and all was right in the world!

Saturday Sampler

2010-02-07T16:41:00.008-07:00

I heard about the Saturday Sampler at the local quilt store and decided to give it a try. Here's how it works: In January, you buy a kit to make your first block, then on the first Saturday of every month, you return to the store with your completed block and pick up the materials for your next block (for free!). The store makes their money in the end when you complete your quilt and want to buy coordinating fabrics for your sashing, backing, and binding. Due to an illness that was totally out of control, I didn't complete my January block until Saturday morning about an hour before I was supposed to show up at the store to redeem my next block. Luckily, the block was pretty easy to put together once I got past the panic of knowing that I didn't have extra fabric just in case I messed up. Messing up comes naturally to me, but I'm happy to say that I only picked out and resewed one seam in this whole entire block. Isn't is pretty?

Since my sewing machine was all set up, I came straight home from the quilt store and set to my next block. Needless to say, I picked out and re-sewed more than one seam! It was a tad bit harder than the January block, but I finished it!

Then, since I was on a roll, I decided to do both blocks again. The hardest block is the first one, but with a sampler quilt, every block is a first. My plan is to have two sampler quilts done by the end of the year. The pictures of this make it look like the second one might turn out to be a Christmas quilt.

I just thought this was kinda neat to see the same two blocks done in different fabrics. I love to sew and especially love creating beautiful things like this!

Oh no! It's a Man Cold!

2010-01-25T18:44:00.004-07:00

I have a pretty healthy immune system, but every once-in-awhile I get a bug. Sometime during our Snow Days, I caught a cold. I was too sick to teach Sunday School yesterday. (Thanks to my son-in-law Nolan for bailing me out and teaching my lesson.) I'm on the mend, I think/hope! DoJo is about a day behind me in symptoms, so today was his day to be absolutely miserable. I will just say, if the hubbs skips work, well...it's serious! This whole episode reminded me of a video that a male co-worker shared with me a couple of years ago. It was his way of explaining to me how he was more sick than I could possibly imagine. I'm not saavy enough to figure out how to put it on my blog, so you will have to go to YouTube and watch it. It requires no further explanation. Enjoy!

Gloves

2010-01-23T08:26:00.004-07:00

After my last post, I had a couple of friends question my gloves. (I only wear them when I'm machine-quilting or sewing something bulky.) DoJo and his employees use gloves like this at the Ice Plant. The palm and the finger tips are rubberized, which gives you a nice grip on those cold, slippery ice bags. Really, they are the best gloves ever, and they are multipurpose! I have a pair I wear for outside work, but I save a clean pair just for my machine-quilting projects. I discovered their quilting usefulness quite by accident. Several years ago while quilting a large quilt on my regular-size sewing machine, I found that I needed more control of the fabric-batting sandwich. (What I really need is a long arm quilter, but that's another item on my already long enough wish list!) Anyway, the quilt was getting the better of me. My shoulders were achy and my hands hurt even worse. I was on the verge of giving up when I had the brainstorm...Ice Plant gloves, and presto! problem solved! It's kind of redneck, and I know it seems goofy, but it worked for me and I've used them ever since. At the time, I didn't know that they actually market quilting gloves. I Googled it recently and found out that Atlas, the maker of my Ice Plant gloves, also sells quilter's gloves. They come in much prettier colors, like fuchsia, granny apple green, purple, and blue (like mine!) Too bad I didn't come up with this idea years ago. Perhaps if I had, I would have enough money to buy myself a long arm and eliminate the need for the goofy gloves.

*Note to Mel: You don't need gloves for making the blocks. Plus, I have an idea for finishing our across-the-pond quilts. Check out my friend Deidra. She has the long-arm quilter I covet and she knows how to use it! Paying for her expertise is better than buying a pair of gloves. Her work is beautiful.

Snow Day!

2010-01-21T18:23:00.024-07:00

This morning, I woke up to this. It may not seem like much to my friends in Utah or Scotland, but in the Four Corners area, this is called a Snow Day. School was canceled and I celebrated.

First, I dressed like this. Comfy pants, a.k.a. sweats, and my special gloves.

Then, I sat at my sewing machine and had some fun with a little machine quilting.

DoJo came home early and made me some lunch. (Yes, his hair looks funny, but it usually does unless he's wearing his church clothes. He doesn't know about this, so don't mention it when you see him in his everyday-work-clothes.) Lunch was good and I was impressed. This is actually the first time I've seen DoJo use the microwave for something other than nachos or popcorn!

Not long after lunch, these two sweethearts came to visit with their little ones. They invited me and DoJo to join them in the snow. Who could resist these two sweet smiles?

Kourtney patiently waited for her turn on the sled.

Lexi spent her down time making snow angels.

Our yard is somewhat level, so there's no downhill experience. The dad's provided the horse power for a lot of fun.

Olivia and Lexi have a snow snack during their ride.

Drew does his best to just hang on. Olivia, on the other hand, practiced her parade wave each time she passed the camera.

Nolan gives Kourtney a wild ride.

Jeremy decides to show Amanda just exactly how wet the snow is.

It seems that Jeremy would know better. They've been married for almost 10 years. Guess he's a slow learner.

Yeah, that snow in the ear is REAL cold! Live and learn, Jeremy!

If you've seen The Christmas Story, then Andrew should look familiar to you.

All the snow clothes made walking difficult, so he resorted to hands and knees.

This is FUN? Save me Grandpa!

Time for cocoa. Grandpa decides to show the grandchildren the wonders of whipped cream in the cocoa, only his whipped cream never makes it to the cup. DoJo likes his straight.

Lexi tries it.

But Kourtney sticks with the tried-and-true.

Kourtney assures me that you can't have too much whipped cream in your cocoa. Plus, it is okay to scoop it out with your fingers!

What a day! Everybody needs a Snow Day every now and again.

Excuses, anyone?

2010-01-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a 6th grade teacher and I LOVE my job. I especially love those freaky little "tweeners" that I spend my days with. One of the really fun things about teaching is hearing all the excuses these kids come up with. I thought I'd heard them all...until yesterday! I just had to pass this one along. The conversation went something like this:
"Mrs. W, my mom can't come for Parent-Teacher conference on Friday because she said I got her sick."
Oh really, how did you get your mom sick? I bet she caught your cold.
"No, I had an asthma attack. Wait, maybe it was appendicitis. Yeah, that's it!"
So, your mom caught that from you?
"Uh huh, and she's really sick."
Hmmmm....(I was pretty proud of myself for keeping a straight face!)

Today I received a note from the mom. She didn't say whether she was suffering from asthma or appendicitis, but she is going to be too sick to come in for a conference. I bet she has asthma AND appendicitis.

Christmas Eve Fun

2009-12-25T11:00:00.002-07:00

Christmas eve is always fun and this year was no exception. Actually, I've always enjoyed this "night before" event a little more than Christmas day, especially since I now have adult children that help out with making the meal. My assignment this year was tamales and a green salad. Amanda made stacked red enchiladas, Megan made chile rellenos, and Desi made her famous queso and salsa. Kaitlin brought the dessert and Grandma Whipple made her traditional banana punch. What a feast! As you can see from the picture below, the Whipple gang takes this seriously. No one would even look at the camera for a photo op! And yes, there are so many of us that we eat in shifts.

This is the second shift.

Jace, Mason, and Olivia ate in the first shift. Here you see them doing a little Jazzercise to work off a little of the first course and make room for KK's cake. Smart kids!

Jared is generous and volunteers to take two shifts.

This is Reed's first Christmas with the family and I'm not sure he's convinced it is a good thing.

Kaitlin tries to keep things positive. Reed questions that the thing on his plate is really a tamale. Seriously Reed, just put some red sauce on it and man up!

Lexi always willing to babysit little Brennen. Brennen is the best-natured little guy out there. With all the commotion, he never once cried.

Sorry Reed! You're new and it is hard to resist picking on the new guy...

...but LOOK how nice you turned out?!

After dinner comes the traditional opening of the pajamas. As you can see from the look on Jeremy's face, this is one of his favorite traditions. Still, Jeremy is a good sport and he's learned to deal with the melee.

Andrew had NO PROBLEM getting into the spirit of things.

The anticipation is mounting...

"Gotta look good for Santa..."

"Oh yeah, this is gonna work out nicely!"

Mason wastes no time at all getting in his new jammies. All the other kids follow his lead.

I wasn't quite ready to put these on. DoJo out-did himself this year by getting me footie pajamas. Who new the tent-and-awning place made pajamas?

Drew is happy. His jammies have Cars!

Jace models his version of the Cars jammies.

And the girls are pretty in pink.

This is their "silly pose."

Like I said, ALL the kids put their jammies on.

After the jammies, Lexi reads the following poem to the family:

'Twas the night before Christmas at the Whipple house

All the children were stirring, maybe even a mouse.

For Andrew has spilled the poison you see,

So the little mouse was able to play or to flee.

Everyone was gathered, all except for our Wes,

Who is serving a mission up in the Northwest.

Tomorrow we'll talk to him after lunch

And we'll be sure to tell Wes that we love him a bunch.

One other thing we'll tell him, that is not a lie,

A new baby is coming, next year in July!

Wow! Grandchild #9 on the way! That decides it for me...we're building a family room to accomodate this constantly expanding brood!

We ended our evening with a white elephant exchange. This was the only picture I got of that part of the evening since I was still in shock over my oldest daughter telling me a BALD-FACED LIE about the "appointment" she had in town on Tuesday. I had no reason not to believe her when she said that she and Jeremy had an appointment at the bank. Sheesh! I fell for it hook, line, and sinker! Amanda has never been a good liar; it shows all over her face, but she pulled that one off without a blink. I'm sure Jeremy has had a great deal of influence over her in the last 10 years. Deception or not, HOORAY!

My mother, Opal, is 87-years-old and felt that she got the best of the white elephant gifts. Grandma's dementia keeps her down-in-the-dumps quite a lot, so this smile is a treasured rarity. What a blessing this mess of a family is to me! After all this, I can't think of another thing I would want for Christmas.

The Candy Man

2009-12-22T14:05:00.011-07:00

Look at that face! Isn't he convincing? DoJo convinced us that our Family Home Evening last night should be a candy-making experience. Personally, I just wanted to see him wear this girly apron, so I consented...but only if we did it at Amanda's house! DoJo just wanted to pull some taffy. I figured it must've been some happy memory from his childhood, so why deny him?

First, is the mystery in the pan. When I saw this, I began to become very, VERY afraid. PULL something that is beyond scalding hot? Yeah, right.

After boiling and more boiling, the concoction looked like this when DoJo transferred it to a 9x13 pan. At this point, the stuff is so hot it would melt the makeup right off your face. Luckily, DoJo goes easy on the makeup. Since I need all the help I can get, I was careful not to look directly into the pan.

Nolan is always up for an adverture, so I decided that I couldn't let him think I was a sissy. Here you see us following DoJo's advice to "butter up" our hands. The batch you see on the table was the failed attempt at vinegar taffy. Secretly, we were all relieved that this one was a flop, but I KNOW that DoJo will insist on trying this one again.

Reed also did not want to appear like a sissy, so he jumped right in. Nolan and I took small amounts of the hot lava to work with. Manly Reed, took whatever we left behind.

HOT! Soooo hot!

And finally, Nolan snips our efforts into bite-size pieces. Everyone has a blister or two to show what fun DoJo's FHE idea was. In the mean time, while Nolan, Reed, and I pulled hot lava (taffy), Megan was in the kitchen whipping up some Oreo truffles.

Yum! Sorry I didn't get a picture of the truffles. They were really pretty and looked good enough to eat. And just so you know, Megan knows better than to lick her hands while cooking. This pose was just to irritate her germophobe mom. The reason I didn't get a pic of the finished products was this:

Time for grandma's sleepover. It was eight-thirty and time for bed for Kourt and Lexi. This was their first sleepover at grammies. They were very excited to get to sleep in Wesley's vacated bed. And by the way, if you really want an interesting conversation, just lay down beside Kourtney for 10 minutes. She talked me to sleep describing what she saw when she closed her eyes. It had something to do with treasure maps. I can't remember any other details because I was so sleepy. Truth be known, eight-thirty is MY bedtime, not theirs. Luckily, we all survived both the candy making and the sleepover.

KK's quilt #2

2009-12-20T13:16:00.005-07:00

You may remember that I made a quilt/bedspread for the newlyweds, KK and Reed, back in the summer. After my quilt class this fall, I decided that I would quilt something for each of my girl-children for Christmas. Actually, I planned wall hangings or table toppers, not bed quilts. (This one is about 36" square). Well, long story short, I started reading books instead and the quilts got put on hold. So instead of Christmas presents, I'm thinking birthdays, which luckily are spread throughout the year. This way, I can quilt a little, read a little. KK's was done except for the machine quilting and the binding, so I got busy this past week and finished it up. I was hand stitching the binding in place on the drive to the temple yesterday, so technically, it wasn't done in time for her birthday, but then, she was a few days late 21 years ago, so I figure she will understand.

Now, as for my girl-children (Amanda, Megan, Desi) who have yet to receive a lil' quilt from me, their quilts are already in the works...WAY past the planning stages. It's not that Kaitlin is my favorite, (You all know who that is...:)) it's just that I happened to finish her's first.

NOTE TO GIRL-CHILDREN: Think of Kaitlin as the guinnea pig, if that makes you feel any less picked on. And NO! Do not ask to see what I have planned for you. It is top secret until April 14th for Amanda, April 25th for Desi, and July 17th for Megan. I bet the suspense will drive you nuts! Seriously, you need to pick out a special place in the house for your wall hanging, and it better not be the laundry room or the bathroom! My feelings are easily hurt when my labors appear to be unappreciated.

Happy Birthday KK!

2009-12-17T17:02:00.010-07:00

Today is Kaitlin's 21st birthday. Kaitlin is our fiesty child, possibly because she is sandwiched in the family line-up between two ornery boys. As you can see, she started out as a little sweetie.

But as time passed, it became apparent that our little KK was a force to be reckoned with.

She still has this funky personality and we've all learned that KK is the master of the GIANT FIB. Her real talent is that she can fib with a straight face and unless you know her well, you will believe every word she says.

DoJo and I loved these soccer years. KK was a delight to watch on the field. Very aggressive and skilled. This is her famous "Go to Aztec" look. Kaitlin is also very easy going, but if she gets riled, this is the look that should make you turn tail and run. She's as tough as either of her brothers and could take either of them in a grudge match. Well, maybe not Jared, but only because he out-weighs her.

Until last New Year's Eve, this is pretty much the treatment that any boy got from Kaitlin. Well, maybe not DoJo. She is a Daddy's girl.

And then there was Reed! Lucky guy!

But don't be fooled by this pretty face. She's still a force to be reckoned with!

And we love everything about her! Happy Birthday KK!

Three Months Out

2009-12-16T22:00:00.002-07:00

Today is Wesley's 3-month anniversary in the mission field. He is currently serving in Blaine, Washington, which is right on the Canadian border and the Pacific Ocean. If he looks a little "heavier" than the last photo I posted of him...he is! Wes has gained 20 lbs in the past three months. Now, this is not just a big deal for me. I can pack on 20 lbs in less time than that, but Wes worked at gaining weight before his mission and couldn't gain an ounce. Now, on a mission and walking everywhere he GAINS 20 lbs!

Wesley loves the scenery and often sends pics of what he sees. This is a trait he picked up from his mother. DoJo's not much into anything connected with nature, unless of course, you count that farm thing he has on Facebook. One of Wesley's first comments about Blaine was about the amazing sunsets. I have to agree. This one is amazing.

Lots of fog. That's Wes on the right. I have to admit that I teared-up a little when I saw this picture.

I guess he found this sign funny. I think he's funny. Like I've said before, you can send a boy on a mission, but it doesn't make them any less goofy!

My point, EXACTLY!

So that's what my baby is doing. I miss him, but I'm glad he's on a mission and loving what he's doing.

Good Book!

2009-12-13T21:24:00.003-07:00

I love to read, and lately, I've been reading more than I should. What I mean is, I have A LOT to do to get ready for Christmas, not to mention managing the regular business of life with DoJo. Still, I can't seem to help myself. I mostly read Young Adult or Children's literature because that way I don't have to deal with the PG-13 or R-rated stuff. In the past month, I've read the following books:

The Hunger Games and its sequel Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (Both 5-star reads!)

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (I liked this one better than Angels & Demons or The DaVinci Code.)

The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born from the series The Books of Bayern by Shannon Hale. (I liked The Goose Girl best, but the others are good too. My friend Diana says that Princess Diaries and Book of a Thousand Days from this same author are her favorites. They are on my shelf waiting.)

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. ( I actually bought the series for DoJo and he enjoyed it so I decided to give it a try. I'm saving the four sequel books for Christmas Break.)

And now for my most recent favorite book of all time: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

I love historical fiction and this book is the best I've read in a long, long time. I had never even heard of it until Thanksgiving when I saw my sweet niece Becky was reading it. She recommended it, so I bought the book from Amazon.com because I was too lazy to go to the library and get my name on a waiting list. Once I started reading, I could not put it down! I won't spoil it for you by giving away the details, but let me say, it will make you giggle and cry on the same page. It rivals my love of The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. No I'm not obsessed with WWII or the German occupation, or concentration camps, but it just so happens that is the topic of both books. I found hope, and fear, and the pure love of Christ in the pages of this book. Like The Hiding Place, this is the kind of book you will want to buy for yourself so that you can read it again and again. Plus, you will enjoy the unique format...the entire book is written in letters. I hope you love it as much as I did.

Thanksgiving Fun

2009-11-27T10:47:00.003-07:00

Our Thanksgiving Feast was held at Grandma Whipple's (DoJo's mom) house this year. There were 20 of us all together, but it feels like 50 in Grandma's house. Plus, Whipples are not known for their petite physiques. However, the more the merrier!

This is my brother-in-law Ace. He volunteered to carve the turkey. See how much happier he looks once we told him he could use a knife!
Check out Ace now after eating his handiwork. Good job, Ace! From the left, around the table, my sister-in-law, Ileen, The Turkey Carver, Grandma Whipple, brother-in-law Shirland (other half to Ileen and DoJo's brother), my niece Becky, and Tonya (Ace's other half and DoJo's sister.) After dinner, Ileen taught us a fun dice game called Yoink. Lots of fun, but when playing with teenagers you need body armor!

This is my niece Kyra. She's Shirland and Ileen's oldest. Kyra is 15 or 16 (You know how us old folks are with numbers!) and complained about being bored, so she exchanged phone numbers with Uncle DoJo and they spent some time texting. Poor kid! Even I don't exchange texts with the big guy! At one point in the day I handed her my camera. The following is a glimpse of a Whipple Thanksgiving from Kyra's point-of-view.

The teenage boy is Justin, Shirland and Ileen's second child. My granddaughters were enamored with him. He reminded me a lot of a young and pesky Shirland. The fake mouse in the foreground was Justin's prank of the day. Everyone had to deal with the mouse at some point. To Justin's right is Heather (Ace and Tonya's daughter), and next to her is my beloved Kourtney.

Don't ask me why, but teenagers like to take pictures that are "askew". I've even noticed some highschool senior portraits taken from this angle. If you are younger than 25, you probaby get it, but if you are an adult, just tilt your head to the left to "get it". From the left, around the table: Heather Pooh-Cakes Bailey, My Beloved Kourtney, My Sweet Alexis, and Darling Nicole Whipple (Shirland and Ileen's youngest). You can see the top of Trenton's head. Trenton belongs to Ace and Tonya.

Here is a shot of Trenton. He is currently sporting quite a shiner, obtained, he claims, in a game of touch football. Sheesh! Kids in Arizona must be tough! What kind of touch are we talking about here?
And what would Thanksgiving be without DoJo planning his Black Friday spree? Here he shares shopping secrets with Sweet Pea Olivia.

And last, but not least, Becky (formerly Whipple) and Noah Coleman. Becky and Noah are newly weds, married last May one week before KK and Reed. This was Noah's expression when we explained to him the sleeping arrangements at Grandma's. Since he was the newest member of the family present, his choice was between the mattress leaning against the wall behind the kids' table or sleep at my house. He chose my house. Good choice, Noah! These two kiddos are a treat to be around. They are best friends besides being in love. I love that about them. Good choice, Becky! These are just a few of my favorite things, and just a smidgen of all that I have to be thankful for this year.

Empty nest? Bah!

2009-11-21T09:18:00.004-07:00

Don't give up on me. I'm still here, but I've been otherwise occupied with family matters for the past month. I thought that once we became "empty nesters", I would have oodles of time to blog and sew and read and..., BUT NO! Actually, DoJo had surgery on October 19th and his recovery has been steady but slow. Maybe he's playing me, but everytime I mention going out to the garden to work in some of that homemade compost I whipped up, he grabs his stomach and says his scars are aching. Is that real? He went for a follow up visit to the surgeon on November 11, and the doc said all was well. So me, thinking the doctor wouldn't lie about a thing like that, started making plans for the big DoJo. Finally, we're going to work in the garden again! It's Saturday, it's damp outside, and the rototiller is achin' to be started up again. DoJo just lays around in his pajamas all day telling me how he aches all over. He even played up the hot & cold chills thing just like he had the flu. However, I knew he wasn't THAT sick because at the end of a long miserable day, he was talking about going to church the next day. ARE YOU KIDDING? I think of ways to get out of Sunday School if I have a really bad hangnail! So I'm thinking he faked it all day to get out of working in the garden. Sunday morning rolls around and he's up and dressed in suit and tie, sweating like a pig (DO pigs really sweat?), and pale as all get out. What's this? He's really sick and he insists on going to church. Like anybody's gonna want to shake his hand looking like that! Before he hobbles out the door, I get a glimpse of his lower leg. Just above his ankle is a band of hot, swollen, flesh! "Good grief!" I say. "I've seen this before. You have cellulitus and you need to go to the doctor right now!" I insist. Nope, he went to church and then had me drive him to Urgent Card afterwards. Yep! Dr. Whipple nailed it again. I felt much better about the whole situation when I got to watch the nurse give him a big shot in the rump! He was supposed to return the next day for a check up, but he decided it wasn't necessary. When I got home from work and saw that the hot, swollen, flesh was creeping up his shin, I loaded him up and took him back to Urgent Care. Sure enough, it was getting worse. The doc gave him an additional antibiotic and instructed him to go straight to the ER if it got any worse. And he should have another check up in a couple of days. So, DoJo took a day off of work and a couple of nights off of church duty (And believe it or not, the church is still standing! It's a miracle!), and was supposed to check in with the doc on Wednesday. When I got home from work on Wednesday and asked him what the doc said, DoJo says, "I didn't go. I think I'm getting better." That's a man for you! That was 3 days ago. When I asked him last night what his plans for today were, he said "Sit in the recliner and keep my leg up because I need to be healthy enough to go to my church meetings on Sunday." It's okay. I'll do the garden all by myself. Like it wasn't that way all along. So, if you see the big guy at church or something, do me a favor and don't ask about his leg. If it gets worse, I'm first in line with a chainsaw. Good thing I love him so much. And this "empty nester" thing isn't all it's cracked up to be either. I've still got DoJo and my mom to keep me occupied.

What a mess!

2009-10-11T20:47:00.001-06:00

Earlier this year I discovered the Wonder Box. Basically, it works like a cordless crockpot. You sew up these weird shaped "bean bags", fill them with polystyrene beads, and presto! You have a cordless crockpot. Check out Kathryn Pratt's Wonder Box site for further details. Google "heat retention cooking" and you will hit the jackpot of info. I used the polystyrene for the insulation, but in other parts of the world they accomplish the same thing with rice or hay. Yes, this is my Earth Mother coming out. If you are rolling your eyes right about now, then you are having the same reaction as DoJo and most of my male family members. Nolan is at least nice about it. He doesn't roll his eyes in front of me.

Filling the bags with the polystyrene beads is a pain in the behind. The beads are like packing peanuts, only smaller. Static electricity...need I say more? One additional problem is getting polystyrene beads in the far reaches of civilization (like Farmington, New Mexico). I used walmart.com, but my mom-in-law found a polystyrene wholesaler in Utah...where else?...and bought me a couple of bags. They were only $20 a piece and will each fill 5 Wonder Boxes! Like I need 5 or 10 more Wonder Boxes. I made 4 already! So...long story short, I've got these two huge bags of micro polystyrene beads in the 1st bedroom Wesley vacated. I have plans to convert this room into a food storage room, but in the mean time, it is very cluttered.

The grandkids and their parents usually come over on Sunday evenings. After some very noisy play, it suddenly seemed very quiet. Too quiet. Then, the informer, aka Lexi, announced "You should SEE what the babies are in to!" (Lex is so mature. Everyone is a baby in her world.) The moms all went running to the back room and I heard "Oh no. Mom? Do you want to see this BEFORE or AFTER we clean it up?" That's bad. I decided to look at the Before.

It was like a snowdrift. The babies were covered with micro polystyrene beads and they were stuck to everything. Jared inhaled several beads during the cleanup and Amanda swears that she has one imbedded in her ear. Somehow, they worked their way into Megan's underwear! Seriously, they were everywhere! Jace, my 3-year-old grandson found the bags in the back room and decided that it would be fun to jump on them. He did, they all did, and COOL! A snowstorm! The babies were momentarily in Winter Wonderland. Thank goodness for the informer. However, I wish she had informed a little sooner. Still, it was a family bonding moment. Jared even helped clean up. That's unusual...he's DoJo's real son. I also believe that is how Meg got them in her underwear! The really cool thing about the whole episode is that I didn't get all bent out of shape. Jared would still be in time out if he had done something like that when he was Jace's age! Being a Grandma gives you a whole different perspective. Plus, I'm thinking that those beads are still hiding in all the nooks and crannies of the room. If I play my cards right, I can get the babies parents to come back and clean up that room properly and help me convert it to the food storage room.

Quilters Anonymous

2009-09-29T19:42:00.000-06:00

Ohio Star

Turnstiles

Card Trick

Country Pinwheel

Jacob's Ladder

Castle In the Air

I've been wondering if there is some sort of intervention program for obsessive quilters. My "homework assignment" was to create four quilt blocks. This seems simple, but it really takes a lot of brainwork to figure out what to cut and how to sew it. We aren't using patterns, just drafting out the blocks and figuring out how to make them. For me, it has been great fun. However, I can't seem to stop. I wake up early every morning with plans for cutting material and sewing it back together. I don't watch TV; I sew. It is sorta creepy when you think about it. I think DoJo is planning an intervention. If my quilting rulers disappear or my rotary cutter goes missing, you will know that DoJo has stepped in. I don't see why he should complain. It's a harmless hobby. He has a hobby too. It's called Church.

Departure Day!

2009-09-16T20:09:00.008-06:00

Today was D-Day, but last night we had a fun family dinner and one last go-round with Wesley before he became Elder Whipple.

Here is Wes with his nieces and nephews. They mostly adore him, except when he tickles too long or growls too fiercely. We tried to get Desi to pop her belly in on one side of the photo, but she said it wouldn't fit. She is looking forward to to her D-Day coming up soon.

Here Wes gets some last minute loves and advice from his two grandmas. My mom is Opal, on the left, and DoJo's mom, Shirley is on the right. Grandma Opal has fairly severe dementia and doesn't remember much from one minute to the next. She gave Wesley his "last goodbyes" about 4 or 5 times last night. Each time, she began by asking what time he would be leaving, and then announcing that she was going to tell him goodbye right then because she "probably wouldn't be awake in the morning when he left." Too bad he didn't get the departure money with each goodbye! $$$

The Other-Mothers. These girls really did help raise this missionary and they are proud of their work. (No one quite understands Kaitlin's strange attachment to the Pink Power Ranger?!)

One "perk" of knowing the Stake President personally is that Wes was able to be set apart as a missionary in our home. It was a perfect ending to a family night. For the scoop on Elder Whipple, you can now visit his mission blog, Elder Whipple Goes to Washington at elderwhipple.blogspot.com. Currently, the blog is plain and unadorned, but once the Other-Mothers get to it, they will spice it up nicely...just you wait and see!

9-patch-9

2009-09-15T13:34:00.004-06:00

My first project, a 9-patch-9. I loved the materials separately, but I'm not crazy about the finished product. However, may I point out how very SQUARE all the corners are?! This is what I was doing at 4am this morning when I couldn't sleep. I'm hoping this onset of insomnia will pass once Wesley is safely in the MTC. In case it doesn't, I have quilt blocks to make! :)

A Good Day

2009-09-12T21:01:00.000-06:00

Today was a good day. One of those days a mother waits her entire life for. Today, my baby went to the temple in preparation for his upcoming mission to Everett Washington. Kaitlin and Reed were not able to be there with us because they were on their way home from New York City and another appearance on the Today Show. All the rest were there.

Jared and Desiree were there too, but they are off camera somewhere chasing two tired little boys. Jace, unlike his father, is not a ham in front of the camera. Just the opposite.

Mason didn't mind having his picture taken as long as he didn't have to pose!

Nothing has ever tugged at my heart strings more than seeing my children sitting in the temple all dressed in white. Words are inadequate for days like today. Besides that, it's hard to talk (or type) about it without crying. Not sad tears, just really happy, grateful tears. Today was a REALLY good day.

Idle hands are the devil's workshop

2009-09-07T14:21:00.000-06:00

I don't have any idea what it is REALLY like to have idle hands. What I mean is, I'm always busy. I love my teaching job (6th grade) but I often find myself longing for the days when I was a stay-at-home mom with 5 little kids. Looking back at that time in my life, I'm amazed at what I was able to accomplish. Now, it seems that I accomplish a fraction of what I used to do. (PLEASE do not attribute this to my age! I'm struggling with the nice round number approaching in May) Anyway, in an effort to produce more, I started knitting dishcloths. It all began in late June when I was recruited for a part in a Pioneer Days play. Knowing how there is lots of wait time in these productions, I began knitting while waiting in the wings. So far, I've knitted my way through one big spool of cotton yarn and about half-way through two other spools of different colors. (I had to keep switching colors because I was bored. Big spools are way cheaper than the little skeins, but you do have the boredom factor.) Here is a picture of my handiwork.

30 dishcloths and counting. My mom keeps asking me what I intend to do with them. I'm thinking Christmas presents. Who doesn't appreciate these handmade cloths? Even if you don't do dishes, they are great in the shower too.

After the Jolly Green Giant experience, I signed up for a beginning quilt class. Yes, I already know most of the basics, but the teacher, Shirley, promised that I would learn something anyway. Besides, I need to move past the basics and I figure this class might get me off high center. The first class was on Thursday evening, and bless her pea-pickin' heart, Shirley is MORE anal about fabric than I am! I knew right away that I'd found a sewing soul mate. Our first task was to buy our fabric. The instructions were to pick out three fabrics; one bold print that we love, one neutral fabric (I'm queen of neutral...zzzzzz!), and one fabric that was different than the other two. Shirley taught us the "squint test" for determining if the fabrics will go together nicely. Basically, you put them side by side, stand back, and squint (un-focus) your eyes. If it looks okay, then you have the right mix. I'm all about that since the mere mention of a color wheel makes me break out in hives. So, today being a school-free day, I went to the local fabric store to buy my stuff. First off, I'm wearing my glasses today instead of contacts. Being far sighted makes me look like Mr. Magoo anyway, but I wear the glasses when I'm too lazy to mess with the contacts. Just imagine this...Mr. Magoo standing several paces away from strategically placed fabric bolts, SQUINTING. Yes, I'm SURE I looked idiotic. Whatever. Here's what I came away with:

A bold print that I love. Say ooooh to fall colors.

A neutral. The picture doesn't do it justice, but it is a beautiful small print in ecru. And last of all, something different from the first two.

You KNEW it was going to be a green. Sorry. I can't seem to help myself. Now, do the Mr. Magoo and see if the squint test doesn't really work.

The second task Shirley assigned was to straighten the fabric. In case you haven't been to the fabric store lately, a "straight" cut is not necessarily straight by sewing standards. This bugs me, but there isn't much you can do about it except buy more fabric than you think you will need. I do that anyway, but still, you ought to get what you pay for. None of the pieces I bought were straight. Here is the result of straightening.

In some cases, I lost one-and-a-half inches of fabric by straightening it. Like I said, I'm anal. I was ripped up when I saw this pile. Get it? Ha Ha, you rip the fabric to get a straight edge. Just a little fabric joke. I crack myself up sometimes.

I had so much fun walking around looking like Mr. Magoo, I decided to pick out some additional pieces, since I know that I will be needing them sometime and my fabric shopping time is limited. Besides, I had a 10% off coupon! Try the squint test on this. Also notice the limited amount of green! Stay tuned for pics of my first project; a nine-patch-nine. Shirley says this will be an orphan piece, but I'm planning to use it to make a little topper for my dining room table.

Our Latest Addition!

2009-08-19T19:18:00.003-06:00

KK and Reed made an announcement...they have a puppy! Me, not being a real pet lover, had to see the little guy in person before I could understand what all the excitement was about. I thought a dog was a dog was a dog...BUT, NOT SO! This dog is really cute. His name is Rudy and he is playful, making him a perfect fit for the entire family.

You know how some parents are anxious for their kids to do all the fun things other kids do? KK and Reed are no exception.

Don't worry, Rudy was not hurt in the filming of this video. I used to take the cushions off the lawn furniture to create a landing pad for the grandkids. Guess I'm going to have to do the same for Rudy. Furthermore, all good parents "clean up" after their children before they leave grandma's house. Usually I don't mind pitching in, but in this case, eeeeewuh!

My question is why would you watch something like this on purpose? I think I know the answer...they are wondering if it is time to potty-train. Oh, the adventures of parenting...

And the winner is...

2009-08-16T16:08:00.000-06:00

Ta Da! 4th place at the San Juan County Fair. Actually I didn't expect to win anything after I realized that they sort us out by age groups before they judge anything. Are you kidding me? At my age, I'm in the semi-old lady category and competing against women who stay home and quilt all day. I was hoping to be sorted not by age, but by experience. That would put me up against the twelve-year-olds and maybe I could've won one of those big rosette ribbons with all the pretty colors. Oh well, lesson learned. I'm thinking that next year, I will lie about my age, but instead of saying I'm younger, I will say I'm much, much, older. That way, I can compete against the really old ladies who have all but lost their eyesight. Just my luck, they probably teach braille quilting somewhere. I'm okay with fourth place. I saw some quilts at the fair with a little ribbon attached that said "I participated in the San Juan County Fair." Actually, it was never about the size of the prize, it was about finishing.

Thanks for the naming suggestions. I liked them all, but the winner is....Jolly Green Giant, submitted by Melissa Wells. Missy's "prize" is a potholder made from my one leftover quilt block. I'm throwing in a knitted dishrag just to make it extra special! This was fun for me, so now I'm trying to think of more give-away contests I can do.

This quilting thing was so fun that I've signed up for a quilting class that begins next month. I figure that I will have some extra time on my hands since I won't be attending football games, basketball games, and track meets every weekend. Perhaps my next give away contest will be naming another quilt, but according to my daughter, I'm going to have to take it up a notch on the prize. I'll do my best Martha Stewart!

I've Been BUSY! OKAY?!

2009-08-03T12:00:00.000-06:00

My family has complained a little about my lack of blogging, but they should know how busy I am, what with babysitting, gardening, and taking care of the yard! In addition, I've had several time-consuming "projects" this summer. (1) I cleaned my bedroom, closets, drawers, the works! That took a full week and two trips to Goodwill. There is no picture of this, but take my word for it, the bedroom is clean. It would be nice if I could get DoJo to buy-in to the Say No to Clutter philosophy. (2) I painted and recovered the bench in my entryway. I wish I had a "before" pic so

you could appreciate how great this looks. It still needs pillows, but I'm waiting until after I paint the entryway. (3) I helped Megan make a quilt for Sweet Pea's bed. WHY she hasn't shared that on her blog is way beyond me. (4) I helped KK get started on a quilt for her bed. The teal and brown fabrics came out of my 5-year supply of fabrics. She bought the print. This project was supposed to be her contribution to her new household since her handyman husband built a bookcase, but I was anxious to try out my new sewing machine, so I finished her quilt. Don't tell Reed. If he suspects that she has no domestic skills, he might try to return her. And (5), I finished a quilt for my bed. I started it about 5 years ago just by making the Churn Dash blocks from some green fabric I bought at WalMart. Long story short, I put the blocks away and never got back to them. I decided that this was a project that needed to be finished, so I went to work. Actually, I didn't love the green blocks as much as I did 5 years ago, but once I started sewing them together, I loved them again. I'm lucky enough to have a friend with a long arm quilter, so she let me use her machine and I had this monster quilted in about 3 hours! It took me two more days to bind it, but it is finished. Now I know why those quilts you see at the county fair are so expensive. I have about 100 hours into this thing and over $100 in materials.

Amanda took a picture of me holding up the quilt, but I couldn't use it on my blog because my face is so fat that you wouldn't be able to take your eyes off it long enough to be amazed by all my hard work.

Now for the fun part: Help me name this quilt. According to my friend who is the current president of the local quilter's guild, every quilt MUST have a label with the quilt name, the quilter, and the year. (I'm going to make this on my new sewing machine.) As you can see, I'm not all that creative. I mean really...I couldn't even think of another color to work with here! The entire quilt is green. So help me name my quilt and the winner will get a special prize. I will put all the entries in a hat and draw out the winner on August 8th. If you are the winner, I will contact you, get your snail mail address, and mail a special prize to you. (Megan Stewart does not qualify for this giveaway because she thinks the special prize is lame.) To everyone else...GOOD LUCK! I will post the winning label once I figure out how to make my new sewing machine make letters and numbers.

A Green Thumb?

2009-07-07T14:10:00.002-06:00

I always look forward to summer, even though it doesn't really hold any promise of vacation for me and DoJo. People like to buy ice in the summer, so DoJo accomodates them as best he can. As for me, I'm the yard and garden man.

This is cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower...I don't remember which. I've never grown it before, so this is an experiment.

It takes me about 3 days to irrigate the entire yard Thankfully, we have a well, so I'm only paying for the electricity to run the pump and not for the water. Plus the water is great for irrigating my grandkids.

My garden is mostly in raised beds (a.k.a. square foot gardens). Yes, they work, but the stinkin' vine weed loves them too. Yes, I put a weed barrier under the boxes, but vine weed is persistent, so I spend a good amount of time trying to keep my garden weed-free.

Here's my corn field. It's far from weed-free, but I work at it. I've not had much luck in the past with my corn, so I'm feeling good that these plants are actually growning. I was only going to plant 3 rows, but DoJo thought we needed more, so I fired up the rototiller and planted 3 more. I hope it grows because I'm really looking forward to some grilled corn!

Now for those of you who, like me, don't have a REAL green thumb...there's hope! Read on...

My 87-year-old mother lives with us. Grandma is physically healthy but she has dementia. Most of the time she just can't remember things and she repeats the same conversations over and over. Occasionally, she makes things up and really believes them. One family favorite is the time she imagined that DoJo was stealing all her money and she wanted to call the sheriff. Anyway, the real story this time is Grandma's green thumb. A few days ago, she took all her potted plants outside to water them. Among the plants she watered was this pretty little basket of flowers.

As you can see, this pretty little basket of flowers is silk. When I pointed this out to Grandma, she was more than a little miffed at me. She told me that the flowers in the basket were wilted until she watered them. Once watered, they "perked right up." I pointed out the plastic stems and the texture of the flowers, but to no avail. She just stuck her finger down in the wet florist foam and told me she knew they were real because there was soil in the bottom of the pot. It very well may be soil by now. Does florist foam decompose? Not one to let me have the last word, Grandma marched the basket of flowers back to her bedroom with a parting shot of "I don't care what YOU say, I KNOW what I'm talking about!" (That parting shot is more effective if you can imagine hearing it said in a Texan accent.) Okay then. I've decided to put Grandma in charge of the corn and keep her away from the vine weed.

It's Here!

2009-06-12T12:15:00.000-06:00

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wesley's mission call came yesterday. (Good ol' USPS didn't let us down!) Mark Farnsworth nailed the mission lottery. His guess was Washington, and yes, Wes is going the the Washington Everett mission. Wesley was my slave labor yesterday, so he was the one to check the mail. And what did he do when he found his call in the mail box? Run in the house and tell his mother? NO! He called his big sister, Amanda. It's okay...I'm way past feeling like I need to be the first to know. (Actually, being married to DoJo pretty much guarantees that I will be the LAST to know anything!) We made Wes wait until most of his siblings and friends could be present for the opening. I thought I took a picture of the event, but in all the excitement, I became technologically challenged. Thanks to Amanda for the video and the pics. Wesley enters the MTC on September 16th. Looking forward to that curbside dropoff. Here are a few more pics of the moment.

Wes and buddies, from left to right: Preston, Kyle, Todd, Wes, Derek, and Ryder.

Mission Update

2009-06-06T08:00:00.007-06:00

As previously posted, the stake president (hereafter known only as SP) submitted Wesley's mission papers on Tuesday afternoon. For those of you who haven't had a missionary in awhile, filling out the papers and submitting them is all done electronically nowadays. A cool use of technology! Anywhooo, once submitted, the SP can actually "track" their progress. The SP was more than willing to keep the family in-the-know, so on Tuesday afternoon, the tracking message from Salt Lake said "In progress". By Wednesday, the message read "Ready for assignment". The missionary committee meets on Thursdays. Yesterday while the girls and I were working furiously at transforming a basketball court into reception wonderland, the SP called to say that the tracking message had changed to "Call letter sent." Yeah, I started to freak a little, but Meg was quick to the rescue. She grabbed my face, looked me square in the eye and said, "Mom, focus! We have reception wonderland to finish. You can freak out later." Then she handed me a bolt of tulle and a staple gun and told me to get busy. That Meg! If it weren't for her, I would probably be curled up in the corner of the church kitchen stuffing my face with chocolate cake donuts (yesterday was National Donut Day) while planning ways to hack into the church computer system. No really...I'll be okay. This is a good thing to freak out about. But here's the real rub...the call letter is sent snail-mail! Can't the missionary department just text me and let me know what's going on? I have to wait a week to find out whether my baby will have to take meds for tape worms? All this technology, and we are pinning our future on a 44-cent stamp?! What about Skype or Twitter? Anything but USPS! Ooops, I'm startin' to freak again...sorry.

If you would like to weigh in on the

Where Will Wesley Serve "lottery", let me know and I will put your pin on the map. DoJo is planning a winner's prize, but I say the winner gets bragging rights. Who doesn't just love to say "I KNEW IT!" or "I TOLD YOU SO!"?

Irrigation Day

2009-06-05T09:20:00.001-06:00

What do kids love most? Those expensive toys we spend months looking for? NO! They love dirt, water, and fire...not necessarily in that order. I'm happy to the provide dirt and water for my grandkids. Luckily most of them live just around the corner, so when the kiddos really enjoy Grandma's yard a little too much, they can just go home and change clothes. (Desi knows to pack an extra set of duds when they come to Kirtland.) Yesterday was irrigation day, and the grandkids have radar for water, so here's the results:

Liv demonstrates the fine art of drinking from the irrigation pipe. No worries...it's well water.

Bottoms up!

Kourtney, of course, drinks with flare. This is the red-neck version of extending your pinkie when sipping a cup of cocoa.

THEN, the adults had an idea! Baby pool. Nolan stopped at Walmart on his way home (bless his heart...Walmart at 5 pm...now there's a REAL MAN for you!)

Everyone is enjoying the water...

Kinda...

Drew & Liv are a little confused about diving.

"Wow! Would you look at that!"

It's all really fun until someone gets hosed. For Andrew, even the 44oz. Big Gulp was no comfort.
So much for irrigating the grandkids. They'll be back for more next week! I'm the luckiest Grandma in the world.

Where Does My Time Go?

2009-06-03T10:37:00.003-06:00

I've been a little busy lately, and just realized that I've not posted anything since the middle of May. I know my peeps must be starved for info, so here's a run-down of what my life has been like since the middle of May:
On the same weekend as Kaitlin's bridal shower (May 2nd),

Wesley went to his senior prom with a friend from St. George, Utah. How he convinced this girl (and her mother!) to drive 7 hours to go out with him is beyond me. Nonetheless, he did. The young lady is Chelsea, daughter of Connie & Dexter Irvin, who once were Kirtland residents. Wes and Chelsea were kindergarden sweethearts, so this was a fitting end to their high school years.

The excitement continued...on May 15th & 16th, Wesley participated at the state track meet. He had injured his shoulder the previous weekend (May 8th & 9th) at the district meet, so we were not sure if he would be able to throw the javelin. After a week of rehab, we woke up to a blustery, cold Saturday morning in Albuquerque...miserable weather for throwing. In previous years, Wes took 5th place as a sophomore and 3rd place as a junior, so he had his sights set on 1st. Had it not been for the injury, he most likely could have taken it. As it turned out, he took second place. DoJo and I were just happy that he could end his high school track career with a good finish.

My 49th birthday was on Monday, May 18th (When did I get so old?), but that wasn't nearly as momentous as was Wesley's high school graduation on the 23rd! I didn't cry, but I felt like it. It seems like just yesterday that Wesley was the sweet little boy you see here with his best bud, Kyle.

And now look at him, a high school graduate with his Grandma Owens on the left and Grandma Whipple on the right.

Wes is just slightly spoiled, but it isn't ALL my fault. He has his "other mothers" to take up where I leave off. Here's the evidence of their adoration:

Perhaps the adoration thing is not quite universal?!

THEN, last weekend, we made the trek to Monticello, Utah for Kaitlin & Reed's wedding. Monticello is a two-hour drive from our house. The Monticello Temple is one of the church's smaller temples, but it is beautiful. Kaitlin and Reed had a beautiful morning for a wedding. Here is how they looked greeting each other on the morning of their wedding day:

And this is how they looked coming out of the temple:

How cute is this couple?! I did not cry until the photo montage of these two kids growing up was shown at the luncheon after the ceremony. Thank goodness it was dark! I'm not sad...no, I'm really happy that she made such a good choice. I'm just a little taken aback that she is grown and married.

As for adoration, well...it depends on the day.

If you are wondering where Jared was in all this, well, he saves his appearances for only the best photos. Yes, he's getting an electric razor for Father's Day!

NOW, we are in the countdown week for the wedding reception. Just to make things interesting, Wesley had his wisdom teeth taken out yesterday. Yes, the wisdom teeth came out in preparation for a mission. Wesley has had his mission papers filled out for weeks, met with the bishop, met with the stake president, and now the teeth. I admit, I've cried a few times. But it is really random what sets me off. The cereal aisle at Walmart, watching him bless the sacrament, watching him eat jello. It's bizarre. Most people think I'm just having some sort of mid-life crisis. No, it's just having both my babies leave home practically simultaneously. The double-whammy for the empty-nest syndrome. DoJo assures me this is all part of the BIG PLAN.

I stayed by his side yesterday, armed with pain killers, ice bags, and jello. My reputation as a nurse isn't a good one, but I enjoyed spending the day with my boy. We watched Marley & Me and Bedtime Stories. (Hooray for Pay-Per-View!) Beware! Marley & Me is emotionally manipulative. I cried, and I don't even like dogs! In the middle of the afternoon, DoJo called to tell me that I had gotten my wish: the MTC is now using curbside dropoff for entering missionaries. I had previously mentioned that I didn't know if I could "handle" the MTC departure experience with Wesley and hoped that he would go foreign and straight to an MTC in a foreign country. This announcement was an answer to my prayers. In addition to telling me about curbside dropoff, DoJo called to let me know that the stake president had submitted Wesley's mission papers. I didn't cry because I had just finished watching Marley & Me and had nothin' left.

So there it is. My life for the past month. Whew! I'm exhausted just reading about it. More to come on transforming the cultural hall into reception wonderland. Just think, tulle, spraypaint, twinkly lights, and cupcakes and you've got the mental picture.

What's This?

2009-05-11T08:00:00.003-06:00

Just in case Reed turns out to be No-YardMan, I think KK may have it goin' on! Check this out...

We had just finished planting in our little garden boxes, when OUT OF THE BLUE, KK picks up a garden hoe and starts in on the vine weed around the boxes. Can you believe this?! This child is definitely related to her father, DoJo, only she doesn't even believe in horse-powered yardwork. Now, I know that when women get close to their due dates, they have a "nesting" instinct, but what do we call this?

No matter what it is called, it was a fun day! The only glitch in the day was that we forgot to put on sunscreen and KK ended up with a monster sunburn on those cute legs.

Marry a Yard-Man

2009-05-09T15:45:00.002-06:00

As Kaitlin's big day approaches, I find myself wishing to dispense little bits of wisdom on the strangest things. Today, a beautiful Saturday, was just perfect for yard and gardening work. While I was digging and planting with Kaitlin at my side, I thought of this little piece of advice for her...marry a YardMan. When you are young and living in an apartment, it may not seem like a big deal, but as you grow old together, it is a very big deal...unless of course you intend to hire a yardman. As for me, I AM THE YARDMAN. DoJo's idea of yardwork has always involved horsepower of some sort, which leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to the finer details. A picture says it all:

Yes, I'm happy that he got that old stump out. Thrilled, in fact. It's just that his idea of yard work always creates more work for me in the long run. Guess now I'm re-seeding the side yard.

Amanda and Megan both married a YardMan. This is a good thing. Here is the proof.

Jeremy on the tractor getting ready to plant a yard...

and Nolan planting more yard.

So, how will this all turn out for Kaitlin? It remains to be seen.

YardMan or No-YardMan?

Our Little KK

2009-05-03T19:06:00.001-06:00

This is Kaitlin, or as she is more commonly known, KK. Kaitlin was an easy child to raise. At 22 months, she was just adorable, but her mischievious side was just beginning to emerge.

Needless to say, once the mischievious side came out, there was no going back. From one minute to the next, you never knew what she was going to come up with. Not much of a girly-girl, more of a tomboy, this was KK's idea of "doing hair".

While her older sisters enjoyed tap, ballet, and jazz, KK was not interested. She was born to play soccer. This picture was taken the first year she played on an all-boy soccer team. As sweet as she was, most of the boys were afraid of her, including her brothers. That was okay with KK, she liked it that way.

This is was taken three years ago during KK's senior year soccer season. As you can see, the sweetness had turned to sheer competitiveness on the field. However, off the field, KK is easy-going and it's pretty hard to ruffle her feathers. (That said, her brothers know just what buttons to push! When they do, this soccer look resurfaces.)

Our tomboy is so much fun to be around. If you know KK, you know that there will never be a dull moment. But something has happened...she found a man-boy and fell in love!

And almost overnight, our little tomboy has morphed into a young woman ready to wed. Yikes! How did this happen?

Last night, we enjoyed watching her open a bunch of gifts at her bridal shower. Since it was a "kitchen shower", she got a lot of things like measuring cups, muffin tins, and pot holders. Remember, KK is not the most domesticated of my three daughters. Her idea of cooking up 'til now is Ramen noodles or Easy Mac. I was pleased that she actually knew the names of all the items bestowed upon her, although she may not have a clue as to how to use them. She's bright, she'll learn.

KK may be fun loving, but she is also extremely MODEST. Just the mention of underwear will send her into a tizzy. Her biggest fear going to the bridal shower was that someone would give her something that was more bedroom appropriate rather that kitchen appropriate.

And here it is...she can see it in the bag and can hardly bring herself to touch it, let alone pull it out for everyone to oooh and aaaah over.

But, bless her heart, she managed it with a smile, especially since it was her new sister-in-law who gave it to her. Notice the one-finger hold on the lingere...and yes, she is blushing.

So, you may be asking what the point of this blog is? No point really, only just to say that my little tomboy is getting married and I'm just trying to come to grips with it. She's still sweet and fun-loving and we are looking forward to adding another son to our family. If KK picked him out, he's gotta be excellent.

Wedding countdown...26 days.

My World

2009-04-11T19:45:00.000-06:00

We had our family pictures taken recently. Family pictures are a BIG DEAL for us. First, there are a lot of us, and second, the men are extremely resistent. That is except for Nolan. He may show a little dismay, but he always makes up for it by smiling sweetly and saying "I'll do whatever you ask me to do." (He says this to me, not his wife, Megan.) Reed doesn't count in the extremely resistent category since he is still willing to do whatever Kaitlin asks. Here are some of the results.

This is the real DoJo and MoJo. We still really like eachother a lot. On the flip side, we each know exactly the right thing to say to irritate the other one. Kidding aside, this just keeps getting better and better.

We have five pretty-dang-wonderful children. No complaints here. Honestly, I'm really blessed with this bunch. Can you tell from the photo who Wesley's "other mothers" are? Pretty obvious, huh? It's okay though because they've done a good job with him.

And then there were 17! We started with three daughters and two sons and now have four daughters and five sons. What I really like about all these "adopted" children is that I get to love them as if I'd given birth to them without having to live with them through their teenage years. Really painless! Like I said before, I'm blessed.

And this is the best part of having children...GRANDCHILDREN! Currently, we have six, but that number seems to change on a yearly basis. Desi & Jared are taking care of 2009 in October. Although it is hard for us mortals to imagine unconditional love, I think we come fairly close with grandchildren. This may sound a little cliche, but I'm thankful that FAMILIES ARE FOREVER.

The Pedicure Dilemma

2009-04-10T11:30:00.001-06:00

It’s spring and I’d like to start wearing sandals, but I’ve got to do something with my toenails first. The way I see it, I’ve have two choices: (1) give myself a pedicure, or (2) go to Walmart and pay the nice Chinese man to do it for me.

Let’s discuss option #1, Do it myself. DoJo prefers this option because it is cheaper and worth a few more laughs. Here’s the problem with #1…I’m not limber enough. Yes, I “work out” regularly, but my fitness routine doesn’t include hitching my foot up to my face, which is where it needs to be in order for me to actually SEE what I’m doing! I’ve done this before, but it caused my hip to lock up and DoJo had to assist me in getting my leg back into a normal position. What I really need is better eyesight. Usually, the Mr. Magoo bifocals work just fine…until it comes to toenails. My theory is that the stress of hitching my foot up so high puts too much stress on the optic nerve, which causes everything to look more blurry, which, in turn, makes it impossible to get a paint job that doesn’t look like I was high from inhaling polish remover during the process. So much for option #1

Option #2: Walmart pedicure with the nice Chinese man who doesn’t speak redneck. I could go for a little foreign pampering except for the fear that one of my precious students would be shopping at Walmart and would see me there. The problem, you ask? It is a SHOCK to their little psyches when they see their teacher out in public. I once saw a student in the toilet paper aisle and by Monday the entire school knew what brand I used and that I bought the mega-large package. Seriously, it throws off their chi. Imagine the damage it would cause if just one of the little buggers happened to walk by while Toe-Ming was making a small mountain of dead skin with his Makita belt sander! I’m not sure either one of us (me or student) could endure the lasting effects of such an encounter.

So…it appears I have some pedicure decisions to make. (1) Add yoga to my fitness routine and buy some of those magnifying glasses Dr. McDreamy wears on Grey’s Anatomy OR (2) use DoJo’s ‘fro wig and sunglasses for a Walmart experience. I feel a humiliating experience coming on.

Cake Pops

2009-04-05T19:50:00.007-06:00

On Saturday evening, the men were otherwise occupied with a church meeting, so the womenfolk gathered to do what they do best, cook and talk. This is what I enjoy most about having adult children...they will talk to me like I am a real human. This is opposed to having not-quite-adult-children (who shall remain nameless) who speak real slowly when I'm around...like I'm a foreigner or mentally challenged. The nice thing about these two daughters is that they ask me real questions, listen to my answers, and often ask follow-up questions. Genius runs in the family! So their genius idea is to make these cake-pops while the men are away. I was all for it since it didn't involve messing up MY kitchen. Let's just say melted chocolate and sprinkles will give me an OCD episode. (OCD also runs in the family...just in the womenfolk.) The girls got their idea from Bakerella. When I saw Bakerella's blog, I knew immediately that our cake pops were NOT going to look like hers, but, oh well, I'm always up for a challenge...and like I said before, it wasn't in my kitchen. It was a lot of fun. I mostly just watched, since Lexi and Kourtney did all the hard parts.

This is the other part that runs in the family! We like to eat what we create. Truth? Not one of us could eat more than one of those little demons. Swear to you, they were so sweet that after one bite, I could feel a sugar coma coming on. One cake pop IS one bite, so after the first one (red velvet/cream cheese covered in white chocolate), I waited a proper amount of time (20-30 seconds) before trying the chocolate/chocolate/chocolate one. Swearing again here, but I really couldn't finish it. When I woke up (on the floor), the girls were standing over me with a veggie plate and chunks of grilled chicken breast telling me that I was going to be okay. Seriously sweet, but you may want to make some just for the sugar coma...LOTS of pretty colors....oooooh! Next time we get rid of the menfolk, I'm going to introduce these girls to the pleasures of crochet. It's less self-destructive! Thanks girls for including me in all the fun and not treating me like I'm "special"!

Just For Fun

2009-03-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

If you could tell that DoJo's picture with the 'fro was "doctored", AND you thought it was hilarious, you may want to check out this cool web site. I had so much fun playing with my family's pics that I wanted to share it with you. You may get a few giggles out of it. (DoJo was not nearly as amused as I was!) Here are a couple of my favorites.

SuperWes

Olivia's TRUE personality!

I haven't found the "perfect" me yet, but I believe my profile picture comes close. Have fun with this one.

Look Who's Cooking!

2009-03-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

The soon-to-be-married KK is learning to cook. She has always been more interested in honing skills (i.e. soccer, school, work, web design, sleep) other than the domestic ones. Shame on me, I let her get away with it...'til now. She is currently taking the crash course on planning, shopping, and cooking. So far, so good...'til it came to Sunday dinner. We do a big, extended family dinner on the first Sunday of every month, and my assignment was green chile enchiladas, which I promptly turned over to KK. As you can see, she undertook the assignment with glee. Her only comment during the preparation phase, was "I don't think I'm cut out for this cooking thing." This was after the too-hot cooking oil popped onto the top of her bare foot. She'll get the hang of it. My advice for cooking with hot oil? Wear shoes.

The enchiladas turned out just fine. This just reminds me that there really is a lot to making a home. While it is more than just cooking and cleaning, cooking and cleaning are essential and can make the difference between real comfort and mere survival. The good news is if I can learn to cook, anyone can. KK will be just fine. Besides, if worst comes to worst, we all know that Reed likes Frosties! Post all your cooking advice or tips for Kaitlin here and I will be sure to pass them along. Recipes for two are also appropriate.

DoJo's Hat

2009-03-26T16:25:00.000-06:00

I had to stop by my bank yesterday to stop payment on the automatic withdrawl to Toyota Motor. (Yes, I sold that car, but the stupid dealership hasn't paid it off and Toyota still thinks it is mine! Long story, but the short version is that I'm about to go "open a can"...if you know what I mean...on Southwest Hyundai in Albuquerque.) Ok, so the car is an interesting story, but the really funny thing happened at the bank. DoJo went with me. If you know DoJo, you know that he wears a hat to work everyday. He does this to hide his bed-head, and then once the hat is on, he has to keep it there because he has bed-head-hat-hair. His hat is usually one with his company name and logo embroidered right on the front. It's his "sign".

When we entered the bank, DoJo stopped to ask for directions. A very nice lady told him where to go and then asked him to remove his hat while he was in the bank. Apparently they have a new policy about people wearing hoodies, hats, sunglasses, and anything else that would distort your true appearance. We actually read the new policy posted on the front doors of the bank as we entered. DoJo was miffed and very reluctant to remove his hat. Seriously, he doesn't look like a security risk, but you never know. He took the hat off, but grumbled about it during the entire bank visit. He kept coming up with "what if" scenarios...reasons people should be allowed to wear those particular items. "What if your eyes had been gouged out and you don't want people looking at your scars?" "What if you were bald and needed to keep your head warm?" And, what I believe to be his personal best, "What if I came in here wearing a big afro wig? Would they kick me out or ask me to take off my hair?" So, if you happen by the bank and run into a real big guy with an afro and those 70s style glasses with gradient lens, you will know it is just DoJo testing out the bank securtiy.

Conspiracy Theory

2009-03-26T08:00:00.002-06:00

I've never been one to buy into any of those conspiracy theories out there, but quite by accident, I happened upon one all by myself, and I know it is REAL. Here's the scoop. The Chinese people are trying to take over the world. No joke. Think about it...who makes almost all the shoes in the world? China, that's who. They've cornered that market, and now all of us who are real fitness buffs are at the mercy of the Chinese every time we want to purchase a new pair of cross-trainers.

That's not all. The Chinese have mind control. It's called Mahjong. Mahjong is a tile game that is even more addictive than Solitare. I bet you can play Mahjong on the computer you are using to read about this mind-control conspiracy. Check the games installed under accessories. It's probably there. WARNING...DO NOT OPEN IT! It will suck you in to a Mahjong abyss from which you will never recover. Seriously, I can't stop playing. And the stupid computer has the audacity to give me my percentage of wins everytime I lose! It's all a part of the mind control. Once you see that your win rate is somewhere around 12%, you have to play again, thinking all the while that just one win will boost you up to around 15%. Once you get there, your hopes are up, and you play again and again. Hours come and go and you really have no sense of time passing. This is pure evil. I believe the Chinese want us all to become addicted to Mahjong and while we are spending countless hours sucked into this tiled void, they are going to move in and start manufacturing diet foods. Once that happens, we're done for.

Here's your sign!

2009-03-25T16:30:00.000-06:00

I love saying "Here's your sign" because, as most of you know, I'm half red-neck. So while driving down the road the other day, I saw MY SIGN. What are the chances?

Actually, this is also another sign of spring in New Mexico. It's so dang windy that the U-R-R blew right off the sign advertising burritos.

Signs of Spring

2009-03-25T08:00:00.004-06:00

My son-in-law accuses me of being a bit too loquacious (look that one up Jeremy!) on my blog, so I decided a photo-essay was necessary. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. You be the judge...

Painted toenails and flip-flops

Empty bird egg on the grass under the pine tree.

Pink blossom tree in the neighbor's yard.

Spring blossoms on the the bushes in the neighbor's yard. (Yes, I'm that creepy neighbor who roams around in your yard.)

Dandelions...dang it!

Actually, Nolan wears shorts year round, but I just liked this picture.

Dressed for winter, spring soccer.

Gotta love spring.

Sportin' A New Look

2009-03-24T09:46:00.004-06:00

You may be noticing right about now that I have a new look to my blog. Since its inception, Big Daddy DoJo has been complaining that my blog was too dark and depressing. I'm pretty sure he meant the LOOK of the page and was in no way referring to all the exciting and uplifting CONTENT! Anyway, it is Spring Break and I have nothing to do while I wait on my soon-to-be-wed daughter to rouse herself out of bed before noon and go do wedding stuff with me. LOTS of down-time we're talking here...and it's too cold to work in the garden...so I'm giving my blog a new look. I like the citrus theme. To me, it says SASSY! Not that I'm sassy, oh no, I AM NOT! If you like my sassy new look, let me know. However, please word your comments so that DoJo does not get the impression that you agree with him or that you think he was right about the dark and depressing thing. We don't want him telling me "I told you so". If that happened, I can guarantee that you would witness sassy. Let's not go there.

Pumpin' Iron

2009-03-23T20:40:00.003-06:00

So, in case you have forgotten, I have this goal of getting fit. I've been walking home from work most days, and since January, have logged over 80 miles. Not bad, but I also decided that I would lift weights to increase my muscle mass. Really, I just want to get rid of those energizer arms. You know the kind...they just keep waving and waving...long after your hand has stopped. Yuk. I hate that.

I increased my weights today. With my weight routine, I increase weight gradually and change up the number of reps. This is supposed to keep the muscles guessing and helps you to avoid a plateau stage. Isn't it really funny that I'm worried about a plateau. I've lived in a plateau stage for two decades, and NOW I'm worried about it. Until now, I've only increased one pound per week, but since my weight set doesn't have 6 lbs, I had to go to 7.5 lbs. I thought it wouldn't be a big deal, but IT WAS! Today's exercise was a called a chest-fly, I think. Basically, you lay down on the weight bench holding the weights straight up from your chest, then you lower your arms out to the sides and back to the starting position. 40 times. Whew! I did it, but when the time came for me to get in the shower and wash my hair...guess what? Noodle arms. I had to bend over at the waist to wash my hair! No kidding, I COULD NOT LIFT MY ARMS! Putting on makeup was a whole new adventure too. I had to put my elbows on the bathroom counter in order to have enough strength to lift the mascara brush. This meant kneeling on the floor and propping a hand mirror against a bottle of hair gel just so I could see myself well enough to get a read on where to put the blush. Forget putting any of that hair gel in my hair...I couldn't press my palms together with enough force to spread it evenly through my tresses.

Ok, I told you before that this fitness thing has been hard. I don't want to discourage anyone from pursuing a healthy lifestyle, but looking this good is a sacrifice.

Lucky Streak Ended Today :(

2009-03-16T17:48:00.005-06:00

I've been teaching eight years now, and in all that time, I've never had a student throw up in my classroom. Alas, my lucky streak ended today. I have to say, I handled it like a real mom (good thing I am one!) Poor little Beauford told me first thing this morning that he wasn't feeling well. I tried to convince him that he should go home, but going home meant staying at Grandma's house all day, so he opted to remain at school. Imagine! Poor kid prefers my classroom to Grandma's house! That Grandma needs some lessons from me. Apparently she doesn't know about the joys of Pay-Per-View, Sprite, and jello.

Thankfully, Beauford had moved away from the two little Princesses he sits with to table by himself so that he could work on his math in peace. I can just imagine what kind of commotion it would have caused if he had blown chunks right in front of them! The room was fairly quiet when he announced, "I puked." I sent him to the men's room to get himself cleaned up, and proceeded to call for a janitor. The stupid janitors (men!) ignored the S.O.S. and I had to clean it up myself. I pulled out the latex gloves and Lysol and presto...everything was good as new just in time to go to lunch. Ugh. When I went to check on the little puker in the nurse's office, he assured me that he was feeling better (no doubt...I saw what he had for breakfast!) and wanted to stay at school. I assured him that it would be better to take his pukey little self home and come back tomorrow when he could guarantee that he wouldn't do a repeat performance.

The good thing was that I didn't get all grossed out and follow him in the wretching routine. The bad thing is, we were working on probability, and I think I could have made a descent object lesson out of what the odds of puking in class would be. Next time, I'll be more prepared.

My daughters' fashion sense!

2009-03-15T19:35:00.001-06:00

My three daughters went shopping yesterday. They were supposed to be looking for wedding stuff, but somehow they ended up at the local Goodwill Store. Before I go on, let me just say that when the three of them get together, they are DANGEROUS! You never know what will happen, but usually it is something I would be embarrassed to witness in person. They normally document their shopping sprees with photos, so I was expecting to get this beautiful little number they picked out for me. They may be dangerous, but they have inherited some common sense from their mother, so they opted not to buy, thinking it was a little low cut for Muffin-top Mojo. Thank goodness!
They did, however, buy this sweet little number for me. A hot-pink crocheted poncho, complete with slits for my hands. Although the photo seems "enhanced", believe me, it is really that pink! They were soooo proud of themselves. And for the real kicker, daughter #3, aka Frosty Inhaler, asked me to put the dang thing on and wear it when her husband-to-be came over. I protested, saying that he would think I was psycho. Her reply? "Don't worry about it mom, he already thinks that." Great, just great. Just to prove a point, I think I'll wear it for the upcoming reception. After all, her colors are brown, turquoise, and PINK. Ha! That'll show her.

The Best Week Ever

2009-03-06T17:57:00.000-07:00

This has been a GREAT week, and I'm not referring to all the hubbub over a youngster who can devour a Frosty at the speed of light. Yes...that DID create a lot of excitement (and angst, if you know what I mean!)---but that was not what made the week extraordinary. So...you are asking yourself "what could top this diamond in the roughage story"...and here it is...THE CHAFED SPOTS ON THE INSIDE OF MY ELBOWS HAVE DISAPPEARED! Incredible, huh? It's almost a miracle. I've gone through gallons of guaranteed-to-moisturize lotion and nothing. Those annoying spots stayed right there on the inside of my arms right where they brush against my "muffin tops" during my daily power walk. If you've never had the pleasure of seeing my power walk,...well, it's something akin to an obese racewalker---if there were such a thing. Those skinny racewalkers have NOTHIN' on me! I have fat deposits whose jiggling actually propels me forward. Some days I have such momentum that I actually have to hold on to something in order to come to a complete stop.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Ok, so back to the real story here...my muffin tops have shrunk and my elbows no longer rub against them when I walk. INCREDIBLE, no?! I have to say, it was as much of a surprise to me as it will be to you when you read this. Really, I'm most likely the fittest fat person on the planet, and to date, all my power walking (a story for another day) has yet to do anything for me except increase the size of my appetite. (Actually, I think it keeps my blood pressure in check, but that's boring.) So, you may be asking, "how did she do it?" Well, about 3 weeks ago I began lifting free weights and doing some simple core exercises, and VIOLA!...the muffin tops are melting and I can cut back on my aloe-enhanced skin products.
I don't want to make this seem like it was magic melting muffin tops. Oh no, it hasn't been easy on me at all. I'm not looking for any sympathy here, just saying I've paid some dues for spotless elbows. That said, I think you may be thinking "how can I get magic melting muffin tops too?" Am I right? I knew it! (I love it when I'm right!) Well, as promised, I've got some advice for you. Here's just a few tips to get you started:
1. Don't tell anyone you've begun a new "exercise" program just in case you whimp out when you have to increase your weights to 4 pound bar bells. Seriously, it was HARD!
2. Hide your free weights from any male or teenager in the house. (MALE teenagers are especially dangerous.) The reason for this is that if they see your weights, they'll pick 'em up and make some psuedo-witty remark like "feel the burn". This is just their feeble attempt to humiliate you. Don't go there.
3. Don't do your weight lifting routine when humans or pets are within earshot. Enough said.
4. After lifting, s-t-r-e-t-c-h out...and I don't mean pass out on the weight bench! Stretch the muscles you've been working. Seriously, I didn't know that there was this evil, bad thing called lactic acid that is made when you lift weights (or do any other activity that is "foreign" to your body). Lactic acid builds up in the muscle and that is what causes you to get sore. On the morning after my first session of lunges with weights, I woke up thinking I had meningitis in my thighs and butt. No kidding, I had to fall out of bed and army crawl to the bathroom. I would've given one of those thighs for a handicap rail near the toilet! My legs didn't work right for days. I walked around like I had no joints in my knees or hips. It was pretty embarrassing.
So take my word on this...s-t-r-e-t-c-h after weights.
If you are interested in my fitness program, check out http://www.5factordiet.com/ or buy the book: The 5 Factor Diet by Harvey Pasternak, M.Sc. Don't let the whole "diet" word scare you away. I haven't been real faithful to the diet part, only the weights. The diet is just common sense.
Yes, I'm hoping for results other than not having those annoying chafed spots on my arms. I'll keep you posted. Ooops! I just broke rule #1.
Oh, and one more thing...I know it is cool to put pictures up with the blog, but this one fell into the categories of gross, TMI, and Wanda, come here! You'll never believe what I found on the Internet. Nope! No pictures on this one. You'll thank me later.

Blogability!

2009-03-03T21:10:00.000-07:00

This is my latest venture into the wonderful world of technology! My children seem to have such a wonderful time with blogging, so I just couldn't wait any longer to join all the fun. Just wait and see, THIS will be the blog to read! My life is so exciting that everyone will be living the good life just by reading my blog.

The World According to MoJo

Happy Birthday Wesley!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I'm NOT Exaggerating!

Trophy Wife

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

Summer Fun

Mr. Good Idea

World's Greatest Band Teacher

I've been busy, okay?!

Saturday Sampler

A Perfect Saturday

No Lie Mr. Groundhog!

Empty Mailbox

Hanging Planter in Washington

A Single Shard

Grandma's Sweethearts

Saturday Sampler

Oh no! It's a Man Cold!

Gloves

Snow Day!

Excuses, anyone?

More good reading!

Christmas Eve Fun

The Candy Man

KK's quilt #2

Happy Birthday KK!

Three Months Out

Good Book!

Thanksgiving Fun

Empty nest? Bah!

What a mess!

Quilters Anonymous

Departure Day!

9-patch-9

A Good Day

Idle hands are the devil's workshop

Our Latest Addition!

And the winner is...

I've Been BUSY! OKAY?!

A Green Thumb?

It's Here!

Mission Update

Irrigation Day

Where Does My Time Go?

What's This?

Marry a Yard-Man

Our Little KK

My World

The Pedicure Dilemma

Cake Pops

Just For Fun

Look Who's Cooking!

DoJo's Hat

Conspiracy Theory

Here's your sign!

Signs of Spring

Sportin' A New Look

Pumpin' Iron

Lucky Streak Ended Today :(

My daughters' fashion sense!

The Best Week Ever

Blogability!