What a feat!

Rydge's latest FEAT.

Playing Go-Fish with his FEET.

Do you have an A for Alligator??

Let me see...
GO FISH!!

Roles Reversed

What's wrong with this picture??

Shouldn't it be the teenager I'm worried about talking on the phone too much??

Little Miracle

I experienced a little personal miracle today. It lifted me out of my pitifully grumpy phase. (My offspring might argue that it wasn't just a "phase" at all, but really just my charming (NOT) personality... but I'm sticking with 'phase'.

Anywho, I ran across these pictures from a trip my parents took my brother and I on WAAAYYYY back in 1987. It was the most profound life changing week of my life. I was almost 16 and we went to Israel. Here we are floating in the Dead Sea!

My mom, Shea, and I in front of the Garden Tomb.

As I looked at these photos emotions came flooding back. It's almost like I was there again.

This is where I truly received my testimony of the Savior. My Savior. We literally walked in Christ's footsteps. We visited many wonderful historical and spiritual places on our tour, but the Garden Tomb left an unforgettable impression. To stand where latter-day prophets have confirmed the body of Christ was laid. To envision the massive stone being rolled away from the entrance. To actually SEE and know this is the place our Lord's mortal body was put to rest and where in three short days was left EMPTY. It became so REAL. Life changing for me.

Looking at this picture, of my sweet mama's face, I can almost feel again the confirmation and the spirit I felt that day. I KNOW Christ lived a perfect life, suffered in Gethsemane, and died so that we may live again. It was powerful and so personal.
There really are not words.

The empty tomb.

After feeling so grumpified these last few days - I'm grateful I felt a ridiculous impulse to pull out some old photos. If not, this little miracle might not have happened. I needed it.
For today, life is back in perspective.

Grumpiness

Holy Crud, am I grumpy lately.

Could be the lack of sleep I mentioned in my earlier post.

Could just be I'M GRUMPY!!

Biggest peeves:

*Tight pants-on my fat self

(could be connected to my recent weight gain

...man, they're buggin'.)

*Loud kids and all things associated

with kid noise:

TV, quarreling, whining, wrestling, playing, EVERYthing.

*Messiness...everywhere I turn.

*Being touched -

don't EVEN invade my personal bubble right now.

I told you I was GRUMPY!!!

(Thanks for letting me vent-I'm sure it'll be better tomorrow

or the next day, or the next day...)

Told you I'm a Genius...

I am 100% addicted to the game Brainage on Nintendo DS.

So glad Santa brought it for MADDIE to enjoy.

Spencer and I battle each other almost daily.

We both have our strengths...

but I think it's clear who RULES!

Yes...that would be me.

I keep telling these people I'm a genius.

Now we'll just let the scores speak for themselves.

(For the Brainage virgins out there - the youngest age is the BEST!

& 20 is the youngest age the game registers! I know...a freakin' genius!)

Stinky Beef Turkey

Just had to journal Rydge as the

only person in our house who truly

enjoys the whirlpool tub.

Rydge picked out a Slim Jim, or some beef 'turkey' as he calls it...

yes - it's really 'jerky', but i'm not going to correct him

on that OR on "belt FLOOPS" (loops).

Alas, I digress...he picked out jerky for a snack, but

couldn't stand the stinky of it.

So my genius child grabbed his new Valentine Slinky

and attached it to his little pug nose.

Apparently, jerky is more enjoyable if you don't smell it.

Happy 209th Anniversary!

Pre-kids, pre-wrinkles, and pre-60 pound combined weight gain...

(and of course pre-hair loss...)

Last night Spencer and I celebrated our

209 month anniversary (of our first date).

How risky was that...a first date on

FRIDAY THE 13th???

It worked out just fine.

See what was on my doorstep from my babe yesterday?

TULIPS - my favorite!!

Here's to another 209 months!!

(There's a Friday 13 next month, too!!! )

I'M BAFFLED.

OH. MY. GOSH.

Are you kidding me?

Isn't it obvious that the shoes go IN the basket?

I only have FOUR kids for Pete's sake!!

(Yes, these all belong to my family.)

I'm baffled.

There are three beds in the boy's room.

Ty and Kyle sleep on the floor every night.

Not only that - this is what they leave every morning.

Again...baffled.

Where did I go wrong????

Sweet Rydge

While cleaning up the kitchen the other night,

Rydge came running downstairs yelling,

"MOM, there's something on my BUNS!"

I'm thinking the worst....POOP MESS.

Just a nerf.

YAAAWWWNNNNN.....

This is how I feel lately...

For the last couple of weeks I have not been able to make it until 2:00 in the afternoon without dragging my fat self to the couch and crashing for a nap.

What is my problem????

Any ideas/advice welcome...

Pucker Up!

This is an innocent face, right?

Conversation below overheard and abruptly

intercepted by Ava's mom:

Ava: "Do you want to kiss on the lips?"

Rydge: "Yeah, that's okay, 'cuz I'm gonna marry you."

**INTERCEPTED**

Ava's mom told them no kissing on the lips.

Rydge defended his position with

"but my mom said I can marry Ava."

Rydge and I had a nice talk on the way home from Ava's house.

He conceded to wait until AFTER he marries her to kiss her.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

WHAT THE....???

I woke up this morning with like

SIX ZITS on my forehead,

and a few bonus ones on my chin.

What the...?

I'm 37 years old for the love of Pete!

And what's with the

zoingy bang crazy hair thing?

---what the...???

I'm going back to bed....

All Good Things Must Come To An End...

I discovered a most beautiful thing this year.

SCHOOL SPORTS!

No driving back and forth to practice.

And it's "FREE"!

Tyler had an AMAZING basketball season

playing for the Doerre Warriors.

Tonight was his last game. (They won!!)

Here he is with his biggest fans...

Gigi and Grandpa Bubs

I did a HORRIBLE filming job this season.

This is the only decent play I got on film...

(out of thousands :)

He's the one that brings the ball down then scores - hard to see.

Love those RED socks!!

Ty was point guard and the A-team captain.

He spent maybe 10 minutes on the bench

collectively - the ENTIRE season.

He was the GLUE!

TY ROCKS!

( I know, I'm braggin'...I'm his mom...but he really was AWESOME!)