Jake, the Homerun Hero

Okay, I won't post much about another baseball filled weekend....but, Jake's team did play in the Pioneer Tournament in Spanish Fork and ended up winning the entire tournament. Jake was so proud of the almost-plastic trophy he came home with. Way to Go, Titans!! Jake had lots of good hits, and I even managed to get an in-field home run on tape. Hopefully my un-technical self can get it to work...... oh, and be sure to mute the music at the bottom of the page so you can hear Jake's obnoxious mother yelling into the camera!!

Gi-nor-mous

I can't say that I have a green thumb....I ususally kill a houseplant in a very short period of time. However, this year we have had considerable luck with our garden. After having a really poor harvest last year (we did grow an amazing amount of weeds), we decided to bring in new dirt and try again this year. We only planted a few things: A pumpkin plant that started out as one tiny plant and has now taken over the entire back half of the garden, a few pepper plants, and 4 tomato plants. We also planted a watermelon plant, but due to the pumpkin plant takeover, I don't think we'll see one of those. We also planted strawberries, but the kids seem to think that the minute a berry shows any signs of being ripe, it must be picked and eaten right away. We ended up having one small corner left and about the time we were planting back in May, Jake brought home a small plant that he had started at school. It was literally the size of a small weed, and he wasn't even sure what it was. I told him it was okay to plant it in the corner of the garden, thinking that it would die soon and that would be the end of it.....well, we discovered soon after that it was a cabbage plant and it didn't die, as you can see in the picture!! It is gi-nor-mous!! So, maybe Jake has the green thumb in the family??

A Proud Moment

Sometimes I am soooo proud of my husband. He recently competed in and took 2nd place in our wards annual pie eating contest!! I would say that he came in a very close 2nd, but afterwards he tells me that his strategy was very simple: to use his schnoze to push the pie around and make it look like he was snarfing it down, but in all actuality, eat very little of it. I would say that the strategy worked! Almost all of the other contestants at some point looked over at his pie tin and were immediately intimidated by the looks of it. To his credit though, the guy that did win, did eat the entire pie....dee-skus-ting.

Good Habit? Bad Habit?

I think everyone has a habit or two that they have shared with the world...one of mine may be that I still bite my fingernails. I have for as long as I can remember. It is a sure sign of boredom or nervousness. Even with the warning from my dentist that biting my fingernails can cause chipping on my front teeth - and, yes, I did chip my front tooth that way. Well, I am in the mood and rather disgusted with myself and so I will now reveal to the blogging world a habit that I have also had for quite some time......I am a habitual book buyer. Now, you may be thinking to yourself "Well, that's not so bad..." Here's the bad part: I DON'T READ THEM!! I have this awful habit of buying a book because I have seen it advertised somewhere or heard about it, and then sticking in a pile of "must read" books. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE to read - I just don't have the time most days and I know that if I get into a book and it's good, I will not put it down until I have swallowed the entire thing.

Last week I saw an Oprah - yes, I DVR them. It was a re-run, but it was advertising a cook book about secretly hiding vegetables in your kids food so that they are eating more nutritiously. My kids hate veggies, as I believe most kids do. So, I am feeling guilty as a mother because I feel that generally my family eats crappy. I decide to try the cookbook. Amazon.com is calling my name. I log on and find the book and because I am a frequent buyer on Amazon, I already have my CC# saved in their system and don't even need to make a run for my purse. Well, I place the order and because I am only $8 away from getting free shipping, I may as well buy another book. I search the system for another book I had seen at Enrichment called "Temple Square Gardening" - basically how to keep your yard and garden weed free and looking fab in this dry desert we call Zion.....and they have the book (What don't they have???). I place my order, having now spent around $30 for the two books...but I did get the FREE shipping!!

I have been waiting patiently all week for the books to arrive (it's by snail mail...it was free, though!) and today the mailman delivered my package. The kids rush to open the box until I tell them that it's just some books that I ordered - they were hoping it was more interesting than that. This is when the guilt begins....I go upstairs to put them on my bedside table, because frankly, I CAN and DO read cookbooks like a novel. I notice another two books on the table that need to be read. One, I have started, but haven't delved into really and the other my mom sent with me when we came home from ND. I feel a bit guilty and decide to gather all the books, just in my room, that I have bought but have not read....you can see them in the attatched picture. It's a stack of 19 books!! 19!! And, keep in mind that this is only in my bedroom.....I bet if I walked around the house I would find a few more! Oh, but to make myself feel a little better, I think I have borrowed (Jeanna, I think they are yours) a couple of them.

So, I am vowing here and now and to the blogging world that I will not purchase another book until I have read ALL of these books....well, maybe not ALL of them....the new Stephanie Meyer book comes out in a few weeks, and I will NEED to get that one.

Now to add to my list of ongoing projects ( I am making a long list and will blog it when I feel it complete) I will have to add "Read a Book" or 21 books to be exact. I just found the last two in my stack of crap next to the computer.....

And, if you yourself are in need of a few good books to read, I highly recommend reading: "These Is My Words", "Sarah's Quilt", and "The Star Garden" by Nancy Turner. It is a series of three books about a pioneer woman and her family who settle in the Arizona area. Very well written and among my favorite books of all time.

Night at the Ballpark

It's a pretty frequent perk that Kim recieves from work: tickets to see the Orem Owlz. They are a minor, minor leauge team that plays here in Orem at the Brent Brown Ballpark over by UVU. Jake had been participating in a baseball camp (because he doesn't play enough anyway) and had gotten tickets for last Saturday's game, so we went as a family. Now, although the tickets were free, we spent a good chunk on hotdogs and treats and drinks! About halfway through the game, a foul ball come flying at us and hits Emily right in the back!! She was stunned a little, and screamed out, but really had gotten lucky that it hit her in the back and not the head!! Neither Kim or I were sitting close enough to her to have stopped the ball, and since she wasn't even watching the game (she was sucking on one of those giant otter pops) she didn't even see it coming. Well, needless to say, a foul ball hitting a 5 year old in the back attracted alot of attention...the owner of the Owlz even came over and offered assistance. EMT's were summond, but not needed, and all the people around us seemed concerned. But, things seemed to perk up a bit for Emily when the owner came back with the foul ball that hit her and a FREE Dippin' Dots, which she had been begging for all night. And, it must not have scarred her too badly as we returned on Monday night with free tickets from Kim's office......the picture is of the kids with the Owlz mascot, Hootz. Notice Natalie is missing from the picture? She only likes Hootz from a distance...something about a giant red owl with a giant head seems to scare her a little.....

Happy 4th of July!

We spent our 4th of July holiday doing what else? Baseball. All day, for Three days....Jake's team played in the Firecracker Tournament in Heber this last weekend. It started on Thursday with two games, then Friday they had two games and Saturday was three games. They won every game going into the championship game and then lost to a team from South Jordan. It was dissapointing for the team, but they played so well and really have improved so much. I on the other hand, was completely stressed all weekend. We had the games and family in town, so between all the driving and packing coolers and sitting in the sun for three days (I have a lovely fever blister on my lip to show for it), I was worried about having people at our house that pretty much had to entertain themselves. It was fun, but not relaxing!

Tagged!

I was tagged recently by my cousins wife, Marsha....she discovered that I was secretly looking at her blog - she takes some really great pictures (I'm jealous) and I love how she puts it all together!! I read her "tagged" post and noticed that she tagged me at the bottom! Good thing I read the entire post!! Here we go:

Favorite person (outside family): I too, have way too many good people in my life - I can't just name one and it would be really difficult NOT to include my family. So, on this one, I'm taking the 5th.
Favorite food: Pasta, pasta and pasta. I love it, and Kim doesn't. Every once in awhile he caves and takes me for a date, even though he doesn't care for it too much!
Quirks: I still bite my fingernails!! It is a sure sign of boredom or nervousness, but a bad habit nonetheless!! Think of all the germs in there!
How would the person who loves you most describe you in ten words or less? Assuming it is Kim: "control freak, organized, good mother, caring, anal retentive, responsible, loving
Any regrets in life? I too, regret not finishing college earlier in life. It will be twice as complictaed now, but I want to be a good example for my kids so I have to finish before any of them have to think about going!!
Favorite Charity/Cause: Make a Wish Foundation. When my sister Katie was sick, our family was the recipient of a family vacation to Disneyland - they did a wonderful thing for us that we will always have great memories from!
Favorite Blog recently? The only ones that I really read are my friends and family - Jeanna's is among my favorites - she always has something whitty and funny to write about!
Something you can't get enough of: Quiet time to myself...I think because it happens so rarely!
Worst job you’ve ever had: Deli Worker at CashWise Foods in Fargo, ND during my freshman year in school....I HATED it!
What job would you pay NOT to have? Mortician or Coroner
If you could be a fly on the wall, where? I have no idea...I'm the type that just likes to mind my own business!!
Favorite Bible verse right now? Matthew 11: 28-30 Christ invites us to come unto him - if we accept, our burdens will be made lighter as he guides and helps us through.
Guilty Pleasure: Sunday night desserts (as I'm eating a bowl of peach cobbler as I type!)
Got any confessions? None that I'd share with the world
If you HAD to spend $1,000 on YOURSELF, how would you spend it? Clothes, shoes (some sassy red ones) and maybe a Broadway musical?
Favorite thing about your house? Our backyard (although we desperatly need a new fence). It is big a spacious with lots of shade and NO Mosquitos!!
Least favorite thing about your house? Old carpet & some rooms that are in need of remodeling!
One thing you are bad at? Keeping my opinion to myself (just ask poor Kim)
One thing you’re good at? Cooking and cleaning!! I'd make a great maid!
If you could change something about your circumstances, what? No financial worries - plenty to spend on my house and school for the kids and retirement!
Who would you like to meet someday? Hmm....I'd have to think long and hard about this one....
What makes you feel sexy? I'm with you, Marsha! I think being a confident person is sooo attractive! I feel like I'm good at FAKING confidence!! I'm not usually confident, but I like to look like I am!
Who is your real life hero? My mom - she has done and been through so much and is still the most accomplished person I know.
When are you most relaxed? At night after the kids are in bed and I can have a few minutes to myself.
What stresses you out? Chaos, disorganization, and clutter
What can you not live without? My Family and chapstick
Do you agree or disagree with the recent article that reported that blogs are authored by narcissists? Did not even ready it....who's got time for that garbage??

**I'm tagging: Jeanna, Alison, Brenna, and April.....I'll be checking your blogs, girls!

In June, We're Broke

Everyone who knows us, knows that other than one exception (our Emily), we could only have babies in June. Three to be exact. So, Happy Birthday to my 3 June Babies!! Abby is officially 11 (although she still acts like a 16 yr old diva) and Jake is 9 and baby Natalie is 3. At our recent family reunion, I was commenting to my sister-in-law how nice it was not to have anyone in diapers, or crawling in the dirt or needing to be nursed! It's great to have them get older and be more independent, but sad in a way too - they won't be kids much longer either.

Mom Vs. "The Hawk"

Several boys on Jake's baseball team have shown up at recent games sporting a new haircut....a mohawk. So, I knew it was coming - Jake has always had very short hair. I mean almost to the scalp short hair. Although I don't have the courage to cut it myself, in the summer, I do attempt the buzz. So when I mentioned the word haircut recently, he whined and begged for the mohawk. He has only recently cared that he had hair, let alone cared about what it looked like. And so, we agreed. Actually, I think Kim was as excited about the prospect of it as Jake was. I agreed under two conditions: 1 - "The Hawk" could only be done on a Sunday AFTER church and 2 - "The Hawk" would have to be buzzed completely off by the following Sunday. So, for one week Jake was cool and maybe because I was the mom that agreed to it, I was cool too. Just for the week.

My Life Is A Project

Somehow, over the last few days, I got the "project itch". I looked around and realized all the "projects" I have envisioned over the last year or so, just have never gotten started, much less finished. So it began....a couple of weekends ago, my sister in law and I snaggged a really cute bedroom set at a yard sale. It was very sturdy and really needed just a little paint and TLC. So, after bringing that home (and realizing that it smelled like cigarette smoke), it got added to the list of projects. I have since gotten the evil eye from Kim everytime we pull into the garage, because there sits the bedroom set, untouched.
Now lets just fast forward to Saturday...I get the itch. I have a week with several days in a row where I don't have to be someone's taxi....how about a project? Well, I can't begin with the bedroom set because that is lower on the list than, let's say, Jake's bedroom walls that have been a blue and pink wall paper ever since we moved in 18 months ago. Blue and Pink Wallpaper and his John Deere quilt from Grandma....not much of a decorating dream. Sunday night, I have now recruited Kim (begrudgingly) down to remove Jake's bed from his room and move it into Abby's so that I can begin the wallpaper project on Monday morning. After moving the bed, I see a little corner of paper that is pulling away from the wall...I lean over to see just how many hours of spraying and scraping I have ahead of me for Monday. Much to my delight, the paper comes off in Large Sheets!! Heavenly day! In a matter of 10 minutes, Kim and I have stripped the wall of the paper.
Monday is Here: I tape off the entire room (and I HATE taping) and after the kids are in bed, I spend an hour and a half priming the wall.
Tuesday: That's today: It is now 7 pm and I have just finished the final coat on the walls. I have a kink in my neck, and my back hurts, but by golly, the walls look FABULOUS!! It will be a few days of drying and then I will tackle all the trim and closet doors. Then my next task will be to get the vinyl lettering ordered for the much anticipated BYU room. Oh, and did I mention that I ALSO put a coat of primer on two of the 5 pieces of yard sale bedroom furniture?? Unfortunately, these projects are only a few on a long list...I hope that with a little more energy and alot of caffeinated drinks, I will be able to get to a few more before I poop out.

Tip of the Day

Although I am no expert, I do on occasion, pat myself on the back - I am a fairly well rounded speller, and I take pride that I can type out a sentence that makes sense. I try my very best to use good grammer and punctuation. So, when I read this little tidbit today, I had to giggle! My sentiments, exactly!!