Lack of decent hairstylists in Iowa

Oh the frightfulness of getting your hair done. I do envy anyone who lives in a trendy knowing, hair cutting city. I certainly don’t. I should have known that moving to Iowa would be a challenge when it came to my ever changing hair needs. I’ve been so patient and good about leaving my hair alone for the past six months. But the need for change became overpowering and I just had to get it trimmed. I went in wanting a bob, but a longer version of my cute bob that was posted further down. That way I could have a cute style, yet still keep the locks long for the husband. I have a rule of thumb; I never get my hair cut by someone who does not have cute hair themselves. But today I made an exception. You see this gal that cut my hair works out at the gym I go to and is in several of the cycling and ab classes I attend. She’s super sweet and most of my fellow gym friends go to her. But her hair is bleached out blond, long and puffy. I’m not a puffy hair girl, no offense to those that are. Anyway, the cut didn’t turn out the way I was expecting. You have the bob type cut, and the back is suppose to be an even cut, but she added in these long wispy type things to the bottom of it. It’s just weird. I had her trim it up once, but that still didn’t improve it. And she had another client waiting for her to finish, so I didn’t want to be a nuisance. So after the second trim I just left it. So I won’t be posting a picture, my hair really isn’t post-worthy right now. The real challenge in all of this will be convincing Tom that another haircut is the only solution.

Sickness Continues...

As soon as the older one gets better, the younger one gets sick! What is up with that? We are a family of sickness, and sometimes it just gets really old and annoying after awhile. Collin kept Tom and I up most of last night. He went to bed coughing, but fell asleep quickly, well around 11 pm he woke up with his nasty cough. From 11-3 last night I couldn't count more than five seconds between each cough, he was in and out of our bed, medicine was given, Tom even took him out onto the lazy boy at one point to see if it would help if he was propped up while Tom held him. What a sweet daddy, especially knowing he had to wake up and go to school first thing in the morning. Finally Collin ended up in between us in our bed, coughing away, and at around three in the morning the boy fell asleep. Wonderful, blissful sleep. Not enough of it though.

I took Collin to the store this morning so that we could get some more effective cough medicine to work with. While we were there I let him pick out a doughnut. I have fond memories of always being aloud to pick out a doughnut when I would go to the store with my mother. So it felt tender to me to pass that on. Well of course once we got home he didn't want to eat his doughnuts, so guess who ate them? Yeah, it was me. I'm not feeling so great about that. And the fact that I had to miss my workout this morning has me feeling even worse. But things will get better and I do get to go have my hair cut this afternoon. I'm excited, it's been awhile. I'll post a picture. Don't expect anything drastic though, I've decided to keep my length until the Spring.

Just Another Day

This week has been a little difficult for me and my family. First of all Talin got sick on Monday and it lasted until Wednesday. He still wasn't allowed to go to school on Thursday though because they can't attend if they've had a fever in the last 24 hours. It was probably better that way because he still seems a bit out of it.

So Thursday I took the boys to the pediatrician for Collin's three year check up. He's a healthy boy of course but we did find out some unfortunate news, he has what is called a hyperspadius. I don't really want to go into the details, so if you're curious you can Google it on your own time. But it turns out he'll have to have surgery which I'm not looking forward to. And depending on how bad his case is, it could be a pretty invasive surgery. Well to top it all off the pediatrician wants us to see a specialist who is located in Iowa City about two hours East of Des Moines. I had to agree though, because first of all when it comes to my little boys' down under parts I want the best there is to make things perfect, and also the hospital in Iowa City is suppose to be one of the best in the country. I'm not sure on that, it could just be the local Iowans tooting their own horn, but it does put my motherly worries at ease. It's just overall a bit overwhelming because Tom has been super busy at school lately and won't be much help when all this is going on. And all this won't start going on until March because that's the soonest I could get in to see the urologist. Lovely!

On a better note, Collin is officially potty-trained. Yeah!! Now I just need to start working on his more questionable habits...

The Blog is Open

Okay, so I'm reopening my blog to the public. The incident that scared me into an invite only blog has been cleared up. "The Todd", who left some nasty remark on my comments option has been uncovered. Thank you Tyler, my older brother for coming forth with your confession. I can now sleep better at night knowing that I don't have a stalker or some pervert looking at my blog. And I guess I need to start watching Scrubs, because I had no idea who the Todd was. Thanks to Jim (my brother-in-law), I got an insight on who Todd is and what his character involves (apparently some rude, random, sexual comments to everyone he encounters). So sorry for putting everyone through a week of logging in just to take a look at my blog. We're done with that, truthfully I was going nuts having to log into my own blog each time I wanted to look at something! Freedom again. :)

Mandi's 100

Okay, so I loved reading Amy's & Andee's 100 things about them list, and am still waiting to read JoDee's. It's so fun to think you know someone so well, especially your sister, but you're still surprised by some of the things they write down. So I insisted that Mandi write a "100 Things About Me" as well. Because she doesn't have a blog of her own I've decided to publish it on my own. So here it is, it was a lot of fun to read, she made me laugh and almost made me cry as well. Hope you all enjoy it, she's such a sweet, eternally good soul and you can see it a mile away! Love ya Mandi!

(That's Mandi pregnant with Savannah her oldest daughter, and holding Talin)

1. I want to (will some day) learn how to play the piano
2. I could talk all day about my children, if anyone would listen.
3. I served a mission in the Chile Santiago South Mission.
4. I knew that I was going to Santiago before I received my mission call (thanks to a very special spiritual experience)
5. I received my mission call on my 21st birthday, at 3 AM in a Catholic confession booth turned phone booth in a youth hostile in Dublin, Ireland after a night of dancing at Bono’s (from U2) dance club, The Kitchen, located behind and under his hotel, The Clarence.
6. I love U2
7. I had the best 21st birthday of anyone I know!
8. Nate and I went to the U2 Vertigo concert almost 2 years ago while my mom took care of our kids and London screamed the whole time until she fell asleep, exhausted.
9. Nate knew I’d never seen U2 in concert and so was determined to get the oh-so-difficult-to-obtain tickets for us – what a sweet boy!
10. I was always disappointed that I wasn’t very fond of my mission president because I’ve heard so many people rant and rave about theirs. I wanted that amazing president who says life-changing things every time he opened his mouth. Didn’t happen.
11. My husband, Nate, served in the same country, but different mission – no, we didn’t meet in Chile! We’d like to go back there someday though.
12. I actually have seen more touristy places and landmarks in his mission than mine because my family came to pick me up and we couldn’t visit people in my mission, so we headed south and saw his.
13. It was supposed to be a surprise that my whole family (except lovesick Tyler) was coming to pick me up, but my mission president sent me the flight info along with the letter that my mom sent him, asking him to keep it a secret.
14. The day after we got back from Chile, Tyler got married – I was grateful they waited for me even though I didn’t know Regina.
15. I can’t wait to go on a mission with Nate someday!
16. I got a scholarship to BYU out of high school.
17. I left BYU to get married to Nate and am currently finishing my final 25 hours though they’re independent studies online.
18. I am a humanities major, turned history due to lack of online programs.
19. I love history and humanities – I love the way humanities teaches you how the history came to be, what affected it – the art, architecture, literature, philosophies, religion, wars, music, etc.
20. I believe that you haven’t truly seen a Van Gogh until you have seen one in person - the passion in the paint is intoxicating.
21. I love London.
22. I named my second daughter London.
23. I went to BYU London right before my mission and loved every minute of it.
24. I have always loved English history, something my mother ingrained in me.
25. Henry VIII and his daughter, Elizabeth, have always fascinated me and I’ve read many fiction and nonfiction books about them.
26. I love the Undergound in London – circle line is the best.
27. In England, I attended a ward in Whitechapel – that’s where Jack the Ripper stalked women.
28. I had two mission farewells: one in London and one in Mesa, AZ
29. I still listen to Spanish music – Shakira, Cheyanne, Ricky Martin, etc.
30. My daughter, Savannah’s favorite song is a Shakira song & London’s favorite song is U2’s Vertigo and she asks to hear it constantly – what am I raising???
31. I rented a car in London & spent a Thanksgiving weekend driving around Cornwall with friends. Driving in London traffic on their HUGE highway in the rain, on the wrong side of the road, worrying about running out of gas and about getting the car back in time is NOT fun!
32. I try to be very organized and put together.
33. I annoy myself at how anal I can get – I have to do things a certain way or else I go crazy – all inside my head, of course.
34. I love going to plays.
35. I love plays in London because each one has their own theatre and the theatres are small and cozy so you feel more a part of the play.
36. My last few days in London, I went and saw Les Miserables for the second time in London and cried.
37. I have Amy to thank for how I met my husband – they were ward missionaries together in the singles ward and I went to hear her teach a lesson and sat next to him.
38. Nate went home the first day he met me and told his mom he’d met the girl he was going to marry.
39. It was true.
40. I surprised everyone that knows me a year and a half ago when I started selling Pampered Chef.
41. I think I shocked them even more when I actually kept to it and am still doing it (I am the least entrepreneurial person I know).
42. Wow, I thought I was making up a word on that last one, but spell check didn’t highlight it – go me!
43. I married the most business-success-oriented person I’ve ever met.
44. I like to clean my house – I like the satisfaction of “accomplishing”
45. I get very cranky if my house is a mess for too long – more than a day.
46. I like to make lists and check things off – I’ve even sometimes added things I’ve already done just so I can check them off and feel like I’ve accomplished more – pathetic, I know, but like I said before, I’m pretty anal.
47. I love to cook new things and old favorites.
48. I don’t particularly love food, but we are getting along better as the years pass.
49. I like to work-out – Step and weight lifting are my favorites.
50. I wish I lived by Megan so we could work out together like the old days.
51. I really love children – not just mine, but my nieces and nephews too.
52. I have the cutest kids and nieces & nephews that I’ve ever seen!
53. I write in a journal for each of my girls, but don’t write in my own, what’s up with that?
54. I enjoy doing genealogy and have recently started on the never-ending task – WARNING – all genealogy tasks are never-ending in case you’re thinking of starting one – there’s always something more to do.
55. I want perfect teeth.
56. I love to read and like Amy said in her list, I love when the book envelops you and you become a part of the book for the time you are reading it and then it lingers on you for days afterwards. Those are the good ones.
57. I love the Harry Potter books – the movies are nothing compared to the books and the books get better and better – darker and darker. The first two were more children’s books, but the others get more adult and draw you into a whole other world.
58. My husband and I are complete opposites in many areas, but the same on the areas of life that really matter. This makes our life more interesting!
59. Nate has introduced me to more new things that, previously, I would have shunned. Example: I actually like the Arnold Schwarzenegger cult classic documentary “Pumping Iron” which I never would have watched in a million years had it not been for my Nathan.
60. I love my family and am very loyal to them (siblings).
61. There’s nothing I like better than to get together and play cards with my siblings.
62. I don’t do well playing cards when I am pregnant. One time I had a package of Nibs (licorice) while playing a girls card game and ended up crying uncontrollably because Megan kept eating them and I was worried she’d eat them all! Hormones.
63. I don’t remember my childhood very well. There are few stories I remember.
64. I love to ride horses and miss it very much. I love when you get them out of the gallop stage and into the true running – where it’s smooth and fast – it’s very exhilarating.
65. A boy broke my leg in kindergarten by running by me (he ran with his legs out to the side) & kicking me. Nobody believed me, but it was broken through the whole bone.
66. I still remember that that boy was a pumpkin for Halloween. I don’t know why that has stuck with me.
67. I burned my butt on a slide at school once too. I don’t remember how old I was, but I do remember staying home with Megan and I couldn’t wear panties b/c the skin would stick to them. We sat down and played on the driveway for a while and when I got up, there was skin on the concrete. Gross!
68. I also remember that when I was gone, the school announced that “someone” had burned their bum to warn the children to be careful and Tyler told all his friends that it was me and I was mortified because the whole school knew when I came back.
69. I remember the day the Challenger exploded. My class was in the library at Sandpiper Elementary, Scottsdale, AZ, watching the launch. I will never forget that day.
70. I didn’t plan anything for my wedding – I was at BYU and let my mom do the whole thing, except when JoDee came to Provo and helped me find a wedding dress – that was fun.
71. I love BYU Campus - I love the Fall leaves on all the trees and then the Spring when everyone is out studying on the grass. I even love the testing center . . . beautiful architecture!
72. I had horrible luck with roomies in college – drugs, sex, lesbians, fornicators, etc. if that gives you a good picture. Luckily my room roommate was great. Chevy saved me at that time, even though she was a bit eccentric herself.
73. I eventually got good roomies – oh the good times. . .
74. I want to travel all over the world someday with Nate. I love seeing new places and cultures.
75. I love the Rosa Maria chicken at Carrabbas.
76. I like to be alone and have my own time.
77. I am addicted to renting whole seasons of tv shows and watching them quickly – much less stress when you can pop in the next dvd instead of dragging it out over 9 months! I’ve done this with two seasons of 24 and Lost.
78. I guess I need to get dvr, but then I’d be addicted to everything and I don’t want to be that tied down.
79. I love President Hinckley and actually got to see him “command the elements” so to speak. In Chile, he visited the people in an open soccer arena w/o a roof. The whole day was dreary and it looked like we’d get soaked while we listened or have to cancel the whole thing. The weather held and after the closing prayer, he hopped up and quickly said “Now it can rain.” Immediately the rain started as if it had been waiting for his word. He could move a mountain if he wanted/needed to. Amazing.
80. I received my strong confirmation of my testimony of Joseph Smith in the MTC – amazingly enough, I later read that it was the same way Pres. Hinckley received his – through a stirring performance of the song “Praise to the Man.” It was just a bunch of 19-21 year olds singing, but I couldn’t control the emotions I felt inside.
81. My “dream cars” would be a Toyota Sequoia and a Chrysler 300, but both are out of my price range right now. . .
82. My dream cars are a lot more attainable than Nathan’s Ferrari Spider!
83. The day I got married, they stuck Nate and I in this tiny sealing room to wait and we just sat there and I wasn’t nervous at all – I felt completely at peace and happy and I knew I had made the right choice.
84. We almost got married w/o him taking me through the veil. The workers didn’t know I’d been endowed a few years and it was overlooked. I guess our family had to wait a little longer in that sealing room.
85. I don’t have a favorite color – I like all of them at different times for different purposes.
86. I’m not a decision-maker – maybe that’s why I can’t commit to a favorite color. Nate gets frustrated that he always has to choose where we go for dinner.
87. I hate calling & talking on the phone (except with my sisters) and avoid it whenever possible. I will procrastinate forever.
88. I love being pregnant.
89. I have spent the night on St. Michaels Mount in Cornwall – there’s only a castle on the island and only the grounds workers & tour guides live there in cute little houses (we stayed with a tour guide who was a member of the church). That is where the movie Twelfth Night was filmed & they were all too happy to show us all the things in their house from the movie.
90. I have hairless armpits & legs forever (thanks to lasers & Amy babysitting my children). I LOVE IT!!!!
91. I once broke my arm because Amy & I were play fighting by kicking each other and she kicked my arm. It broke.
92. I have never wanted to go snow skiing because I’m afraid I’ll break my body.
93. I wore glasses my whole life for a lazy eye and in high school just decided to take them off and I’ve never worn them since. Megan thinks it’s my own personal miracle. Maybe it is.
94. My eyeballs have been out of my head. Seriously. When I was 3 months and 3 years old (I think), I had surgeries on my eyes and they had to take them out of the sockets to work.
95. When I was young, the doctors told my mom I had leukemia and wouldn’t live.
96. Turns out it was a bone infection. I have a dent in my right thigh to remind me because that’s where they put the IV for the meds and apparently scarred me for life.
97. I hate westerns (except Lonesome Dove) – that’s one thing Nate loves that he hasn’t converted me to & never will.
98. I (like Kelly) have to put lotion on my feet every night before getting into bed.
99. In high school in Denver, people used to ask my little sister, Megan, and I for drugs because we were so silly together in our racquetball class. We never won because we were doubled over the whole time laughing – must be why we were so skinny back then – lots of stomach workouts!
100. I have fainted in numerous public places including: the YMCA during a step class, the dressing room of the Gap and in a line at Elitches Amusement Park – all back in the day in Denver with my trusty little sister, Megan, there to catch me!

My sweet little Talin has been sick. Yesterday was a very cold day and we had a few inches of fresh snow, so Tom promised the boys that they could go outside and build a snowman together. Well it was too cold for the snow to stick together and to stay outside for more than ten minutes, so we went to the mall after being outside so the boys could run around. While we were at the mall Tom was talking to a Verizon man and I was looking at Bath & Body Works. Well the mall was pretty much empty and Talin just laid on a bench saying he was tired. I didn't think much of it, but when we got home I realized that he felt a little warm. So we gave him some Tylenol, a bath, and laid him down for a nap. Well four hours later he wakes up and is absolutely burning. His temperature got up to 104 degrees and he was so sad and lethargic. He absolutely broke my heart and made me feel incredibly guilty for letting him play in the snow and taking him to the mall earlier that day. Thank goodness he didn't have school yesterday or today. But I'm now a little frustrated because he woke up with a fever this morning so I of course canceled a doctor's appointment and didn't go to the gym. But within an hour he was up running around playing with toys and feeling better and hasn't stopped today. He didn't even take a nap! Kids are crazy, their recovery time is like nothing. I'm grateful that he seems to be feeling better. Although I just went into his bedroom where he and Collin are playing and his eyes are incredibly red and he feels a bit warm once again. Oh the never ending cycle of sickness, I love this time of year!

Invite Only

Well I really didn't think that there was much harm in having a web page for the public to view, but I've recently changed my mind, so I've decided to keep things a bit more private so that I know who is viewing my blog and who is leaving comments on my blog. I'm not really into stockers if you get what I'm saying. So if you're here by invite then it's because I put your email address as acceptable so that you can keep tabs on my little family. If you know someone that would like to view and isn't invited, just email me and I can add them.

The Shower

Okay, I got so tired of logging onto my blog page and seeing that picture of me that I needed to write a new entry. I don't really have anything to write about so I'm going to complain about something that has really been bothering me lately. My shower. I've become quite agile and quick while showering these days, you see my shower is insane, I guess that's part of the deal when you live in an apartment. Every time I shower the water changes on me instantly, it's not a gradual change from hot to cold where you feel the water getting a little cooler and then a little more cooler, so you adjust the temperature and step back. No, not my shower. It changes temperatures in an instant. I'm not kidding, I can be enjoying a nice shower and in one second the water will be pouring down ice or third degree burns. But I've caught on to it, and if I listen really carefully to the pipes and hear a shifting in them I know to immediately jump back out of the stream of water. It's becoming quite annoying, so I just needed to vent about it. Although I have become quite the athlete in the shower, jumping and dodging at speeds I've never achieved before. But I have to be very careful because I have been known to fall out of the shower on more than one occasion, and this has definitely put an end to showering with Tom since it's not worth the risk to either one of us. So for everyone out their who lives with a shower that works properly, please realize how very blessed you are!

The Hair

Due to some unwanted attention from strangers, I have decided to crop out my "twins" and just show the haircut. It's quite disturbing to know that there are creepy people out there reading my blog and feel like they can comment.

Okay, so here is the hair brown. The cut will be coming shortly, I still have to make an appointment. I'm not sure I like the color, I almost want it to be a tad bit darker. Sorry about the picture, I told you I was really not photogenic.

V-Day

What an annoying mad thing love is! ~Emanuel Schikaneder

It was a little disappointing to walk through the stores the weekend after Christmas and see them preparing already for Valentines Day. It's definitely not one of my most favored holidays. I think it's because I'm still remembering all the years as a single gal through this holiday. I never had a boyfriend, and yet I still had some kind of expectation for Valentines Day. Why? I have no idea, I guess it's because I was raised as a hardcore romantic. I grew up reading Victoria Holt romance novels and watching made for TV movies such as "A Hazard of Hearts". How could a girl not be disappointed with the lack of a love life when she's a die-hard romantic? But things are different now that I'm married. I have a very romantic husband and I'm finding that I'm not such the die-hard romantic that I always thought I was. In fact many romantic gestures embarrass me or just seem straight up silly, much to the disappointment of Tom. Valentines Day to me becomes more like another present to buy and a reservation to make at a restaurant and lingerie. Yes, lots of lingerie in fact, I'll spare you the details of Tom's love for lingerie.

My one good memory of Valentines day was when I was a teenager and living in Denver. Only Mandi and I lived at home and mom and dad called us into their bedroom that morning. They then gave each of us a present. Mandi's was a gold necklace, and mine was a Noah's ark gold bracelet. My father also gave my mother roses (she got them every year), a tennis bracelet (is that how you spell it), and silk pajamas from Victoria Secret. I remember being so excited at how much they loved each other and how loved I felt at that time. It was a lovely Valentine's day with my mom and dad.

Hair Issues

For almost my entire marriage Tom has been in school, which means we have never had a lot of money. And when we've had money, it's never been ours and is really just there to make sure we have a home and clothes and then is set into this dark pit called "debt". In other words we've been living off of school loans for quite awhile. It's never been so bad until this year when we started med school. Tom has always had a job while going to school, but medical school doesn't like that. You still can get a job, they won't stop you, but it's not ideal for a man that has a wife and two little boys at home, in other words, it's not worth losing your family over because you'll never see them and your wife will have a nervous break down! So to get to the point I've always loved hair. I love to cut my hair, I love to highlight my hair, I love new hairstyles, I love looking at old photos and being inspired by hairstyles that have been, and so forth. Well I was blessed with a thick head of blonde hair, which was lovely when I was younger and still held shine and luster and a bright blondish/white hue. But that is sadly no longer the case. When my hair is in its completely natural shade it tends to be a dull blonde. Almost a dirty blonde, but I hate to admit it because that's such a terrible phrase. So I've always highlighted my hair and it's been lovely. These days you can't find someone to highlight your hair for under $70. And if you do it's because you're Mormon and have a friend that is a hairstylist or used to be a hairstylist and now does it at home for quite cheaper because she has babies. Oh how I wish I had that kind of hook-up, but sadly I don't. So my option for highlights is not for a long time, so I've decided to explore the option of self-dying. I've tried many times to dye my hair by myself, but that has been with different shades of blonde, trying to get the perfect one, and it's always been a disaster. I was even bold enough once to try to go red. That didn't really work out so well either. Well I think I've hit on something lately, I've decided to try to go brown. Medium brown to be precise. And I have also decided that I can afford a $20 haircut to keep up a cute style of some sort. I'm done with the shoulder-length hair, I don't like to fix it and it spends most of it's time up in a ponytail. So I've found a couple of haircuts that I really like, they are extreme, but I've never been one to shy away from doing something dramatic when it comes to hair. If I go through with my plans I'll post a picture, if not it's because Tom has talked me out of it and wants me to keep growing it out to eventually have the long blonde hair. I swear what is it about guys having this hair fantasy? What's that about? Also, the bangs have definitely become a necessity as I've been noticing that my forehead has quite a large vein that runs down the middle of it, and it becomes quite prominent when I smile or am under stress. I've kind of let it go and decided I could live with it until one of my sisters pointed it out over Christmas break and said, "Oh yeah, you really do have a vein running down the middle of your forehead". It didn't hurt my feelings, it's only the truth, but it's made me realize that bangs are my only option any more.

Life Must Go On...

I don't know why, but ever since coming home Monday night from our lovely Christmas holiday, I've had such trouble converting back into the real world. I have not wanted to cook meals, I haven't wanted to clean the house or leave the house for that matter. I kept Talin home from school on Wednesday, telling Tom that he just wasn't ready to go back yet, in fact it was me that just wasn't ready to get back into the daily routine. I've avoided the YMCA like the plague, and try to not even drive by it cause if Collin sees it he starts yelling that there is his school and when can he go back and why aren't we going in now? Yikes, I really don't want to commit to any work out regiment at this point. I've also been dreading going back to church this Sunday. I have been switched to teaching Valiant 12 Sunday School. And everyone know that the teacher of that class in on a "special assignment". I feel like the least qualified adult at church to be in charge of eleven year old minds and spirits, I'm not even close to mastering my own. And of course the sadness that Collin has gone off to Primary and is no longer a nursery child. It's the oddest feeling that I don't have a child in nursery, it makes me think that my clock is ticking and maybe I should start on those other kids I've thought of having, and then, maybe not. Oh well, Monday will bring the inevitable of taking Talin to school, Collin to the YMCA and me to the everyday needs of feeding a family and caring for a home. Lovely.

Potty-Training

It's only 9:30 and I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. I felt determined to stay home this weekend (which is a big deal for me) and try to potty-train Collin. I've had several comments in regards to my youngest who just turned three in November, as to why he's not wearing underwear yet and when did I plan on starting to make him. Well, first instinct from me is irritation and anger. Unless you've had a little boy and attempted to potty-train him, I don't want to hear it. And if you have and you've had an easy time at it, then add in a three old with the attitude of a thirteen year old, the mouth of a teenage girl and a stubbornness that often surpasses my own. We've only been up for two hours this morning and already he's yelled at me, thrown fits and laid on the floor, told me that he can't do it, it's too hard to do, he doesn't want to try, etc...ect...ect... So I'm looking for some kind of suggestion, support, or miraculous fairy dust to get us through the weekend, and to have Collin wearing underwear when it's over. With Talin it was easy, he was persuaded by treats and stickers and loved working towards a goal. Collin could care less. The promise of a piece of candy or a sticker or new Lego's holds no sway over him. I'm trying to find his currency (as Dr. Phil would say), but it switches constantly. I'm going to continue to pray for patience and hopefully find ten minutes to take a shower in between trips to the toilet with Collin. Although I probably could have showered in the time it took me to write this post today, but I feel that the writing of the post was much more beneficial to my mental state than a shower would have been at this point.

100 Things

I love the idea of an 100 Things About Me List, so here is mine.

1. I’m still scared of monsters under the bed and can not have any part of me hanging over the bed or my toes not covered up when I go to sleep.
2. I backpacked through Europe for a month when I turned 18.
3. I’ve always wanted to kill an elk to make my father proud of me.
4. I love playing games and am really competitive.
5. I used to be an artist, but have let it fade over the years.
6. I always wanted to have five children.
7. I never went on a date in high school.
8. My husband was my first kiss.
9. I fell in love with Tom because I thought it was really cool that he ran a mile in four minutes and twenty-four seconds.
10. I’ve always admired a man’s legs if he has shapely calves.
11. I used to despise my sister-in-law Regina because she has had three children in the past five years and is a size 2 with a completely flat stomach! I’m over it now.
12. I’ll never have a completely flat stomach.
13. I enjoy working out.
14. I like to sleep, and I believe that naps are heavenly.
15. I have thyroid disease.
16. I hate thyroid disease.
17. I want to be a better, more spiritual person.
18. I want my children to remember me as being a fun and happy mom.
19. I believe I married the kindest man in the world.
20. I can be very stubborn, intense and angry.
21. I started biting my nails when I was eight, and still have not stopped.
22. I’m trying to be nicer, more understanding, and more forgiving.
23. I wish my dad wanted to be a part of my life and know my babies.
24. When I was born they thought I was retarded.
25. When I was a toddler they used to throw ice on me to calm my raging fits.
26. I love to go camping.
27. I’ve always been naturally strong, or just really determined.
28. I’ve always hated school.
29. I used to ditch school on a regular basis. My parents either didn’t know, or didn’t care.
30. I’ve been told several times that I’m a free spirit. My mother has told me that it’s a blessing I wasn’t raised in the 60’s.
31. I don’t like people to tell me I can’t do something.
32. I’m a hard worker, and I enjoy outdoor work.
33. People usually think I’m a snob when they first meet me, but I’m actually really shy around strangers.
34. I’ve always enjoyed a new hair cut or a new hair color, I love makeovers.
35. I don’t like to wear make-up everyday. My mother would be upset if she saw how often I don’t wear it.
36. I’ve always wanted to be a vet.
37. I love animals. My father and I used to plan on having a farm with every animal you could imagine living on it.
38. I’ve always had a poodle in my life (except for recently), and he’s always been a pure-bred silver poodle.
39. I’m a really good shot with a gun, high-powered or just a 22.
40. I’ve always liked to show off if there’s something I can do better than a boy. I've always felt a need to prove myself.
41. I love horseback riding.
42. I spent 10 days in Chile six and a half years ago, but don’t remember a thing because I was too busy staring at Tom’s picture in the back of a van.
43. The only time I’ve ever been popular has been in kindergarten, the kids used to take turns sitting by me for lunch.
44. I was really mean when I was younger and used to beat up on several different boys.
45. I once tied the neighbor boy up and shaved his legs.
46. That same year I shot out several windows in a house my father was building with a BB gun.
47. I worked construction for a summer when I was 12 to pay for the windows I broke.
48. I love to read books.
49. My biggest weakness is chocolate.
50. I’ve always preferred to eat sweets over real food.
51. I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes.
52. I ran a 10K in 2005 and am really proud of that.
53. I like to lift weights.
54. I love being in the forest and seeing elk.
55. I really like karaoke.
56. I’ve always wanted to live on a ranch in Montana.
57. I’ve always felt like I was treated more like a boy than a girl growing up. My chores always consisted of things such as mowing the lawn, picking up dog crap, taking out trash…all the boy jobs.
58. I’ve never been allowed to be in the same room as Amy when she’s having an asthma attack. All she has to do is look at me to become absolutely hysterical with giggles.
59. I have a lot of irrational fears in my life.
60. I love being together with family and hanging out.
61. I was once almost arrested for shooting a water gun into a 4th of July parade.
62. I’ve always wanted to serve a mission.
63. I like to buy presents for other people.
64. I’ve always wanted to be able to sing and dance.
65. I have a huge desire to someday be on stage.
66. I enjoy being the center of attention only if it’s on my terms.
67. I want to have a cabin in the forest one day.
68. I have an embarrassing laugh that goes off like a bomb when something really funny catches me off guard.
69. I like to tease.
70. I don’t like it when people don’t get along.
71. When Collin was first born they took him down to the special care nursery and there was a really scary moment when I thought he had died. I’ll never forget that feeling.
72. I enjoy going through labor.
73. I wish I could rid the world of injustice at times.
74. I’m super defensive of my children and have often been called a mother tigress.
75. I have a really soft heart that I try to cover with toughness.
76. One of my favorite movies is Homeward Bound and I’m usually sobbing by the end.
77. People that don’t know me very well are surprised when they discover my super hyper silly side.
78. I want to travel to Africa someday and see the Serengeti.
79. I think it’s beyond crazy that my husband’s parents have lived in the same house their entire marriage.
80. I get bored easily and am always ready to switch things up.
81. The night before I delivered Talin I stayed up and rearranged all the furniture in the house while Tom yelled at me and tried his best to keep up.
82. I believe strongly in trusting your gut instinct.
83. I have a hard time trusting people.
84. I’ve never lived in a house since I’ve been married.
85. I enjoy folding laundry.
86. I fantasize often about having a home and a yard.
87. I try my hardest to be a grateful person and not complain.
88. I like to make people happy and often do that at the cost of keeping my true feelings hidden.
89. As a child I endured the horrors of being given a swirly. I’m over it now and won’t mention the culprit’s names.
90. I’ve always wanted to get into photography, and love pictures.
91. I hate pictures of myself and am often horrified at how unphotogenic I am.
92. I don’t like to change dirty diapers and if Tom is around we always play rock, paper, scissors to decide who will change it.
93. I get frustrated easily and am often impatient; I’m trying to do better with that.
94. I hate feeling weak or a loss of control.
95. I love to reminisce and talk about the old days.
96. I miss being a child and being innocent of the world.
97. I’ve always been someone to hand a few dollars to a man on the corner of the street with a sign.
98. I’ve always loved my family fiercely.
99. I treasure a memory of Tyler and I tracking a herd of elk in the forest and being able to get very close and observe a fight between two bulls.
100. I’m deathly afraid of heights.

Laughter

I was irrevocably betrothed to laughter, the sound of which has always seemed to me to be the most civilized music in the world.
Peter Ustinov (1921 - 2004)

The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

Me and my family are home and adjusting to the realities of everyday life. The one thing that I miss the most is the laughter. You see I had this insane idea that I could not miss any minute of my time in Utah. Sleep seemed to be a waste of precious family time if anyone else was awake. So I never once went to bed before midnight often staying up until 2 in the morning and I was typically up around seven and never napping. Which is a huge deal for a girl who usually needs 10 hours of sleep a night to function the next day. But the evenings were the best time. We all would put our children down for bed at around seven or seven-thirty, and then the time was ours. It was typically JoDee, Mandi, Regina, Cyndee, Cassi, and I. I'm obsessed with playing card games and pretty much any other game as well, so we would stay up playing games for hours and hours, usually eating a lot as well. None of us are really late night people, so the effect of exhaustion usually brought out the sillier side in us. So we spent a lot of time giggling and laughing. I miss it a lot. You really don't get into the hard core laughter when you're running around with everyday life, it's typically just my sisters that can have me hysterically laughing, and I really miss that. When I think about the New Year and things that I would like to change, I think I would like to stop being so stressed and serious, and start laughing more. I'm a really silly, goofy person at heart and I'm happiest when I'm laughing. So I've decided to try to do that more, even if that's laughing at the insanely messy bedroom that my children occupy or a cup of spilled milk. I think that laughter lightens the soul, prolongs life and makes those around you happier. Everyone should try to laugh more and have fun with life.

Here are some more quotes I really liked as well. Enjoy, and don't forget to laugh.

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

Michael Pritchard

Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad.

Norm Papeernick

We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh.

Agnes Repplier (1855-1950)

We are all here for a spell; get all the good laughs you can.

Will Rogers (1879-1935)

Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.

Lord Byron (1788-1824)

We are able to laugh when we achieve detachment, if only for a moment.

May Sarton