spring break

I am back to blogging. I took a nice long break! I decided to take the kids to Moab over spring break. Blake had to work, and was going to come for part of the time. He got a dreadful cold, so he never made it. Turns out we had a great time, but missed him tons. I realized how much I really love my kids! They are really lots of fun to be around. We hiked til' we dropped! It was so much fun to be with just them. No cell phones, soccer, football, ballet, hip hop, piano, violin, track, and internet. Just me and my kids. I wondered why we do all that other stuff in the first place. I hope to find the answer someday.

Bucket List

Who would've thought you could ride your bike around Bear Lake on NOVEMBER 10th? Wow, thanks to global warming, we checked off another item on my "bucket list". My friend Marla and I made the trip. My booty is a bit sore while sitting to write the post, but other than that, all things are a go. We had a great time, and it was such a beautiful day! I highly recommend doing this with a buddy. I would've choked on the east side for sure. Thanks Marla, and thanks to Blake for having an over-night with the kiddos!

Nutcracker!

A friend told us the night before about the auditions for The Nutcracker. Rachael really wanted to try it, so I took her down. There were TONS of little ballerinas auditioning. I prepared Rachael for the worst because she doesn't even take ballet! We were so excited to find out she made the show. She will be a clown, which fits her perfectly! Of course being the dummy that I am, I forgot that I go to Africa every Thanksgiving. That will all have to change now for our little clown. We are thinking spring break in Africa. Who needs Ft. Lauderdale?

Back to life?!

I can't believe the kids are all back in school! Depression has set in for mom. Hopefully I'll pull myself together before summer starts again! The boys are now leaving at the crack of dawn on the same bus, and little one goes a bit later. Football is in full-force, and soccer games start next week. Rachael informed me she only wants to dance this year, but tennis lessons are on the horizon for sure. I am MOST HAPPY to have my camera back! I've been taking pictures of everything, except for our recent basement flooding. I didn't capture that moment on film. Good luck to everyone getting back into the swing of things!

Loser Blogger award

Okay, so I deserve the "loser blogger award". I haven't updated in sometime. Mainly because we have been having too much fun, and I haven't had time to sit down and update. But also because my dearest husband left my camera battery plugged into the charger in his hotel in Peru. So, I don't even have pictures of all our summer adventures to share. Just trust us, we have been a very "happenin' " family! I did retrieve a photo from Blake's cell phone to try to spice up the blog a bit. I took his picture on top of a mountain on one of our Park City mountain bike rides. We spent the week at the Marriott there and had an awesome time. Blake spent June in Lake Powell with the boys, then too Peru for ten days, and to youth conference. I think I saw him maybe three days. July has been much better. We are ready to have Ethan stop his gallivanting for awhile and join us as a family also! Happiness is always having all of us together and enjoying nice summer nights. That's maybe happened twice. But hey, we have August right?

The Hunger Games

We are off to a crazy summer!  I must tell all my thousands and thousands readers about a great book I read.  It's called "The Hunger Games", by Suzanne Collins.  I recommend it for EVERYONE!  I loved it, and I am sure my fourteen and eleven year old will love it also.  You must hurry and read it because the second book is coming out this fall!  Let me know what you think!

A Few of My Favorite Things

I have some great things I need to write about.  The most exciting is the new mountain bike my greatest hubby got me for Mothers Day.  He surprised me big time.  It was a great day, and I LOVE the mountain bike.  Especially since my knee has been giving me fits.  Do any of you want to take a ride sometime?  I definitely need some partners.  Blake and I have gone once and we had a great time together.  I think he thinks I a bit whimpy because coming down the hills scares me to death.  I had to get off and walk my bike.  It was fun just to spend some time together doing something we both like to do.  Another really great thing that I have loved this month is the website audible.com.  A friend told me about this site and has been urging me to give it a try.  I downloaded the most awesome book called The Hunger Games.  I highly recommend this book.  I am so glad I downloaded it because my son can also listen to it while he mows lawns this summer.  So go download a book.  It will get you through yard work, housework, taxi driving, soccer games, and lacrosse.  It's great!  Ethan tells me I look really hip with earphones in all day.  I told him that just maybe I was really listening to the newest songs just as they hit I-tunes.  He rolls his eyes....  Lastly, a great buy.  Who can give this up?  I love these new capris that I bought at Walmart.  They were 8.00.  They are so comfy.  I love them.  So there you have it.  Some great things you may enjoy!  Let me know about the mountain biking!!  

I'm Gorgeous Inside

I had to take a picture of this.  I was carpooling and my son saw this house with the sign that reads, "I'm Gorgeous Inside".  He was laughing at the proclaimed statement because it is clearly a dive.  But it got my wheels turning.  Do I ever claim to be gorgeous on the inside, when really I am not?   Outwardly speaking, I always feel like I am much more gorgeous on the inside.  My knees hurt, my face is wrinkly, but I still feel my same old self on the inside.  Spiritually though, I wonder if I convince myself that I am gorgeous on the inside, in yet do nothing to keep it up.  Will the Lord laugh just as my son did, and say clearly you are a dive?  I sure hope not!  

The Last Hoorah

These pictures were taken on April 4th, 2009.  Beaver Mountain stayed open one more week.  We have had such a fun season of skiing this year.  Rachael is now old enough to get on the lift by herself.  She just cruises along with the rest of us.  Pretty soon she will be way past skiing with her mom!  It is so much fun to go up as a family and spend time together.  I love this picture of my brother with my cutest little niece.  Riding up on the lift with my teenage son, watching Supe ski the rails.  It is a mothers delight to see her children and hubby happy.  Blake and I met skiing, and I still LOVE to watch him ski.  He is an incredible skier.  Even getting stitches and all this year from a fall.  You would think at almost 40, he would tame it down a little bit!  It snowed all day this final season ender.  I drove to our cabin in the worst snowstorm I have ever driven in.  We have been very blessed with a wonderful winter.  And now it's time for SPRING!! 

April Fools!

April Fools has got to be one of my favorite holidays.  Is it a holiday?  Maybe that's why I like it.  No presents, no baking required.  Just good ol' fashioned fun.   I started my day at 4:30 am.  I went running downstairs, unplugged Ethan's alarm clock, and told him it was 6:55, and he was going to miss the bus.  He jumped out of bed, hopped in the shower, got dressed, and came running up to a sign saying "April Fools".  I then decided to do my annual "Crisco on the doorknobs."  The kids fall for that one every time.  I got back into bed and told Blake that Aggie had just thrown up all over in the garage, and it didn't look like she was breathing.  He jumped out of bed, and went into the kitchen only to see the same sign.  I was awake, so I decided to put saran wrap on the toilets.  That's always a fun one.  Supe falls for that one every year also.  Kind of messy, but worth it.   The kids all ate blue cold cereal, and sluggishly went to school.  

I always try to get my brother and sister-in-law.  They are so gullible bless their hearts.  Jill had asked me to pick up Jacey from preschool.  I called her with the "dead battery"  excuse.  She hurried and called her friend to go pick up Jacey.  Not to mention, she didn't seem too stressed about me being stranded with a dead battery!  I had already picked up her daughter and had Jacey call her saying "April Fools".   Well, I better run.  I have to go short-sheet the kids' beds before they get home from young men.  Not to mention the raisin I put in their toothpaste tube.  Can't wait for that one.  Happy April Everyone!!

Boy/Girl?

I am needing some advice.  I have a fourteen-year-old son who has a great group of friends.  They are all really great boys.  So great, that lots of girls want to "hang-out" with them.  Every weekend, girls are wanting to get together with them.  My son is the only one of his friends that is opposed to this situation.  So, what should I do as a parent?  Will I raise a geek with no friends if I don't allow him to go to these boy/girl parties?  I really feel like you don't "hang-out" with girls until age 16.  If we are letting these young kids hang out together at age 14, what will they be wanting to do at age 16?  

I am wondering if I am the only person on the planet that feels this way.  I am in need of some advice from my great blogging friends.  What do you do with your kids?  

Home on the range

It's calving season at the ranch.  Now that grandpa and grandma are on their mission, we have added responsibility over at the ranch.  Blake has been going over every Thursday night, only to wake up every two hours and ride through the cattle to check for struggling newborn calves.  Fortunately, the boys have had some time off at school, allowing them to go with him.  Another bonus is being friends with a "real-life" delivery doctor, Gary Fowers.  We appreciate their help so much.  This picture is taken before they all left.  I should have taken one upon their return.  Their eyes were much more red, and the clothes a lot more dirty.  Ethan came home at 5:00pm the following day, went to bed at 5:30, and didn't wake up until 9:00am then next morning.  I publicly thank Blake for going over every Thursday without complaint.  I think he is probably wondering,  not for the first time, what he has gotten himself into marrying a Blotter girl!  

Winter Adventures

A lot of my friends and family have just returned from vacations in warm, far away places.  This year, the economy has squashed all our plans for a warm holiday adventure.  Instead, we went to our parents cabin again in Bear Lake.  We met up with cousins, and even I was surprised at the fun.  When you live in frigid Utah, I guess we just have to embrace it.  Somehow kids handle the cold much better  than me.  These little cousins were outside ALL DAY long!  

HAIR CUT!

Okay all my loyal blog readers.  I am asking for your vote.  It was haircut night at our house.  Ethan signed up for BYU football camp, and they had a bold warning about haircut and appearance.  Ethan jumped at that, and asked for a haircut.  It's about time!!  He is sure it looks better long.  What's your vote?

Top Ten

You should've smiled honey!  I told you!  Okay, since it's past Valentines, I thought I'd write a post on my dear hubby.  I am listing the top ten reasons why I love him.  They are in no particular order.  That would take too much thinking time.  

1.  Best darn foot-rubber this side of Texas

2.  Honors his priesthood, and leads us in prayer, FHE, and scriptures.

3.  A primo father.  

4.  Always makes me laugh.

5.  Keeps our family organized.  Almost to an extreme!

6.  He helps me.  He gets me all set up with everything.  From electronic, to fixing anything, to teaching me to balance a checkbook;  he just helps me.

7.  He picks up after himself.  

8.  He pulls the bed down every single night.  It's terrible when he's not home!

9.  He never, ever, complains.  Not about his church calling, work, or anything.  He is not a complainer.  I guess I do enough for both of us.  

10.  He does not speak ill of anyone.  He is fantastic that way.  

I love you honey.  Happiest late valentines day!  

stolen camera

Should I be worried?  I let my son borrow my camera for a second up at Beaver Mountain.  This is the photo that showed up on my camera that evening.  No, not a fancy ski jump, not a picture of his BOY friends.  Alas, a group of teenage girls!  I am up in arms!    What age do boys love girls?  I am thinking this is MUCH too early.  I better go drown myself in hot chocolate.  Speaking of which..... my most favorite kitchen accessory for 2009 has got to be the hot chocolate maker.  My kids think I am a little bit addicted.  I say I am a lot addicted!  I love constantly having hot chocolate.  I even took it for my beehive lesson.  It was on the holy ghost.  The warmth of hot chocolate definitely relates to the warmth of the holy ghost.  Wouldn't you agree?  

Beauty

Wow!  Can you believe this beautiful world of ours?  We went to the cabin in Bear Lake this weekend and had a great time.  The lake is totally socked in by clouds.  Global warming and all, it's just plain beautiful.  January is usually just a downer month for me.  Added to that is the bonus of my parents leaving on their mission for 18 months.  I thank a wonderful husband and children for putting up with all the tears and sadness.  I have resolved to pull myself together and focus on all the beautiful things in my life.  A husband I love, beautiful children, a brother that lives close, and great friends.  I am so blessed.  

Resolutions

Okay, since all the blog buzz is New Years resolutions, I guess I'll add mine.  Blake and I have been thinking a lot about what we wanted to do to make this year great.  He has made up a whole calendar for the year in hopes to keep me organized!   I guess that is his subtle resolution for me:)

  One thing that works great for Blake and I is making three resolutions for each other.  This has cut nagging in half!  Instead of me always nagging about stuff, I get it all out at the beginning of the year.  Then I know when it comes time to nag, I've already voiced my resolution, and that he must be trying his hardest to work on it.  After all, aren't we all trying our best most of the time? 

  I also have made more resolutions for myself.  I have lumped them all into one basic resolution.  It is the primary song, "If the Savior Stood Beside Me".  It is my current favorite primary song.  We asked the children in the Accra branch if they new this song.  Their faces lit up.  I could tell it was one of their favorites also.  They sang it for us, and I cried the whole way through.  I decided what a great and simple resolution this would be.  "If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do? "  I won't bore you with all the of the lyrics.  I just hope that each day I ask myself that question.  Hopefully this will keep me on track with my other resolutions.  Have a very happy 2009!  

Also, mom and dad.....we miss you!!  Life is not quite the same without you.  Best of luck at the MTC!!  

TEENAGER!!

I would be a horrible, rotten, no-good mother if I didn't recognize my teenagers birthday!   You may wonder, along with us, why we chose to have a baby December 22, 1994.  So close to Christmas!  I do hope Ethan doesn't feel "over-looked" amid the Christmas chaos.  We do love Ethan.  He is a great young man.  He has a great set of friends, and they have lots of fun together.  Ethan loves the following:  1) His mother of course:).  2) football 3) skiing 4) lacrosse 5) food.  Actually, I should have put food as #1!  He eats sooo much.  But I guess now that he's as tall as Blake, wears size 11 shoes, and grows like a weed, he can afford all the calories.  Ethan told me the other day that just in case he dies skiing, he wanted me to know that he keeps a note from his Grandma Blotter, and a picture of me in his ski coat.  I was so touched!  We have had our bouts with the teenage attitude.  But for the most part, Ethan is surviving teenage-hood well.   He always makes us laugh.  We can all be gloomy, and he'll say something to crack us all up.  Whenever Ethan is gone, we are all in a slump.  Supe is a wreck without his big brother.  Ethan is his best friend.  Ethan wants to be an NFL star, or a professional skier.  Big dreams!  We love you Ethan.  Happy Birthday!

What are you getting for Christmas?

I have been requested to  make more posts of our Africa trip.  This may be a timely post as we are all caught up in the "giving and getting" of Christmas. At least I am!  

These two darling little girls are members of the church in Ghana.  Their dad is a security guard at the temple.  He was such a darling man.  His blood pressure was like 250/125.  He was just a ball of stressed energy.  He deeply loved his two little girls.  The first night we did a clinic there, he snuck in, (for he was supposed to be keeping guard!), and asked me to check him over.  He just is one big grin from ear to ear.  I didn't have the heart to tell him that his blood pressure was terrible.  I told him to make sure to eat really good, and to get on medicine.  Yeah right.  

The last day we also did a clinic at this spot.  He snuck in again and caught my eye.  He had these two little girls, his daughters, behind him.  He asked me to check them out also, and then he ran back to his watch.  I had been given three of the little dolls pictured on the left.  They were a simple pattern found on the LDS humanitarian guide.  I saved them and saved them for just the right little girls.  I immediately knew these girls needed my last doll.  After checking them over and talking to them, I asked them if I could give them something.  They nodded.  I pulled out my little doll and immediately they both threw there palms to their cheeks.  They didn't even know how to react.  The happiness was on their faces said it all.  I put it into the littlest ones hands with tears in my eyes.  They were both hugging it and loving it so much.  I also had a little pencil kit that I gave to the older girl.  I had just given these to them when their dad came running back to the room to grab them.  Without even saying a word, the two girls gave me a huge hug and went running out with their dad.  One doll and a pencil kit.  How much am I spending on each one of my children this year?