A Souper Halloween...

We had this whole crew over for a Halloween dinner and Trick or Treating.  I made Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Beef Soup for the entire crowd (I think we had around twenty), and then we all set off for a round of trick or treating in the neighborhood.  The weather was delightful.  It drizzled for a second, but it was so warm, unlike other Halloween's where we have almost contracted hypothermia.  It was incredibly eerie, however, when it was 8 o'clock and we were the only people out.  Where was everybody?  Did anyone else have a shortage of people?  Regardless, we had a great time.  Thanks everybody for participating with us.

P.S.  As a side note, my pre-teen daughter went through three costumes this year.  A mummy, a Pharaoh, and a Rodeo Clown.  I am writing this so years from now when she has an emotional daughter I can refer back to it.  Thank you.

Appeasement...

This morning the kids took it upon themselves to file a grievance with the governing body of our home, namely me, concerning the fact that a certain somebody was not home from work when they should be.  There was some tears and some rage, but most of all some legitimate complaints were presented in a very mature manner.  I was impressed with their preparation and the way that they presented their case, and in every instance I agreed with them.  I, too, felt that someone was missing in our home.  Their annoyance was so great, however, that I feared for the well-being of the absentee "assistant to the governing body."  In an effort to stave off a civil war, or a revolt at the very least, and in order to protect the tender emotional climate that is our home, I suggested an alternative to anarchy - I suggested that we spend the night carving pumpkins.  The rebels were not prepared to deal with this form of appeasement, as they were expecting the normal lectures about being supportive, blah, blah, blah, and much to my surprise the emotional tide turned from rage to acquiescence, and then from acquiescence to joyful anticipation.  I will even venture to say that we had a great time.   I mean look at those smiles.  They really reach the eyes don't they?

You will be happy to note that the entire family was in attendance and that the revolt has been squelched for the time being.

P.S.  One of the pumpkin carvers - the middle one - was heard to say "Ew!  I feel like I am pulling out belly button hairs."  I mention this so that you are prepared for that texture when you carve your own pumpkins.  As I do not engage in the removal of navel hair I have no point of reference in this area.

Grandma Joan's Halloween Bash....

was a complete success.  We had a fabulous time, just me and my ghouls, and the two hundred or so other people who were there.  These are the kids - a Power Ranger, a Mummy, and a posing Hippie!

Here I am with my two lovely sisters, wondering where our other sister is and why on earth she would move away.  We miss her. But we are standing in front of a blow up slide which saw hundreds of little feet, and miles and miles of climbing.  Grandma Joan always outdoes herself on Halloween, and we had a great time. 
This was the jousting arena where I was showing Taylor that I can still dominate her pre-teen rear end.  I will say, however, that she managed to get a few good shots in.
Here are my two babies taking a turn in the ring.  They were a well matched team!
Some of our favorite memories of the night:

- Grandpa Simper's Hotdogs.

- Grandma Simper laughing at everything he says.  Still in love after 66 years.

- The rocket launcher - Reed is sooo going to be building us one.

- The King Kong competition (we had a sixteen team adult bracket) where Niki came down the slide, clearly in the lead, and fell into the crack between inflatables, and almost needed extricating.  It was a priceless moment, but sadly, it lost her the tournament.

- Jousting with the kids.

- Taking Easton to see the chickens.

- Homemade Rootbeer.

- Jeff dressing up like my dad.

-  Seeing all the family who we don't get to see enough.

Thanks Mom, once again, for a fantastic time.  We love you so much and appreciate all of the work that you put into this fun and memorable event.

Why is it...

that when a man is at wrestling practice with his tenderhearted six-year old son and sees that he is in need of some help, and then steps in to show him some pointers that the earth keeps spinning on its axis --- but when a Mom sees that same little boy having trouble grasping a concept, and goes out to offer her assistance, an eerie hush settles over the wrestling room and weird looks are exchanged as if the sacrosanct rules of wrestling have just been toppled? Someone explain this to me....Oh, never mind, I already know.  

Dear Reed....

I am writing you this letter because I have something very important to say, and your stupid phone won't get reception in that bomb shelter firehouse you live in.  Do you know what Monday is?  Well, do you?  I'll bet you will never guess so I will tell you.

It is (drum roll please):  "Forget everybody else in the neighborhood and take several loads to the Green Waste Day!"  (Cue: confetti, balloons, and a great big banner that reads:  PLEASE. FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, TAKE A LOAD TO GREEN WASTE, MY LOVE!)  And since you are going to take all of the waste to the dump, and will be working on the north side of the house, I was also thinking that you might enjoy winterizing the trailer.  It's just a thought.  I thought it because you reminded me of it the other day when it snowed.  And then, since you will be all sweaty, and dirty, I was thinking you could practice your shoveling skills by turning the dirt.  What do you say?  I think you might enjoy working around our very own house.  It might break up the monotony a little bit, because, you know, you have been working at everyone else's house lately.  So, why not try something new?  And that something new is our own little love nest.  I thought you might be excited to read this, so I am posting it two days in advance so you can check back if you forget a part or two.  I also took the liberty of color coding it, so if you were in a hurry you could find the key points quickly.  I am just trying my best to help you. Because I love you, that's why.

I hope you are having a good day at work.  I can't wait to see you again.

Love, Nat

P.S.  Don't worry about tearing down the flower beds. I took care of that for you.  I know you are busy so I thought I should do my part!

Tag...

Eight things I watch on T.V....

I don't watch a lot of T.V., so this is what the kids watch and I absorb:

1.  Little House on the Prairie (our favorite and the reason we don't need cable).

2.  Arthur

3.  Curious George

4.  Brady Bunch

5.  American Gladiators (When it's on).

6.  The Office (If I remember).

7.

8.

Eight Things that Happened Yesterday...

1.  Went to Work.

2.  Returned some shoes, looked for new ones - didn't happen.

3.  Bought a new sewing machine (can't decide if I'm happy or have buyer's remorse).

4.  Folded some laundry (finally).

5.  Woke up every half an hour... (are you kidding me?)

6.  Ran some errands.

7.  Made dinner (a miracle).

8.  Talked to Reed on the phone

(Oh, I am so pathetically boring....)

Eight Favorite Places to Eat....

1.  Cafe Rio

2.  Cabo

3.  JCW's

4.  The Roof

5.  Costco Hot Dogs (Thanks for the reminder Patty!)

6.  Grandma Debra's Roast Beef Sunday

7.  Olive Garden

8.  Flour Girls and Dough Boys

(I obviously need to expand my epicurian repertoire).

Eight Things I am Looking Forward to....

1.  Christmas, along with the entire holiday season.

2.  Reed's graduation... when he finally gets his math done.

3.  The kids singing in Sacrament Meeting.

4.  When we pay off the house.

5.  Our next vacation...

6.  The release of HSM 3 and Twilight, so the girls and I can go out!

7.  When the City Council finally pulls their heads out...

8.  The end of the Presidential election.

I tag anyone who wants to participate... and is obviously willing to share their pathetic T.V. watching habits, and complete lack of restaurant knowledge past the 99 cent value meal as I have so brazenly done.  Also, any tips on a good restaurant are welcomed and encouraged.

A Cryptic Message....

A.K.A. - Jake's contribution to our Halloween decor, a post-it note on the front door.

I, personally, was not aware our house was that bad.  But you know what they say, "Out of the mouths of babes...."  

Note:  3m company is in no way affiliated with this website, although their product is of superior quality and highly useful, especially when warning others of the terror waiting for them within the above mentioned home.

What in the Hail were you doing?

I was mowing my lawn.  I woke up this morning and thought that I could somehow beat the torrent of weather that was coming our way, so I mowed the lawn.  The hail was small, and I was cold, but the lawn looks presentable.  The tomatoes were harvested and canned.  Laundry was started.  The bathrooms were cleaned and mopped, all three of them.  Lunch was had.  A book was read.  And all before 6 p.m.  This is not like me.  I think someone must have slipped me some Crack.  Either that, or it was the Cream of Wheat I had for breakfast.  Whatever it was, my house looks pretty dang good for a Saturday.

The meanest mom...

Today, and yesterday, I got the extreme pleasure of going to Parent/Teacher Conference, although these days it is called SEP's.  I was allowed the privilege of sitting in each of my children's classrooms and listening to the teachers tell me what great kids I have.  We then went to the book fair and purchased each of the children a book of their choosing, as a reward for their good behavior.  On the way home I decided to take a little pre-arranged detour, known only to me, as a sort of "cherry on top" to an already pleasurable day.  As we pulled up to the office complex, the atmosphere in the car became strangely tense, and then the following conversation occurred:

 

Kids:  Where are we going.

Mom:  Just over here.

Kids:  Why?

Mom:  I have to talk to somebody about something.

Taylor:  Talk about what?  (some nervousness, after all it is October).

Jake:  Are we getting SHOTS?

 

(Cue crying, outrage, shock, anger, fear)

 

Kids:  YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!  YOU COULD HAVE TOLD US!  WHY ME, OH WHY!    I DON'T WANT A SHOT!  BOO, HOO, HOO!

Torey - Stop crying, it won't be that bad.

Mom:  Surprise!

As we walk into the office Jake is quivering, Taylor is pouting, and Torey is exhibiting a certain amount of  braggadocio.  So, Mom went first - didn't hurt.  Jake next - still fine.  Taylor - good.  Torey - "Give me just a second.  (Mom dragging her to chair while she is starting to hyperventilate)  I'm not ready.  No, wait just a second.  No wait...." - and done.

As we walk out of the office Taylor is heard to say, "I thought she said it wouldn't sting."

"Mine doesn't sting," I reply.

"Well, that's because you have fat arms."

And that, my friends, was our day.  We hope yours was pleasant as well.

Love - 

Fat Arms

To my husband...

Do you know that empty space you have when something is missing?  You filled it when you came home last night.  The second you walked in the door from your business trip I realized what heaven must be like.  Miss you again.

Love - Nat

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday dear Da-ad, Happy Birthday to you!

Things my dad says....

1.  Let me just say this about that....

2.  If you bring home a dirtbag I will just kill him and hang him from the front porch for all of the other dirtbags to see.

3.  You are beautiful.  (Thanks Dad!)

4.  Who's this kid?  I thought you loved Reed.  You know he's working hard on his mission.

5.  You're my favorite.

6.  Who's the best cop/firefighter?

7.  If you hurt my daughter, I'll kill you.

8.  Would you like to ask for her hand with my gun on or off?

9.  It's Christmas Eve and your sick.  Let me medicate you....

10.  Do you need me to kill him?

Obviously one of the best gifts a father can give his daughter is protection - it even says so in the proclamation, just read it.  So here is a story to illustrate my point.  When I was in sixth grade I was being wheeled in to surgery to get my tonsils out.  The last words out of my mouth before the anesthesia took me to la-la land was this: "If you hurt me, my dad will kill you."  And I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would.  So, thanks Dad, for always letting me know that you loved me, and for protecting me whether I wanted you to or not!

Nature's Paintbrush....

When I was a little girl my family always went on rides in the canyon. Sometimes we would drop into Heber and stop at a little malt shop, not Granny's, I forget the name, and get shakes and fries. It is a fantastic memory that I have of my girlhood, and time spent with my family.  My favorite time to go was around my birthday, when the leaves were changing, and the colors were so vibrant.  Now, I must tell you that these were not ordinary drives.  These were drives that came with a sense of adventure.  My dad was a County Sheriff and a member of the SWAT team, and as such he spent a lot of time doing high speed vehicle training, which comes with some initials, but I also can't remember those.  Enough said.  So, the family would load into our 1991 GMC Jimmy and head to Harts for a Big Chill and a bag of strawberry Twizzlers.  We were four deep in a three seatbelt vehicle and so glad for the outing.  Now many people drive the canyon in a slow, meandering fashion taking time to look at all the scenery and appreciate the beauty of the earth that God created.  Not our family.  The steep, curving roads of American Fork Canyon proved to be too much of a challenge for a certain someone to pass up.  We (and I use that term very loosely) would approach it much like Dale Earnhardt approaches the Indy 500.  Fast and Furious.  My dad had a mission.  He was going to drive those canyon roads at the highest speed possible, while still maintaining nearly complete control of the vehicle.   This is where four of us wedged in the back turned into a blessing.  We were packed in so tight with our girlie hips, that even though every curve threatened to send us across the vehicle, our close proximity prevented it.  Driving down the canyon was even better, because the speed was increased due to inertia, or gravity, or whatever, and the curves just screamed at us.  We would ride the outside of a turn and then drift to the center, and back again just slightly below the speed of light, munching on Twizzlers and soda.  To this day, the smell of Twizzlers makes me car sick.  

Reed took the kids and I on a drive for family night.  We got a soda first.  Twizzlers were not invited.  The mountains were beautiful.