Lots of love for the big cheese

This has been a very stressful summer for my husband-

He sold his business and started a new job for which he flew to North Carolina to train for 2 weeks in July.

He's loving it by the way. It's a sales job which he's always been good at.

A lot of changes.

One of them was turning 43 in late August.

His birthday was on a Friday.

My parents were coming to town for Jacob's priesthood ordination the following Sunday so they came a little early to help us celebrate and took Mark and I out to dinner and a movie.

They said Pick a place and we'll go- anywhere you want

Because they're awesome like that.

Mark wanted to try someplace new and was in the mood for some RED MEAT.

He chose Texas Roadhouse and we were not disappointed. Dinner was awesome. We then went to the Provo Mall and walked around. My dad was in the mood for ice cream so we stopped at Subzero ice cream and mmmmmmmm! it was good. I got a strawberry coconut concoction and mom and dad both got a sour berry flavor. Mark surprisingly declined. He was too full from that steak!

We were all very sighing in contentment after licking our bowls clean.

After that we saw Captain America.

By that time the steak had settled and there was room for popcorn and Fruit Punch.

It was a fun evening. It was great to get out and visit with my parents without kids.

When we got home it was late but the kids wanted to celebrate some more.

Carly had made a Crazy Cake earlier but was out with friends.....

So I presented it

We were too full of other good stuff to eat it so we didn't eat it that night. We were pretty sure it would keep just fine til the next day.

Instead of blowing out his candle he just pinched it out.

we didn't care.

We just wanted him to know how much we loved him

I had taken the kids shopping earlier that day

They picked out some Dorritos, an InNOUt giftcard and a BYU shirt for him. He even got a special portrait of himself as "Dad the Famous" drawn by Samantha.

He was excited to open a card from his own Momma that night with a Chili's giftcard so he could have another evening out the next week!

The people that love him know...

There's nothing Mark likes more than an evening out! Thanks mom.

It was a good day.

We're glad he's ours.

Even my boys will watch

This pride and Prejudice take-off:

It's a little cheesy but it's great.

Have I mentioned how much we like cheese in all forms (except blue) at our house?

It's in English, except the music.

It's fun to get a glimpse of another culture through a familiar story.

We love the music, dancing and the bright colors of the gorgeous clothes.

My kids practice this dance all the time!

They're getting pretty good.

Jacob especially...

Mark and I were both disappointed when he forgot about tryouts for the fall school play. We were hoping he'd follow in his older sisters' footsteps and be in the jr high plays.

Maybe he has bigger ideas....

Maybe we'll see him in Bollywood!

Another great Indian Film is:

It's a drama & It's not a musical like Bride and Prejudice but there are some beautiful music and dancing scenes. It is not in English. You have to read subtitles.

My friend kept begging me to watch, telling me she just knew I'd love it and I kept putting it off because I didnt' think I could sit and watch a movie with subtitles. It's surprising how quickly you get used to it though and reading and watching become second nature.

I put it on one summer evening, several years ago, when my kids were outside playing and they trickled in one at a time to go to the bathroom or get a drink or a bandaid or something else you might need on a summer night one by one, they all quietly sat down with me and watched, mesmerized, as I was, by the story and imagery.

Check 'em out!

Let me know what you think.

All the stars in the universe aligned

For Carly last night

Just as I arrived at Mason's soccer game I got a phone call....

"ummm... Mom, I think I locked my keys in my car. I can't lock up the shop (she was at work) and I obviously can't get home"

"did you dump out your purse and really look all over the floor?"

"yes! I've been looking for 30 minutes. THey're not here. I can't see them from the car windows but they must be in there."

I told her I'd call Mark who had church responsibilities to see if he could go and if he couldn't I'd get Mason to his game and come.

Mark couldn't help and was not very sympathetic. "Make her wait til the game is over. She'll learn her lesson!"

I've locked my keys in my car several times and he has always been very nice to me when he came to save me but I could see he was going to give Carly a hard time about it.

I got Mason to his team, set up the chairs and found a neighbor who was willing to keep an eye on Jacob and Samantha so they could stay and began the long walk across the soccer fields to the parking lot. Just as I got to the car I got another phone call. This time it was from Mark.

"Guess what I just did????? I locked my keys in my car"

He was laughing and I was laughing because he NEVER does this. We've been married almost 20 years and I never remember this happening. I drove home, picked up Carly's extra keys, drove to the church, unlocked his car, took his keys into him and drove to Carly's work and gave her the good news. She was happy. We unlocked her car and found her keys. She locked up and went home. I went back to the game to see about 10 minutes and take everyone home.

All's well that ends well.

Glad the universe gave the girl a break. She's had a busy week.

And the prize goes to Mason.....

For lamest excuse of the week!

(so far)

Upon finding that he had devoured about 20-30 frozen cookie dough balls between Saturday afternoon and Sunday before church...

(all that was left was an open ziploc bag- still in the freezer of course- with 2 chocolate chips and a few crumbs of peanut buttery oatmeal goodness.)

I said in righteous indignation...

(Have I mentioned how absolutely fantastic I am at righteous indignation?)

"You know the rules about treats! Since when has it been okay to just go get into stuff without asking? And since when has it been okay to eat that many cookies?????!!!!!! That was very selfish!"

He then replied,

"well, ever since you made those zucchini muffins that you keep in the freezer for us I thought I could have the cookies too..."

.......................................

.................................................huh?

So all you moms out there know he just completely ramped up the righteous indignation lecture with that little gem right?

silver lining: At least he fessed up to taking the cookies in the first place. I need to remember that and commend him for that. He's been working hard all afternoon to make up for it today.

Homecoming 2011

Getting ready for the big game Friday night

:( They lost. 3rd year in a row.....

Football is not THS' strong suit.

But it's still fun to get dressed up and go cheer them on even if you have no hope

This smile is even after the game so really, for my girls, it's all about the hanging out with friends. Not so much school pride and winning the game.

Saturday night!

Getting all laced up. Good Heaven's I'm glad we've done away with Corsets for every day wear!

Carly would much rather be silly than serious in pictures.

"The date" arrives.

She's getting better. No help from mom pinning it on this time.

Dinner at Macaroni Grill.

Dance Dance Dance the night away.

Home by curfew with sore feet and deflated curls.

(To use the words of another darling girl...)

I think that calls for a

"Smile, Wink and a thumbs up! "

Out at midnight.... ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!!!!!!

When she was preschool age, I was not a very structured mother. I had a 4 yr old and a 2 yr old and a husband who worked lots of hours. We had naptimes but they were not rigid. We had bedtimes but they were not rigid either.

It worked for us. We were happy.

It was not uncommon to find Carly and I up at 10pm making cookies if we felt like it.

I've always been a night owl.

We'd tuck Mark in since he had to get up early for work....

We'd tuck baby Rachel in since she had to grow and then we'd stay up late and do whatever we wanted. Not every night but plenty of nights.

Well a couple of weeks ago we were at it again.....

It's Homecoming time

Senior year. Last one.

Homecoming was less than 2 weeks away. She was worried she wouldn't be asked. Most of her friends had been asked. As far as she knew all of her guy friends either had to work or had already asked someone. She had bought a beautiful dress for $25 from her former babysitter several months ago.

She said "of course the dance I already have a dress for will be the one I don't get asked to..."

She had kind of given up hope the day it happened. She was sitting on the couch studying for a test when we heard a knock at the door.

Mark: "Who's knocking at our door at 10 o'clock at night?????"

It was a plate of berry swirled cheesecake bars with a note that said "I know it's cheesy but will you go to homecoming with me?" Inside each of the 6 bars was a piece of paper with a letter written on it laminated with tape.

It spelled out his name.

Hope was restored. He's a fun friend who shares her medical interests. She was happy to be asked by him and knew she'd have a great time.

She said "How am I going to answer him???" To which Mark popped off with "Cheez... I think I will" which got the synapses firing. It was late and she had a test to study for and we waffled about doing it that night or whether to wait... It was already 11pm and answering would involve a trip to the store. She finally decided it would be too good to pass up to answer the same night she was asked. He wouldn't expect it and so off we went to Macey's.

We bought 2 boxes of these:

3 little individually wrapped Tillamook cheddar squares:

3 little Ritz cheese and cracker packs:

3 Mozarella string cheese packages:

and a can of squeeze cheese:

We arrived in his very quiet neighborhood at 11:30pm and it started to sprinkle but we went ahead anyway. He drives a big suburban and it was parked outside. Perfect!

On the side of the suburban facing the house we did the following:

Front passenger window:

Stuck cheezit crackers all over with a squirt of squeeze cheese glue

Middle seat passenger Window:

Taped string cheese, cheese squares and cheese and cracker packets all over with a few cheezit's glued around for good measure.

Large back seat passenger window;

Wrote in squeeze Cheese "Cheez..... I think I will!" with hearts and more cheezit's glued to the window. It looked so great. I was so mad to not have thought to bring my camera. She stuck a cheezit to the center of every hubcap for good measure and tied a bow around the unopened box of cheezit crackers and hung them in a bag from the side mirror. She also tied a bow of ribbon around the half used can of squeeze cheez and set it on his front porch.

Then, giggling, we got into our minivan and drove away.

Maybe

I really should have encouraged her to study for her test and told her that running around town at midnight, in the rain, on a school night was not a good idea.......

But next year at this time when, if all goes according to plan, she'll be living on her own away from me-

I'm pretty sure

I'll be really glad

that I didn't.

A conversation with Catherine

I was calling my Sister Emily's cell phone so I expected her voice to answer.

I heard a "hello" and just went forward with "Hi Emily, it's Jamie...." I heard a little voice say,

"This is not Emily, it's Catherine."

I laughed and said "I'm sorry, this is Aunt Jamie. Has that ever happened before.... where somebody thought you were your momma?

"No, it never happened to me" she said, "it happens sometimes to Bethany (her big sister)"

I started to move forward to ask if her momma was there and I heard her ask me a question so I quit talking.....

"Aunt Jamie.... do you think it's because I am using my gwown-up voice?"

"That must be it. Your grown up voice tricked me!"

"yeah. Because I'm in fiwst gwade now"