Computer problems = No posts!!

But don't worry, I have plenty of things floating around my head that need to come out soon. Such as, but not limited to, Bailey's 2nd birthday and my thoughts on gardening.

Wait for it.....

PS We are going to Disneyland next week, so there will really be some excitement here!

Wait for it....

Holy Hannah Montana

When I was a freshman at Utah State, and trying to break the Utah lingo that was embedded deep in my soul (Oh My Heck!), I adapted a new phrase "Holy Hannah." Super cool and so not "Utah Mormon."
The next year, in beauty school in Provo, I stepped up my cool, by adding "Montana" to my phrase.
So any cute guy to walk by, any great late night burrito, or any bad hair day, all got the same statement "Holy Hannah Montana." See how great and versatile it is? I loved it and felt mature and educated saying it, so you can imagine my complete and utter shock one day; years later as a first time mom, when I let the Disney Channel stay on too long and Dora the Explorer turned to "Hannah Montana." What the HECK!!!With an "achy breaky heart", I retired my much loved saying and began festering a bitterness toward "Hannah Montana" aka Mylie Cyrus.
I rolled my eyes when she came to the Stadium of Fire last year. My insides churned when I saw she is now on the "silver screen." Did you see her on Idol gives back? Holy frijole (like that one?) it was bad! And can you imagine how I felt when a few weeks ago I found out she would be performing on American Idol? I had my finger on the fast forward button and was ready to skip her whole performance that could only be plagiarized, as her name is...

Then I listened...

"Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb."

Okay, so it's not a new concept. Recently I heard Garth Brook's song "The Dance." Same message.

I guess Mylie is kind of pretty. Oh, there really is talent in her voice. Uh-Oh, she's growing on me...

I was having a particularly frustrating day this week and reheard her song in the car. I turned it up. My frustration? Not my 3 cute kiddos, or my ever-pleasing husband. Not even the allergies that begged me to scratched my eyes out of their sockets. And no, it wasn't even my mom and sister arguing about bridal shower food. It was....

....the bane of all my existence....


...MY WEIGHT!!!!

"Ain't about how fast I get there. Ain't about what's waiting on the other side. It's the climb"

I realized that my mortal enemy had just spoken peace to my soul. Suddenly I am so thankful that I wasn't born to be thin. Because of my weight issues, I have sought out, researched, studied and spoken to anyone who would listen about weight, diet, health, food, muscles, fat, exercise, etc, etc. I am armed with knowledge and with that knowledge, I can raise a healthy and happy family. This is what's important. Not my ever bulgy belly.

At dinner that night, John informed that corn is his least favorite of the vegetables. "It's not a vegetable" I responded, without thinking. That is health 101 that I probably learned in my very first weight watcher's class many years ago. "It's a grain," I explained. "It's not as good for you as a vegetable. Eat the broccoli instead." He was impressed and I felt empowered because that was just the beginning of my ever-growing knowledge on all things health.

So before I got in bed, I looked at myself in the mirror, in only my unders, and just had to say "Holy Hannah Montana, you look good, Girl."

Driving Under the Influence

When Austin was two weeks old, I was struggling to recover, but had to finish out that semester at (then) UVSC. I took two percocet and drove to school for a final.
I remember being so loopy and thinking "Driving like this shouldn't be legal." Guess what? IT'S NOT!!!!
I went to traffic school last week and learned that "driving under the influence" includes more than alcohol and illegal drugs. If you are driving under the influence of anything that compromises your judgement, prescription/nonprescription-legal/illegal, any of it can get you arrested and your license revoked. Did you know that? I HAD NO IDEA!!

My Birthday Weekend

Couldn't have been better!!
Lunch with some of the greatest gals in my life at Pizza Factory and a pedicure afterwards.

So many thoughtful friends brought me gifts!! Ellen brought me a cupcake that became my dinner that night. My cute friend Ann brought me some flowers and an itunes gift card (very thoughtful!!! And yes, I did get my new Ipod!) Mykin brought me a whole basket of some of my favorite things. Thanks to all who were so thoughtful! I appreciate it so much

The next night we went to the Melting Pot with Jen and Steve. Super fun, ok food. One time thing for us, I think. The bill was $95 (per couple) and I didn't feel like the food or experience was too unique. I've had better, cheaper food. But we still had a great time

Thanks a million to all who made my birthday extra special!!!

Happy Birthday to MEEEE!!!

Thursday, April 16, 2009, I turn 29.
This is the most recent picture taken of me.Some random things you may not know about me...

• I'm not afraid of spiders. As a matter of fact, I almost never kill them when I find them in my house (unless they look extra threatening). I don't mind having them around.
• I bite my fingernails. I file up the rough edges and call it a manicure!
• I make my bed every single day (thanks mom)
• I don't like red meat, at all. Every once in a while John will have a piece of meat that he claims is near heavenly, so I'll try it and it just reminds me that I don't like red meat, at all.
• I want to write a novel
• When I'm in the passenger seat of a car, I like to lean up against the door and watch myself carry on conversation in the side view mirror. It's interesting to see what you look like to other people as you talk. If you've never had a face to face conversation with me, just know it's kind of like talking to a horse (I still wouldn't trade my big teeth and fat bottom lip though)
• Everything in life, to me, points to God. From the way I clean the toilet, to decorating my house, to the books I read to my kids (tonight it was Horton Hears a Who. It always makes me cry...a serious spiritual experience). I have created divine connotations for all I do.

Here's to another GREAT year down and lots and lots and lots more to go!!

April 15

Snow on my cherry blossoms
My green is white

BOOOO!!!!

This prolonged winter is pretty rough. I weeded in 70 degrees on Monday and got a little sunburn on my white skin. Today, two days later, I shoveled snow. Only in Utah!

Garlock Girls

My mom (who's maiden name is Garlock) is an only girl with 4 brothers. Between my mom and her brother's wives, they had 8 babies in 3 years! 7 of us were GIRLS!!! You can't imagine the fun we had growing up together. (As a side note...My grandma has spent hours standing in line to buy us Cabbage Patch Kids, making us porcelain dolls and quilts, and other fun girly things she does to serve us. She made my baptism dress and Adeline's blessing dress- out of my wedding dress- and I look forward to her making baptism dresses for my girls). I feel so blessed to be surrounded by so many amazing and beautiful women.
We were able to get together earlier this week at my Aunt Joann's house (my mom's brother Jay's wife) to say farewell to my cousin Scott who is going to Boise Idaho on his mission. I love Joann and visiting her house. She threw a great little party for Scott and it's always great to get, at least a few of us girls, together.

Easter

We had a successful Easter weekend with a fun Easter egg hunt at my house on Saturday and a BBQ at my mom's house on Sunday. I felt very lucky to do sharing time for the primary. I got some good study and ponder time about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Isn't that what this is all really about?

I love love love to dress my kids for Easter

We didn't get any great shots, but what's cuter on Easter Sunday than little girls in white dress with kittens? These are a few of my favorite things!!

And me with my girlies who I adore

Searching for Sunshine

A couple weeks ago I woke up to snow and wanted to cry. I'm usually fine with whatever the weather is doing, but for some reason, this spring can not come soon enough for me!! So I planned a quick trip to St. George for our family to see if we could find a little sunshine there.
Unfortunately, it wasn't as warm as we had hoped, but there wasn't snow!!
We didn't take any pictures the first day, but know that we played at the park with Cafe Rio for lunch, walked the temple grounds and went to Brigham Young's winter home.
We stayed in a dumpy hotel, but it had a living area with hide-a-bed (we are in a time of life where we really need separate rooms. It helps the kids sleep better), kitchenette, free breakfast, and best of all, an indoor pool! The kids swam for hours and hours.
Day two we did a hike to Indian carvings.
Austin liked this cactus and wanted a pic with it

The carvings were actually really cool. There were dozens of them. It was just a mile hike in then we got to climb around the rocks looking at the different pictures. Perfect hike for our little family.

Addie told me this is her "pretty smile"

I loved the colors of the moss that was growing on these rocks!

Truly, I don't know how authentic any or all of these are, but it was still fun and super cool for the kids.

Reverting back to our Costa Rica days, Austin caught a butterfly

John had to be on a business call that afternoon, so Bailey stayed at the hotel with him and napped while I took the big kids to see Monsters vs Aliens. It was cute and great bonding for me and my kiddos

The last night we were there, Austin lost his first tooth!!! He was so thrilled. We had to call Grandma JuJu and cousin Koby back at home.

On our way home we stopped at Kolob Canyon (it's part of Zion, but just off the freeway between Cedar City and St. George) and did a little 2 miler. It was cold and windy, but beautiful!

We are still waiting for Spring to show it's beautiful face here in Utah! I have to keep telling myself "April showers bring May flowers." I'm dreaming of those May flowers!

Thoughts on Communication

We love The Backyardigans in our house. The other day the kids were watching the episode with the volcano sisters. The premise of the show is that the volcano sisters want something and the luau brothers have to figure out what it is. The sisters sing a song that goes "We know what we want. We know what we don't want. So get us what we want." They give no clues or hints, so the luau brothers go to great lengths to bring them wonderful things. The problem is, if the brothers don't get the sisters what they want in a timely manner, they are going to make the volcano explode.
While I was busy dancing around the kitchen to their catchy songs, John rolled his eyes and said "That's just like a girl. Expecting her wants to met, without even a clue, or she will explode." This really brought together some thoughts I've been having on communication...
For Valentine's Day, we went to a marriage seminar at Thanksgiving Point. It wasn't great until the last speaker, John Lund. I loved his idea. His talk was called "Own your words." What does that mean? I thought. He explained (and this is me paraphrasing) "I realize that nonverbal communication is just as big, if not bigger than verbal communication. The problem with that is, I'm not an expert in reading body language. For example, one Saturday afternoon I had nothing going on, so I ask my wife if she wants to go see a movie with me. She sighs, drops her shoulders, rolls her eyes, and says "Yes." Great. We head to the movies. At the theater, she is being grumpy and rude to me, so I ask what the problem is. She says she wishes she were home because she had a lot to get done there. "Then why did you say you wanted to come to the movies with me?" Her jaw drops in disbelief that I didn't read all her signs of hesitancy. "Look" I tell her "I don't have a calculator in which to enter things such as eye rolls and sighs and have it spit out the real meaning of your words. You said 'Yes' so I accepted that yes. You have to own your words."
A story of my own...
My first birthday as a married woman, John was in school full time and working. I was less busy. He had a study group (or something of importance) the night of my birthday. I assured him it was fine, "Go to your group. It's not a big deal. We can do something after." He told me "I truly don't have time to plan anything. Is just a late dinner okay?" I probably sighed, dropped my shoulders and rolled my eyes. "Yes" I said.
He hurried his group along, got home at a decent hour and we went to dinner. On the way home I started to cry. "What's wrong?" he asked. I'm sure my jaw dropped in disbelief. "All we did for my birthday," I whined "is go to a late dinner."
I didn't own my words. I had told him it was okay more than once. Just like John Lund, John Jonas doesn't have a calculator to enter in each of my actions, along with my words, and receive the true meaning of what I am saying.
Not long after that, I become good friends with Dana Deluca. She still is a good friend of mine. She is no nonsense and smart. I remember her saying to me once "My husband is too clueless to be a mind reader, so I tell him what I want and don't want and he always meets my needs and desires." Thanks Dana! Ever since then I have "owned my words."
I still communicate nonverbally. That's nature. But if I say something, whether I mean it or not, I still follow through. I won't go grumpy to the movies with my husband, because if I have agreed to go, then I owe it to him to be nice.
And this year for my birthday (it's next week, by the way) I want an Ipod nano with an arm strap for running and I want to eat at the Melting Pot. John knows this. I've said it out loud, in those words. No magazine ad cutouts or sentences like "I've never eaten at the Melting Pot" or "My Ipod is too big to run with." Just my words, that I own, to communicate. I like it like that.

Happy 4 to Adeline April

Life has been busy since we celebrated Addie's 4th birthday. It happened last week, Friday March 27. Her primary teacher asked her if she was going to Chuck E Cheese for her birthday and that got stuck in her head. It was actually a really affordable and fun party (and NO clean up...my favorite part!)
Here's our birthday girl on a little ride
All the babies (Bailey, Clay, and Hudson- cousins who are 6 weeks apart in age) tried playing skeeball with basketballs. No one can skeeball like Grandma JuJu though!

Austin and Bailey goin' diggin' (That's Utah slang for taking your jeep into the mountains)

Each child got 20 tokens in a little cup. What a hay day!!

My perfect family with the Big Cheese himself

It's not a party without Aunt Shel dancing

It's also not a party without presents! Addie really made out this year.

And what is birthday without chocolate cupcakes adorned with chocolate bunnies?

The whole crew

Adeline's favorite present (actually, all of ours) was this amazing quilt made with love by my Grandma Marilyn

How cute is that? Little girls quilted. Addie is in love. She wants to take it everywhere, but I won't let her. It's too beautiful!

And so soft!

Thanks Gram! And thanks to everyone else who made her day special.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADDIE GIRL!