Love.

Waiting for warm weather!

CJ waiting for it to be warm enough to run through the sprinkers and not cry that his feet are "frozen off" and he needs me to "take his temperature."

Waiting for yes, another garbage day.

(Look closely and you'll see Lucy waiting for a crumb to fall.)

Yesterday Mac got fixed and when we went to pick him up at the vet a lady came walking out with her dead dog wrapped in a towel and she is just sobbing. SOBBING. The dog had obviously just been put to sleep. She got in her car and then just sat there bawling her eyes out and then I started to cry because I felt so bad,


So I knew that CJ had seen the whole thing and guess what we've obsessed about ALL. AFTER. NOON. AND NIGHT? Not the usual trash obsessions. Not who got a new trash can or who went to Costco 'cause the boxes are in their recycling bins or why I threw away a perfectly good dryer sheet. No, tonight it's been dead animals. And he literally just said,


"Mom, guess what I want to be for Halloween next year? A girl who is sad because her dog died and I can wrap up Lucy in a towel and carry her and she can pretend to be dead."

 

After finding five of the 10 clues the Easter Bunny left for CJ, leading him to his basket, CJ flops down and says, "What did I do to deserve this? Just give me my basket!"
Then it was garbage/recycle day. I was putting clothes away upstairs when I looked out to see CJ helping. Sadly, he has all the truck bins memorized so he knew exactly where to put all the items. If you look close you can see him at the back of the truck. He and the driver are on a first-name basis.

CJ also had his first soccer game and is lucky enough to be on the same team as his best friend Jacob. This was a big day for us - the first ever organized team sport.

We have officially been sick for two weeks straight and we've still got a ways to go before the boys are completely better.

Interview with my dad:
FAVORITE FOOD? Costa Vida and a well-prepared steak.

FAVORITE PLACE YOU'VE TRAVELED TO? Lake Quomo (Italy) and the Orient Express from Venice, through the Alps, to Paris.

FAVORITE QUOTE? "I love better the man who swears a streak as long as his arm but will impart justice to his neighbor and share mercifully with the poor." - Joseph Smith

FAVORITE SCRIPTURE? I have so many but Alma 37:6 is tough to beat.

BEST MEMORY OF YOUR KIDS? All the games we've attended over the years.


WORST MEMORY OF YOUR KIDS? Ryan pooping green foam out the top of his diaper.

BEST CHILDHOOD MEMORY? Playing sports and shining shoes in Grandpa Reed's barber shop when I was 10.

BEST RECENT MEMORY? Finally having everyone back together, under one roof, for the homecoming.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE FUTURE? Traveling with mom and going on a mission in maybe 8-10 years.


THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU? Oh hell, I don't know. (That's five words.)

ANY REGRETS IN LIFE? Oh sure, but none that I dwell on...you can't.

WHAT ARE YOU READING RIGHT NOW? "The Prince" by Machiavelli (12th century) and "the decline and fall of the roman empire" by Edward Gibbon (1776).


FAVORITE MOVIE? Gladiator

IF YOU COULD MEET ANY LIVING PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE? A month ago it was Pres. Hinckley

FAVORITE DAUGHTER? Yoooooooou!

HOME

We're back (again) from Utah and we had another great weekend for Scott's homecoming.

This was the night before the homecoming with aunt Peggy and her family helping in the kitchen. So fun. I love her family.
Me and Trey with him looking pretty good after having another double ear infection and the flu. The drive down was awful for him - poor thing.

Scott gave an amazing talk at his homecoming and I just don't know if there's anything better than seeing the change a mission brought about in my brothers. The spirit was definately so strong, despite the fact he is still super sick and having a hard time adjusting to American food.

I'm so thankful for my family and for the Gospel and knowing that I'll be with all these amazing people forever. I feel so blessed to have events like this that present opportunities to be with loved ones and feel the spirit so strong at the same time. I'm so lucky to be the sister of four awesome brothers, the daughter of two wonderful parents, the wife of the best husband in the world and the mother of my two precious boys who I hope one day make the brave decision to serve a mission, too.

Some for you... and some for me.

Of course nothing...

...could top the tour of Allied Waste, but CJ's birthday celebration continued into the next day with a bowling trip with his best friend Jacob.

The next day was Sunday and CJ's official birthday. He told me what he wanted on his cake and I delivered.

CJ with all the birthday loot.

And finally, two days later he got the birthday spotlight at school where he got to show baby pictures of himself and one of him in the garbage truck while explaining that his favorite thing to do is "go to the gas station for chips and a drink with my dad."

I flew home yesterday an hour before baby brother arrived home from the mission. There is NOTHING better than to see a missionary coming down that elevator after two years. He is totally normal and funnier than ever (although very skinny). He and I stayed up until 2:30a.m. long after everyone else had crashed and my stomach hurt from laughing at him (he can impersonate anyone on the planet). He got me up first thing to go shopping today. So much fun.

Allied Waste

Yesterday we gave CJ an early surprise for his birthday. I arranged for a VIP tour of Allied Waste! They were SO AWESOME. I had called earlier in the week and explained to a lovely lady named Linda that I had an almost 4 year-old who loved her trash trucks and could he possibly come and see one? So when he got there yesterday, Linda had not only arranged for him to see one trash truck, but to ride in THREE different trash trucks. And, they made sure they saved a dumpster and two garbage cans full of trash especially so CJ could dump them into the trucks himself. Then they presented him with a personalized card signed by all their drivers and a huge birthday bag full of all sorts of Allied Waste goodies: a flourescent beanie, reflector pins, safety goggles, key chains, a REMOTE CONTROL TRASH TRUCK!!!! two frisbees (one for him and one for his dog Mac), pencils, rulers, etc. He hasn't stopped talking about it and told me his "dream had come true!"

Boys Night Out

Chad and CJ headed out and little man was so excited to go with his dad. He had to take his backpack with cars (to play with) and Gatorade (in case he got thirsty watching basketball). They had a great time and CJ got a seat next to the team garbage can that "was full of Gatorade cups with water still in them!!!!!!!!!"

Nana's Here!

With her she brought an antique hutch for my house.

Then she let CJ drive her around the block.

Then we stayed up late watching Project Runway and making chocolate cheesecake.

Then we went shopping and to lunch then shopping again.

CJ got a new fish and told me the fish's first name is Recycle. Middle name is Your. Last name is Garbage.  Recycle Your Garbage.

Baby Trey

Snow

I bundled up myself and the boys to go shovel the driveway. I had just placed Trey in the wagon, all wrapped up and cozy in about four quilts and went in the back to get the shovels. I heard Trey scream, then cry. I came running back to see his face plastered in snow and CJ trying not to laugh and cry from fear at the same time.
CJ got taken inside for timeout and laid in the doorway bawling and sweating in his snow clothes. Once back outside he cried his apologies to me, then went over to Trey and with the sweetest sincerity said, "I'm so sorry little brother. I'll never throw a snowball at you again.... until you're older."