Tuesday Tell All - Hometown Favorites

As you can tell, it is not Tuesday, but Tuesday was crazy. This week's Tuesday Tell All is "Favorite place to..." so, here we go.

My Favorite Place To...
grab lunch - Wendy's

go for Date night - What night? Date night? Never heard of it. You mean people actually go out just with their spouse? Seriously, Redbox is about as exciting as it gets. (I'm right there with you Anna).

pick up some creative goodies - Roberts, Scrooge & Marley's (great sales back in the barn), local boutiques

keep the kids busy - The park behind our house, the duck pond, McDonald's playground.

get wet - sprinklers in the front yard (for the kids). For me it's a swimming pool. I love to swim.

buy a treat - Coldstone

shop for fun - Okay, here's what I do best. I LOVE to shop. I don't have to buy anything, I usually don't, I just love being in a store looking. My kids are pretty used to it and are usually pretty good (usually, except for the times they are grabbing everything, screaming, whining, etc.) So my favorites are Target (a little bit of something for everyone), Roberts, and Barnes & Noble.

get some fresh air - See "Keep the kids busy" above (except for the McDonald's playground, no fresh air there).

splurge - Target, Robert's, and barnesandnoble.com (I buy almost exclusively used). This answer looks eerily similar to "shop for fun." Hmmmm?

drive for a weekend away - St. George or Las Vegas

Tuesday Tell All - Laughing Out Loud

This weeks question is "What makes you laugh?" That's easy, my husband. I love that Karl is so goofy and will do all sorts of stupid things to make me and the kids laugh (see the "What Happens When Karl is Left Alone" post below). He is always doing crazy things to make us laugh. Pride is not an issue. It doesn't matter how ridiculous it makes him look, if he thinks we'll enjoy it, he'll do it. Aside from the goofy things, he is just a genuinely funny guy. He makes me laugh more times a day than I could even count.

The other thing that makes me laugh are my kids. Just look at their funny little quotes. They say, and do, the funniest things. They sure liven up my life, and I never know what they're going to do next, but they definately keep me laughing.

I love to laugh, even if it is at myself (which happens frequently). How could we make it through this crazy world without finding humor and joy in the little things? Laughter is truly the best medicine.

Red vs. White Game

On Saturday the Utes had their Red vs. White game. (For those who don't know what that is it is just a scrimmage game.) It was free, and they had autograph signing afterward. Karl and Cruz went, and had a blast! Eric Weddle (former Ute and current San Diego Charger) coached the white team. Apparently, at some point in the game he went out on the field to kick the ball (no pads) and when it was blocked he chased down the guy running the ball back. I'll emphasize again - no pads. I think that play was the highlight of Karl's day. Cruz's favorite was getting his picture taken with Coach Whittingham and his autograph. I don't know who had more fun, Karl or Cruz.

Karl & Cruz watching the game.

Eric Weddle playing with no pads.

No "face mask" was called on this play. What do you think the call should have been?

Cruz on the 50 yard line.

Cruz getting his hat signed by Coach Whittingham.

Cruz with the Coach.

Cruz's autographed hat which is now hanging in his room, never to be worn again.

What Happens When Karl is Left Alone

I took Mara over to play with Maddie Kimmel today, and Karl stayed home with the boys. When I got home they had something to show me. So, here's what Karl did while I was gone this morning...



And here's what the boys did...

And back to Karl. I saved the best for last.

Quick, do something manly, Karl!

Tuesday Tell All - Professional Help

This weeks Tuesday Tell All question is, "For what activity would you want professional lessons?" I've thought about it, and while that could be a VERY long list I've narrowed it down to two. First is piano lessons. I took them for a little while when I was younger, but I definately do not know how to play. I would love to learn. The second is ski lessons. I've been snow skiing, but I really don't know what I'm doing. I can get down the hill without falling, but that's about it. I would love lessons so I could actually know what I'm doing, not just manage to make it down the hill.

Mom or Daughter?

All my family knows how much Mara looks like me when I was little, but for those of you who didn't know me then I thought I would put up some random pictures of myself when I was young and some random pictures of Mara. The resemblance is uncanny.

Karl made this last summer after getting a picture of Mara being caught-in-the-act stealing some candy. He just couldn't let it go by without comparing it to a picture of me being caught-in-the-act as well.

I just have to add that whenever my old pictures get pulled out, Mara always says, "There's Mara." And she will argue with me that they are pictures of her and not me.

Utah Museum of Natural History

One Monday a month the Utah Museum of Natural History has a free day for families. This last Monday, we took the kids, and they had a blast. There are so many things to see, and a lot of activities for the kids. If you can go, I highly recommend it. Here are the highlights of our visit.

The kids with "Al" the allosaurus.

Sitting in the VERY large goose.

They got to play in an indian hut...

and a teepee.

They did puzzels...

and dug for fossils.

Kenyon's favorite things were the mammoth and sabre-tooth cat.

Cruz's favorite was the mining cave.

Mara spent the most time looking at this wolf. She was fascinated with it.

But if you ask her, her favorite thing was this PINK rock.

There was so much to see and we had such a great time. If you want to see more of our trip, watch the slide show.

Utah Museum of Natural History Pics

Tuesday Tell All - Livin' on the Edge

Okay, if you know me well, you know I'm about the least thrill seeking person you could meet. What you might be surprised to know is that that was not always the case. I used to love the adrenalin rush of doing something dangerous. I can pinpoint the exact moment that all changed.

I was 17 and out cliff diving with my friends. We were going of this HUGE cliff. We basically had to scale the side of the cliff to get up to the spot. I can't emphasize enough how dangerous this really was. If I slipped, or lost my grip I would have fallen to the rocks below and probably to my death. I remember my boyfriend at the time trying to talk me out of it. He thought it was crazy and didn't want me to do it, but I wouldn't be stopped, so he came along with me. I'm not sure if he came because he was concerned for my safety, or if he just didn't want to be shown up by a girl. Anyway, we made it to the top safely. Then it was time to jump. This ledge (that's all it was was a small ledge jutting out from the cliff) was about 75 ft. above the water. looking down you could see rocks surrounding the area. There was one spot that you had to hit the water to be safe. I jumped, hit the water, and couldn't feel anything. I couldn't move. I tried to swim to the surface, but nothing would move. I wasn't even sure which way the surface was. I honestly thought I was about to die. I remember thinking, "I'm dying." Then my face broke the surface of the water. My next thought was, "Thank you, I'm alive," then "I'm paralyzed." My boyfriend and our other friend that had made the climb with us knew something was wrong and jumped in. They pulled me to the edge of the water. After a few minutes my feeling started returning. Apparently, when I entered the water my feet had come up just a bit, so I basically sat on the water. I guess the shock to my spine is what made me loose all feeling. I made a full recovery, but for a few weeks I had blood blisters the size of saucers on my upper thighs and butt. I literally couldn't sit down for the longest time.

So there it is, the moment I went from dare devil to scared of anything that could be remotely dangerous. I am absolutely terrified of heights. But, if I knew that there was NO risk, that I would be 100% safe at the end, the one thing that I always thought would be fun and never did before I turned into a complete wuss is rock climbing. Not some little wall or little rock climbing excursion, but full out extreme rock climbing. What a rush that would be, but I'm sure I will not ever be doing it. It's funny that I see these dangerous things and look at them longingly, but I am just too completely scared out of my mind to even try. Maybe someday I'll get past it, but I'm not holding my breath.

"I Wish I Was a Dad..."

This morning Karl was mopping the floor. (I've said it before; he is a wonderful husband. And no, you can't borrow him. He's all mine.) Kenyon was watching him. I guess mopping looked like fun to Kenyon because he said, "I wish I was a dad so I could mop."

Wonderful Women of the Web Award

I recieved this award from my friend PJ. We have known each other for MANY years (more than I like to mention, I don't like admitting I'm that old). Her blog is a blast to read, and always makes me laugh. So, PJ, thank you so much.

I am passing this award along to:

Sarah, author of The Organized Moms. Her blog is full of useful and practical information. She also sells her own organizational software. She is a wonderful woman, and a great friend.

Natalie, who was the one who got me blogging in the first place. Her blog is so much fun to read. She is so talented and often shows her lasted project. It is very inspiring. She is a dear friend, and a wonderful woman. I'm lucky to know her.

And to Anna, my good friend who began blogging about the same time as me. I feel like we've been learning this whole thing together, asking each other "How did you do that?" She has created a very fun little blog, and watching all the crazy things her kids do reminds me that my kids aren't the only crazy ones. She is a definately a wonderful woman.

So to each of these Wonderful Women of the Web, take a bow, you deserve it!

"Lotht" Tooth

Cruz lost one of his front teeth today. This tooth has been loose since before Christmas, but it's been pretty stubborn. So, Cruz finally pulled it today. He has pulled all three of his teeth that he has lost by himself. He's pretty proud of that. Karl and I are enjoying listening to the new lisp that came along with the missing tooth.

Tuesday Tell All - Made By Hand

I've seen a ton of people doing the "Tuesday Tell All" and I've thought about doing it, but when I saw what this week's topic was, I just had to do it. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to make things. I think the saying goes, "A Jack of all trades, but a master of none." That is me. I love to make all kinds of things, but I'm certainly not a master of any of my hobbies. They are all flawed, but I think that makes them unique, at least that's what I tell myself. I love being surrounded by homemade things. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but here are some of my favorites.

The two blankets on the top were made by my mom, and the one on the bottom was made by Karl's mom. They are very worn, but very loved. Karl always shows me the different fabrics used in his mother's quilt and says, "I had pants made of this," or "my mom had a shirt made of that," or "my sister had a dress made of this," and it goes on and on. I love that.

The kid's Oma Christa, in Germany, made these. She knits and crochets all kinds of things, and she is incredibly talented at it. The little clown was Mara's first doll. The socks and slippers have German names that I can't say, so in our house they are just called socks and slippers. This is just a sampling, the kids have quite a few, but they love them and wear them all (I had to fight them away from Mara to take a picture). Karl and I each have a pair as well, but we have really worn them out. She also made me a beautiful neckerchief.

This bookcase was a joint effort by Karl and I. It is one of my favorite things in the house.

This is a shelf Karl made. I love how old and rustic it is. He used old scrap wood and you can see the screws and nails he used. I love things that are old. Sorry, the picture is fuzzy.

I like to make wreaths. This one is my favorite.

I love to sew. These are a few of the things I have made. I wish I had more time to make cute clothes for my kids.

I really enjoy quilting and crocheting. I also knit, but I'm not very good at it. Here are a few quilts and an afghan I made.

I love to scrapbook and do all sorts of paper crafts.

I had to include something from Mara's room. There is not much in her room that isn't either homemade or refinished.

Finally, I had to include my latest project. As you can tell it is unfinished. I haven't done stitchery in years, and I had forgotten how much I enjoy it. So, Natalie, thank you for getting me stiching again.

There is one other thing that is a homemade treasure to us that I couldn't get a picture of because it it packed away right now. It is two beautifully embroidered pillowcases made by Karl's grandmother. They are packed away because the kids are so little and things get messed up pretty easily with them around. In another year or two I plan to get them out. They are so beautiful they should defintely be seen, and not packed away.