Busted

When we lived in Utah, we loved using our Entertainment Book coupons to get buy-one-get-one-free meals. (We have one here in San Antonio, but don't use it as much because the town is much bigger and most of the coupons are for really far away). Anyway, while we loved it, often times we found the places shut down. Sometimes we left feeling like we got a little bit of food poisoning. We would joke that if it wasn't owned and operated by immigrants, they didn't have their children watching TV in a corner, and we weren't the ONLY patrons in the establishment, then it wasn't for us!

Well, I just found a website that would have rocked my Utah world. It's a direct link to all the Salt Lake Valley restaurant inspections. SERIOUSLY! I just quickly checked out some of my old faves...Cafe Rio, for the most part, does okay, but NEVER go to the one on Fourth South. Really bad score. Su Casa on State Street, by our old apartment (TJ, I hate to say this, I know it's one of your faves) not so good, either. Cucina Deli on 2nd Avenue, fairly good.

What's cool is that you can read what each violation is, and how serious it is. What I saw a lot of in my short search is a LOT of dirty ice machines. Ewww....that grosses me out.

Anyway, if you've got a little bit of OCD in you, like me, this will probably not be very good for you. Thank goodness I didn't know about this when I lived there! Hopefully Texas inspections aren't so readily available.

Search here at your own risk!

Inspiration

My friend Caralee posted this inspiring video on her blog, and I've practically been stalking her site as I watch it over and over again. It is so inpsiring and comforting, and it has changed my thoughts and prayers. I liked it so much that I looked up the whole talk it was taken from. Here's the link. Enjoy.

Bugged

Warning: There will be spoilers here. If you want to read this book, don't read this post.

I'm sorry, but I have to vent. I put a good amount of time in this book. It's long--over 350 pages. It started off slow, but I got into it as I met the characters. I felt for the protagonist, a single mom who started her own knitting/yarn shop in Manhattan. I liked the mix of ladies that made up the Friday Night Knitting Club. All was happily rolling along until BAM! The protagonist got cancer. Great, I thought. I don't need this! So I skipped ahead to the back of the book (does anyone else ever do this?), just to make sure she was alive at the end. I didn't want to know all the details, I just wanted to see her saying something on the last page, so I knew she was alive.

Well, guess what? She wasn't! The author killed off the protagonist!!! I HATE THAT!!! I don't read books to learn about death and dying! There's enough gloom and doom in real life. How dare she get you all warm and fuzzy and then just do that to you? Why would I want to read that? I mean, sure--I can handle a supporting character every once in a while biting the bullet. It happens. I don't like it, but I wasn't too invested in them, so it's okay. But the protagonist? COME ON! It's just cruel. I feel manipulated.

I guess I'll just have to stick with Mary Higgins Clark. Her protagonists never die. They always are in some great danger, and always the new romance partner finds her just in time. Love it! Nice and predictable.

Anyone have any favorite books where the main character DOES NOT die?

Super Guests

This last week has been so crazy busy that I didn't get a chance to blog about my sister and her family coming out to visit last weekend. For their spring break they flew out to San Antonio, then left for a Carnival Cruise out of Galveston, TX, and came back for a few days of touring San Antonio. It was great fun! Hopefully next time we'll be able to go on the cruise with them!

SusieQ still with her Mexican braids, with Hank and JJ on the trolley.

The children sitting on the exact cannon Davy Crockett used in the fight at the Alamo.

One day we went to a little amusement park in a town called Seguin. Here Brad, Reed, and JJ are racing to the top of the rock wall.

Even Tyler braved the rock wall!

Uh-oh. I'm afraid this picture could be used as evidence if the Amusement Park knew about it. You see, this is Brad and Hank racing down. You can see Hank lying down on the slide. He's not supposed to do that. At the end of the slide, Hank had a lot of momentum. Although Brad still won the race, Hank didn't actually stop when he got to the end of the slide. He kept going. Over the green carpet, and through the gate. In fact, he shattered the gate. The hinges were blasted to pieces. It was quite amazing to watch. And he was a little famous that day among all the workers.

Ty, Montana, and Hank get ready to go high up in the air and be dropped--over and over again. This was Ty's favorite ride. He loved the butterflies in his stomach.

SusieQ was just happy to bask in the sun. I guess it has been a pretty cloudy spring up in the Northwest.

So Grateful

Is it kinda strange that I actually feel sorry for people who don't have adoption in their lives?

I know it seems strange, but being in an adoption where everyone involved has the best interests of the child in mind cannot be beat!

Look at this happy little boy. He has so many people that love him, and he knows it.

The above picture was taken this morning, just before TJ (Ty's birthmom) and Donn (TJ's awesome husband) had to go. We spent an incredible weekend with them playing, reading, talking, eating, touring, laughing, and loving.

My heart is so full today--grateful for this wonderful young woman and her supportive family who gave us a gift we will never be able to repay, and grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who has turned all our sorrows into hope, and pains into joy.

I'm stealing the following link from my friend Lindsey at the r house.

It reminds me of this day...

...and why I love Ty's birth family so much. I think birth families sometimes get a bad rap. People judge them and wonder how they could do that? Wonder if their hearts are made of stone. No, just the opposite, in fact. These are the brave people that do the hardest thing on earth to do, all because of true and pure love.

Click here to see the truth about adoption and birth families.

After you watch, you'll understand why we're so excited for Ty's birthmom to come visit us next weekend!

Builders

In Primary this month we're learning a song about being a builder.

The words are as follows:

I am a builder working each day
To build my family.
And I will do the best I can
To serve them lovingly.
I am a builder growing so tall
And learning every day
To speak with kindness in my home,
To help at work and play.

My Heavenly Father sent me here
And he knows I can be
Strong and righteous as I build
My eternal family.

I am so blessed to have grown up with a very special builder in my life. He literally built the house that I grew up in with his own hands.

Under construction, around 1976

I felt so safe in this house. I was always so proud to call it home.

But so much more important than its physical construction is the building that went on inside its walls: half-awake scripture studies; piano recitals and dance performances; Father's blessings; basketball hoops and tetherballs hung from the ceiling for easy practice; heartfelt and understanding discussions; prayer, prayer, and more prayer; yes, some forced Johnny Mathis listening and Lawrence Welk watching; hard work and early mornings; apple peeling and coring; picture-taking; celebrating; schoolwork-helping; family-history digging; and so much more!

Thanks, Dad, for not just building our house, but--with Mom--building our Eternal Family.

I love you. Happy Birthday!

Our Scout Troop had a big yard sale today in the church parking lot. Brad got up at the crack of dawn to help out.

As they were sorting things, Brad saw what looked like Mosquito Netting. He asked Sister Robison, who was in charge, where to put the netting.

She was a bit busy, and without looking at it she said, Sporting Goods. So off Brad went to put it in Sporting Goods. On his way over, she actually looked at he was holding.

"Tulle," she said.

"What?" Brad asked.

"Tulle."

"Tools? Okay, I'll put it by the tools."

"No, it's tulle."

"Huh?"

"It's fabric. It's called tulle!"

I guess it's pretty obvious I don't do much sewing around here.

Seven Things

I was tagged by my SIL Rebecca (her blog is private, otherwise I would have linked).

Seven things I can do:
1. Find a good deal.
2. Create a meal out of random ingredients in my cupboard/fridge.
3. Tell when American Idol contestants are off pitch.
4. Laugh at myself. And my husband.
5. Parallel park.
6. Sightread well enough to play most hymns on the piano.
7. Find my way without asking for directions. (It may take a little longer, but I eventually get wherever I want to go!)



Seven things I can NOT do:
1. Enjoy baking.
2. Roll my r's.
3. Kill an animal. (I can do bugs, but I hate it.)
4. Keep my car clean.
5. Stop my backseat-driving tendencies.
6. Live without air-conditioning.
7. Be a morning person.


Seven things I say the most:
1. Hoo-da-lolly!
2. I Wuv Woo. (Click here for the story)
3. Feel free to come out when you're acting sweet.
4. I can't hear you through all that whining.
5. Okie Dokie Hokie Pokey.
6. If you can hear me clap two times.
7. Oh man!



Seven goals I have:
1. Keep up my exercise routine.
2. Achieve our financial goals.
3. Improve as a piano teacher.
4. Remember all my primary meetings!
5. Listen more, advise less.
6. Attend temple more.
7. Get over phone anxiety.



Seven reasons I fell in love with my spouse:
1. Spirituality--I met him on his mission and was so impressed with his faith, dedication, and obedience.
2. Kindness--he is so nice to everyone he meets. Not judgemental.
3. Didn't play games--he came right out and said what he was feeling.
4. Cutie Patooty.
5. Open-minded and spontaneous--he's up for just about any challenge or adventure.
6. So good with kids.
7. Treated his mom and Grandmas with respect--I knew if he did that, then he would be that way with me and teach our sons to be that way, too.



Seven thing I love to eat:
1. Hawaiian food: teriyaki chicken, rice, macaroni salad
2. Cafe Rio Pork Salad
3. Twix candy bar
4. Avacado in any form
5. Cilantro on anything
6. Chocolate chip cookies
7. TCBY white chocolate mousse flavor



Seven people I tag:
1.You
2. You
3. You
4. You
5. You
6. You
7. You

Favorite Things Right Now

1. Texas in February. LOVE IT! Sunshine, low 80's, breezes, NICE!

2. A Brand New Year. My cousin Sara has talked about it on her blog, but I cannot listen to it or watch it enough. It is so positive, it just makes me so happy! Especially the song Say Yes. I cry EVERY TIME I watch it, and I smile and dance every time I listen to it. You can download it for free, so we just put it on Tyler's MP3 player, and I LOVE that he loves it. Some of the words in the chorus:

"If you feel like all you say is "no," don't let go,
'cause we will reap exactly what we sow,
and when we say no, then we say
Yes, yes, yes to happiness
and we say yes to freedom
and yes to hope
and yes to every thing good that we know.
Because we're tryin' hard to do what's right
means we're gonna have that much more fun tonight.
We only wanna be our best,
so we say YES!"

3. YNAB Pro. (YNAB stands for You Need A Budget) My blogging friend Emily has blogged about it from time to time, and we finally checked it out, and it's definitely worth every penny! (You can get a 10% discount code if you Google it) Anyway, it's this awesome software that is better than any I've seen. Everything I've ever hated about other budgeting software is taken care of with this. But it's not just software, it's a methodology that is totally compatible with Dave Ramsey's money philosophy. Anyway, in this tight economy, we decided it's finally time to do a better job with our money, and it's so liberating and exciting!

4. Tyler:

• He's doing such a good job trying new foods now. He used to gag just looking at other foods, and would only eat a handful of different foods. So we decided he needs to try something new every night before dinner. Usually just one bite. He had to go a couple of nights with no dinner because he wouldn't try something (so hard to do!!!!) but he's really getting over his phobias, and trying new foods every day now.
• The other day when we asked him to clean his room, rather than cry and protest like normal, he just sweetly said, "Any help would be greatly appreciated!" What?! Where did that come from? So cute! Of course we couldn't say no to that.
• There's a country song that goes something like this," No one else on earth could ever love me--no one could love me like you." And it keeps repeating the line No one else on earth. Every time it comes on the radio, he asks, How can there be no one else on earth? There are lots of people on earth, Mommy! She's so silly saying there's no one else on earth!" I just think it's cute.

5. Brad: We've been married almost ten years, and I just realized something: If my toothbrush is not a "girl" color, like pink, purple, or yellow, then it is in danger of being used by him! How many times have I unknowingly brushed my teeth with his germs on my toothbrush?!? It just doesn't seem to bother him, and he says he gets confused when we have similar colors, or if I have a boy color. So funny to me!

6. Pandora. You can go to this site and choose artists you like and they will make a "station" out of similar sounds and artists. It's all based on this in-depth analysis called the music genome project, where they disect different elements of the songs. It's pretty accurate!

7. Amazing Race. Love this show, even in its 14th season. This one's challenges and racers are especially good, I think. The cheese challenge had us rolling on the floor! Especially when Luke, the first deaf contestant (he's awesome!) fell down the hill! Enjoy:

Flat Emma

Have you heard of the book, Flat Stanley? It's where a boy gets smashed flat and realizes that now he can go anywhere in the mail. Apparently it has become a favorite Social Studies assignment among elementary school teachers. I remember the first time I heard about it was when my nephew Reed had to send Flat Stanley somewhere. That was when my parents lived in Africa, so that was pretty cool! Well, the parents no longer live in Ghana, so I guess Texas was second place when my niece Emma had to do the assignment. But we treated Flat Emma pretty well! Here were our adventures:

We took her to see the Texas State Capitol. Following the trend to make everything a little bigger and better in Texas, the Capitol was built to be 15 feet higher than the national one in Washington, D.C.

Back in San Antonio, our first stop was El Mercado, or the Mexican Marketplace. Flat Emma jumped right in and grabbed a little instrument to join in with the Mexican band playing.

Next we took the trolley to the other side of Downtown. She was a little nervous to be without a seatbelt.

We are the "Alamo City," so of course we had to take her here. She was very respectful during the tour. Not even a peep.

Lastly was the Paseo del Rio, or Riverwalk. She almost fell in, but we caught her. Phew! That would've been a little bit embarrassing, jumping in to save a paper doll!

Hopefully next time some real people will come to S.A. We'd love to take you on the same tour!

This is Really Cool!

I don't know why I'm so fixated by this new thing I found on Pinching Your Pennies.

"YourFonts.com is a FREE online font generator that allows you to create your own TrueType fonts within a couple of minutes.

Your own handwriting turned into your very own font for free
Optionally include your signature
You'll have your very own font within 15 minutes
Make as many fonts as you like
Use your fonts on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux
Personalize your digital scrapbook pages
Make your own "family handwriting history"
Use your fonts in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and every program that you own

There is another site out there that you can do this on but it costs money and here is a free alternative. You download the pdf and print it out and fill it out with your handwriting. You then upload it back to the site and it will create a font that you can use on your computer based on your handwriting."

Here's a sample of my font:




I absolutely love it! I keep writing nonsense just to see my very own font! It's like I'm immortal in a way. Like, I could die tomorrow (knock on wood!) but whomever had this font could still write in my writing!

So go do this and email me yours, so I can have your writing forever! I promise I won't forge anything.

Reluctant 25 Things

I wasn't going to do the whole "25 Things" thing that's been going around on Facebook, mainly because everybody's doing it, and I hate to do something that everybody's doing (I still have never seen ET or Titanic)! But I have no other ideas for a post, so here goes...(although I'm only posting it here, not Facebook, so I'm still kind of a rebel!)

1. I like feeling cold. I love the feeling of cold sheets when I get into bed. Brad is the complete opposite. That is why he has a twin-size electric blanket on his side.

2. I have always and always will hate mustard.

3. I would rather scrub a toilet than empty the dishwasher.

4. I love Texas, but I just don't think it's pretty like Oregon and Utah. I miss my Sunday drives into the mountains.

5. Texas Natives will NOT listen to that last comment. They will fight it tooth and nail, saying that there is nowhere prettier than Texas.

6. I like to try and get Brad to say stuff that he doesn't want to say. Like, he hates it when couples talk baby talk to each other, so I often say, "I wuv woo," just to bug him, and he'll say "I love you, too." But I keep saying "I wuv woo," until he breaks down and says, "I wuv woo, too." Sweet victory!

7. Brad will deny everything in that last comment. Except that I like to bug him. He'll agree with that!

8. I had NOTHING to do with the Christmas tree falling over in the front room when I was five. I was simply sitting at the table, eating my clam chowder, and it fell. End of story!

9. I did, however, have EVERYTHING to do with shaving my eyebrows in the third grade, even though I denied it.

10. I am not a very good play partner for Tyler. By the time I'm done playing, all the bad guys have made up and are having hot cocoa and toast in the castle. Nobody kills or fights, everybody gets along. Not very masculine.

11. I really like doubles tennis, and think Brad and I make a good partnership. If anyone would like to play sometime, call us up!

12. I have phone anxiety. I always feel like a dork on the phone. I am bad at thinking of things to say.

13. I LOVE Neil Diamond.

14. I always have to know what direction I'm facing. San Antonio has humbled me in this regard, because there is no grid; very few streets are straight North-South or East-West.

15. I am left-handed and proud of it, but am secretly glad that Tyler favors his right-hand. Too many things are harder for left-handers.

16. I LOVE to cook, but HATE to bake.

17. If I had to choose between a paper-supply store and a department store, 99 times out of 100 I would choose the paper-supply store.

18. On average, I am in the middle of about 5 books at a time. Yes, it does get confusing sometimes!

19. We have a name for the remote: Minnoe Pinnoe, Minnoe for short. "Hey, do you know where the minnoe is?" "Have you tried inside the couch cushion?"

20. Sometimes Tyler says things wrong, and we don't correct him, because it's so cute: "Mom, can we put some Smarshmallows in the hot chocolate?" "Mom, does this yogurt have any Chokes (chunks) in it?"

21. I cut my own hair. Sometimes it turns out well, other times I have to go in and get it fixed.

22. Now that I'm on Facebook, I don't think I'll feel the need to go to my high-school reunions. You get to see what people are up to, without all the social anxiety!

23. I am SOOOOO not a morning person.

24. I'd rather have last night's leftovers for breakfast than breakfast food. I could live without pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls, cereal, etc.

25. Shows I record on the DVR: Gilmore Girls, NBC Nightly News, Nightline, American Idol, Amazing Race, CBS Sunday Morning, The Office, House Hunters, Designed to Sell, Property Virgins, Throwdown w/ Bobby Flay, 30 minute meals, and our latest, Howie Do It.

Quiz

What could cause a child to quake with fear, retreat to the floor of the car, and not stop crying until we were far away?

Linda the Llama? Nope, she's too gentle.

Willy the Wildebeest? Too bored with humans.

The pretty Oryx? No way! He let you pet him.

The other type of Oryx with the straight horns? Nope, wouldn't even come close.




The big bison? Too sleepy!

It's Ozzy. Ozzy the Ostrich! Helped himself to our car, and nipped Tyler's finger. He looks sweet here, but he's a maniac!

The Zoo

Several families in our ward have Zoo memberships. It's very inexpensive, it's something for the whole family, and the San Antonio Zoo is supposedly one of the best in the nation. So we decided to jump on the bandwagon and join too.

We had a lot of fun fake fishing...

Drumming...

Posing...


Jumping...



And climbing...

...Maybe next time he'll be interested in the animals!

This Made Me Cry

If you've been following NieNie at all, you know all about her and her husband's plane crash, and subsequent fight for life; you know all about her burns; you know all her family, especially her sister Courtney, who is raising her children. You also know how the blogging community has come together to support her and her family, and you know what a missionary tool it's been to thousands.

Well, after several months, Nie Nie is back, and she posted her first blog post AC (after the crash). That picture of her and her husband in their burn bandages...oh, it just hit me hard this morning. That is true love right there. To know how incredible of a couple they were before, and to know that by God's grace they can continue being together, even though it will be painful and costly, and scary, and whatever else...it's a miracle.

And speaking of miracles, how about that plane crash yesterday? Amazing!

Man Tag

My friend and former mission companion, Lindsay, tagged me just in time! I had no idea what to write about today, so here's my version of Husband Tag.

Brad's 5 favorite things:

1. Family

2. Lasagna

3. Playing soccer

4. Watching football

5. Vacations

5 things on his to-do list:

1. Spray the yard w/ weed and bug killer

2. Get a better office space

3. Go gray or bald, so people won't think he's a kid at his job

4. Prepare this week's Sunday School lesson

5. Take family to Wildlife Ranch (thanks TJ and fam!)

5 snacks he loves:

1. Chocolate ice cream

2. Chocolate

3. Cheese ball w/ Wheat Thins

4. Chocolate Chip Cookies

5. m&m's

5 facts you may not know about him:

1. He gets just about all his clothes at thrift stores, but he's a total shoe snob. He would NEVER buy a pair of shoes at some place like Payless.

2. His summer jobs as a kid included picking beans, KFC, and working at a shoe store.

3. He is freakishly strong.

4. He'll be getting his LCSW (the highest licensure in his profession) this month!

5. He loves bubble baths.

5 places he has lived:

1. Idaho

2. Utah

3. Oklahoma

4. Missouri

5.Texas

5 quirky things about him:

1. He compartmentalizes his food. No foods touching each other, unless it's a casserole.

2. He has been known to cheat at board games.

3. He loves the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

4. He loves the feeling of getting in a really hot car, even on really hot days.

5. When I'm out of town, he has challenges with himself to see if he can go without going to a grocery store or out to eat. He'd eat PB from a spoon rather than go get something somewhere!

I tag anyone who doesn't know what to write about on their next post!

My Word for 2009

Nurture:

• to help develop; help grow
• to feed and protect
• to support and encourage

I feel a real push to be more nurturing this year. I've never thought of myself as a nurturing person. I've never really liked babysitting, or animals, or other nurturing-type things. I think my call to serve in the Primary has kicked me in the bum a little bit towards this. But I don't think this goal ends with the Primary kids.

I can definitely stand to nurture my relationships more: with my husband, my son, friends and family, and the Savior.

I want to learn how to nurture plants better. My dad gave me some MARVELOUS bulbs and I want to treat them right and have some beautiful flowers.

I want to continue nurturing my own health. I've been taking care of myself a little bit more and I want to continue on that path.

This word just has a lot of meaning for me this year, so thanks to Tip Junkie for the challenge.

A Taste of the Holidays

What a great Christmas Season we had! Blogging wasn't exactly first priority, so here's a taste of what we did last month.

Tyler's preschool put on a little Christmas concert for us.

The Big Guy in Red visited our ward party, and Tyler chatted his ear off. Seriously, we had to pry him off Santa's lap, because other kids were starting to get mad.


Our first day in Eugene brought SNOW!!!

Snow Angels with snow are a lot more fun than just pretending, like we do in San Antonio!

Christmas morning line-up. Love the teenager's glee on the top of the stairs. If he'd had his say, we would have waited a couple more hours. As it was, we had to wake all the kids up!

Santa hit paydirt with this one.

Back home in San Antonio, we had to try Pioneer Woman's black-eyed pea salsa on New Year's Day for good luck. We do live in the South now, ya know.

Feelin' Old

This is for all of my 20-something pals from the other night, who, although they knew many things, had NO IDEA who Howard Jones was! Enjoy this taste of the 80's, my friends. And please...watch Better Off Dead at least once before you die!

Can I get an amen from my fellow thirty-somethings?