Sets of THREE Tag

I've been tagged by my dear sister (from the mission), Jody. How I enjoyed seeing you last week! Pictures from the blessed gathering to come.

Three Joys:
When I first received this tag, my immediate thought was "I have FOUR Joys: James, Jacob, Jessica, & Jayson." But since they were all riding my nerves and trying my patience today, I'll say:
Ice Cream
Mountains
My Sweet Jon

Three Fears:
Heights
Not being able to raise my kids
Not having my husband with me to raise our kids


Three Goals:
Finish customizing my Blurb book I started last Christmas
Downsize my body; upgrade my health

I'm only going to have two goals. I'm having a hard enough time getting them finished. Goal number 3 will be saved for a rainy day.


Three Current Obsessions:
Photography
Blogging
My baby

Three Random or Surprising Facts About Me:

I don't usually watch American Idol (I watched the better part of this past season - that was a first)
I don't know how use my mp3 player
I can curl, flip (both ways), & create a seashell shape with my tongue

I know this is a TAG, but I'm not quick enough to catch any of you. So if you'd like to share your sets of three: You're it!!

Party's Over

So the grand event that has taken every tidbit of my time since Saturday is over. I had to put everything together in a hurry. Jacob wasn't interested in waiting 'til Friday since his actual birthday was last Sunday. It worked out better because two - make that three- of his friends are traveling this weekend.

His heart was set on having a jumper/bouncer. Temperatures are in the high 90s this week, but this doesn't seem to bother young boys. I provided spray bottles to mist themselves with - they started a mini water war. Between the bouncer and the newly acquired Mario Dance Revolution Game, boys were heating up. Lots of slick brows and bright red faces darting around our house.

I know that the boys didn't notice, but I made the "Darn Good Chocolate Cake" recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor. It had extras like a cup of sour cream for richness, chocolate pudding for moisture, & 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips because every recipe is better with more chocolate. I wimped out and just used store bought frosting. I was in a time crunch. I made a basketball cake once before when James was just two years old. It's fun to sort through the Reese's Pieces to make the ball.





I'm glad to report that no bones were broken nor were any gashes acquired in the making of this birthday party - not that the guys didn't try. They nearly tipped the bouncer over once and were tackling each other while bouncing. Definitely a smart idea to pay the extra $7 for insurance; replacement cost on one of these bouncers is listed at $4000.

Jacob loved his gifts. He's into cash, giftcards, Pokemon, & video games. He requested the DS Action Replay & Pokemon Cheat books. Each provide shortcuts and helps to beating the games. Seems to me that it would be funner to figure it out yourself so the game doesn't end as quick, but I'm from the Atari generation - what would I know???

Candle blowing was a bit tricky outside. There was enough of a stuffy, warm breeze in the air to blow out the candles as we lit them. It was tricky getting a picture of him with the huddle of hands around the cake blocking the breeze. Hope YOU got the wishes and not the winds.

Just One for Now

I've been sorting through hundreds of vacation photos. I'd like to have more uninterrupted time to post & edit. But for now, enjoy my adorable nephew.

Because We are Crazy

We made it to our THIRD National Park this year. That will be tough to beat. Neither Jon nor I have been to the Timpanogos Caves in over a decade. Although the cave hasn't changed, our perspective and parental status have changed. Why did we decide to hike our quad (one of which would have to be packed) up 1 1/2 miles of steep mountain trail? The simple answer is because we are crazy.


Upon arrival, Jon quickly went to the ticket booth to get our reserved tour time and our start time for the hike. Only 20 people are allowed in each tour and you are assigned a specific time. You are given 1 1/2 hours to hike 1 1/2 miles - seems doable enough. It would be if it were just Jon & I, but we were not alone.

I started out with the pink backpack with everyone's jackets & assorted trail snacks on my back. This is necessary since it is only 45 degrees inside the cave and you stay in there for about 50 minutes. Funny how heavy a 1/2 dozen jackets can be when they are sitting on your hot back. I also shouldered my camera bag and held Jessica's hand. She wasn't given a lot of freedom to roam. Not with the tempting drop-offs at every turn. Jon toted the backpack which freed me up to pull out my camera and required Jessica to hold Dad's hand. The first part of the trail was mostly shaded with pretty trees, it was also more leveled than the trail ahead.

The ring pops were distributed in hopes that the whining could be stopped & the sweet flavor would overpower the tired feet. The trail was a steep climb.

There are stretches of the trail that are labeled "extreme rock fall area." Whenever the trail had a red line, this was a no-stop zone. Only once did my kids try tumbling rocks down these open areas.

The water pack is still a novelty with our kids. They are more willing to carry that pack than any of the other bags. We needed to pack water for all of us - no drinking fountains.

The boys usually led the way. I was a bit worried when they'd get out too far ahead. I've seen them be playful and silly. I just didn't want to see them be goofy by the cliffs.

It took much coaxing to get Jessica up the last bit. We arrived just as our group was to leave on the tour, which was a problem because Jayson needed to eat before being in the cave for an hour. We ended up going with the 11:50a.m. tour group instead.

No baby backpacks were allowed in the cave. We left that down on the trail in the "backpack parking" area. Jayson was switched to the Bjorn carrier. I decided to carry him so Jon could manage a tired and clingy Jessica. What I didn't remember about the inside of the caves were all the areas that required ducking and squating. There were narrow passages that you had to move through sideways and us tall folks nearly got a few stalactites in the forehead. Below you will see snapshot samples of carmel falls, stalactites with iron deposits giving them the added color, & cave bacon. Using the camera was NOT a priority. It was very dark inside and navigating was the priority.

James had to go the bathroom about half way through the tour which made his trip rather uncomfortable. Jayson started fussing, but luckily sucked on a blanket to fall asleep. Jessica did remarkably well in the cave. Jacob refuses to comment and won't claim that he liked it at all. Jon & I enjoyed the cave and even part of the walking. It was stressful going as parents. When Jon would turn and swing the backpack out behind him I had visions of him losing his balance. Kind of stressful watching my family use their agency. Not exactly a relaxing experience.

The forest service asks it's guests to allow 3 hours - 1 1/2 hours up, almost an hour in the cave, and 1/2 hour to walk down. If you have young children and you are still set on taking them to the cave before age five, I recommend that you disregard those estimates. There are warning signs all over about NOT running because of the open trail and steep drop offs. This was not our worry with Jessica. She was puttered out. She didn't even want to put one foot in front of the other going downhill. As the treat supply depleted, along with the water, we were happy to see our van in the parking lot. Finished!

Phrases I Live By

I had a dream last night that I was taking a college exam that was filled with extensive vocabulary and difficult spellings. In my dream the letters came back to me, but were buried in the furthermost part of my mind. I used to be smart. I used to know lots of theoretical terms, names of respectable persons in my field, and I even understood the applications of most of my knowledge.

I'm wondering if all that old stuff is just taking up memory. I'm losing mine fast. I still believe that I have it in me to be book smart, or school smart, or even career smart if I had to be. But for now, the majority of my energy is going into being Mommy Smart. And you're in luck. I'm going to share with you the secret textbook for "just being a mom."

Vocabulary & Phrases to Know:

*No
*I mean it
*Please
*Thank-you
*Who's socks are these?
*Put your shoes away
*Two more bites
*Uh-oh
*Band-aid
*I love you
*Nigh-Night time
*Tickle tickle
*Peek-a-boo
*What's wrong?
*I'll help you
*What happened
*Time Out
*Softly
*It's all right. Mama's here...
*Shhhhh.....
*Kisses
*You are the best
*You are really good at that
*Did I tell you that I love you?
*My turn to brush your teeth
*Stop fighting
*What's the trouble?
*If
*Where are the wipes?
*It's time to clean up
*I'm really proud of you
*You can do this
*Seat belts on
*Do you need to go potty?
*Wash your hands
*Not on your shirt
*You can have mine
*Who got this out?
*I'm sorry
*Can't you see I'm on the phone?
*Your turn
*It's time for homework
*Because everyone in our family gets to help
*Pick that up
*Now
*Don't throw
*Be nice
*Say you're sorry
*Let's go
*Come on
*Faster faster
*We're going to be late
*I'm so glad that you're mine

And the phrase coined just for my kids that they truly hate to hear, "you don't have to like it. You just have to eat it."

Each phrase can be adapted or modified by voice inflections, speed, & volume. I will warn you, however, that larger volume does NOT equal greater comprehension or more prompt results. It is often subject to backfire effect. This is when your child listens LESS even though you have declared your request more abundantly. I have taken note from some of my good friends on the whisper technique. They have a super ability of mustering much power by softening their voice and tone. I'll need to work on that.

Green Eggs & Ham

We just returned from two weeks worth of adventures in Utah visiting our families. I'm sorting through hundreds of photos - trying to find the handful that won't completely overwhelm you. I REALLY miss the computer when I am away for a while. Jayson isn't willing to let me spend the next few days nonstop on the computer, so the posts will be coming eventually.

Before we took the dreaded 10 hour drive, Jon decided that we might save some electricity by unplugging our garage freezer. So I planned meals around our frozen foods and we transferred the leftovers to the inside freezer. Now that we are back I'm trying to deplete our frozen supplies. This means that we are out of chicken & ground beef, but have several servings of ham, pork chops, & tilapia. Obviously these are not my favorite foods to prepare.

After a nice afternoon swim, we returned home with growling bellies. I had nothing in the works and we wanted something quick. I suggested a nice egg omelette- hoping to toss in some of our diced ham, and fresh tomatoes from the garden. The counter offer from the children was: green eggs & ham. So I pulled out the food coloring and dripped it into their scrambled eggs. Yum!

I'm Proud to be an American

On the 4th of July we traveled up to the Kaysville parade so we could see Grandpa Great ride with the veterans in the Humvees. I was a bit frazzled trying to get my family to walk 4 1/2 blocks to meet up with Grandma, my parents, & some cousins. We were walking up the parade route as the band came toward us. The Humvees were at the very front of the parade, so we stopped in an open spot and pulled out the cameras to get the pics before finding the rest of the family.

I got real emotional, straining my eyes to see which of these white haired war heroes was my grandpa. I saw the truck labeled Air Force, but didn't notice that grandpa got to ride in the passenger seat instead of in the sunny bed of the truck. Special thanks to my cousin Kami who darted across the street to capture grandpa waving out of his window.

I was so full of pride and gratitude. My grandpa is a war hero, but he is also a personal hero of mine. How grateful I am that he was not among the fallen war heroes, but he has been able to stand as a leader and example to me in our family. He is a man of honor and kindness. He is a true patriot. There is nothing sweeter than to see his face light up when he greets one of his 36 GREAT Grandchildren. I'm so thankful that I have known him all my life. He's the only one that has gotten away with calling me Jenny or JennyJo. How cute is that?

As the veterans passed, we realized that we were standing just 6 feet from the rest of our family that we were rushing to meet up with. It was sweet to be with others who are such fans of Grandpa.

Eight Great Years

It was eight years ago today that Jacob joined our family. His arrival was a surprise since he came three weeks early (my first son was induced out two days late so we didn't expect to see Jacob for a few weeks). He was my tiniest baby weighing in at 7 lbs. 15 oz. at 37 WEEKS. He has always been full of surprises. Life is never dull with Jacob in the house.

When Jacob was a baby, I affectionately referred to him as my lil punkin or Jake. He prefers to go by Jacob, but would probably let you call him Jacob the Jedi. As a toddler he was a total Harry Potter fan. I was one of the mothers that let her two year old watch the movie over and over again. His loyalties moved to Star Wars & he has gone through several lightsabers - some with sounds and lights and a variety of colors. Today he is a Pokemon collector and LOVES video games.

Not Again!!!

Poor Jessica. Her purple and blue cheek has been mending okay, but she can't seem to withstand the powers of gravity. She skinned her knee, scraped her finger, fell again aggrevating the knee scrap, then banged her cheek into a wall - opening her gum gash. I've was spotting blood specks out of clothes all evening.

When she spotted the silky new pink ballerina pajamas I bought for NEXT spring, I quickly agreed that she could wear them. Sometimes it's the simple things that make everything else all better.

Farewell Goldi- Long-Tangled-Locks

Isn't she a beauty?! I have to TREASURE the moments that she listens, looks, & smiles all within the click of my shutter. I wanted you to see how long her hair has grown. She's loved it long. She takes it out of the ponytail so she can feel it brush against her back. The curls on the very ends are tight and easily tangled. She doesn't like it brushed. Which means I've been ready for a hair cut.

Jessica still wants LONG hair and I concede. It really is pretty. But we bid farewell to the curls on the ends. I had Jolie (our friend & hair dresser) trim it up about 5 inches with an undercut. It's still beautiful, but let's enjoy this last glimpse of her very long locks.