Quote of the Day

Aaron's dad just sent me this quote in an email. I think this is so true and deserves a post...

"Anyone who imagines that bliss is normal is going to waste a lot of time running around shouting that he’s been robbed. The fact is that most putts don’t drop, most beef is tough, most children grow up to be just people, most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration, most jobs are often more dull than otherwise. Life is like an old-time rail journey – delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful landscapes and thrilling bursts of speed. The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride."

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley

Lynn's Holiday Slaves...Oops, I Mean "Elves"

Anyone who has ever been to my parents house at Christmastime knows how much my mom loves Christmas decorations. Every year my mom reenacts that rowing scene from Ben Hur as she plays slave driver and coaxes her husband, children and grandchildren into pulling down all 35 boxes of holiday decor from the attic, garage, the "bear cave" under their bed, her closet, and various other nooks and crannies... where they have been sitting, and growing exponentially like an Amish Friendship Bread recipe for the past 11 months.

The finished result is a beautiful winter wonderland...that Christmas threw up on.

Mom, your holiday helpers are waiting anxiously,
Let's take a look at this year's holiday "suckers"....

Check it out by clicking the link below.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9624866126

Merry Christmas, Mom! I am fully prepared to hang all 23 stockings on the staircase (using the laser level as always), assemble and decorate all 7 Christmas trees, "plant" the 52 poinsettia stems in the yard, wash 6 bags of fresh cranberries and fill all 12 floating candle towers (and change the water in them every 5 days), remove all the books from the bookcases, box them and put up the holly garland and stained glass votive luminaries , go on a pointless search for the Victorian Paper Doll ornaments, get 40 paper cuts, 22 puncture wounds from broken ornament hooks, cling to a ladder for my life as I lift enormous fake presents up onto that ledge thing, wire 9 garlands together and wrap them up the staircase (yes I'll use a tape measure this time, so the bows are distributed evenly), and put up the zillion piece village above the TV. I will do all of this for you, Mom...because there is no place like your place to spend Christmas. All I ask for in return is a dirty old baby-poop green box with my name on it to be placed under the tree Christmas morning. Meg the Holiday Slave....I mean Elf is at your service!

Nice Try

Here are our best attempt at a family picture. I'm not really sure if it's going to get any better than these. Love the fact Reese has no shoes and a runny nose and that Quincy is eating an ornament hook and we had no idea at the time. The red eyes are also a nice touch. I'm sure you'll be seeing one of these on a Christmas card coming your way soon. I also think it's note worthy to say that I got these little dresses for FOUR dollars!

I also made an attempt to get a good shot of both girls. I am no photographer...this was the best I could do:

I'm guessing this is when she picked up that ornament.

Awwww......wait, is she kissing or biting?

I guess we have our answer.

This was the pic we bribed Reese to sit still for.
She just looks like she's up to no good with that angelic little grin doesn't she?

My Quincy Brooklyn is almost 1!

My Reese Olivia is almost 3!

Our happy (most of the time) family!

Are You Ready to ROCK?!

Jimmie and Kasey brought Rock band over on Saturday night. Before we put Reese to bed we promised her she could have one round of rockin' out.

Reese makes her worldwide debut on the Play Station drums

You got mud on ya' face... Ya' big disgrace....

What are we waiting for people? Let's Rock!

Jimmie shows Reese how it's done.

"Ok, Reese, you want to hold the guitar here...and here...and don't forget to wammy...and you can move your left hand up here when you get in a zone and you want to do some showboatin'....great. Now listen, when you're famous don't go gettin' a big head because that's what'll break up your band. You gotta remember your roots if you're gonna make it big."

All right guys, it's cool, I got it.

Awesome! ....now give us some angry-face...
You gotta fight...
For your right...



To Paaaaartaay!

Santa Shops at Walmart!

This morning I took Reese with me to the WalMart pharmacy this morning to pick up a prescription for Quincy. While we were waiting, an associate approached us and asked, "Would you like to go see Santa Claus? He is here at Walmart, in the Mens Fashion Department" (Santa in men's fashion? What happened to the childrens department? It seems to me like Santa is reaching out to the wrong demographic if he's asking for grown men to sit on his lap)

Surprisingly, Reese gets very excited about this. As you can see, in the past, she has never been a fan of Santa. Here she is at 11 months. We didn't even get a picture of her with Santa last year because she bit me when I tried to force her into his lap.

Clearly, you can see why.

But this time she was ecstatic to go see Santa, so we headed on over to Men's Fashion and started to look for him. I thought I would make it a little more fun by making it a game for Reese.

Meg: Ok Reese, Santa has white hair, and a big beard...let's go find him.
Reese: Santa!!! Santa! Mommy I see him! I SEE SANTA!
Meg: Really? (not seeing any signs of a Santa Photo area anywhere)
Reese: Right THERE Mommy! HI SANTA!
I look and see that she is pointed in the direction of the Mens Fitting Room. Ok, no way. Not my daughter, that is just too creepy. Is this some sort of scam? We've gotta get Dateline To Catch a Predator out here quick!
Then I see him.
"Santa" is not Santa at all. Reese just found some old guy with a white beard.
Reese: SANTA LOOK AT ME! HEY! SAAAANTAAAAA!
I swear she was louder than Will Ferrel in Elf when they announce Santa is coming to the department store.
This is not the first time Reese has done this. I remember her pointing to a fat, bearded guy last winter and calling him "santa" also. She also used to point out "BARBIE" ladies (you know, the bad bleach job that is usually streaky, yellow, and there is at least an inch of black roots showing? "Barbie"is usually wearing some type of metallic or animal print pants-suit?(refer to Nicki's blog if you need a better visual) ...but she was QUIET, and no one could really hear her.
Not this time.
"Santa" looked up. He heard her.

Santa: m'am, the'r havin' Sanna o'er the'r in ther frun uh ther store.

Meg: Oh, thanks Santa (OH. MY. GOSH. I HAVE GOT to get out of here.) I mean....um, thanks. Come on Reese, let's go see Santa!
Reese: but....mommy... he's right over th.....(her mouth is muffled by a sucker. Why didn't i think of that before?)


So we found the "real" Santa and after about 20 minutes of coaxing and a candy cane bribe, she finally sat on his lap for a picture. No smile though. Reese is on to you Santa.


This experience reminded me of a time when I was about 9 or 10. My Dad took me grocery shopping with him a few weeks before Halloween. I remember him telling me that since it was getting close to Halloween, I needed to look out for witches in disguise shopping in the aisles, and to get out of their way. He pointed out a lady with a HUGE wart right on the tip of her nose and immediately I knew what he meant. A few minutes later we ran into a lady that lived around the corner (Mark, Melinda, HolleeAnn, Amy, Kristie and Scott--you guys know who I'm talking about...the 3rd street witch that) that we all believed actually WAS a witch.
My Dad and I spent the rest of our shopping trip pointing out potential "witches" (basically, all the crooked nose, large chinned, or wart covered old ladies in Nob Hill...there were several.)
I wonder if my dad even remembers this....he was probably just trying to keep me entertained, but now every year when I go to the grocery store around Halloween, I can't help but notice all the "witches" out shopping too.

Ok, back to my point. I've never noticed just how many white haired bearded "Santas" there are, but after this morning, I don't think I'll ever shop during the holiday season without noticing them! I tried to track down our original "Santa" but we couldn't find him. Well...we didn't have to walk far to find another substitute!

Helloooo...Santa!



Here we have Biker Santa.
He even shook his belly like a bowl full of jelly as he sifted through his pockets for his wallet. Don't know why it was so hard for him to find since it was attached to a chain and all.


This "santa" tried to "blend" into the massive hunting crowd today. There were DOZENS of families cloaked in camouflage (another post. trust me) loading up on ammo and tree stands.
He had also pulled his lovely long curly locks into a ponytail in the back.
Don't try to disguise yourself, Santa. We know it's you, even without the red coat.


Retired Santa...looks like he traded in his sleigh for a rascal scooter.


It took several attempts to snap a shot of this Santa, I think he was wise to my game. If you can, click on the photo to enlarge it and perhaps you'll get a better look at Overalls Santa behind him. I'd swear that guy was the real deal.


Don't even bother, buddy. This is Arkansas. People here have been working on their mullets for years. That sorry excuse for a goatee isn't going to get you anywhere unless you grow the hair out too. Come back in a few years.


And my personal favorite...

I call this one, Santa training Santa.

Ho Ho Ho! Spot any Santa's in your local Walmart lately?
I think we might revisit this post at it gets closer to Christmas.

Be Grateful

A few weeks ago I started a gratitude journal. Since today is Thanksgiving, I thought I'd share a few things I've written down recently, along with some things I am grateful for today...

I am grateful to have a wonderful, loving husband who works hard to support our family so I can stay home with our children. He is my very best friend and I am so lucky to have him in my life.

I am grateful for my beautiful little girls. They bring so much joy into my life.

I am grateful that Quincy threw up all night, because it was all over her crib, and not my pants, my hair, or camera this time.

I am grateful for my home.

I am grateful for the toasty fire burning in my fireplace...my house is a sauna right now.

I am grateful that Reese started throwing up today, because today Aaron was home to help out.

I am grateful for people who can rock their short curly hair...it gives me hope.

I am grateful for my faith and my Savior.

I am grateful that Reese threw up on the TV remote and now it's broken (seriously, my kids' vomit destroy electronics) because that means I can turn the sound down on the television, and it will stay that way, because Aaron will be too sleepy to get up and change it back.

I am grateful that my parents taught me how to work and how to enjoy it.

I am grateful for my fuzzy pink slippers...all 3 pairs of them.

I am grateful for my in-laws. They are so good to their kids. My mother in law has taught me to be more sentimental, more thrifty, and more patient with Aaron's career. She taught me to just "let it go" when your kid refuses to take off a Snow White Dress for 6 days. My father in law is the most optimistic person I have ever met. I am very much a realist and he has taught me how to have a good attitude. He is so generous. He goes out of his way to make sure everyone is comfortable. I am so grateful to have married into a family that would have so much to teach me. My sister in law Jana, especially, has taught me how to be better listener, and I am grateful for her example.

I am grateful for my blow dryer and curling iron.

I am grateful to be the youngest of my siblings. I got to watch all of their successes and screw-ups as I grew up and I think it really helped me become the person I am. Plus, they still never let me pay my own way when we go out, and I appreciate that because I am cheap. I am so grateful for their sense of humor and that my stomach muscles ache for days, after spending time with them, just from laughing so hard. I am grateful for their love and support and example, but more than anything I am grateful for their friendship. They truly understand me, and I am grateful to them for always giving me a place in the world, even if I was "the runt".

I am grateful for Velveeta Shells and Cheese

I am grateful for forgiveness.

I am grateful for bottled water because the tap here tastes like moldy dirt.

I am grateful for my parents. They are THE BEST. Really. My parents are so awesome. I pray daily for a way to get them out here because I miss their company so much. I have so much more to learn from them, and it kills me that my children are growing up without any grandparents close by. I am so grateful that my girls have grandparents to shower them with non-stop kisses every time we see them.

I am grateful for big obnoxious head bows because my daughters are lacking in hair.

I am actually grateful for the funeral I'm going to next weekend because it will bring all of my siblings together for the first time in a few years.

I am grateful for cell phones...how did we ever live without them?

I am grateful for Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

I am grateful for my church calling.

I am grateful for the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

I am grateful that Quin woke up with Pink Eye, because Pink is a pretty color.

I am grateful that I can change.

I am grateful that I could keep adding to this list for hours...

What are you grateful for today?

Last, but not least....the Gateway Arch!

Ok, I promise this is the last of the St. Louis trip posts. But after I raved so much about all the fun we had there, I couldn’t leave out the famous St. Louis Gateway Arch and Riverfront, so here it is...

The Arch is right on the Mississippi riverbank…we actually missed the exit one of the times when we were headed down there. Since it is the last Missouri exit off the freeway, we ended up on a bridge crossing the river into Iowa. Oops! Missing the exit wasn’t all bad though because it gave us a chance to see the St. Louis city skyline all lit up at night from a distance. We probably would have enjoyed it more had we not been arguing over whose fault it was that we were lost and how we were going to get back….but that’s just us.

This is the little pod you ride inside to get to the top…you’re supposed to fit SIX adults in one of these bad boys. Unfortunately, the Arch tour to the top closed for maintenance issues before we got there, so we missed out on the view. It’s probably better that it was closed anyway; I think my nerves were stretched as thin as possible at the City Museum and I probably would have finally lost it here squished with 5 others in the tiny elevator pod….I mean, what if someone in there had eaten curry for lunch? Would my nerves allow me to have enough tact to NOT say anything? I doubt it. The Arch is pretty tall, and those elevators crawl to the top at a mediocre 4 miles an hour, so that’s a looooong time to be sitting next to stinky-lunch guy. What if it has been MY elevator that needed the “maintenance”?

We did take some time to visit the Westward Expansion Museum while we were there. There were several “stuffed” exhibits. Living in Arkansas (I think “arkansas” translates as “land of hunting”) I’ve found that I am really not a fan of taxidermy and that I don’t really care for animals as decoration. However, I did think that these animal displays were pretty cool. When am I ever going to stand next to a buffalo? Never. So it was actually really interesting to see what they really look like and how big they are in real life…well not real life, but stuffed life I guess.

LOVE me some cow. MMMmmmmm steak!

Aaron wasn’t so fond of his view of the buffalo…

Can you believe people crossed the country in one of these? What an amazing sacrifice! I SO was not meant to be a pioneer. I love my minivan way too much.

Enjoying the show in there Aaron?

It’s pretty hard to take a photo with a person AND the Arch in the same shot when you are standing close to it because the Arch is so big, and it lets of a really shiny glare. These were our best attempts.

The Old Courthouse during the day

There are 2 riverboats, named Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher that offer tours of the river. We got there RIGHT after they had left for the last river tour of the day. I was REALLY sad about this...Aaron made me stand in front of them and pretend to be happy…but what I was really thinking was, “why did we take so long to eat lunch?!” I am usually pretty much terrified of boats, so I had spent a few days getting all geared up for it, because I knew Aaron wanted to do a river tour. I think the reason I was really sad is because I got all psyched for nothing. We’ll be sure to catch one next time!

We raced each other to the top of these stairs. Don’t be fooled by the photo…these steps were steep! We both put on our fightin’ faces and ran really hard after Aaron said “Go”…needless to say we were totally out of breath by the end. Aaron beat me….but only by ONE step! I still think I might have won had I not wasted all my energy singing the ROCKY theme song the first 25 steps or so…

SO that is the end of our awesome weekend! We just LOVE a good road trip! Living in the Midwest/South has provided us with so many places to discover that are new to both of us. We love taking the trips, and we always come home ready to plan the next one.

What have YOUR favorite road trip destinations been?

"Therapy" for Claustrophobics

I am claustrophobic...not "can't-get-in-an-elevator-claustrophobic"or anything drastic. It's more like mild versions of, "why are you standing so close to me-claustrophobic", "Don't tuck the sheets in-claustrophobic" and "is that the only way out of here?-claustrophobic" all combined into one. The St. Louis City Museum was not exactly a good choice for anyone with space issues to go for "fun". We did have a great time, but it must have been the fact that we payed 10 bucks a piece to get in that kept my anxiety level in check. The City Museum is an old shoe factory that has been shut down and converted into a whole bunch of things combined into one. There are thrift shops and gift shops, a night club, a circus show, a campfire, a cafe, an art room, a music room, a skate-less skate park, an aquarium, a fun house, a ball pit, an arcade, a pub, and beneath what you see in the picture above, HUGE indoor cavern full of caves and tunnels and secret passages to explore. It was NUTS! Some of the tunnels actually had little signs above them stating that they were only 18 inches high...just so you would know if you could actually fit, because once you're in...there is NO ROOM to turn around! SCARY SCARY SCARY! Plus it is pitch black inside, aside from glow necklaces on all the teenagers and the lights from our cell phone. It was too dark outside, and in the cavern, so some of these pics are from the city museum website.

I have never seen so much STUFF. The whole 2nd floor was an eccentric collection of bohemian carnival crap. We felt like we were in Pinocchio when he got stuck on Coney Island and any minute that donkey kid was going to pop out of one of the fun house mirrors and start laughing at us. Very cool, but very creepy at the same time!

Had your palms read lately?

Well, who doesn't want to dine beneath a collection of 12 disciple stained glass windows and a stuffed vampire?

yep, those are mannequin legs hanging from the ceiling...and the burnt out neon sign on the air stream trailer says, "Nougat"

At one point, Meg takes a wrong turn and gets pinned by a giant ceramic sumo wrestler.

Outside, is even MORE JUNK that has been used to create yet another series of tunnels and slides and a huge maze over buildings, in and out of windows and up along the side of the building 6 stories in the air. I CAN NOT BELIEVE no one has died...how do people not get stuck in these tunnels? How has nothing broken, causing someone to fall 10 stories to their death? Maybe that sounds morbid to you, but I have not been that scared in a VERY LONG time. I clung to Aaron's side the way Reese did at his company picnic when the elmo character got too close. Remember, we were there at night...so it was even scarier! Every path leads UP...and ends at a slide, that ends in an old school bus on top of the building, or in an airplane, or a ball pit or on a trampoline...or a dead end and you have to go on another trek through a cage suspended in air to yet another slide to get out.

Another slide hanging off the side of the building. I was actually shaking as I climbed into it. Mostly because we had just been at the other end moments ago, and had watched the 16 yr old girl come flying out of it so fast that she slid another 30 feet into the padded wall, where she finally stopped.

Fearless Aaron. I had to slither out of this one on my stomach to fit through the opening. I have no idea how he got out of there.

Back inside.....What you are looking at here the view from the bottom of a TEN STORY twisty slide. It was too far away and too dark-even with the flash, to get the top 3 stories in the shot. YES, the top is caged in so you have to lie down to fit in it, and YES, Aaron was lying (I made him go first) when he said it wasn't fast. Who needs RollerCoasters? At least you are strapped in with a harness at Great America!

Weekend in Saint Louis II

As promised...more pics from our trip! Enjoy...

Unfortunately the Gateway Arch is only lit from the top, so it is hard to see in the background of this photo, but it is there if you look close. We ate A LOT at Max & Erma's. This is my favorite of all favorites (well except super taq, and culvers, and cafe rio, and brookside, and eric's and smokin' joes...) Ok it is definitely in my top 10...top 2 for the midwest. We discovered Max & Erma's by accident in Green Bay, and later it became my favorite place to eat with my best friend there.
Anyway, we haven't had Max & Erma's since we left Wisconsin and how we have missed it so! It brought back some really fun memories and we reminisced about how we spent over an hour bundling up our little 2 week old baby Reese and de-icing the car (it was -4 degrees outside) just to drive 3 blocks to get tortilla soup and soft pretzel sticks at Max & Erma's. Yum! Eating there also made me miss my friend Tammy Bevell...who is my favorite person in the whole wide world and the best friend I've ever had. Tammy, I miss you!

Another reason we chose Saint Louis for our getaway is the fact that there is an LDS temple there. It was really nice not to feel rushed like we usually do (with babysitters) and not exhausted (from a 3 hr 45 min drive to Oklahoma City with 2 kids) like we usually do. It was so peaceful. I love the way I feel when I go to the temple.

The Saint Louis Art Museum (also FREE!) has a really great collection of art, especially if you are like us...meaning you are the type that couldn't care less about the 400 year old silver collection on display and head straight for stuff you recognize. We spent half the time looking at the beautiful paintings, and the other half pretending to be students in an upper level art class that was touring the museum for the first time. Ironic, but people seem to say the STUPIDEST (is that even a word?) things when they are trying to sound smart. There was one particular (brown noser) student that kept making comments like, "I feel as though I've been swept back in time" and "well this just captivates me, although it seems a little, dare I say, unfinished?" and the one that pushed us over the edge was when he threw his hand to his chin and gasped, "well! I...I... am simply ...entranced!" Give me a break...entranced?! Who talks like that? We decided we'd better move on when we couldn't hold back our snickers any longer.

I tried explaining that (like most impressionist paintings) Monet is better appreciated

when looked at from across the room, or in Aaron's case...at least behind the 1 foot "spacer" provided by the museum to protect the artwork. He was asked by security twice to step back, and after he left this particular painting they brought out those little barrier ropes (you know, like they have at the movie theater, to keep people from cutting in the popcorn line?) and set them up around this painting, and 3 others.

"Keith" Chuck Close This painting was ENORMOUS...and probably the most amazing piece of art I've ever seen. The little girl standing next to me turned to her dad and said, "why did they paint such an ugly guy? They shoulda chose someone pretty...this guy kinda has a monster face"

Vincent Van Gogh

"Betty" Gerhard Richter...perhaps my personal favorite after seeing it in real life. INCREDIBLE.

Mark Rothco
I loved it.
Aaron: Geez, this guy is famous? I could paint this...REESE could paint this!

I'll just start out with an apology for the poor quality of the pictures. Also, what ever happened to "1-2-3 say cheese"? I thought most people followed this standard procedure when taking photos for others, but apparently not...and because of this I am NEVER looking in the right direction when the photo is being taken. This is the "Old Courthouse" where the historic Dred Scot slavery trial took place.




If you look closely, you can tell that we are in front of the arch here, but the arch is only lit from the top, so it didn't really show up in the picture. I have no idea what I was looking at, but a 1-2-3 say cheese from the photographer really would have been helpful.

More to come of the Arch, more museums, Historic Homes of route 66, and more good food...