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When Guns Are Found Near School

2012-01-26T05:00:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I think we shouldn't write posts when we're emotional.

Other times, writing it out might be a helpful way to deal with something.

Something like guns being found outside your kid's school.

As a mom, after finding out bits and pieces about guns being found at crosswalks and in the street, I did my best to remain calm, putting my trust in the fact that if there were a problem I'd hear from the school...and, of course, doubted that trust more and more every minute I didn't hear anything. I reminded myself that I'd certainly learn details later, and everything would be clear.

The details have come out, and I'm angry.

A man had forgotten that he left his guns on top of his car. When he drove away (and past the school), the guns fell off and onto the street.

I won't even tell you the potential scenarios that raced through my head this afternoon and evening (I can't -- it's too much). What I didn't imagine was that a guy left his guns on top of his car. You know, like you do with a cup of Coke, or the box of leftovers from the restaurant.

So, why so angry?

Don't I know that people have a right in this country to own a gun? Don't I realize that the gun owner did the right thing by contacting the police to let them know that his guns were missing? Can't I understand that we all make mistakes? Don't I realize that the guns weren't loaded, and so the situation could have been a lot worse, but it wasn't? And Talk To Your Kids About Gun Safety?

Uh, yeah.

But here's the thing: if you go through all the work to legally own a gun, and then you're careless with that gun, you should be punished for being careless with that gun. BECAUSE IT'S A GUN.

That this situation turned out to be a how-to on What To Do If You Find A Gun Near School doesn't make it okay that it happened. Why? Because of the What-Ifs. What if the mom who saw the gun assumed it was a toy and drove on by? What if the 8-year-old boy who found and picked up the OTHER gun decided to just hold on to it, maybe to show to his friends or take home? What if someone else (a teenager? Another adult?) who does not hold a gun permit found either of the guns and kept it? And, of course, we can't forget: What if the gun owner had not, in fact, emptied the gun(s) of their ammunition?

What-Ifs? Yes. Because guess what. Accidents happen, and you know it and I know it, and I'm too tired to look up examples and link to them, but they happen, and we both know it.

When my daughter got home, she called me. "Hi, Mom! Guess what happened at school today!"

"Guns?"

"How did you know?"

"I saw some things about it on my phone."

"Well, we had to go into lockdown, the whole school did."

"What does 'lockdown' mean?"

"We all just went into our teacher's small office -- our whole class was in there. We had to be very still and totally quiet while the police searched the school for another gun or a shooter."

And THAT is when I lost it. The idea of my daughter, crowded into her teacher's office along with the rest of her classmates, being 'very still and totally quiet' while POLICE searched her SCHOOL for ANOTHER GUN or a SHOOTER.

This is not about being political. This is about a mom who wants her kids to NOT be around guns. Simple.

Cupcake War on Bullying

2012-01-19T05:00:00.001-07:00

I won't soon forget the day my daughter came home from school and casually mentioned what had happened in her classroom that day: "After recess, we were all in our seats reading quietly when a boy who was not in our class -- Mom, he's not even in our grade, he's older than us! -- this boy walked right into our classroom and right up to Jason* and started punching him in the face."

At the time she told me this story, my daughter was in second grade.

I asked her, "What did your teacher do?"

"She didn't know what was happening at first, but she yelled for the boy to get out of her class, and followed him into the hall to bring him to the office."

"Did anybody know this big kid was going to go after Jason?"

"Well, some of us saw him at recess, he was teasing Jason and trying to fight. Jason was pretty scared, but when the bell rang we all just came inside."

As I watched my young girl tell me this story in her it's-just-what-happened-today tone, my heart broke a little as I hoped she wouldn't be exposed to too much of this at such a young age, to say nothing of the more severe violence which is so prevalent in schools worldwide.

Bullying in schools is a reality. Unfortunately, many students don't report bullying due to fear of retaliation. But now, those who witness bullying can be more empowered to speak up, thanks to SchoolTipline.

SchoolTipline** is a service which offers students an anonymous tip line, using text or going online to report bullying or other situations which compromise the safe school environment. SchoolTipline originated in Utah, and is used by over 300 schools nationwide, but currently only 35 schools in Utah, largely due to lack of funding.

Once again: Sweet Tooth Fairy to the rescue!

The Sweet Tooth Fairy is declaring a Cupcake War on Bullying in Utah. For every cupcake sold at any of the nine Sweet Tooth Fairy locations, 25 cents will be donated to Safe to Talk***, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to support SchoolTipline. The Sweet Tooth Fairy herself told me she wants to see SchoolTipline available in every school in Utah.

Let's review:

You buy a cupcake, and 25 cents goes toward giving Utah students access to SchoolTipline, a tool used to empower kids to speak up when they see, or experience, bullying.

Simple? Yes. Everybody wins? YES.

Which flavor will you choose?

*Name has been changed
**Check out the SchoolTipline graphic to see exactly how the system works
***Please visit the Safe to Talk site to see how they're making an impact (I recommend reading the case studies)

Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon (winner!)

2012-01-16T15:12:00.001-07:00

Wow. WOW. Mindy Gledhill must have the greatest fans in the world. I love that there were so many vying for a CD with Christmas songs at the beginning of January. (Winter music! Winter music!)

Before I announce the winner, I'd like to let you all know that you can purchase Winter Moon -- or any of Mindy's other albums (or sheet music, or t-shirts) on her website. In fact, you should send your sweetheart to Mindy's store so you can get the gift of your dreams (check out the Valentine's Day special she's got going on right now).

And now, the winner, according to random.org:
The winner is Steph, who commented:

Congratulations, Steph! Please email your contact information to jennyeckton@gmail.com and I shall mail your CD to you.

Thanks, everyone, for entering, and remember to visit Mindy's site to get your own copy of Winter Moon. We all know you want it.

Good Sabbath, Friends

2012-01-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon (giveaway!)

2012-01-12T05:00:00.002-07:00

I've had to repent from my claim to have not wanted to listen to any Christmas music this season, and my redemption has come in the form of playing Mindy Gledhill's new album on repeat, and not only in preparation for Christmas, but in just plain old winter-wishing (which is what we do when we haven't had snow).

This new album is a fun mix of sing-along Christmas favorites ('Santa Claus is Comin' to Town') and enchanting lullaby-type tunes to melt away the stresses of the season. And that's all to say nothing of the original title track, though my kids prefer the bonus track version, featuring puppets as seen below in a video directed by the brilliant Chris Clark.

"But, Jenny," you say, "Christmas is over. Why on earth are you telling us about this new album?"

"Because," I answer, "it's not just a Christmas album, it's a perfect winter album, the type we all need to get us through until the beauty of spring makes its appearance in a few months."

Yes, I said need.

Yes, this is a giveaway.

To win a copy of Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon CD, please leave a comment on this post telling me what kind of music you like to listen to when it's cold outside.

Winner will be chosen and announced on
Monday, January 16th, 2012.
Good luck!

Top 10 of 2011

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Many really great things happened for me this past year. Here are only ten things which, pretty much, changed my life in 2011, in no particular order (except for #1, which is a hundred bajillion times more important than all the rest of the things):

#10. Pinterest

You've heard of it. It's a virtual bulletin board. Yes, it's addicting. I have had to limit myself to five pins a day. It is SO helpful. (How do you think I've remembered most of these things I've listed here?)

#9. H2O Spa Sea Salt Body Wash

After my first shower in our suite at Aulani, I called out, "Carina! This is awesome! It smells like the ocean!" I actually asked the cleaning lady if I could have a few extra samples of it, and Carina gave me a gift of a larger bottle, which I cherish. Honestly: smells like Hawai'i.

#8. Perrier Lime

It started in France: I ordered the sparkling water, and I was HOOKED. With a lime? Even better. Not having to cut and squeeze a lime is just my kind of time-saver, and so voilà, Perrier Lime (chilled, por favor).

#7. Febreeze in Gain scent

Clean Laundry is the best smell in the world to me, and Gain is the best-smelling of laundry detergents. Febreeze is the most effective odor-eliminator, and now that the two have combined? THAT'S what you smell when you walk into my house.

#6. Downy Unstopables

They arrived in a box of samples from P&G, and it was love at first sniff. You toss in a half-capful or so with your laundry detergent and it makes your clothes/towels/blankets/whathaveyou smell AWESOME. Fresh. Trust. Try. (But beware, they are pricey; I have to ration mine out, and I prefer using it for towels because what's better than a fresh-smelling towel? I mean, besides a WARM fresh-smelling towel?)

#5. Stride Gum, Nonstop Mint

I'm chewing this most of my life. I've been told that minty-fresh breath is one of my signatures, and this is my go-to now. It makes the most perfect bubbles, consistency and size-wise. I've heard people complain about the rudeness of gum-chewers, yet I prefer to err on the side of not having gross breath.

#4. PVU

It may not look like much to you, but for me, my stress was cut by more than half for two of the trips that I took this year because of the fact that Provo offers daily flights to and from Denver. Sure, unless you're traveling to Denver you have a stopover, but DEN has a delightful airport, and the approximately 45-minute-long flight is a wonderful alternative to the stress of driving to and from SLC, because PVU is fewer than three miles from my house. And Frontier is my favorite airline. Is it more expensive to fly out of Provo rather than Salt Lake? Not always. It was actually about $25 less (than SLC) for my flight to Indianapolis in November.

#3. Tweetcaster

At dinner with Steph and Tina in San Diego during BlogHer, I asked which twitter app Steph would recommend and without hesitation she said Tweetcaster. I like having access to Twitter on my phone via a method other than text.

#2. Tocca Eau De Parfum (Cleopatra)

Wearing this scent makes me feel better about life. It also happens to be the only thing from Anthropologie that fits me.

#1. Cyndi

There aren't words to describe what having Cyndi as a friend means to me. She is such an incredible example of hard work, diligence, love, intelligence, understanding, service, and a million other wonderful things. Getting to live next-door to her is a slice of Heaven. Our kids play really well together -- in fact, our five-year-olds are best friends, a fact which helps life be amazing.

Cyndi has been through a LOT over the past few years, and I've seen her grow leaps and bounds, becoming stronger and prioritizing her family (as well she should, so says me). She's funny and smart and well-read and quick to share a recipe as well as dinner (I get to be the beneficiary of the fact that her kids don't always eat her amazing meals). She has a good head on her shoulders, has sound judgement and is honest and sensible and earnest. She knows the best deals and the best places. She has a strong sense of tradition resulting in the fact that IF my kids ever remember anything about holidays, it will be because of the effort that Cyndi, not I, put into it: from Green Meals for St. Patrick's Day to Dry-Iced Homemade Rootbeer for Halloween, Cyndi makes ordinary days magical and special for everyone around her, not just kids.

Did I mention that she watched my kids while Darin and I went to Europe this year? I mean, who does that?!? "Your five kids? Until the overnight sitter can come take over? Everyday for a week, and feed them and make sure everything is alright? You got it." And when I got the last-minute opportunity to go to Hawai'i, she did it again, without hesitation. Here's the thing, though: I WANTED my kids to be with her. If I could have hand-picked someone to be in charge of my kids if Darin and/or I couldn't be here to do it, she's who I would have picked AND - AND! - she did it willingly.

I hope every day to be able to pay her back, to adequately show her my appreciation for all she's done, for all she does, and for all she is, but I feel like I never could. She's an amazing woman.

YOUR TURN.
Tell me your bests of the year.
ALSO:
What are you looking forward to in this new 2012?

No Holy Night

2011-12-15T05:00:00.002-07:00

Don't get me wrong: it's not that I don't like Christmas music.

(This reminds me of the time I worked at a telemarketing research firm with a few of my friends, and when I asked The New Girl In The Office what kind of music she liked, she replied, "Christmas music." I thought that was a very curious answer.)

I've decided that if I can go one holiday season without hearing 'O Holy Night' with the accompanying soloist (who is sure she can perform it just as it's intended), I could enjoy it more the following season.

Make sense?

I'm also implementing the following criteria: Nothing Kenny G, Mariah Carey, Disney Tween, or Pa-Rum-Pa-Pum-Pum.

So far this year I've limited my Christmas music listening to the following:

~ Bruce Springsteen's Santa Claus is Comin' to Town

~ Sleigh Ride as performed by Boston Pops Orchestra

~ My 5YO & 3YO singing, repeatedly, "I wish you a very Christmas, I wish you a very Christmas, I wish you a very Christmas, I wish you a very Christmas," as well as my 3YO's specialty, just having debuted yesterday: "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're sleeping again...".

I know I'll be adding more to the playlist before The Holiday Itself arrives. I'm just . . . being careful.

What are your favorite songs this time of year?

12 days?

2011-12-13T07:17:00.003-07:00

This morning I woke up at 5 to wrap presents, and managed to wrap 25 gifts (24 boxes) before it was time for the kids to wake up.

We only just put our tree up this past weekend, and Darin added a string of lights to our porch roof -- we had been the only house on our block without any outdoor lights.

I'm sadly realizing that the delicious ginger cookies I make give me heartburn.

A few of my kids wear their new snow boots daily, even without the presence of snow.

I have my cards, but have yet to mail them.

Speaking of cards, I've taped those I've received to my wall, and I love to look at them.

Pretty sure I'll take a break and go skiing this weekend.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Tell me: You ready? What's going on over there?

communal instructional dinner

2011-11-29T07:45:00.002-07:00

Cauliflower Soup

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend an instructional dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, communal. I had heard about these instructional dinners, held monthly, and had some interest in attending, but was hesitant to pay the fee. I'm happy to report to you that the price of attending this dinner is more than worth it. In fact, for all I experienced that night, I'd say it's a steal.

Interaction
The attendees took their place at the counter surrounding the kitchen area of the restaurant. As Chef Taylor Mason began the instruction, it was clear that he was interested in really teaching, not just showing off (as he very well could -- he's pretty awesome at what he does). He kept asking if we understood, looking for anyone who might seem like they had questions, which he encouraged. Other class attendees added to the conversation as well, which was helpful in clarifying things I hadn't realized needed clarification. Each person standing around that counter felt comfortable interacting and relating with the teacher, which, to me, indicates a well-run class.

Practicality
From the application of using in-season vegetables, to the order of blending ingredients in cookie dough, and the temperature at which ingredients should be mixed as well as cooked: what we learned that night are tips I've since used several times in my own kitchen (Thanksgiving at my house was just that more delicious, thanks for asking). My family has noticed the difference, as have my neighbors with whom I've shared ginger cookies (whenever I can get them out the door before they're all gone).

What It Should Look Like
The dough should be stretchy and sticky; the vegetables crisp and browned; the sauce this color -- like this: [image not found. Go to the class next time to learn it, it's worth seeing how it should look when you attempt this in your own kitchen.]

Generosity
"Where can I buy that?" "Which brand of salt do you use?" "Do you use that oven temperature for any cookie you bake, or just this recipe?" There were no 'secret family recipes' here. Everyone in attendance was there to learn, and ideas were freely shared. It was awesome, and I've already altered a few of the 'regulars' on my shopping list and in my kitchen accordingly.

Realism
Some cooking tips are simply a reality: " The first step in being a better cook is to become organized," we were told. But don't be intimidated by this kind of advice if you're not naturally an organized person. Chef Taylor leveled the playing field when, while making the soup, he said, "Even me -- I cook every day and [with this soup] it took six tries to get the seasoning." What a relief to hear a professional chef talk about how being in the kitchen is always an adventure, and that it's nothing to be afraid of: we can all create delicious dishes.

Roast Chicken with Velouté, Biscuits, and Roasted Root Vegetables

At the end of the instruction, I looked around the long communal table as we enjoyed our dinner. I saw couples out for a date, college students, women out with friends . . . people from all walks of life coming together for the love of food. I know that sounds cheesy, but I felt so welcomed among this group of strangers, knowing that we now shared some of the best cooking knowledge around.

I hope you'll attend the next instructional dinner at communal. Or, as we're shopping for others, perhaps you know someone for whom this would be a perfect gift (via gift card)? Trust me, it's worth it.

Ginger Cookie with Spiced, Braised Apples, Vanilla Ice Cream, and House-made Butterscotch

**Disclaimer: In exchange for writing this independently-voiced review, I was compensated the fee for the instructional dinner. Even so, the content and opinions in this post were not influenced by the compensation, and are solely my own.

Black Friday on Today's Mama

2011-11-22T09:47:00.001-07:00

Black Friday is serious business.

People die from it.

I'm a guest on Today's Mama talking about Black Friday today.

Will you be shopping on Friday?

NaBloPoMoNope

2011-11-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

Well, shoot.

I didn't stick with the NaBloPoMo. I found myself too busy in the midwest to blog, particularly from my phone. Friday evening brought me to a place so far out in the woods, I was beyond even cell service, so I didn't worry about posting. And then with the traveling, and the life . . . you get it.

Blogging has been frustrating without my computer. I'd like to tell you more about Hawai'i, and . . . hey, did I forget to tell you that I went to Spain this year, too? Yeah, well, with all my photos on my broken laptop, I'm looking forward to them being recovered so I can blog more.

I do have something(s) pretty cool to tell you about in the next couple of days, so be ready. Also: WAYMENT: is Thanksgiving srsly next week?

Fixing What's Broken

2011-11-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

Almost 2 weeks ago, I had come inside from [who cares] and grabbed my laptop, which was on the kitchen counter, right next to everything else. Pressing the 'on' button, I noticed that the plastic was cracked along the side of the screen. Though I heard my computer turn on, all I saw was a white screen. Completely white.

"Uh, what happened to my computer?" I called out to No One.

Curly's answer came from downstairs: "Superstar broke it."

"What?!?"

"She dropped it on the floor."

My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. After a few banging beats of my heart and a deep breath, I hustled down the stairs. My inclination was to yell. To scream. I didn't.

"Superstar." Our eyes met and hers fell. I took another deep breath and turned off the television. I looked at my two daughters and their friend. "You all . . . should leave."

"Mom?"

"Yeah. Now. Go next door." The three of them stood up and scrambled out the door as quickly as they could.

I paced. I clenched my fists. I fought back angry tears, the kind which long to summon the powers of time travel: WHY hadn't I put my laptop back in my room? Or on the piano? ANYWHERE except where it was when it found itself fated to be dropped on the hard kitchen floor. One thing was certain: I would not allow myself to yell.

After a few minutes I decided that playing at a friend's house would not do as the appropriate temporary discipline she should receive while awaiting my decision on the appropriate more definite discipline she would certainly end up receiving at a to-be-determined time. I walked next door and found Superstar playing. I called her name and took her hand. "Everything okay?" asked my neighbor.

"She broke my laptop," I answered, and my neighbor responded with an appropriate look indicating that she knew just how much discipline/frustration this type of situation warranted.

My daughter and I walked back to our home where I said to her, "Go to your room." My voice was deep and firm. She who normally wails and stomps in defiance at the condemnation to her bed simply walked up the stairs and closed her door behind her.

I still wanted to yell. I wanted to scream. A part of me tried to rationalize that yelling would be completely justified in this situation, but the rest of me knew better. The rest of me knew what needed to be said, but I still needed time.

It was shortly after Darin walked in the door when I called Superstar down from her room. I hadn't intended for it to be a wait-until-your-father-gets-home type of situation, but the timing worked out because I did feel it important for him to be present while I said what I knew I needed to say.

"Superstar, I need to say some things to you. First, you need to know that what you did was not okay, and it's a big deal. You broke a computer, and that's something very important, very expensive -- I use it everyday for things to help our family. It's not okay that you broke it."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are. Second, I need to ask: why didn't you tell me about what had happened? Why did you wait for me to just find it?"

"I was worried that I broke it."

"You did break it."

"I know. But I thought I'd get in trouble."

"You are in trouble."

"I thought you'd be mad at me."

"What have I always said?"

"You said that if we tell the truth everything else can work out."

"Right. But you didn't tell me what happened, you tried to hide it, and that's not being honest. This is a bigger deal than the fact that you actually broke the computer."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. Third . . . and, Superstar, I need you to listen very, very carefully because this is the most important thing that I have to say to you: I want you to know that you are more important than a computer. You mean more to me than any laptop, much, much more."

She burst into tears and jumped into my arms, and we cried together.

trippin

2011-11-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Usually when I'm getting ready for a trip, I have trouble sleeping the night before, so I've found that what works well for me is to stay up really late -- sometimes all night -- and do chores. I always do all the laundry in the house before I leave, especially if I'm going somewhere without Darin and the kids because I want to make sure they have all their clothes available and don't have to worry about doing laundry. Even if it is a complete family trip, who wants to come home to no clean clothes? (Of course, I also really love doing laundry, so this is relaxing for me.) Preparing agendas for the trip, but more detailed agendas for any who are staying home, is also something I do. If I'm up ultra-late/early, I'll shower before going to bed (or, more accurately, taking a nap) before it's time to get up and head to the airport. Most always my flights are early in the morning.

What about you? Are you a last-minute throw-everything-in-the-suitcase type? Or is your luggage dutifully waiting by the door a day before you have to leave? Do you sleep well the night before you are scheduled to leave? Tell me how you prepare for a trip.

vote!

2011-11-08T07:11:00.002-07:00

Did you remember that today is voting day?

If you're in Provo (like me), you can go to http://maps.provo.org/ - type your address in the address box and hit enter; your address will appear with the option to click on 'My Polling Place' so you can find out where you should go for voting today (after you click, your polling place will appear in the left column).

Happy voting! Votes for women! (been watching Mary Poppins over here...)

Life List

2011-11-07T05:00:00.001-07:00

I don't like the term 'Bucket List,' maybe because I can't imagine myself ever using the phrase, "Kick the Bucket." I prefer 'Life List.'

It's pretty obvious from looking at this portion of my Life List that many items are actually travel experiences with my family, and it's true: I have a desire to travel with my family. It's not easy because I kind of have a large family. In fact, I can't even book flights or a hotel on many sites because of their limitation of booking for only six people. Even so, a girl can dream, right?

Here for your consideration and my determination, are fifteen of my Life List items in no particular order:

1. Take my family to New York City for a week
2. Go hang gliding
3. Get back on stage and be in a musical
4. Live in Hawai'i
5. Take my family to Orlando & go to Harry Potter at Universal
6. Host an extended family reunion
7. Visit Bahia Blanca, Argentina, with my husband
8. Spend a summer week at Chautauqua
9. Hike Timp
10. Scuba dive - Mexico, I'm pretty sure
12. Make a quilt -- like, with my hands
11. Finish in the top half of competitors in a triathlon
13. Visit County Cork, Ireland
14. Take each of my kids, individually, to a city of their choosing
15. Be a contestant on The Amazing Race

Okay, so I had a few more than fifteen . . .

16. Eat fish & chips, served properly in paper, in England
17. Travel by train through Europe
18. Record music - singing backup vocals
19. Live in Spain
20. Alaskan cruise
21. Morocco
22. Take my family to Washington, D.C.
23. Egypt

This is my entry in the Just Ask Bucket List Getaway Giveaway. Just Ask offers a breast and ovarian cancer screening and is encouraging people to share 15 things that I want to enjoy in my lifetime as a reminder to be aware of my health. Want to enter? Head over to TodaysMama.com to get the details.

clever?

2011-11-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't change the clocks today.

And then I sent the kids to bed at 7.

A special day

2011-11-05T17:11:00.001-06:00

Blogging on Saturday . . .

. . . is not an easy thing to do.

hey, look

2011-11-04T07:30:00.002-06:00

My brother's wife went and had a baby yesterday.

She had a c-section scheduled for next Tuesday.

Finn decided he wanted to be born sooner than that.

He didn't even wait for his daddy to get to the hospital in time.

Rude.

One Night In Your Bootsies

2011-11-03T05:00:00.002-06:00

It's getting cold outside, so let's talk about boots.

BooTs.

Or, as we call them in my home, Bootsies.

Please tell me about your favorite boots. Specifically: How do you wear them? With socks? (So your feet don't get sweaty? But then, don't they slouch down and isn't that uncomfortable?) Without socks? (How do you keep your feet from getting sweaty?) With tights?

Please. Tell me. Please.

No reason.

Bloggers Helping Single Parents

2011-11-02T10:06:00.000-06:00

Last Friday I attended a luncheon hosted by LDS Philanthropies, perhaps you've heard about it. A gathering of Mormon Mommy Bloggers, as They say, assembled to learn about how to help single mothers (and single fathers!) in one of their most imperative endeavors: obtaining a higher education degree.

We all know a single mother. One of my closest friends is a single mother. Maybe you're a single mother. I'll be honest, I feel protective of the single moms I know; they've been through so much already, I just want to make their lives as easy as possible for them. Often, they find themselves in a situation which necessitates that they get a job to better support themselves and their children, but they might not qualify for a high-enough paying job and end up having to settle for whatever is available (and the subsequent low income). Getting a higher-paying job might mean having to go back to school, but how on earth is a single parent supposed to fit that into their schedule?

LDS Business College (LDSBC) has developed an approach to help single parents, especially women, improve their earning potential. Each student is assigned a faculty mentor to help them along in a 4-semester program, during which many secure an internship, providing work experience and networking opportunities. The result is 90% of LDSBC graduates directly entering the work force.

Many aspects of entering a 2-year program can be daunting for a single parent, not the least of which is cost. Enter: You. And me. Which is great, since, remember? I want to do all I can to make life easier for single moms.

During the month of November, you'll see a fundraising campaign to help this cause. All money raised goes directly into Single Parent Scholarships. How much is a scholarship, you ask? One semester (tuition & books) is $1800; four semesters is $7200. That's right: $7200 to change a single mom's life FOREVER.

I hope you're able to help.

Disclaimer: In exchange for being asked to post this, I was given a Jimmy John's samdgwinch, a li'l bag o' salt & vinegar chips, a chocolate chip cookie, and a pickle, all nicely packaged in a box. Plus a bottle of water. Also, I'll likely be writing about this again later because there's more I want to tell you.

Welcome, NaBloPoMo

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-06:00

Thanks to everyone who emailed regarding tickets to see My Fair Lady. The ten people who scored tickets through me have been notified, and for those who would like to join us on Thursday night, you can receive $5 off of your ticket and still be seated with our group (for these reservations, please phone Melanie Barnes at 801-415-2340).

"Hey - November's sure creepin' up, ain't it? Can't stop that month!" And you know what that means, right? It's when I post every day for a month. I'm not the only one who does this, and there's even a name for it -- NaBloPoMo. I think. I haven't joined anything to 'officially' let anyone or any entity know that I'm doing this, but I'm still doing it. It isn't easy, but it's worth it (right?).

I do have a few things to talk about. Let's hope I don't run out before the month does.

My Fair Lady

2011-10-27T16:47:00.000-06:00

Do you love a good night at the theatre as much as I do? I sure hope so. I've really been looking forward to seeing My Fair Lady at the Hale Centre Theatre in West Valley, perhaps particularly because it's being directed by my friend Chris Clark. Chris is an amazing director, really outstanding. And who wouldn't want to see My Fair Lady? Nobody, that's who.

Speaking of all this, would you care to join me? I'm serious. (Wouldn't it be loverly?) (And, yes, it's FREE.)

I've been asked to invite TEN of my readers to join me for a night at the theatre. That's right -- TEN. This is NOT a giveaway or a contest; we'll use a first-come, first-served method. If you're interested, please email me (jennyeckton at gmail) to let me know you'd like to join me (no later than Monday, 10/31, for reservation purposes); I will email you back to let you know I received your email, and if you're one of the first ten, that your space is reserved. Before you email me, please read the following:

~ The event will take place at Hale Centre Theatre (3333 South Decker Lake Drive [2200 West], West Valley City) on Thursday, November 3rd at 6:30 p.m. - please only email me about attending if you are able to be at HCT on this day and time, providing your own transportation.

At 6:30, we will enjoy hors d'oeuvres* and socializing, followed by hearing the HCT Creative Team talk about staging My Fair Lady. Around 7:15, we'll take our seats and get comfortable for the 7:30 performance.**

I hope you can join me!

*never had to type that one before!

**I'm taking this opportunity to invite you to read this post: How to Be a Good Audience Member. (Disclosure: it's written by Lisa, Chris's wife.) It's a great post, I think of it every time I go to the theater. Really.

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE - Winner

2011-10-26T17:14:00.004-06:00

Thanks to all who entered to win the tickets to Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE in Salt Lake City on November 9th. And thanks to my friend, random.org, who chose the winner so I didn't have to:

Congratulations to The Lewis Family! Please email me so that I know you saw that you're the winner.

To everyone else: thanks for entering, and I hope you get to go see the show!

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE - Giveaway

2011-10-21T09:49:00.006-06:00

Last year I took my two youngest kids to the Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE show in Salt Lake City. We had a blast. I mean, my kids loved watching the show and I loved watching my kids watch the show. They were more than slightly overwhelmed at seeing a television show come to life, and their excitement was clear as they talked about the show for months following the event.

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE is coming back to Salt Lake City (Kingsbury Hall) on Wednesday, November 9th. There are two shows, a 2:pm show and a 6:pm show. If you'd like to be entered to win 2 tickets, please leave a comment on this post. I'll choose and announce a winner next Wednesday, October 26th. Please make sure that you either leave your email address in the comment, or that your commenting name is a hyperlink to your site so that I'm able to contact you.

Good luck!

Thanks to Sam Schultz for making this giveaway possible.

Hawai'i Trip 2011 - Day #1

2011-10-20T05:00:00.001-06:00

Yes. It's the sign outside the restroom at the airport.

Right. Hawai'i.

I did go there -- it wasn't just a dream. Though, it continues to be one, as my desire to bring my family there is stronger than ever.

Sleep escaped me the night before my trip. I had been packing and finishing laundry, and by 2:am I knew that the right thing to do was shower. At 3, I woke Darin so he could drive me to the airport. Getting the least expensive flight meant flying SLC - LAX - SFO - HNL. Taking off from SFO over the ocean, I couldn't believe it was really happening. And I wondered if it was possible to see sharks or whales from the plane.

I arrived in Honolulu early Tuesday afternoon. (Here's something that surprised me: the flight from San Francisco to Honolulu was only about five hours; for some reason I thought it would be much longer than that.) After using the bathroom I realized that I didn't know how to get to Aulani. I phoned the resort to ask if they had a shuttle for guests and was told that no, they don't. This is my main complaint of the trip (glad to get it out of the way right now) -- I mean, isn't part of the appeal of staying at a resort the fact that you don't need to drive anywhere? That everything you could need is found on site? I do hope that Disney changes this and provides a shuttle for their guests to and from the airport (which is only a twenty-minute drive, without traffic).

After finding out that a cab ride to the resort would cost about $90 (what? Even if that is round-trip, $45? Come on.) I made the decision to rent a car. Once I got help with releasing the emergency brake (embarrassing), I headed out. Not used to the GPS, I ended up at Pearl Harbor, where a nice armed boy took my license and wouldn't give it back until I turned the car around to exit the area. Oh my.

I got on the correct road and arrived at Ko'Olina and was greeted by the Smiley Valet Boys, and while I did not utilize the Valet Service, they did watch my car so that I could check in and then self-park.

Checking in was a little funny because I was at Aulani for the Media Event (Grand Opening -- news crews from around the world were everywhere), but I wasn't Media, I was a guest with Media. So after I received my lei, I was taken to the Media Check-In Desk where I used Carina's name to get our room keys (mine had my name on it, but most of the information I received was for Carina, not me). After parking my car, I took my luggage to our room (very nice 1-bedroom suite; wish it would have been Ocean View), and immediately left to explore the resort. The lobby is open-air and breezy and wonderfully Hawaiian in its decor. Outside, the winding sidewalks make the pool/lounging/restaurant(s) area appear larger than it is, which is wonderful.

At the edge of the resort property I found myself entering the lagoon area; I removed my shoes & socks and carried them with me to the ocean's edge. Pulling my pants up to my knees, I found the water to be perfectly warm, and as my feet sank into the sand with each wave's retreat I inhaled deeply to smell the salt in the air and feel the breeze on my face. After a few minutes (or more? Who knows?) I walked back to the dry sand and sat down, looking out at the horizon. I thought of my family. And I did what only came naturally to me in that moment: I prayed. My heart was so filled with gratitude for the opportunity to be in this part of the world, I could not help myself from pouring out my heart to my Creator in appreciation for experiences and people in my life for which I am grateful. I prayed fervently for my family - my husband and each of our children. My eyes could not contain all they were attempting to take in, and as I scanned the sky and the sea, my prayers turned to expressing my desire and hope to one day bring my family to this place.

After, again, WhoKnowsHowLong, I decided it was time to eat. My feet were dry with a thin layer of sand adhered up to my ankles, so I brushed them off, put on my socks and shoes, and walked back into the resort area. I stopped to look at a posted map of the resort when I was tapped on the shoulder; I turned to find . . . Stitch. Makes sense, he lives in Hawai'i. I had high-fived him earlier when I passed him, but now it seemed he wanted to talk to me, which is crazy since the characters (like at the parks) don't talk. He motioned to the map to show me the 'You Are Here' icon, which was very thoughtful. "Thank you, Stitch," I said to the person in the fuzzy suit. His handler said, "Oh, yes, Stitch likes to help the guests. Very helpful." Stitch then began pointing at the map. The Beach. "The beach?" Stitch nodded vigorously. "I was just there. My feet are still sandy. Thank you, Stitch." After giving me a hug, he left.

I found a few on-site restaurants, one in particular a buffet, which charged $43 for dinner. Uh, no thanks. I wasn't in the mood to go to a bar, so I opted to go back to our suite for 'personal dining,' (room service) which, I'm not stupid, I know is expensive, but I thought I'd just order one thing and call it good. On the telephone, I ordered a cheeseburger and fries, making it clear that I would be paying cash and not charging it to the room. My mistake came in adding on two things without checking prices: sparkling water and creme brulee. The total? $54.something. #whuuuuuut Oh well, I was super hungry. Three details worth mentioning about this Personal Dining experience:

1. The delivery service of said Super Expensive Meal was superb. Two resort employees (a woman, and a man who was In Training) knocked on my door, and asked if it would be okay to enter; she set up the meal on the table as if I were at a restaurant, and I think she wanted me to sit so that she could place the napkin on my lap. In fact, I'm confident that if I had asked her to stand there and watch me eat, the response would have been, "Certainly. My pleasure." When I phoned after they left to note that I had not received fries, she was back at my door in an apologetic jiffy. She received one demotion, if only in my mind: she called me Mrs. Ecklund, which is actually funny depending on how long you've known me, but still got on my nerves.

2. That cheeseburger? Best Burger I've Ever Had In My Mouth In My Entire Life Ever. No contest.

3. That creme brulee? Included a hint of pineapple. Delicious, magical pineapple.

Carina and Lucy arrived that night, and after some catching up and talk of travel experiences, I pulled out the bed in the sofa, realizing that it's likely that I'm the first person to ever sleep on it, and got ready for a delightful night's sleep.

**Don't forget to donate non-perishables at your local Fresh Market this week (until 10/22) to help Libby's and Habitat for Humanity as they help families Get Back To The Table.

Libby's and Habitat for Humanity in Utah

2011-10-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

One of my most important tasks each day is ensure that my family eats meals together. I'm talking super-traditional, here: no t.v., no phones or other distractions, just my husband and me and our kids, sitting at the table, eating our dinner and discussing our days. It doesn't happen without the chaos that comes from seven hungry people gathering around a table, but when we sit together, I often find myself looking around, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude, and then saying to Darin, "We have a nice family."

Family meal time is important, and I know I'm not the only one who knows this; you know this, too. Perhaps you've heard the research that when families eat meals together, the result is that children get higher grades, are less likely to be drug abusers, are more likely to eat more healthily, and have more confidence and self-esteem (source).

You know who else knows about the benefits of families eating meals together? Libby's.

Libby's is a company which believes the table is the heart of the home. They also know the reality is that many families struggle just to put food on the table. As such, Libby's has teamed up with local Habitat for Humanity chapters to help families by providing everything needed to create their own family meal time.

Really. Check it out:

Habitat for Humanity Salt Lake City will complete 3 new/refurbished homes for less fortunate families this year. To help get these families Back To The Table, Libby's will provide each of the families who move into these homes with:

~ A pantry stocked with Libby's products to make simple, easy meals for the family
~ A dining table for 6 to have a place to enjoy a meal together
~ Place settings for at least 6 family members

Here's something extra awesome: YOU can help with this project: Libby's is encouraging shoppers to stop by their local Fresh Market between now and Saturday, October 22nd and donate their non-perishable items to help Habitat for Humanity families make mealtime a reality.

Visit GetBacktotheTable.com for more information, including a variety of recipes and tips for making mealtime easier.

You can also find Libby's on facebook and on twitter.

Remember: from now until Saturday, October 22nd, you can help Libby's and Habitat for Humanity by donating at a local Fresh Market. Thanks for your help!

Disclosure: I am being compensated by Libby's for my participation in this campaign; even so, when it comes to what I write, I speak truth.

Sweet Tooth Fairy saves the day

2011-10-10T05:00:00.010-06:00

Before I tell you about my trip to Hawai'i, I need to tell you about something else.

Remember August?

Yeah, it was hot that day.

Darin graduated with his doctorate, which was awesome, so I wanted to have a party for him. He said he didn't want a party. So I had a party for me and said it was for him.

We were blessed to have many loved ones in attendance during that week of graduation, and so I decided that "Darin's party" would involve Not Cooking, or, Cooking As Little As Possible. We had decided that we would serve Desserts and Drinks, and when it comes to Desserts, there is one place which holds the hearts of the members of These Ecktons like no other:

The Sweet Tooth Fairy.

While our menu was supplemented by The Great Big Chocolate Cake from Costco and a few other things, it's clear that the hit of the party was the mini cupcakes and cakebites we bought from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. In fact, the only thing to rival the STF treats was Cyndi's Awesome Cheesecake She Only Makes Once A Year (I can't wait for that time of year to come up again!).

I hope you've had the pleasure of enjoying some treats from The Sweet Tooth Fairy. There are several shops located in Utah (8, with at least one more in the works), and you can order online for direct shipping. In case you don't know where to start, may I suggest the cakebites?
And while I'm making suggestions, I'll go ahead and add that you should plan on giving Sweet Tooth Fairy treats for holiday gifts (check out the seasonal flavors). You (and your loved ones) won't be sorry.
I'll miss you, fun summer days with loved ones and yummy treats. Now it's time to get ready for fun winter days with loved ones and yummy treats.

Thanks again, Sweet Tooth Fairy! You're the BEST!

2011-10-07T05:00:00.002-06:00

THANK YOU.

Thank you for the comments, for the phone calls, for the text messages, for the emails, for the prayers, for the hugs, for the thoughts, for the cupcakes, and for the visits (even though I'm certain I had a bunch of spinach stuck in between my teeth).

It was different.

And now for a wonderful and busy weekend.

I'll see you next week and tell you about my trip to Hawai'i.

Again: thank you.

eleven

2011-10-03T05:00:00.001-06:00

Last week, while enjoying lunch and talking about kids with Kalli & Sharon, Kalli asked me, "And what about Taylor? Remind me - where does he fit in your line of kids?"

"Second," I answered. "Actually, this Monday, it's been eleven years."

It's not that I hadn't been thinking about it, but I was actually proud of myself for not having burst into tears right then and there at the table. I thought to myself, Maybe it will be different this year. Maybe it's getting easier.

That evening, I was organizing the kids' clothes, like I do for the seasonal closet changes. I mentioned to Darin that I would have to take Bubby clothes shopping soon, and at that moment, it hit me:

He doesn't have hand-me-downs.

That night I sobbed myself to sleep, tears soaking my pillow as Darin did his best to comfort me while rubbing my back.

*****
Each year I give myself this time. A week, if I need, to just mourn, to just feel. In years past, it has, at times, meant locking myself in my bedroom, curling up on my bed, and crying. Each year is different; this year is different.

On Saturday, I wasn't floored by the idea of it being The Anniversary Of Finding Out My Son Was No Longer Living; rather, I woke up, showered & dressed, attended a business brunch, enjoyed General Conference, visited with some friends, and took my daughters shopping. Sunday was a very nice day at home (again, General Conference) with my family.

Today, I don't predict that I will require the time to take a crying break, but if I do, I will. I will take flowers to the cemetery, that remains a constant.

On Thursday (the 6th, the day of Taylor's funeral), I will be occupied with keeping two of my kids comfortable in their newly-acquired braces.

I'm not saying that there isn't time, or necessity, to mourn. I guess what I'm saying is that this year, I've found a change. Maybe it's a gift given from the passage of time, or the distractions of being needed (now, and each minute, more than ever?) by the rest of my family, or even a combination of these and many other things. I'd never deign suggest to someone at the beginning (or at any part, really) or this journey that time will make it better. Yet, I find that at this point, for me, at least a little bit, I think it has.

Even so, I may get caught off-guard this week and need to excuse myself for a healthy cry*. If I do, you'll know why.

*Oh, who am I kidding? I couldn't even write this without crying. Man oh man, I miss that boy.

Posts from Taylor week in years past:
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010

**Thanks to Tori for emailing me the link to this talk. You are a kind and thoughtful friend.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Utah

2011-09-29T05:00:00.000-06:00

You've seen the show. And though you might not watch it regularly, it gets you right here every time you see an entire episode, right? Because these people are bringing communities together for the sake of a family in need.

Extreme Makeover Home Edition made a stop in Utah this year, it was very exciting. And where they made their stop is an ideal location when it comes to community and New Homes in Utah: Daybreak.

I've written about Daybreak before, and I do think it would be a cool place to live. Anyone considering Salt Lake City Houses should seriously consider the Daybreak community.

The episode, which airs this Sunday, introduces us to the Gomez family, and we get to meet Jonah, the young boy who suffers from a rare blood disorder, has had to have open heart surgery, and for whom there has been no bone marrow match found. The community rallies around this family and . . . well, you know how it goes.

Go set your DVR right now to record this week's episode of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. For you locals, there's an additional hour-long program immediately preceding the show called Daybreak Dream Come True, which may be worth watching as well. Check your local listings.

And if you think about it, after you've watched it, please come back and leave a comment letting me know what you thought.

**Disclosure: I was compensated for writing this post. Even so, the opinions I've expressed are my own. And I really already do have my DVR set for Sunday. Now go set yours before you forget!**

On Tuesday I Went To Hawaii

2011-09-27T05:00:00.001-06:00

I found myself lunching with Carina for the second time in one week one fateful Friday, when she asked me: "Would you want to go to Hawaii with me on Tuesday?"

"Um . . . let me check." No lie, I pulled out my phone to check my calendar. "Well, two of my kids are supposed to get braces next week, and one is having a birthday party, but those could probably be rescheduled."

Yada yada yada, I bought my plane ticket at 2:30 a.m. on Monday, and by 6:am on Tuesday I was on a plane, on my way.

I arrived on Tuesday afternoon and decided to rent a car so that I could do such things as run to Costco (I am who I am). And, oh yeah, drive to the North Shore.

The purpose of the trip was for Carina to review Aulani (the brand new Disney Resort) for Today's Mama. As Carina's guest, I was lucky enough to hang out with Miss Lulu whilst her Mama conducted some interviews, and I also got to attend some fun activities such as a mock wedding ("What's that? You want a Disney Wedding and a Beach Wedding? No problem!").

There is so much to tell you about this trip, too much for one post. Plus, I've got some other Awesome Stuff to tell you about this week. But stay tuned, and I'll tell you:

~ more about Aulani
~ my favorite (and least favorite) part(s) of the trip (one in particular which was very surprising)
~ about the awesome people who made this trip possible

Aloha!

seasons

2011-09-13T05:00:00.001-06:00

Each morning (as of late) I wake up and listen to the birds outside my window. They don't even know how much I love hearing their voices, and what hearing them means to me. Each spring I wait for their song; after a long battle with cold, I can exhale knowing the birds are back and will be singing . . . until it's time again for them to leave. Lately, early in the mornings, I have to hold my breath and wait: are they still there? Because I know it will be very soon when they've decided to head South (smrt birds).

School has begun. I feel like summer was extra short this year. We went swimming a LOT, rode bikes, played and played and played until we couldn't stand the mosquitoes' ambush at dusk; and there were many nights when my kids fell asleep before they had a chance to wash off the smell of chlorine, or dirt, or sun-scorched hair, and all the other smells of summer. We didn't go shopping for school clothes: what's the point, when school begins during summer? (Plus, I get clothes for my kids when they need them, not just because school is starting again.) No 'new clothes' smell for us, at least, not just now.

I know the seasons are changing, not just because of the smell of the air and the accompanying sneeze attacks. We haven't used the air conditioning for several days, and though I will miss the carefree days of endlessly washing only beach towels, I look forward to driving up the canyon to ski down the mountains.

We've entered a realm of boy-girl parties and crushes and more homework and five kids in school, and things are crazy. And I don't even mind. What amazes me is how we can remain in one season while simultaneously advancing into the next.

Sassy Scoops

2011-09-12T05:00:00.001-06:00

Have you heard of Sassy Scoops? It's a site which reviews local businesses; several women are involved in the reviews, so what you learn about the business is from varied angles (some glowing reviews, some less-than). Each business is featured for a week: Monday's post is an introductory post with important details about the business; Wednesday's post gives you the scoop (get it?) on what the reviewers thought, individually, about different aspects of the business; Friday's post gives you a more personalized review from one of the members of the group, and usually includes a giveaway, which is great.

Why am I telling you this? In February I was asked to join the ladies of SassyScoops, so I've gotten to take part in quite a few reviews. I like learning about new places to go, especially in the Salt Lake area (since I don't really have a reference for such things otherwise). We took a break from reviews during the summer months, but when we started back up again at the end of August, it was my turn to arrange the review night. I chose (and was kindly accommodated by) two Utah County businesses which I really enjoy: Remedez (an Aveda salon & spa in Orem) and Station 22 (best sandwiches in town, and then some). I want to direct your attention to the posts about these two businesses (since I'm a fan), and I hope you'll enter to win the great giveaways.

Here, I'll help:

Station 22, intro

Station 22, review

Station 22, giveaway (a winner may have already been chosen for this one)

Remedez, intro

Remedez, review

Remedez, giveaway

And, just so you can be certain that we're honest in our reviews (not every place we go is Uh-Maaaaaze-ing!), I'll share with you the Review Post of Mini's Cupcakes, wherein it is clear that I am not too impressed.

Enjoy! I hope you enter and win some stuff!

If you're interested in having your business reviewed by SassyScoops, you can contact me, or email: info {at} sassyscoops {dot} com.

Soccer Mom's Dilemma

2011-09-06T05:00:00.001-06:00

One of my most pleasant surprises (and reliefs) in life has been how much I enjoy watching my kids during their games. See, while Darin has a long personal history of soccer and basketball and football and baseball games, I am not exactly a team sports fan. I'd seen the Super Intense Soccer Dad in action -- yelling while running up and down the field, even yelling over the coach, all while wearing a soccer jersey (are they called jerseys? I don't even know), and knew I didn't want (nor could I, really) be THAT, but . . . I actually was afraid that I would be a parent with little-to-no interest in my kids' athletic pursuits, and would not want to attend games, or would end up going to games and hating every second. Imagine my delight to find out how satisfying it is to watch my kids participate in any sport, stink and sweat and all. Silly Mommy to have worried.

*****

Three of my kids are enrolled in our city's fall soccer season. It's the first time for the 9-year-old, and she does rather well running alongside teammates who have been playing for a few years. It's also the first time for the 4-year-old who doesn't care and plays dead on the sidelines if I give any hint that I'm watching. As for the 7-year-old, she also played spring soccer, and she liked it a lot. Also, she's good.

Very good.

Biased? Sure. Correct? Yes.

Example: We arrived at last week's game a few minutes into the first quarter (we live on one side of town, and the game field is almost as far as you can get from our home without leaving city limits). Her coach put her in immediately. As I was removing my camping chair from its bag, I heard cheers and looked up: she was running the ball down the field, and she scored a goal.

Yay!

Sitting down in my chair, I sent Darin a text message at ("gooooooal!"). I put down my phone, and while unzipping my camera bag watched as my girl emerged from the swarm around the ball, ran 3/4 the length of the field, and scored another goal.

I saw that Darin had responded ("Awesome!") so I let him know, "Make that dos." Pulling the camera strap around my neck, I watched an instant replay of my daughter emerging from the swarm, and goal #3 was scored.

After she scored her fourth goal within a ten-minute period of time, the coach gave her a break. "Mom! I love scoring those goals! Soccer is so fun!" she panted between gulps from her water bottle. I rubbed her back while she sat on my lap. We cheered for her team, and I couldn't help but wonder to myself: were the other parents annoyed? Was my girl being a Ball Hog? Was she not letting the other girls play enough?

I gently suggested to her, "Honey, when you're out there, how about you pass the ball to your other teammates when you're about to score a goal? Let them have a shot?"

The teenaged boy (older brother of another player) next to me scoffed at my suggestion. "Keep scoring those goals!" Then, looking at me, "No one's even around her when she tears down the field like that."

After a short stint as goalie, she was put in as a forward again and scored two more goals, for a total of six. Her team ended up winning the game, 6-5. She got some congratulatory high-fives, and as we walked to the van, I asked her, "So, how was the game for you?" Her answer: "Great! And I'm glad I have energy for dance class tomorrow."

*****
The other parents from our team gave encouraging cheers for the entire team, and referred to my daughter as, "The Goal-Scorer." They did nothing to suggest that they were, or would be, bothered in the slightest by my daughter's performance on the soccer field.

What was I worried about?

I guess I was worried about a chain-reaction. What if the parents were annoyed, and they said so on their way home from the game, and then the kids overheard, and then my daughter's teammates began to tease her and she no longer wanted to play? Never give that mouse a cookie, I guess.

Soccer is a team sport, right? Should I encourage her to engage her teammates because it's How The Game Is Played, and at this age they're Just Learning? Or not be concerned about when she scores all the goals because at this age, a huge portion of what they take away is whether or not they won the game? Cyndi made an excellent point: "It's soccer, which means that if you want to play you have to hustle. If parents are worried about their kids getting equal play time, they should sign them up for baseball."

More than anything, I was worried that my reaction to my daughter's goal-scoring was to worry about what others think. Because -- what is that? And where's it coming from? All these fears (are they fears?) that the fact that she's a good soccer player could be pointed out to her with a negative connotation; that comments of the negative variety could cause her to question herself, or not try her best, or give up on an activity she enjoys simply to avoid the people involved.

I know I'm over-thinking it. Hopefully she'll continue to play as long as she enjoys it (and enjoy it as long as she plays). And I'm crossing my fingers that the group of parents (myself included) at all the games will be supportive of all the kids out there just trying to have a good time.

What do you say about this? Have you had experience with this kind of thing? Do you support your kids' teammates unconditionally? Do you feel your kids are supported, or worry that they're not?

Step in Time

2011-08-31T00:01:00.001-06:00

My favorite scene from Mary Poppins is, of course, when the chimney sweeps dance on the rooftops of London.

No, it's the chalk drawings.

Wait, it's when Jane and Michael sing about their requirements for a nanny.

But . . . when Mary sings Stay Awake? Beautiful.

And haven't you always wanted to snap your fingers and have your room clean itself like during A Spoonful of Sugar?

Votes For Women!

I Love to Laugh!

Tuppence a bag!

Mary Poppins (The Hit Broadway Musical) (yes, BROADWAY) is coming to Salt Lake City's Capitol Theater, and thanks to Today's Mama, discount tickets are currently available -- major discount. 2 for 1.

The 2 for 1 pricing is good for the following show dates and times:

~ Thursday, September 1st (matinee)
~ Saturday, September 3rd (evening)
~ Sunday, September 4th (matinee)
~ Sunday, September 4th (evening)

Here are the ticket prices for those dates (listed as regular prices, and with discount)

~ Thursday, 9/1: $62.50 & $42.50 tickets; with discount, $31.25 & $21.25
~ Saturday, 9/3: $85 & $65 tickets; with discount, $42.50 & $32.50
~ Sunday, 9/4 (matinee): $85 & $65 tickets; with discount, $42.50 & $32.50
~ Sunday, 9/4 (evening): $75 & $55 tickets; with discount, $37.50 & $27.50

To take advantage of this awesome deal, purchase your tickets at artTix and use the discount code utahmama.

What are you waiting for? Let's go fly a kite!

Disclosure: In exchange for sharing this deal with you, I was provided with two tickets to see this show. Also, does it need to be said that the above dates refer to 2011?

Going to blog conferences - your questions answered

2011-08-25T10:42:00.000-06:00

Being inspired by Kacy's questions (and request for me to craft such a post), I've decided to give my advice/opinions about attending blog conferences. On my blog's facebook page I posted the question:

If I were to write a post about attending blog conferences, what sort of questions would you like to see answered?

Instead of answering the sort of questions which were posted in response, I'll answer the very questions which were posted.

(Before I do, let it be known: I'm not someone who travels year-round to blog conferences. In fact, I've been to just a handful. Also, you can find these What-To-Know-About-Conference posts all over the web; you should read maybe those, too... I do promise you that here in my post I will be completely honest with you. And that these opinions are my own. Is this a disclosure? Because also, I'm not being compensated from anyone, or any company, mentioned in this post.)

Are they worth the money?

I think so. That is, the ones I've paid to attend have been worth the money for me. You have to decide for yourself if it's worth it for you. I don't mean to be vague, but you know your money situation better than I do, so, you know: do what works for you. I feel like I should also include the phrases, "Make it work," and, "Pray about it."

I suppose what is good to do at each conference; is it better for learning, networking, freebies, etc.?

Different conferences cater to different audiences; there are conferences which focus on design, food, etc., and this is where 'knowing your niche' comes in to play. To find out what will be going on, read the conference's blog and agenda, but also ask around: what do past attendees of the conference think?

As for my own experience: If you want to learn, go to evo conference, which hosts world-class instructors and panelists on topics ranging from Food Photography to Apps, Gadgets, and Online Tools. Evo also caps their attendance, ensuring manageable (and therefore accessible) class sizes. For networking, any conference is good, I think, because networking is up to you: how are you reaching out, and to whom? BlogHer, because of its size (3600+ attendees in San Diego this year), is good for networking and for freebies, which leads me to: freebies. The more sponsors there are at a conference, the more likely there is free stuff to take home. Again, from the conference's site you can learn about which sponsors and companies will be in attendance.

How to get beyond the social awkwardness when you go alone.

Is going alone awkward? If you're more comfortable being in a group, make arrangements before you go (or while you're there) to meet up with people. Perhaps you'd be willing to share a hotel room with someone (or some two, or some three) -- instant buddy, someone with whom you can check in and compare schedules. Maybe there's someone who you've known online only (you comment on each others' blogs regularly, or chat on twitter) who will also be at the conference: this is the perfect time to be introduced face-to-face! Set up a lunch date, or arrange to go to a party together. We know each other because of the Social in Social Networking, and online can carry over easily to (what the kids are calling) IRL. Be proactive.

How much does it cost to go to one? Lodging/attendance/food etc.?

This depends on the conference.

Lodging for most conferences is available at a nearby hotel, which will usually offer a conference-related discount (often including free wifi during the conference). Remember that the cost will be lower for you if you share a room (do pay attention to occupancy in regards to rates), and if you're in need of a roommate, there are usually message board-type places linked on the conference's site to help you find what (in this case who) you're looking for.

The rate to attend conferences varies, and many will offer an Early Bird Special (both BlogHer and evo are offering discounted rates if you register BEFORE August 31st, so hurry if you're planning on those). Pay attention to ticket transfer policy: in case you can't attend, you may want to sell your ticket, so see if the conference will allow for that (and if so, how many times; like, if you decide to buy someone else's ticket because they can't attend, but the conference has a one-transfer-only policy, you wouldn't be able to sell your ticket in case you end up not being able to attend. Does that make sense?). Also, there are different ticket options: buying a full-conference pass would be more expensive (but a better deal) than a pass for just one day, or just a party pass. Full conference passes, without a discount, can be $200-$400. (Or more.) (Or less.)

For food, many conferences include meals and/or snack breaks, and there might be food in the form of appetizers (and more!) at parties. Check your conference's schedule. If you're visiting a different city, you may want to plan on spending money to dine at local (famous?) restaurants.

Speaking of Visiting A Different City, another cost is transportation. I like going to evo because it is in Park City, and while I do stay at The Canyons, I can drive, making it very affordable. Just like finding a roommate, consider carpooling to your conference's location (I know a few who drove from Utah to San Diego for BlogHer this year). If you do end up flying, perhaps the fates will be on your side and you'll get to fly with friends (like I did last year on the way to BlogHer). And if you fly, when you get there: will you rent a car? Take a cab (can you split the fare with a friend?)? Does your hotel offer a shuttle?

How do you get invited to the cool parties?

There are so many parties and events, and once you've registered for the conference you'll likely get email alerts about needing to send in your RSVP for this party or that event. Pay attention and reply quickly, though because those events fill up quickly.

The other answer? For the non-conference-affiliated parties? Honestly? By knowing cool people. This is a (harsh?) reality, and a lot of people get their feelings hurt by being excluded. If there aren't many parties on your schedule be prepared to hear about a party you didn't get invited to, and DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING FUN ANY WAY. Seriously. At BlogHer in New York last year, I was invited to quite a few cool parties, and it was all because of who I know, people who were kind enough to include me on their list(s). This year in San Diego, I did get invited to a couple of parties, but not nearly as many, and there were plenty of parties I wasn't invited to. Still? Fun time, and never without something to do.

How do you get companies to give you free stuff at them?

Companies are there to distribute their stuff. But beware of the quality: do you really need to use up space in your luggage for 2 packages of tortillas? (I did last year, don't judge.) Companies use space in an expo hall or hotel suite or other designated area designed to have attendees visit and learn about the company and its products, most times with samples, and sometimes with samples of products that haven't hit the public market yet. If you'd like more than one sample, just ask. ("Would you like a shirt?" "Instead could I have one for each of my kids?" "Sure! How many kids?" "Five." Check it out -- souvenirs.)

What benefit would there be for an unknown/introverted blogger to attend?

To have a good time. To get out of the house. To meet people you've only seen online. To spread the word about your blog. To visit a new city. To say you went. To take classes specific to being a blogger. To learn more about the industry. To connect with brands/companies. To get free stuff. To party. To go on vacation.

How do you even find out about them?

Listen (read) about what other people are saying about them, and then 'like' the conference on facebook or subscribe to their newsletter. You could even post a facebook status or send out a tweet which says something like, "Which blog conferences would you recommend and why?"

Is it bad to take as much free stuff as you can? I'm seeing bloggers say it's tacky, and yet it's all I want.

When people talk about tacky, they're talking about when people act tacky, as in: people get invited to a party, and instead of spending time there, attendees hear about The Great Swag, so they enter as soon as the doors open, make a mad dash for (and fight each other over) the gift bags, and then leave. (This may or may not have happened at a conference which I didn't attend.) (But I heard that it did.) You can get free stuff, but be (or at least act) gracious: thank the host/rep, ask questions about the company (or party host if applicable), don't just take the stuff and run. There's time to get all the stuff you want: take the stuff and then make conversation and THEN run. Just kidding. But you never know, by engaging after (or before) receiving The Stuff, you may establish a connection which would result in being able to host a giveaway, or partnering with a company on a campaign, or becoming the next face of Your Favorite Laundry Detergent. You just never know.

Business cards?

Yes. Absolutely. If you're going to a conference, invest in business cards. They don't have to be fancy; in fact, the ones I hate to receive have a piece of gum or whatever stapled to them, or are 'creatively' shaped. I just want a card I can put in my card holder with the rest of them. You can get cards at a reasonable price at vistaprint.com, or you could try your luck at any number of giveaways on stationery blogs and the like.

Include contact information, but be brief also (tricky). My card includes: a photo, my name, my commenting name (~j.), my blog url, email address, phone number, city & state (in case a company says, "I'd like to work with a Utah blogger for this project..."), twitter handle, and blog facebook page url. On the reverse side of my card, I have my blog header.

I'd say to order 200-500 cards. They're always good to have on hand (says me).

A word on passing out cards. Some people deal them out like playing cards. I find it better (much like acquiring the swag) to make a connection first. I even say, "May I give you my card?" which seems forward, but I like it better than, "May I have your card?" Not that there's anything wrong with asking for someone's card, and I've done that before, but it's a different question entirely, and I just like asking if I can give mine. (And get theirs, too. Of course.)

Is the point of attending one to promote your blog, or do you just go to have a good time?

Yes. (heh) If I'm being honest, the main reason I wanted to go to BlogHer last year, initially, was to be in New York City. Turns out, I was also at a great conference with awesome parties (in the best city in the world). You can go to promote your blog and you're likely to have a good time, and vice versa.

What do you learn there? What kind of classes are taught?

Many different kinds of classes are taught, like I mentioned above. Check the agenda to see if what the conference offers is your cup o' tea. As for what you learn . . . among other things you certainly learn a lot about people and the politics of blogging.

Do popular bloggers get offended when they introduce themselves and people have no idea who they are?

Did I ever tell you about the time I saw Ree Drummond? Yeah, The Pioneer Woman? (Man, you know what, this deserves its own post, so I'll just abbreviate the experience here.) It was at a party, she was standing in a circle with some of my friends, I entered the circle, and someone said, "Jenny, this is Ree." I looked at her face, looked at her name badge, looked back at her face and said, "Oh, yes. I've heard of you." *AHEM* Did I know she was the owner of her own empire? No, I did not. Her reaction? She smiled and went back to talking to my friends who, I am certain (now) were horrified and/or confused and/or embarrassed. She was classy. And doesn't even remember it, I Am So Sure.

I've also seen Not Classy, but for the most part, when bloggers throw fits because of not being recognized it's not because they're a Popular Blogger, but rather it's because they only think they are.

********

I hope that helps. If not, please clarify in the comments section. And, please join the conversation(s) on my blog's facebook page.

Review: BlogHer '11

2011-08-23T00:02:00.000-06:00

After camp I had a few days to clean up and get ready to fly to San Diego to attend this year's BlogHer Conference. First things first: I flew out of Provo instead of Salt Lake. I know, there are some who would say, "But don't you have to switch planes in Denver?" to which I answer, "Yes, but I don't have to drive to Salt Lake." "But you have to fly to Denver." "But I DON'T have to DRIVE to SALT LAKE." Some will understand my logic, others will not; even so, being fewer than three miles from my airport was most excellent. As it happened, there was a delay in Denver. Like, a six-hour delay. But I didn't complain because getting to San Diego wasn't so important that I would want to get on the airplane with the cracked windshield; waiting for the alternate aircraft was just fine by me. Also, the extra time in the airport gave me time to rest, as well as put some finishing touches on my presentation.

Once on the plane, I noticed that the woman sitting next to me was going through some papers in her folder, which papers turned out to be the BlogHer schedule. I asked her if it was her first BlogHer, and I don't even remember her answer, but her name is Chris Bird and I really like her. I saw her several times throughout the conference, very interesting since there were 3,600 attendees. During the flight, she had a paper with my face on it (as an ad for the BlogHer Conferences), and the other person in our row pointed at it and asked, "Isn't that her?" gesturing to me. Check me out, all Rock Star. Chris and I shared a cab to the hotel, too. She's great.

I checked in at the Marriott Marquis & Marina, and arrived in my room to find my three roommates (Cabesh, Queen Scarlett, and Mrs. Organic) already checked in. Hugs and greetings, and I --HOLY CRAP, DID YOU SEE OUR ROOM? Cabesh scored us a corner room with two walls of windows. I even took pictures.

Speaking of pictures, you won't see many from me from San Diego. Really. The benefit of carrying around your camera is that you can take pictures, but the alternative is not having to carry around your camera, which is what I chose to do this trip.

We walked to dinner; we had reservations at a place called Oceanaire where I enjoyed the scallops. Walking back to the hotel I got a very dirrrty offer from a guy hanging out with the pedicab drivers, and decided to wash it off in the pool. I realized, in the warmth of the pool, feeling the ocean breeze, that it was the first time all summer that I was swimming without a 4-year-old and a 3-year-old at my sides, and it was glorious. In (and near) the hot tub we met up with Allison, Rachael, Marie, Kami, and even Laurie.

I kind of felt, when I got there, that I wasn't going to do too much until after my session on Friday, so Thursday was spent taking things slowly. I was able to enjoy a breakfast with my brother- and sister-in-law and their three boys who happened to be vacationing in San Diego, and it was great to see them. I did catch up with Jyl before going to a Top Secret FlashMob Rehearsal that day, and then it was on to the Speakers' Meeting. As the microphone was passed around for introductions, what began as Name-Blog-Session Title quickly evolved into Name-Blog-Qualifications-Experiences-Titles-Honors-Publications-Session Title. I felt a little silly, not having traveled across an ocean, nor being The Ambassador For Anything, so when it was my turn I said, "It's really humbling to be amongst you strong women (and men) who are doing and teaching so many life changing things. My name is Jenny Eckton, my blog is formerly phread, and the name of my session is: Lose Your Inhibitions, Live Your Dreams, Learn The 'Single Ladies' Dance." The response, instead of silence, was applause and some howyousay, whoops and hoots. It was great. That night brought a need to dress up in what they call a LBD (but not too L, mine did have sleeves), and I went to a party. Was told by my friend Stephanie Schwab that I "clean up good." At this party, I won a smurf doll for the kids, and then, not knowing too many people there, took a pedicab back to the hotel. The pedicab ride was fun, I shared it with two women, and when I asked where they were from, one answered, "South Carolina," while the other, sheepishly, replied, "Southern Utah."

I replied, "St. George? Cedar City?"

She perked up and answered, "St. George," I think she was surprised that I would know the names of those places.

I explained, "I live in Provo."

South Carolina Girl asked, "Are you a Mormon?"

"Yep."

They exchanged glances. "So is she," SC said, motioning to St. George.

St. George then asked, "Do you know [name withheld]?"

"Yes, in fact, I do know her. What a nice girl she is."

St. George got excited, and then scared: "She's my best friend, we grew up together. PLEASE don't tell her that I was drinking tonight! Please. Please don't tell her."

I laughed. "I am not the boss of you or your drinking or your being a Mormon."

Sorry, St. George, I don't even remember your name. But you're cute. Maybe stop drinking, if you don't want to own it though, mmmkay? We're grownups, right?

That night I stopped in at The People's Party. Fox was there promoting Glee, and so I volunteered to "Learn How To Dougie" with the two girls dressed as Cheerios (from Glee, not the cereal). As I was dancing, and the girls were saying to me, "Wow, you already know this, don't you?" a helpful inebriated woman raised her glass to me and yelled (from six feet away), "Don't quit your day job!" I looked at her and responded, "Wow, that was really great, thanks for saying that. My 'Day Job' is to teach a dance class tomorrow."

Friday, I ate breakfast with a wonderful group of women (thanks again, Stephanie!), and then for lunch had a couple of Excedrin with caffeine. I went to the conference's Designated Lunch Area at about 11:45, and at approximately 12:15, I took part in the following:

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

Yeah. Awesome.

After that excitement, I went back to my room to change in to my workout/dance clothes and gather all I'd need for my session. I walked to my session room and sat in the hall with my laptop, my headphones, and I stretched and meditated. For a long time. It was time well spent, though, because by the time 2:30 rolled around, I was ready.

My session went really excellently. I was straining to be focused, at the same time on the verge of needing to be pinched to make sure that it was really happening. In truth, my session was in a time slot which put me up against some pretty awesome speakers, and that made me even more grateful to those who chose to attend my session. I did a brief presentation about My Own History With Dance, and then we got to work dancing. We ended up going about ten minutes over the scheduled time, but WE DID IT. Thanks to Gene The Tech Guy for being awesome with all the A/V stuff. And a MILLION THANKS to all who attended my session. I hope it was as worth it for you as it was for me.

That night my hotel roommates and Jill and I attended the SparkleCorn Party, which was alright except for one little aspect: the DJ. See, he was a skilled DJ alright, but he wasn't there for us to dance; he was there to show of his stuff, to Get Discovered, and the result was a lot of scratching and mixing (if I had to give him grades, he'd get a B in scratching and a D in mixing). At a dance party, people want to dance (and sing along) to an entire song, not the beginning of five songs at once which never finish. We left the party early in favor of some sleep, which was the right choice.

Saturday I spent some time in the Expo Hall (one of my favorites: the P&G area, since I'm Brand-Loyal to so many of their items), and got some false lashes at the Skinny Cow booth. How they linked False Lashes with Diet Ice Cream, I'm not certain. But it worked for me, and I enjoyed those lashes into the night.

Dancing Duckface Sleeping Eyelash photo by Kristen Howerton

I did decide that afternoon to attend an actual BlogHer session (the only one other than my own that I attended), and it was a panel discussion about Beauty and Changing The Discussion and all that. Stephanie was one of the panelists, and as I walked up to the convention center I saw her getting out of her car (it probably seemed to her like I was waiting for her, but I promise I wasn't). I called out to her, and we walked to her session room together. Karen was also on the panel, but I didn't know anyone else who was presenting. It was great to sit with Julie and Kristen during the session. I have to say, and I do so without pandering: Stephanie made the statement most pertinent to the session's topic when she said, "The best way to feel better about ourselves is to serve others, because when we are serving we feel and become more beautiful." (Was it the only thing said during that session which is actually 'changing the conversation'? I think so. The rest of what was said is what has been said over and over for a while, which is not changing the conversation. In my opinion.) After that session, I walked Stephanie back to her family, who was waiting exactly where they had dropped her off, and then I went to find Jessica Bern. Man, I love that Jessica Bern. I did take one photo of her, even though she (clearly) didn't want me to, while we were in the Hershey's Suite actually roasting marshmallows.

Knowing I would need energy for dancing that night, I went on the lookout for a dinner companion or two. Stephanie and Tina were in the hotel's restaurant, so I invited myself to take a seat and ordered a delicious flatbread with mushrooms and arugula. After dinner and delightful conversation, I headed to the nearby Aiming Low party where I got a massage and may or may not have picked up a bottle of wine to immediately give to Aimee. I realized that it was time for the CheeseburgHer party to begin, so I headed upstairs, hit the dance floor, and stayed there (with minimal breaks for drinks of water and such) until 1:am-ish. It was the best dance party at BlogHer '11, no contest. Excellent DJ, beautiful and involved hostesses. I can only imagine what it will be like next year when the party is BACK in New York City!

Sunday, we ate breakfast at Richard Walker's Pancake House, and then checked out of the hotel. Mrs. Organic gave us a tip about scoring a free limo ride to the airport, so we did, and said our goodbyes.

Landing in Provo, I phoned Darin. By the time I was off of the plane, he was waiting for me in the parking lot. Perfection.

Thanks, BlogHer '11, for a wonderful weekend.

Will I be seeing you in New York next year?

Review: Girls' Camp 2011

2011-08-18T00:02:00.001-06:00

Girls Camp.

Girls' Camp.

Because they do, and it's theirs.

I guess technically it's called Young Women Camp. But whatever.

I wrote before about how uncomfortable I am (about and while) camping. Yet, I went, and did so willingly. And though I was grateful to be there, I tend to take certain things seriously: things such as not wanting mice or critters or bugs on or around me or my stuff. I don't think this is unreasonable. Yet, my repulsion to such was apparently "funny" - "Ha ha, look, she hates bugs so much, that's funny." Yeah, super funny. I wasn't joking, but people thought I was, which made me more frustrated and tend to act more seriously about it, which then turned into, "Oh, not funny: she really doesn't like being here." Which was not true. Not at all. I knew what camp was when I picked it up, and I was there to participate. So kill me for falling asleep on my cot that one afternoon -- I haven't slept since 1998, so I couldn't really help myself, could I?

Moving right along: Our group of girls got along with each other fabulously and with minimal drama. There was the one girl who, as she intended as soon as the buses pulled up to our camping area, "fell" out of her canoe and into the gross "lake" (actually a pond), and the girl who disappeared at almost every turn to hang out with her friends from other groups. Other than that, our girls, for the most part, were earnest and friendly, and camp for them seemed to have the intended effects of getting them to commune with nature, and with each other, and increase their testimonies.

Sleeping at night wasn't easy for me; I was really self-conscious about my snoring, and even brought earplugs for myself and others (another benefit of earplugs: bugs and critter noises can't bother me). The first night, I found sleep to be nearly impossible, and I was counting the minutes until the sun came up. One of the nights, I woke up to the sound (after I pulled out my earplugs) of another leader screaming about a bat. She had been having a nightmare. On the last night in our cabin, I heard my daughter on the upstairs level of the cabin complaining about a spider. L.Mo called up there, "You know how to get rid of the spider? Turn off your flashlight." I think they ended up killing the spider, but the next minute brought cries of, "There's a bat up here!" L.Mo got out of her sleeping bag and marched up the ladder-stairs with her flashlight saying, "I promise, there's not actually a bat . . ." followed by her stomping back down saying, "That's totally a bat." I sat up and put on my shoes to go with L.Mo to find someone to help us -- a boy, they help with bats, right? Oh, and did I mention that this was at 12:30 a.m., and that we were scheduled to be loaded on the buses by 6:30? We walked to the cabin where some men were staying and lead them back to the cabin. After evacuating all but one actually sleeping girl, the men entered and we watched through the tiny windows as much as we could see from their flashlights as they worked to get the bat; a few minutes later, one of them exited with his coat off and bunched up in his hands. "Did you get it?" we asked. "We'll see," was his answer as he slowly opened his coat. As the bat flew out, the girls all cooed, "Awwww!" My response: "No. No! Not 'awwwww'. Ew. Ew is the correct response. That, and thank you for getting rid of the bat."

The next morning the girls worked their tails off to be the first group ready to board the buses. I may or may not have bribed them with their very own Sweet Tooth Fairy Cupcake to do so.

Another thing: remember I had worried about not having cell/email reception for the week preceding a blogging conference? Yeah. Turns out I received invitations for, and subsequently lost the opportunity to RSVP for and attend, among other things, a lunch with Jane Lynch and a yoga class with Bob Harper.

That's okay. It was worth it. I promise.

The scorched skin, the campfire smell, the exhaustion, all of it.

And, yes, I hope to go again next year.

forthcoming

2011-08-09T09:24:00.004-06:00

Sunday night my plane safely landed at the airport three miles from my home. I had been in San Diego since the previous Wednesday, and the week prior to that I was camping (Tuesday through Saturday of that week). This week we've got family visiting for the occasion of my husband's graduation.

These last few weeks before school we're doing our best to maximize time together, which makes for fast days and tired bodies. And while I don't have time to update today, I will soon. Remind me to tell you about:

~ Camping
~ BlogHer '11 in San Diego, including but not limited to:

Flying out of Provo
Awesome room, awesomer roommates
Teaching a Dance Class (best attendees ever)
Being in a Flashmob
And much more Dancing, I am so sure

triathamom registration WINNER

2011-08-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

Hello, Everyone! Thanks to all of you who entered to win a FREE entry to the triathamom triathlon. A [random] winner has been selected:

Congratulations, Kristen! Please email me so I can put you in touch with triathamom for your Free Registration! How do you feel, knowing you'll be racing at the end of September?

For everyone else, please remember that when you register for triathamom you can still get $5 off of your entry fee by entering the code word phread at checkout. Also, the registration fee is lower if you register before August 15th.

Best wishes to all of you who decide to race! This really will be a fun event, I hope to see you there! Thanks, triathamom, for the giveaway!

*Disclosure: For writing about triathamom, I was compensated with one free registration for myself. The written opinions about racing and the triathamom event (as well as all other opinions on these posts) are my own.

campy

2011-07-27T05:00:00.001-06:00

Don't forget to enter to win a free registration to TriathaMOM!
Winner will be announced August 1st.

By the time you read this, I will be well into camping*. Camping. Me. I liked camping when I was younger, but since I've been a mom I've been of the opinion that camping is just going outside to do four times the work I'd do anyway.

Once a year, the Young Women (ages 12-17) in m' church participate in a li'l something called Girls' Camp. I, being not between the ages of 12 and 17, am going as A Leader. Something you may want to know about Mormons is that members of the congregation(s) are asked to donate their time in leadership positions, which is to say that they're not paid for their time. It takes a lot of organization and sacrifice to make these camps (and, frankly, any other activity) happen. Using my own situation as an example: my husband is using his vacation days to stay home with the kids so that I can go . . . be at camp.

Don't get me wrong: I actually ~~volunteered~~ made it known that I would be willing and able to help out with camp this year. Even so, if I'm being honest, I've been dreading it. I don't much like eating outside. To say that mice give me the creeps is a major understatement. Sleeping on my camping cot makes my hips hurt. Plus, I LIKE being home with my family. I like doing laundry and smelling clean things and feeling the A/C on my skin. Oh, and clean toilets and warm showers: those are fantastic.

But we do hard things, right? And, since this is my oldest's first year at camp, I can tolerate being away from my house. In fact, I look forward to the time with her, though I want to be sure to not hover, so that she can have her own experience. On Monday night, we saw a family friend who said, very seriously, to my daughter, "This will be a very important week for you. It will be so . . . awesome. You'll get to have some time on your own where you'll be surrounded by only God's creations, and none of man's creations, and it will be incredible, really great."

I thought it was wonderful that he said that to her, and I felt grateful that I heard what he was saying.

Being without phone or email the week before presenting at a conference? That's worrisome to me. But since there's no way to simply fast-forward to Saturday when I will (very likely) be glad to have gone, I'll just go. Go and be. And do.

*Being away means any comments left won't be posted until my return, since I'm a moderatin' kind o' blogger.

TriathaMOM

2011-07-22T00:52:00.002-06:00

"Oh, you do triathlons? WOW! I've always wanted to do one, but . . . ".

Today's the day we talk about your big but.

But you don't like to swim? But you don't think you could do it? But you're not athletic? But you don't have a racing bike? But you'd be too scared? But you don't want to do a race all by yourself? But you don't know if your family would want to wait for you to finish up your race? But you don't want to come in last place?

NO MORE! You're doing this one, BECAUSE YOU CAN. Check this out:

What if you could take the intimidation out of triathlon? What if it was just women, all cheering for each other? What if you could do a triathlon with your friends? What if your family was entertained while cheering you on? Well that's not a triathlon . . . it's a triathamom!

Dani Lassiter has created this brilliant event to show women that they CAN do this. Whether racing is on your Bucket List, or just something you've always been curious about but you've not really known where to begin, this is the event for YOU. Don't believe me? Look at the different options:

~ Individual (You do the swim, the bike, and the run)
~ Relay (You along with your 2 buddies - each does one leg of the race)
~ Duathlon (Skip the swim)
~ Aqua Velo (Skip the run)

See? You can do this.

Here are some more details you should know:

~ This is a Sprint-Distance Tri: 300 yard swim, 12 mile bike ride, 5K (3.1 mile) run
~ Saturday, September 24th, 8:am, in Herriman, Utah
~ I will answer ANY questions you have about any aspect of this race (or preparation, etc.) - let's do this together!
~ The website is very helpful, even offering a training program
~ Your family will have PLENTY to do while you're racing, such as play at the playground, go to the bouncy house, or get creative at the sign-making station
~ The registration fee is lower if you register before August 15th
~ If you enter the code phread during the registration process, you'll save $5
~ I'm giving away one registration entry to this race.

Did you see those last two items?

To enter to win an entry (early registration value: $70), leave a comment on this post. I'll announce the winner on Monday, August 1st.

You could also (if you haven't already) click 'like' on my blog's facebook page. In fact, if you do that and post something on my blog's facebook page such as, "I really want to win an entry to this race!" I'll give you an extra entry.

If you don't have the kind of time to wait around to see if you've won an entry, you feel the need to register NOW, be sure to enter the code word phread to get $5 off of that registration fee.

Relax. We've got plenty of time to get ready for this.

You in?

*Grammar Elephant In The Room: the word TriathaMOM isn't necessarily consistent with the word Triathlon because of the a after the th. Even though there isn't an a-sound between Triath- and -lon, people often say it, don't they? Yes, they do. And we let it slide, don't we? Yes, we do. TriathaMOM will do, won't it? Oh yes, it will.

"Look at me."

2011-07-18T05:00:00.001-06:00

The week leading up to Valentine's Day, 2001.

Hallmark store, Provo Towne Centre Mall.

My brother reaches for, of all things, a Harry Potter-themed 'retro' metal lunch box.

Examining it in his hands, he explains, "She's really into Harry Potter."

Me: *eyeroll*

"Well, she is. I haven't read them, either, but she seems to really like the books."

I don't remember if he got her the lunchbox.

*****
Late June, 2003; a phone call.

"Hi, Lisa, it's Jenny. I'm wondering if I could borrow the first Harry Potter book from you. ... Nope, I've never read any of them. Monica has long loved them, and I . . . I just want to see."

In truth, I want to read it to prove it all stupid. Give some credence to my ridicule. Then I could give them a message, maybe as a joke, a part of what I write to them in their wedding card: I read the stupid books. They're actually stupid.

*****
August 15, 2003.

I have a different message.

The books? I can't put them down.

I read the first five books in six weeks.

*****
July, 2007.

In the middle of the night, while the rest of my family sleeps, I sit in my bed, shaking with sobs at the revelation of Snape's memories. I always trusted him.

*****
15 July, 2011 -- Friday afternoon.

Cinemark, Provo Towne Centre Mall.

Kacy, Lisa, and I are first into the theater for the 3:55 p.m. showing of the final movie. I had waited in line since 12:30 that afternoon. My back hurts, and I have to go to the bathroom for nearly the entire movie (and it's a long one). But I watch. And I quietly cry. Cry because it's ending, cry because of Snape, cry at Narcissa's motivations, cry because of Fred. And such. I feel disappointed in the lack of battle between Bellatrix and Sister Weasley, but conclude that it can be Our Little Secret, a shared experience for those who have read the books. (My only other disappointment (and it is small) is in Sister Weasley's non-reaction to Professor McGonagall's excitement at being able to dispatch the Suits of Armor.) Overall, I am riveted, melancholy, and satisfied. A very little, I'm embarrassed at being 34 and crying about the Fake Boy Wizard movie.

Only a little.

evo'11

2011-07-15T11:15:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday I woke early (5-something) to go hiking with a gaggle o' girls (with whom I'll be camping for a week at the end of the month, more on that later). We went to Stewart Falls, where I was equal parts irritated by all the bugs and overwhelmed at all the beauty of where I live. Arriving home, I finished packing and, not having any time for a shower, drove as quickly as I could to Park City, with the music of Fleetwood Mac as my traveling companion.

I arrived at The Canyons' Grand Summit Hotel with about ten minutes to spare before my first class: Beginning SLR Photography by Justin Hackworth. Grateful that the gate was open for underground parking, I gathered what I needed and made it to the classroom on time. You can read my review of the class on evo's blog, but here is where I show you that I learned the difference between this

and this

After Justin's class I checked into my room, a 1-bedroom suite shared with Camille, and got ready for the opening night keynote, an Ignite session including blowing bubbles with Jenny On The Spot and ending in a zombie attack as hosted by Jenny The Bloggess. (Note: all the jennys. this is why i went by phread.) Someone even proposed to his longtime girlfriend, which was very sweet, although many in the crowd (myself included) were confused by the whole thing because we thought the couple was already married to each other, and that this was a, like, "Let's renew our vows," -type proposal, which is maybe an awkward thing to do in front of a room of strangers. When I later realized it was an actual marriage proposal, I felt bad for not cheering for the couple.

Dessert was served by going to different sponsor suites to enjoy their cupcakes or cupcakes-on-a-stick or whatever. Amy invited me to join her in the xbox kinect suite, and asked if I'd like to play the dance-off game (what's it called?). I had never played via kinect before, but am convinced that this type of technology will change the world. The song was chosen: Venus (bananarama!) and the level (hard!), and as it happens, I scored over a million points. To be specific, I think it was 1,007,300. Or something. Amy wrote this on the Keep Score poster, and little did I know, A Million Points is many. Like, The Most Points.

I got to bed late that night, after a great lobby chat with Cecily, but woke up in time for Friday's 6:30 a.m. aerobics class, sponsored by New Balance (who gave participants a new pair of shoes, isn't that thoughtful?). I had a light breakfast and opted to shower and dress rather than attend that morning's keynote where, guess what, it was announced that I had been the high scorer in the Kinect suite. Many people told me that the announcement included the promise of winning an actual xbox and Kinect system, which would be awesome (I don't have those things), but upon my arrival at the suite to claim my prize, I learned that I won 4 games. Which is great. For people who have the capacity to play them. (Should I buy an xbox? We already have a wii. Do I need both?)

My schedule that day consisted of learning more about the laptop & program on loan to the live bloggers from Microsoft (still playing around with that stuff), and The Food Workshop. The Food Workshop from last year was so legendary that this year they put two on the schedule, and I was thrilled to get to be assigned to cover one of them. I've drafted a review, but as of the time of my writing this post, it hasn't been added to the evo blog; when it is, I will link here so you can see what I thought about it. The ride up the Orange Bubble Express with April was magical-- I had no idea that The Canyons was so humongous. The food was unbelievably delicious (my favorites were the Hangar Steak, and the Spanish Summer Salad), and the hands-on portion made me believe that I could make that kind of food in My Real World.

The food photography portion of that class was also awesome, taking beautiful pictures of food is a skill that I don't know that I'll acquire in this life. Post-class I rode the Orange Bubble back down the mountain with Jeremy, who is afraid of heights, and I hope our conversation eased at least some of his anxiety.

Upon hitting ground level, I sprinted to meet up with Darin, who had driven the kids up for that evening's family party at Park City Mountain Resort. I directed him to the underground parking, and then we all went to my room so I could change my clothes. We took the shuttle over to PCMR and got ready for dinner (I'm sure it was delicious, though I didn't eat anything). Did I mention it was sponsored by Bush's Beans?

While Darin and some of the kids ate, I and the kids who did not eat danced. We were pretty lonely on the dance floor, what with it being so early in the evening. We headed outside and took a ride on the lift to do an Alpine Slide ride (so much fun!), after which I sent Darin up the mountain to claim his Zip Line ride. The older 3 girls went and had fun on the Alpine Slide some more while the wee kidlets and I tackled some serious mini golf. After brushing up on the wii, these kids took it very seriously, I'm sure.

Bubba also championed some sort of climbing apparatus (which we originally mistook for a bouncy house). I cheered him on and my heart nearly exploded; he had to climb through several levels of lattice-worked straps, pushing his li'l body up each time. I'll be honest, I didn't think he'd be able to do it. But he did. Mark that one down as the first of many.

Darin finished with the Zip Line, and it was my turn. Victoria and I stood in line together, and while Victoria spoke with the girl in line behind us, I kept looking at her (the girl behind us) and thinking, "I know her. But I can't think of what her blog is. I'll wait for her to mention it." And then she mentioned it: not her blog, but her being on The Biggest Loser. YOUGUYS! I got to meet one of my television friends.

The rides closed at 9, and so we headed back inside where the dance floor was filled. My kids and I danced to a few songs, and then the DJ played a song as requested by one (or more) of my children. What followed was 2 of my kids and I leading a dance. I don't have video of us doing the dance, so I'll show you the video we watched to learn it:

That was fun.

After a shuttle back to The Canyons, I bid farewell to my family (amidst cries of, "Come home with us, Mommy!" ugh!) and headed to bed.

6:30 arrived too soon, but I got dressed and was only a little bit late to Kia's yoga class. I'd only done yoga once before, an instructional session, and hadn't been a fan. But now? I crave it. What a perfect way to start the day!

After showering, dressing, and packing up my belongings, I went to my first session of that day, Working With Designers and Programmers. (How I long to know what they know.) A break for lunch with Aimee and Helene, and then my final session, Hands-On Workshop: Vlogging. I ended up doing a string of vlog interviews in a gondola with Jenny, Carly, Pam, and Lisa. You may end up seeing some of that footage at a later date.

Checked out of the hotel, I helped get the ballroom set up for the Closing Keynote, a stirring address by Me Ra Koh. I related with her on many (too many) fronts, and her words really touched (I'm sure) everyone in attendance. (If you've got the time, you can watch her address -- the audio improves after the beginning -- and I do recommend it.)

The closing party was another ride up the gondola at The Red Pine Lodge. More delicious food, and some fantastic conversation with Allison and her husband. A couple of cozy fireside chats (not Fireside Chats) and laughs with Trevor later, I found myself on the gondola ride back down the mountain with Justin and a couple I don't know, but they must be Big Time because apparently they photograph stuff for Williams-Sonoma.

I then bided my time and made a few wardrobe adjustments in preparation for the traditional End-Of-The-Conference-Adults-Jumping-Into-The-Pool-Fully-Clothed event. It was very fun until -- Scram! The Fuzz! Yes, we were kicked out. And yelled at. Yelled. It was like being at Perkins or something.

I dried off in Jen's suite's bathroom, changed my clothes, and drove home. And then on Sunday? I slept for a million hours.

evo. blogher. one-thousand.

2011-07-07T00:11:00.000-06:00

You've heard of BlogHer, yes? Perhaps you've seen their ads on the sidebars of blogs. Maybe you, yourself, are a member of the BlogHer network. If so, and if you're a recipient of BlogHer's emails about their conferences, or if you've been on BlogHer's Conference page, perhaps you've seen the following image:

This photo is awesome.

Let's break this down:

~ Taken at a party in NYC (August, 2010)
~ I'm standing with some reeeeeally significantly cool and influential bloggers right there: (l-r) Rachael Herrscher (of Today's Mama, and Evo Conference), Jyl Pattee (of Mom it Forward, and Evo Conference), Jane Maynard (of This Week for Dinner), [me], and Allison Czarnecki (of Petit Elefant)
~ Photo taken by Justin Hackworth
~ Notice how all the ladies are wearing beautiful dresses . . . except for that one in the overly sweaty pink shirt (gross)
~ Someone coined this group, 'The Mormon Mafia.' (What can I say? It's true.)

Not long after this photo was taken, I got my fifteen minutes of fame. Yada yada, yada, I HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE:

I'll be presenting at this year's BlogHer Conference in San Diego. The title of my presentation?

Lose Your Inhibitions, Live Your Dreams, Learn the 'Single Ladies' Dance

The description of my presentation?

At BlogHer ’10, Jenny Eckton of formerly phread got to live out one of her dreams and dance in front of a crowd. And the crowd loved it. But here’s a little secret: she says she’s not really what you would call a dancer. She’d say she’s a dancer in her mind and in her dreams, unbeknownst to those watching her change diapers and motor her minivan around town.

Blogging often helps us recognize and realize the dreams that motherhood and/or work may leave little space for. And that's what this session will be about: getting back in touch with those dreams, through dance. We’ll clear away the chairs and learn the dance that so many people were talking about last year. Prepare to toss aside your inhibitions and live your own dreams on the dance floor and throughout the weekend!

That's right! I am so excited to do this. And for all of you bloggers who have asked me to teach you this dance throughout this past year? NOW'S YOUR CHANCE.

That's still a few weeks away. This weekend, I'll be at another conference.

Today I head up to Park City to be part of the Volunteer Crew for evo'11: The Evolution of Women in Social Media (reference to above photo: Rachael & Jyl). I feel extremely fortunate, not only to be a part of the volunteers, but also that the location of this world-class conference is local to where I live. Stay tuned to evo's blog to catch my (and others') reviews of a variety of sessions and classes offered throughout the conference, as well as evo's twitter stream (#evoconf) and facebook page. I may even put a few surprises on my formerly phread facebook page, and/or on my twitter stream, so follow there, if you'd like.

youguys, this is my 1,000th post.
THANK YOU for being here.

Someday I'm gonna make her mine

2011-06-29T00:01:00.004-06:00

Gather 'round while I tell you a story.

Wait. First, let me tell you about Sarah Sample. She's awesome. She's lovely. She's a great musician and performer, and I'm really looking forward to her opening act for Friday's Rooftop Concert. I first saw her perform solo last year, and I've since loved her CD 'Someday, Someday,' a smart and eclectic collection of songs which will certainly be available for purchase on Friday, so be prepared to fall in love and walk home with a new CD. My personal favorite from the album is the song 'Staying Behind'.

Okay. Now I'll tell you that story.

Many years ago (ten? Was it ten? Almost?), I was told about a show I should attend. A show of the music variety. I do like the music, you know. My friends Sarah and Scott told me about the show. "The Abbey Road Show," they said.

I love Abbey Road. My dad had made me a copy of the album on a cassette tape (my dad is a CHAMP at giving Mix Tapes as gifts), which I loved because, since it had been recorded from a record player (google it, Kids), I could hear all the scratches, which just made it seem more Beatles to me.

Abbey Road Show? In Provo? Whatever could that mean?

I went to the show, and was blown away. All local musicians, performing the entire album, start-to-finish. So much talent. I floated home that night, with a tinge of jealousy that I hadn't been one of the performers, but vowed to stay as close to the Provo music scene as I could because: 1, I love it, and 2, perhaps one day, if that show were to be performed again, I might be a part of it -- not a frontman, just backup vocals. It was, and has been since, one of my dreams.

Fast-forward to Friday (two days from now): The Rooftop Concert Series show for July is, you guessed it, The Abbey Road Show. Now, here is where you're waiting for me to tell you that I'll be singing backup vocals and that one of my dreams has been realized. And this is where I tell you that it is not the case (not that I didn't try). I will help set up the stage that day, and I will help mark off the aisles and put up barricades and organize where other prep work needs to be done, but at showtime I will be singing along with some amazing local musicians from my seat in the audience.

Will you sing with me?

Rootop Concert - What It Is

5 things

2011-06-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

FIRST:

Thanks to all of you who chimed in with your supportive words and thoughts. Darin's defense went well. He 'passed, with revisions'. So there's more writing, more meeting and emailing and getting things signed off. Plus the hiring of an editor (the cost of which makes us laaaaaaaugh).

SECOND:

After Darin got home from his defense, we, as a family, went to see Cars 2: The One Everyone Hates. You know what? It took me years to enjoy the first Cars movie. Really. I just kept falling asleep to it. But my youngest two kids really enjoy it, so it's been a recent favorite around here. (How could we not? It was filmed in Southern Utah.) On Friday we were fortunate to find seven seats all together in the theater. I spent quite a bit of time on popcorn runs and entertaining the 3YO in the hallway outside the theater when she got bored with the movie, as well as Being Resourceful with a diaper in my purse but no wipes when wipes were required. But I did see a good portion of the movie. After it was over and we got home, my kids all pulled out guns and started making scenes and chasing each other. Just kidding. But that's what you'd think from all the reviews I've read of the movie, about how it's So Violent and Not Realistic Or Heartwarming like the first movie. Um, what? Realistic? Heartwarming? They're CARS. Look, like the movie or don't. That's it. As for me and my house, we will buy it when it comes out on DVD.

THIRD:

Kacy and I went to see Ira Glass at Kingsbury Hall. (Please click that and read her awesome review.) I like the way she thinks. It was great to spend time chatting with her. She neglected to mention the bully we encountered at Gourmandise, the Tough Guy who tried to start a fight with We Old Ladies who were, I'm not exaggerating, Wearing Blouses. Oh, he was so tough. We do feel sorry for his girlfriend.

FOURTH:

Tonight I will be leading a Round-Table Discussion for Lifestyle Bloggers at the Utah Bloggers Summit. Will you be there? This event is done through the facebook group Utah Bloggers Meetup -- if you're not a member and would like to be, please let me know.

FIFTH:

My fifth thing deserves its own post, so come back tomorrow so you can see what it is (HINT: A Very Special Rooftop Friday).

Today is the day

2011-06-24T08:28:00.000-06:00

Today is for my husband.

I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it now again because it's pertinent: We've been married almost 14 years, and my husband has been going to school, full-time and year-round (save the 8-week term during which we were married) the entire time I've known him.

He graduated with his BA (Spanish Teaching/Minor in PE Coaching) in April of 1999 (8 days after our oldest was born).

He graduated with his MS (Sociology) in August of 2003.

Today, he defends his dissertation for his Ed.D (doctorate in Educational Leadership).

Today, the day we've been waiting for. Two li'l hours out of today. It doesn't mean he's finished (there will be edits after feedback, etc.), but THIS is the mark, the distinguishing event. In order to get this done, to get to this point, we have sacrificed time together. Time. And lots of specific things that I won't mention here, perhaps because I may or may not have blocked them from my memory. Summers, winters, everything in between, for YEARS. "When's he going to defend?" TODAY. Today, is the answer to that question.

So if you don't mind, a cheer or good thought or a prayer his way?

Have a great weekend.

sometimes I'd like to chuck it into the lake

2011-06-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

I like owning a laptop. It's so helpful and convenient.

But there are aspects to owning it that I simply don't understand, which frustrates me to no end. Such aspects include: how to fix it.

I don't have many websites that I visit regularly; just a handful, really. One of them is youtube, though, and at least weekly, my blood pressure begins to rise when I get this message:

Perhaps more frustrating are the initial options: Reload page (resulting in the screen freezing again for WhoKnowsHowLong) or Submit a crash report (which helps with absolutely NOTHING).

So I take a deep breath and go to my control panel and Uninstall Stuff and Download Latest Versions, but that only works some of the time, which is not a reliable enough percentage to result in my satisfaction.

I get suggestions and advice from my outcries on twitter, and even phone call walk-throughs from the most patient of my friends.

Here are my questions about the situation:

~ Why is this happening so frequently?
~ What can I do to prevent this from happening so frequently?
~ Should I be taking my laptop to a doctor for checkups or something?
~ Are you a laptop doctor? Or do you know one?
~ Where can I learn more about laptop maintenance and such?

Will you teach me?* I'd really, really like to learn.

*I also have questions about my external hard drive, photo resizing, getting rid of the stuff on my computer that I don't use/need, and Mary Murphy's face. Can you help me with those, too?

Words With Friends

2011-06-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

I recently began playing Words With Friends on my phone because, you know, I needed one more thing. In case you don't know, Words With Friends is Scrabble on your SmartPhone, but on your own time. Sometimes minutes go by between turns, sometimes days. Waiting for your reservation at the restaurant? Play your turn. You get it.

I don't do well with board games because of pressure to perform (win), but I can deal with Words With Friends. I've even pulled out a few surprising moves, notably: the word 'oilseeds' (because it's 8 letters); the word 'brazil' played for 111 points, and a few days later, the word 'coddling' for 119 points. I don't think these are things I could have done sitting at a table in an on-the-spot manner.

The game has a feature which allows players to make comments back and forth to one another, but it's a flawed system: I have yet to repeat my comment even once, to say nothing of the nineteen times my phone makes it seem I've done. Also: when you finish a game, I'm pretty sure each player is asked if they'd like to begin another game because I play with about five people and I've got a couple dozen games going on...not that I wouldn't love to play more.

Do you play?

dental blogging

2011-06-13T00:01:00.001-06:00

Last week I had a bit o' minor oral surgery, connective tissue grafting on the lower left side of my mouth. The tissue was harvested from the roof of my mouth, then the gums were pulled away from the bone and tissue was put in place. I'm hopeful that the grafts will take. There were sutures on the roof of my mouth, which felt weird but not as weird as when they fell out on Saturday (it was supposed to happen that way). I also have stitches on my gums, which will have to be removed next week. I'm taking some mild medication for the pain, and enjoying soft foods as well as cutting up small bites for the right side of my mouth to savor. It's a good thing I love soup so much.

I never had braces. People think I have because my teeth appear to be straight, but I've got a ridiculous amount of dental problems, and I find myself wondering how many of them would have been avoided by having had braces. I suppose it's one way to comfort myself as we prepare to get braces for one of our kids, which will happen very soon, and it's a good thing because I didn't know what I should do with all this extra cash we've got laying around here.

Because of my mouth being sore I've been taking a break on talking, which is a very interesting thing to do. I thought that perhaps my thoughts would be racing more wildly, but my mind has actually been rather calm. Maybe it's coincidence, but it's interesting just the same. Sometimes my thoughts race and I think I should blog about every single little thing that comes into my mind, and sometimes blogging is an outlet for when I'm emotional, but it's usually when I'm more peaceful and organized in my thoughts that I can put out a post (not necessarily great, but a post at all). This all leads me to my question for you:

When is it easiest for you to blog? Time of day? Time of year? Busy, or not? How does blogging fit into your life, on a practical level?

You like-a the Paris?

2011-06-06T15:11:00.003-06:00

Certainly you've read my posts about my trip to Paris.

Would you like to win your own trip from Jordan of Oh Happy Day?

No? You want me to win?

Merci.

Rooftop Concert - What It Is

2011-05-31T21:24:00.000-06:00

Here, the questions I'm asked, and their answers:

What is the Rooftop Concert Series?

It's a series of concerts, held on a rooftop.

When are the concerts?

The first Friday of every month, from May through October of this year.

How much are tickets?

The concerts are free.

Free?

Yes, free.

Do I need a ticket?

No.

Where are the concerts?

On the top level of the parking ramp near Central Bank and Provo Town Square, across the street from sammy's.

Where is that?

Near the corner of 100 North and 100 West in Provo.

The Marriott parking ramp?

No. Here, look:

Oh, yeah. I know that place. Near Central Bank, right by sammy's.

Yep.

Say, that's a nice map.

Thanks.

What are the blue dots on that map?

Those represent where the stairwells are. Use those to access the rooftop.

Cool. What's that area on the map called courtyard?

That's an area for vendors, food and otherwise. You should totally go there before & during the concert.

I absolutely will. I will spend my dollars there.

Super.

Why did you put communal on that map?

Because it's my most favorite restaurant, and, though I don't mean to tell you your business, I think you should eat dinner there before the concert.

You think I should make an entire date night of it?

Yes. Dinner, Gallery Stroll, Concert.

What time do the concerts begin?

8:pm.

What time do the concerts end?

Around 10:pm.

Are there seats on the rooftop?

You should bring your own blankets and/or chairs.

Are you performing?

Not on the stage. But as for this week's concert, I will definitely be singing backup for Mindy Gledhill . . . from my seat as I watch her on stage. (Say the word, Mindy. SAY THE WORD.)

the bus - and not

2011-05-30T05:00:00.001-06:00

When I began this post, my intention was to contrast my kids' Last Day Of School celebrations with my own. The post took a turn (writing can be weird that way, right?) and is about something different, sort of.

As a kid, I rode the bus to and from school. And since I lived in the country, my bus ride took a very, very long time. I hated the bus. (Yes, my dad did teach at the same school I attended as a child, and no, he absolutely would NOT drive me. Ever.) It was smelly and dirty, I always got headaches from riding it. Plus, I learned all manner of foul things sitting on that bus: swearing and limericks and the like. And of course the bullies/bosses of the bus: those who occupied the back seats. There was my first bus, #77, with Dave the bus driver. Dave was nice enough, but I was jealous of the kids who got to ride on Jack's bus, or even better yet, Jeri -- she was awesome. ("Jeri was a race-bus driver...") In high school (yes, high school -- on the bus.) we had Gordy as our driver, a kind old man who drove #96, one of the newer buses (with seat belts! Which we never used!) which had -- wait for it -- an FM radio! On the tops of some of the hills we could get decent reception and when a really good song came on -- like something by Billy Joel -- we'd ask Gordy to turn it up. He'd look at us in the interior rear-view mirror, call out, "Okay!" and turn up the volume for us . . . and then turn it back down fifteen seconds later.

(Once I threw up on the bus. It was on the way home, I had had the school's pizza for lunch, so that's what I threw up. I threw up directly into the aisle and every time the bus would make a stop, the liquid vomit would crawl further and further toward the front of the bus. Kids had to walk on the seats to get to the front door when their time came to disembark. Now that I'm writing about this, I wonder: why did no one clean it up? Certainly school buses are equipped with something, like that powder that dries up liquid messes, right? Or something?)

Somewhere in the middle of Dave and Gordy was Ms. Lewis. She was an intimidating woman who yelled -- a lot. I suppose that trying to communicate with a bus-load of noisy children might necessitate yelling, but it doesn't necessitate the tone (or words) which she used. You know how when you're in grade school and there's a bully and you're not their target, but rather you're on their perimeter, but you never know when their mood will change and so you're nice to them simply for the hope of not being the one to be bullied that day? It was like that with Ms. Lewis -- we didn't like her, but we totally kissed-up to her so that she wouldn't yell at us. Better to plaster on a fake smile and pretend to like her than to be on the receiving end of her shrieks.

There were a lot of rumours about cruel and inappropriate things she had said to children which I won't detail here, because I don't remember, from my own memory, if they are true. But one scenario has been on my mind lately, and that's what I'm going to tell you about.

I said that we didn't like her, but there was one exception to that: one boy liked her. In fact, every day he sat directly behind her and talked to her for the entire bus ride. His stop, on the way to school, was just after my stop (and on the way home was just before my stop), which made for at least 45 minutes of him talking to her -- 45 minutes one-way; 90 minutes total, every day. She was so mean to him. She'd call him a nerd and a geek and rally the troops on the bus to be mean to him. My memory specifically recalls the sharpness she used when she'd yell, "Andy! Shutup! Just shutup!" I shudder to think that I may have ridiculed this boy under the pressure of being pegged as one who associates with . . . with who? -- a boy I had known practically since he was born (he's my younger sister's age), whose mom babysat me when I was a preschooler . . . any way, yeah, I cringe to think that I would have, but I wouldn't put it past my then-self to have done so, for my own protection and because of my own cowardice.

Toward the end of the school year, Ms. Lewis would lead the kids on her bus in a rousing rendition of a song. Here, I'll give you the words and I'll bet ten bucks* you can figure out the melody**:

Ten more days of school,
Ten more days of school,
I am happy,
You are happy,
Ten more days of school!

. . . and so on, until the last day. The big reward was that on the last day, we were permitted to have a squirt gun fight on the afternoon bus ride. Every year, that was the reward. Except one year, when the plan was changed. After Andy had been dropped off one day, Ms. Lewis announced that our end-of-the-year thing would be to have a party at the park down the road from where I lived. The catch? It was ONLY for those kids who were on the bus after Andy had been dropped off. This meant making sure that no one talked about it in front of Andy -- he couldn't find out about it -- he wasn't invited, and if he found out about it, he would surely ride his bike down to the park and his mere presence would ruin the party. I think the intent was for Ms. Lewis to help us feel like we were some exclusive club. The reality is that it made me feel uneasy.

The day arrived. For kids riding home on the last day of school, we were eerily quiet and calm. The tension level rose as we approached Andy's stop. "'Bye, Ms. Lewis! Have a good summer!" Andy called as he hopped down the massive steps and toward his house. He must have heard the cheering through the bus's open windows as we drove away.

As an adult, I can't conjure up the logistics of this party at the park. Did she drive the bus there? She would have had to have gotten permission slips signed in order to bring the bus, and the kids, to the park, right? What would the parents have said when their kids explained that it was only for the kids who lived beyond Andy's stop? What about those kids who, as they do, forgot to tell their parents about the party? Did they just not show up at home when they were supposed to because they had diverted and gone to the park?

I didn't go to the party. I didn't feel right about it, and I didn't even like Ms. Lewis -- why would I go to her party?

Maybe it doesn't need to be said that I have rotten feelings associated with school buses. The only time my kids have ridden on a school bus is when they've gone on field trips. Maybe this all explains why I really don't mind driving my kids all around town to get to school (for those who have asked).

Not that I have to worry about that now. Didn't I tell you?

No more days of school,
No more days of school,
I am happy,
You are happy,
No more days of school!

*not actually going to bet ten bucks, I haven't got it.

** the tune is the same as that of 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall -- did you get that?

On the street where you live

2011-05-24T00:11:00.000-06:00

Let's all agree to agree on something:

Weather is crazy.

That's right, it's just CRAZY. It changes or it doesn't, and we can't control it, and we can barely predict it.

In our agreement, let's add: THIS HAPPENS MOST EVERYWHERE.

As an example: one of my daughters played Spring Soccer. The season went a week over the original schedule due to two rained-out (snowed-out) games. On one of her game days I remember that snow fell pretty heavily in the morning; the snow was gone by 3:pm, and so the Rainout Hotline told me that games would be played as scheduled; an hour later it was snowing again; at game time, the snow was gone (and that hour was the coldiest cold that ever colded, that one, yipes).

"Whuuuuuuuh? Snow in April? ONLY IN UTAH!" is what I hear.

And it's simply not true.

Know how I know?

Because I grew up in Western New York, of "Only In Western New York!" fame.

That's right. Snow during prom. 80 degrees for three days in January.

Look, weather is awesome and scary and unpredictable. In Utah. In Western New York. I remember a tornado in Busti, I remember something very similar in Provo. It's not news, it's not worthy of over exclamation, it's weather.

And as for this rain? As in, Thank-Goodness-It-Didn't-Rain-On-May-6th-Even-Though-It-Rained-All-Week-Before-That-And-The-Rain-Hasn't-Exactly-Let-Up-Since?

I love it.

Having the weather be like this has given me reason to not feel like I'm missing out on enjoying a good day outside when I'm working on getting things accomplished indoors.

Plus, I just love storms.

What about you? How do you feel about it?

check out the big brain on james! part 2

2011-05-16T11:56:00.000-06:00

You know my brother, right?

Maybe you remember when I posted about his graduation from the University of Wisconsin.

He graduated again on Saturday, this time from the University of Illinois.

And this time with a law degree.

I wasn't able to be there, and I thought about him all day on Saturday.

I mentioned to my friends that I felt bad about not being there.

They reminded me that this is only one in a long string of his accomplishments

and that if I miss his swearing in to the Supreme Court, then I can start to feel guilty.

One extra-special aspect of his graduation is that he graduated along side his very best friend -- as in, best friends since they were babies.

So, check out the big brains on James and on Tanner.

My friend, John Reynolds

2011-05-10T00:02:00.000-06:00

I've seen this shared around town, so I thought I'd introduce it, too, since 'John Reynolds' is my friend Michael Kayne.

@MJCKayne is one of the funniest people you'll ever meet. (I don't give that title to just anyone, you know.)

My Royal Review

2011-05-09T00:05:00.001-06:00

I'm not going to use images from the internets because of the copyrights, but it's not like you don't know what I'm talking about.

My favorite parts:

1. Pippa and her dress

Sue me. I could NOT stop looking at her.

2. The Archbishop of Canterbury's voice

"...living faithfully together, they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this ring given and received is a token and pledge..." Just say it with his accent and inflection. Do you think he'd read me a bedtime story?

3. Harry

Cheeky.

What about you? What were your favorite parts?

FICTIONIST in Provo

2011-05-05T00:05:00.002-06:00

"Anyone who says that December is the busiest month
has never met May."
~me

You know how much I dislike hearing, "I'm just so busy!" as an excuse, but I do allow for when it's a reason. I'll spare you the details, and in so doing direct you toward what you should plan for on Friday (that's tomorrow!):

For years I've been wanting to be more directly involved with the City of Provo. My main issues: 1, please use reflective paint on the roads, and 2, a Harmon's in West Provo, please. I'm not sure how to go about getting either of these things done, so in the meanwhile, I'm thrilled to have been asked to be the Volunteer Coordinator for the Rooftop Concert Series.

In a nutshell: on the first Friday of every month, from May until October, there will be a free ("Did you say FREE?!") concert on the top level of the Provo Town Square/Central Bank parking ramp at the corner of 100 North and 100 West in Provo (please note: NOT the Marriott parking ramp).

Free concert. Local talent. Under the stars. Do you need to know anything else?

Maybe?

Well, okay.

To open this year's Series we're more than pleased to feature Fictionist. You've heard of them, the local up-and-coming band who is in the running to get their own cover of a li'l publication named Rolling Stone (speaking of which, please spend seven seconds of your life to vote for them, won't you?). Opening for Fictionist is the fantastically talented Paul Jacobsen & The Madison Arm. Emily Brown will be performing as well.

Thanks to Courtney and Vivint and Sarah and Justin and Mindy and Everyone Else Who's Awesome (I'm looking your way, Volunteers!) for making this happen! See you Friday!

Europe 2011, Part VI: Day 3 in Paris

2011-05-02T10:55:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned in Part II of this series of posts about my trip, I didn't blog or post anything online about the trip prior to it happening, nor did I do any From-The-Road -type notes. I did, however, take mental notes about what sort of facebook statuses or tweets I might have created while I was gone. You can find these brief anecdotes - sometimes helpful hints for taking your own trip! - in the remainder of my trip posts; they will be BOLD.

I woke up on Tuesday in time for the hotel's breakfast, and YUM. Pain au chocolate, toasted, was my favorite, followed by slices of baguette with brie or whatever else I wanted. And grapefruit juice, YES.

Since Darin had left for his day's duties, I retreated to the hotel room, with the 'do not disturb' sign on the doorknob, and took a shower. Guess what happened after my shower. No, just guess.

I found my first grey hair in Paris.

After dressing, I pulled out my maps and book about Paris to plan out the day. I concentrated: "Today's my last day in Paris. What do I want to do?" French music playing from the television, I began my plan when . . . knock-knock-knock.

What the? Darin wasn't due back until about noon. I answered the door.

Cleaning lady.

I checked the door: yep, the do not disturb sign was still there. I asked if she spoke English, and the answer was a soured face. I looked again at the door hanger, and the woman motioned to enter the room.

Okay. Not awkward.

I sat on one side of the tiny room watching as she cleaned the other. I tried to help.

Don't try to help the cleaning lady. Just don't.

After making the bed, she gasped and pointed to a dark mark on the otherwise immaculately white comforter. Remembering the eclair the night before, I stammered one of the only words I know how to say in French: "Chocolat."

Once again left alone in the room, with a tentative schedule of my day in my mind, I opened the windows for a fresh, cool breeze, climbed under the comforter, and drifted to sleep. Darin's knocking on the door woke me up, and we soon took off for another day in the city. First stop? Academie Nationale de Musique, also known as the Paris Opera, also known as where the story of the Phantom of the Opera took place. We didn't go inside, just took photos outside.

We walked by the Ritz hotel and saw paparazzi but no celebrities.

Feeling a little hungry we stopped by a recommended tea room for what I'd heard was the world's best cup of hot chocolate. Was it the best? I'll never know because I'm not paying €18.5 for a cup of hot chocolate. At least, not on this trip. I settled for a mushroom & swiss crepe from the same street vendor from which I had, the day before, purchased a lemon & sugar crepe. I threw it away after one bite.

Lemon & sugar crepe? Good. Mushroom & Swiss? Gross (sadly).

I'll be honest: I was hungry and cranky -- thank goodness the sun was shining. The inaccuracy of our map(s) was beginning to take its toll on my mood, but we finally found the location for which we'd been searching: The Holocaust Memorial.

I suppose it's weird to say that our favorite place in Paris was the Holocaust Memorial; favorite isn't even the right word. Our oldest daughter has been studying WWII in school, and when I told her about such a memorial in Paris, she had asked us if we would visit; we said we would; we did. We feel that going there was the best use of our time, and of all the places we visited, it's where we spent the most time. The Shoah Memorial is haunting, as you'd expect, but being in a modern (and what looked to be somewhat of a newer) building is also beautiful. The courtyard displays what looks like a giant urn, upon which are inscribed the names of the camps.

Also in the courtyard are walls with names of the 76,000 people from France who were murdered.

The only place inside where photos are allowed is in the crypt, which contains ashes of the deceased.

The museum is very well run, with video and photographic displays. The tour (which we walked through from end to beginning) ends with a room where the walls are a collage of photographs of children in their happier times; printed on each photograph is the child's name, their birth date, and the date they were taken. The entire experience of being at the Memorial was completely humbling and terrifying and worthwhile. We finished our visit at the book store where we picked up a copy of Six Million Paper Clips for our daughter.

Back on the streets of Paris, I marveled at the architecture of some random building. "Look at this," I said to Darin, "I have no idea what this building even is. It's magnificent, and it's not even the best-known building in this city. Anywhere else, it might be the crowning jewel, but here? It's just That One Place." Amazing.

We tried to navigate the metro system to no avail and made the decision to take a cab to the Arc de Triomphe, or rather, to just across the street from the Arc.

After a few photos there, we took a stroll down the Champes Elysees, which brought our very first encounter with the gypsy girls who beg, "Do you speak english?" We brushed past them and while looking for a creperie found a darling & modern little bakery.

We had a li'l snack, including a mini-madeline in pink which we couldn't, between the two of us, finish because it was so sweet.

Hey, look what we found across the lane!

After a while spent in H&M, we decided to walk toward the Eiffel Tower. We had considered a night-time river cruise, but deemed ourselves too exhausted and opted for an early dinner and some pictures of the Eiffel Tower. I wish you could see it, the way it's lit up and twinkles at night. Really.

We found our way back to our hotel. I think each night we made it back, I was surprised that we had found our hotel at all. We packed up most of our things; we were leaving early in the morning.

Europe 2011, Part V: Day 2 in Paris

2011-04-19T13:38:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in Part II of this series of posts about my trip, I didn't blog or post anything online about the trip prior to it happening, nor did I do any From-The-Road -type notes. I did, however, take mental notes about what sort of facebook statuses or tweets I might have created while I was gone. You can find these brief anecdotes - sometimes helpful hints for taking your own trip! - in the remainder of my trip posts; they will be BOLD.

I slept in. When I woke up, Darin was getting ready to leave and let me know that I should do my best to take advantage of the hotel's breakfast. I missed it -- sleep was more delicious to me in that moment.

When I did finally get out of bed, I took some photos of our dainty hotel room, as well as a few shots from the balcony.

For those keeping track, we stayed in the 8th Arrondissement (a fact I didn't know until just now when I looked it up).

Everyone told me that Paris is a filthy city, but I have NEVER seen so many trash trucks. Seems pretty tidy to me.

After my shower I watched some French television and rested, waiting for Darin to get back so that we could explore the city together. At about noon, he arrived and we set off. It was a beautiful day, sunny and warm. We were told that the days we were in France were the country's first of the year of sunshine and warmth, which was apparent from the throngs of people outside, sunworshipping.

First thing I noticed: the inaccuracy of our map.

The map shows this:

A more accurate rendering, with all existing side streets in red, might look more like this:

The second thing I noticed:

Bonjour!

How I love the way Parisians greet others with this word: presented as a gift, floating perfectly out of their mouths in a sing-song bubble. Greeting people was one of my favorite parts of being in Paris.

Parisians aren't rude. In fact, I find them to be more than extremely accommodating and helpful.

We first walked to the Place de la Concorde
(public square: visit via your time machine to watch people experience the guillotine),
through the Jardin des Tuileries

(public park/gardens),
and to the Louvre.
Here's the thing about the Louvre: It's humongous. Like, painfully huge. So Darin and I did what any good American tourists would do. We saw this:
this:
and this:
which is directly across the room from this:
which is just a portion of the crowd straining to get a glance at this:
And then we left, but not before admiring this:
Once outside we decided to walk to Notre Dame (not the one in Indiana, that would be a stupid walk). As we crossed one of the many bridges over the Seine, we ran into a few people from our group, one of which was having his 'portrait drawn by a real Frenchman'. In essence, it was a caricature which, while it looked like a caricature, looked nothing like the guy from our group. The Real Frenchman finished off the drawing with an Eiffel Tower in the background and then told our travel-mate that it would cost 35 Euro. Ahem, what? We laughed and walked away. We later found out that The Drawing By The Authentic Frenchman was sold for 3 Euro.
We didn't climb any towers at Notre Dame, but we did go inside. And when we did, I thanked my lucky stars because I don't know if this kind of thing is going on all the time, but a choir was rehearsing and WOW.
Hearing that was just what I needed (I had been in a grumpy mood, more on that later, if I remember to write about it).

Flying Buttresses!

We crossed the street to visit Trendy Bookstore
and then tried to catch a cab. When you're in Paris, look for a Taxi Stand (I want to say there's a blue circular sign which reads 'Taxi'?) near intersections. Taxis will be lined up in the order they arrived, so go to the front of the line to get the next available taxi. They're expensive, but sometimes, when you need a break from walking, well...it's what you've got to do.

If you want to know what the driving is like in Paris, watch any episode of The Amazing Race.

We exited our taxi near the steps in front of Sacré-Cœur .

Upon finding a place to sit on the steps we were happy to take in the view as well as admire the talent being displayed, such as boys dancing and jumping whilst manipulating a soccer ball to do things you wouldn't think would be possible. Always a show to see in Paris. Thirty seconds after we sat down, two gentlemen took their seats to our left; each was carrying a guitar which was plugged into its own mini-amp, slung around the respective shoulder of its owner. After settling in they began their song. It was the mid-'90s crap-anthem 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', and their version lasted approximately twelve minutes. I don't think we had laughed that hard in a long time.

The quintessential Parisian song: " . . . shee sayed I theenk I ehrhememberh the feelm and . . ."

We toured the church (NO CAMERAS!) before making our way down the steps as the sun was setting.

We browsed the touristy trinket shops and even discovered a store which is set up exactly like Orem's Old Navy.
Nearly exhausted, we walked to dinner, which was so lovely. Though I don't remember, I'm pretty sure we had fish. For dessert, I followed Courtney's advice when she said, 'At least once, try a restaurant where they offer cheeses post dinner. They will wheel out a tray and it will smell like sewer and taste divine.' She was right about that. The sewer smell? It lasted every millisecond until the cheese landed on my tongue and then...oh my. Or whatever the French phrase is for 'Oh My!' It was perfect.

Post-dinner, we nearly fell asleep at our table. It is assumed that you will take three hours or so for your entire dinner experience, so I caught the waiter's attention and said, "L'addition, s'il vous plait." We stopped for eclairs-to-go on the way back to our hotel, and upon arriving at our bed, crashed.

Sensanbaugher

2011-04-12T00:39:00.001-06:00

I'm taking a break from my trip posts. I'll continue with them in a few days.

Sensanbaugher.

It's not a name I know. Yet, this weekend, I can't stop saying it in my head. Over and over again, "Sensanbaugher . . . ". To those who saw me this weekend, if I seemed distracted, it's because I was. I hope the family will forgive my indulgence for posting about this.

Growing up, church life and school life were separate: hardly any members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at school, and hardly any students from Southwestern at church. Church friends, school friends, and never the twain did meet. Try as I might, my worlds simply would not collide.

I left that town in the summer of 1996, and each time I've gone back for a visit, I've seen fewer and fewer school friends. Some have stayed local, but it's not like there were many opportunities for social visiting opportunities. Church friends remained the same, and attending those Sunday meetings in Jamestown brought mini-reunions with the addition of faces I didn't know. As years went by, during my visits I was introduced as a visitor instead of just acknowledged as 'being home' (which is fine by me, after all, Jamestown is no longer, and hasn't been for many years, My Home).

I've kept in contact with school friends the same way many people have, through facebook. It's interesting for me to see which of my classmates have children the same ages as others', and it gives me insight into small town operation: two kids meet and become friends at school, only to find out that their parents also knew each other in elementary school. I like making connections like that, I find it almost fascinating to think about the development and evolution of relationships in those terms.

Early Saturday morning, I received a text message from my sister:

The Jamestown Ward's Bishop's son passed away last night. He was only 7.

I mentioned this to my sister-in-law on Skype shortly after I received the text message, and she filled me in on what she knew of the situation. After learning more from friends' facebook updates and spending some time on the Sensanbaughers's CaringBridge site, I learned the abbreviated version: this young boy, Gavin, had a cough on Saturday, flu-like symptoms on Sunday & Monday, and vomiting on Monday which continued into Tuesday, which is the day he went into cardiac arrest. After 20 minutes, a blessing, and shocking, Gavin's heart was beating again; tests confirmed swelling in his brain, and by Saturday many tests confirmed that the damage to his brain was irreversible, and no brain activity was present. His parents made the decision to take him off of life-support. Sunday brought a transplant wherein five people became recipients of Gavin's healthy and strong organs.

Tragedy has a way of pulling people together. I know this from being part of the community which rallies, as well as being the recipient of the ralliers, finding myself buoyed up by a force I didn't even know existed until after I realized that I had depended on it for survival.

As I read the comments on the CaringBridge site, my heart swelled as I looked at the names: Georgia Ognibene, Pete Conley, Barb Colgrove, Eric Clark, John Ling, Jessie (Johnson) Certo, Ryan Hurley, Ginny Swanson, Annette Alexander, Marrilee (Fairbank) Perry, Theresa DiMaio, Jen (Swan) Froah, Penny Tracy, Jean Fairbank . . . the list goes on. I couldn't believe it.

The worlds had collided.

Dear, dear Sensanbaugher Family,

You are in my family's prayers. You must have scores of people whose hearts are directed your way, and I can tell you that for where you live . . . locally, you have the best of people rooting for you. You will be with your son again. Families are forever.

Fondly,
~j.

You can view Gavin Sensanbaugher's CaringBridge site here.

Europe 2011, Part IV: Day 1 in Paris

2011-04-08T08:47:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in Part II of this series of posts about my trip, I didn't blog or post anything online about the trip prior to it happening, nor did I do any From-The-Road -type notes. I did, however, take mental notes about what sort of facebook statuses or tweets I might have created while I was gone. You can find these brief anecdotes - sometimes helpful hints for taking your own trip! - in the remainder of my trip posts; they will be BOLD.

Our group numbered sixteen total: 2 professors (Darin and Ken), four spouses, and ten students. Part of our travel plans included chartered bus tours with English-speaking tour guides. Our first tour guide was a petite and soft-spoken blond woman.

This French tour guide is sweet, and I like that her English accent is British. I like how she says city: "see-tay" (equal emphasis on both syllables)

One of the first things I noticed was the steering wheel on the bus, and how it had clips to hold a piece of paper, and how I would like one of those in my van.

The second thing I noticed was how the tour guide would drop, "But what can I say? We are French," into the conversation. I didn't realize that this phrase was not concocted solely for Disney's Ratatouille, but is actually said to justify things like not following rules of the road and such. Charming.

She explained that Paris is a city surrounded by a Ring Road and divided in half (sort of) by the Seine (just say "sen"). And it's just that simple. At some point we switched tour guides and after driving past some significant sites, we arrived at our hotel. We were early, but were hopeful that we could at least get our room assignments, get cleaned up, and maybe rest a bit before our tour was to continue in a couple hours' time. All but two rooms were ready, and one of them was ours. We dropped off our suitcase and decided to explore our neighborhood just a little bit.

Our first stop was a corner bakery where, in an attempt to be completely original, I purchased a pain au chocolat. We then explored a Sunday Market, which was beginning to close, so while we didn't purchase anything there, it was a good opportunity for me to try out my camera.

Darin and I kept mentioning to each other how surreal it was that we were actually there.

Arriving back at the hotel, we had a seat in the lobby while waiting for our room to be ready. I took a look around.

French maids? Wear crocs.

I did fall asleep briefly, and as our bus pulled up to the hotel, our room became ready for us. Realizing that only one of us could fit in The Elevator Which Takes Ten Years, we hiked up six flights of floors on a circular staircase.

In Europe, the buildings are numbered differently: our main floor, which would be floor 1 on an elevator in the U.S., is floor 0 in Europe. Go up one flight of stairs, and you're not on the second floor, you're on the first.

Back on our bus for the tour, we (as a group) opted to not go to the Louvre as part of the tour, but rather just be given our tickets so that we could use them during our free time. This meant more tour time on the bus where I both dozed off and took some pictures through the bus window.

The tour guide was very resourceful and apparently passionate about French history. As we drove by some department stores, she told us that it wasn't worth it for us to buy clothes in Paris. "We don't even buy clothes in Paris," she told us. "We fly to New York City to shop for clothes."

Armed to avoid the pickpockets, our bus stopped a plaza near the Eiffel Tower before finally bringing us to the tower itself.

They were performing 'Hey, Jude'. Of course they were.

Breakdancing on the plaza.

One benefit of doing a bus tour is that you don't have to wait in line for tickets.

We looked, and felt, like zombies.

Elevator shaft, going down.

At the conclusion of our tour, we arrived back at our hotel, but had arranged to meet as a group to walk to a restaurant which was recommended by our tour guide. It was, essentially, French Applebee's, which was disappointing to me but I didn't care. I was hungry and tired, wanted to eat (I had the salmon), get back to the hotel, check in with the kids, and sleep.

So I did.

Europe 2011, Part III: Leaving, Flying, Arriving

2011-04-06T05:00:00.001-06:00

Heaven help me, I've never left my kids with anyone but Darin for this long.

We had to be at the airport in the mid-afternoon on a Saturday. The morning was spent with last-minute packing, laundry, and preparations. I was doing my best to not cry.

When the time came to leave, we gathered, as we do each morning, as a family to pray together. Darin lead the prayer (the first one, that is; afterward, Bubby needed to have his turn, as he always does), and we began a series of hugs and kisses. Bubby & Atcha cried, "No, wait!" as we walked out the door, which made my cracked heart begin to crumble. Driving away, I busied myself with a last-minute check to make sure we had 'everything' which, when it comes right down to it, consists of identification, phone, and money.

I am feeling desperately bummed. Somebody talk me into this again.

I phoned my brother. I gave him some Top Secret Information regarding justincase/knock-on-wood possibilities, and then listened as he filled me in on the federal case he had just won as a 3rd year law student (what?!) (I know). Our conversation lasted almost the entire way to the airport, and after we said goodbye, Darin and I pulled into the long-term parking lot just in time to catch the shuttle. Almost immediately upon walking inside the airport we saw Ken, the other professor who would be on our trip with us. He helped with our passports and directed us where to check our one suitcase (we were the last of our group to arrive -- our goodbyes had taken longer than predicted, go figure). The line for security took at least twenty minutes, but it gave us some time to talk with Ken. After security, we arrived at our gate. Realizing we had some time, I went to buy a sandwich. By the looks of the boarding area, ours was going to be a close-to, if not completely, full flight. People were talking with Darin, but I didn't know who was with our group and who wasn't, so I took a seat, ate my sandwich, and studied my camera manual.

Everyone in this group is going to think I am such a snob;
I'm not ignoring them, I'm just trying to not cry.

Finally it was time to board. It wasn't the biggest plane I had ever been on, but it was big. And not crowded. Darin and I were not seated together, but he had found someone in our group who was seated across an aisle from him, and she agreed to switch seats with me, which was very nice. I carefully stowed my camera bag overhead and placed my backpack under the seat in front of mine. I buckled my seat belt, all the while obsessively verifying that my passport organizer had not somehow magically escaped its place around my neck.

Too late now.

We taxied out and took off. The flight was direct, Salt Lake to Paris, which is about a ten-hour long flight. After being in the air for a while, realizing that sleep would not come as immediately nor as easily as I had hoped, I decided to at least attempt to know the name of the person next to me who had the window seat.

Oh, hello, Tommy The Chemical Engineering Grad Student From England. Undergrad at Princeton, eh? Does the fight song really go the way Alec Baldwin sang it the other night?

The flight attendant on my side of the plane was the happiest-to-be-doing-their-job as anyone I've seen, and what a delight. She served my ginger ale with pleasure. Being such a long flight, and due to the hour we left (around 6:pm), we were served dinner.

I am going to take a bite of this crappy airplane salad and chew slowly with my eyes closed because I don't remember the last time I could do that, uninterrupted, with anything that I ate. I am eating this way for Lisa, Kacy, Cyndi, Bek, Jen, and so many others, and I may just cry. Again.

The announcement of the movies to be shown came, but I missed the name of the first one due to Tommy sharing with me his theories about James Fredette. But when the movie began, Tommy proved to be helpful.

Thank you, Tommy, for telling me that The King's Speech is really good and that I should watch it. I did watch it win some prizes a few weeks ago, let's see . . . yep, I like that movie. Thanks, Airplane!

Delta has a neat feature on its screens which tracks where above the planet your plane is located. This screen popped up after the movie, and I was surprised to be . . . in Canada.

Are we seriously flying this far north?
What the -- are we making a stop in the North Pole?

The second movie shown was Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, which movie I sacrificed in favor of getting some sleep of my own. Back in August of 2008, at the Phoenix airport, I bought a neck pillow, and that $14-some was among the best spent of my life, to be certain; it gave me exactly the rest I needed that night.

When I woke up, sunlight was welcoming us through the plane's windows, and The Karate Kid (the one with Will Smith's kid) was our morning entertainment. 'Breakfast' was gross, so I watched the movie rather than pay attention to eating. It was just as well, as it had been announced that all lavatories on the plane were out-of-service.

I hope that was enough sleep. I wish I could see out the window.
I wonder if Tommy's looking at the Eiffel Tower.

Landing was fine, and after exiting the plane, I simply followed in the footsteps of those around me, presenting documentation to enter a new country.

My first stamp!

Charles de Gaulle Airport reminded me a bit of Buffalo's airport, and for the life of me I can't imagine why.

Remember when I told you that we had packed one suitcase inside of a second suitcase to make room for all the extra stuff we'd be carrying home with us? And then I made a footnote about how it didn't work?

There's a huge hole in the bottom of the suitcase -- the wheel and surrounding area, completely gone. Awesome. Thanks, Airline! Darin's dragging our one-wheeled suitcase along the floor.

Once outside, I smelled cigarette smoke -- but it was waaaaay more sophisticated cigarette smoke than they have here in the United States.

#youguys

And then we boarded the bus.

Europe 2011, Part II: Preparation

2011-04-05T05:00:00.001-06:00

In August of this year we will have been married 14 years, and throughout our marriage I've gone on trips (leaving the kids with Darin) and Darin's gone on trips (leaving the kids with me), but the number of nights we had spent away, together but without kids?

One.

And it was in Provo.

Also, looking for someone to care for our kids isn't like, "Could you watch our one or two kids for a few days?" It's more like, "Welcome to the circus. Who would like to play ringleader? For a week?"

So perhaps that explains a bit why I was so hesitant to leave on a week-long trip to Europe.

Still, when I focused solely on the trip, on the benefits of going and being there, I felt at peace, and that's a feeling I was hanging on to, remembering when my heart started to race at the thought of all that would be entailed in preparing to go.

Essentially, the person who made this all possible is my neighbor and friend, Cyndi.

Cyndi is an angel. I don't know how else to explain her. She's . . . well, I'm getting tears in my eyes trying to think of words to describe her. Her benevolence defies description. She may shrug that off, but it's true. Anyone who knows her knows it's true.

Cyndi offered to watch my kids, and at first I was hesitant -- not because of her, but because of the sheer enormity of the task, and I didn't want to add stress to Cyndi's life. After I thought about it, though, I realized that she was offering me the most ideal of situations for me and for my kids. My kids get along with her kids. My kids feel safe and happy in her home. I feel safe and happy knowing they're with her. Cyndi is a strong, smart, capable and loving woman, and when I thought about my kids being with her, I felt peace.

To assist Cyndi, I enlisted Katie and Amy, two neighborhood sisters who have been favorite sitters for the past, oh, eight years or so. Add to that the list of people who said, "Please leave my number in case of an emergency," Lezlie covering my carpool, and Shelly driving my kids to and from dance class, and I felt completely set.

I took Cyndi, Katie, and Amy out to dinner to go over what I had prepared: essentially, a day-by-day calendar of my kids' schedules as well as a detailed 3-page list of comments and quirks to help out with how things run around here. I'm not completely delusional: I know that the list I made was more for my own comfort than (necessarily) for those caring for my kids. Example: Was I really insistent that my 7-year-old take a shower at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday? Nope. But I wrote it down to help myself feel better. Feel better about what? I'm not certain.

One thing I did not do was to write about my trip before it happened, not on my blog, not on facebook, not on twitter. You know, for safety. Honestly, though, it was tempting to put a question out there to everyone (because I had a million questions) to get advice for the trip. But I didn't.

I prepared a box for the kids to open each day, with a hand-written note to each of the older three to be read in the morning and a note for all of them to be read in the evening. Also, gifts for the littles (books, play-doh, etc.) or post-its and pens for all of them. Creating these packages allowed me to mentally go through their week before it happened, writing down what they could expect each day to help them maintain their regular schedules, and help them know that I was thinking about them.

Before we left we installed Skype on our desktop so that we could speak with our kids. Coming up with a Skype schedule was tricky because we would be seven hours ahead of Provo (Paris/Madrid daylight savings didn't happen until the day after we left; otherwise we would have been eight hours ahead), and because we didn't know what our schedule would be like in Europe. In general we decided to chat online with the kids in their afternoon/evenings, rather than their before-school hours.

I phoned my cell phone company to enable world-wide whatever, even though I had no intention of using my phone during my trip, other than for text messages ($.25 to receive, $.35 to send). The nice boy at the phone company warned me to NOT check my email on my phone because internationally it costs something like a hundred bucks per megapixel*.

I also phoned my credit card company to enable world-wide whatever, even though I had no intention of using my card during my trip, other than for emergencies (didn't want it to be declined due to suspicion of fraud). The nice girl at the credit card company thanked me for letting them know of my travel plans, confirmed my dates, and then said, "Okay, so let me just make a note of where you'll be. You said Madrid . . . and, also . . . Paris. Hm, Paris. That's in France, right?" Super glad she's the one in charge of my credit card.

All the laundry in the house was finished so that no one had to worry about clothes or towels or anything. Also, I had worked specifically with the older three girls on chore lists -- beneficial not just for while we were gone but for life in general (preparing for the trip was the perfect time to introduce new responsibilities).

The freezer and fridge contained some family staples to last the week (though they weren't needed very much due to Cyndi preparing delicious dinners, and Katie treating the kids to a night of fish tacos). I left a Papa John's gift card and some cash, but forgot to leave my Chevron card (I did remember to fill the gas tank of my van, though).

As for packing: as per our airline we were each allowed one checked bag at no charge, and so Darin and I opted to pack one suitcase for the two of us and put that suitcase inside another suitcase so that we could fill it up with European Awesomeness and each bring home a free checked bag**. (Paying for checked bags leaving Europe is charged by weight, so it can potentially be very pricey.)

What helped me the most in preparation, to be completely honest, was prayer and meditation. I prayed for strength and courage, and for remembrance of how beneficial the trip would be. Through meditation I was able to be calm and not completely freak out about how long we'd be away from the kids, or about the fact that it was wise to have a will in place, you know, justincase. I also was careful to talk with the kids about the trip in a way which allowed me to alleviate any of their worries and help them feel the same calm and confidence I was striving to have.

With lots of planning, I finally felt like I was in a place, emotionally and practically, to embark.

*can't remember the actual amount, but it was ridiculous. I mean, I presume. I have no idea what a megapixel is.

** this didn't work. Not in a bad way. (what?) I'll explain in another post.

Europe 2011, Part I: Making the Decision

2011-04-04T05:00:00.001-06:00

"Looks like I'll be going to Europe next spring."

"Oh?" Darin and I were catching up on each others' days, and this announcement of his was better than ALL my glamorous diaper-changing stories.

"Yeah, with the MBA and DBA students. To Paris and Madrid."

"I accept. Thank you for asking. I'll start packing tomorrow."

"That would be great, if you went, too. Obviously not all the details are in place, but let's see what we can do."

That first conversation happened almost a year ago. Throughout the summer and fall months I regularly vacillated between I have to go, how could I not go?!? and There's just no way -- it's too expensive, and who would watch the kids? I'm not going. and back again. Over and over.

Finally in November, after really pondering the possibilities, I made a decision. It was a Sunday, and Darin had come home from his early meetings to help get the kids ready for church when I announced to him, "I've gone back and forth, and I don't like not knowing, so I've made my final decision: I'm going." And with that I decided to get myself ready for church.

Do you do as much thinking in the shower as I do? My own experience had taught me that when it's difficult to make a decision, sometimes the only way to know the correct answer is to make a choice and see where it leads, which is exactly what I had done: I had made the decision to go on the trip. The problem was that it didn't feel right to me, it didn't feel like I had made the correct decision. By the time I was completely dressed and ready to walk out the door that morning, I calmly said to Darin, "After all that . . . I'm not going. Final answer. That's it.

What happened between that day in November and the morning in January when I found myself in the County building, submitting the paperwork to obtain my passport, I'm not certain. But there I was, my final answer had changed and I was doing it: I was moving forward, and I was committed to going to Europe with my husband.

See, it's FUNNY cuz . . .

2011-04-01T15:46:00.001-06:00

Usually, having to explain the joke ruins it.

But today? I think it may help. And I'll explain so that we can all enjoy the funny together.

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("You know, the Mormons"), Sunday is the Sabbath Day. It's a day of worship and rest and time spent with family. Sunday is the day when our church services are held. Twice a year (specifically: the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October), rather than attend traditional church services, we participate in what's called General Conference. Essentially, General Conference is a semi-annual worldwide church meeting, and since it's not practical for many millions of people the world over to meet in one physical place, the meetings are held in Salt Lake City (where the LDS church headquarters happen to be) and while people do attend the meetings live in the Conference Center (many people travel very far distances to attend in person), said meetings are then broadcast via satellite, internet, and radio, and then also distributed via good ol' fashioned print in the church's May and November issues of the Ensign magazine. During conference weekend many who don't have satellite access in their homes will attend the broadcast in their local church building (ever noticed the satellite dish outside your local Mormon church?), as was the case where I grew up. Yes, I'd get dressed in my church clothes and sit in a chapel and watch the Salt Lake proceedings on a television set. Where I live now, we can watch it on a local television station, or listen on local radio.

The speakers at General Conference are church leaders, men and women who preside over the different organizations (Primary for children, Young Women (ages 12-18), Young Men (ages 12-18), Sunday School, Relief Society for women, etc.), as well as our Prophet, his counselors, and the twelve apostles (our church is organized the way that Jesus organized it when He was living on the earth). In general, really great and inspired messages of faith, hope, charity, as well as encouragement, support, and love. For the past . . . oh, I don't know how many years, a recurring theme of instruction (particularly in the priesthood session) has been to avoid pornography like the plague that it is -- destructive to individuals, families, and therefore, society.

Notice I said that General Conference is held the first weekend April and the first weekend in October, not the first Sunday in those months. Here's the deal: There are four general sessions of conference, held (Mountain Time) at 10:am on Saturday, 2:pm on Saturday, 10:am on Sunday, and 2:pm on Sunday. There is also a priesthood session (for priesthood holders/males ages 12 and up) held on Saturday at 6:pm which is not broadcast (attend your local meetinghouse to participate via satellite) (even though it's not broadcast anywhere other than to chapels, the transcripts are included in the conference editions of the Ensign magazine). Each meeting lasts two hours.

Two hours each.

That's eight hours of church meetings in one weekend (ten for priesthood holders), twice a year.

No small thing. And it certainly could be seen as inconvenient.

Since we're accustomed to attending our church meetings on Sundays, many in our faith only participate in the Sunday morning session of General Conference. I don't have any statistics on this, but I'd wager that of the entire weekend, Sunday morning is the session in which the most people participate 'live', as it's happening. Many say that they will, "just read it in the Ensign later," and that's not unreasonable: even those who spend their entire weekends watching/listening to conference will usually review it (not to mention that talks and lessons in church are often given with specific conference talks as the subject). In fact, many individuals (and families) don't watch or listen to conference at all when it's being broadcast, instead looking at the first weekends in April and October as "Free Weekends" from church.

It wasn't until I was living in Utah that I even knew that all sessions of conference go together; previously I had learned that, "Sunday morning is the important session; all the others are optional." This is an interesting statement to me because what in this gospel (in this life?) isn't optional? I don't have to go to church at all. (I could go on and on here.) I could be incorrect, but I'll just go ahead and say it: Though the Sunday morning session of General Conference may be the most popular, the session most attended, I've never seen any sort of Official Statement saying that it's the most important session, the priority to be attended. I don't think that it's any more or less important than the other sessions held throughout the weekend, and I might add: MOST of the talks which have meant the most to me in my life have been given during sessions other than the Sunday morning session.

*ahem*

I'm getting back to the explaining-the-funny thing, I promise.

Another cultural observation is that when anyone, in reference to conference, says, "I'll just listen to it on the radio," the reaction from some die-hards is to look down on such a thing. This is funny to me: I prefer to listen to conference on the radio (I love radio) (and think of how many people on this planet have access to radio but not television or internet - is their experience solely second-rate?), but if I'm being honest, I can see how people might think this is a cop-out. It's hard for me to describe: if I'm listening to conference on my radio while I'm ironing, am I participating/engaging less than if I were to be watching the speaker in addition to listening without the distraction of a mindless chore? Does my attention to pressing wrinkles out of a collar distract any portion of my attention which would have otherwise been placed on the words of the message? Maybe, I don't know. What I do know is that, locally, there seems to be a hierarchy (culturally, mind you) about participating in conference, which is:

Attending Live At The Conference Center
Watching At Home/Church
Listening On The Radio
Not Participating

Let it be known that the above hierarchy list is both weird and insignificant because it involves people making inappropriate assumptions and judgments about not only what people are doing with their weekend, but also their methods of doing such.

THAT BEING SAID . . .

This is the funniest thing of the week.

(I hope I've adequately explained why.)

Happy Conference Weekend!

*Come back next week if you want to learn about My Trip To Europe And All That.

Salt Lake: Charity Sale Next Week

2011-04-01T10:36:00.002-06:00

My buddy Adrian asked me if I'd help her out by spreading the word about a charity sale that her church is sponsoring, and since Adrian is a kind and enjoyable woman, and because this sounds like a great idea, I agreed.

I don't know that I could say it better than she, so here is some information taken directly from her blog:

Have you ever shopped at some place like Kid2Kid? They have some pretty nice stuff, the prices are low, and everything is organized by gender, size, and type of clothing. What if I could tell you about a place that was like about TEN Kid2Kid stores all in one place? Would you be interested?

...My church puts on a twice-yearly sale that is just like that. They bring in about 100 different consignment sellers who bring all of their inventory - clothes, shoes, toys, maternity wear, the works. Everything is gently used, but it is pre-screened by our committee. Any item that is out of season, has a stain, a bad smell, or a tear is immediately returned to the seller and is not placed for sale.

...Looking for furniture, toys, outdoor play equipment, or cute maternity clothing - they've got 'em. And the prices are about 70% off of retail.

985 East 10600 South
Sandy, UT 84093

Here are the sales dates & times:

Friday, April 8, 9 am- 8 pm - No strollers before noon due to crowds

Saturday, April 9, 8 am – 2 pm - Clothes & shoes an extra 25% off on Sat.

Here's a secret: on her blog, Adrian is having a giveaway for a ticket to a PRESALE to this event, to be held for just one and a half hours on Thursday evening, April 7th. But she's choosing a winner for this TOMORROW so hurry and go over to her site to win.

Best wishes, Adrian! I hope your sale is a success!

YOUGUYS. I got to SLEEP IN.

2011-03-28T22:49:00.000-06:00

Just one of the views from my balcony

Getting back into the swing of things here.
Over the next ~~few~~ many days (or so) I'll be reviewing my trip.
Glad to have gone.
Glad to be home.

Sundance Discount Lift Tickets

2011-03-19T00:05:00.002-06:00

Are you interested in 2 discounted All Day adult Lift Tickets at Sundance, good for any day of the remainder of this season? If so, please let me know. If not, but you know someone who might be, please send them my way. Thanks.

Updated to add: $30/each. Regular price for adult all-day lift tickets: $47/each.

belated valentine

2011-03-17T11:05:00.000-06:00

When I say belated I mean that I didn't write about this when it happened, which was on Valentine's Day -- in other words, I'm late, the Valentine wasn't.

When I entered my kitchen on Valentine's Day morning, the cupboards were covered by dark yellow post-its, cut by hand into the shape of hearts, each with a word or phrase. This was (part of) my husband's Valentine tribute to me.

I didn't take photos in time -- Curly removed the post-its while 'helping' clean the kitchen.

Here, in no particular order, is what was written on the hearts:

Loyal
Angelic
Worthy
Firm
Precious
Artistic
Sacrificing
Courageous
Special
Compassionate
Incredible
Friend
Articulate
Persistent
Connected
Brave
Beautiful
Sensitive
Wife
Caring
Helper
Relief
Pure
Supportive
Gorgeous
Generous
Talented
Honest
Dedicated
Sweetheart
Committed
Faithful
Witty
"Matchipul"
Protective
Brilliant
Striving
Teacher
Peculiar
Clever
No Nonsense
Intelligent

Yes, one of those is an inside joke. (It's the word which is made up.)

St. Patrick's Day fourteen years ago is the day that Darin and I got engaged. I wrote last year about what happened on St. Patrick's Day in 1990. This year's St. Patrick's Day (today) Mindy has released her video for her song 'Whole Wide World'. This song is our family theme song lately, we're always singing it.

Here's the official version. Congratulations, Mindy!

In the spirit of Love and Luck, please leave in the comments section at LEAST five positive words (like above) to describe yourself.

Blogger Headshots -- through the end of March

2011-03-09T01:20:00.000-07:00

Oh, my dear, dear Readers, I have so much to say. It's important. And worthwhile. Please, get comfy, relax and enjoy. Local bloggers, you'll especially want to hear this.

I'm pretty sure I've told you before about how I've not been too fond in the past of having my picture taken. Granted, a lot of that was simply me not feeling comfortable in my own skin. But last year, I had an experience wherein I learned I was beautiful. As you'll recall, a lot of that experience has to do with the talent and work of one Justin Hackworth.

You've read about Justin before, you've seen his work online, or you've heard his name . . . if you know me personally you've most certainly heard my whole-hearted recommendation of his photography services. For the record, however, let me break it down for you right here:

When you arrive for your appointment with Justin, he, with a smile, invites you into his office to have a seat on the stylish furniture -- not a stiff waiting room, but a comfortable and inviting area, and he then proceeds to (get this) take an interest in who you are as a person. Honestly. He gets to know you, and in turn, you become comfortable with the fact that you're about to have your photo taken. This is huge for me: to be put at ease and feel as though I can really be myself. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate the direction Justin gives during the shoot ("Take one step forward...there. Perfect."), and it's nice to know that what he's getting (read: capturing and understanding) is true to who I am. This is tremendously comforting for someone like myself (and yourself, too?).

The fact is, Friends, that I could go on and on about how much Justin's kindness and sincerity and sense of humor mean, and how much I like it, but when it comes down to it, you want to know about the quality of the end result. All those other qualities are frosting on the cake, because do you know what this man can do with a camera?

Why, certainly. I'm happy to. Thank you for asking.

I know. I KNOW.

The above images are from a shoot we did earlier this week (okay, it was yesterday) as part of Justin's Headshots for Bloggers offer. See, Justin understands that it's important for those of us with an online presence to have a great-looking, professional image which accurately represents who we are. And so he is offering, for a limited time, Headshots for Bloggers. Here's a summary of the details:

~ $100 gets you a photo shoot and 3 web-sized images (1280 pixels) (additional images/full resolution files available for purchase)

~ All headshot sessions take place at Justin's studio in Provo (1 East Center Street, Suite 214).

~ These sessions are available on select weekdays through the end of March, which is the month we're currently occupying, so HURRY and schedule yours today!

Full details can be found on Justin's site here.

(Do I need to tell you what an amazing deal this is? $100 for this quality of work, in addition to such an enjoyable and fun experience? No? Because you already know what a smokin' deal this is, and how silly you'd be to NOT take advantage of it? See? I knew you were SuperSmart.)

For kicks, tell him I sent you. For extra points, bring him an ice cold Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Cream Soda. Or two. Bring two.

Will you do it? Will you? I can't wait to see your picture.

i don't have to know what it means

2011-03-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

In helping my kids clean out their rooms, I'll occasionally come across physical evidence of the games they play, their feelings for each other, and I love it . . . ~~even when~~ especially when they've included their own brand of inside jokes.

that IS the answer

2011-03-04T00:03:00.001-07:00

(as I was saying)

AND ANOTHER THING . . .

Sometimes the answer is, "I don't know."

Maybe you have a deep-seated belief that to answer "I don't know" is unacceptable, that it perhaps shows a weakness or incompetence. I would argue the opposite and add that the ability to answer, "I don't know," shows a humility and self-awareness indicative of Still Searching and Willingness To Learn.

I don't have all the answers. Sometimes I don't even know what I think about a certain subject when it's been presented in a certain light, and so I require time to determine my answer. Sometimes I don't know what Official Church Policy is regarding said (or other) issue -- maybe simply because it's not something I've considered researching.

Answering, "I don't know," isn't so unusual. After Adam and Eve were cast out of The Garden of Eden, Adam offered sacrifice; after a few days an angel appeared and asked, "Why dost thou offer sacrifice unto the Lord?" Adam's response? "I know not, save the Lord commanded me."

I've felt that way about a lot of things in my life, many times when I've been asked why I'm doing what I'm doing (more often why I'm NOT doing something) my answer is: Because that's what I was asked to do. It's not blind/thoughtless following, it's faith and a desire to be obedient.

*****

And that, Friends, is what I felt I had to say this week about that.

Ahhhhh.

Welcome, weekend, welcome, March. The birdies sing in the morning and tease that Spring is around the corner. I like to believe those birdies.

Talking about talking about being a mormon

2011-02-28T00:35:00.001-07:00

Talking about being a Mormon is something that's been tricky in my life. Growing up, I was the odd one -- peculiar, I suppose. Being LDS put me in a staggering minority; growing up in a family of converts not thoroughly versed in the practices of the religion is one thing which made me hesitant to discuss the matter. That hesitancy has seeped into my adulthood, but I've realized that a lot of that is because of a pattern which stems from my childhood: that of being told that what I believe is wrong.

This happened in more than one way. There, of course, was the typical method: people -- classmates, even ADULTS (I'm sorry [nope, not actually sorry], what kind of adult questions a child about their religious beliefs and then openly laughs in the child's face about them?) -- telling me Exactly What Mormons Believe. Another (specific) example, however, is something about which I don't think I've ever even spoken: I remember with clarity a day when I was being babysat by my dad's best friend's wife, a kind and soft-spoken woman who also happened to be my violin teacher. I had been singing a song to myself which I had learned at the Neighborhood Summer Bible Camp, you might know it: "I am a C, I am a C-H, I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N," and so forth. Here's the thing: as a kid, I hadn't been directly taught that being a Christian meant Believing In Christ, I thought that the title Christian was simply a religious denomination; this comes from the following (simplified) exchange:

"You're a Mormon?"

"Yes. What are you?"

"Christian."

In my mind, the available churches were: Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Mormon, and Christian -- all with similarities and differences.

Are you getting what I'm saying?

I was under the impression that I wasn't a Christian.*

And so that day, being babysat, Sue asked, "What are you singing?" When I replied that I was singing my own version of that song which went, "I'm NOT a C, I'm NOT a C-H," etc., she gently suggested, "But I thought Mormons are Christians."

Confused (two different Religions, remember?), I said, "No, we're not."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh...yeah."

Relaying that story to my parents...boy oh boy, did I get The Guilt. (I sometimes half-jest that even though I've been LDS for most of my life, I was raised Catholic, what with The Guilt.) (Though, let's be honest: Mormon Guilt could give Catholic Guilt a run for its money.) Head shakes and eye rolls and "Oh, GREAT!"s. Clearly I had said something wrong. Very wrong. And there was very little chance to fix it. The damage had been done.

I had been told that what I said about what I believed was incorrect. And while, in that instance, the accusation was accurate, the sting of warning to Never Be Wrong was long-lasting. Combine that with years of being told (rather than asked about) what I believe and the accompanying ridicule (increasing in frequency and intensity over the years) and you've got the result: hesitancy to discuss Mormon beliefs -- my own beliefs, for fear of being incorrect. I didn't want to misrepresent Church Doctrine or policy, and I held my own opinions closely guarded.

While this hesitancy has remained, however, it has also evolved: I'm more familiar with the (substance of and) difference between Doctrine and Policy, and most certainly how that relates (and often doesn't and shouldn't) to Culture, and if I choose to discuss these things I do my best to differentiate. Because they are different. And yes, I said if I choose to discuss. I have no interest in engaging in a Shouting Match or a Who Can Say The Most Words contest or a Whoever Talks For The Longest Amount Of Time Wins game.

I am pleased when someone who sincerely wants to know what I believe or what I practice will ask me their questions. I look to answer those inquiries with respect, when they're asked with an earnestness showing that they're not looking to 'trap' me or some other such thing. Once I was asked if it was true that each Mormon man had permission to beat their wife once a month. Even though the notion (to me) is preposterous (not only because it's not true, but it's something I hadn't heard before, and also -- what?!?), I answered the question with the same amount of straightforwardness with which it had been asked.

I'm more than happy to have those civilized discussions, with an end goal not of conversion on either part, but of more understanding and appreciation. Asking, rather than telling, me what exactly I believe. Otherwise, I choose to NOT cast my pearls.

AND ANOTHER THING . . .

(please to read my upcoming post about said other thing)

*Mormons are Christians.

an honor to be nominated

2011-02-24T05:00:00.001-07:00

I found out something yesterday that put a smile on my face, but in telling you about it, I want to be certain you don't get the wrong idea.

Every now and then I check my blog's statistics, and one of my favorite things to see is where my readers have come from -- meaning, from which sites they've come, not where they come from geographically, although that's also pretty neat (Hey, Poland! Israel! Nigeria! Sarasota!). A significant percentage visit from Courtney's Links To Look Forward To page . . . in fact, any time Courtney links to me, my page visits at least double ("1200 page loads at 7:45 a.m.? What the...oh."). Today I noticed that many had been coming from MormonMomma.com, specifically the page of Nominations for Best LDS Female Solo Blogger of 2010.

Here's where I don't want you to get the wrong idea: this is not a plea, nor a beg, nor even an ask for you to vote. I don't even think you can vote yet, it might still be just nominating time. I just wanted to share this with you because, well, it's about my blog, and I want to thank you for reading, you know? Also, I don't think I've been nominated for a Blog Prize before. So there's that.

I mean it when I say I'm flattered to be included in that list of bloggers.

I'd vote for Kacy.

Raining Jane -- Salt Lake City

2011-02-23T01:05:00.004-07:00

You know I love some good live music.

Back in January I received an invitation to attend a concert in conjunction with the Sundance Film Festival. Said concert was sponsored by TheHouse.org and was to be held at The Depot in downtown Salt Lake City. (Have you ever been to an event at The Depot? It's very cool. Old train station, you know.) The House is a nonprofit group which brings together musicians and their fans in more intimate settings than your typical bar venue. The House really believes in the connection that can be made during performances, and looks to advance the relationship between the performers and their audience as passions and emotions are shared from stage to crowd.

Carina and I carpooled -- I knew she had also been invited since my initial invitation was addressed to her rather than me. She drove, we parked, we nearly froze walking the half-block to the venue.

Upon arrival we learned that we had just missed the first set, so we grabbed a snack and settled in for the second act. Within the first few bars of Raining Jane's set, I whispered to Carina, "I'm buying one of their CDs." We got to work tweeting about @RainingJane, what a great show, fantastic atmosphere, etc., and a few songs into the set, this happened:

(I don't deny it.)

The band itself was really impressive. Their vocal harmonies are super tight, they reminded me of The Roches. They're all masters of their instruments. (These may seem like they should be apparent or common observations, but it's not true of every band, and I mean it when I say it.) A lot of attention was rightfully given to the sassy percussionist; she's clever and funny and glaringly talented . . . but towards the end of the show she, from the stage, asked Carina if she was, "seriously texting during the show? Put your phone away, a$%hole!" Boo, Sassy Percussionist -- Carina had been tweeting your band's praises. Line crossed.

I did as predicted and purchased not just one, but two of Raining Jane's CDs, which have made for nice variations of Dancing-And-Singing-In-The-Kitchen music to warm the cold afternoons.

There were two additional acts, but seeing Raining Jane turned out to be the whole of our concert experience that night. It was, after all, Tuesday and what are we, 20?

Thanks to Daniel Winters of TheHouse.org for the invitation to the show.

Stride Rite shoes -- WINNER

2011-02-21T07:22:00.001-07:00

In order to see who won these

I used this

which came up with this

which means this is the winner

Congratulations! Please email me with your preferred shoe size and the address to which you'd like your shoes mailed. I'll pass that info along to my contact at Stride Rite and your shoes will be on their way!

Thanks to all of you who entered! And thanks again to Stride Rite for providing the shoes for this giveaway.

Valentine's Day Giveaway - Stride Rite

2011-02-13T21:20:00.000-07:00

It's Valentine's Day! A special day for YOU (LVC). Maybe it's also a special day for a sweetheart you have, or maybe you are currently without sweetheart. Either way, let's celebrate some LOVE All Up In Here with a giveaway.

Remember last year when I was able to have all sorts of awesome giveaways from companies I had encountered, except for one?

It seems ol' Stride Rite has had a change of HEART.

For Valentine's Day, let's give away one pair of shoes from the Glitzy Pets line, shall we?

Tell you about this shoe? I'd LOVE to:

The Glitzy Pets Glamorous sneaker is black and neon pink, and has a new fashion outsole with cool lighted technology that girls love. Plus, sizes 10.5 and above come with a Glitzy Pets charm that attaches to the laces for a little extra fun. Available online for $50.

If you know a SWEET girl (or boy, if they want to wear this shoe with pink on it, I'm not the boss of you and your kids' footwear) who would love to be surprised with a fun new pair of shoes, please enter this giveaway in the following three ways:

~ leave a comment on this post telling me about a pair of shoes that you LOVE

~ click on LIKE on formerly phread's facebook fan page & then leave a comment on this post telling me that you've done so

~ FOLLOW this blog via Google Friend Connect (on the right side of this page) & then leave a comment on this post telling that you've done so

This giveaway will end on Friday, February 18th, at 11:59 p.m. MST. The winner will be selected via random.org and will be announced on its own post on Monday, February 21st.

Best of luck, my readers. I ADORE you!

Disclosure: I've been promised a pair of these very shoes in exchange for hosting this giveaway. Seems fair, right?

in real time

2011-02-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted a lot lately, but it's not for lack of ideas; in fact, it may just be for overload. I mentioned in my last post, though, my desire to share more of my beliefs, my personal beliefs. As I've considered the right way (is there a right way?) to go about it, I've concocted all sorts of formulas and lists, but what strikes me this evening is that I should simply write down what just - just - happened.

It's Friday night. To be precise, it's the Friday before Valentine's Day, and I had forgotten that my husband had a meeting to attend tonight. "So should I go to the six p.m. meeting tonight, or the afternoon meeting tomorrow?" he asked me right before 6:am today. My heart dipped a little, as I had been hoping for our regular date night, a special Sweetheart's dinner (although, to be honest, we're not big Valentine celebrators). By the time Darin got home from work this afternoon, my headache had begun to settle along with my grumpiness. I was tired but knew a 5:pm nap would devastate my weekend's schedule, so I simply rested, mindlessly in front of Seinfeld reruns. I usually don't mind when he has meetings to attend, but tonight, as the minutes flicked by on the clock, I realized I was hungry: for dinner, yes, but more for the company of Darin, as we typically schedule, to converse without interruption. I could hardly stand the idea of waiting another entire week.

When his meeting was finished, he phoned me.

"I'm done."

"Great. Want to go to dinner?"

"Do we have any money?"

"Not really."

"Then, no."

I wanted to scream. It's not about the money, and our time together is priceless and essential! Don't you dare make this about money! Instead, I grabbed a bowl of cereal and sat down at the table, clearly annoyed.

After a few brief exchanges, and a lot of silence from me, I recognized what was happening. Just then, Darin asked, "Is anything wrong?"

"I need to go to bed."

"Did I do something to make you mad?"

I put my spoon down, looked him in the eye, and said, plainly, "The adversary is trying really hard to get me to be irritated with you because we're planning on going to the temple tomorrow."

He said okay, and I imagine I was getting to be irritating to him as well, so I put my bowl in the sink, we had our family prayer, and I left my Friday Night Family enjoying their tween shows for the hike upstairs to my room.

My thoughts were going a million miles a minute. Wash my face, take out my contacts. Skirt! Do I have a skirt clean? Clean, yes, but is it wrinkled? Should I steam it tonight? Will I even do it in the morning? Temple bag, temple bag...I don't even know where my temple bag is, how embarrassing. I'm so exhausted. I'm wasting time even planning. I need sleep...

Finally, I hit my knees in prayer: "Heavenly Father, I'm so tired. I have so much to do. My body needs sleep. I'm nervous about going to the temple tomorrow. I know I should want to go. Please help me want to go. Please help me be strong and diligent enough tonight to just do the essentials before I go to bed, I don't want to stay up late, get caught up in some project and be too tired in the morning. Please help me."

As I stood up, my mind drifted to two places: first, my laptop. 'Are you kidding me?' I thought. 'If ever there was something to keep me from going to sleep...'.

And the second: my son Taylor. Taylor passed away and would be 10, almost 10 & 1/2, and I miss him. I miss him so much. Missing him makes me weary; weary because I feel like my family is missing someone -- all the time I feel this way, even now, hearing my kids downstairs, knowing they're enjoying life and safe here in our home, I have that feeling that I have to stay up to wait for someone else to come home before we're complete; weary because I know people don't like to hear about it -- it's awkward and they don't know what to say. And weary because I know that it is in the temple where Heaven and Earth are closest, and each time I go to the temple, the longing for me to sense my son's presence is strongest, yet the entire process is so emotionally overwhelming my mortal mind and emotions can only wonder if even going there (physically and emotionally) is worth the hassle.

In the quiet, my son on my mind, I clicked on my google reader and saw a post shared by Dalene. I clicked on it and read, my eyes widening. Sons, deaths, blessings. Clicking over to the post to read the comments, the tears began to fall from my eyes.

There are angels among us. Heaven is close, closer than we realize. Those who have gone on before us are watching and waiting for us so that we can be together again. And God loves us and knows us. He knows what we need, and if we'll listen (even when what I'm told is that it's okay to feel the hurt of missing my son, as well as the direction to look at the computer), even when the direction might seem to not make any sense, we will be comforted and blessed. And when we follow that direction, we can rest as we, bodies and souls, need.

five awesome things

2011-02-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

HAPPY MONDAY!

(Really, all-caps and all.)

It's a great day here, and so many things are going on. Allow me to share:

~ My very own playlist o' love is being featured at Today's Mama. Check it out and tell me what you think of my selections. Would you include any of the same on your own personal playlist? Thanks, Carina, for asking me to contribute!

~ I am a New Sassy!

Sassy Scoops is a group of women who are passionate about supporting local businesses. We patronize (as in, partake of & support, not speak to condescendingly) local business and services, and then review different aspects of our experience. There are also fun giveaways involved, so be sure to keep an eye out!

I'm not the only New Sassy -- Jen Hadfield of the blog tatertots & jello is also joining the crew.

Wish you could be a New Sassy too? It seems to be your lucky day. There's a contest to find a third New Sassy (given name need not be Jennifer to apply).

~
It's like they know me. No, it's like they know me and love me and want to make the world a better place, one great-smelling area at a time. #WorldPeace

~ Can you spare ten minutes? Just ten? Because remember when I shared with you the video for OK Go's White Knuckles? Since then, my family has become a wee-bit obsessed with the song and its video and even a homemade version of that video using stuffed animals. My new favorite, however, is the behind-the-scenes of the actual take they used for the video (remember, it's all done in one shot -- they did it over 130 times and chose take #72 as the one to use). If you don't have a full ten minutes, at least watch beginning at 4:53 until 10:30:

~ At the end of last calendar year, as I was contemplating what to do with my blog for the upcoming (now current) year, I had a thought that I should do a series of Sunday Mormon posts. Really, I did. And then . . . well, and then a friend had the same thought and acted on it, and my desire to not seem like a copycat won out over my desire to act on my idea. But as it happens, the thought to post on more Mormon stuff will not leave my mind, and I know this means that I am to act. I don't know that it will always be on Sundays. But I know that I will be posting about my faith more. If you've got any questions (a post in and of itself), please send them my way.

And those are my five awesome things.

What are YOUR five awesome things?

so there's the game, see . . .

2011-02-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Even I know that the Super Bowl is, well . . . super. It's kind of a big deal, despite how little one may care for such things. You don't even have to like football to participate in this annual party: maybe you like The Commercials, or The Food. Maybe you record it and watch it on Monday because on Sunday you've got other things going on. Whatever the case, I'd like to help you prepare for the upcoming weekend by bringing two things to your attention:

1. You really should have some guacamole for your party this weekend. (You really should have guacamole EVERY weekend.) And if you're going to get guacamole, you should be getting the best guacamole. And if you're going to be getting the best guacamole, you should save some money and use the coupon that's good this weekend at any (local) Good Earth Food Store location.

Oooooh, but shoot. You have to be a facebook fan of Gourmet Guac to get the special deal. No problem! You're already a fan, right? Get over there and grab the coupon from the wall.

Or, you know what? Here, I'll just give it to you:

2. Speaking of facebook, my friend's brother's beard has its own fan page. You can also follow said beard on twitter. What? I KNOW.

You are Worthy of Hope

2011-02-02T12:19:00.001-07:00

Sunday brought an opportunity for Darin and I to team-teach Relief Society (class for women 18 & over) at church. We're not assigned teachers for that class; we were asked to fill the Fifth Sunday Bonus Spot on the teaching schedule. The recommended topic (which topic we went with though we could choose as we pleased) was Finding Faith in Troubled Times.

My husband started the meeting with scripture (specifically, Mosiah 18:7-9 and Mosiah 24:9-16) and (what I considered to be) insightful commentary. Taking the microphone, I then explained how we came about our method for the rest of the lesson: I figure, one reason President Monson is so beloved is because of his method of teaching/speaking: telling personal stories. We all feel like we've known him since he was Little Tommy Monson, do we not? As such, Darin and I had a desire to draw upon our local sisterhood to share their own experiences and feelings about a time when they've had to Find Faith in a Troubled Time. I acknowledged that, indeed, we could have called upon any of the women sitting in that room for, indeed, we all have had (and will have) (and hope to be able to endure) trials.

The three women took their turn at sharing their experiences; specifically, one sister who is in the process of a divorce she didn't want, another whose son was stillborn last fall, and a third whose newborn son was born with a serious and rare, though manageable, metabolic disorder. Each had similarities in their situations, notably feelings of despair followed by a realization that the step of having faith is a choice. Often the choice to have faith has needed to be made repeatedly. These women, in their darkest hours, chose to draw from the simple truths learned over a lifetime of lessons, study, and other growing experiences, and added to the memories of truth faith, hope, study, prayer -- ~~often~~ MAINLY when doing that was precisely the last thing they wanted to do.

When the third woman stood to share her experience, she began with the words, "I feel so inadequate...". I think we can all relate to that feeling. She spoke directly after a woman who had lost her baby boy, and this third woman's trial involved her own son who is alive. "I feel so inadequate." Why? It's the opposite of one-upping, but it's the same principle: comparison. We compare where comparison doesn't apply. Just because someone else lost their child/marriage/abilities doesn't mean you're not able to feel bad about your own experience with the child/marriage/abilities in your possession, in your life.

I ended the lesson with this quote from President Uchtdorf:

And to all who suffer—to all who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely—I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in.

Never surrender.

Never allow despair to overcome your spirit.

Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the love of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.

source

Note that he doesn't say: "To all of you who have had what others would consider grand scale tragedy," but instead addresses all who suffer, and then specifically mentions those "who feel discouraged, worried, or lonely...". Who hasn't felt any -- no, ALL of those things? What a precious notion to know that those feelings, at their purest existence, are worthy of note, of validation, and of hope. No comparison, no self-denial, there is not a finite amount of hope available to humankind.

Daybreak Utah

2011-01-27T00:02:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do is make plans for when we can move to a new house -- a different house, a bigger house, a house with a layout more conducive to how my family has grown since we first built our current home about 8 years ago. Since my husband works in Salt Lake County, I have spent some time considering living there, so as to make a shorter commute for him. Each time I think about living in any Salt Lake Homes, my thoughts inevitably turn to Daybreak.

Daybreak is a community unlike anything I've ever seen: self-contained, but spacious; its own row of stores and restaurants not far from a lake and bike trails; up-and-coming for businesses and family-friendly. My friend Jenny lives there with her husband and five children, and they love it.

Of note is that Daybreak recently won National Community of the Year from the National Association of Home Builders as well as an award for smart suburban growth. This is a big deal, and great recognition for those who have worked so diligently to ensure, among other things, an environmentally-friendly community. Trax line? Coming soon to Daybreak, in addition to a Health Care Center opened by University of Utah Healthcare.

What it comes down to is this: if you're looking for houses in Utah, look no further than Daybreak because, really -- they've thought of everything.

*I was compensated for writing this post, but the ideas and opinions are true and from me. Would I lie to you? Even for a dollar? Psh.

Cockaigne

2011-01-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

image source

I've been skiing lately at a local li'l place called Sundance, and it's a blast. I get asked: "How long have you been skiing?" Presuming they mean in my life and not in that particular day, my answer is: "Well, I skied from 3rd to 12th grade, and then I moved to Utah where I only went skiing once in 14 years." Kind of pathetic, right? I mean, the only time I went skiing here where we have TheBestSnowOnEarth is when I was pregnant with Curly (didn't know I was pregnant at the time). I don't give myself too hard of a time, though, because I was pregnant or nursing for many years, so I'll just say it wasn't My Season for skiing . . . and now it is.

Some would scoff at the idea of skiing even being a possibility in Western New York, to which I remind those that there is a mountain range Over There, and with the Great Lakes, there can be quite a bit of snow accumulation.

image source

As I watch my kids learn to ski, I've reminisced about when I was their age, and how I came to learn. Ski Club days, in elementary school, were Fridays, and at about lunch time I would begin to get butterflies in my stomach. Upon school's dismissal I'd race to my bus, willing with my mind everyone else to PLEASEHURRYUP so that I could maybe, just maybe, get home quickly (which never happened -- my bus route was really long and I lived out in the country), and then as fast as I could, try to find something to eat, and get dressed for skiing, or in other words: long johns and ski socks. I didn't wear snowpants, I wore jeans. I guess I thought that was more cool...it was certainly more cold (and, in hindsight, So Dumb). Then we had to head back into town to meet in the mall parking lot where we loaded up on (freezing cold) school buses and drove to Cockaigne Ski Resort. In my memory, this drive took over 2 hours, but now I don't think that's possible. Many songs were sung on the bus, and finally we'd arrive and (some of us would) race to the lodge to get in line to rent boots, skis, and poles. (It was in this line once where someone {won't say who} first told me that I had big lips, thus the beginning of something else about which to be self-conscious.) All suited up, a flourescent colored sticker of a lift ticket attached to my coat's zipper, I went to my lesson. I recall skiing with my friend D'Arsie, learning about side-stepping on skis, using the J-bar on the bunny hill, the rush of learning how to get on the chairlift. But some of my favorite memories of Cockaigne are of being in the lodge.

Climbing the huge wooden steps onto the deck, opening the doors to the giant A-frame lodge, I was greeted by a wave of warmth and friendly chatter and laughter. On the walls, poster-sized vintage (and then-current) I [heart] NY posters.

image source

I'd find some friends, all sitting together around a giant wooden table, and mooch some of their fries (since I didn't have any money to get my own), which were always, ALWAYS soaked in vinegar. We always had vinegar with our fries. (Weird? Not any more weird than having salt & vinegar chips.) And not five minutes could pass without someone -anyone- stomping over to the piano to pound out Heart & Soul.

Last weekend I thought I should look up online some photos of where I learned to ski, so I could show my kids. Imagine how I felt when I saw this on facebook on Monday:

After some searching, I learned something about that lodge:

The landmark,award winning structure was originally built in the early 1960's in Austria, and was purchased in 1964 for the New York World's Fair. It cost $1 million.

Cockaigne purchased the building the next year for $3,000, took it apart, and transported the pieces by rail to Jamestown, where it was reassembled. source

I had no idea.

Here's a clip from the news:

Loco.

Like Campbell said: Cheers to the memories!

Sunday afternoon

2011-01-23T16:21:00.002-07:00

Some thoughts . . .

~ Have you ever seen a moose? They're HUGE. I saw one, in the wild, for the first time yesterday. It was "just getting some breakfast," as li'l ~j. noted, right outside one of the cabins on the road to Sundance. (Excellent skiing yesterday, by the way.)

~ I've got a sore throat. I hope it doesn't develop into anything major.

~ When my boy is rebelling, he simply goes limp and pretends to be asleep. Good one.

~ One of my kids is Student O' The Month at their school.

~ Does anyone else out there spend a hearty percentage of their budget on kids' toothpaste for no other reason than at least a half of it ends up on walls, the floor, and in the bathroom sink?

I'm off to clean the bathroom.

license to label

2011-01-18T00:36:00.001-07:00

"Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic." Even when they're dry. My dad, for instance, has been sober for 23+ years. Even though he doesn't drink, he identifies himself as an alcoholic because of his addiction. If I'm being completely honest with you, I'll tell you that I'm confident that if I were a drinker I'd be addicted, too . . . so am I an alcoholic?

*****

"So how is it being a single mom?" I cringe at the question. Is my husband gone a lot? Yes, he's busy. He's at work, or at church, or at school for many, many hours in the week. But I'm not a single mom, and getting sympathy, even from some well-meaning acquaintance thinking I am, is embarrassing. Because Darin comes home - from work, from school, from church, from trips - he comes home. He's not doing his second tour somewhere, and he hasn't left.

*****

A childhood friend recently shared on her blog that her son thinks (maybe because it's been six years?) that she should no longer refer to herself as a widow. "You don't count," he said. "You can't keep calling yourself a widow."

*****

"Stop saying that you struggled with infertility," read a trillion (usually anonymous) comments, "You had a baby. You weren't infertile, so stop claiming it." So, then, what was all that time? She was simply waiting for her baby? No, because she wasn't getting pregnant. What do you even call that?

*****

With which labels do you identify yourself?
Have you had labels in the past which you no longer possess?
Which labels are self-assigned, and which are determined by others?

Straight from my inbox! (1 minute ago)

2011-01-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

Dear ,

Congratulations!

You have successfully confirmed to the January 14, 2011 taping of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

If you have any further questions please contact us at requesttickets@thedailyshow.com. We look forward to seeing you at the taping.

Thank You,

Audience Department

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart

formerly phread

When Guns Are Found Near School

Cupcake War on Bullying

Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon (winner!)

Good Sabbath, Friends

Mindy Gledhill's Winter Moon (giveaway!)

Top 10 of 2011

No Holy Night

12 days?

communal instructional dinner

Black Friday on Today's Mama

NaBloPoMoNope

Fixing What's Broken

trippin

vote!

Life List

clever?

A special day

hey, look

One Night In Your Bootsies

Bloggers Helping Single Parents

Welcome, NaBloPoMo

My Fair Lady

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE - Winner

Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE - Giveaway

Hawai'i Trip 2011 - Day #1

Libby's and Habitat for Humanity in Utah

Sweet Tooth Fairy saves the day

eleven

Extreme Makeover Home Edition in Utah

On Tuesday I Went To Hawaii

seasons

Sassy Scoops

Soccer Mom's Dilemma

Step in Time

Going to blog conferences - your questions answered

Review: BlogHer '11

Review: Girls' Camp 2011

forthcoming

triathamom registration WINNER

campy

TriathaMOM

"Look at me."

evo'11

evo. blogher. one-thousand.

Someday I'm gonna make her mine

5 things

Today is the day

sometimes I'd like to chuck it into the lake

Words With Friends

dental blogging

You like-a the Paris?

Rooftop Concert - What It Is

the bus - and not

On the street where you live

check out the big brain on james! part 2

My friend, John Reynolds

My Royal Review

FICTIONIST in Provo

Europe 2011, Part VI: Day 3 in Paris

Europe 2011, Part V: Day 2 in Paris

Sensanbaugher

Europe 2011, Part IV: Day 1 in Paris

Europe 2011, Part III: Leaving, Flying, Arriving

Europe 2011, Part II: Preparation

Europe 2011, Part I: Making the Decision

See, it's FUNNY cuz . . .

Salt Lake: Charity Sale Next Week

YOUGUYS. I got to SLEEP IN.

Sundance Discount Lift Tickets

belated valentine

Blogger Headshots -- through the end of March

i don't have to know what it means

that *IS* the answer

Talking about talking about being a mormon

an honor to be nominated

Raining Jane -- Salt Lake City

Stride Rite shoes -- WINNER

Valentine's Day Giveaway - Stride Rite

in real time

that IS the answer