Our Family

These are the pictures we could get. It is always interesting to try to get everyone in the right place at the right time, and smiling in the same direction. So, we ended up with more than a few pictures that are pretty funny. Those are the ones I SHOULD be posting.

Our kids have been up to their funny tricks again.

We went home for Thanksgiving last month and while we were there, Will got into my makeup in the middle of the night. I walked into the room he and Wally were sharing at about 2:30 in the morning, to find Will sitting with a full face of makeup, wearing a bonnet! I am talking mascera on his lashes and all. I was laughing so hard trying to take it all in, that I didn't notice Wally, sound asleep with his face all done up too. Will had applied Wally's makeup while he was asleep, and Wally didn't even wake up. He was surprised in the morning, to find his natural beauty enhanced. He did have it smeared all over his hands, and in his hair, so he put up some kind of fight in his sleep!

The next day, Wally brought Del a bunch of paper taped together and told him that he had made a present. Del opened it and pulled out a piece of paper cut into a rectangle with drawing on it.

"Thanks! What is it?" Del asked.

Wally answered, " It is a savings bond!"

He is definitely his father's son. Who else would be giving the gift of a savings bond at age five? Now Del just has to wait around for about twenty years, and maybe they will let him cash it in. Savings Bond? What is this, 1943? What a funny boy!

When Nursery Kids Attack

On Sunday, our poor little Georgia was involved in an attack in nursery. A little boy whose mother is investigating the church charged her and scratched her face up pretty good. It was so sad to have her handed to me with blood all over her face from all the cuts. She was happy to leave church that day, and is fine now, but it shook me up a little. The mother of the little guy who scratched her felt pretty bad, as you can imagine. But if anyone knows what it is like to have your kids do things you want to die when you hear about, it is me, so I could only tell her not to feel too bad.

Lets just say we send our kids to church to get their street smarts. When Will was less than a year old, another kid almost took a chunk out of his face with a hard bite. So we are just breaking Georgia in. I guess you could say we are teaching them to "turn the other cheek."

Must Be Santa, Santa Claus!

I had to use that title because Will has been singing that Christmas song non-stop. I believe we will be hearing it in his school program next week. I can tell he has been practicing.

This weekend our cute neighbors invited us over to sit on Santa's lap. The kids got their chance to tell him what they want for Christmas... a dinosaur Transformer, Geotrax, and a baby.

Wally had a nice little conversation with Santa.



Will liked Santa, but not enough to sit on his lap.


Georgia wanted nothing to do with the poor man...until he gave her a present.


Then she ripped right into it.

Practice Makes...Clear The Knowledge That I Need More Practice

The Wisconsin Dells

A couple of weeks ago we went to The Dells with our friends the Tysons. We stayed in a fun condo, and the kids had a blast with all the water. I am not too big a fan of the water during the cold months, even when it is all inside, but I still had fun going on water slides with Wally. I think Will is more like me because he was wrapped in a towel on a chair half the time. We always have fun with the Tysons, and Leslie is a trooper going to a swim resort while prego! Thanks for joining us Tysons!!

Little Ella and Leslie.


The best picture I could get of Wally before my camara died.


Our silly Will.


Georgia the water baby.


Excited anyone?

145th Anniversary of The Gettysburg Address

Today marks the 145th anniversary of the delivery of one of the most famous speeches ever written. Written on the back of an envelope no less. If only President Lincoln knew when he says that the words from that day would not be remembered, the far reaching influence they would have. I have included the Gettyburg Address in a slide show with Johnny Cash reading the speech.

The Adventures of Will

We have been having quite a few funny incidents lately, thanks to three year old Will. He is keeping us on our toes these days with his funny little personality. He doesn't mean to be funny, he is just naturally a little quirky. He keeps me and Del up laughing at night as we re-hash all his greatest hits.

One of these happened a couple of weeks ago during Sacrament meeting at church. Will was whining about something or other, so Del picked him up to carry him out. As he made his way down the isle, Will yelled out, "NO! Mommy save me!" Well, as you can imagine this caused more than a few titters, and had people turning around to look at me laughing. It even prompted one man in our ward to get up and bear his testimony, because as he told all of us, Will yelling out about being saved, reminded him of how much he has a testimony in his Savior, Jesus Christ. Out of the mouths of babes, right?

The fun continued when Georgia and I were playing in Will's room the other day. Will came into the room and shut the door behind him, locking all of us in the room, with no one else home to save us. I told Will that now we were all stuck in his bedroom. He told me to use the key hidden on top of the molding around the door. Great idea! Except the key was on the outside of the door!

At first I eyed the door, to determine weather I could break it down, but quickly decided we would only end up locked in a room, me with a broken shoulder. So, I opened the window to judge the strength of the rain gutters if I climbed down. Again, deciding this would end with a broken bone. None of my neighbors were around, so I had to summon my inner MacGyver. I found a piece of toy train track and dug a nail that was holding a curtain rod up, out of the wall. After pressing it through the key hole, and we were free! All of this by the way, did trigger a little panic in me, but left Will and Georgia completely unfazed.

A Worthy Watch

I just wanted to throw out a recommendation for this seven part mini series, John Adams. This is a really great movie! Del and I watched it over a couple of weeks after our kids went to bed, and we both highly recommend it to everyone. I LOVE history, and it is fun to watch it come to life. I found myself looking up all kinds of people and events after watching each segment, just to learn more, and get a different point of view. It is well worth the time it takes to get through it. It gave me an even greater appreciation of the amazing country that we are privileged to live in, and those involved in it's organization. God Bless America!

In Defense Of The Mini Van Mom

I just read a post on a stranger's blog that in a nut shell, ripped apart, and reduced moms that drive mini vans to second class citizens.

I will not lie; it hurt my feelings! Why? Because I drive a mini van!

I could get all my righteous indignation up, and go on to write a laundry list of reasons why the minivan is just as great, if not better than what the "Cool Moms" drive. But instead I'll just say that it works for my lifestyle. I don't think about it much, I just know that I can wake up in the morning, hop in my mini van, which fits the fruits of my labors to muliply and replenish the earth: plus some, and drive away.

Oh, that and it is payed off.

I am not even promising that I will always drive a mini van. But I will always pray that the value I place on myself and others, is not dependent on the fact that the wheels beneath me are attached to the latest, sleekest model to come out of Fantasticland. (insert country of preference here.)

You can criticize mini vans all you want. Just be careful that the criticism does not extend to the person sitting behind the wheel. I don't want to be known as the defender of the Mini Van. Just the defender of the mom inside, who more than likely is someone, doing something wonderful in this world. Some of the most positively influential women in my life have driven me somewhere, at some point in their mini van!


Now, I have heard all the jokes about the mini van mom. Especially where I come from. They seem to be more prevalent among that demographic. I have realized this since living away. But never have I heard someone outright say that they are embarrassed to even be forced to sit inside of a mini van, even with someone they love. It got me thinking. That must mean that some people look at me when I pull up in my van, and can't see beyond that. How sad that makes me. I have been written off because of what sits in my garage! I am not up to snuff. Mini van moms need not apply.

I will always have room for more friends. (In my life, not just in the mini van I drive.) It is hard to find ladies with the same values and perspective. So please I beg of you, give me a chance!

I know that I am beyond the hip days.

I figured that anyone watching me walk into a room with a gigantic diaper bag over one shoulder, two kids clinging to my legs, a baby seat, and maybe even a pregnant belly, with my kids lunch smeared across it, is not going to label me a trend setter. So I thought why not drive a mini van on top of it?

But I also ask that if you are in the same situation I am, with the one difference, being the car we climb into in the parking lot, look a little harder. You may find something you can value in that Mini Van Mom. Maybe even something priceless.

Get on the Boat and Vote!

Tomorrow we can all come down from the high of media coverage bombardment from the election. But today is the day to vote! How exciting!

At least it must have seemed that it would be for Will, when I told him we were going to swing by the polling place and find out if the line was shorter than an hour to vote. Well it was, so through the procedure we went. Down the line of telling them my name and showing I.D.

When we came to the spot to get the actual ballot, Will looked around and said, "Where is the boat? I want a ride on the boat!"

Oops, I guess we had a spot of miscommunication, and the poor little guy was thinking this was really going to be an adventure! A boat ride! Not just a boring room full of old people! He kept saying, "Is the boat going to be a pirate ship?" The poor workers looked like they were at a loss, with the lack of enthusiasm this little boy was obviously pointing out.

So, we only ended up having a ride on the high seas of political propaganda this year, but here in Chicago, where the politics do get pretty windy, it has been quit the campaign. I guess we will all just have to hope we don't come away from the 2008 election with as much disappointment in the outcome as Will did!




THE END

SILLY BOY!

Halloween!

I was pretty lazy about my kids costumes this year. Both of their schools only have a "Fall Party," not a Halloween party. Our ward cancelled the trunk or treat and we didn't have anywhere else to wear them except trick or treating. So I considered myself pretty lucky when I dug through the costume box Halloween morning and came up with two decent pirate outfits, and found a too-too and crown in Georgia's room. We had amazing weather, and lots of fun out in the neighborhood this year. It was a great Halloween!

Wally being a pirate. He kept saying, "ARRR Matey!!!" He loved the hook.


Will could barely walk concentrating so hard on keeping his hat on, his bag in hand, and a sucker in his mouth while trick or treating. He was trailing us most of the time.



Do you like the dirty shirt with front pockets Georgia is wearing? I know it is not very fitting with the outfit. I was just glad she left the costume on. She was not very happy about it at first. She loved running freely around the neighborhood with her pumpkin bucket. She would tell people thank you after they gave her candy, so she was a big hit.



I'm a mean old witch with a hat! I was supposed to look like I was cackling.


Trick or Treat, smell my feet!

Del really liked this, so I am posting it, per his request.



An American Creed

I Do Not Choose to Be a Common Man

It is my right to be uncommon—if I can.

I seek opportunity—not security. I do not wish to be a kept citizen, humbled and dulled by having the state look after me.

I want to take the calculated risk; to dream and to build, to fail and to succeed.

I refuse to barter incentive for a dole. I prefer the challenges of life to the guaranteed existence; the thrill of fulfillment to the stale calm of utopia.

I will not trade freedom for beneficence nor my dignity for a handout. I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.

It is my heritage to stand erect, proud and unafraid; to think and act for myself, enjoy the benefit of my creations and to face the world boldly and say, “This I have done.”

By Dean Alfange

______________

*Originally published in This Week Magazine.
Later printed in The Reader’s Digest, October 1952 and January 1954.

The Honorable Dean Alfange was an American statesman born December 2, 1899, in Constantinople (now Istanbul). He was raised in upstate New York. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I and attended Hamilton College, graduating in the class of 1922.

My Boys

Handsome Devils

I Love...

Her,
and her red eyelashes.

Devil's Lake, Wisconsin

Last weekend, we went camping up in Wisconsin with the Randy and Lucy Spencer gang. Jared and Leslie joined us, and we had a super good time! The weather was great, good friends, lots of food, and of course an accident involving who? Our little guy that finds all kinds of disaster, Will!

I took Will to the bathroom, and since he has a major fear of public toilets, (so bad that he will hold it for a century if he has to, until he finds a potty that looks sanitary, and well lit enough) he jumped off the outhouse potty and bent over to pull up his pants, before I knew what was happening. I had set the kerosene lantern on the ground, and when he bent over, he burned his bare little hinny on the hot lantern.

It was horrible, he was screaming in pain! I just grabbed him and ran back to camp yelling for Del. We got ice on it right away, and used the numbing drops we had for his ear infection, on his backside! I still feel just awful about it! He is still so sore, and can barley walk sometimes. But it is healing. He hasn't been able to sit on a chair to eat since. So he stands at the table. Oh, I just feel sooo bad! Burns are the absolute worst! But in spit of all that, we still managed to have fun rock climbing and hiking. Even if we had to do it with Will and Ella wearing no pants, right Leslie?

Will showing us all where is ouchy is.

A Case Of The No-No's

Lately Georgia has come down with a case of the no-no's. Lots of mischief from this little girl! Dumping out entire boxes of cereal. Ripping apart every wipe in a brand new baby wipe refill bag, throwing everything in a grocery sack down the stairs, emptying all the disgusting garbage out the sack, squirting all the lotion out of the bottle and rubbing it through her hair, and just your general, almost eighteen month old, TROUBLE! With a capital "T" and that rhymes with "B," and that stands for BATH!!!

I Thought This Was Funny....

Movie Reviews

It takes two seconds to find out... and will probably have us all using a Thesaurus and Dictionary... maybe even an Encyclopedia, when we type our next posts.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who has done so much to make everything easier for us during these past weeks. We were blessed for a moment to be unexpectedly, expecting. We were very excited, and we are very sad to have learned that I miscarried.

We have had so much love sent in our direction, with people willing to help out. All the way from family, taking care of our kids in California, and helping with blessings, to friends and neighbors bringing food, and offering child care for our sick kids. We have had Aunt Sandy folding laundry, and neighbors accepting delivery on our couch while I was in surgery. Thanks for being there, and for just caring about us, all of you... we love you!