Unexpected Sermon

On Monday, we invited some friends over for dinner and then the plan was for all of us to go bowl a game together at the local bowling alley. Apparantley, everyone else in town had the same idea because we got to the bowling alley and there wouldn't be a free lane until 9 p.m. Since Tuesday was the first day of school after Spring Break, staying up that late wasn't a good idea. Plan B was to go a block south to the nearest McD's and get ice cream, and let the kids play on the playground.

We walked into the fast food establishment, unsure of what everyone wanted for dessert. As I took orders from the kids and got in line, they disappeared into the playground area. Then a family walked in passing out fliers for their church. Out of the blue, the wife starts (for lack of a better term) bearing her testimony of her church and her conversion unto Jesus.

I generally have no problem with this, given the fact that our church has over 50,000 missionaries out in the field with the same purpose. Although, I don't think our Elders ever bear testimony in fast food establishments.

As we moved up in the line to order our ice cream from the cashier, the husband started in. This guy was holding a little girl, was skinny and not at all visually matched to his loud, deep pulpit preaching voice. He then delivered what must have been a 5 minute sermon to everyone within the range of his voice in McD's.

To say the least, it was awkward. I did listen to what he had to say, but I kept giggling. It was just so weird. Was I supposed to stop what I was doing as listen to him? Should I have given him my full attention? Should I just politely ignore him and continue on with my food order?

I couldn't help giggling..... the setting seemed so unnatural. I was trying to order ice cream while this man's reminding me that just believing in Jesus and going to church on Sunday isn't enough. My commitment level needs to be higher.

I guess what I found kind of amusing is that on many levels our religious beliefs are very similiar. There was very little I would disagree with. But would I ever go into a McD's and preach my beliefs to a crowd of strangers? No way.

Does that make me a coward? I don't know, but I tell you it was the most awkward situation I've been in for a long time. And what was even stranger was the fact that McD's didn't do a thing about this impromptu sermon. The manager only surfaced at the counter after they had left. Someone actually applauded them as they left... was it because they agreed with what was said, or was it because they were thrilled to see them go?

Our only regret after they left, was that we didn't have a Pass-along card to give them in return. That would have been a great story to tell this week at church...

For Some Must Push, and Some Must Pull...

There is a cute LDS children's song that goes like this:

You don't have to push a handcart,

Leave your family dear,

Or walk a thousand miles or more...

To be a pioneer.

You do need to have great courage,

Faith to conquer fear,

And work with might for a cause that's right,

To be a pioneer.

For those who aren't familiar with this newer LDS activity, let me explain briefly. In an attempt to remember our pioneer heritage and learn appreciation for their dedication and sacrifice to preserve our religious beliefs, we reenact on a small scale a "Trek" that helps us remember the pioneers.

My great, great, great grandparents traveled for 1300 miles (or more) to the Salt Lake Valley in the late 1800's. Most walked across the plains of Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming with wagon trains or handcarts. Many died and others suffered illness or gave birth along the way. It was a true test of their faith. We honor them every July when we celebrate Pioneer Day on July 24.

So, our local congregation gathered together with seven others to arrange this experience. It's solely for the youth in our church ages 14-18. All told we had about 130 kids attend. Eric and I were asked to be one set of parents, herein after called Ma's and Pa's. There were ten couples and the kids were randomly assigned to one of the ten families. We had 12 kids to share our trek experience with, and only one of them we already knew.

On Thursday morning, we left our home at 6 a.m. to travel to the desert in Southwestern Arizona (halfway between Gila Bend and Yuma along I-8). Here we are, still early in the morning, still clean, still cool...

My new "daughters"... they were delightful!

We started off playing some get to know you games, and then put together our handcart. Then began the long journey for the day. The first day's walk would be 10 miles. It took 4-5 miles to get to this mountain range and then we walked through it before stopping for the night.

I don't know this girl, but I saw her resting on the side of the road and just had to capture this moment...One of our trail bosses brought an extra horse that ran around like a puppy... she was so dang cute, she would run up behind you and nuzzle your neck so you'd pet her. We all loved it!After walking 10 miles, even the girly girls laid down to sleep right on the rocky dirt.Walking through the desert landscape - almost done for the day!Sunset in the desertTaylor - with his Trek FamilyOur Pa...Taylor still smiling on day two... check out that bedhead!Our family hard at work pulling through the deep sand... the sand proved to be the biggest trial of the entire trip.Taking a break on the side of the trailGetting some practice in for our evening entertainment... these girls were so talented... My kids helping me to prep our chickens... the boys enjoyed eating the neck and giblets while we separated out the good chicken for the soup. It was sorta like Pioneer Fear Factor!A much deserved rest on the afternoon of day 2. The kids got to do various activities, including archery, black powder rifle shooting, leatherworking and best of all - hairwashing. Just about everyone (including the boys) got their hair washed... it never felt so good, believe me!

But the highlight of the afternoon was when a truck rolled into camp with 2 bags of ice for each family. We'd been drinking warm water for 24 hours and when it's 90+ degrees, there's no shade and you are wearing heavy warm clothing, a bag of ice for the water cooler was like getting manna from heaven! It was indeed the perfect surprise for our overheated bodies!After the afternoon festivities, we ate our delicious Chicken and Dumplin's soup and peach cobbler. Both were fantastic and for the first time in two days, we didn't have to ration out the food. We had leftovers! That evening we had a fireside testimony meeting. The spirit was strong and many tears were shed!

Just after the testimony meeting was when we had our only encounter with wildlife... some kids found a sidewinder rattlesnake under the porta potty trailer. The menfolk quickly killed and disposed it. Couldn't risk someone getting bit... But of course, this happened just before bedtime, so quite a few of us had a difficult time falling asleep wondering how many other dangerous creatures were lurking in the shrubs.This is our family on the morning of the 3rd day... we had 3 miles to walk and then we would be fed a hot lunch of sloppy joes back at the cars. Our kids ran the last mile, just so they could be done and rest!

All in all, it was a fantastic experience. Over 3 days we truly got a glimpse of what our pioneer ancestors were willing to sacrifice. We learned the hardships of life on the trail. We learned how they must have suffered in the heat with their long skirts and petticoats and no air conditioning.

Many very important life lessons were learned. Remember this is a group of kids who are part of the "entitlement" generation... between cell phones, ipods, computers and video games, most of these kids don't know what a hard day of true labor is. Every single one of them now know what it means to work hard. They all now know what it's like to see the fruit of their labors. They all know how much effort is put into preparing meals and cleaning up. They now all appreciate things like hot showers, flushing toilets, fast food, soft mattresses and air conditioning. They have all learned the value of teamwork and cooperation. Without those two things, we never would have survived this Trek.

Would we do it again? Absolutely! It was definitely a character building experience. It was a privilege for Eric and I to be part of such a wonderful adventure!

Preparation

In less than 24 hours, we'll be in the desert of Southwest Arizona pushing/pulling a handcart with a dozen teenagers. The preparation for this trip has been unbelievable. From tracking down dutch ovens, to buying second hand pioneer style clothes, to researching stories from our pioneer ancestors who walked with wagons or handcarts over 1300 miles in the mid 1800's.

I've barely had time to get on the computer. I've barely had time to do any of my RS responsibilities. I've barely had time to eat and sleep. I'm tired, and we haven't even left yet! I've been to four different Walmarts in the last 3 days and back to my local one 3 more times. I've been to every store imaginable in the valley looking for a stockpot that meets our criteria.

Eric made a dutch oven dessert last night in the backyard... click here for recipes... we did "Good Bars". They were indeed, good. ;-)

My younger three are packing their suitcases for their "extra long" playdate (3 days) with our dear friends. Overnighters are always hard for my boys. They want to sleep over, but have anxiety about being away from Eric and I. Usually Taylor is Ian's "rock" and Taylor won't be there this time. Hope it goes smoothly.... last night there was a lot of tears, but today they are doing okay.

At 5:30 a.m. we'll have 2 dozen people converging on our culdesac, wearing their pioneer finest, and expecting donuts from our recently opened Krispy Kreme. I hope they don't wake up my neighbors!

Megan has her first official babysitting job on Saturday. I'm excited for her but a bit nervous too. It's one thing for her to watch my kids, it's another thing to send her out to someone else's home to be responsible for someone else's babies... I just need to trust her... I know she can handle it!

I'll post again when I return and probably not until I've slept for a day or two... I don't anticipate getting a lot of quality sleep on this trip... mostly due to my fears about sleeping on the ground with the "creepy crawlies"... please pray for us not to have any encounters with anything frightening or dangerous!

Q & A

Thanks for all the feedback and fun questions to answer!!! Here we go:



From Lexie:

Who do you like musically, any favorite groups/artists?

I will be the first to admit I'm totally lame when it comes to keeping up with current music trends, bands, etc. For at least a 2 year stint, I listened to nothing but what was currently playing on Radio Disney... yeah, pathetic, I know.... Probably my favorite current band is Coldplay. I love all their albums and their sound... so much like U2 which was my generation in high school. My favorite CD of all time is the Les Miserables soundtrack from the Broadway Musical. I went to see that in my junior year (I think) and fell in love. I've loved that CD ever since and can sing the lyrics to every single song. A new music favorite is Mamma Mia... I don't have the soundtrack CD yet, but I love to turn on the movie while I'm cleaning house... it's the perfect sing-a-long movie for housework!



From Stacey:

How old were you when you had your first real kiss?

I'm not exactly sure on the age (somwhere around my 15th birthday)... I do remember who it was with and where it was... which puts me in 10th grade... after a friday night football game... with Edwin Wells... I think he was a lot of girls first kiss back in the days...



From Melissa:

Do you have a favorite author? Book?

Nailing down a favorite author is really hard for me. I LOVE to read and could list many authors as being my favorite! Some authors that I love include:

Shannon Hale, Stephenie Meyer, Orson Scott Card, J.K. Rowling and Gail Carson Levine. Currently my favorite book is still Twilight. I know it's my favorite, because I can sit down and read it again and again and never get bored of it.



From my mom:

Did you ever sneak out at night when you lived at home?

NO! Even though I had the perfect tree outside the window... NOT! I do remember sneaking out of a friends house once in 8th grade (?) and walking around her neighborhood in the middle of the night. We only did that once... and clearly I never ran into any serial murderers and lived to tell the tale. It was actually very boring, so there was never any temptation to do it again.



From my dad:

How many times a week do you check our blog?

The simple answer is whenever I'm online. The complicated answer is this.... I keep most of my blogs organized in Google Reader. Except you "private" bloggers... Google reader doesn't like those ones! I read most blogs almost daily, but don't actually visit the real blog page unless I plan to leave a comment. And then sometimes I do try to leave comments and google thwarts my attempts and I get frustrated if it erases my comment without saving it so I give up and move on. I don't comment as much if I've gone a few days inbetween blog reading... the more I have piled up to read, the less I comment.



From Marisa:

Now that you are Relief Society President, which calling did you like better... R.S. Pres. or Primary President?

Tough call. I'd rather be neither... I just want to be a Nursery leader or a Sunday School Teacher or the Activity Days leader... heck, I'd even be a Den Leader... but... I think Primary President is better... not because it's less work, because it isn't... it might be more work. But, it's easier work. For example, the Primary President doesn't have to plan funerals or do food orders. They get to play with kids and sing songs and be silly and it's okay. I don't get to be silly anymore at church... I miss that sometimes!



From Kayla:

Do you like Arizona better then California???

California will always be home to us. Well, Eric, me, Taylor and Megan consider it home. Ian is iffy and Brayden never lived there, so he'll be a true Arizonan. There are things I like better here than there, but on the whole, given the right circumstances, we've move back to CA in a heartbeat. But, we are adjusting and our blood is thinning, so the summers don't seem as bad as they did when we first moved. I could see us living here a very long time, but we're not so in love that we won't move somewhere else given the right opportunity.



From Sheri:

O.k. Currently, who is your favorite kid?

This was a tough one... I've thought about it all day. Then, I zeroed in on the word "currently" and I'm going to go with the 3 year old. I don't think I've ever appreciated this age before. Perhaps because it's my last one, I am more tolerant and appreciative of their quirks... or perhaps I now have 2 teenagers and 3 seems like a piece of cake compared to hormones, acne and mood swings... either way, I just love "chatting" with Brayden. Tonight while we ate dinner, he told me this elaborate story (of which I only really understood about half) about "my dad... went down the mountain and crashed in the snow... into a snowman... and...." it went on and on. It was so dang cute! And if you could have seen the gestures and sound effects to go with the story you would have cracked up!



From Elise:

If you could be any celebrity, who would it be and why?

This was the hardest question for me to think up an answer to. I'm just not into keeping tabs on celebrities in real life, etc. So, my answer will probably seem totally lame and as soon as I hit the "publish post" button, I'll think up a way better answer, I'm sure, but... here's what I can come up with at present... I think I'd like to be Stephenie Meyer. She took a "hobby" and wrote a novel for her sister, not intending to get it published and when she did get it published it became this amazing cult phenomenon. I'd love to have that kind of talent to share with the world... and then to see your novel be made into a movie... that would just be awesome!



From Karen:

If you weren't able to have any kids of your own, would you have adopted and how many would you have wanted?

I definately would have adopted. No question. I always knew I wanted four kids from the beginning. Seemed like a good compromise between my family (2 kids) and Eric's family (7 kids). If I had been forced to adopt I don't know if I would have pushed for all four... hard to say, and I'm grateful I never had to walk that road. I don't think I'm strong enough to handle it!

From Mandi:

If you could ask a question to three people who have died, who would you pick and what would you ask each one?

Hitler: How does it feel to be burning for all eternity?
Heath Ledger: Did you get to watch the Oscars?
My Grandpa K: Is there chocolate in Heaven?

From Heidi:
If you could relive any moment in life (in which you made a mistake) how would you relive it and why?

There are lots of moments I wish I could relive, but one that still haunts me is this: a couple years ago, I was at church, in the library and having a horrible day. I had really been annoyed by someone and their behavior and a friend, sensing my bad mood, prodded until I came out with it. Next thing I know, I'm ranting and raving about this person and their actions and then it hits me... they could be standing just outside the door listening in. I never saw them, but it still bugs me that I never resolved it. If I knew they had overheard, I would have gone to them and apologized. If they didn't overhear, then it didn't seem appropriate to bring up my grievances with them at that point. I still don't know if the wrong ears overheard me and it makes me sick everytime I think about it.

And one last one from both Carol and Karen:

How do you get those cute circle buttons on your sidebar?

It's super easy, once you know how to find them. If you have access to flair on Facebook, then you can get them. If you don't have flair, let me know and I'll send you some. Once you can look into the flair database, just find a flair button you like, right click on it, select "save picture as" and save it to your hard drive. Then you can pull it up and use it on blogger anywhere you can post a photo. Does that make sense???

Truth or Dare

Today marks the day I set up my site-meter on the side bar.... one year ago today, I added my current sitemeter so I could attempt to keep track my blog visitors.

As I write this, 8,604 visits have been made to my blog that don't include my own home computer (I'm not stacking the deck here, people...) and it's really a gratifying feeling!

So, I've been doing some math... and this is how the stats are working out...

Using the law of averages (is there such a law?) I get about 5 comments per post, which means that if I only have 5 people reading my blog, they would have to have each made 1700 visits to my blog in the last year. (That's not likely...) only my mom would check my blog that often, I think!

And since he discovered facebook, not even hubby reads my blog with any regularity at all. I'm not offended...he hears enough from me every day, anyway!

So, say I have 10 visitors, that means they each have visited 850 times... not likely either... that's more than 2 times every single day.

So let's say I have 20 visitors (very possible...if you include my parents, brother, and all my in-laws), they would have to check my blog 430 times each... not terribly likely either, since most of them can't return a phone call for at least three days. (By the way, I love my all my in-law family... and I feel like I can use the phone call logic without hurting feelings because it's a proven fact.)

Anyway, back to the math.... so if I have 75 visitors, (wow... wouldn't that be awesome?)... they would each check my blog 119 times a year... definately doable... that's like every 2-3 days.

Clearly, I've never had 75 commenters, even if I tally up all my comments from various posts, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't go above 20... soooo....

This is where the fun begins...

We'll play my own twisted version of Truth or Dare.

I DARE you to leave a comment... and in turn, I'll tell you a TRUTH about myself.

Here's how it will work...

First, you click on the link at the bottom of this post that currently says " 0 Comments: Add Yours Here!"

Second, you fill in the box and you get to ask me a question... any question you want... within reason... i.e. what's your favorite flavor toothpaste? (that was a lame question, so I assume you'll be a bit more creative...) If you don't have a gmail/google account to sign in with, just click on the anonymous button, but hey, don't leave an anonymous comment without at least signing your first name to your comment, k?)

Third, after a couple days, I will answer everyone's questions in my next post and enjoy meeting new friends from all over the place! And when I finally give you all answers to the questions, you may be freaked out and never visit my blog again.

It's a risk I'm willing to take... just because I like you so much!

Let the games... BEGIN!

Book Recommendation

Okay, after I drugged up on Excedrin last night, I was wide awake, feeling pretty good and got sucked into this book:

I stayed up till after 1 a.m. reading and then picked it up and read in bed this morning until it was finished. I couldn't put it down for more than a minute...

I've been on the waiting list at the library for quite a while for this one. I knew nothing about it, only that at least 3 of my friends who are avid readers highly recommended... three friends who do not even know each other! Back in January, I sent an email out to my book lovin' friends asking for book suggestions for our Book Club and I got many duplicate suggestions, this being one of them. I got onto my library webpage and starting putting various books on hold. I was 12th in line for this book, so I knew it must be good! When we met for our Book Club planning session, I didn't recommend this one, because I still hadn't even gotten a copy of it, or had a chance to look it over, but I will definately recommend it now!

Here's a brief synopsis of the book:

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb.
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. Born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island, the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

I just found out there's an audio version of the book, and being the audio book junkie that I am, I will have to track down a copy so I can listen to it. Nothing brings a book to life like this one better than a reading by a cast of readers, so that each letter has it's own voice. I'm not a big fan of books that retell stories about Nazi Germany (I find them so depressing and difficult to deal with), but I loved this book. I laughed, I cried... tears of sadness, and tears of joy. And more than once, I laughed and cried all at the same time! I love the format of the book... written expressly through the form of letters from one character to the next. It's sad to think we've lost the art of a well thought out, hand written letter.

Run, don't walk... to your local library to get this book... and if you have to get on the waiting list, just bag it and run to your local bookstore to buy this book. You won't regret it! I only wish the book had included the recipe for a "potato peel pie"!

Weekend Recap

Random bits of information from the weekend:

• Friday night I said goodbye to my best friend who moved to Tennessee this weekend. It was depressing, to say the least. Thank goodness we both have Verizon... free mobile to mobile minutes... :)
• I combated that depression on Friday night with Oreos, a self administered pedicure and 2 episodes of Bones. It worked wonders and I really enjoyed showing off my freshly painted toenails at church today... not that anyone else noticed them, but I stared at them a lot! (I've completely neglected my toenails since the pedicure I got on my birthday... back in early November, so they've been looking atrocious for a while now...)
• Saturday I took Megan shopping for new church shoes... after 2 hours and 4 stores, we finally compromised. I bought her shoes that had a higher heel than I wanted, in return for the privilege to borrow them on occasion. They are totally cute and fit both of us!
• Eric and I have been watching episodes from the show, My Own Worst Enemy with Christian Slater. Both of us are undecided if we like it, and we suspect it got cancelled since there only seem to be 9 episodes to date.
• Today my alarm clock went off at 5:45 instead of the programmed 6:45. In Arizona, we don't switch for Daylight Savings, but my alarm clock took it upon itself to switch automatically, so we got woken up an hour earlier than we needed to... needless to say, it ruined my day. I've had a headache all day long that even brought on a few hours of nausea and upset stomach this afternoon. I finally got desperate and took Excedrin at dinnertime and now I feel normal again.
• Eric rescued me this afternoon and took over washing dishes and making dinner for kids while I laid in bed and moaned in misery. He made the kids pancakes for dinner and they were in heaven. I think the boys might have OD'd.
• I'm reading two books about the WW2 era... One is The Book Thief, the other is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society... I like them both, but they are so different. Interesting that I happen to be reading them both at the same time and didn't really know they were about the same era when I started. What strikes me is how amazing the people of that generation were. They got by with so little and endured so much tragedy, yet found happiness in the small and simple things of life. Definitely a lesson our generation could use...
• Tonight Brayden went to bed in nothing but spiderman undies and one flip flop. We couldn't find the other. He wasn't willing to wear any clean jammies he had and when I suggested he re-wear a pair from last night, he absolutely refused because they were "too dirty." Whatever...
• Tomorrow is our first official day of Spring Break. What am I going to do with the kids? I know I'll be rationing out the TV/Video Game time and taking them all to the library to find some good books to read over break, but beyond that, I don't know. Of course, I can put them to work on the weed problem in our backyard... it's a bit out of control!
• Only ten more days until we go on Trek with the Youth. I'm really looking forward to most of it, except the sleeping-on-the-ground-with-nothing-but-a-tarp-in-the-desert-with-all-the-tarantulas-and-other-creeping-things part... I don't think I'll get much sleep... and please don't share any tarantula "stories" with me before I leave... I've heard enough of those to last a lifetime!

Primitive LIfe

Food for thought... happy Friday everyone! I for one am VERY happy it's Friday!

When All Else Fails, Laugh....

I got this forwarded to me via email and decided to post here - what a great idea!

Joe, the average worker says; Like a lot of folks in this state, I have a job. I work, they pay me. I pay my taxes and the government distributes my taxes as it sees fit. In order to get that paycheck, I am required to pass a random urine test with which I have no problem. What I do have a problem with is the distribution of my taxes to people who don't have to pass a urine test. Shouldn't one have to pass a urine test to get a welfare check because I have to pass one to earn it for them? Please understand, I have no problem with helping people get back on their feet. I do, on the other hand, have a problem with helping someone sitting on their lazy butts, doing drugs, while I work. . . . Can you imagine how much money the state would save if people had to pass a urine test to get a public assistance check?

Something has to change in this country -- and soon!!!!!

Guess we could title that program, 'Urine or You're Out'.

Blogging is Free Therapy

Yesterday was a "less than perfect" day... if I had written this post last night, it would have been even more negative... BUT... I got a good solid seven hours of sleep and for the first time in days, my 3 year old did not climb into my bed at 4 a.m.... it's AMAZING what a decent night's sleep will do for your mental well being!

The last couple weeks have held lots of bad news for people that I care about. I won't disclose everyone else's heartaches, but trust me when I tell you that the last two weeks have been harder than most. And even worse, none of them are even economy related... And yesterday, I just couldn't take the bad news anymore.

The last few weeks for Eric and I have been a rollar coaster of economic emotion. Last year, we used up every last ounce of our vacation time taking extra shutdown days in an effort to save the company money and stave off layoffs. It seems all that effort was in vain. We just got word yesterday that there's another layoff on the horizon. Bigger than we've seen in a while.

I thought the dot.com bust was hard, but this is going to beat it. Back in 2000, we saw our stock portfolio plummet to the basement... kissed countless stock options goodbye because now they were worthless, and weathered through several layoffs and other cost cutting measures. Just the day after one layoff, they would leak out the date for the next layoff, three months out. So for three months, we'd walk on pins and needles waiting for the next big layoff. Then the cycle would start all over again. It was enough to give anyone a nervous breakdown.

So early on in the layoff years, we devised a plan. Eric only had a BA in Mechanical Engineering, and had always wanted to get his MBA. So, we decided that if he did get laid off, we wouldn't worry about trying to find a job in the tech field (because there weren't any available anyway...) and we'd sell our house in CA and move to Provo so he could go to back to BYU and get his MBA. We could live off of the proceeds from our home to keep student loans minimized. That was the plan. Having that plan gave me a feeling of control. Having that plan gave me comfort. Having that plan kept me sane.

The last thing on earth I wanted to do was sell my home and move back to Provo (...and revert back to the starving student days with 3 kids....) so Eric could go back to school. I never loved living in Utah and prayed earnestly that I wouldn't have to go back. Thank heavens we never had to act on that plan. We survived layoff after layoff and business picked back up again. Eventually, Eric signed up for a distance program with Colorado State and over 3 years got his MBA while working his full time job. It was a hard time for both of us, but it was better than our "back up" plan had been. During that time, we moved to Phoenix, had Brayden, and Eric's become a manager at work.

Now, it's a recession again and we are faced with an even worse situation. The housing market is a bust... my career field of expertise is in Title and Escrow which is fighting for it's life (and certainly not likely to hire someone like me, who's dabbled over the last 12 years, but been a full time SAHM, too). We can't be guaranteed that we could sell our house if Eric lost his job. The only thing that gives me comfort in this situation is that we still have equity in our house. We've lost value from when we purchased it, but we still have a decent chunk of equity. But given the current credit crisis... what kind of hoops would we have to jump through to get access to that equity now?

Eric will probably kill me for blogging about this, but I know that most of you are in the same situation we are in. Jobs are uncertain. Mortgages are upside down in value. Jobs are scarce and hard to find. Employers are cutting hours to avoid layoffs. Everyone has less money to spend. Of course, when Eric is not on mandatory shutdown, he's a workaholic. I'm okay with that because we can't afford for him to look lazy right now. Not that Eric is lazy... he's the TOTAL opposite of lazy. I hope his new boss knows that about him!

We've been able to make budget cuts to get us through the rest of the year. If it gets worse, who knows, but we'll walk that road one day at a time. If we get laid off, who knows? Maybe Eric will find a great job, maybe he won't. Maybe we'll sell our house and move in with my parents (wouldn't they just LOVE that???) Maybe we'll have to rent out half the house to another family to pay the bills (could you imagine???) Maybe we'll eventually just walk away from our house and take the tent trailer to Missouri... hmmm... I wonder what the real estate market is like in Jackson County right about now... we might be able to afford a slot in an RV park there... just a thought! ;-)

Well, that concludes my free therapy blog session. Boy that felt good. Now that I've explored and vocalized every possible worst case senario, I can deal with whatever they throw at me.... now I'm going to revise my "long term" storage plan to include plenty of chocolate and ice cream!

Free Entertainment - The Answers!!!

Okay, here are the questions again with the answers... at the bottom of the post, I'll reveal the winner!

1. "You keep trying to pick a fight, but I'm still just happy you're alive. "
>>>The Incredibles, Mr. Incredible, aka Bob Parr<<<

2. "Okay, this is the little boys' room, and that cave over there is the little girls' room. "
>>>Goonies, Mikey<<<

3. "I was just going over my answers to the polygraph test your dad just gave me. "
>>>Meet the Parents, Greg (aka Gaylord Focker)<<<

4. "If he's like, this super-advanced robot, why does he transform into this piece-of-crap Camaro?"
>>>Transformers, Michaela<<<

5. "Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain."
>>>Back to the Future, George McFly<<<

6. "What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?"
>>>Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Pippin<<<

7. "If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college. "
>>>Ironman, Tony Stark<<<

8. "Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything."
>>>The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi<<<
Random Bit of Trivia: Eric always likes to tell me (and anyone who cares) that Pat Morita graduated from the same High School.

9. "We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!"
>>>Shrek, Donkey<<<

10. "You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events. "
>>>Juno, Juno<<<

11. "I am heartily ashamed of myself, Lizzie. But don't despair; it'll pass, and no doubt more quickly than it should."
>>>Pride & Prejudice (BBC Version), Mr. Bennett<<<

12. "Chancho! I need to borrow some sweats."
>>>Nacho Libre, Naaaaacccchhhhhooooo!!!!<<<

13. "Hey, psycho - we're not gonna discuss this, OK, it's over. Please get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up. "
>>>The Wedding Singer, Robbie Hart<<<

14. "Not bad, not bad at all. Well chosen briefs I must say. Chicks dig grey."
>>>Notting Hill, Spike<<<

15. "What color is that - vomit?"
>>>27 Dresses, Kevin aka Malcolm Doyle<<<

16. "It's not a mistake. They don't make mistakes. They don't do random. There's always an objective. Always a target."
>>>Bourne Supremecy, Nicky<<<

17. "The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid."
>>>Top Gun, Goose<<<

18. " You are everything I never knew I always wanted. "
>>>Fools Rush In, Alex<<<

19. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
>>>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry or Fred or George<<<

20. "What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife."
>>>Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Adam<<<

I had so much fun making this quiz!!! Thanks to Mandi, (we go way back....) for inspiring this post with a movie trivia of her own. When I was looking up the answers to her quiz, I discovered this great feature on imdb that lets you look up memorable quotes. It made this so easy... just search for a movie, click on memorable quotes and scan through for the one I want! Then, cut, paste and voila... free fun for all!

Okay, now on to the important news... the winner.... and the blockbuster gift card goes to....

Sharilyn!

Sharilyn came in first with 24 correct answers (most points possible to get was 40)

Mandi and my mom tied for 2nd place with 18 correct answers

Lexie came in third with 15

Congrats to all!!!!

Free Entertainment

Just because I like you all so much, I've copied a lot of other bloggers and friends out there and made a movie trivia quiz. Here's the rules... email me your answers to photofrenzy@cox.net. One point per answer for the name of the movie and one extra point for naming the character who said the quote. No cheating by looking online!!! Be honest... I've got a $5 blockbuster card for the person who gets the most points! Good Luck!

Contest ends on Midnight, Tuesday March 3rd! Winner will be announced on Wednesday morning! Hurry up and give it your best shot!

1. "You keep trying to pick a fight, but I'm still just happy you're alive. "

2. "Okay, this is the little boys' room, and that cave over there is the little girls' room. "

3. "I was just going over my answers to the polygraph test your dad just gave me. "

4. "If he's like, this super-advanced robot, why does he transform into this piece-of-crap Camaro?"

5. "Last night, Darth Vader came down from planet Vulcan and told me that if I didn't take Lorraine out that he'd melt my brain."

6. "What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?"

7. "If you douse me again, and I'm not on fire, I'm donating you to a city college. "

8. "Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything."

9. "We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!"

10. "You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events. "

11. "I am heartily ashamed of myself, L----. But don't despair; it'll pass, and no doubt more quickly than it should."

12. "C-----! I need to borrow some sweats."

13. "Hey, psycho - we're not gonna discuss this, OK, it's over. Please get out of my Van Halen t-shirt before you jinx the band and they break up. "

14. "Not bad, not bad at all. Well chosen briefs I must say. Chicks dig grey."

15. "What color is that - vomit?"

16. "It's not a mistake. They don't make mistakes. They don't do random. There's always an objective. Always a target."

17. "The defense department regrets to inform you that your sons are dead because they were stupid."

18. " You are everything I never knew I always wanted. "

19. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

20. "What do I need manners for? I already got me a wife."

Soften the Heart

On Friday, I was getting Brayden dressed. I wanted him to be a bit more spiffy than usual, since I was in charge of a funeral luncheon and he'd be tagging along. I picked out a brand-new-hand-me-down rugby shirt from Ian that's in mint condition, so that must mean that Ian never wore it, unless I was threatening him with his life. Could have happened... we had many disputes over his wardrobe, even at age 3 and 4... but I digress... back to Brayden. So I got the shirt on him successfully sans tantrum or argument and gave him a choice between two pairs of pants. One was jeans, the other was blue cotton pants. He chose the blue, which made me happy because they were nicer than the jeans. I said, "Good choice, B!" He looked a bit puzzled, pointed to the jeans and asked, "Are those pants a bad choice?" He's already learning the difference between good and bad choices...... LOVE THAT!

Today of course being Fast Sunday, meant lots of kid grumbling in the house before church. Ian often will skip breakfast on school mornings just because he's too tired to care about eating (got that from me I suppose), but on Fast Sunday he wigs out when I remind him that there's no breakfast. But we did survive getting ready and even got to church five minutes early today, which was a miracle, to say the least. After church, I took kids home and asked Ian to break the fast with a prayer. As he was eating lunch, he told me that he fasted for three things today. "What were they, I asked?" ...genuinely curious... He said, "first, for my hiccups to go away... second, for the Jones' (our dear friends who are moving this week) to travel to Tennessee safely, and third, for Sister Smith (who passed away last Sunday) to travel to Heaven safely." I almost melted right there on the spot...

... I LOVE my boys .....