Facing my fears...

So Scott is the Exec. Secretary for the bishop, one of his duties is to assign people to speak during sacrament meeting. I listen to him do it every week and I'm even a bit surprised when people actually say no.
Scott knows how I feel about speaking in public anywhere. It is no secret that it terrifies me to the core. I cant even get up and bear my testimony. Its not that I don't want to, but the fear, keeps me glued to my seat. I really really hate public speaking. Just thinking about it now is giving me butterflies and anxiety.
So last week, Scott was going through his list of potential speakers and calling them. He hung up the phone and complained that he couldn't find anyone to do it.
I totally knew it was coming....sooner or later, it would be my turn. He started sweet talking me and trying to convince me that it will be easy and the best week to do it. I asked him what it would be about and he said the Temple. I took my mental inventory of what I could say about the temple and could sum it up in about two sentences. I'm such a novice at the Temple! For SOME UNKNOWN REASON I said yes.
Now I'm nervous and contemplating what I will talk about. If you told me to write a story about the temple, no problem, done. But standing up there and speaking about it for 12 minuets!! What can I say that will last that long???
A friend was saying I should stand up and talk about the Twilight Saga and how it parallels our views on eternal life. I was laughing, because I seriously considered that for a second.
Another friend suggested just telling what the Temple means to me. I can do that too, but as I sit down to write my talk, it just turns into a story. I guess that's all I know. I might as well just read my story to the congregation and hope they enjoy it. I can't see myself getting up there and preaching a sermon about how to be temple worthy. Its just not me.
Tomorrow I will visit the temple in the hopes that I will get some divine epiphany.
Wish me luck, hopefully I wont pass out on the stand...
Thanks a lot Honey, I owe ya one...

Thank You Easter Bunny!

For Easter every year we load up the Suburban and head to Arkansas. We go to Greer's Ferry Lake and stay in a condo there on the water. We love it and it has become a fun tradition. This year was no different full of fun and surprises a ghost, and good family get-togethers. The night we got there the rain set in and there was even some severe weather and a tornado. Though luckily it wasn't where we were or any of the family was.
We arrived on Thursday and stayed through Monday so the girls were happy to miss a little school. I normally hate to do that, but I let them sluff once a year for family things.
On our second night in the condo around 2:30 in the morning, Kylie taps on my shoulder and tells me that Gavin is upstairs crying. So I go upstairs and take care of him and tuck them both back in bed, then return to my bed. What seems like about 15 minuets later, I hear a kid standing at the door to our room whispering "mom". I sit up and look around and there was no one there. So I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. A couple minuets later I hear it again, only this time it is right next to me in between me and Scott in the bed. A voice whispering "mom" this one was a little louder and right in front of my face! I sat up and said "WHAT". Scott sits up and askes what I'm doing. I told him that there was a kid up and they were calling me. Only there was no one there! I made him go upstairs and check on the kids. He said they were all sound asleep. Then I SWEAR that I felt something press on the blankets by my foot. It felt as though there was someone climbing onto the bed! I was so freaked out by this point that I couldn't go back to sleep. I kept telling Scott I was sure I heard someone say "mom". He totally didn't believe me and rolled over and went back to sleep! So I laid there in bed waiting for the ghost of a child to materialize in my hotel room.
After that night I didn't have anymore ghostly experiences. But it was still spooky! Though it has to be said that even though I was scared, I didn't feel like it was a sinister presence. It was mostly scary because I couldn't see anything!
The rest of the trip was fun and really laid back. We just hung out with the family and went Easter egg hunting. We went bowling one night too and that was super fun. The twins especially loved it and Bailey even got a strike! Here are a few pictures of our adventures, (minus the ghost pictures) and I don't have the bowling pictures done, I took them with a film camera and need to develop those.
The kids taking the customary bath in the whirlpool tub. The tub is surrounded by mirrors and the kids love to look in them and see the million reflections reaching to eternity.
Bailey and Kylie "workin it" with the camera, out on a nature hike with Scott.
.The kids outside of grandmas house. These pink bushes are all over everywhere. There are tons of flowers in Arkansas in the spring. Its really pretty.
The whole fam damily. Well not quite, but most of it. This was Easter Day.

Allie's Top Ten....

Top Ten clues for mom that the twins need some serious attention:

#10. You find the dog covered with blankets and stuck in her kennel with toys and a jacket.

#9. You find all the dog food from said dog in the pooches water bowl, soaking.

#8. You hear running water, and know that you didn't turn on any yourself.

#7. You hear movies start to play in the DVD player that you were SURE were on the very top shelf of the book case.

#6. You find every item of clothing in every drawer sprawled across the floor.

#5. You step in something wet on the playroom floor.

#4. You then find all the toy kitchen dishes full of water.

#3. You discover every single wipe in a brand new box taken out, unfolded and used to clean up said water.

#2. You find the entire roll of toilet paper unrolled in every bathroom.

#1. You go into the bathroom to clean up toilet paper mess and find that the boy twin, who is potty training needs some lessons on aiming. There is pee all over the floor around the toilet and nothing inside the toilet.

Yep and its only 10:30 am.....

Trying to save a few pennies.

In light of this bad economy where the stock market plunges, homes go into foreclosure and folks loose jobs, we are all doing everything we can to try and make ends meet and save where ever we can.
I'm trying to do my part for my family. I clip coupons, look for Internet deals and shop at wholesale warehouses. I buy the cheapest gas and make my kids wear hand-me-downs. You've heard the old adage "a penny saved is a penny earned". Well we are pinching those pennies every time we have a chance. Saving a little here and a little there.
I think our good habits and efforts are starting to rub off on the kids too.
The other day Kylie was so proud of herself for finding a shiny new 2007 penny on the ground in the parking lot of Target. She held onto that penny wondering what she could buy herself. I told her that she would need many many more pennies before she would be able to buy anything worth having. So she put it in her pocket and saved that little sucker.
The next day that penny ended up on the kitchen counter. It floated around for a day or two, moving from one counter to the next. On Wednesday it had made its way to the center island.
I was emptying the trash and doing my part to help the environment by recycling my plastics while Gavin was watching me and toying with that glistening penny.
I proceeded to take out the trash and when I walked back in the house Gavin was crying and telling me to take the penny out of his throat. Yep, he SWALLOWED IT! It got stuck in his throat but he was breathing and when he opened his mouth I couldn't see it. I hurried and called Scott and told him what happened and he told me to give him a drink of water and wash it down. He said he'd swallowed a million pennies as a kid no harm no foul. So I gave him a big glass of water and waited, and waited and waited. Everything I read on the Internet told me 24-48 hours and it would come out. So 48 hours later, no penny. I started to worry that it had gotten stuck somewhere. I decided to take him to the doctor to have some x-rays done after reading an article about post 1982 minted pennies. That they have a high zinc content and can actually dissolve in the tummy and the mixture of the stomach acid and the penny can act like battery acid causing an ulcer! I know that thing was a 2007!
Then I started to doubt whether or not he even did swallow it when I thought of the things the doctors would have to do to him to get it out! My imagination is very vivid when it comes to human ailments. But the motherly instinct kicked in and I took him in for the x-ray. So the penny is in his tummy still and the doctor told me that it could take up to 8 days to exit!!! E.I.G.H.T! So much for the potty training! Its bad enough to sift through poop in a diaper, let alone having to scoop it out of the toilet! Then again they're pretty much equal.
So my son has started saving for college and his investment pays out dividends!
Meet Gavin, the human piggy bank....
Gavin thinking he was cool because he got a bracelet with his name on it...

Gavin not thinking this was cool anymore...
The penny...
Hope it tasted good buddy...its causing a whole lot of trouble now.

Ask and You Shall Receive...

Yes, I know that I have been terrible about updating my blog. I do think about it often and have not just blatantly forgotten about it. I just haven't had that much to report as of late....that being said, I will report about all the nothing that has been going on around here. You might find yourself amused, if so I'm glad I could give you a little chuckle. If you aren't amused, well, life's rough.

As I was going through my recent photos I was giggling to myself so I hope that these will serve as some form of entertainment for you as well.
The twins are getting so big. I scarcely believe it myself and I see them every day! Its strange to have two more little intelligent beings wandering the halls of this house. Looking for ways to entertain themselves and often finding trouble instead... So here are the recent photos of the twins. (I cant call them "the babies" any more, they are henceforth from this moment on, referred to as "the twins") How do you like my prose??? I'm working on my voice...am I on the mark??? No, I never talk this way in real life. Just on paper when I'm trying to sound scholarly.

And so we begin....

A day at the library. They were actually quite good this trip and I might just let them go again. (note: They had been banned, by me for the last 6 months after nearly de-shelving every book in the childrens section.)


Isabelle having "princess time" (her words, not mine). Look closely, her outfit is complete with beads, purse, shoes and hat. You cant see it in the picture, but she has lip gloss on too.
She devotes at least 1 hour a day to "princess time". (look at the hat, it is balancing on top of her head. She really is a princess!)


Here is Gavin having a little princess time himself. He thinks its ok cuz at least its not pink. The blue makes it more masculine. Scott will KILL me for posting this picture, but it is a true testament to how comical my life is. At least he's a princess with fangs!!!!
I'm going out tomorrow to buy him some BOY dress up. Poor kid, he doesn't have much to work with here!!

This is Isabelle in her true form. The princess thing is all an act. This is the skin shes most comfortable in.

"don't bug mommy Gavin, I'm facebooking...."
Do ya THINK its time for a new diaper??? YAH! He couldn't pull his pants up after redressing in the standard pair of pajamas after his princess time. They were stuck on the sag. The crack was thrown in as a freebie.
Enjoy.

March 21st: Update.
So my friend felt really sorry for Gavin and the very next day brought me 6 bags of dress up for Gavin. Here he is as Buzz. No more princess time. Thanks Joce.