thirty-five

I turned thirty-five today. That is just too crazy, and the older I get, the more I understand how one can feel the same age their entire life, all the while watching our bodies age. It is truly an amazing phenomenon. My Grammy always has said that she still feels like a young adult even though she is now in her 80s! I can imagine that it feels just as strange to you, Grammy! (I love you!)

I had a nice day. Started out with breakfast with some friends, then I took myself shopping and found some nice little ways to spend birthday gift cards. Had a free sandwich at my favorite shop, then picked up the kids from school. We had a nice afternoon and went to CPK for dinner. Ice cream cake and snuggles before bed rounded out a lovely day.

I am so thankful for this life that I have been given. For my family which fulfills me and for the luxury of free time and abundant food and living circumstances. Truly I am blessed.

interview

A blog friend of mine, Katie, interviewed me for her Blogger-to-Blogger series. It was lots of fun. Read it here. She picked out a really cute outfit for stick figure me.

eights

A cute old picture of Miles in Kemah, TX, just for fun.

My friend, Melanie, tagged me to complete this list. I haven't done one of these in so long. Here goes!

Eight Things I Am Looking Forward To:

1. spending ten summery days in Sundance
2. seeing Neal's sister Georgia with her new baby (Ryan & Kristine, too!)
3. our Alaska cruise later this summer
4. a week on the white sandy beaches of Destin in August
5. seeing Audrey and Callie reunited on that trip
6. moving to a more permanent house
7. the moments after the Primary Program in September (I get to write it and am very nervous about that!)
8. partying this weekend

Eight Things I Did Yesterday:

1. booked a bounce house for Parker's belated birthday party
2. continued our perpetual house/lot search
3. learned to make bread with some lovely women from church
4. read my book while Miles & Parker played at McDonald's
5. saved Miles from choking on a Starburst while purchasing new sneakers for Parker
6. took a short walk holding hands with both of my sons
7. sent Neal out for late-night grown-up dinner
8. swept the kitchen. Twice.

Eight Things I Wish I Could

1. be better at math. I'm starting to struggle with Audrey's second grade work. Yikes.
2. live within walking distance of my sisters.
3. stay away from my computer. I have no will power.
4. love working out.
5. make sushi.
6. fix up my blog just the way I want it.
7. make my kids stop growing up.
8. be more diligent about reading my scriptures.

Eight Shows I Watch

1. Lost
2. The Fashion Show
3. 30 Rock
4. Worst Week (come back!)
5. Intervention
6. So You Think You Can Dance
7. The Bachelor(ette)
8. Imagination Movers (with Miles every morning)

Eight Bloggers I am Tagging:

1. Stephanie C.
2. Gina H.
3. Erika A.
4. Mimi P.
5. Beth Ann
6. Melanie T.
7. Lauren W.
8. Julie H. (Happy Birthday Julie!)

Mention the person that tagged you.- Complete the lists of 8's.- Tag 8 of your wonderful bloggy friends.- Go tell them you tagged them!

fun photos

A friend of mine took some photos of me and my friend, Beth, a few weeks ago. She did a great job and made us feel at ease. Since it's hard to be at ease with a camera in your face. Now I know how my kids feel. You can see more of them here and here.

little league nights

I have some really wonderful memories of Little League games as a young girl. I never played in them, of course (I'm SO nonathletic), but with two older brothers and a dad who was almost always the coach, we spent many hours at the Cerro Villa Junior High fields as kids. We'd tag along for practices often, but the games were the best. Stephanie and I were pretty much free to roam the field areas, taking trips back and forth to the snack bar, filling our Lemonhead boxes with white chalk from the sidelines and trying to trick our grandpa into eating it (thanks for always thinking we were funny, Grampy!). We'd play on the bars, eat our smarties lollipops (they were only ten cents), or just sit in our little chairs daydreaming and wiping the sweat from our foreheads. I couldn't wait until I had kids and we could do the same things all over again. Little League is what being a kid in America is all about, if you ask me. Even if you're just the tag-along sister.

Here are some shots from our recent trips to field number eight:

Parker scoring. He's really improved since last year, both his speed and catching ability. We can't wait for coach-pitch next year. Way more authentic baseball.

Miles, with various and sundry little siblings.
They have their little spot over by the dirt pile & shed.

Audrey usually joins Miles and some other kids for a bit, but at this game, we had my dad's iphone. So she sat by us most of the time.

It was Sunday.

Audrey in May, 2004

Eight years ago today, it was a sunny Sunday. Neal and I were getting ready for church, it was my first Sunday to go back in almost three months. I had been on medication and bed rest since the beginning of January, and it felt so good to get dressed again! I was having some contractions, and they were a little uncomfortable, but I had been having them for so long, that I figured it was just the normal deal for me. Other things quickly indicated that maybe those contractions were a bit more productive than the others had been, and we made a call to the doctor. He told us to meet him at the hospital (also not a new event for us: we had been several times, at least once overnight trying to get the contractions under control).

We called our respective mothers, and made our way the mile and a half to labor and delivery. After getting all set up in our room, we settled in and waited for things to get going a bit more. I couldn't believe we were having our baby that day. We put our faith in Heavenly Father and figured she was coming because she was ready to come. After all that time and energy devoted to keeping her in there, she was okay to be born. We hoped. And prayed.

Neal sat by my side while the contractions came and went. They gave me some Pitocin to get things moving (wish they hadn't), and soon after that, I had an epidural (so glad I did). I was about six centimeters dilated, relaxing through the contractions, when the nurses came rushing in. They were yelling at each other to get the doctor, and everything went a bit blurry after that. I remember hearing the doctor's footsteps and instructions as he came running down the hall and into my room. Neal was told to step away and I remember crying and looking at him and I could tell he felt helpless.

Basically, they told us, in a matter of seconds, that the baby likely wouldn't survive the more strenuous parts of labor. Her heart rate was decreasing with each contraction and she was not regaining strength between them. I was still in the early stages, and they doubted her strength would sustain her through the later pushing and distress. They quickly did all sorts of things to me (I won't go into detail), told me to STOP CRYING, the baby needed oxygen, and within 4 minutes, they had her out and were getting her to breathe. So that was my emergency c-section. My hands are shaking as I type this, it was one of the more traumatic days of my life, to be sure.

A couple of minutes after she was born, I was still on the table, and Neal was holding our precious little girl. The anesthesiologist was admiring her with us, and Neal suddenly said, "She doesn't look right." Next thing we knew, she was being whisked away with the neonatal nurses, and off Neal went to follow.

She turned out to need a few more days in the hospital. She had trouble breathing for the first few hours and needed some closer observation. My mom and Neal took turns wheeling me over to the children's hospital to nurse and hold her for the first 2-3 days. She was perfect. Soft, auburn hair covered her little teeny round head, and she mostly just lay there calmly in her little tray. We were so excited to finally take her home later that week, and have spent the past eight years amazed at her strength, her confidence, and her dauntless personality.

We love you, Audrey! I'm so grateful we both made it through that lovely Sunday in March, 2001.

more Qs

More boring answers to interesting questions. I'm completely uninspired blogwise lately. I'm thinking about turning my computer off for the rest of the week. Dare me?

The Dodson Family recently moved from Texas to Colorado and Jessica (the mama) remarked about how changing towns can really change up your routine. She asked, "What is your routine like now and how is living in your new city different from your old?"

My every day life has remained pretty unchanged. Maybe it's because I moved from suburban Houston to suburban Dallas, and they're not terribly different. (Texas rocks, as Audrey would say.) The major changes revolve around my kids' schooling. Parker is in school every morning now (as opposed to 2-day preschool). The school is only about 2 minutes away, which is good, since I'm there three times a day. It's also a nice change from the 20 minute one-way drive I was making last year, to the private school in our old town. I don't have time to get a whole lot done in the three hours Parker is at school, however. My huge goal is to go to the gym during this time. Does it happen? No. Do I spend at least an hour every morning trying to smooch on Miles? Yes.

Secondly, we live much closer to the daily conveniences now. Rather than a 10-15 minute drive to buy groceries (old town), we have 4 grocery stores within 5 minutes of our house. When you're a forgetful shopper like me, this is huge. There is also a really great outdoor shopping area (with GREAT shops & restaurants {anthropologie, barnes & noble, crate & barrel, etc.}) about 8 minutes away. It's a fun place to stroll around and people watch, but we don't even get over there very often.

Mine is a slow-paced, kid-centered life, but that's the way it should be at this point, I believe. I don't enjoy carting Miles all around town doing meaningless tasks which always result in money being spent. I'd rather just hang out with him at home and try to remember every second of his life. It's going too quickly!

Another change is that my house is bigger and my yard is massive. I could spend hours daily tending to each (if I were that kind of person!). As far as a new city is concerned, Dallas and Fort Worth both have lots to offer, and we're equidistant from both. We venture into town now and then. There was a lot to do in Houston, too, and we really got to know the city well after living there for seven years.

The weather here is something to be grateful for, as well. It used to be that if it was nice outside, I felt like we had to go out and take advantage because the days were few and far between (at least between March and November). Here in north Texas, though, there are more temperate days and fewer mosquitoes. Very nice.

I'm starting to make more friends in our new town, but I really miss my old friends. Leaving our circle of people we loved was definitely the hardest thing about moving away. I don't necessarily miss Houston, the city, per se (the summers were really hard for me). But the people? I miss.

Q&A

Several posts ago, I was out of topics and prompted people to give me ideas. I'm back to addressing those comments. Because I have no life.

Cathi and I became friends during the NieNie auction at A Room Somewhere. She donated the cutest apron. We ended up having distant connections since we grew up in the same area. She had a few questions.

"Your children are so delightful. Absolutely darling. (Oh, thanks, Cathi!)
Questions:
~What is your decorating style?
~Where do you get your ideas?
~How do you find the time to maintain two incredible blogs with a young family?
~Where is your favorite place to shop for the house and for clothes?
~Have I told you lately that I love your blogs?"

Thanks for the topic ideas, Cathi!

~What is your decorating style?
I don't really consider myself to have a specific "style," although I'm usually drawn to sparse but historically-influenced European design. I think my style/design blog has really help me define what I like and what I don't. It's my idea binder, if you will. I love simple, almost minimalist rooms; well-placed antiques; original artwork; lots of paned windows & natural light; uncluttered surfaces; natural, muted colors (grays, ivories, ocean hues); symmetry; mirrors; wood floors; unusual chairs; graphic printed (or, on the flip side), natural linen upholstery; elegant details, but liveable pieces; simple window treatments (no valances for me); live plants. It's funny because my house doesn't really resemble my ideal style, but I think very few peoples' really does. If money were no object, right? To get a better idea of my interior design style, you could scroll through some of these posts.

~Where do you get your ideas?
If you're referring to the ideas shared on my other blog, I get them from all over the place. From magazines, shopping, other blogs & websites, my own notion of what I find beautiful, and from the other talented people in my life.

~How do you find the time to maintain two incredible blogs with a young family?
I don't know. I spend more time in front of the computer than I should. I am full of guilt because of it, so let's not bring it up again. :) No, it's reading other blogs that consumes most of my computer time, and I need to cut back (don't we all?). I spend about 2-3 hours a week (after kids' bedtime) creating material and doing administration for my other blog. (I've even started making a bit of money with it!) I get several product submissions each week, and keeping up with those and reader questions keeps me busy. I try to only spend a total of about an hour during the day on the computer, and it's usually when Miles is napping and Parker is chilling out after school. I'll take a couple seconds here and there to check my email (I heart comments).

This blog is pretty much all about the kids. I'm so grateful that I started documenting our family life almost three years ago. It's so valuable to me. I'm going to start printing my blog in book form, by year. I'll give a book to myself for Christmas each year. I can imagine them all lined up on my bookshelf, and it makes me happy.

~Where is your favorite place to shop for the house and for clothes?
We have been living off of a student family's budget for our entire marriage, so I have to keep it on the cheap. For my house, I love Target and Ikea, Pier One and Hobby Lobby (our local craft store). I like the look of stores like Crate & Barrel and the occasional Pottery Barn piece, but don't really own any of their things. My dream furniture comes from Oly Studio. But I can't really think about shopping there yet. We don't actually own much in the way of "real furniture" (furniture we didn't assemble ourselves). My parents have passed down a few pieces, like our kitchen table. It's been great!

For kids' clothes, I mostly shop at Old Navy and Target. I'm branching up to Gap Kids, and Audrey has a few things from Crewcuts and Boden, which I've found on sale. She's so fun to shop for! For myself, I find a lot at Old Navy and Target as well. I can always guarantee I'll find something to buy at Forever 21, but it requires lots of looking (most of their stuff is crazy trendy). If I feel in the mood to splurge, I'll check out J. Crew, Banana Republic, or Anthropologie, but I really only purchase their items on deep discount.

Thanks for the questions, Cathi! That was fun. ;)

Mugshot

So I got my hair cut today. This is the extent of my exciting blog, folks. This is the hair I'd love to have, but I have a big ole Texas-sized cowlick in the front of my hair, so real bangs are forbidden. I went to my latin Edward Scissorhands hairdresser with a picture of Camer0n Dia z, of all people, and came out with this. I like. You like?

Neal asked me if I was smiling at the wall while he took the second picture.

I was.

Fivers

Natalie did this fun Fives meme a while back. I pared it down a little bit and here it is!

5 images (not photos from family albums) I love and why:

I love Audrey Hepburn, have for many years, and this picture is just so pretty.

This one just makes me laugh. These girls are so cute, and I accidentally did this once in Tokyo.

This picture is so calm and serene, and life with babies is so often that way. Just mom & baby & quiet. I love those days.

I just really love the elegance of this room. That painting is to die for.

I love the simplicity of this small bedroom. It has all the essentials and beautiful light.

5 years ago I was ...
living in a condo in Houston. Audrey was 2, and I was about 37 weeks pregnant. I was having lots of contractions and doing my best to keep Parker from being born. Neal was in his third year of dental school, which was a lot better than the second year. I was busy chatting with my old lady neighbors and having friends over for lunch. Summer was almost upon us and I was still driving my Saab.

5 months ago I was ...
enjoying lovely cooler weather. It was about that time in November when things start cooling off down here in the tropics. Neal and I were celebrating our ninth year of marriage with not only a dinner date, but an overnight stay away from home. I was also getting a Thanksgiving menu together with some friends.

5 hours ago I was ...
trying to decide if Audrey and Parker should go to school. They both have nasty sore throats and swollen tonsils. But Parker had a field trip and Audrey's about to repeat first grade if she misses any more school. They both went. Yogurt and pudding for lunch. Don't judge me.

5 minutes ago I was ...
posting something on A Room Somewhere.

5 things on my 'to do' list today:
1. Call the sprinkler guy
2. Start pricing my garage sale goods
3. Get new ink for the printer (the one errand I forgot to run this morning in the midst of my other six errands)
4. Drive to the horse ranch for riding lessons, get dinner right afterwards (fast food), and meet Neal at the school for open house by 7:00
5. Take a shower and dry my hair

5 recent pieces of mail I've received:
1. a beautiful print (and a few extras) from Sarah Jane Studios, a thank-you for the publicity I gave her shop a few months ago
2. a skirt I ordered from Downeast basics, in red
3. a cute little notebook from Natalie, and a thank-you note for a congratulatory gift I sent her
4. a postcard invite to Tyler's art show
5. Cape Cod & Grand Cayman sand from Andie

5 things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. pay off student debt
2. buy Neal a new car or two
3. buy my parents' house in California so my mom wouldn't stress about it anymore
4. travel the world for several months (with a nanny of some sort)
5. start a really nice practice for Neal. He'd only have to work 1 day a week, and it would be just for fun.

5 of my bad habits:
1. tailgating
2. staying up too late
3. back seat driving
4. shopping
5. cleaning my ears

5 good memories:
1. family trips we took when I was a child
2. any time I've spent at my grandma's house, no matter my age
3. laughing fits with Stephanie when we shared a room as girls
4. fun times my freshman year at BYU
5. the first time I met/went on a date/kissed Neal

5 places I've lived:
1. Villa Park, California
2. Provo, Utah
3. Houston, Texas
4. Los Angeles, California
5. London, England (if you count one college term as "living")

5 songs I love:
1. Grace Kelly by Mika
2. Lay Lady Lay by Magnet
3. Bleecker Street by Simon & Garfunkel
4. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles
5. I Will by The Beatles

5 jobs I've had:
1. office assistant for my dad
2. waitress
3. Nordstrom sales girl
4. editorial assistant at my Church's headquarters
5. piano teacher

5 things in my virtual shopping bags:
1. these shoes, which I came across blogging today
2. this t-shirt, or something else from this shop
3. a print of this photograph
4. one of these prints
5. this dress from J. Crew

5 books I love to death:
1. The Emily of New Moon series by LM Montgomery
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. A Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

5 things that are out of place around my house:
1. my computer, which is now on the floor since I'm selling my computer table
2. the Spiderman Mr. Potato Head pieces, all over the family room floor
3. a case-less pillow by the laundry room door. I can't remember which bed it goes to.
4. two vacuums near the kitchen table
5. my wedding rings, which are on the desk in my room instead of on my finger. I have a rash.

5 things I love to eat:
1. cupcakes
2. a good deli sandwich with everything on it
3. ice cream
4. chips & Neal's mango salsa
5. edamame

5 destinations I'm dying to see:
1. Italy, all of it
2. the Maldives
3. Prince Edward Island
4. Quebec
5. the South of France

5 scents I love:
1. plumeria flowers, preferably on a tree in Hawaii
2. clean babies, but also
3. post-nap, a little bit sweaty Miles
4. my own clean, wet hair
5. freshly laundered sheets

5 people (who are not blood relations or in-laws) who have had a positive impact on my life:
1. Mr. Barrett, my high school English and Latin teacher. He helped me learn to love words.
2. Certain friends of mine who go on despite unimaginable challenges
3. Natalie. It's fun to have a best friend.
4. My boss when I worked for my church in SLC. He made me confident in my editing skills.
5. Melinda M*, my young women's president while I was a teen. She was fun, faithful and loving. I appreciated every minute she spent with us girls.


you try!

Sands of the World

I've been collecting sand from around the world for a few years, now. I wish I had started long ago. I'd have WAY more than this (Egypt, Baltic Sea, Fiji, etc.)!! But, it still makes me happy to look at my little collection. About half of the sand comes from my own travels, but if friends or family members travel to places far off and exotic, I ask them to scoop up a handful of sand for me (if they remember) and place it in a bottle or baggie. Today, I finally organized it all into small glass spice jars. Each is labeled on the bottom. My sand comes from as far away as Northern Ireland and Mozambique and as close as Galveston and Mexico. I can't wait to double and triple the amount over our lifetime. We plan to take lots of trips.

Steph wanted a run-down of the sand sources. Here goes. I'll tell you who collected it, too:

sea glass from Visby, Sweden (me)
Beira, Mozambique (my dad & sister)
Giants' Causeway, Northern Ireland (my mom & dad)
Greenland (my mom & dad)
Petra, Jordan (the red one) (Julianne)
Playa del Carmen, Mexico (Charlotte)
Costa Maya, Mexico (Charlotte)
Puerto Rico (Natalie)
Galveston, Texas (me)
Manhattan Beach, California (me)
Santa Barbara, California (me)
Venice Beach, California (me)
Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii (me)
Hastings, England (me)

I have a bit of extra from a few places, and I hate to throw it away. If you're interested in starting your own collection and any of these places mean anything to you, let me know. I'll send it along!

1. Manhattan Beach, CA
2. Venice, CA
3. Galveston, TX
4. Costa Maya, Mexico*
5. Playa del Carmen, Mexico*
6. Puerto Rico**
7. Hastings, England
8. Santa Barbara, CA (just a little teeny bit)

* all other claims to this sand will be trumped by Charlotte/Tyler, if they're interested. They collected it for me.
** same goes for Natalie on this one. PR was her trip, not mine. ;)

Couples Meme

us in Sundance, Summer 2002
My friend, Melanie, tagged me for this couples quiz. I don't think I did this one last time it went around, and it's almost Valentine's Day and I'm in love with this boy, so here you go:

1. What is his name? W. Neal H.
2. How long have you been together? Married 9 years-together 10 years
3.Who eats more? Neal, but not by much. We're not big eaters.
4. Who said I love you first? This one's a bit of a joke in our house. Neal said it first, but when he did, I wasn't sure that's what he had said (he muttered it while we were hugging), so I didn't reciprocate. Then when I said it a few days later, he was like, "No, I love YOU!"
5. Who is taller? Neal, thankfully.
6. Who sings better? Neal, definitely.
7. Who is smarter? Neal. I always wanted a smart man. Got one.
8. Who does the laundry? Me. Blah.
9. Who does the dishes? Usually whoever isn't doing the kids' bath. But mostly, me.
10. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.
11. Who pays the bills? I do.
12. Who mows the lawn? Neal. It's sad.
13. Who cooks dinner? Me, but Neal makes great steaks and empanadas. And salsa.
14. Who drives when you are together? If it's just us, then Neal drives. If Miles is in the car, I drive so that I don't have to deal with his many, many needs.
15. Who is more stubborn? Probably me, but I don't think either of us is too difficult.
16. Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? Me. Right, Neal? :)
17. Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, they always have a trip scheduled. We love it!
18. Who kissed whom first? Neal kissed me first, after a date, in his driveway, in my car. He asked if he could. It was nice.
19. Who proposed? Neal. Read about it here.
20. Who is more sensitive? Me. I'm not the most emotional wife, but I have my moments.
21. Who has more friends? Totally me.
22. Who has more siblings? Neal has 3 sisters and 3 brothers. He's got me by one sister.
23. Who wears the pants in the family? Neal. Looks good in 'em, too.

Tagging is all the rage again, so I'm tagging Ginger, Ruth and Judy . . .

Brrr

Our temperatures have finally dipped below sixty degrees, so I'm feeling a little chilled. No more air conditioner! That's what I want for Christmas. Anyway, blah blah, here is a little compilation of Real Simple interviews, à la Natalie at La Vie en Rose.

1. Name one thing you are sure of.
I am sure that I will be with my family forever.

2. Describe one holiday tradition that you've started in your family. We have a few little ones: taking the kids with us to deliver gifts/food to needy families in our community; getting together with several other families for BBQ, Christmas light-viewing from a trailer covered in hay bales, and hot chocolate; opening one gift on Christmas eve (instead of opening all of them like Neal's family did!); filling little wooden mangers with pieces of hay for each good deed.

3. What is the most useless invention? Do mosquitoes count as an invention? Because my kids and I often wonder why they were created. They serve NO purpose, as we all know. They don't even make honey or anything.

4. Complete the following list of Christmas favorites - song, film and treat. Alright, you can have two favorites in each category.
Song: "With Wondering Awe" & "Silent Night"
Film: Hands down, "Mr. Krueger's Christmas". Second place, "A Christmas Story".
Treat: Gingerbread men (or any other cookie with frosting and decorations on it) and Bûche de Noël from La Madeleine.

5. If the Christmas Genie were to grant you three wishes, what would you wish for? (stipulations: endless wishes and world peace are not options - and at least one of your three has to be something completely selfish - for you and only you.)
1. A really, really ideal job for Neal.
2. A new car for Neal, too.
3. I don't want any "things" really, since we'll be moving soon, it would just be more to pack! But I would love for my house to sell in good time. (That counts as selfish, since I don't want to have to keep it show-worthy for months and months!)

6. The best decision I ever made was...
marrying that boy from Texas (ok, Louisiana.)

7. Describe the most nontraditional Christmas you have celebrated.
Over the Christmas holiday in 1999, my parents took us (all of their kids & spouses at the time) on a Mediterranean Cruise. We traveled to Greece, Egypt, Turkey, Santorini, Rhodes, & Crete. The cruise began in Istanbul, and this is where we celebrated Christmas. We were staying at the Four Seasons Istanbul, an incredibly gorgeous hotel between the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. You can see both magnificent structures from the roof. In that Turkey is mostly a Muslim country, there weren't a whole lot of Christmassy things going on. The hotel was very tastefully decorated, though, perhaps just for us! I believe we spent the day sightseeing. And thinking to ourselves, "Wow, this does not feel like Christmas." And trying not to sell Stephanie for chickens.

And just for randomness' sake, I'm including pages from the "scrapbook" I made of that wonderful cruise. This is as close to a scrapbook as I've ever created. Don't knock it. I have very simple taste. And no money.

A picture of the courtyard of the hotel, and the little pocket map they give you when you check in. So you don't get lost after you go rug-bargaining and super-hot apple tea drinking.

Ok, a totally lame caption for this page, but seriously, the Hagia Sophia is indescribable. That's my ticket to get in, all of us milling around outside, and a photo I took of some of the once covered up wall paintings. Super pretty and way cool, indeed.

Have a great weekend! I'm ending my week early.
We have company coming and I have cleaning to do.

P-S-Y-C-O

I'm finally getting around to writing one of those "Seven Weird Things About Me" posts. I've seen them all around, of course, but Angela did officially tag me for it, so there.

Ok, let's take a look-see into me . . .

1. I have a very strange aptitude for numerical memorization.
Need to know Neal's Continental OnePass number? Perhaps you are interested in our health insurance identification number, or the precise address where you may need to send claims. The license plate number of our family's 1984 Suburban? Or is it a random phone number from our church directory? My phone number from when I was seven? Or my best friend Rachel Kim's phone number from when she was seven. I have it all stored away and pretty readily available in this little brain of mine.
But I have to add 9 + 6 on my fingers.

2. I am obsessed with cleaning out my ears.
Q-tips are my drug of choice, I'm afraid. And yes, I know how bad it is to have squeaky clean ears, but I honestly can not keep myself from cleaning my ears at least once a day. I have given myself extremely painful infections in years past because of this habit. Sometimes, when I'm going on vacation, I'll purposely NOT bring q-tips just so I can attempt to kick my addiction. It never works. Hotels always have them, and I know where my mom keeps hers, too.

3. Sometimes, instead of having a song stuck in my head, I'll get a word stuck in there.
Yesterday, it was FIDUCIARY.

4. I am also addicted to Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm.
I first started wearing if after picking it up at Whole Foods several years ago. Now it's available almost everywhere, and I have about 5 tubes. I must wear it to bed every night, even though I live in what some would consider a swampy rain forest of a place. And unfortunately, Neal really hates the smell of peppermint. Luckily for me, he tolerates it now.

5. I usually accidentally sing one octave higher than the actual written notes of a song.
Neal (Mr. Perfect Pitch himself) pointed this out to me once, and I guess I have no ear at all. I don't usually notice.

6. I do, in fact, have the world's most ticklish feet.
I honestly can not have anything touch my feet. When I'm sleeping and I feel Neal moving closer, I instinctively move the bottom half of my legs as far away from him as possible. Just so he doesn't accidentally brush his feet against mine. You wanna make me really, really mad, really, really quickly? Tickle my feet. Just see if I don't kick you where it counts.

7. I have hyperextendable elbows.
This one runs in my family. My mom and Elliott also have this weird ability, I think. I believe my elbows are "double jointed," if there even is such a thing. Basically, I can put my hand flat on a table and turn my arm around 360 degrees without moving or lifting my hand. Then it's really freaky when I bend my elbow and it looks like my arm is broken. It was a big hit in 8th grade science class, where one boy (a very cute boy, unfortunately), told me I could be in "The Exorcist."

Ok, you may now comment and tell me what a freak I am. Then you do this, if you haven't yet!

Simply Real :)

I'm going for brevity in this month's Real Simple interview from Natalie.

1. Describe your most embarrassing fashion moment.
I'm sure I've had more embarrassing ones than this, but two years ago, I accidentally wore jeans to a Stake Relief Society Women's Conference. Every other person was wearing a dress. I don't know what I was thinking. It was on a Saturday morning, but it was in the chapel. I felt really lame.

2. How often do you weigh yourself?
Once a year at the girlie doctor.

3. What is your main source of news?
NPR in my car and sometimes, the internet.

4. Something that has been on my mind lately is . . . the question, "Is Miles really my last baby? Am I okay with that?"

5. Describe your high school yearbook photo.
I was still 16 when I entered my senior year. I had just-below-shoulder-length dishwater blonde hair. (I didn't start coloring it until I went to college.) I had on a french blue long-sleeved crew neck shirt, some sort of simple necklace, and pearl stud earrings. A little mascara and lip gloss. I was a pretty simple girl.

6. Name something that, once you stopped battling it, has made your life simpler.
The little "battles" I could have with my kids, but choose to avoid. Things like wearing swim clothes on regular days and teal flip flops with a red dress, one more snack at bedtime and letting them sleep in the same bed. There's just no sense getting upset about those kinds of things.

7. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is . . . again, the job search. It's "weighing heavily" as they say.

image from Daily Candy

Marriage Meme

A while ago, I was tagged by Lindsey for this marriage meme. I'm finally getting around to it, thanks to inspiration from Steph, who did it yesterday. Hooray for marriage!

Where did you meet your husband?

Neal and I first laid eyes on each other at the BYU Fall Fling, ten years ago this week. Or month. Our mutual friend, Keith, introduced us very quickly and casually. Neal HAD to see me again, of course, so made sure he came to a party my brother had a week or two later. A few days after that, he called to ask me out. You can read the story in more detail, here.

What was the first thing you said to your husband?

I don't really remember. Probably something like, "Hi Neal, it's nice to meet you." The night of the party, I asked him if he wanted something to drink and told him I liked his shoes.

Where was the first date? First kiss?

For our first date, Neal took me to the Utah Symphony and out to dinner at Baci in SLC. It was a double date and I felt very comfortable, although Neal swears I was flirting with his roommate the whole time. (I keep assuring him that I was playing hard to get. I had NO interest in his roommate.) It was super fun. The best part is that I was a pretty good journal-keeper at the time, so I have it all recorded.

For our first kiss, we had been out on a date, probably at DeMae, and I had driven for some reason. I was dropping him off at his house and before he got out, he asked if he could give me a kiss. Um, yes, you may.

Did you have a long or short courtship/engagement?

We met in September 1997, kissed in November, dated for the next several months, were engaged the next August, and married November 1998. So a little more than a year from meeting to marriage. Quick and crazy, now that I look back on it!

Where did you get engaged?

I went to London for Study Abroad in Spring of 1998. While I was gone, I pretty much decided that I wanted to marry Neal. I think it took him a bit longer, but a couple of months after I got home, we had both decided it was what we wanted. We took a trip to Texas and Louisiana at the end of the Summer. Neal bought a diamond from a family friend in Louisiana, we went back to his parents' house in Tyler, Texas. One night (August 15th), we were up on the second floor porch swing, talking, and he pulled out the ring, got on one knee and popped the question. The crickets and cicadas were making lots of noise, Neal seemed kind of nervous, I was thrilled and thought his mom might be listening through the window, and the Southern night was very still and warm. I'll never forget how I felt. It was incredible.

Where did you get married?

We were married in the Los Angeles LDS Temple on a lovely day in November. It was sunny and warm, just right. A perfect SoCal day.

How did the reception go?

We had our reception a few hours later at a catering facility and garden in Costa Mesa, Ca. Neal and I arrived a while before everyone else, after our very memorable drive-thru stop at In 'n Out in our wedding clothes. We took a few pictures before the guests arrived, and just had fun relaxing. We forgot to give Neal's family directions from their hotel, so they were late, which was sad and I felt terrible. But his lovely family assured us that everything was fine and not to worry. We had a sit-down dinner, a small jazz quartet playing, and lots of friends and family. I didn't have bridesmaids, and wanted to keep things pretty simple and get out of there at a reasonable hour. We didn't do toasts or a first dance or anything, but we both had fun. We made sure we said hello to each guest and thanked them for coming. It turned out that our cake wasn't quite big enough, so the slices were teeny, but everything else went perfectly! We drove off to the Newport Beach Four Seasons in our yuppie-mobile, a black Saab 9-5. It was lovely!
Maybe Neal can recount the reception at his house in detail on his blog. It involves his house almost burning down and my dad risking his life to save an antique rug. Consider yourself tagged, baby.

How was the honeymoon?

Neal surprised me with our honeymoon location. All I knew was that I should pack for the beach (we had agreed that was necessary). We hopped on a plane from LAX to Miami, so I guessed it was Carribbean-ish. When they listed off the connecting flights as we deplaned, Neal and I looked right in each other's eyes as I tried to guess our ultimate destination. I guessed correctly, I think. I don't really remember. We went to Grand Cayman, and stayed at the Westin Casuarina Resort. It was SO beautiful and we had way too much fun.

I'm tagging my Grammy for this one, and anyone else who'd like to give it a shot!

Splurge or Scrimp

I thought this was a fun idea for a post: things you on which you splurge and things on which you scrimp. Money is on my mind a lot these days, and not in a good way, so it made me feel good that our "splurges" are pretty low-key and in ten years, they just might seem silly.

splurges

1. My Hair - I spend a little over one hundred dollars having my hair cut and colored. Such is the burden of having dishwater blonde hair. Instead of having it refreshed every 6-8 weeks like my hairdressers always suggest, I can only do it about 3 times a year. For now.

2. Orange Juice- We go through at least a gallon of orange juice a week. I could get the frozen concentrate and mix it with our nasty tap water, but it tastes really yucky. I buy 1 or 2 96-ounce Tropicanas a week. At about six bucks a pop. Totally worth it.

3. Our Kids' Education- We could have easily kept Audrey at the public school down the road, which we contribute to through our hefty annual school tax, but chose to splurge, sending her to the private school, which we can barely afford, but which has already made a huge difference. I'm also a firm believer in sending kids to preschool for a few hours a week the year before kindergarten. So we pay for that, too. I've also noticed that both of my kids' extra-curricular activities are academic in nature. Looks like, for now, we're heading down the nerdy road instead of the sporty one.

4. Good Meat- We've been spoiled by Neal's family's adoration and requirement for good steak, good brisket, good turkey, etc. We don't get to see his family all that much, but ever since Neal's brother, Jeff, sent us delicious high-quality steaks for Christmas last year, we've been buying up the good cuts. And they're so good when Neal grills them up with lots of salt & pepper.

5. Cereal- We have a lot of cereal in our house. And only name-brands will do. I use coupons every chance I get, but it still adds up.

6. School Shoes for the Kids- Every August, we head to Stride Rite to get our kids one pair each (they have a buy-one-get-one-half-off sale every August). They each have several pairs of "other" shoes (lots of flip flops), but I think it's important to get a good-fitting, quality pair of sneakers for school.

7. Medical Care- I feel like this is a reluctant splurge, but I'll pay a little extra for a private hospital room after my c-sections, and I'm pretty prompt about well child visits and immunizations, even when it's a tight budget month. I guess I'm just paranoid and want to be sure the kids are getting the best. That's how we knew Audrey had such bad vision. She never squints or complains about it, but that vision screening let us know just how difficult it was for her!

8. Books - I have a major weakness when it comes to beefing up my library or my kids' library. I have a hard time leaving Barnes & Noble or Amazon.com without spending at least $30.

9. Everyday conveniences - Cell phones for the two of us, DVR and high-speed internet. We're just too used to it.

scrimps

1. Electronics- We bought a 22-inch old-fashioned TV at Wal-mart about 6 years ago. It's still our only TV, we don't own any video game systems (much to Parker's distress), and just really aren't all that into buying movies or fancy gadgets.

2. My shoes- I won't pay more than twenty bucks for a pair of shoes. Sure, I may pay $12.99 a few too many times, but at least I wear most of my shoes pretty regularly.

3. Everyone else's hair - It's a triple treat at Great Clips when the time comes. Luckily, Miles is saving us money by remaining quite bald.

4. Sunglasses - I don't ever see myself spending $75 on sunglasses, at least not as long as I have children who eat them or my forgetful brain. I prefer the $5 pairs.

5. Kids' clothes - As tempting as Gymbucks can be every once in a while, I only buy my kids' clothes at stores like Gymboree about once or twice a year. Most of the time, Old Navy is our favorite source for their clothes. (I could obviously save more by buying at Wal-mart or some such place, but I just can't bring myself to put that stuff on my kids. I gotta have a little quality!)

6. Furniture - Most of our stuff is either hand-me-downs or self-assembled stuff from Target or Ikea. It'll do for now, but when we move, a lot of it is going to the curb. A bookshelf we've put together after three moves just isn't looking so good anymore.

7. Accessories - This is the kind of thing where low quality isn't that big of a deal. I like to pick up a new bold necklace or headband every so often, but never for more than $5. Same goes for handbags, I can never have enough, but never spend more than $20.

8. Lawn Service - It's absolutely criminal how hot and sweaty one can become while mowing the lawn & cleaning up the yard every 8 days or so. But we just can't bring ourselves to budget out 25 bucks a week for someone else to do it. Especially since we own a lawn mower. We'd rather use the money for a meal out on the weekend.

9. Neal's Wheels - He drives a 1998 Honda Civic. And he's at least the third owner. It smells of old yogurt containers and gym clothes, has a cracked windshield and a broken rear-view mirror. It's not even remotely shiny. It has a dull matte finish to it. And we wash it about twice a year.

~~you try it!~~

boring is good

I'm sorry, this may just turn out to be "borafill", my new favorite word and my new secret fear as a blogger. It is defined here by my friend Audra's husband, Mike. Thanks for the word, Mike. Now on to the borafill . . .

{left} Leslie Fish, 1916

1. Name one thing you like and one thing you dislike about your name.
I love so many things about my name. I love that I was named after a family member. I love that I was named after a man (my great-grandfather). I love that my middle name is his wife's name. I love that my Grandma always called me Leslie Ruth, in honor of her parents. I like that it kind of rhymes with my sister's name, so when you say them together (cuz we were always together), it sounds cute.
When I was little, I didn't like the way my name looked when I wrote it. I don't really like the letter L. I always wanted my name to start with A, because it looked prettier. But that was then. Oh, and I don't like it when people call me Lezzlie. Don't do that, kay?

2. How do you beat the summer heat?
I don't beat it, it beats me mostly. I curse at it, I complain about it, I wake up mad at it, I pray for November to come around. And then we go swimming.

3. What are your favorite five items in your wardrobe?

1. a great linen suit I bought in Arizona.
2. Joe's Jeans, a big splurge with an Anthropologie gift card last year.
3. my dark pink Mia kitten-heeled shoes.
4. my white skirt, which I wear at least twice a week in the summertime.
   
5. my Asscher-cut diamond pendant. That totally counts, since I wear it daily.
   

4. What are you most proud of?
My children. (warning: brag alert) They are turning out to be absolutely wonderful little people who care about others, are helpful and loving, and pretty funny, too. (Insert "most of the time" before each of those phrases.) Lots of times, people tell us we're lucky to have such well-behaved kids, but you know what? We totally take credit for it. It's hard work, kids don't just come here behaving themselves, and I think Neal and I are doing a pretty good job. (virtual back-pat)
I'm also pretty proud of Neal, because he has worked really hard and put up with a lot, what with all the homework and quizzes and other assorted busywork he's dealt with for TWELVE years as a student. One of these days, it's going to pay off. And then he can get a Porsche, and maybe be proud of himself a little bit for once.

5. Name one subject on which you could talk for hours.
My kids (obviously), my opinions on parenting (obviously), and travel.

6. In one word, describe your first kiss.
So-so. Can you say "unreciprocated feelings"?

7. Finish the following sentence: "I can always find an excuse to _________".
go out to eat. Why is that even though I stay at home most of the day every day, it's still such a chore to get dinner on the table? Sigh. (I have made a few yummy things lately, though. See them here.)

8. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is . . .
I don't want to talk about this one anymore. I'll let you know when it's decided. :)

Waxing Wordy

Well, I'm glad so many of you visited Neal's blog yesterday. I'm anxiously awaiting his next post, as I'm sure you are, too. He was understandably frustrated at the ratio of hits (197) to comments (17). I said, "welcome to the slightly disappointing world of hit counters." I actually have a really hard time reading someone's blog without leaving a comment every once in a while, but that's just me. I follow the Golden Rule of Blog Commenting (i.e. [and please note the golden text], "Comment on others' blogs just as you would want them to comment on yours," or something like that).

As for me, I have absolutely nothing to post about, unless I decide to very wordily and not very wittily describe the audible cheers and claps from the way back of the car when we pulled into Target at 8:30 this morning to pick up our newly-released copy of this movie. I also picked up this book because I seriously can't click on a blog or talk to a friend without this book eventually coming up in conversation. And, gasp, I haven't even read it yet! (for those of you who have read it and are on book 3, here is a rockin' coupon from BN.)
Or I could get all HTT on you and bring up the fantastically ridiculous idea of "sock sizes" and how one's "sock size" has absolutely nothing to do with one's "shoe size," and how, before we bought our TMNT movie, we had to go to Customer Service and return 3 packages of socks because, for example, although I very carefully obeyed the "size chart" on the back of the Hanes socks package, the socks I bought for my 4-year-old actually fit ME. So lame, but I won't bore you with that (or did I?).
Or, I could challenge you all to a run-on sentence contest because I think I just broke my own record. That sock sentence was 83 words long.

So, I'll get a little more wordy on y'alls and, for lack of better blog material, rely on one of Miss Natalie's monthly series of Real Simple interviews. Are your eyes hurting yet? Oh well, here it goes:

1. What's your best summer memory?
Going on absolutely incredible family vacations. We would take off in June every few years and head to Europe, or Japan, or Australia, or Hawaii, or England, or the East Coast, or one epic RV trip when I was 6. We followed the LDS Church history trail all the way back to Vermont. I also remember going to lots of Angel games, always sitting in aisle 29, spending lots of days in our backyard pool, playing diving board games, drying off in the warm garage or laying on the warm cement, and riding bikes with the neighbor kids. Sometimes we would imagine that strange things were happening on our street and that we had mysteries to solve. Or washed-off rocks to sell. I had a great childhood.

2. Your chosen form of exercise is:
I really prefer not to exercise, even though I always feel better when I do. When I do get the urge and act on it (about once a year), I'll start "speed walking" (on the treadmill in the summer), and I enjoy toning up with free weights. One of these days, I'll try pilates. And one day, when all my kids are in school, I'll hire a personal trainer. So I can look super hot.

3. What was your Mother right about?
Pretty much everything. That seeing the world and the way other people live can change your life, that children are the most precious thing in the world and need to be actively and tenderly loved and cuddled and listened to, that a quiet home is a peace-filled home, that I needed to practice the piano, and that education will make your whole life more fulfilling.

4. If you suddenly came into $1000 in spare cash and had to spend it all on yourself, what would you do with it?
I think I'd use it for airfare to Europe.

5. What's one thing you refuse to eat?
Cauliflower and/or crawfish. As for the crawfish, although I enjoy most Southern and Cajun cuisine (except collard greens, bleh), I just can't bring myself to eat glorified insects. And they're really not all that glorified by the people who love them. People here don't care if they look like bugs, because apparently their brains "taste really good."

6. Describe a party you would throw if the tab were taken care of.
I'd have a big, fun BBQ on a beach house patio, right on the sand, with delicious food catered by Giada DeLaurentiis, fresh lemonade and expensive root beer on tap, a bonfire and s'mores when it got dark, fabulous, funny people to keep the mood light, a good band (maybe Jack Johnson, he's beachy), and all of my family flown in.

7. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is....
the same one as last month (where to live and work). It's gonna be the biggest one for the next long time.

Tomorrow, I'll just post a picture, promise. :)

Real Simple (real late)

A lovely little questionnaire from Real Simple magazine (from forever ago), via my long lost Natalie at La Vie en Rose.

1. What's the one thing about your younger self that you would like to reclaim?
Agility, or flexibility, or my ability to do cartwheels (or get up off the floor) without hurting myself. (Maybe if I started stretching or like exercising or something, that would go away.) Or the fact that I had no wrinkles around my eyes. I totally have them now and I've yet to touch 30!

2. What's something you are really good at?
Packing the back of my car full of groceries. I think I would be a really good grocery bagger, too. In fact sometimes when no one is working in my checkout line, I'll start bagging them up (and I think it's fun).

3. Before I die, I'd like to....
look over at Neal, smile, and tell him thanks for not dying first.

4. John, Paul, George, or Ringo?
I grew up with an extremely devoted Beatles fan for a mother, so I can appreciate all four for their own separate personality traits, learned so well by watching Help! and A Hard Day's Night over and over. Mom prefers Paulie (she loved John when she was a teen), but I always went for the nerdy types, and have always had a little thing for George, even though he had the worst teeth. Plus, my sister is going to hook up with his son in Oxford, so we need to kiss up a bit. PLUS he wrote a few of my favorite Beatles' songs (Something and While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes the Sun). That's why.

5. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
Mr. Barrett, my English and Latin teacher in high school. He taught me how to love words and how to use them correctly. He also had a way of letting you know that he thought you were really going somewhere in life, and he appreciated the kids who really tried to learn. But since he made learning so fun, we all had no trouble. He was so great that sometimes my friends and I would actually eat lunch in his classroom. Nerds? Brown nosers? Nope, he was just that cool to hang out with.

6. I wish I could ignore....
my dirty bathroom.

7. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is.....
pretty much the biggest decision ever: where we're going to live and start working. Luckily, Neal and I are working on that one as a team.