So, I don't feel like I have a lot to say - but thought I should get these pictures up. Last Saturday (a week ago) our ward had a drive-in movie. Benjamin had really been wanting to go - but he'd been having such an attitude. I told him if he didn't change it, he wouldn't be going. So, it ended up that just Sarah and I went. I'd been cranky most of the day (I probably didn't deserve to go either!) but this seemed to be just what I needed. We both had a good time. And it was really just the 2 of us. We built our cardboard car - she had the idea for the eyes, which was good because I was kind of brain-dead that night. They had races. Sarah didn't want to race. Then they had a movie - some Wallace & Grommit "previews" and then the old Johnny Lingo. Sarah was good - and sat still for it all. She was really excited about all the goodies - "nickolish", a Kit-Kat, whoppers, skittles, jellybeans, water! I ended up feeling kind of depressed after watching Johnny Lingo - I feel like "Muhana, you ugly" more than an "eight-cow wife."

Benjamin gave a great talk on Sunday about mothers nurturing the family. I've been reminded several times, by him, that I need to play with my children, because that was in the talk. I've really tried to do that more. I know it's important to them - they ask me all the time. I'm just not a "player". We did visiting teaching on Monday, the library on Tuesday. Wednesday we had "school" at our house. We were on the letter "T". I had the boys do a texture hunt (found a great story in a 1983 Friend!) Then we tried to make taffy. I obviously didn't cook it long enough, because we couldn't get it to hold together. I've got it in a bowl now, I can scoop out a "piece" of candy with a spoon! So, that was kind of disappointing and I just let them play after that. We did toast and tang for a snack.

On Thursday and Friday I had some energy. I did a lot of spring cleaning. Washing windows in and out, cleaning dust bunnies under the couches, sweeping cobwebs, washing cabinet fronts, pulling weeds, etc. It all started in an effort to be ready for the in-laws visit this last weekend. But, I just wanted to clean stuff.

So, here is a flower bed, before and after. Can you really tell the difference? It's salt grass and that stuff just doesn't come out easily. I wish we could get it all killed off. The front yard is just salt grass. We hope to be able to dig it all out soon.

BEFORE

AFTER

On Friday night, even though my in-laws were coming (they didn't get here until 9:30), I went to a Twilight party with my friends. We just visited, ate, and rewatched the movie - critiquing as we went. It was so nice to get out for an evening.

Saturday morning, we got up and went to yard sales. We didn't have money for them, but figured the parents would pay if we found something we really wanted. The kids each had a dollar from Grandpa and Kannon and I found some quarters. It was pretty fun. We spent what we had - the kids each bought fishing poles - and we even got some stuff for free. Then they took us out to breakfast (at 11:00!) That's the 4th time this year that we've been to Jerry's. We'd probably gone a total of 4 times ever before! This is the second time with his parents, his uncle and grandpa took us, and we had an old friend visit a weekend ago that took us out in exchange for a bed. We're getting to know their menu pretty well. It's just that that's the only real sit-down family restaurant in town, that isn't in a casino.

This is Sarah entertaining herself while waiting in the car at a yard sale.

Ben wasn't real well this weekend. On friday, when I came in from weeding, I found Ben asleep in my bed. He never takes naps any more, and they'd only been in the house without me for about 1/2 an hour. So, I was really surprised. He didn't wake up for about 1 1/2 hours. Then he just sat on the couch, snoozed one more time. He had a fever. I had my friend, Julie - a kinesiologist - check him and she said it wasn't viral, just toxins in his body, and that we could fix that with some special baths. Saturday, he was about the same: fevered off and on, sleeping, not hungry, just sat and lay around. So, I stayed home with him today - but he was just fine - Yeah! No fever, and he acted so normal. Even stayed up this afternoon while the rest of us took naps.

The other thing this week was more car problems. I don't remember if I blogged about the burb - had to get an ignition module replaced. Well, the week before we had to buy a new tire for Kannon's car and pay to have the snow tires taken off. This week, our neighbor said our car sounded really bad - he thought it was a clutch deal. Kannon said the sound got worse, so we dropped it off Wednesday night at the mechanics. They called me the next morning to let me know it was not the clutch, but the transmission and it would need to be replaced. AAARRGH! Last year when we got our tax return we had to redo the whole engine. The clutch was replaced in October, I think. Now the transmission. The car has almost 200,000 miles on it and it better last now for a lot more - it's almost all new inside! They fixed it by Friday morning, but that was a huge chunk of our tax return. I might not get to remodel my bedroom before this baby is born. =( But, I really am trying to just feel grateful that we had the money and didn't have to go in debt.

This picture was taken tonight as I was blogging! Kannon yelled for me to "come quick, and bring the camera!" This is what I found. Ben got overzealous rolling his toothpast and it just flew out and all over poor Sarah. It actually took awhile to get all the blue and soapy toothpaste out of her hair. The rest was pretty easy. Poor kid. =(

We had a fun last weekend. We decided to take a drive up to Mt. Rose and try our hand at sledding. We've been wanting to do that since last winter and finally made the effort. We took Jackie and Nathan (my brother) with us. We were really glad to see that there was still snow! It's been so warm in our town, we've been wearing t-shirts outside. But, we brought plenty of snow gear. This is Jackie and Sarah going down the hill. And that's the end of Sarah's experience. She spent the rest of the time in the burb. She lost a boot going down and ended up with her face in the snow.

Kannon and Ben had their share of rides. They kept going up higher, until they were as high as they could go. The trek up almost got them to quit a few times. Now, on the picture above (of Ben) you can just see a part of the highway that runs there. Kannon and Ben slid right up to that edge a few times! If they had gone any farther up they would have had about a 5-foot drop onto the road (or under a car!) Nathan had had a biking accident and decided he was hurting too much. But, he went down with Ben one time. I took one turn on a sled. I didn't go up very far and ended up laying down backwards in the snow. Then, on their last ride down I hiked up to the top and wasn't sure how to get down. So, I ended up sliding down on my rear a ways. It was a little cool up there, my fingers got cold while doing pictures and video. But, we had hot chocolate and the sun was out by the time we were getting done and that was a bit warmer. I'm glad we got to enjoy some real snow before the winter is all over - tomorrow!

We welcomed the chance to have a St. Patrick's Day/Green dinner with the family on Sunday. Our ward's enrichment was on Tuesday, so we decided to celebrate early. We each contributed to our green meal, and we all ate too much!

Our dinner: mashed potatoes, pistachio salad, green beans,

quesadillas made with green tortillas, deviled eggs and kool-aid. My

mom also made these delicious mint brownies!

I've had myself a busy week. Monday was laundry. Tuesday- the enrichment dinner, I was on the committee and made bread (6 loaves!) for the occasion. I was pretty worn out by the end, after helping serve and clean up. We had a really nice evening based on "The Daughter of a King." Wednesday was my ultrasound. And no....we're not finding out this time. As far as I know everything else looked fine. I started drinking my water at 3:00 - appt. at 3:45 - was told our hospital is no longer contracted with our insurance (WHAT?!) - had to wait forever - then as the baby moved around my bladder hurt so bad. Gratefully, she didn't make me wait to long before letting me go. When we finally got done, we were the last 2 in the doctors office - it was after 5 pm. Today (thursday) I went to Reno to finally finish the root canal, etc. that started on Dec. 6th! I can't believe it has taken 3 1/2 months to complete. I got my crown today and it better not come off or I'll be thoroughly upset. I plan on finding a new dentist ASAP. Tomorrow, being the first day of spring, will be celebrated by a walk to the park.

Welcome Spring!!!

What do you want to be?

This picture is from last St. Patrick's Day. I just love their happy faces!

On our way home from my parents last night, Ben asked Sarah what she wanted to be when she grew up. She answered, "a mailman." He said he wanted to be a worker like Dad, because that's the best job and you bring home money to buy a house. Then he asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I told him I was already grown up and I was a mom, just like I wanted to be. Sarah, so innocently, asked me, "do you want to be a clown?" We all laughed!


Why can't they always be so fun and sweet? Why does my son have to whine ALL the time? and why does my Sarah have to be so full of attitude - hands on hips included? I feel better now than I did last night. I was ready to give them both away, AGAIN!

You know it's time........

.....to put away your prepregnancy clothes, when the button pops off your pants!

And I haven't had any flashbacks this week, so this is all you get!

Lifesavers - Flashback Friday

Last Sunday, right in the middle of Relief Society, I had a craving for butterscotch lifesavers. Then I started to wonder why you never see a roll of lifesavers anymore. They used to sell them with the candy bars at the checkout. I used to buy them. Now, the only lifesavers I ever see are the ones individually wrapped in a bag - usually peppermint or wintergreen flavor. So, what happened to the roll of butterscotch or fruit flavored ones? I loved the tropical ones, too. They had a pina colada lifesaver. Yum! Well, as I had my craving I remembered the older brother in my Grandma's ward that had lifesavers every week. He had rolls of them in his suit coat pockets. After church, all of the children would line up (or crowd around) this brother with their hands outstretched. He'd have a roll going, and would pop one out into your hand. It was an exciting time for us as little kids. What a treat after church! But, the butterscotch ones were my favorite, and I'd wait until he had one of those rolls opened before I'd stick out my hand. Today, Ben picks Sarah up from nursery and they both head straight for the Bishop's office. He has a jar of dum-dum suckers. I always wondered if someone would be the "lifesaver guy" for my kids. As sticky and messy as they get, and as greedy as it sometimes seems to me - I'm really glad they have this treat and memory of their own.

Polish doings and goings and comings and ......

We got to go to the temple last Saturday and do the work for some of Kannon's family. We met with his sister, Sasha. She got to do her grandma and I did her grandma's sister. Kannon did another family name. I was kind of not happy about going to the temple 2 weekends in a row. I know that sounds awful. But, it takes so much time, and I've allotted once a month. I have to find a babysitter each time, too. We've had these time consuming projects on our plate (well, mostly Kannon's plate - but it stresses me, too.): finish a friends plumbing on their addition, cut and remove a tree my uncle felled for us, and fix our Suburban. So, as you can imagine, every spare minute has been utilized and I had a hard time giving up the hours it takes for the temple. BUT, I had a very enjoyable time. I knew the kids were in good hands. It was special to do the work for someone I'd actually met. And it really does set the tone for our family when Kannon and I have been to the temple together.

Just that morning though, we had a stress. A few weeks before the burb had been dying on me. I could always get it started again, though. Kannon changed the fuel filter and it had been running great for a week and a half. That morning he made a quick run to the hardware store. When he finally got back, he wouldn't talk to me and just started bringing in all his stuff from the car. It was a lot of stuff. I almost took a picture of it - surprising how much he could fit in his little geo. Anyway, I was surprised he wanted to take the car and not the burb. Then Ben told me the burb wasn't there. So, I finally got out of him that it had died 3 times on his way home and he couldn't get it started again about a block away from the house. After we got home from the temple he was able to get it home by adding fuel to the ?carburetor? Our neighbor fixes cars quite often and offered his help and advice. It was Thursday before Kannon could change the relay that Chuck thought would solve our problem. The burb ran great all night. We both took trips to the store and he took it to basketball. We didn't drive it again until Friday evening, over to the church (a few blocks away). The car died as I pulled into the parking lot. We did get it home later, after putting fuel in it again. Now, Kannon is in the process of syphoning out all the gas (1/2 a tank, about 20 gallons) so he can take off the tank and replace the fuel pump. I feel grateful that I've been able to get by without a car during the day and haven't felt too stressed. I just really hope we can get it fixed without to much expense.

Last Sunday, after church, I took Sarah outside for some pictures while she played a little. She is so hard to get now-a-days. She just makes goofy faces or says no, running away. I caught a few fun faces, but nothing I was excited about. I've been putting off portraits because of this. Both the grandmas have been asking for new pictures. So, half of the pictures she had her tongue sticking out - on purpose.

I wanted to try a tricycle pose. We have a picture of me at a young age sitting on a tricycle. My family used to cover up my head and call me the "headless tricycle girl". Hopefully Sarah's siblings won't try that!

We had ice cream cones for dessert. Yum! They sure were messy though.

I love these next 2 expressions. Huh?




and then, with the red-eyes I told Kannon she looks like a devil!
We got a picture of her later in just her diaper and a cowboy hat. With the chocolate still on her face she looked like a real cowboy, mustache and all.

Every night Kannon and I take turns putting the kids to bed. I sing them songs, and he tells them stories "out of his head". He's really good at making up stories for them. I grabbed this picture the other night. Ben is "upstairs" of course.

Today, we drove (in the little geo) to Winnemucca for a baptism. Our oldest niece, Kate, was getting baptized. It was really nice. The kids behaved pretty well. Kate asked our family to sing a song. We've been practising "When Jesus Christ was Baptized" for quite a few weeks, now. We had both verses memorized, but I really wanted to make a disclaimer. "We were asked because we are family, not because we have talent." and Kannon wanted to add "We're not claiming to be on American Idol." We didn't say anything, didn't want to detract from the spirit. Hopefully, my boys out of tune voices didn't harm any ears. I love them and the fact that they were willing to sing in front of so many! We had a great luncheon afterward, stopped at Walmart to spend a few more minutes with some of Kannon's family (where Sarah had a major melt-down and I left the store carrying her like a sack of potatoes!), then drove the 2 hours back. I drove both ways and I was so sleepy. I got to take a nap this afternoon while the kids watched cartoons, played on the computer, and Kannon worked on the burb. Now, I'm going to bed - losing that hour tonight is not going to make me super happy tomorrow. But, at least it's stake conference and I'll get an extra hour that way.