Finally some pictures!!

Are you impressed? I finally took some pictures. And lo and behold, I found some pictures that I did take in September.

This is the girls tonight. Playing in the tub.

They actually were pretty happy in there tonight. Most of the time they just fight.

And this was at our play group today.

Isabel wasn't being very cooperative.

This is Ana doing the dishes. Poor girl, she didn't have any free time tonight--but then again, she didn't bring home a long assignment that she'd been given last week until today, and had to finish it all tonight. So I don't feel that bad.

This is Elena's doggie. Seriously. That's what she calls it. She takes it everywhere. She insisted on me taking a picture, and then she "sat up" the doggie for it.

This is a blueberry crostada (basically a pie not in a pie plate) I made a couple weeks ago for a fundraiser. I made four: two blackberries, a raspberry, and a blueberry. The first person that came after I set them out bought three out of the four. The fourth one he didn't buy because I put almonds on it, and he was allergic. Pretty sweet, eh?

And this is Ana on her first day of school. I thought this picture didn't turn out because my camera died after I took it.

Oh, and by the way, BYU is where we're headed!!!!

A long time ago...

Remember way back in March, my Relief Society had a 17th of March party, and asked Leo to play Joseph Smith?? Well, I finally hunted down a photo. Everybody was supposed to dress pioneerish, but I didn't catch that, but was kindly lent a skirt. Anyway, it's pretty cute of Leo.

I was going to post other photos, but just realized tonight that I have not taken a single photograph this entire month of September. Crazy. I'll start taking some, Isabel's too cute to miss.

I did, however, finish the housecoat I was sewing, which turned out fairly well. (Yeah, sounds simple doesn't it?) And I have a stack of receiving blankets on the ironing board which I intend to finish this week. I also caught up all my kids' baby books. And I have my Spanish cd out right now, and as soon as I'm done this post, I'll be practicing Spanish. (That rarely happens.) Yes, I am feeling much better, and I'm hungry ALL the time. But I'm not quite up to exercising yet, maybe next week. And the week after that, I'm due for my 20 week ultrasound, maybe I'll have gender news. That would be nice.

The BIGGEST News of the Week

I can't believe I completely forgot the biggest bit of news. Kami--where is your head??? Leo was accepted at BYU. That's not the news--the better news is that he was offered a Research Assistanceship there. Sweet. (Tuition paid+stipend.) We have a winner!!!

Unless of course USU gets it's act together. Leo's already been accepted there as well, but no RA postition yet. Sniff. I have a soft spot in my heart for USU--I mean I did attend my three years of college there, although I graduated from good old Weber State. Plus, my parents live there. I mean really, they grow grapes and my mom makes chokecherry syrup and all the yummy Sunday dinners. Ahhh.... Seeing them would be alright too, I guess. Hee. Hee.

And then there's U of NM, once again, Leo's been accepted, but no RA position yet. I love Albuquerque, I would be happy living there for the rest of my life. Plus, they're the Lobos, that's pretty cool.

We'll see...no decision made yet. Unless no other offers come in---then Provo will be our new stomping grounds. Woohooo!

Unpicking and Such

I've been in a mad dash this week to finish a bunch of projects before I start inspecting parts again. Yuck, but the money is worth it I suppose. Unfortunately my projects have stalled, because I've spent most of the time unpicking. Sigh. Why do I try to sew? But while I've been unpicking, I did watch the new BBC mini-series of Tess of the D'Ubervilles. I hated that book. Why would I think I would like the movie!?!??! It's just plain depressing. The movie was fabulously made by the way...gorgeous scenery, I highly recommend it if you can stomach Hardy. My sister and I were talking about it because she really doesn't like the story either, but besides reading the book, she's also watched two or three movie versions and was willing to watch this one. We decided Tess remained a classic because it poses the quintessential question of whether Tess was a good person or not. I think back in Victorian times, that would have been debated even more. I think her murdering Alec really kind of pushes the limits for me. Basically, I think she went a little loopy there. Can't really blame her though. But can you? That's the question, eh?

In other news, Leo went to the Colombian consulate and said it was a total waste of time. Bureaucracy. Yuck. He also took Ana to the Harry Potter exhibit at the Science and Industry Museum. She earned the trip this summer. Leo pretended not to be in complete disgust at the whole thing--although he said he liked pulling up those shrieking plants, whatever they're called. Ana was sorted in to Ravenclaw.

And now I really must go finish a few things before I go to bed. Goodnight.

What's been up

Hi. I know you all thought I may have disappeared from the blogging world indefinitely, but my little sister gave me a tongue lashing and insisted I must blog, so here I am again. And this is what we've been up too.

1. On Friday we went to Millennium Park to a concert featuring the "Stars of Lyric Opera" from the Chicago Opera House. Basically a random sampling of opera songs, Figaro, etc. I have never been or seen any opera before except for one on PBS and I was really excited to go. However, what was supposed to be a date with Leo originally, turned into taking our kids. WHY!?!?!? I don't really understand my thinking, obviously I didn't think very much at all. Anyway, the kids did NOT appreciate opera. We spent the whole time chasing them and trying to keep them quiet. (We were sitting on a blanket in the back of the park.) Isabel is just at the age where she hates to be not moving. Ana never said a word that wasn't whining and tried to start a wrestling match with Leo (this was with people jam-packed all around us with bottles of wine and other such stuff), and Elena was Elena. We left at the intermission. I did hear one song that I loved though. It was beautiful. I managed to listen to most of it, because I had just finished chastising Ana and Leo had Isabel, and Elena was looking with me at the few stars you can see in Chicago. Here it is, enjoy!



2. In not so go good news, well, really terrible news actually, my friend passed away this past week. She's my age and has four kids, the oldest is in first grade and the youngest is seven months old. She had leukemia but was doing well and almost finished her chemo treatments when she caught the flu and ended up in ICU and then had a severe stroke causing a coma, brain damage, and kidney failure. Her doctors said she would never live through chemo even if she ever did wake up. Her husband made the choice to take her off life support. I made Leo come to the viewing with me (her husband and him are good friends too), and he literally was hyperventilating when we went in. Leo hates things like that, but he finally calmed down when he saw how calm her husband was.

3. Needless to say, I needed a bit of escapism this week and read over the Attolia series again. Really, if you've never read Megan Whalen Turner's books, you should.

4. I just received a phone call from the school district notifying me that all the schools are in a soft lockdown (so no one is allowed to enter or leave the buildings) because an armed robbery suspect has been seen in the area, (1 mile or so from our house). I love Chicago.

5. Here's some of the music my kids have been enjoying in our home. This is Elena's new favorite song.



6. This has been Ana's favorite song since she was a toddler. It's about a snake that drinks alcohol.



7. And I like this one, especially the part where the guy says he's going to the Amazon to find a girl who can dance the samba. Gotta love that.



8. I almost finished the ironing that's been sitting out for four days.
9. I also made French Canadian Pea soup, it's cooking in the crockpot, but the smell is making me nauseous. I don't know if I'll be able to eat it once it's dinner time. It sounded good yesterday though. I love pea soup, but I've never found a canned kind as good as the case my mom bought in Canada once. Anyway.
10. I need to post some pictures, I think Isabel and Elena are so cute right now. Isabel has such a funny sense of humor. And Elena goes around singing, "AhhhhAhhh Ahhhhh...." from the Little Mermaid. She also sings her own made up princess song about a princess locked in a tower. Once I asked her to sing a cowboy song, so she sang, "Cowboy....Princess locked in a tower...." It was so funny.
11. Leo and Ana have to go to the Colombian consul on Monday to try to get a new passport for Ana and a new Colombian ID card for Leo.
12. Two more months till we get to go to Colombia!!!!
13. That's all I can think of, except I'm really tired of Elena whining today. I probably should take her oustside.

Too funny...

So these were in an article about how authorities wanted to change badly written English signs in Shanghai. (Yes, I ripped these off of BBC.) Anyway, they were too funny not to share.

Announcement!!

This is for Kayli who couldn't wait to be mailed one, and for everyone else who unfortunately won't be getting one in the mail.

P.S. I just started to eat a can of Pork and Beans while I was waiting for the picture to load, and it tasted really nasty, and so I looked at the expiration date and it was 2 yrs ago. Anyway, if I die, you'll all know it's from food poisoning from Pork and Beans.

In answer to some queries...

Moose bars are almost the same thing as Creamies (which are pretty much the best chocolate fudgecicle you will ever eat), only they are less expensive. Both are made and manufactured in Cache Valley. One of the many things that make Cache Valley so great! Did you know they also make Fat Boys in Cache Valley? Yes, it's pretty much icecream heaven there. The mint chocolate covered ones are my favorite. They look like the above kind, only mint. I also love how they have messages on the stick, like "Time for another Creamie!" etc. Yumm.... I think I may go eat some icecream right now after all this.

Then I'll take a nap, because I stayed up till 4 AM cleaning up vomit. Yes, Elena has been sick and was throwing up everything from 5 PM onward. She's still just keeping down water. She (of course!) refuses the pedialyte I went to the store for at 11:30 PM. Leo's been sick too, he's at the Dr's right now, since he has to get a Dr's note for work. Anyway, it's definitely my naptime, Elena and Isabel are both asleep, so chao! And don't forget, if you ever drive through Utah, eat some Creamies (or Moose Bars if you're cheap like us!)

A month late...

So here's my pictures of our three weeks in Utah. Condensed into this one post. Okay, so maybe not, I have one or two more, I'm just not that motivated to figure out which ones they were in the sea of thousands of pictures I was given on a Reunion Photo CD.

My Dad, hiding in his corn patch.

Ana and Elena, cowgirls! Elena likes to say she's a cowboy now, and I always make her say "Yee-haw!" because it's cute.

Some of the attraction's at my sister's fabulous carnival. Man--I do not look forward to being in charge of the reunion in two years. Any ideas anyone????

Various other activities going on at the reunion. I missed the koob (sp?) competition because of a migraine. I really wasn't feeling the greatest the whole time. But it was fun, nonetheless.

People and our gigantic box of Moose Bars. Yes, we finished the whole box.

Lindsay Ann and I were the face painters at the carnival. Weren't we great?

The dunking booth was definitely the highlight.

My little brother, Wyatt, was in charge of pony rides with my sister Megan. Yeehaw!

Bear Lake football.

Isn't my honey hot? Yeah, I think so too.

When a slip and slide isn't enough, add a tarp.

So I did manage to eat a lot of my sister's raspberries and peas. Yum!

Elena loved Thunder (the dog). She followed him everywhere. Pretty much she loved all the animals. Isabel on the other hand would get mad at my mom's over-affectionate cats and push them away with all her little puny might when they came rubbing against her looking for attention.
All in all, a great time, I just wish I had felt better. But then, not having to cook my own meals while feeling so nauseous is also a wonderful thing.