Need a Logo

During the whole buying-of-the-new-house process, we thought when Dallas and Rebecca went to the title company and signed all the many papers, they would then be the rightful owners of the home.

Unfortunately, nothing in the process of buying this particular short sale home has been easy. They were notified the next day they had to sign yet another paper before the home became officially theirs. Since it was a work day and the paper needed to be turned in to the right people before closing time, Rebecca had to go get Dallas's signature at work.

Brooke and Caroline were so excited to be going to see their dad at work and we were hoping Glen wasn't too busy during the time they were there so they could see him as well.

But, first things first! Brooke has noticed Dallas has a GK logo on all the shirts he wears to work and so she insisted Caroline get ready to go to their dad's work by getting her decked out in the GK logo as well. She grabbed the GK truck-shaped sticky note pad and got busy cutting out some logos.

She attached them with packing tape to Caroline's clothes--the ones she was wearing that day and even the ones she would be wearing another day.

Doesn't our little GK logoed girl look so adorable? Off the girls went after lunch with Rebecca to get the signature.

Both girls fell asleep on the drive to G&K. They stayed asleep when Dallas went out to the van to sign the paper and they stayed asleep the whole way home. Once back here, Rebecca woke them up so they could come in the house and the girls were rebelling.

They didn't want to get out of the car until they went to their dad's work. Rebecca had promised they could go and they were staying put until their mom did what she said.

Let's just say they were two very unhappy girls when they learned they really had been to G&K that day--they had just slept through it all.

Talonless Toe

Rebecca has inherited the Thomas terrible toenail problem. The toenail on her second toe has been having issues for quite some time.

When a child stepped on it at church, she was in so much pain she decided the nail had to come off. She came home from the doctor the next day proudly holding the talon that had once adorned the top of her toe.

I asked if she could at least put the disgusting thing somewhere other than on the counter top where we fix food.

She kept getting the thing out to show anyone who was willing to take a peek at it. Later, I was so disgusted when I saw it lying there--minus the bloody gauze--right where she'd just prepared food for her children.

It totally grossed me out until I looked closer and realized it was just a piece of the dark edge she had cut off the Black Forest ham she had fed the kids for lunch.

Rebecca was hoping the bright red bandage would warn people she had an injured toe and they would be careful around her. Spencer noticed it and kept following her around to try and grab the red thing.

After all the hassle and grief Rebecca gave her father over his thick, discolored, disfigured big toenails, she is now living out the same story.

Unlike her father, she did not want anything put on the toe to kill the nailbed. She is hopeful if she spends enough money having the doctor coddle the toe back into healthiness, she can again sport a regular toenail on that toe.

As for now, fare thee well to the disgusting toe talon!

Quotes of the Week

"No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm."
-- Charles Kettering

"There are no easy answers but there are simple answers. We must have the courage to do what we know is morally right."
-- Ronald Reagan

 "Focus on the present, and enhance your time and life now rather than always working toward tomorrow."
-- Dr. Laura Berman

A Total Eclipse and a Birthday Boy

Sunday was a special day--it was the day we experienced a solar eclipse and it occurred right during Mom's monthly family dinner party.  The family went outside to try out the special lenses Mike had brought to view the phenomenon.

Dallas figured out how to take a picture of the eclipse through the lenses. Sarah didn't appear to be appreciating the spectacle as much as the rest of the group who were enjoying their turn viewing the moon passing in front of the sun.

Back inside it was time to celebrate birthdays. Glen was the only May birthday person at the party. The little kids all got in on the candle-blowing-out action.

Later in the week the birthday boy ate Frito Bandito for his birthday dinner followed by Oreo cream pie for his birthday dessert.

You've had a birthday, shout hooray!! One year older and wiser, too. Happy birthday, to you!!!!

Out of the Mouth of Babes

We were having a conversation about favorite movies. We know Caroline's favorite movie is Tangled--or Rapunzel as she calls it--because she watches it over and over and over again.

Brooke said her favorite movie is Wall-E. She asked Glen what his favorite movie is and he said Hoosiers. Brooke does not know that movie and I explained to her it's all about guys playing basketball and asked if she wanted to watch it.

Brooke emphatically declared, "NO! It would bored me out!"

Caroline and I were making cookies together. I decided to leave a few of them in the oven a lot longer than I prefer for Glen to enjoy. I explained to Caroline that Grandpa likes his cookies burned and crispy. I told her I like mine barely cooked and soft. I asked her how she likes her cookies.

Her answer, "Not hot."

Rebecca and I were talking about how cute it is when Caroline calls Glen and me Bampa and Bamma. Rebecca almost started to correct Caroline and teach her the right pronunciation, but then decided not to because she thinks it's so cute the way Caroline says it and I have to agree.

Since moving in with us, Caroline has been very confused about why her mom calls me Mom. She has asked over and over why Rebecca calls me Mom.

After explaining it again and again to her, she was asking the same question yet again. I finally asked her why she thinks her mom calls me Mom.

 Caroline's response, "Because her don't know how to say Bamma?"

Counting the Days

It's been two weeks and one day (but who's counting??) since Dallas, Rebecca and company moved in with us. Well, if we want to get technical, the three kids moved in two weeks and two days ago (but again--who's counting??).

Actually, Rebecca was counting today, so anyone who thought I was counting is wrong!!

I know they are anxious to get out from under our roof and get under a roof of their own. Hopefully they will have a home soon that they can call their own. We thought this would happen over the weekend when they signed all the papers at the title company.

As with everything regarding this home, nothing has been easy and nothing has been done in a timely manner. Turns out yet another glitch--the owners did not show up to sign all their papers. So, the owners still own the house while Dallas and Rebecca are just out thousands and thousands of their own dollars and are left with only empty hands.

No keys to their new house. Perhaps tomorrow...???...???

In the meantime the kids are having a good time here--at least I think they are. They have lots of toys to play with.

They carry around snacks in little ziploc bags--or huge gallon bags if I don't catch them soon enough.

They not only get ham slices cut into cookie cutter shapes, but also peanut butter sandwiches decorated to look like a bunny.

Spencer doesn't have any fresh goose eggs or bruised spots visible on his head or face. Since learning to walk, it seems like he's always got a sore spot somewhere.

He took a nasty face plant inside the moving van and we were sure his nose was broken. Since then he's been doing really well, except for when he took a fall down the stairs and landed on the tile. But at least his injuries aren't showing on his cute little face.

Brooke is in creative heaven a lot of the time. If she's not busy making beautiful colored snowflakes to decorate with for her upcoming birthday party...

she's busy dressing herself in kitchen accessories.

After Caroline had her turn wearing the oven mitts as slippers, she put them in the coat closet with all the other footwear. That makes sense, doesn't it?

The little kids are super anxious to move into their new house because they know there is a park really close to their house. Dallas and Rebecca are super anxious to get access to their new house so they can start doing all the fix-up work on it.

It will be a happy day for the Golden family when they can move into their new home.

Not to put too much pressure on them, but they now have less than three weeks to get the house inhabitable and to get themselves moved out of this house. Jacob and Laurie are bringing their kids to visit and they will be needing all the bedrooms. It would be nice to have a day or so to clean up and prepare for our next batch of house dwellers.

 I guess I am counting after all.

Quotes of the Week

"Always continue the climb. It is possible for you to do whatever you choose, if you first get to know who you are and are willing to work with a power that is greater than ourselves to do it."
-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

"Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me.  Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful...that's what matters to me."
-- Steve Jobs

"Remember not only to say the right thing in the right place,  but far more difficult still, to leave unsaid the wrong thing at the tempting moment."
-- Benjamin Franklin

Look Who Came To Town...

...for all of an hour or so.

And the thing Abe and Klarissa were craving was Cafe Rio.

After we went to the trouble to load up the kids, get take-out from the restaurant, drive to the airport, park the car, wake up the sleeping children, load up the double stroller, go into the airport, wait for A & K to arrive, watch them quickly eat their meal and then walk away to go through security to get on their connecting flight to Florida, I was wondering if it was even worth it.

 Happily I'll say it was. I was going to stay home and let Spencer have a nap, but then I would have missed out on seeing Klarissa's pregnant tummy. I would have missed out on watching them getting such a kick out of the three little kids and Abe taking the girls on many escalator rides. It was worth it to catch a glimpse of the San Franciscans as they passed through Salt Lake City on their way to Florida.

Somehow it didn't matter that we found out there is a Cafe Rio right inside the airport. I'm sure Abe and Klarissa would say their cold meal from the Cafe Rio near us was much better than what they could have eaten fresh from the airport restaurant. It's always better to eat a meal with family.

How To Keep a Clean Home...

We have five new residents--the Golden family--who have been living with us the past week and a half. Our garage has become a storage place for all their belongings. The cars are now parked outside on the driveway instead of in the garage.

The purple pack-n-play sits in the entryway acting as a gate to prevent Spencer from falling down the stairs. Brooke and Caroline loaded it up with books and toys and it has become their playhouse as they climb in and out of it through the hole in the side netting.

We had the black office chairs blocking the stairs going up, but within a few days Spencer had discovered how to climb under them and make his way up the stairs. He is still trying to figure out how to get back down the stairs on his own.

Last night Brooke moved furniture around to set up a classroom in the living room. The piano bench is her desk.

She has all the army guys and all the animals facing toward the teacher's desk.

Does anyone besides me think it's quite ironic that the Relief Society asked me to teach a "house cleaning tips" class this week?

Quotes of the Week

"Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the  beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of
spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins."
-- Jim Rohn

"Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible."
-- Tony Robbins

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing."
-- Thomas Jefferson

The Best Man

Collin Jensen got married to Heidi Hunsaker in the Bountiful Temple last week.

Ben flew in from Colorado Springs to be the best man.

The four guys in the middle--Adam, Ben, Chase, David--along with Collin and Ethan (kneeling) have all been the best of friends for many years.

It was great seeing them all looking so dapper in their purple vests and ties.

 Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Jensen!!

"Thoughtful" Reminders of Our Loss

Is there something wrong with us if we keep thinking it's awfully rude of the Toyota dealership to send out a Christmas card... and now an anniversary card

reminding us of the brand new car

that hit a cow way back in October

and we haven't seen it--or driven it--since?????

Quotes of the Week

"I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else. I  believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be."
-- Ken Venturi

"Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now."
-- Denis Waitley

"Look within. Within is the fountain of good, and it will ever  bubble up, if thou wilt ever dig."
-- Marcus Aurelius