Family Tag

About the family I grew up in:
1. How many in your family (including parents and self): Six of us!
2. Do you live close to each other or spread out? Fairly close together.
3. What do you do when you get together? Eat, talk, play games!
4. What do you love about your family? I love that we can really laugh when we get together!
5. Where did you most often vacation? Probably Utah
6. Do you talk to everyone in your family once a month, once a week, or more often? Mom- at least once a week. Janna/Kara/Dan- probably once every other week or so...?
7. Where is your family from? All over!
8. How would you describe your Dad? Friendly and organized
9. How would you describe your Mom? Spiritually-minded, classy
10. What was Christmas morning like at your house growing up? We waited until Mom and Dad were "ready" for all of us to come down (with Christmas music playing), take turns opening presents, and have a breakfast feast!
11. Who was the most serious student? Hmmm...hard one. Kara?
12. Who was the athlete? Dan! or maybe Janna. It's a toss up!
13. Who was the silliest? Me. Hands down.
14. Who was the social one? I'd say Dan! I think Janna is a close second.
15. Who was the scaredy-cat? ME.
16. Who's the sentimental one? Kara or me
17. What is one of your favorite traditions from your years living together? Family Home Evenings...or Christmastime complete with decorations all over, cinnamon rolls, Christmas Eve program, sneaking out in the night to look at our loot (and taping Dan's door).
18. How many kids in your family? How many girls/how many boys? 4 kids- 3 girls, 1 boy
19. Where do you fall in the child order? Youngest
19. Any family pets? McKee the Beloved. (she was a cat)
21. What usually happened on the weekends? Chores. Dad had a list for us all. Church on Sunday.
22. Music that reminds you of your family: Chicago, Natalie Cole,The Andrews Sisters, and more old stuff like Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, etc.
23. Movies that remind you of your family: McLintock! The Great Race


a family picture. (sorry I don't have an older one!)

I tag anyone who'd like to do it! Let me know if you're going to do it. :)

Bill Cosby's "Dentist" Routine

I always thought this was quite hilarious.

A Cool Blog I Found!

I've been rather discouraged about doing Family Home Evenings with our family. Getting Cameron to settle down and listen to a lesson is really hard. So we kind of gave up doing it for a long time. I'd really like to make it a habit now, and I found this blog which I am very excited about check it out: Teaching My Kids

The Verdict...2 Days In

I put this in a comment on the last post, but I know some readers don't look at the comments/keep up with them. So let me just say that switching to the big boy bed has gone perfectly so far! I am so GRATEFUL! We hope our luck continues...

Details: We made him part of the purchasing of the bed (which he loved), taking apart the crib and putting together the bed (which he also loved). Once it was set up, he was really excited and rolled around on it and pretended to sleep. We now have to read to him at night while he's in his bed; he's not getting off the bed to sit in your lap!

Switching to Big Boy Bed

Tomorrow we are switching Cameron to a big boy bed. I'm scared to death. He's always been a star sleeper in that crib. I think sleeping at night in the bed will be easier than naps. I'm sure he still needs them, and I don't want him refusing naptime because of the change... but it'll be a lot harder to keep him in bed during the day!

Moms? What did you do to keep your kids in bed after you switched to a big boy/girl bed??

Yay! Zoo Member!

A while ago we decided we want to be zoo members. A couple weekends ago, Brian spontaneously suggested going to the Denver Zoo and buy our membership!

It's been a while since I've seen a giraffe. Good grief, they are tall! Some pretty neat-looking creations, God! Good one!

The elephants were the first animals we saw. You shoulda seen Cameron's face! He looked downright shocked that elephants were that big.
Yes, Cam, looking at them in a book and seeing them in person is a bit different, kiddo!

As we left, we said, "Yay! We're zoo members!" And Cameron echoes from his car seat: "Yaay! Zoo member!"

Answers to Movie Quotes

Alright, kids. Here are the answers for the rest of the quotes:

2. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels- I was rather surprised no one got this one! That movie is so funny! And the quote I used is one of my favorite parts!

6. McLintock! - Unless one of my siblings figured it out, the other people I could see guessing it would be my parents. It's a great old movie with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Very entertaining--even Brian likes it (and he's not really one for old movies)!

8. Remember the Titans- Oh guys. This part was one of the best scenes! They jogged to Gettysburg, remember??

9. The Big Country- Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, Jean Simmons, Burl Ives. I love this old movie! I especially love Gregory Peck's character--he was the speaker of the quote I used.

Movie Quotes Quiz

RULES:

1. Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie (one-liners).
3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. NO cheating. If you don't know any of them, that's just too bad.
6. You DON'T have to be tagged in the note to play.

I took this idea from friend Jenny! If you decide to do this, tell me so I can go see your list!
And I broke the rule about one-liners in a few spots.

*************

1. No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try. Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back- Jenny
2. May I take your trident, sir?
3. Because of our traditions... Every one of us knows who he is and what God expects him to do. Fiddler on the Roof- Melissa
4. NOW gimme some fightin' room! The Great Race- Kara
5. You have no compassion for my poor nerves. Pride and Prejudice- Jenny
6. Swell party, where's the whisky?
7. You are a MURDERER OF LOVE! Dan in Real Life- Melissa
8. Listen to their souls, men. I killed my brother with malice in my heart.
9. I'm not responsible for what people think, only for what I am.
10. There comes a time in every son's life when he must, indeed, follow his father's advice: I shall go to bed at once. An Ideal Husband- Heidi
11. Mr. Provolon-e. Where are those G's? Oscar- Heidi
12. It doesn't matter. He believes in you. The Count of Monte Cristo- Daniel
13. I've been using some fruity soaps, Maggie. Waking Ned Devine- Melissa
14. So unless we intend to do this job in Reno, we're in barney. Ocean's Eleven- Melissa
15. I coulda been a contender. On the Waterfront- Laura

Sinusitis, How I Loathe Thee

Never underestimate the value of the sense of smell and taste. I get a sinus infection every spring ever since I began college. The past few years I've been lucky enough to lose my sense of smell and taste with these Annual Sinus Fests. Let me tell you, losing the ability to taste is devastating. I am being serious. This morning I almost cried because I was so depressed about it. My stomach is telling me it's hungry. Browse the fridge and cupboards. Hmm...what should I have? IT DOESN'T MATTER. YOU WON'T TASTE IT ANYWAY. What should I make for dinner? Might as well just make enough for Brian and Cameron and starve yourself. What's the point of eating if you can't taste a curs-ed thing?? This should be the newest diet fad. If you want to lose weight, go find someone with a sinus infection and have them cough or sneeze on you. There you go. Now you too can lose 5 pounds in a weekend! And everything you see reminds you that you can't smell or taste. I was on my way to the grocery store this morning and saw a sign that read: "Lutheran Church Sample & Taste Party." Wow. Walk into the grocery store and be greeted by a veritable wall of enormous brightly colored flowers. My goodness, those look lovely. Too bad you can't "drink them in." Peruse the produce section. "Are these lemons fresh?" I have no idea! You could hand me a rotten fish and I'd say, "yep, that's good." Speaking of rotten fish and other offending smells, I would gladly welcome the smell of an explosive diaper, onion breath, and an ash try if I can but smell and taste those awesome-looking cinnamon rolls Anna brought over or those big pink peonies at Whole Foods that have been calling my name for some weeks now.

Is it "asking amiss" to pray that my sense of smell/taste come back...soon? Today? Now?

"...Through Heavenly Father's Plan"

We have had my parents visiting since Thursday. We loved having them here! We had a ball going for walks, visiting Grandrabbits, the library, going to swim class, philosophizing, and playing games. Today we had to say goodbye. Cameron shed great tears of sorrow at the airport. As we drove away, I got a little sad myself. Then I thought, goodbyes would be a lot more tragic if it weren't for the gospel. Good thing we're an eternal family, Cam. Good thing.

Praise to the Man

I thought this was beautiful. Also be sure to the see the below posts if you haven't already.