Rolling With the Punches

At church on Sunday, one of the teachers mentioned in her lesson that she has moved 20 times in her life. She thought that was a lot until another sister told her she had moved 47 times.

Of course, this got me thinking (I may have to retitle my blog that: "This Got Me Thinking..."). I was reminded of a friend I had once who was serving as the Young Women's President at church. I was her counselor. She had a very hard time bending when bending was required. For her, things needed to be the way she had originally planned them or she'd freak out. I spent many evenings trying to console her and help her understand that plans sometimes need to change. And that's okay. One night I told her, "You've got to be more flexible and learn to roll with the punches." She chilled out a little bit, but it was always a challenge for her.

And what about me? Do I follow my own advice? Yes. A little too well. And Josh has always been very willing to roll with me. Sometimes he's even the instigator.

Where have these punches rolled me? Since marrying Josh, I've gone from Colorado to Arizona to Colorado to Montana to Arizona. This new home will be Move Number 14. And that's just since 1999.

Before that, most moves were orchestrated by my parents. So, what's the grand total? 20? 47? Well, the total moves (that I can remember or have some sort of documentation of) is 34. This includes the upcoming move, the two times I moved back into my parents' home at ages 19 and 20, but it doesn't include this summer when the kids and I stayed with my parents when Josh first came to Arizona. Oh, and only four of these moves were directly related to the Air Force.

With the last six moves occurring since December 2007, spanning a total of 1718.3 miles, I figure I've rolled enough for now. I hope and PRAY this will be our last move for a while. I was at the new house with the appraiser today. I love our house. I want to live in it. I want it to last us for a long time.

34 moves is enough for now.

Spring is Blooming

Today as we passed what happens to be my grandmother and uncle's subdivision we were bombarded by the perfume of citrus blossoms. Oh my goodness. It was heavenly. We were driving with the windows down (it was only 80 degrees outside, jealous much?) and the kids and I nearly freaked out. If you could bottle that scent and be able to avoid the tint of alcohol that most perfumes seem to possess, you'd make millions.

It reminded me a bit of my great-aunt's home in Mississippi.

(This isn't really a pic of her house, but it's a close comparison.)

She passed away in 1999. But in about 1989, we went to her house and I remember her front yard was comprised almost completely of wildflowers. She had ivy growing along trellises and up the side of her house. It was beautiful. I loved it so much that she gave me some seeds from her flowers to grow my own garden.

I also remember my great-uncle going out to his watermelon patch, taking one into the nook of his arm, thumping it, and after finding just the right one, he picked it and we immediately cut it open and ate it. There isn't anything much more refreshing than a freshly picked Mississippi watermelon. (Okay, that one's a memory of summer, but if you've never noticed, I function in chains: this made me think of this, which made me think of this.... you get the picture.)

Callings

Every Sunday I ponder the concept of callings in the LDS church. In our church, people are not paid for their services. A person will be prayerfully considered for a position and then asked if they will accept the calling. They have the ability to turn it down if they choose. But I think everyone knows that no matter how much you might dread a certain calling, you will be blessed for accepting it.

There's a certain bit of expectation I experience each time we join a new ward. Where will I be called? Because there's always a need, it's pretty much a given that a calling will eventually be extended. Where might I work? The Primary (children ages 18 mos to 11 years)? The Young Women (ages 12 to 18)? The Relief Society (women over the age of 18)? Sunday School (ages 12 to adults)? Activities? Family History? Music Coordination? So many possibilities.

Of course, this always gets me to reflect on past callings. I think one of the best callings I've ever had was also one of the most difficult. I taught the adult Sunday school lessons, called Gospel Doctrine. Basically, I taught a 40 minute lesson, using the scriptures as the basis, to adults so much more wise in spiritual matters than I was. I was 26, teaching people who had been active in the Gospel for 50+ years. Talk about intimidating. But, it all happened during a time in my life that I could have easily stayed home every Sunday and no one would have thought less of me for it. Matt had just been born (I think he was 2 months old when I got the calling), so Emma and Abby were 3 and 2. Josh worked weekends, so he rarely made it to church with me. I was also waist-deep in school and theatre. As uplifting as good theatre can be, not all plays are uplifting. My spirit was wavering. For three years I complained about my calling, but it kept me at church every Sunday and it forced me to study my scriptures so I'd be prepared for my lessons and possible questions/themes that could be discussed. It was a challenge, but after the fact I realized that I loved it.

So tell me. What callings have you loved?

Gearing Up For the Week

Sometimes, you just have to say to yourself, "Self, I know you don't want to do this, but ya gotta."

Tonight I cleaned my house. Just the usual: finished laundry, did the dishes, picked up toys, vacuumed, scrubbed the kitchen floor, and bathed all the children. Not necessarily in that order.

I did this in an effort to prepare for my week. Because we are moving back to the school district the kids were in when we first got to Arizona, we've decided to put our lives back together and have the girls finish the year in their previous school. Then I will only have one child at home to teach and one baby to care for. Can I tell you that I am SO HAPPY about this decision? I know the girls will be fine in the school and Matt will finally have all the time he needs for learning. It was all a bit rushed with the three different grade levels to complete everyday. So what better way to prepare for a less stressful week than to have a clean house (and clean kids)?

Also, my exercise is resuming this next week. And my SparksPeople food tracking. My gut has returned. As well as my behind. Their reappearance doesn't make me happy. So, it's time to get everything back into place. Less stress. Less mess. Happier Mommy.

Here's to a good beginning to a good week!!

Who Do You Think You Are?

I think my new favorite show on TV right now is "Who Do You Think You Are?"

It's an amazing show which follows celebrities as they search for their family history. Three years ago I began trying to compile my own family history. Of course, this includes Josh's family, since they will forever be my family as well.

Anyway, the stories they are able to piece together are amazing. Shockingly, Emmitt Smith was able to trace one line of his family all the way back to Africa, something very difficult to do with slave heritages. Last week Lisa Kudrow (whom I love to watch) discovered what happened to her great grandmother in Poland. Here is a clip of that.




This week Matthew Broderick was able to discover his great- great-grandfather's previously unmarked grave from when he was killed during the Civil War. Just amazing stories.

Next week will be Brooke Shields (whom I also love) finding her royal roots in Europe. Maybe we're related.

I just love watching this show. And it really spurs me to continue working on my family history. I really want to take some trips to discover even more about our family. I'd love to head to Mississippi, Maine, Scotland, and other places where my current records end.

P.S.

I did forget another slight con in the post about the house. We will now be neighbors with BUS STOP MOM. Nooooo!!! But, I'll even put up with her and her annoying kids and socially awkward self because we love our house so much. Luckily, she lives a few houses down. Bus Stop Mom. Ugh. For that story, go here.

Be Still My Beating Heart....

....Houston, we have a contract.

I can't believe it, but we have found our near-dream house. I'll just get this out of the way, I'd love it if this home was a bit closer to the freeway because that would cut down Josh's commute to and from work. But, if it was, this home would be at least $50,000 more. Like they say, "Location, location, location."

Now that I got the con out of the way, let me tell you all about the pros.

Our house is wonderful. It's a foreclosure, which means that our dealings with the owning bank are more difficult and strict. It also means we're getting a screaming deal. There are some cosmetic things that we get to do ourselves. We will repaint, buy new lighting fixtures for the living room, family room, and bedrooms. Because we are buying a home in the middle of the desert, we get to use a rural housing loan that does not require a down payment. That means we'll have plenty of our savings to use for these "touch ups" and if we're lucky enough, there will be enough left over to replace the flooring throughout instead of waiting until next year's tax return to do it.

The layout is great. You walk into the living room and at the other end of it are the kitchen, family room, and stairs leading to the upstairs and five good-sized bedrooms, including the wonderful master bedroom. Also, the main level has the laundry room, a small bathroom, and access to the two car garage.

Our yard has potential. Lots of potential. We're on a pie-shaped lot, but it's bigger than most in our area. If we had an extra $20,000, we'd have the ideal backyard: pool, kids' play area, built-in BBQ area, fire pit, garden area. And then another $10,000 to $15,000 would give Josh plenty of toys to park in the RV parking area beside the house. Unfortunately, that bill alone equals 1/3 of our future mortgage.

Probably my favorite thing is the fact that our home is two vacant lots and two houses down the street from my sister, Tara. Just the thought of walking over to her house or the kids riding their bikes to go play with their cousins is such an incredible thought. The Williams family has always been so disjointed from the rest of the family. Even when the kids all began settling down in Colorado and getting married, Mom and Dad moved away to Texas. The possibility of having even one sibling so close by is a miracle. (Lori, there are still plenty of homes available in the neighborhood.)

So now it's the pain of waiting for closing. I hate this waiting period. Everything could be fine, or it could all fall apart. Our inspection is scheduled for Thursday morning--we waste no time. Our scheduled closing date is April 28. I'm sure I'll be keeping you informed.

I {Heart} Spring Break

No school. It's like this wonderful fairy land. I am the fairy queen. "Gather 'round, children," I call and the little fairies rush to my side, wanting nothing more than to hear what I have to say.

"Yes, our Queen," they call in unison as their little fairy wings flutter and their beautiful array of pastel clothing brighten the world around them.

"Children, it is time to gather your belongings and place them in their proper places. Pip, pip!" And they float away, happily laughing and joking as they clean the home around them.

*Sigh*

I wish.

It really has been wonderful to not have to worry about school. Of course, the Fairy Children actually have had their monstrous moments. Fights, yelling, Matt nearly getting hit by a car. Heaven has been far from our home on several occasions this week. But, with no school, it did make house hunting a bit easier earlier this week. Look for the housing update soon.

Oh, and I've never used the phrase "Pip, pip" before this post.

Round One

Here's the skinny on buying a house:

There is only one house for you. Unfortunately, you have to look at many houses to find that one.

This weekend we put a bid on a HUD home. It was in good condition, needed minimal repairs (light fixtures and a stove/oven, very typical items missing in vacant homes around here), and a great price. We made the offer knowing we would only be able to keep the home for a few years. It's a 4 bedroom, we know our family is not done growing. Kids can share rooms, but we may not be able to get away with cozy quarters when we have three teenagers, a tween, and whoever else may come along. I really wanted the home. It made me feel comfortable. But, someone out bid us by $50. We are the first back up, but we need to move on and find our new home.

It's very uncommon for someone to get the first home they put an offer on. We've now walked through at least five homes and walked around the outside of several others. Our list is quickly dwindling. Luckily, new homes pop up everyday. New HUD homes come up every Friday.

Tomorrow we tour at least four new homes. Let's get ready for Round Two.

House Hunters Arizona

We need to call HGTV. They should follow us on our journey for buying a house.




Why? Because we are not ridiculous and trying to upgrade our 3 bedroom home to a 5+ bedroom home because we're about to have our first baby and we've outgrown 1800 sq ft. If you are of that category of people, I'm sorry. I'll try to reserve my judgment of you....okay, I tried, but I still judge. I'm very much looking forward to getting our family into a decent sized home, big enough for our family but realistic enough for our budget.



There are lots of homes to choose from, especially if we are willing to keep Josh's commute a bit longer. Ugh, I hate to do that, especially since buying a house means we need to live in it for a few years, at least. But I also want us to find that house that is supposed to be ours. There are so many factors to consider.



But, even if we are too simple for HGTV, I'll share our findings with you. (I know, you're on the edge of your seat.) We have two houses we're looking at in the morning. Don't know how it will go, but they seem promising.



Stay tuned......

Dear John

Tonight we turned on the movie Grease. Love that movie. I got to thinking (as I usually do). If our generation were to redo this movie, and that's always a possibility these days, who would be cast?

Can anyone replace John Travolta as Danny Zuko? It just doesn't seem right. We've seen that not all movies can get away with a sequel. I love Michelle Pfeiffer, but Grease 2 was laaaaame!

So, it's been a while, but here's a quote game using John Travolta movies. I've seen each of these movies at least five times, so hopefully they will be recognizable enough.

#1: John Travolta (JT): Okay, so what we do here is give the target a quick flyover, we adjust the trajectory, and then land dead center. Am I missing anything, Rhino?
Rhino: Just the knowledge that every minute spent in your company becomes the new greatest minute of my life!

#2: JT: You know, I invented marriage.
Pansy: Oh, really?
JT: Yep. All these people were milling around, trying to get together, everything was in chaos so I told 'em, "Have a ceremony."

#3: Dr.: All right, I'll start the questions and I'll be timing your responses and we'll be recording. Any questions?
JT: What's your first name?
Dr.: Uh, my first name is Bob.
JT: Shoot, Bob.
Dr.: Right. Name as many mammals as you can in 60 seconds. Ready? Go.
JT: Hmm. Sixty seconds. Well, how would you like that? How about alphabetical? Aardvark, baboon, caribou, dolphin, eohippus, fox, gorilla, hyena, ibex, jackal, kangaroo, lion, marmoset, Newfoundland, ocelot, panda, rat, sloth, tiger, unicorn, varmint, whale, yak, zebra. Now "varmint" is a stretch; so is "Newfoundland" (that's a dog breed); "unicorn" is mythical; "eohippus" is prehistoric. But you weren't being very specific, now, were you, Bob?

#4: JT: Whoa! You really got your figure back, didn't you?
Mollie: This is not my figure!
JT: Well then, you got Dolly Parton's figure back!

#5: JT: That's cool, Baby. You know how it is, rockin' and rollin' and whatnot.

There are other movies that he's done that I like, but I couldn't track down any good lines he had. For instance, I like Be Cool. Dwayne Johnson is hilarious! Also, I like Wild Hogs. So funny. And I haven't seen Hairspray yet. We've gotta find that one in the Redbox sometime.


Anyway, have fun.

Ode to the Man of My Dreams

I love my husband.

I don't think this should be shocking news, but sometimes you have a moment of clarity when you realize how much someone loves you, how much he does to take care of you and your children, how grateful you are to have him forever.

Josh has been working a lot of overtime lately. For one thing, the hospital is short-handed and they would allow him to work 7 days a week if he wanted to. For another thing, we are trying to get ahead financially so we can buy a home and prepare for Josh going back to school. His week mostly comprises of 5 12-hour shifts, two hours per day in commuting (that's 70 hours/week) and trying to catch some sleep somewhere in between.

He's an incredible man and no one works harder than he does. In his few and far between days off, we try to have fun as a family.

It's funny how, no matter how tired he is, he always makes me laugh. He makes me feel safe and comfortable. He's the most amazing person I know, and my best friend.

Easton Corbin's song "I'm a Little More Country Than That" is Josh's current favorite song. So, my Love, here's to you! I love you so much!!




Sorry, I can't figure out how to put the video on and not have it cut off the side. But, it's still worth listening to.

Warning: A "You Had To Be There" Moment

Tonight I made some cookies.


As surprised as you might be (if you remember my love for baking), imagine the surprise of my children. They were fascinated. I left the light on in the oven so they could sit there for ten minutes and watch the cookies bake. I think they all sat there the entire time, too.

The kids wanted to help me, so I let the girls mix the dry ingredients while I mixed the sugar and such. First they had to wash their hands "like a nurse." Daddy has taught them well.

They mixed and mixed. Then I let each kid grab an egg and give it to me. Abby and Emma began dramatically fake-sobbing as their eggs were butchered and cracked and torn open by the heinous baker-mom. But when their last egg, Darling, was cracked, they were in all sorts of a fit. Finally, it was time to add the flour mixture. They took heart in that "Johnny" the flour was being reunited with "Darling" the egg. Evidently, Johnny and Darling love each other and wanted to get married. Abby yelled, "They've been dating since high school!"

I don't know where they get this oddity. It's not like their parents are ever weird.

Reality TV, Anyone?

So, if you had the chance to be on any reality TV show on these days, which would you choose?

I don't know that I would fit in on any current show.

The Biggest Loser: I love this show, but that would mean that I would need to lose more than the 20 lbs I have left (yes, I've lost 10 lbs in the last four weeks or so). So, I'm thinking that would not happen. It is kind of cool that an open audition is being held just up the road from us in a couple weeks. But, like I said, my weight to lose is not enough to get me on the show. Although having Bob and Jillian kick my can each day would be helpful.

Dancing With the Stars: I love this one too. I've only missed one season in its entire run and that was because we elected to not have cable back then. But would I really like being on the show? Hmmm....learning how to dance with some handsome man 6 to 8 hours a day. Actually, as great as it sounds, it would be a bit of a bummer. The only man I want to dance with is Josh. And as wonderful as he is in so many ways, Josh knows how to dance as well as I do, so there's no chance that he could be my handsome partner. Plus, I'd have to be a Star, and as incredible as I am, I am no Star, so there goes that one.

Celebrity Apprentice: I don't know a whole lot about this one except for the infamous, "You're Fired!" The little I've seen of the show seems to have a lot of marketing involved for the contestants to figure out. I'm not much of a marketing person. The most marketing I've ever done is watching Who's the Boss in the 80s. (In case you don't remember, Angela was an advertiser.)

Survivor: This is one I might have a chance at. Living in the middle of nowhere? Done that. Having to survive on very little? Done that. Making alliances with the devil? Okay, that one's not gonna happen.

Supernanny: The day I need Supernanny is the day I give up as a mother. Now, having a nanny to give me a break every once in a while, that's something else.

Extreme Make Over: Home Edition: Yes. Sign me up. If only I had a house..... Maybe we should contact House Hunters.

There are tons of other reality TV shows out there. I think the only show I'd really like to do is a brand-new one coming out called Who Do You Think You Are? which is a show that investigates people's genealogy. I know a bit about my roots, but I'd love to learn even more. I want to know more about Obe Lowry who was killed during a family feud in Mississippi, or Ann Short who came to the New World aboard the Welcome with William Penn on his first voyage, around 1681. I want to know more about these people. And to have an expert help me find these stories, not just the names and dates, would be awesome.

So tell me. What show would you do?

A Lesson From Ferdinand

Today Matt learned about Spain. What I love about these lessons are the stories and games associated with them. So, as we learned that Madrid is a city in Spain which is on the continent of Europe (Matt calls it Syrup), we got to read The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and drawings by Robert Lawson.

The story takes place in Spain with a young bull named Ferdinand. Ferdinand is different from the other bulls. The other bulls love to run and butt heads and dream of going to Madrid to fight in the bull fights. "But not Ferdinand. He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers." He grows into a large bull and when the men from Madrid come to check out the bulls for the bull fights, Ferdinand goes to his favorite cork tree to smell the flowers. However, he sits on a bee and freaks out, appearing to be the meanest, fiercest, and craziest bull of all. The men take him to Madrid and when the fight begins, Ferdinand comes to the middle of the arena to sit and smell the flowers in the hair of all the beautiful women in the crowd. The Banderilleros, with their sharp pins to stick into Ferdy, can't make him angry and attack the Matador. The Picadores, with their long spears, can't make him angry and attack the Matador. The Matador, who wants to use his sword against the bull, does everything he can to anger Ferdinand, but the bull continues to just sit and smell the flowers. Finally, with no fight looming, Ferdinand is taken home and his life is spared.

It's a wonderful story about how avoiding contention can be your saving grace. My children really need to learn that one.

Of course, my messed up mind saw it in a bit of a different light. We are about to re-embark on our quest for a new home. This time around, our options are opened a little more. There are several things we want in a home and we are being a bit more willing to expand our possibilities. So Sunday we went driving around a bit to check out some other areas of the Valley of the Sun to see what's out there. There are some nice areas with incredible schools (I know, What? I don't want to home school for the next 17 years? Crazy!). I'm nervous, though, that our short introductions to the areas may not give us the actual reality of what the areas are like. I don't want to be like the men who come to get Ferdinand: I don't want to think I'm getting one thing and then find out I'm getting something else. It's scary. We plan to spend the next several years in whatever house we find. For a woman who has never lived in one house for more than three years at a time, that's a scary idea. I don't want us to mess this up. I am absolutely prepared to rely on my God given blessing of personal/family revelation. It's about the only way to do this. Sometimes, our eyes will deceive us, but our hearts will always guide us safely.

Just for fun, after Matt's lesson I Googled Ferdinand and found the Disney cartoon. It's about 8 minutes long, but grab the kids and watch it. So worth it!

I Enjoy Being A Girl

This weekend we had a little extra testosterone in our house. I had three of our nephews over Friday and Saturday. It was a definite reminder that our house is usually very female-dominated. The kids had fun and I had to pull the big gate out to keep babies out of certain areas, so it was a pretty successful weekend.

I've realized how comfortable I am with my feminine atmosphere. I've never been a girlie-girl, in fact Josh proudly refers to me as "not high maintenance." But I have been trying to do more girl things with my girls. Lately, we've been playing with hair more. I heard about this website "Girls Hairdos & Ideas" from someone (I can't remember who--if it was you, sorry I don't remember) and began following it.

The hairstyles are so cute and I've had a lot of fun remembering how to inside out braid and Abby loves having her hair done. It's been fun to do.

But as much as I've begun playing with the girls' hair, I have also stayed true to my feminist convictions. I don't go burning my bra, but I do like the stories of strong women. Lately I've been watching Ever After, with Drew Barrymore and Angelica Houston. I love that movie, even though Drew's performance isn't her best--she's a bit stilted and I'm not sure if it's because she struggles with the accent or it's just her characterization. Anyway, it's a new spin on the Cinderella story. My favorite part is when the prince comes to save her. I won't say any more in case you haven't seen it yet.

I also love the story The Paper Bag Princess. It's a must-read.

Although I dread what our house may be like in about five years, I do love my girls and I think they are fun. Of course, I love my son too and hope someday he can have that elusive brother he keeps talking about.

In case you've never heard the song "I Enjoy Being a Girl," check it out here.

Read

I Enjoy Being A Girl Lyrics

here.