'Fess Up Friday

We're back, Baby!!! Now that I'm settled in enough and the newest season of Biggest Loser is on to inspire me, it's about time to get back into the swing of things.

This week I started my exercising again. It's been a while since I actually got off my duff to do some real, serious exercising. I'm so glad to say that I've been successful this week. I think the best thing I did was ask my sister Tara to workout with me. The good thing is that neither of us have wanted to disappoint the other, so Monday, Wednesday, and Friday this week we held each other accountable (even though I was late coming out to the living room each day). The tough part was the only time Tara has to workout is before she heads off to work, so we got up at 5am those days. We don't workout together on Tues or Thurs because she has class those days and we'd have to get up even earlier than 5am. Thank you, no. So, I kicked my can five times so far this week.

I knew I was a little behind from not working out in so long, but I was really upset on Tuesday when every muscle in my body was extremely sore. Then I realized what part of my problem was: several of the items I had planned to come to Tara's house got put into the storage unit and are completely lost until we unload the entire thing. But, I did manage to salvage a few things. So, I lost my 5 lbs weight that I've been using for the last 8 months, but I did have my 8 lbs weights. Lifting those extra 3 lbs per arm has been noticeably challenging. But I'll have buff arms in a few months.

My biggest problem (and it always has been despite my self-denial) is my diet. I'm not dieting. I'm just trying to eat healthily with reasonable portion sizes. It's the portion sizes that get me. My weight has gone back up to the amount it was when I hit that plateau for two or three months. This scares the crud out of me. I don't want to wake up so early and work so hard for no results. The food is going to have to change! Something will, at least.

By the way, anyone else shocked by this week's elimination on Biggest Loser? Some people yell at the TV when watching sports, I yell when I think the wrong person is put on the chopping block. I think my brother-in-law thought I was a little off my rocker.

How'd you do?

One Goal

Today I have just one goal: SURVIVE!

Let me preface this by saying that I'm really enjoying staying with my sister Tara and her family. They have been so generous to allow 6 additional bodies to overtake their home. And I really hope that I'm helping them out with their three boys, meals, and trying to keep the house standing.

The challenge right now is that this week has been Fall Break. For an entire week I've had 7 kids that I've been trying to take care of ages 11, 8, 7, 5, 4, 11 months, and 9 months. The kids had their regular half day on Wednesday and then additional half days on Thursday and Friday. They've been out of school this week and are off yet again next Monday. It's like Arizona doesn't want the kids in school or something.

The additional challenge is that the kids have gotten along pretty good so far. I'm not jinxing myself by saying this. I already know a blow up with the kids will happen. They're kids. And 57% of them are my kids. And as much as I'd like to avoid this by keeping the kids engaged in fruitful activities, that just hasn't happened. For one thing, I don't have enough seatbelts in the car. For another, I don't want to carry two infant carseats around at once (my exercising has resumed--look for 'Fess Up Friday tomorrow--but I'm not that good). And the other problem is paying for five kids to do something. The park is the obvious solution, and I'm sure there's one closeby, but I've resigned myself so much that now I'm just lazy.

So, with the bickering picking up today, I just want to survive. There may be naps in our immediate future, and for more than just little ones. I WILL SURVIVE!

Leave It Alone or Remake It: That is the Question

Last night I was inspired by the television. Today I got to thinking about movies.

Today Abby chose the movie Annie for us to watch. If you've been reading along with me for a while, you know that I love that movie. Because of Carol Burnett, who played Ms Hannigan, I developed my comedic timing and ended up playing several drunken idiots in college (on stage, not in real life). I've always aspired to play Ms Hannigan on stage. Forget Annie. I want to be the scantily clad, mean, drunk lady. (Give me a break--I never really rebelled as a youngster.) I was horrified when I discovered that the version we were watching was the Disney version made in 1999. I have nothing against the actors in that movie. I love Kathy Bates. But she ain't no Carol Burnett. I watched enough to realize that it wasn't an exact replica, but it wasn't too far from the original movie.

Here's my question: Why mess with a good thing? The 1980s version was just fine the way it was. And it didn't omit the song where Ms Hannigan tries to seduce Mr Warbucks (one of the best songs on the soundtrack). I know, it sounds like I'm promoting a filthy movie, but I just love it.

So I got to thinking. What movies would I boycott if they were remade? Here's a very brief list.

Gone With the Wind (unless they expand it another three hours to include all the material from the book that wasn't in the movie)

Casablanca

A Christmas Story

I'm sure there are more, but my mind is blank right now. Any ideas? What other movie remakes should we boycott if they are ever made? And on the other hand, which remakes do you think were successful? My votes go to Oceans 11, The Shaggy Dog, and Father of the Bride.

Inspiration From the Boob Tube?

Flipping through the channels of late night television, I had an epiphany.

Life is like a sitcom.

When you have a chance to watch a rerun (think back on your life), you get to see how the beginning of the series affects the end. And you sit there and think, "Did the writers really plan that out so brilliantly, or did it all just fall into place?" Sometimes I wonder, Is this the way my life was supposed to go or did my choices cause my path to meander and change directions?




If my life were a sitcom, I think it'd have to be called Growing Pains. Oh, wait, that's been used. Are You Smarter Than a 5-year-old? No, too close to the gameshow. Ah, I know. Sick and Tired...all about the nurse and his exhausted wife. Their four children are loud and bicker. They have the cooky in-laws (if you think I'm talking about you, you might be right). Dramatic moment cliff-hangers (some of which I've never expounded in this forum). And a live studio audience. No canned laughter for my production. And I want it funny enough to make the audience gut-laugh. You know, the kind that starts at the bottom of your stomach and bursts outloud.

Any takers?

Good News and Bad News

Things are happening around here...

Good news: Tomorrow I'm picking up on my exercising.
Bad news: Tomorrow I'm picking up on my exercising at 5am so I can use my sister Tara as a workout buddy. Good luck to me.

Good news: The kids aren't behind at their new school, despite the fact that MT schools started a month after schools here did.
Bad news: The kids aren't behind at their new school, despite the fact that MT schools started a month after schools here did.

Good news: Josh is working his first overtime shift tonight.
Bad news: Josh is working his first overtime shift tonight.

Good news: I have a few activities planned for the five big kids this week.
Bad news: I have a few activities planned for the five big kids this week because there is no school for the next six weekdays.

Good news: It's time for bed. I'm sleepy. And I'll just leave it on a Good News note.

Happy Birthday to the Man of my Dreams!!

(Yes, Josh, I'm talking to you.)

Yesterday was Josh's birthday. It was a good day. The kids had a short day at school, so by the time they got home we were ready to start our fun day.

We started out having lunch with the kids (our nephew Brett came along too) at Rally's. Can we say, "Holy crap, give me more of them french fries"? Yeah, 'Fess Up Friday this is not. We took our food over to the Mesa Cemetery for a picnic. That might sound weird, but we went visiting Josh's grandparents.

This is not a picture of where we picnicked, but it is a shot of the Mesa Cemetery. It was the best Google could do for me. We sat by Grandma and Grandpa Stratton's headstone, under an olive tree, and ate our lunch. When we were done, we took an old toothbrush and some cloths and scrubbed their grave marker to make it beautiful.

Afterward, we headed to the Mesa Temple and walked around the Visitors' Center. Isn't it so incredible?

We got to look around the temple grounds and in the Visitors' Center we saw all their different displays about families being together forever. It made me teary eyed. Okay, really it made me cry a little. A lot. Fine, I totally bawled my eyes out. I just get so overwhelmed by the thought of our little band (as crazy as my children drive me) will be together forever. Well after this mortal existance we will still be a family, bound by the eternal bonds of marriage. You can absolutely feel the Spirit of God just inside the Visitors' Center. It's amazing and it was the recharge we've all needed. We got to stop and spend time at the Christus as well. Beautiful.

Later, Josh and I went on a kid-free date. I know, I just talked about how excited I am to be with my entire family for eternity, but sometimes it's necessary to get out just the two of us. We went to Red Lobster for their endless shrimp special. I had the chicken. Although, I did branch out and try the shrimp. I've had this aversion to shrimp ever since I was about 9 and my dad went shrimping. He brought home coolers full of shrimp and then my sister and I had to stick in our thumbs and pop off their heads. Talk about being scarred for life. Gross. Anyway, my Cajun Chicken Linguini Fettucini was delicious.

After dinner Josh and I decided to stay out just a bit longer. We took advantage of the amazing Arizona October night air and went mini golfing.

Josh actually worked here in high school. He was a Revenue Manager. He told me (halfway through our game) that he used to come out and golf a round after each shift. I think that may have something to do with the fact that he beat me by about 72 strokes. Maybe not that many, but I didn't let him add them up. It was pretty obvious who won. If it hadn't been that the place was decked out for Halloween, I would've forgotten that it was October. The night was so peaceful and wonderful.

After such a great day, I'd have to say that I could easily get used to being here in Arizona. I'm glad you had a great day too, Baby!!

Arizona Top Ten List

Arizona Top Ten List...

Things I need to get used to:

10. The heat (a given)

9. Sand. Everywhere.

8. Driving time: it actually takes time to drive places.

7. The water is dis-gus-ting!

6. If you're not speeding then you're impeding traffic.

5. Southwestern architecture. Everywhere. (It's hard to tell residential and commercial buildings apart.)

4. A high LDS population. It's been nine years since we've lived somewhere where a single neighborhood might house as many as three wards.

3. Seven kids in one house. Ever thought of having five kids ages 11 to 4 and then a set <1-yr-old twins? It hasn't been too bad, but I'm very, very glad that most of them go to school during the day.

2. Cookie-cutter houses in cookie-cutter neighborhoods. I'm too much a traditionalist. Remember when buying a house meant you had to look at the actual house you were interested in and not the model home? (The house hasn't sold yet, so we're just looking, but still...)

And the number one thing to get used to in Arizona...

Realizing that someday I'll have no point of reference that Millie will understand when I tell her it was below zero on the day she was born in Montana.

Adventure on the High Seas...

...or the desert, whatever.

Guess who's back online! After having an incredible time with Josh, we loaded up the moving truck and spent the last three days driving down to Arizona and we are now officially here. We are in Arizona. Can you believe it? I'm pretty sure I can't. I think I'm still in a surreal state of mind. Somehow, I really don't comprehend the changes that we are experiencing and about to.

Here's the skinny on what we've been doing...

While Josh was in Montana we had some fun. We finished packing the house and garage, we took the kids mini-golfing, we had a chick-flick moment in the airport when he first arrived. It was really nice to have my husband with me again. I didn't even mind sleeping in a double bed with him (a double is a bit small for the two of us).

Josh left on Thursday, so I spent that afternoon doing things around Mom and Dad's house. Friday Dad and I went to pick up the moving truck in Helena, which is about an hour and a half away from Great Falls. Then more packing. See, the kids and I moved into my parents' house the day Josh first left for Arizona. So, for several weeks our daily-use things intermingled in Mom and Dad's stuff, so I had additional packing to do to separate our items. This was the hardest thing of the whole packing process. I worked it Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ugh. So much packing!! Frustrating!!

Saturday we spent loading our moving truck with some wonderful friends. It was nice to have that part done, but I was still getting all our stuff at Mom and Dad's. Finally, everything was packed (although I got virtually no cleaning done at Mom and Dad's. I feel really bad about that).

Monday morning we took off. Dad drove the moving truck and I drove our van. We also were able to take my friend Emily and two of her boys to visit her folks in Utah. We stopped in Logan for a second to drop some maternity clothes off to my sister-in-law. Then we rushed off to stay the night with my friend Cindy. What usually takes an average of 9 hours to drive, ended up being a 13 hour trip. It was a monster of a drive. The good part was having the nice company of Emily and her boys. The bad part was that the day was so looooong!! We had a good visit with Cindy, much better than in July when we stopped by for just a few hours. Sorry to all my friends we didn't get to visit. I wish we had had more time to spend with everyone. We'll have to do a big BBQ sometime.

Tuesday we drove the rest of the way through Utah. We stopped in Kanab, which happened to be where we met up with Josh. We stayed at a hotel that was used years ago when several Hollywood actors stayed in Kanab while filming different movies. The members of the Rat Pack stayed there. In fact, Frank Sinatra's wife, Eva Gardner, stayed with him. When her mother wanted to come stay, he didn't want the hotel to go out of their way to accommodate her, so he suggested they turn a closet into a single room for her. Today it's called the "Mother-in-law". As we got there and checked in, we got two of the last three rooms available. Josh, the kids, and I stayed in the "Anne Baxter" room. Dad got the "Mother-in-law". We all got a kick out of that.

Wednesday (yesterday) we finished our trip and got to Tara and Jabon's house in the late afternoon. We spent today unloading the moving truck (thanks to Josh's cousin's husband, his brother, and some guys from our new ward) and then turned the truck back in. Whew, one hurdle done.

Tomorrow I'll go get the kids into school. Next week they have two half days and then the week after that they will be on Fall Recess, so they'll have no school at all. This, plus the fact that the schools here started at the beginning of August, I'm afraid the kids are going to be a bit behind. We'll see.

And to try to put me into reality, here it is my second night in Arizona and I'm already sleeping alone. Josh went back to work tonight. Maybe we'll get some sort of routine soon. That will be helpful for me to wrap my mind around this whole new adventure.