I Think I'm in Love!

This beauty has made my life better already. I am excited that I was finally able to convince my insurance company that having an insulin pump is a medical necessity for me.

TAG

It's been a while since I've been tagged. (And I don't think I ended up participating the last couple of times I was tagged...sorry) This time I thought I'd do it. I'm not going to tag anyone at the end, but if you want to play go for it!

8 TV shows that I like to watch
(Should this be hard? As I stated to my family recently, I need to watch more tv! I pretty much had to include any show I've watched in the last year.)
1-The news
2-The Office
3-48 Hours Mystery
4-John & Kate Plus Eight
5-Samantha Who
6-The Amazing Race
7-
8-

8 Things that happened yesterday
1-Landon slept in until 6:45!!! Yay!
2-I made chocolate chip banana bread
3-I cleaned out my portion of our home office.
4-I checked out the new health food store in our neck of the woods, Sunflower Market, and got some great deals on fresh produce.
5-I hung out with my Sister-in-law JaNae and made plans to conquer the world.
6-I fulfilled my calling by attending Activity Days--I still can't get over this twice a month calling. Crazy, but the good kind of crazy!
7-I expressed a great amount of distress at Eric's new idea for a career. Let's just say it involves way more school than I have any interest in being a part of. I think he got the picture.
8-I finished reading New Moon.

8 favorite places to eat
1-Lisa's (or anywhere she brings her baked goods)
2-Cafe Rio
3-Cabo Grill
4-PF Chang's
5-Red Lobster
6-Outback
7-Cheesecake Factory
8-Anywhere on the island of Maui

8 things I am looking forward to
1-The start of campaigning for the 2012 election
2-The holidays
3-Finishing up our adoption paperwork
4-Next year's tax return...new carpet!!!
5-Getting an insulin pump
6-Warmer weather
7-Eric's graduation
8-Our adults only vacation with the Toone family

8 things I wish for
1-Happy, well-adjusted children
2-Yearly vacations to Maui
3-A new car
4-Picture perfect health for all who are near and dear to me
5-A horse for Eric to ride all he wants after he graduates
6-Financial security for everyone
7-Less stress for all my extended family members
8-A long, healthy life

With Friends Like These I May Never Bake Again!

This post is a tribute to two of the very best cooks I know--Kristy & Lisa. When Kristy's boys were diagnosed with Celiac Disease I thought it would mean an abrupt end to delicious treats from her kitchen. I couldn't have been more wrong. Kristy has proven to be quite adept at baking with alternative flours and things turn out as yummy as ever. In fact, my own daughter requested a special gluten-free birthday cake after tasting one at Kristy's house. According to Allie it was the best cake she'd ever had. So...look what Allie got for her birthday this year:

The cake was delicious and the way it was decorated far exceeds anything I have ever even thought of attempting. My poor children. It's a good thing my friends take pity on them.

And then there is Lisa. On Sunday I had a meeting with the other Activity Day Leaders in our ward. Lisa pulled up just as I did and to my delight she had a treat. Lisa's baked goodies are always great. If you're ever lucky enough to attend a meeting with Lisa, you are in for a real treat (literally) because she will usually bring something delicious to share. The carrot cake she brought that afternoon was so yummy and I don't even particularly care for carrot cake. I happened to mention to her that I was craving it today and guess who showed up at my house this afternoon with a freshly baked carrot cake?

Guess who spoiled her dinner by eating 4 servings worth of carrot cake?

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Sunday I was released from my calling as Primary President. Just a week or so ago I told Eric that the combination of our 2 callings was getting to be too much for me (especially with Eric still in school 2 nights a week!) leaving far too little time left over for our family. It seemed as if one or the other of us was always headed off to a meeting, activity, interview, or camping trip. When I got word that the Bishop asked to meet with both of us I immediately knew what was coming and I wasn't as happy about it as I thought I would be when the time finally came. I was dreading that visit as much as I did the last trip in there when I was called to serve as Primary President--I think sometimes you just know. Eric tried to ease my frantic mind by telling me that "maybe the Bishop just wants to ask our opinion about...something". Right. He kept telling me that he didn't think that I was being released to which I eventually responded "that only leaves your calling to change then". That shut him up. He LOVES being the Scoutmaster and has no desire to ever be released.

It took a little while for all of this to sink in for me. I have wondered what I am going to do with the hours of time I will now have each week that used to be taken up by this busy calling. How will I like going to Relief Society after a 6 year hiatus? What about all my friends, old and young, who I have grown to love so much? What am I going to talk to Cindy and Lisa about every day? (Okay, I've got to admit I'm not really worried about this. But I am worried that life will get busy and I won't see or hear from them as much I hope.) I also want to publicly acknowledge all that Cindy, Lisa, Rachel, Amber, and Julianne have done to support and sustain me in this calling. Your friendship and encouragement through the years has meant more to me than I could ever put into words. Change is good, but it is hard. Here's to new adventures as well as the new learning and growing opportunities that lie ahead for me.

A Genetic Marvel

That's what a doctor recently called me. It wasn't intended to be a compliment. The phrase popped back into my head a few days later when I took Allie for her routinely scheduled Dental visit. It was at that appointment that we discovered that Allie is missing her 2 lateral incisor teeth. It's really not all that surprising since this is something that my Dad, Eric's sister, and myself have all had to deal with. Thanks to Allie's genetic heritage, she too will get the opportunity to wear braces, have false teeth attached to her braces and then retainer, and eventually have surgery to implant teeth. You're welcome Allie. Hey, there are worse things you could have inherited...just ask my Doctor.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I celebrated my 30th Birthday yesterday on the 4th of July. I really hated having my birthday on a holiday when I was younger. Now that I have matured I realize what an incredible thing it is to have my husband and my children (and sometimes extended family, too) with me all day long. Here's a little recap of the celebration:

Eric woke up extra early to run the Freedom Festival 5k. He had a good time and is looking forward to doing it again next year. Maybe I'll join him? At 6:10 Landon decided he just couldn't wait any longer to wish me a happy birthday and beckoned me to his room. I tried to trick him into going back to sleep without any luck. Oh well.

A couple of hours later I was sitting in my living room reading when I heard someone outside whistling. I thought it was Eric but soon discovered it was my Dad's unique way of announcing his presence. Kind of strange, but that's Dad for you. (LOL, Dad) Angie, Mom, and Dad stayed and visited for a little while and we made plans to go to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Lunch was so yummy. We will definitely go back. Next time we'll leave the kids. They're cute, but it's just not the same relaxing experience with them along.

After lunch I had the bright idea to take a quick family picture. That's another thing that would be a lot easier to do without the kids along but that would kind of defeat the purpose. Here's a small sampling of how it went. (Check out Landon's face in the last one. Priceless.)

We had planned to go bowling but opted instead for a trip to the Living Planet Aquarium. It was pretty fun, but very small. The children both loved checking out all of the animals and it got all of us very excited for our trip to San Diego in a couple of months.

After the aquarium it was home for nap time. Yay! It's a good thing I took a short nap because the next item on the itinerary was picking up all of the Scout flags from the neighborhood. I volunteered to help Eric because he was a little short on leaders and boys and I figured that I would be less annoyed than if I sat home stewing about how long it was taking him to do it himself. (90% of the time I am fine with the amount of time it takes Eric to serve as Scoutmaster but there is that 10%...)

After the flags we spent a quiet evening at home. Allie was annoyed that we didn't do anything to "celebrate the 4th of July". We got to use our new toy from Ang, a Sno-Cone maker. It was fun and delicious. When we got the kids in bed we watched Vantage Point. It was a great day!

Thank you to my wonderful family and friends for all of the phone calls, visits, and text messages. It was so nice of you to think of me when I know that you were all busy celebrating with your own families!

You May Have Noticed

That I am doing a lot of blogging these days. Well, at least for the last 3 days. I am trying to blog each day for one month. Why? I don't really know. I thought it sounded like a nice way to waste a little time. Actually, I've noticed that a lot of my friends and family have really slowed down on updating their blogs (to decide whether or not I am in fact referring to you, go check how many times you've posted in the last month. If it's more than 4 you're in the clear.). I think that it has less to do with not having anything to blog about and more to do with busy lives. I like hearing what you are doing, who you are doing it with, what you are cooking, what and/or who you are thankful for, household projects, what you do for entertainment purposes, and what you are thinking about. Oh, and any time you can call someone out on something...well, that's kind of fun (see my post from yesterday for a great example of this). I am going to lead by example, so get busy blogging!

With that explanation, here is today's entry.

It is so hot outside. Despite that, I have a one year old son is who determined to make me suffer through the hottest part of the day outdoors. He will sit at the door and cry until I have finally had enough and give in and take him outside. Because I don't find the same amount of enjoyment in looking for (or eating) bugs, playing in dirt, playing with the dogs, gathering rocks and sticks, or watering every inch of the lawn and sidewalk that Landon does, I have had to find things to keep me busy during our time outside. It's too hot to do anything productive so I read. Yesterday I read a couple of Ensign articles. The one that I really loved was all about President Henry Bennion Eyring (I like his middle name). He has always been one of my favorite General Authorities. I don't know why but I got a kick out of the fact that friends and family call him Hal. I guess it just sounds so "guy next door". I loved learning about his heritage of faith, his willingness to follow the still, small voice no matter the sacrifice required, and I loved reading about his wife. There is a funny part of the article that mentions something that his wife did to the family TV--you're going to have to read it to find out what happened. Anyways, I've decided that learning as much as I can about the actual person in each General Authority helps me to love, appreciate, and respect them and the counsel they give that much more. The next article in the July Ensign is about President Deiter F. Uchtdorf (I don't know what his middle name is yet, but I am excited to find out). In a very small way I am looking forward to Landon nagging me to take him outside so that I can discover some wonderful things about President Uchtdorf.

President Henry Bennion Eyring (aka "Hal")

Allie Still Believes in Santa Claus

Because (and this is a direct quote): "The only other person it could be is you and Dad. And you're just not that generous and giving."

I think I am beginning to see just how low her opinion of me is. Bah humbug!

Catching Up

Summer is here and we have been busy!

LANDON has spent his time exploring the great outdoors (boy can he get dirty quickly!), learning how to ride his first big wheel bike, sitting by the back door pouting until someone gets tired of the crying and takes him outside to play, emptying out kitchen drawers and cabinets, and being too cute for words.

ALLIE has spent her time practicing soccer, looking for bugs, riding her bike, solving mysteries, playing with friends, reading books, injuring her finger, visiting the Peds office for said injury (nothing that turned out to be major, thank goodness), chasing Landon, performing at the Provo Children's Festival, and practicing piano.

STACIE has spent her time cleaning, taking care of children, cooking, working on endless Primary projects, tending neighbor children, talking on the phone with friends and family, shuttling Allie to and from her many social engagements...wait a minute. Isn't this supposed to be summer vacation? I guess you don't get those as a Mom. Oh, I guess one exciting thing did happen to me. Eric and I were playing whiffle ball baseball and Eric nailed me in the face. Lucky for me, Paul witnessed the event and all he could say is "why didn't you duck?". Thanks for the moral support, bro.

ERIC has spent his time working, going to school (this is supposedly the last summer EVER!), riding horses, doing scouts, being a young women's camp leader (strange, but true), trying to convince Stacie that a natural gas vehicle is a practical purchase, refining his plan to become a millionaire, and maintaining the yard.

AS A FAMILY we have enjoyed playing at the park, lounging around in the cool basement, snuggling up in winter clothing when the temperatures nose dive, denying that a "regular" bedtime exists, watching movies, and being together more than ever.

FINALLY, HERE ARE A BUNCH OF PICTURES. I FIGURED THAT THIS POST WASN'T LONG ENOUGH YET.

Landon's so excited about Allie's concert he can barely contain himself.

Allie loves to sing!

Eric was impressed by Allie's concentration. She is a pretty good little whiffle ball player.

Landon just wants to eat the bat.

And the FHE treats Allie picked out.





Preparing for a bike ride.

Lovin' the "big boy" bike!


Landon's got to keep an eye out for his big sister sneaking up behind him!

I still can't believe that Kristy and I agreed to let our babies be put on the horses. Landon thought the horses were pretty cool...from a distance. He would chase them until they got too close and then he wasn't sure what to think of them.

"Nobody's Perfect"

I do a lot of blogging about how often Allie insults my intelligence, unintentionally or otherwise. Today I am posting to thank her for her well-timed "That's okay, nobody's perfect". Did you know that you are not supposed to grind flaxseed in a wheat grinder? I didn't. Now I do. Thankfully it appears that my expensive wheat grinder will live to grind another day.

Why I Love Summer

1. I slept in until 8 am today. It gets better...the kids slept until I woke them up at 9:30!
2. Even though I still make a schedule, it doesn't really matter if I stick to it.
   
3. Time with cousins. We had our first Grandma day this week and I think there are plans in the works for the Toone cousins to start getting together more frequently this summer. Yay!
4. The best big sister in the world is home all day to entertain her enamored younger brother.
   
5. The promise of garden fresh produce.
6. Warm summer nights spent outside lounging in the cool grass (I think that we'll experience this eventually).
7. Meals outside on the patio.
   
8. Children who get bathed in the morning and at night because they are filthy from a day of fun outside.
9. Camping, 4-wheeling, hiking, biking, swimming, and exploring the great outdoors.
10. It always comes to an end--and by the time it does, I am ready for it.
    

Why I'm Grateful to Be a Mother

Being a mother means that I have children to make me smile. Allie gave me a flower, a picture frame with a picture of her, and a booklet. The booklet was a compilation of her thoughts about me. It was very sweet. Reading it may lead one to erroneously believe that I am the perfect mother. Thanks for making me feel so good Allie!

My sweet little Landon is always making me smile. I could seriously just sit and watch him all day long. Take a peek at what he spent his morning doing:


Eric (yes, I basically consider him to be one of my children too) gave me a terrific gift. I will write much more about that later this week. All I can say is: THANK YOU. And a big thanks to Lisa, Cindy, and Julianne for making Eric's gift a possibility!

I Loved this Book!

Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. It is a CLEAN young adult novel about a young girl who excels at selling shoes (random, I know). She becomes the chauffeur for elderly Madeline Gladstone and learns some important lessons for successfully navigating the road of life.

Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Him

This was the theme for this year's BYU Women's Conference. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go. It was a great experience to be taught, entertained, enriched, and enlightened. It is something that I hope to be able to do each year if my family circumstances allow me to be absent for a couple of days. I thought that I would share a couple of my experiences with you:

*My very first experience was not a good one. I was with my Mother-in-law, Karma, who has a handicapped parking pass thanks to her back surgery. We waited in a very long line to enter into what was designated as the handicapped parking lot. When we had only moved a couple of inches after 20 minutes of waiting I decided to jump out of the car and make sure that we were in the right place. I had seen a traffic officer that I thought I would be able to easily track down. I couldn't find him so I decided to go and ask some ladies that were just getting out of their car. They told me that despite the many empty spaces in this lot they were instructing people to drive down to the Stadium Parking lot and then take a shuttle to the Marriott Center--something that wasn't sitting well with any of the handicapped ladies thus the loooooong wait at the parking lot. I was satisfied with that because as long as they were willing to shuttle us right back here that was a good solution for our parking issue. So I headed back to where I had left Karma (surprisingly enough she hadn't moved at all). On my way some lady started calling out to me. She begged me to move one of the parking barricades for her. When I told her that I couldn't she explained to me that she was the organist for the opening session and that she had been waiting in line for 45 minutes and that she was already very late to check in. She continued to plead with me saying that she would inform the traffic officer of her urgent situation and the reason why she asked me to move the barricade. I stood there for a minute considering my options. I had no way to verify who she was but I felt really bad for her...so I did it. I moved one parking barricade. As soon as she went through I immediately closed the road off much to the annoyance of MANY people who tried to ram their way in before I could seal the entrance off. I even had to physically block one lady from pulling in before the barricade was back in place. She returned my favor by unleashing a torrent of bad words right at me. I apologized, quickly explained why I had moved the barricade for the previous vehicle, and then ran for my life as she continued to holler at me. When I got back in the car Karma said that she had witnessed the whole thing and that she was worried that I was going to be thrown into BYU jail. At that point I was seriously ready to pack up and head home. Thankfully I didn't because the rest of the experience was wonderful. Oh, and by the way, the lady who asked me to move the barricade was in fact the woman who was sitting at the organ through the first session.

*Every one of the classes I attended was very uplifting and inspiring. I don't feel like one single minute of my time was wasted.

*Visiting with other sisters from all over the country was a neat experience. It was fun to compare and contrast our lifestyles with each other.

*I realized that I haven't attended Relief Society for the last 7 years thanks to my callings in Young Women's and Primary. Being taught by other women on an adult level is something that I have missed. I LOVE serving in Primary, but it was a nice change of pace for me for a couple of days.

*It was so nice to spend some quality time with my Mother-in-law, whom I enjoy very much.

*Of the 7 classes I attended, 5 of them referenced a talk given by Elder Dallin H. Oaks entitled Good, Better, Best. I loved this talk when he gave it and it was a good reminder for me that the truths taught in this address have vast application in our lives.

*I came home with several practical ideas for how to strengthen and fortify my home and family.

*I got to have yummy ice cream from the creamery. That might have been worth the whole trip.

*The BEST experience in those two days for me was being able to attend the closing session where the Prophet spoke. His address was nice and well presented but just being there in the same room as he was is what touched my heart the most. It was so amazing to experience the reverence that immediately encompassed the building when the Prophet began to enter the Marriott Center. In that moment the Spirit was so strong and it was confirmed to me once again that this man is the Lord's prophet on the earth today.

Hasta la vista soccer!

Well, Spring in Utah this year totally STINKS! One of the greatest casualties for our family has been Spring soccer. Tonight was Allie's last game and I was hoping she would try and talk me out of making her go. Come to find out she was lured into going by the memory of receiving a medal at the final game last year. When it was time for the game to start, the other team still hadn't shown up (yay!) but they showed up as we were walking back to our cars (boo!). Allie & I took a wool blanket, a down quilt, and a nice big blanket to bundle up in. This was in addition to the coats, gloves, and hats that we were wearing. As I dragged our load out of the car I began to question my level of intelligence. Seriously, who does this? Apparently a lot of us do 'cause there sure were a lot of cars in the parking lot. And, for the record, Allie did indeed receive a medal at the conclusion of the game.

On a much happier note, tomorrow and Friday I am attending BYU Women's Conference...and Eric has graciously agreed to hold down the fort. I am looking forward to being inspired, uplifted, and enlightened.

For My Family

I have to get something off my chest. We must decide just how Poppie/Poppy is to be spelled. Call me OCD but the differing spellings are driving me crazy. I, myself, favor the -py spelling. Every time I see it spelled -pie it jumps out at me as a terrible misspelling. I'd just like to point out here that Poppy himself spells it "my" way. Leave me a comment and let me know what your vote is.

Once Again, I've Been Tagged

The rules are :

A.The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.

B.Each player list 6 facts/habits about themselves.

C.At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and post their names, goes to their

blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them

to read your blog.

1-I HATE the sound of paper being folded, creased, etc. It's like fingernails on the chalkboard to me. I get goosebumps even thinking about it.
2-I LOVE to make lists. Love might be putting it lightly. I get an unnatural amount of pleasure from crossing a to-do item off of my list.
3-I am the member of a book club that I have a love-hate relationship with. (I love the ladies and yet I have really hated most of the books we have read.) Thanks a lot, Cindy.
4-I cannot stay awake for the duration of a movie. It's nearly impossible for me. When the lights go down...I go to sleep.
5-I was cavity free clear up until my pregnancy with Allie. At the end of the longest 7 months of my life, I had 8 cavities. Yes, I brushed. That was not a very fun visit.
6-I rarely watch TV during the day but I have the radio on all day long. When people call my house they often ask if I have company.

Natalie, Marci, Sarah, Nicole, Michelle, and Rachel it's your turn! (However, if you are tired of playing tag you can be off the hook.)

Tag--I Guess I'm It

My friend Lisa tagged me on her blog so here it is:

Two names I go by:
1. Mom
2. Sister Swain

Two things I'm wearing right now:
1. black skirt
2. a really warm hoodie
(Hey, I'm halfway dressed for Sunday)

Two of My favorite things to do:
1. read
2. travel

Two things I want very badly at the moment:
1. new carpet
2. a personal chef--Lisa, are you interested?

Two favorite pets I have had/have:
1. Flipper, a beta fish that finally kicked it. Yeah!
2. Lucy and Sammy
(Anyone who knows me will understand that these are/were pets much adored by my children and husband, and that I don't even like animals let alone have favorites.)

Two things I did last night:
1. read several chapters of the Count of Monte Cristo
2. made pizza with Allie

Two things I ate today:
1. orange
2. toast

Two people I last talked to:
1. Landon
2. Allie

Two longest car rides:
1. Orem to Las Vegas. Not the longest drive as far as mileage is concerned...but seriously the longest drive of my life.
2. The drive home from San Diego a couple of years ago when Eric was very ill. We made A LOT of stops and ended up spending the night halfway home in Mesquite.

Two favorite holidays:
1. Christmas
2. 4th of July (Happy Birthday to me--twice the reason to celebrate.)

Two favorite beverages:
1. pineapple orange juice
2. a cold coke/pepsi

I tag Marci, Nicole, and Sarah.

Boring Brown, Sad But True

My Result: Brown

What's Your True Color?

You're brown, a credible, stable color that's reminiscent of fine wood, rich leather, and wistful melancholy. Most likely, you're a logical, practical person ruled more by your head than your heart. With your inquisitive mind and insatiable curiosity, you're probably a great problem solver. And you always gather all of the facts before coming to a timely, informed decision. Easily intrigued, you're constantly finding new ways to challenge your mind, whether it's by reading the newspaper, playing a trivia game, or composing a piece of music. Brown is an impartial, neutral color, which means you tend to see the difference between fact and opinion easily and are open to many points of view. Trustworthy and steady, you really are a brown at heart.

Take this test >

Rach and Lisa--After seeing how accurate yours were I had to try. What do you think?

Blessed Beyond Belief

Sometimes I wonder what I have done to deserve so much happiness. I keep wondering how life could possibly be any sweeter than it is...and yet the blessings keep coming. Perhaps the only way that life could be any better right this minute is if I was happily counting my blessings on a beautiful sunny beach in Hawaii alongside my loved ones.

We found out early today that Eric received a pretty significant promotion at work. I wasn't really surprised that he got the job, but I was pleasantly surprised by the substantial increase in pay. The timing couldn't be better as we have just taken on a bigger house payment, and yet it came late enough that we now know that we can live very comfortably on what we were making with a little bit of restraint in the spending department. The bottom line...we will live comfortably, be able to put away some money for a rainy day, and still be able to travel and do the things we have always enjoyed doing as a family. I also took this opportunity to remind Eric of my desire for a larger family vehicle. Sometimes I can't believe how long our little car has sufficed. He has always been a big believer in the saying "Fix it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". I think it may take me a while to talk him into it, but history has shown that I can be awfully persuasive with my husband.

The children are healthy and happy. Allie is doing very well in school and has already begun her countdown to summer. She reminds us almost daily that this will be her big year...the year she is finally old enough to be baptized. She has been looking forward to this since she was "at least four or five years old" in her words. She says this in such a dramatic fashion that it can be difficult to keep a straight face.

Landon is as mobile as ever and he keeps us all laughing. His dramatic flair may very well rival Allie's. Lately he has taken to yelling at us while we feed him. It' s not a mad yell, but a yell nonetheless. If there is a microscopic pause between when he swallows a bite and when another spoonful is shoveled in, we hear about it. He has also started to push all of the chairs out from under the table. I put them back a ridiculous number of times each day. He discovered yesterday that he can even push a chair around the dining room if Allie is the one sitting in it. She rarely gets frustrated with him but yesterday while she was eating a bowl of cereal he kept pushing her away from the table which earned him a bit of a lecture from her. I was laughing too hard to intervene until they both ended up in tears.

As for me...life is busy but so good. I wasn't sure whether I was going to survive being the Primary President the last couple of weeks. Thanks to Cindy, Lisa, Amber, and (our alumni) Rachel I once again have happily settled into a brand new year in Primary. What would I do without these girls? I hope I'll never have to find out. Eric gave me The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas for Christmas. I have always wanted to read this, I just didn't know it was 1300 pages long! With all of the snow and cold weather there has been plenty of time to curl up with a warm blanket and this great book. It very well may take me until Springtime to finish it. I think that about covers all that is going on at the Swain home right now. I will update with a bunch of pictures sometime this weekend--it has been quite a while since I included some pictures in my posts.