Grandma Rocks....

It's as though a breeze of organization has blown through this home, and cleaned the toilets, played games with the children, babysat, shopped, laughed and explored while it came on through. We love when Grandma comes to visit. We had so much fun. We went to the beach...

Visited our cousins Jeremy and Stephanie and their family here in Portland.

and visited the Tillamook Cheese factory. I don't know how this photo is the only souvenir we aquired at the factory, aside from our expanding waistlines. But my muffin-top waist line will be in my heart forever thanks to their HUGE $3 ice cream cones sent directly from heaven. Anyway, thank you mom for everything. Thank you for coming and loving us and loving our home and enjoying life with us a little. Love you so much and miss you enormously already. Can't wait to see you again soon.

Classic Kristin....

The only reason I am laying plain all my idiocincrcies is because I need future generations to appreciate all the mistakes that were made before they came. So let me share a classic Kristin moment.

SCENE:
Kent and I waiting in the Stake Offices to get our recommends renewed (renewed....refreshed because I put the others through the wash along with my cell phone....again...POTATO/POTOTO).
We arrive at 6:55 per our bishoprics advice to get there early, only to find we are fifth in line.

Bitty 1 and Bitty 2 talking quietly. Quiet tick, tick, tick of the generic clock everyone only watches to be assured of the time this pain can be over. Tick, tick, tick. How long can people sit in the same room and say NOTHING to each other....honestly!

Needing conversation, I try talking to my eternal companion. When he started asking for the over/under on our wait time, I am forced to end the conversation. I'm pretty sure that taking bets of any kind in the Stake Center, will only upgrade us to a corner room with the view in hell. So who to talk to, who to talk to? (drumming fingers)

Waiting victim 7,8 & 9 enter stage right. I try to start up a conversation with #8, because she is still wearing her nametag from work, good substance for initial conversation. Her nametag reads SERENITY.

Kristin: Is that where you work? Is it a day spa or something?

#8: No, it's a hospice.

Kristin: Oh really. huh. I could have sworn I just got a coupon in the mail from a Serenity Day spa offering fantastic massages.

#8: (very generously) It would make a great name for a Spa....but no this is a Hospice.

I can happily report that the conversation went uphill from there. She was really nice and 7 & 9 were also sweet. This went on until Stake person made it to us at 7:45 p.m. at which I time I jumped up to not lose my place and Kent slipped in before I could cut off the conversation with #8 (jerk...what happened to gentry...I ask you?)

And the kids, thank heavens, were home with GRANDMA JILL, who has made a special guest appearance this weekend (que Hallalujah chorus). So every moment spent at the stake center together with Kent, was not a tally tick mark for a babysitter.

Anyway, classic Kristin. I will post more when Grandma returns to the land of acid rain.

Balmy Beaches and Burnt Bridges....

Have you ever heard of the "Pineapple express"? Funny, me either. Apparently it is the blessed wind the warms the tropical islands and blows on up through the Oregon Coast in January/February, bringing with it small glimpses of warmth in the sun. So we packed the family on in the car for a Monday road trip (it only takes an hour) to go get our Vitamin D.
The Oregon coast only really ever gets up to 65-70 degrees in the blistering summer, so a balmy 55 degrees, 50% humidity, with no breeze felt like heaven. I packed for everything shy of the apocalypse, as you can see from Harry's personal remake of the Christmas Story ("I can't put my arms down!" - photo below). I love memories like this, they tend to be the building blocks that make up my "Happy - make bad things go away" Castle.

We also enjoyed the inannguration of our President yesterday too. Aside from the lengthy speeches , woops, I mean prayers, we thoroughly enjoyed watching history being made. (Once just once I would love to see the entire National Mall silenced by the Prophet praying). Anyway, I don't know about you, but my first day at a job, office and motherhood, I was a little hesitant, humble with my co-workers. I love that the first thing the Obama did was put a freeze on the White House payroll (no raises for you Biden boy, Rahm Emanuel - chief of staff etc., etc.) Is there any better "Kick me hard" sign you could put on your back as you walk down the halls of your new office/home? Way to set fire to those bridges! I am actually grateful though for his train of thought on this, the rest of the US is sufferring, why are you all gettin raises? We all anxiously await your next move Monseuir Obama. P.S. Could Hollywood make bigger asses of themselves? I mean really....

Facial hair is flamable.....

My sweet husband, the facial-hair horticulturist, the humble hermit mixed saucely with desert dry humor, kind eyes, perfect smile, soft heart & stubborn ars, the deepest, most quiet testimony of our Savior and all of this with a dash of ESPN (OK a huge dash of ESPN). Kenty-dear had to learn the hard way that.......dun, dun, dun,.........facial hair, aside from being discouraged by church-goers and leadership alike (which is one reason he does it, this is his passive-aggressiveness coming out), is also flamable. Who knew????

P.S. That radiant glow eminating from the center of the cake, rendered plain by the brightness atop, is 32...count them....32 candles! Happy Birthday sweetheart.....how do I love you....let me count the ways......

Playgroup....

"I've got an idea," one mother said to the other, "how about we choose a central locale with no breakables and let 20 cooped up kids run crazy wild?" (many, silent nods of approval here). And so silently, somewhere in the world, the theory of Playgroups was born. I believe there must have been Heavenly nudges here in the thought process because......we mother's can't do it......I mean think straight, alone (at least I can't). And following suit to those smart women before us, thus the Wednesday Enrichment playgroup at the church was born. Today was the innagural voyage. We set sail sugarless and happy and had a smooth sailing experience. Playgroups are not for the faint hearted, you have to be cool with the kid plowing your kid down and your kid doing the plowing occassionaly. But like all things, they figure it out eventually and have a great time doing it. I had the Madonna song "Rainnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn, feel it on your fingertips, hear it on the window pane...." in my head the whole time. I am so grateful to have a wide-open, unrainy place to go. The kids had a blast (I have got to get one of those coaster cars), and I had fun too!


Then to Trader Joe's for snacktime and stocking up for future snacktime. And of course they had to have my favorite Peppermint Oreo things leftover from Christmas.....on sale.....for half price.......BLAH! Anyway, I just love the snacks that Trader Joe's brings to our lives. I am happier when I leave then when I walk in (the church and TJ's)......and that is the sign of a good atmosphere, great food, and great friends!