I Am Slow...

A month or so ago, someone (I think Christy) posted a link to seriouslysoblessed I went there and read the blog (just one entry) and thought is was ok, just not as hilarious as was advertised. Basically I didn't get it. Recently I saw this same website referred to again and thought I might check it out. Well after scrolling down through the blog and noticing some of the stuff in the margins, I realized this blog was NOT serious. And then it was HILARIOUS! So I read the post from today (actually it was from yesterday) and a few of the comments. The comments were just as funny if not funnier than the post. I finally get it! Where does this person come up with this stuff? She or he has got quite the creative gene or way too much time on their hands or both. And just for the record, I find most of it hilarious, but some of it bothers me. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Deep Thoughts

This weekend I had the pleasure of reuniting with a missionary companion (Sister Freire). When my mission ended, I never imagined I would ever see any of the people I met and grew to love in Brazil. It was fun to reminisce. We talked about the day we ate cow tongue for lunch (I didn't realize until afterwards what I had eaten and then I was seriously sick). We laughed about how we had developed little signals so she could prevent me from ever eating various parts of a chicken. We talked about how we taught Maria and what a tough cookie she was. We spent lots of hours helping out this elderly lady who cared for her fatherless grandchildren. I love Maria so much. I can't wait to see her in the next life. We talked about the beach, the rain, the members, and the companions (we were in a three some for awhile, during which time I slept in a bunk bed sort of thing that was positioned above our closet). She remembered all the times I "tried" to cook different things. They were all attempts to eat something familiar. I forgot I used to like to cook even back then. She spoke to me in Portuguese and I responded in English. We bought some guarana. If you haven't had guarana, it is a brazilian soda and it is good. She reminded me how much I hated tracting, I much preferred other methods of finding people. And we talked about how the church is different here than it is in Brazil. She was born and raised in Brazil and has lived in Idaho for the past 7 years. And this difference has got me thinking...

I teach a Sunday School class of 17 and 18 year olds. It is great because we teach them out of the same manual as gospel doctrine. I love the Book of Mormon a LOT. And I love my calling because of the opportunity it provides me for more in depth study. Recently we have talked about the "pride cycle". We are warned about this all through the BOM. And I think the difference in the church here and the church in Brazil has a lot to do with this. Whether I like it or not, so much of my life and the lives of my children depends on what they wear, what we drive, how many times we go to Disneyland, what kinds of recreational vehicles we have, which neighborhood we live in, how much money people think we have, what school my kids go to, etc... And whether you like it or not, these things really do matter and make a difference.

One time my companion, (Sister Pereira) asked me, "Why were you born in the United States (where life is so easy) and why was I born in Brazil (where I had to drop out of school to work and help out the family financially)? What do you say? Heavenly Father loves us both the same. I know that. I just always thought how lucky I am that I was born in the United States. And just like it says in D&C, "where much is given, much is required.." So I always try my best to serve. But lately (after re-studying about the the Nephites being destroyed, etc) I am beginning to wonder if she is the lucky one. She is so humble and pure. And although life seems like it would be hard in Brazil, it is so simple! She is in more of a "survival" mode. Members there rely on the Lord and the church for everything! It is their life. And while most members here claim the same thing, our lives EASILY get in the way of the church. Our pride gets in the way of fellow shipping, extra curricular activities take away from youth activities, practices and events occupy all of our time. And it seems as if you let something go, you are a failure. And I am sure we all know someone in our wards who is looked "down" upon for not "fitting in" whether it is their appearance or their lack of keeping up. And most of the time we do nothing about it. I want to try and do better. I want to strip myself of worldliness and pride. I am thankful for the temple that levels the playing ground and look forward to the next life when all will be perfect!

I Have Work To Do...

Recently one of my missionary companions got a hold of me. This came as a pleasant surprise. During my mission, I never had one American companion. However, two of my companions now live in the United States. Anyway I haven't talked to her for about 6 years. It is so fun to listen to her speak Portuguese. I respond in English. Portuguese is like music to my ears, I love it. It is like it has a melody. And I understand her pretty good. I am afraid to speak it any more for fear I will ruin the song and frankly I don't remember the words. Oh the tragedy...

So my house is a mess. I do have a LOT of work to do, but really I just want to sit and read a book. I just started reading a new one and I am really enjoying it, right from the get go. I love reading, but a good book will inevitably take over my life for a day or so. So I am torn. I need to figure out how to do as little work as possible with the maximum result so that I will have some time to read.

My First Set of Twins

and other kids...

with some real ones...

Part of My List

When I was about 20, I made a list of all the qualities I wanted in a husband. The idea was to work on those qualities myself. Kirk recently taught a lesson to young men on marriage and we discussed "the list". I dug it out and got a good laugh reading some of it. Here are some of the things that I listed...
-no swearing
-gentlemen
-sings the Hymns (I hate it when people are too "cool" to sing along in church)
-loves Christmas
-happy
-returned missionary
-keeps the Sabbath Day holy
-has "good" taste
The list goes on and on (2 pages). It is kind of a fun thing to have. I love my husband and he really measures up. It was just that one thing on my list about marrying someone from BYU that caused some contention...we are WAAAAY past that now:)

Yesterday...or so it seems

Yesterday I cleaned out one of my messy hall closets and found these little beauties!



This was Lake Powell 2003. I mostly remember Ethan being trapped in that port-a-crib and feeding him licorice to keep him happy. Lake Powell is scary with all those little babies! But we still had a great time, as always. Where did the time go, all my babies are so big now!

P.S. Next time I take a picture of the flowers in my kitchen, I will wipe off the counter first. But I do like how Reggie ended up in the background of that one.

Flowers

I am just loving these flowers from my yard! I love how they brighten my home.

I'm So Lucky!

First of all, we started a new family tradition. Our son David informed us that we do not spend enough time with him (we really are pretty good parents, we even have FHE but I guess that isn't enough). He was tired of seeing us get babysitters and leave him behind. So we came up with Friday Family Fun Night. One Friday each month is going to be dedicated to having fun with the family. So Friday the kids made their own shopping lists and we went to get supplies to make our own individual pizzas. I told them to make their own lists so we would know what to get. Along with pizza toppings, Ethan included "white bread" on his list. I guess he misses it, I had no idea. So I bought a loaf of white bread.

We got home from the store about the same time that Kirk got home from work. I had been on my computer earlier that day and it was just fine. However, when we got home from the store, I noticed that something wasn't right (my computer is a left over laptop from Kirk's work). The hinge was coming apart and had popped up. I told Kirk..."Look at my computer sweetie, it is broken!"

And he said, "OK Lara we are getting you a mac!"
"What?!?! I am getting a mac?!?!?"

I had joked with him a lot about getting one for my birthday. Turns out he had looked at them, but was waiting for our anniversary. I really couldn't believe it. So we made our pizzas and drank our sodas and then we headed to the apple store. We walked in and got what we needed. I also got a free printer, yipee! Then we headed back out into the night and watched the kids dance in the water and lights. It was a great Family Fun Night. I only regret that I didn't take any pictures of the night. Not so much the pizza making, but I would love to have pictures of the kids running around in the water feature that night. It was a warm and beautiful night and not just because I was holding my new mac book.

Quirks

Back in June, I believe, I was tagged by Amy to do this post. I am supposed to list 6 quirks. To be honest, I couldn't really think of 6. I know I am quirky, but it is hard to think of these things because they are normal to me. After Rachel tagged me I figured I must be pretty quirky:) So here goes...
1. We have multi-colored plastic cups for drinking water. Sometimes when I open the cupboard and they are not divided into equal stacks (each stack having one of each color) I undo them and stack them again so that each stack has one of each color.
2. When I set the table, I like the fork to be on the left side (where it is supposed to be) and when we use knives, I like the blade to be turned toward the plate. And the napkins have to be folded.
3. I dislike it when the roll of toilet paper unrolls from underneath. I prefer it to unroll from the top (I don't know if any of that makes sense)
4. I like to use my toothpaste from the bottom up. I don't like it when people just squeeze it in the middle.
5. I don't like the taste of ground beef cooked on teflon. I only use teflon for eggs. And I am disliking ground beef more and more. I mentioned not eating it anymore and my husband said, "Are you going to quit wearing make-up and get a fanny pack too?" I laughed.
6. I vacuum almost everyday. If we ever have a large gathering at our house, I always have to vacuum afterwards.

I tag Nicole (I can't wait to read yours:) because I know how you are), Amanda, and Jen

Four Boys and a....

Here's Reggie, the dog.

Having a dog is a tricky thing. They are really quite a lot of work when they are puppies. And you never know what you are going to get. Kind of like kids. My kids love my dog, a lot. If it weren't for them we probably would have sold Reggie when he was still in that "puppy" stage. I love to see my boys with the dog. David really loves him and when David gets sad, I have noticed he likes to have the dog close by. I had no idea the dog provides him some kind of special companionship. Tyler loves to play (torture) with the dog. Reggie has bitten Tyler on more than one occasion. However, if Reggie has his way, he prefers to sleep with Tyler. Reggie usually sleeps in his kennel at night. Occasionally we forget to shut the door and when this happens, Reggie always goes for Tyler's bed. I think the other kids are a little jealous. Needless to say, Reggie and Tyler have a special relationship as well. Kirk never wanted a dog. I sort of pushed him into it, but I know that he secretly likes Reggie. Reggie is just as excited to see Kirk at the end of the day as the rest of us are. And how can you turn down that kind of devotion? Kirk routinely plays with Reggie every night. I think Ethan and Jacob like Reggie as well. Reggie even signed Ethan's cast. Jacob wants him to sleep downstairs. Sometimes when I send the boys downstairs to get something, I hear them calling Reggie to come with them. They like to have that little dog in tow. I love to see him following my boys around the neighborhood. Every boy should have a dog. I love my dog too. He has been a good addition to the family. He has helped us open doors to conversations with neighbors that otherwise wouldn't have happened. He has helped my boys be less afraid of dogs. They used to jump if they ever heard a dog bark. He has cost us a lot of money (dog food, dog sitting, shots, medications, dog things, getting hit by the mailman, etc), but I think he is worth it.

Stinky Shoe Boxes

This is what I found

Kirk is probably going to England this year for work. I am probably going to go with him. I can't wait! I have never ever been. I got even more excited when we realized we could probably take a little day trip to Paris as well. Paris? Are you kidding me? I never thought I would get there this soon in my life. I hope things at work continue in this direction.

My passport is old and I need to renew it. Renewing it is not a big deal, but finding it was. And I had to turn it in inorder to renew it. I had already spent some good time in the storage room finding the Halloween decorations, organizing food storage, and now I had to find the passport. I started digging through my mission stuff. I wish I could post a scratch and sniff label for you all to smell. All of my stuff has a very distinct "Brazil" smell. And I came home with it, just ask my family. Actually you don't need to ask them because if you know me and my family, you have probably smelled it or they have already told you about it. They love to remind me how bad I smelled when I came home from my mission. Anyway, every box I opened smelled of Brazil. I didn't find my passport, but I did find a lot of these...

I have shoe boxes full of the letters that Kirk wrote me from his mission and the letters he wrote me on my mission. What treasures! If I ever forget how much he cares about me, I have boxes of evidence. I love them. I am so grateful that we didn't have email. Oh the tragedy it is that we are loosing the art of letter writing. I love letters. They are so magical. I am so glad I got to serve my mission in the time of letter writing. It was always so fun to receive a piece of home in the mail. And it was always so fun to get letters from Kirk. He used to write the best letters. And they were long, like 2-3 pages. Once a week! No wonder I married him! I won't say anymore because I don't want to embarrass him...but this one was my all time favorite. Maybe because I was homesick, maybe because the mission was hard, maybe because I missed him, probably all of that. But I will never forget when he sent me this card. It was the best!

I love my stinky, letter filled shoe boxes. And I eventually found my passport in a completely random box. Lucky me!

Halloween Carrots

Tyler is always asking for carrots. Turns out what he really means is candy corn. But whatever, a vegetable is a vegetable, right? By the way, these are Brach's candy corns because there is a difference, Nicole taught me that and she is a very smart cookie! (Their candy pumpkins are really good too)

Today's Project

'Tis the season for case lot sales. I have officially purchased one of those really big blue water tanks. Now all I have to do is figure out where to put it...any suggestions out there? I am pretty sweaty and gross after hauling everything into the house and rotating the existing storage. But it feels good.

Pictures of what's going on....

Kids reading for 20 mintues everyday! Tyler in his spider costume waiting for Halloween...



We got ready for Halloween today and it was really fun! Everyone should have an orange kitchen this time of year.



Pictures like this remind me that I really am a BYU fan. Just look at those mountains and that stadium! Oh I love football season!



This is what we will be doing every Saturday through October.

Chocolate Frosting

This is the recipe for that yummy chocolate frosting that I posted about earlier. My husband who is not a chocolate lover even liked this frosting, I promise, it is yummy!
1/3 cup butter or margarine (I use butter)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 T milk
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
Melt butter and stir in cocoa. Add vanilla and milk. Gradually add powdered sugar until it reaches desired thickness (use more than the recipe calls for if you want really thick frosting). Add more milk 1 tsp at a time if it is too thick.

Ugg!

Look what my mom gave me for my birthday! I will certainly be stylin' in these new boots that I could never have afforded myself. What a fun treat!

Happy Day

Yesterday was my birthday, my grandma's brithday, and my niece's birthday. It always makes for a fun little celebration. I was my grandma's first grandchild and I was born on her birthday. She is a very proud grandma and always told the story of how she had "ordered" me. It was always so embarrassing. I would just stand there and smile as she told this story to whoever would listen. I am glad for the many years I heard that story because I know well the story of my birth. And it never hurts to have such a loving force in your life. Happy birthday to me! I got everything I wanted literally, except for that new mac laptop...maybe someday.

It Rained Today....

My house actually feels a little cool this morning and soup sounds like a great dinner idea. I am already missing summer. It was so short this year. I think it was still cold up until July. So really we only had about 2 months of warmness. I could use some more. I remember one day in the summer we went to Rainbow Bridge.

And I actually thought that I was going to melt because it was sweltering HOT!!! I don't know if I have ever been that hot in my life. It felt good.

And then we went and jumped in the water and it felt even better.

That was a good day.

Block Party Bash

My kids keep talking about the "next" block party. We had a blast! Thanks to wonderful neighbors. We had a pinata, face painting, balloons, glow sticks, live music, what more could a kid ask for, it was awesome!

Introducing....

Ethan's new cast!