Remembering a Time

I'm not trying to be all video all the time- I'm no vlogger, but I was thinking of Chicago, which I miss and often still think of as "home" (don't worry mom, I think of Hemet as "home" too) (don't worry, Paul, I think of Santa Monica as "home" too). I saw this video on my friend's blog recently, and it moved me immensely. For those of you reading that aren't of the LDS faith, up until 1978, only worthy males that were not of black-African descent could hold the priesthood. This is a difficult thing for me to understand- and for many people to understand, I think. Our church has some negative history with polygamy already, so explaining this to others in this modern world doesn't really make much sense.
I was touched by this video, because I am happy that all males can hold the priesthood now. I've seen how important this is in my family and in my church. I'm also touched because much of the footage in the film is taken in the ward that we just came from- a beautifully diverse ward, and the best and most interesting I've ever been in (present company excluded, of course.) I miss you, Chicagoans. I wish there was some way that we could all just be together.



PS. Hyde Park Firsters, isn't Cathy just great? Doesn't it just make you want to "Lift Every Voice and Sing"? I miss that.

Wonder Years

From my youth as a Wonder Years fan, I found this video extremely amusing.

Boys Will Be...

I haven't really been feeling it, blogwise, lately, so I apoligize for the lack of posts. Not that this will be any better, but at least it's something, right? Right?!

So I was visiting some friends from Chicago a few weeks ago. They were visiting California, and were staying with my friend's inlaws. We had a really wonderful visit with them. I miss them alot, and I was glad to get to see them and their new baby. While we were there a neighbor lady brought over a box with 5 baby bunnies inside. They were probably a month old. The kids were smitten with them. The girls wanted to hold the bunnies and the boys wanted to let the bunnies out to run around. My friend went inside with her kids, leaving her 2 year old outside with us to keep playing. He started punching the bunnies, so I told him to stop, that that isn't nice to the bunnies and it can hurt them. He was upset that I scolded him, and his grandma and neighbor lady started laughing at me. They both said at the same time, "Oh, he's a boy! You don't understand boys!"

Did I miss something here? I mean, I have noticed that boys will be... well, boys, I guess. They're pretty rambunctious in general, play differently than most girls, and want to do different things. I've noticed this even when parents (like this friend in particular) are so sweet and good, and teach their boys to be the very best. I just wonder why anyone should get away with punching the bunnies!

I told my friend, and she didn't like that he had punched the bunnies. The only weird thing is the reaction of the grandma and neighbor. Anyway, friend, I hope that you don't mind that I told this story. I think that you are the awesomest ever. Truly, you are someone I can always turn to for parenting advice, and for love and friendship in general. And he didn't even hurt those bunnies- it was just so... weird, you know?!

A Pleasing Sound

The pop on the lids of perfectly processed preserves.


Raspberry- picked by Rachel, Camille, Grace, and me at the farm on Thursday.


P.S. Use even less sugar

Life is Sweet

We just had our 5 year anniversary on the 1st. As with all important events in life, it feels like forever ago, and only yesterday. I can't believe how much has happened since then, but I must say that life with Paul has been sweet. Paul, thanks for loving me and encouraging me. You understand all of my "things"- weird whims or quirks, and they hardly ever bother you. Indeed, it seems that you find them endearing. You are a perfect parent, an awesome provider, and maker of all things fun. Thanks for loving me, and for giving me someone so great to love in return.

We Went to Utah

We went to Utah. Here are a few pictures of our trip, but as always they are not all the things that I wish I had pictures of- like us chowing down at the big meat place, where I once ate more than Uncle Sean and didn't have to eat for more than 24 hours afterward. It's where I learned that it's better to be satiated than stuffed, and it has served me well every Thanksgiving since. I don't have any pictures of our Chicago friends the Blackwelders or Crawfords, and I wish I did, because we had fun eating Josh's pizza and seeing Hiedi's amazing arts with the former and playing at Chuck-E-Cheese's with the latter, and seeing all of their kids and I miss them. I don't have any pictures of all the unhealthy food that we ate or all the open spaces that we saw. But here are a few pictures of memories that I will always have- pictured or not.

Eating ice cream for dinner in Beaver, UT at the cheese outlet. Beaver seems very pretty, and I guess I wouldn't mind living in Cache Valley.

"Hiking" to Bridal Veil falls- we loved going there, and even going in the water, even though it was extremely cold.

Fireworks for the 24th of July (Pioneer Day). I love setting off fireworks, and didn't mind spending $40 on something that lasted just a few minutes- good thing we paired up with some other guy that was setting them off so we could make a "really good show".

Grace scared of the fireworks.

Fishin'

The girls really wanted to be able to just stick the ends of their rods in the water. They couldn't understand why the fish would come to a little string way out there. When we could actually cast it out there. Which wasn't often because the rods were cheap-o. Also, we wouldn't have caught any fish, being the granola humanitarians (fishcatarians?) that we are, because Uncle Sean actually altered the hooks so they could only hold bait and not snag any fish.

Uncle Sean fishing with the Dora rod. This is funny because he is actually a great fly fisher- I wonder if the whole excursion was a huge disappointment to him. If it was he didn't let on. Uncle Sean is a very patient man. Like with the time that the girls drew with markers on all his stuff when they were supposed to be in bed asleep...

Here's the real reason for our visit, to see Paul's Grandma Berle. She's sweet as ever and was really patient with the girls, even when they wouldn't talk to her except through their kitties. "Camille, can you give Grandma Berle a hug?" "'I'll give you a hug,' said Mother Kitty."

We loved seeing Sean and Grandma- almost makes me want to drive for 10 hours in the car with my silly kids again. Thanks for a great vacation!