Here is a girl you just can't help but LOVE. I wonder what she thinks about... umm if we only knew.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Marcella
Here is a girl you just can't help but LOVE. I wonder what she thinks about... umm if we only knew.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
For the Moms
I know this isn't as exciting as fun pictures, but I really enjoyed this and I share it with all you Mothers out there. (I got it from a friends blog)
The Invisible Woman By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?" "Nobody," he shrugged. "Nobody?" The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?" I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing. Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking. That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not! No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum ma cum laud-but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going she's going she's gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees." In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
The Invisible Woman By Nicole Johnson
It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, "Who is that with you, young fella?" "Nobody," he shrugged. "Nobody?" The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, "Oh my goodness, nobody?" I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like "Turn the TV down, please" - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, "Would someone turn the TV down?" Nothing. Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, "I'm ready to go when you are." He just kept right on talking. That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me. I don't think anyone can see me. I'm invisible. It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not! No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please."I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated sum ma cum laud-but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going she's going she's gone! One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees." In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:* No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.* These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.* They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.* The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
My Handsome Husband
This is a picture of the man of my dreams. As I am sitting here trying to get everything organized in this crazy place we call home, I just started to miss him. Jon is curently working a Grizzly Game, and since he has to work one again tomorrow and then I have to work on Saturday, I thought I would take a minute to say why I love this guy so much. #1. He is so funny. No matter what we are doing, he can always make me laugh and he helps me understand that we should enjoy life and not get too stressed out. #2. He is the worlds greatest cook. I have seriously learned a bazillion things from him about cooking. He currently makes me a ham and cheese omlett anytime I desire and they are to die for. (I wish you were home so I could have one right now, YUM!) #3. He is always willing to do any chore that I have been despising to do for a week. #4. He is my better half. Helping and sometimes dragging me to get things done, especially at night when I just want to climb in bed, he reminds me my teeth will fall out if I don't get back in the bathroom. #5. He is the worlds Greatest Dad. Marcella absolutely adores him. Whenever I come home you will find them Dancing, playing or cooking, they have so much fun together it is fun to be with them. #6. He is so dang cute! just look at that smile, you just have to agree. #7. He loves the outdoors. We have had a bunch of adventures together and I am excited to have more this summer. #8. He is a hard worker and is doing awesome at school, I am so excited that he loves what he is doing, and can't wait to see what life has in store for us. #9. Did I mention he can Yodel? #10. He loves to joke around. I love that he will make fun of me over silly things, like how many times have I dropped a bottle of salsa at the store or before we even got it home? We started buying two so we would at least have one when we got home. I just wanted to say I LOVE YOU JON!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
President Hinckley
It is so sad that President Hinckley died today. I am so grateful to him and am still in a little bit of shock. I just always thought he would keep going. I am very thankful for all he has taught me. He was an Amazing man. One funny story about President Hinckley I would like to tell is, one day Jon and I were late to Sacrament meeting and we came in during the opening song.. We Thanks Thee oh God for a Prophet. Everyone was standing up so we snuck in the back. Then we sat down for the Prayer. During the prayer the person said we are so grateful to have our prophet with us here today, Jon and I both looked at each other shocked and then looked up at the stand and there he was It seriously was an Amazing day. One I will never forget. He was such a special man and I will miss him.
Summer
After reading Caroline and Kristin's posts on snow, and with the news of a heavy snowstorm looming on the horizon, I thought I'd post what I love most about summer. Enjoy!
When it Rains, it pours!
I know you've all heard the saying. Let me illustrate how true it's been for us this past week. Saturday morning I got up, did the usual with Marcella, and went to turn our computer on to check my email. For Kanien and I, our computer is the most central technological fixture in our lives. It's probably like the TV was to 1950's and 1960's families...it's almost always on, either for email, blogging, photos, movies, pictures, or games. When it didn't turn on, I started the normal troubleshooting routine I've grown accustomed to in the last 15 years. We've had the machine around 2 years, which seems to be the lifespan for someone who always wants more computing power and better performance. I know some of my family members have had computers for 10+ years and are still running Windows 3.1, but I don't work that way. (To me that'd be like refusing a church calling or rooting for BYU.) When the fix looked to be around $200 dollars, I consulted Kanien and we decided to upgrade instead of replace the bad hardware with its equivalent. So I drove to Salt Lake, bought the components, and started home.
Kanien and I had been debating paying our car off, or getting some things fixed that have needed fixing and continuing making payments for 6 more months. We finally decided to pay it off, reasoning we'd better do it now while we had the money, or we'd end up squandering it on other stuff. She transferred the money on Saturday after I had gone to Salt Lake. She was worried about what she calls "The Dougal Curse," coming into effect, a family condition that regulates any attempts to get ahead by bringing horrid luck down on you and your acquaintances. I had a feeling of foreboding as well, and when I was less than a mile from home, I struck something on the road (not quite sure what it was...just that it was made of hard metal), and punctured a hole in our oil pan.
As I pulled up to our apartment, the oil light came on (along with a bunch of tones and warnings I'd better stop driving...thanks VW). I got out to examine the damage. Oil was pouring onto the pavement. The car wasn't going anywhere. I called Kanien, then the insurance to file a claim. I know an oil pan is less than $200 to replace, but I didn't know what else the mystery object had struck, and I wanted to be covered in case there was other damage. They couldn't really do anything until Monday, anyway. Kanien's parents were nice enough to drive Nathan's surplus auto down to us, and we were saved from complete immobility.
I proceeded to assemble the new components, and ran into some problems, which is pretty much par for the course. When we built the original PC, I had installed a RAID array, which is two hard drives assembles so each file is split and copied 1/2 to each drive. This increases the speed at which your machine operates, but it also decreases the fault tolerance of the disk, as an error on one drive corrupts the entire array. I was able to get the drive back online long enough to rescue all of our pictures, but transferring it to another RAID controller didn't work, and they were corrupted in the process. It only took about 6 hours of my time to figure this out, but it felt like a week, and left me pretty distraught.
That's what I was working through on Monday when the tow truck came to take the car away. Marcella was down for her nap, and I went out to help the guy with the car. I made sure I had keys so I could get back in the house. After Jim had towed the car away, I realized I'd given him the keys to the car, and no longer had a house key. It was then that this nexus of misfortune seemed to culminate, and in a moment driven by both need and frustration, I opted to kick the door in, instead of calling a locksmith. It gave on the first kick, and didn't really do that much damage.
I'm no longer worried about our PC or our car, but have this large feeling of insecurity that has taken its place. Maybe we need better doors!
Kanien and I had been debating paying our car off, or getting some things fixed that have needed fixing and continuing making payments for 6 more months. We finally decided to pay it off, reasoning we'd better do it now while we had the money, or we'd end up squandering it on other stuff. She transferred the money on Saturday after I had gone to Salt Lake. She was worried about what she calls "The Dougal Curse," coming into effect, a family condition that regulates any attempts to get ahead by bringing horrid luck down on you and your acquaintances. I had a feeling of foreboding as well, and when I was less than a mile from home, I struck something on the road (not quite sure what it was...just that it was made of hard metal), and punctured a hole in our oil pan.
As I pulled up to our apartment, the oil light came on (along with a bunch of tones and warnings I'd better stop driving...thanks VW). I got out to examine the damage. Oil was pouring onto the pavement. The car wasn't going anywhere. I called Kanien, then the insurance to file a claim. I know an oil pan is less than $200 to replace, but I didn't know what else the mystery object had struck, and I wanted to be covered in case there was other damage. They couldn't really do anything until Monday, anyway. Kanien's parents were nice enough to drive Nathan's surplus auto down to us, and we were saved from complete immobility.
I proceeded to assemble the new components, and ran into some problems, which is pretty much par for the course. When we built the original PC, I had installed a RAID array, which is two hard drives assembles so each file is split and copied 1/2 to each drive. This increases the speed at which your machine operates, but it also decreases the fault tolerance of the disk, as an error on one drive corrupts the entire array. I was able to get the drive back online long enough to rescue all of our pictures, but transferring it to another RAID controller didn't work, and they were corrupted in the process. It only took about 6 hours of my time to figure this out, but it felt like a week, and left me pretty distraught.
That's what I was working through on Monday when the tow truck came to take the car away. Marcella was down for her nap, and I went out to help the guy with the car. I made sure I had keys so I could get back in the house. After Jim had towed the car away, I realized I'd given him the keys to the car, and no longer had a house key. It was then that this nexus of misfortune seemed to culminate, and in a moment driven by both need and frustration, I opted to kick the door in, instead of calling a locksmith. It gave on the first kick, and didn't really do that much damage.
I'm no longer worried about our PC or our car, but have this large feeling of insecurity that has taken its place. Maybe we need better doors!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Marcella
Here is one funny little two year old. She seriously surprises me more and more everyday. Here she is at the cabin. Drinking about her 20th cup of hot Chocolate. I couldn't believe how much she loved it. She not only would drink the whole cup but she would continuiously ask for more after it was all gone. She has started into the terrible two's. Not sure how to handle it, but I am trying. It makes me laugh a lot which doesn't help matters, but when you stop for a minute and recap how your conversation with a two year old is going, it makes me laugh.Me:
"Marcella please stop that."
"Marcella, Marcella, are you listening to me?"
"Please stop that now!"
Marcella:
"NO YOU STOP THAT!!!"
This goes on for a minute or so until I realize I am fighting with a two year old. Then I tell her we can't talk to each other until we are going to be nice. This has helped so far, just cross your fingers it continues to work. She has a fascination with being scared. Whenever she thinks something is scary or is scared, she talks about it for ages. Not only that but her favorite books include The little old lady who wasn't afraid of anything, and the Pale green Pants with Nobody inside them. I don't know about you, but if I would have read those as a child I would have been scared for life. She is so funny. Every night when we tuck her in she will say,"the tigers not going to come in my bedroom?" then I reassure her that Tigers live at the zoo not at our house, she then will say, "okay if you weave the door open?"
She not only has a terrible two side, but a sweet how can you not love me side. She really has started to be the sweetest little girl on the planet. My favorite things she has been saying lately are:
"no, I LOVE YOU!"
"Sure"
"Can I wash the dishes?" (Don't know how long this is going to last, but I will take it any day)
"Just a minute"
"Oh, let me tell you a story."
"mommy I wook cute?"
"Mommy what a pretty necklace, I wike it."
I can't think of any more right now. But I must admit whenever she says Sure, it just melts my heart. I should record her so I can let you just hear how she says it. It is adorable. Well, I guess I better go, but I hope you all have a wonderful evening!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Christmas!
This year was so much fun. Marcella's expressions and excitement was the best ever. It really made this year so much fun. We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma Wallin's house for her annual Christmas party. It was awesome. We then went to sleepover at my parents house. We all got to open some Christmas Pj's then off to bed. We didn't get up until 7 or so, and after that we had a blast. Especially enjoying the Christmas Delight. YUM! We told my mom she can no longer only make 2 she has to make 3 next year. (This was coming from 4 kids who wouldn't even touch it Christmas morning growing up because we thought it was gross. Thanks for keeping the tradition alive mom, it was delicious.)
Here is Marcella checking out her stocking. She got a lot of stickers and was really excited.
She got a play kitchen and some food from Santa and Grandpa Dougal made her a table and chair. It is really awesome and Marcella uses the table everyday. She loves it and always tells me, "Grandpa made this for ME!" Thanks Dad.
This was pretty funny, Nathan got my dad and himself a pair of I believe they are Beaver skin mittens. He was super excited.
Marcella's next favorite, shoes. as you can see she HAD to put them on. I am just wondering what is up with her eye... EVIL EYE, everyone beware.
That night we went over to Grandpa Wallin and Grandma Katherines house. We had a lot of fun opening presents and then acting out the nativity. We had such a wonderful Christmas and had so much fun being with our Families. Thank you for making it wonderful. We love you and wish you a happy new year!
Here is Marcella checking out her stocking. She got a lot of stickers and was really excited.
She got a play kitchen and some food from Santa and Grandpa Dougal made her a table and chair. It is really awesome and Marcella uses the table everyday. She loves it and always tells me, "Grandpa made this for ME!" Thanks Dad.
This was pretty funny, Nathan got my dad and himself a pair of I believe they are Beaver skin mittens. He was super excited.
Marcella's next favorite, shoes. as you can see she HAD to put them on. I am just wondering what is up with her eye... EVIL EYE, everyone beware.
That night we went over to Grandpa Wallin and Grandma Katherines house. We had a lot of fun opening presents and then acting out the nativity. We had such a wonderful Christmas and had so much fun being with our Families. Thank you for making it wonderful. We love you and wish you a happy new year!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
When it rains, it pours!
I know you've all heard the saying. Let me illustrate how true it's been for us this past week. Saturday morning I got up, did the usual with Marcella, and went to turn our computer on to check my email. For Kanien and I, our computer is the most central technological fixture in our lives. It's probably like the TV was to 1950's and 1960's families...it's almost always on, either for email, blogging, photos, movies, pictures, or games. When it didn't turn on, I started the normal troubleshooting routine I've grown accustomed to in the last 15 years. We've had the machine around 2 years, which seems to be the lifespan for someone who always wants more computing power and better performance. I know some of my family members have had computers for 10+ years and are still running Windows 3.1, but I don't work that way. (To me that'd be like refusing a church calling or rooting for BYU.) When the fix looked to be around $200 dollars, I consulted Kanien and we decided to upgrade instead of replace the bad hardware with its equivalent. So I drove to Salt Lake, bought the components, and started home.
Kanien and I had been debating paying our car off, or getting some things fixed that have needed fixing and continuing making payments for 6 more months. We finally decided to pay it off, reasoning we'd better do it now while we had the money, or we'd end up squandering it on other stuff. She transferred the money on Saturday after I had gone to Salt Lake. She was worried about what she calls "The Dougal Curse," coming into effect, a family condition that regulates any attempts to get ahead by bringing horrid luck down on you and your acquaintances. I had a feeling of foreboding as well, and when I was less than a mile from home, I struck something on the road (not quite sure what it was...just that it was made of hard metal), and punctured a hole in our oil pan.
As I pulled up to our apartment, the oil light came on (along with a bunch of tones and warnings I'd better stop driving...thanks VW). I got out to examine the damage. Oil was pouring onto the pavement. The car wasn't going anywhere. I called Kanien, then the insurance to file a claim. I know an oil pan is less than $200 to replace, but I didn't know what else the mystery object had struck, and I wanted to be covered in case there was other damage. They couldn't really do anything until Monday, anyway. Kanien's parents were nice enough to drive Nathan's surplus auto down to us, and we were saved from complete immobility.
I proceeded to assemble the new components, and ran into some problems, which is pretty much par for the course. When we built the original PC, I had installed a RAID array, which is two hard drives assembles so each file is split and copied 1/2 to each drive. This increases the speed at which your machine operates, but it also decreases the fault tolerance of the disk, as an error on one drive corrupts the entire array. I was able to get the drive back online long enough to rescue all of our pictures, but transferring it to another RAID controller didn't work, and they were corrupted in the process. It only took about 6 hours of my time to figure this out, but it felt like a week, and left me pretty distraught.
That's what I was working through on Monday when the tow truck came to take the car away. Marcella was down for her nap, and I went out to help the guy with the car. I made sure I had keys so I could get back in the house. After Jim had towed the car away, I realized I'd given him the keys to the car, and no longer had a house key. It was then that this nexus of misfortune seemed to culminate, and in a moment driven by both need and frustration, I opted to kick the door in, instead of calling a locksmith. It gave on the first kick, and didn't really do that much damage.
I'm no longer worried about our PC or our car, but have this large feeling of insecurity that has taken its place. Maybe we need better doors!
Kanien and I had been debating paying our car off, or getting some things fixed that have needed fixing and continuing making payments for 6 more months. We finally decided to pay it off, reasoning we'd better do it now while we had the money, or we'd end up squandering it on other stuff. She transferred the money on Saturday after I had gone to Salt Lake. She was worried about what she calls "The Dougal Curse," coming into effect, a family condition that regulates any attempts to get ahead by bringing horrid luck down on you and your acquaintances. I had a feeling of foreboding as well, and when I was less than a mile from home, I struck something on the road (not quite sure what it was...just that it was made of hard metal), and punctured a hole in our oil pan.
As I pulled up to our apartment, the oil light came on (along with a bunch of tones and warnings I'd better stop driving...thanks VW). I got out to examine the damage. Oil was pouring onto the pavement. The car wasn't going anywhere. I called Kanien, then the insurance to file a claim. I know an oil pan is less than $200 to replace, but I didn't know what else the mystery object had struck, and I wanted to be covered in case there was other damage. They couldn't really do anything until Monday, anyway. Kanien's parents were nice enough to drive Nathan's surplus auto down to us, and we were saved from complete immobility.
I proceeded to assemble the new components, and ran into some problems, which is pretty much par for the course. When we built the original PC, I had installed a RAID array, which is two hard drives assembles so each file is split and copied 1/2 to each drive. This increases the speed at which your machine operates, but it also decreases the fault tolerance of the disk, as an error on one drive corrupts the entire array. I was able to get the drive back online long enough to rescue all of our pictures, but transferring it to another RAID controller didn't work, and they were corrupted in the process. It only took about 6 hours of my time to figure this out, but it felt like a week, and left me pretty distraught.
That's what I was working through on Monday when the tow truck came to take the car away. Marcella was down for her nap, and I went out to help the guy with the car. I made sure I had keys so I could get back in the house. After Jim had towed the car away, I realized I'd given him the keys to the car, and no longer had a house key. It was then that this nexus of misfortune seemed to culminate, and in a moment driven by both need and frustration, I opted to kick the door in, instead of calling a locksmith. It gave on the first kick, and didn't really do that much damage.
I'm no longer worried about our PC or our car, but have this large feeling of insecurity that has taken its place. Maybe we need better doors!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Resolutions
So I know you all are just dying for some fun Christmas Pictures etc. (Because we did have one awesome Christmas. I loved it!) But I wanted to get this out of the way first. So a few of us were talking over the holiday and we decided we wanted to start a "Biggest Loser"game of our own. So I just wanted to let all of you out there know, that if you are interested in joining with us you can read the rules here. (If you are a little hesitant to join because you are a blog hopper like me and don't really know me, just join in anyways, it will make it more fun.) We are still open for any suggestions on how to make this work, so if you have any ideas, just let me know. I think it will make it a lot more fun if we can get more people involved. As of right now we have 4 of us. If it makes everyone feel more comfortable in the group I will make the blog a closed blog, so those only who are invited can go and look at it. Take a look at it and see if you might be interested then just leave a comment. Bring on the new year! This year I am going to make my weight goal!
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Tagged
The Rules:
1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about!
2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.
Ok guys here goes:
1. Something that I only think my family knows about is how obsessed I am with how to wash dishes. It doesn't bother me how anyone else does them, as long as they get done and are clean I am happy. The problem lies when I have to do the dishes, they have to be completely organized. All the plates stacked nicely, the silverware in a pile closest to the sink, cups all together, bowl staked etc. all the way down to the pots and pans, being last. I don't know why, but I seriously can't stand to have anything else in the sink while I am washing, I know it is a crazy habit, but I just can't break it, believe me I have tried.
2. I absolutely love candy. As a matter of fact I went and got a couple pieces to eat while I am typing. Most people can vouch for this. I don't think there has ever been a time in my married life that I haven't had candy somewhere in our house. It is a bad thing to love, and I am going to try to give it up after our New Years Cabin trip. I will let you know if I will have the will power, I am pretty sure I do, but it is hard to give up something you love.
3. I love giving presents. I think it goes along with shopping. If I am buying something for someone else, I don't feel guilty about it, so it not only makes me happy to give something to someone else, it also cures my "need" to consume. I like to give presents that are unexpected. Believe me I love Christmas, and trying to keep everything a secret etc, but I love the everyday presents I can give. There is just something about it, I think I got it from my mom. Every once in a while she would do something nice for us, like make our bed or clean our room and then leave us a little note with our favorite candy. I loved walking into my room and finding it all clean and having a treat to go along with it. It has been fun to be on the giving end and doing the things my mom used to do for me. It sure is fun to surprise someone.
4. I hate to admit this, but this is the next thing I thought of. I am not a big baby lover. Don't get me wrong, I seriously can't wait until Jon and I can have another one, but growing up when other girls wanted to hold all the babies, I wanted to go outside and play Hockey or do something more fun. They still make me a little nervous when they aren't my own, but I will admit they are the sweetest and most wonderful things ever to be placed on this earth. I think part of me is still worried I will break them.
5. I love the laughter of little kids. I think it is so funny to be in a room and then hear Marcella start laughing. I love it when babies start finding their voice as well. It is so much fun to see the excitement in their eyes. Amie's little girl Camrie was here the other night and she was talking like crazy, just trying to get in on the conversation. She was so happy it was adorable. What can I say little kids laughter makes me melt.
6. Here is my final tell all... I have a secret desire to go back to school and get a Masters, maybe even a PHD. I would love to study the role Fathers play in the lives of their children. I am hoping that when Jon gets a teaching position at a University a few years down the road, I might be able to pursue this dream. Hey I might one day be teaching right beside you honey!
7. I just thought of one more to add when I saw this picture. If you don't know who this is, you must not have hung out with me in the past year or so. This is Amie. I met Amie when I worked at America First. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. i always tell Jon I am way lucky to have a friend like her. You can't find a lot of friends these days who you call up and say hey come over and they just come over. You don't have to have an agenda, they just come. So I guess my 7th confession is I miss living by Amie. For almost two years I saw her almost everyday. And I loved having them stay for dinner 4 out of 7 times a week. We had so much fun. Now that we live further than up the street from each other it is hard to just "come over", but thanks for still coming Amie. You are awesome. I love hanging out with you!
I now tag Amie, Jacci, Debbie, Nan, Grandma Dougal, Whitney
1. The player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves - try to find 6 you haven't already posted about!
2. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blog and leaves them a comment, letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.
Ok guys here goes:
1. Something that I only think my family knows about is how obsessed I am with how to wash dishes. It doesn't bother me how anyone else does them, as long as they get done and are clean I am happy. The problem lies when I have to do the dishes, they have to be completely organized. All the plates stacked nicely, the silverware in a pile closest to the sink, cups all together, bowl staked etc. all the way down to the pots and pans, being last. I don't know why, but I seriously can't stand to have anything else in the sink while I am washing, I know it is a crazy habit, but I just can't break it, believe me I have tried.
2. I absolutely love candy. As a matter of fact I went and got a couple pieces to eat while I am typing. Most people can vouch for this. I don't think there has ever been a time in my married life that I haven't had candy somewhere in our house. It is a bad thing to love, and I am going to try to give it up after our New Years Cabin trip. I will let you know if I will have the will power, I am pretty sure I do, but it is hard to give up something you love.
3. I love giving presents. I think it goes along with shopping. If I am buying something for someone else, I don't feel guilty about it, so it not only makes me happy to give something to someone else, it also cures my "need" to consume. I like to give presents that are unexpected. Believe me I love Christmas, and trying to keep everything a secret etc, but I love the everyday presents I can give. There is just something about it, I think I got it from my mom. Every once in a while she would do something nice for us, like make our bed or clean our room and then leave us a little note with our favorite candy. I loved walking into my room and finding it all clean and having a treat to go along with it. It has been fun to be on the giving end and doing the things my mom used to do for me. It sure is fun to surprise someone.
4. I hate to admit this, but this is the next thing I thought of. I am not a big baby lover. Don't get me wrong, I seriously can't wait until Jon and I can have another one, but growing up when other girls wanted to hold all the babies, I wanted to go outside and play Hockey or do something more fun. They still make me a little nervous when they aren't my own, but I will admit they are the sweetest and most wonderful things ever to be placed on this earth. I think part of me is still worried I will break them.
5. I love the laughter of little kids. I think it is so funny to be in a room and then hear Marcella start laughing. I love it when babies start finding their voice as well. It is so much fun to see the excitement in their eyes. Amie's little girl Camrie was here the other night and she was talking like crazy, just trying to get in on the conversation. She was so happy it was adorable. What can I say little kids laughter makes me melt.
6. Here is my final tell all... I have a secret desire to go back to school and get a Masters, maybe even a PHD. I would love to study the role Fathers play in the lives of their children. I am hoping that when Jon gets a teaching position at a University a few years down the road, I might be able to pursue this dream. Hey I might one day be teaching right beside you honey!
7. I just thought of one more to add when I saw this picture. If you don't know who this is, you must not have hung out with me in the past year or so. This is Amie. I met Amie when I worked at America First. She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. i always tell Jon I am way lucky to have a friend like her. You can't find a lot of friends these days who you call up and say hey come over and they just come over. You don't have to have an agenda, they just come. So I guess my 7th confession is I miss living by Amie. For almost two years I saw her almost everyday. And I loved having them stay for dinner 4 out of 7 times a week. We had so much fun. Now that we live further than up the street from each other it is hard to just "come over", but thanks for still coming Amie. You are awesome. I love hanging out with you!
I now tag Amie, Jacci, Debbie, Nan, Grandma Dougal, Whitney
Friday, December 21, 2007
Poor Sick Girl!
As some of you know we were suppose to be going to the cabin this week for a fun filled "Adults only" trip with some of Jon's High School Friends. Well it ended up being a "Guys only trip." I will admit I was so so so BUMMED! Marcella got her first ever case of the throw up bug and as much as I wanted to just leave her with my mom I knew I couldn't do it. So here is Marcella..
This is about the only time she smiled in 3 days. She was so happy because the cat came to say hi to her.
It only lasted a few seconds though, I was glad to get it on camera.
The second day of really being sick, Grandpa gave in a gave her some chips. She would say, "mommy, they make me feel better!" At least she kept those down.
Here she is on Thursday. She was all better, of course because that was the day everyone was coming home from the cabin. We had a lot of fun though, we finished our Gingerbread house, and enjoyed eating a ton of candy! Yum!
Well, Jon made it home last night and then had to leave again to go to BYU this morning. So Marcella decided she needed to throw up one more time just for ol' times sake. It just happened to be all over me. The joys of Motherhood. It is crazy how you thought you would never be able to handle that part when you were younger and now when you do get thrown up on you just take care of it and it isn't that big of deal. Well all in all I had a great time hanging out with my family this week, thanks guys! Thanks for the fun Birthday too, you guys are the best! I love you!
This is about the only time she smiled in 3 days. She was so happy because the cat came to say hi to her.
It only lasted a few seconds though, I was glad to get it on camera.
The second day of really being sick, Grandpa gave in a gave her some chips. She would say, "mommy, they make me feel better!" At least she kept those down.
Here she is on Thursday. She was all better, of course because that was the day everyone was coming home from the cabin. We had a lot of fun though, we finished our Gingerbread house, and enjoyed eating a ton of candy! Yum!
Well, Jon made it home last night and then had to leave again to go to BYU this morning. So Marcella decided she needed to throw up one more time just for ol' times sake. It just happened to be all over me. The joys of Motherhood. It is crazy how you thought you would never be able to handle that part when you were younger and now when you do get thrown up on you just take care of it and it isn't that big of deal. Well all in all I had a great time hanging out with my family this week, thanks guys! Thanks for the fun Birthday too, you guys are the best! I love you!Monday, December 17, 2007
Skiing
Dad and I are looking at pictures....Cross country skiing is one of my favorite childhood memories. So make sure all you parents go and buy some skis and get your kids out there. Dad recounted a funny story of the first time Russ Riddle went CX skiing with him. They had gone above Bountiful on some pretty easy terrain. Every once in a while there'd be a bump or rise in the trail, and Russ would fall. Laurissa finally got fed up with it and said, "Excuse me...I have to get by now."
Sunday, December 09, 2007
New (sort of) Dress
Marcella got this dress at a baby shower. This is the first time she's worn it. A lady in our old ward made it. It's a nice dress.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
ok, I admit!
Today I have been a little neglectful. Well I guess not completely, because I did know what Marcella was doing, I just didn't stop the process and just let her have fun. I guess you could say it started this morning. When we decided to start our day out with movies. Yes not one but two. It was perfect because I got to get my Christmas Cards addressed and Marcella had fun watching her movies and eating Corn puffs and 3 glasses of OJ for Breakfast. Around 10:30 I decided at least one of us should be dressed so into the tub went Marcella. (between you and me, I didn't put her in the tub because I thought she should be out of her pj's, but because it gave me a good half hour to work on the Christmas card insert.) Out of the tub she got and I dressed her "oh so cute", according to her words. Then we did her hair with a bow and everything. She looked ready to hit the town. Then I worked more on the Christmas stuff, while this little one played so quietly in her room. The best hour or two ever. She played and I wasted my time at the computer. Then out came the glamor queen saying "Mama, do I wook cute?" Well, what do you think?
she then says "Do you wike my clothes?"
I must admit, I said yes, you look so pretty, then had a little chuckle. She is now still in them and having a pancake for lunch. Sometimes we need these kind of days right?
she then says "Do you wike my clothes?"I must admit, I said yes, you look so pretty, then had a little chuckle. She is now still in them and having a pancake for lunch. Sometimes we need these kind of days right?
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