Mamablog

Update

2011-08-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

August 26, 2011

I hate August. Nothing but hot, hot,hot, and there are no holidays! What the heck?!

Jeffy and Tommy ended up going on the big Scout campout with Charlie this evening. . . Lincoln was bitterly disappointed, and cried for an hour, before finally falling asleep. Sigh. Poor little guy. These were his words: “I AM a big boy!” Sad.

Lea is starting sixth grade and discovering boys, Laena is looking at Nov 19^th for the wedding, Clint has started school, and is spending way too much time with the girl down the street. : ) It has been SO HOT these few weeks that you really have to take 2 showers, one in the morning, and one in the late afternoon. We may as well move to Vegas. Random Facts: Eric watched Binky all day today while I ran errands, Jenny came over night before last, and we finally got rid of the snake. Clint quit his crazy warehouse job, Laena might get a promotion, Tommy has applied at Zupas and KFC.

Aleia and Jeffy started school last week, at Hawthorn Academy, and seem to be doing okay. Lea threw a big ole fit in the Spring, when she was first accepted, didn't want to leave her old school, but now Jeffy’s the one with the problem. We ran over and said hi to his ‘would-have-been’ teacher at Majestic today, and she seems really nice. I wish he could have stayed another year.

Autumn approacheth. Binky wore nothing but his ‘Iron Man suit’ for 2 days this week, before I took it away and chucked it in the laundry. : ) Halloween’s only 2 months away, you know! We're already in the planning stages. In other news, Kaylie Jo has recently learned to stand up all by herself, and 2 more teeth have come in. 4 on the top now! : ) Not sure I’m ready for all this. . . Eleven months old already. They grow up so fast!

On the flip-side, Aleia lost a tooth today, and is almost ready for braces. Clint wants to work at the NIKE outlet store, and Eric has been drawing a lot recently. We got a couple of calls last week about a possible local service mission. I really hope it works out! Jeffy’s gonna miss his last basketball game tomorrow, darn it, but probably won’t mind too much, since he’s camping with Daddy. . . Laena has been taking some of her stuff over to Paul’s to store until the wedding. She stayed home sick from work yesterday.

Kaylie Baby Jo is my little Teddy Bear. I just wanna curl up w her and snuggle! : ) Tommy started school Tuesday. He’s pretty excited about it. Taking Spanish this year. . Finally got his pull-up bar in the mail yesterday. He can't wait to work it out! : ) Eric spent some time at the Aquarium Wednesday afternoon, checking out the FISH! Also some penguins, etc, etc. Lea forgot her lunch today.

On a different note, I've recently discovered that almost all of my close friends that I've made over the years have written and/or published books. When’s it gonna be my turn? I wish there was more time in the day.

Eric just called, and is getting a ride home from work. A movie about the Book of Mormon is coming out soon, and will be playing at his theater! : ) I can’t wait to see it. It will be interesting to see how they put it together. Charlie started school, his last math class, last night. He’s a little bit nervous about it, since he’s never taken Trig before, but I think he’ll do fine. He’s pretty smart, really. . . Surprised us all and got a B last semester in Math 1050! I was impressed. : )

22 years since Charlie’s and my first date. Laena should be home soon.

Eric brought me a sunflower today. J

Photo Book

2011-04-22T11:56:00.001-07:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Fall Recap 2010

2011-01-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

2011-01-28T15:27:00.000-08:00

Holiday Correspondence!

2011-01-21T10:56:00.000-08:00

Holiday Correspondence (A little late, but still entertaining. . .)

A Joyous Holiday Season to one and all!

For those of you who dig this sort of thing. . .

Mason Family News:

Charlie, after a ten-year run with the Scouting program, has been called back into . . . the Scouting program! J He’s now working with Tommy and the Varsity Scouts here in our neighborhood. Still loves his job with Coke, and has a great time with all our shenanigans here at home! Charlie got to travel to Boston earlier this year, and helped out a bunch with the little kidlets while Amy was ‘out for the count’ (incapacitated) toward the end of the summer.

Amy (Mama) survived yet another pregnancy, and not such a fun one at that. But of course, ultimately, good came of it! We welcomed Kaylie Jo Mason into our home Sunday, September 12^th, 2010, with joy and rejoicing. Happy Birthday to me! J She is a sweet, pretty baby, beloved and adored by all who know her! Mama is excited to be able to walk again, and has great hopes of finally painting the kitchen, etc, etc! J Very busy with our now 8 little minions:

Laena . . has been attending college classes throughout the year, and they have been many and varied. She does very well in school, and if she were to actually study, she’d probably be able to take over the world. :) If you were to Google the phrase “Social Butterfly”, up would pop a picture of our Laenabug. I kid you not! : ) At one point, she had sworn off men, but has now “rethunk” her decision. Working, dating everybody, having all kinds of fun with her Institute Sorority, (I know, it sounds weird, but seems to be a great program), and besties Stephania and Misty, she continues to enjoy college life/her college experience to the fullest! Sadly, she has been wearing far too much red. . . ; )

Clinton, Eagle Scout and high school graduate, has also joined the Bruins at SLiCCk. (Salt Lake City Community College). He made some friends, and lost about 35 lbs this fall, with his weight training class and working out after school. He’s also been following a relatively strict diet of protein and fruit. Clint is excited about school this coming semester, and has signed up for 20 credit hours, his theory being that if most of them of are gym classes, that he won’t have any homework to speak of. : ) Ha ha ha! Whatever works. And speaking of work, He and Laena have been working, off and on, for a cleaning company owned by a friend of a friend. With any luck, our eldest son will learn how to break dance before the end of the school year! : )

Eric, who also earned his high school diploma and Eagle Scout Rank this year, is still working at the theater on 90^th and Redwood, and not wanting to do much else. We do enjoy the enormous bags of popcorn he brings home on the weekends. . . He is currently signed up for a couple of Institute classes, and should enjoy them, but is still entirely opposed to the idea of growing up, and all that goes with it. It’s so hard to leave Neverland! :) Eric continues to enjoy photography and drawing. He had the opportunity to visit Wyoming and Montana with his Grandma in August, and brought back many beautiful pictures of the scenery there. He also had fun at Aunt Sarah’s cabin, where he met some really cool chipmunks! :)

Tommy, breaking with tradition, has decided to leave West Jordan behind, and give this whole charter school thing/idea a whirl. .:) He really loves Paradigm High School, and is excited for next semester, also, looking forward to a Tae Kwon Do class and some other fun things. . . Earlier this summer, Tommy spent a week at BYU EFY, had fun at a couple of Scout camps, and somehow lost 40 lbs in the process! :) Actually, he was extremely disciplined with both diet and exercise, and the results are evident! He’s enjoyed school this year so far, and just a week or so ago, got to see a fabulous Christmas performance there, which was accompanied by his Seminary teacher, Brother McDonald. Tommy is full of ideas, and is looking forward, with great hopes for the future! :)

Aleia, with her beautiful, lyrical voice, got to participate in a local production of the musical “Wicked”, for kids. :) She had a great time in 4^th grade with Miss Jeppson, and is now thoroughly enjoying 5^th. She’s been recognized for her achievements in art and academics, earning awards for her entry in the Reflections program and other contests. Aleia recently got to sing and play the bells in the Majestic Christmas sing-along. :) Our ‘little’ Rosebud loves to play with her friends and hopes to learn more about music and theater in the future. She’s growing up way too fast and prides herself on being a ‘preteen’. I like to call her a ‘tweeny-bopper”, which she, of course, loves. . Aleia is still the most goal-oriented of all of us, and is already planning her eleventh birthday party, 3 months in advance. : )

Jefferson is now 8 years old, and was baptized in November. He’s all boy, but truly loves his little sister, and writes about her in his stories at school. : ) Jeffy got to travel to Yellowstone National Park with Daddy and the Scouts in June, and had all kinds of fun catching fish and exploring the wonders of nature! He also enjoyed visiting Grandma Harshbarger at her 70^th birthday celebration, and was especially excited about riding the miniature horses! :) Jeffy has great fun with his friends and loves to spend time playing with Legos and other favorite toys. As energetic/lively as he is, we are reminded every day of many reasons why he is still known as our ‘little sweet thing.’ :)

Binky is our sweet, lovable little hellion! We love him so, but are still at a loss as to how to get him to relax at times. He’ll beat up on his older brother, for instance, and then proclaim his undying love for everyone, all in the same couple of minutes. :) I sometimes wonder, if you add ‘terrible 2’ and ‘terrible 2’, do you get ‘frightening 4’, or adorable little angel, as they cancel each other out? Maybe a little bit of both. ; ) We just shake our heads. Lincoln loves to play outside and roughhouse with Daddy and Jeffy and Tommy. He and Jefferson are both fast friends, and sworn enemies, depending on the time of day. . . :) Our lovable little red-head certainly keeps us on our toes!

And Kaylie Jo Mason, our newest addition, is all sweetness and spice and everything nice!:) We love her so, our Kaylie Jo! (Hey, a rhyme! With sort of a Dr. Suess flavor. . .) She’s what smiles are made of! 3 months old, so chubby and cute! Our little honey, we can’t get enough of her! :) She’s recently discovered her hands, and may end up a thumb sucker. :) We couldn’t be prouder!

Best wishes to all!

Prospero Ano y Felizidad!

Love, and all that sort of thing,

Charlie, Amy, and minions : )

It's A Girl!

2010-05-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Eagle Scouts!

2010-05-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

Eagle Scout Court of Honor for Clint and Eric Mason! It went really well, and we are very proud of our boys. : )

That Time Of Year. . .

2010-05-12T13:51:00.001-07:00

You may have heard of a ‘May/December romance’. I don’t have much of a romance with May or December. Because they’re both CRAZY! Eight thousand activities. Concerts, plays, sporting events, recitals, graduations, family get-togethers. . . It never seems to slow down.

Now don’t get me wrong. . . I did thoroughly enjoy Jeffy’s Cinco de Mayo Celebration at the school last week. Couldn’t have asked for a better Mother’s Day present. . . And Aleia’s performances on Wednesday and Friday were certainly cute and entertaining. . . Eric’s track meet yesterday was fun, even if he would forget his shorts, or some part of his apparel, each and ever time they held an event. . . And Tommy’s upcoming Orchestra concert has me all a-twitter! : ) But with Laena starting school full time, Clint and Eric graduating from high school and Seminary, and all the other upcoming events on the horizon, it can be a bit overwhelming at times. Especially now that I’m expecting, since I seem to have less than optimal amount of energy at almost any given time of the day. . .

Yes, I think it’s time for a recharge. One of those good, old fashioned remedies for stress and frazzle that never seems to get old, no matter how many times you go back. Yes, my friends, it is time for a NAP! Bua ha ha ha ha! Mama’s taking a break! Could it be true? Do I still have a few minutes before the kids get home from school?

Uh-oh, is that the door? Wait a minute, did I ever upload those pictures of the twins’ Eagle Scout extravaganza? I can’t seem to remember. . . Have I mailed the graduation announcements? Does Binky need some juice? Is it time to pick up the kids? Have I caught up the laundry. . ? I still can’t believe the cat had kittens the night before Charlie left on his trip! Is there any way to get that rotten peanut butter smell out of the sink in the kitchen? What the heck did those kids do in there?! Or was it Charlie and one of his scouting experiments. . (sigh) Still need to plant the flower garden. . . Sure do hope Tommy’s caught up on his homework. . Pretty sure Jefferson needs a bath. . . Does Laena have a ride to work? Will our neighbor be able to fix the car. . ? What time does Aleia back from her field trip. . . ? Boy, this baby sure likes to kick!

Okay, stop. I have one question:

Does anybody have any chocolate ice cream?!

Entertainment Value

2010-05-12T12:11:00.001-07:00

Friday before last, Tommy ended up staying home from school so I could run errands. He’d gotten up late, and thought it would be easier to stay home and work for me, than it would be to go to school.

Later on that day, he’d changed his mind. His commentary went something like this:

“I stayed home ALL DAY, and all I did was fight the Binky. All I did was chase your blinking three year old! I got absolutely nothing done for ME!” as he stormed out the door.

HA ha ha ha ha! Classic! : ) Haven’t heard something so funny in a while.

The next day, after a long Saturday at home, Charlie made the comment.

“I don’t know why I’m so tired. . .”

This was Jefferson’s absent minded response, distracted as he was by the toy cars he was shooting across the kitchen table.

“Probably because you’ve been dealing with kids all day. . .”

: ) Hee hee hee hee hee!

Later that weekend, my inventive husband thought he’d try a new style of beard. No more goatee, more of an actual beard, a groomed framing of the face, minus the mustache. He always was a creative fella! : )

“What do you think”, he asked me in passing. “Does this make me look cool?”

Aleia overheard, and remarked gingerly “Well, it makes you look hairy. . .”

Kids! Life would be ever so dull without them! : )

Pink!

2010-05-10T14:28:00.001-07:00

We were excited to find out Friday that we are having a baby girl! : ) The flavor is officially PINK!

So off we go, looking for our baby girl things, which I’m pretty sure we’ve given away. . .

Wish us luck!

Tarred and Flustered

2010-02-09T12:42:00.001-08:00

This weekend was interesting. Scoutmaster Charlie had the Klondike winter camp Friday night, where he had fun with the Boy Scouts, and also Tommy and Eric. (Varsity and Venture) There’s a pretty nice campground in Heber Valley with cabins. Saturday afternoon, Charlie had to help bro Calvin with his car, which was broken down somewhere in West Valley. They got tar all over them, which, we learned, does indeed burn your skin off. Charlie “washed” most of it off with gasoline, but still has patches of black on his forearms. Jeffy and Lincoln had fun playing with their cousins, Kanella and Connor, Saturday afternoon/evening. They’re about the same ages, and seemed to get along pretty well. It was a bit of a madhouse though. Nothing like four little kids running through the house on a Saturday night! : ) Good thing I had Singing Time all figured out for Sunday! (Not)

What’s that thing people say?

“Calgon, take me away!” : )

A Leisurely Drive

2010-02-03T13:27:00.001-08:00

Monday night, Charlie and I were heading over to Maceys to pick up a couple of things, when out of nowhere, I came upon, and ran over, a street sign that had been left lying in the middle of the road. It was pretty dark out, and I didn't see it until it was too late. Charlie had been on the phone with somebody from work, so we'd decided to trade places, and have me drive so he could concentrate on the conversation. Odd how things work out. . .

Once we figured out what was going on, I stopped the car, Charlie hopped out and somehow detached the heavy metal pole and mangled sign from the underside of our car. I backed it off, and he carried the whole mess across the street and out of the way. Fortunately for us, (I guess), a highway patrolman happened to see the whole thing, chased down the guy who'd hit the sign, and called for a city policeman to come file a report. The good thing is, if there is any damage done, now we're covered; bad side, it there isn't, we just lost a good hour of valuable time waiting for the cops, and now our insurance will probably go up regardless. Sigh. Ain't life just grand! : )

When you least expect it. . .

Christmas Memories!

2010-01-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Masons! We had great fun traveling to Missouri for Christmas! Packed up the Suburban, kids and presents and all, and headed east.

A fabulous trip over all. . . Good food, friends, relations. . . lots of presents, and that beast of a truck almost made it all the way back to Utah without giving us fits! As it was, the fan motor on our heater blew out somewhere in Wyoming. In December. Charlie ended up scraping ice off the windshield with a credit card, as he was driving, because the man WOULDN'T STOP! He actually drove straight through, -24 hours- straight through, both ways. Thank heaven for caffeine, I guess. . .

But on the upside, there were some good memories made! Tommy really enjoyed walking through random gas stations in his bathrobe and bedroom slippers, Clint actually took pictures of the beautiful ice formations on his window in the back of the truck, and we gained a greater appreciation for the pioneers' adventures. (struggles) We all grew closer, as were forced to snuggle up together to keep warm. Back home, after further investigation, we learned that we could have fixed the heater in the Suburban by taking the time to pause and purchase a two dollar FUSE! Can you say speechless?! I was at a loss for words. But these types of experiences do make the best stories. . . : )

Good times.

I think that the best part of the trip overall was the time we got to spend with family members that we rarely get to see, and especially our little cousin, Adriana, up from Texas. Such a cutie! Lincoln was missing her for days! Stockings, gingerbread houses, Grandpa reading the Christmas story, little kidlets dressing up and reenacting the 'manger scene', the big turkey dinner. . . All of these things add up to the tradition that is Christmas! : ) Christmas memories! Candy canes, babies, ribbons and bows, a sparkling tree. . . All beautiful, but none so memorable as the sparkle in the shining eyes of a little child. Brings you back to the true meaning of our Holiday celebration. May we always remember the babe in Bethlehem and the magic that he brings. : )

Rivers

2009-12-28T21:23:00.000-08:00

‘Tis the Season

2009-12-28T20:08:00.001-08:00

'Tis the Season, Everyone!

Well, here we go! Christmas time again! : ) Off to Missouri this year to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Hope everything goes well. . . Here’s to a flawless Holiday travel experience!

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas! : )

Mason Family Christmas Letter 2009

Well, boys and girls, another year has gone by, and here we are at Christmastime again!

This year it’s “Over the Rockies and through Nebraska, to Grandmother’s house we goooooo! The "beast" knows the way to Omaha through the hopefully clear highway roooa-oaaaaads!”

Yes, we’re heading back east to the mid-west! : ) America’s heartland, where the Tanner Family has made their home for a grand total of 27 years now!

2009 has been a year full of adventure for us, as would probably be expected, with 4 teenagers and 3 little kids in the house. . .

Charlie has passed the 17-year mile marker with Coca-Cola, and is now serving as Systems Administrator with the IS Department. He was given the job of Stake Scoutmaster in May, ran a marathon and a half this summer, and continues to fill his schedule with school and family responsibilities. Charlie wears many hats, and wears them well. : ) He has a full plate, but yet somehow manages to ‘make it happen’ every day for the Mason Family. We depend on him greatly. Earlier this year, Charlie got his eyes fixed, and for the first time in 25 years, doesn’t have to wear glasses!

Amy was able to attend both her 20-year high school reunions this year, in Missouri and Charlottesville, and greatly enjoyed showing Charlie where she grew up in Virginia. She took a couple of classes at the community college, for the first time in as many years, and has learned, without a doubt, that Mommies with 7 children really don’t have time for school! : ) Still singing with the kids in Primary Class at church, and wishing her babies weren’t growing up so fast. . . .

Laena graduated from high school in June, and after batting around several options, and having fun at her last EFY, she decided to spend some time in Rexburg this fall at BYU-Idaho. Yay! She is currently learning the ins and outs, the ups and downs, of college life, way up there in the frozen North! She got to serve as Ward Choir Director, an experience which proved enriching and entertaining. : ) Laena drove up to Seattle in the spring, on Choir Tour, with her Mama and four busloads of friends! Our first trip to beautiful Northwest America! : )

Clinton finished up his Eagle Scout project, a blood drive for the Red Cross, back in March, and will soon receive his award. : ) He’s been working at Westland Elementary this year, as a custodian, and has also been spending a fair amount of time over at a certain neighbor girl's house after school. ; ) We are proud to announce that Clint made the Honor Roll last quarter, and seems to be enjoying his Senior year at West Jordan High! With the ACT, Driver’s Ed, the big birthday and graduation coming up, he has a lot to look forward to!

Eric, (or Ricky, as the Binky likes to call him), is also lined up to receive his Eagle Scout award in the next couple of months. He really worked hard on his Food Drive project last spring, enlisting the neighborhood in a worthy cause that undoubtedly helped the community. Eric is such a light in our home! We are so proud of him, and all the good work that he does, at home, at work, and at school. Eric was able to spend some time camping down at The Narrows in August with the neighborhood youth. He’ll soon hit his 2 year mark as a valued employee at the local movie theatre.

Tommy has been busy with middle school, martial arts, and his first job as a sweeper at Majestic Elementary, where Aleia and Jeffy go to school. He’s also been working on learning more about the cello, the piano, and girls! : ) Tommy has grown several inches these past couple of years, and is almost as tall as his Dad! Could my Hunny Baby be . . growing up. . ? (sniff, sniff) Scout camp, EFY, and Youth Conference in Southern Utah spiced up Tommy’s summer. This fall, he was privileged to sing with the regional Young Men’s Choir in General Conference! Adventures that he will undoubted look back upon with fondness. : )

Aleia is loving 4th grade and her fabulous teacher, Miss Jeppson! As usual, our Rosebud’s a ball of fire, insisting on games, parties, and projects that would exhaust even the most patient of parents. : ) Her second year of piano lessons is coming along nicely. Lea really likes to play those Christmas songs! She’s a loving little girl who attracts many friends, at Activity Days, and everywhere she goes. : ) Acting class has taken the place of dance. We’re excited to see her performance at the end of the school year!

Jefferson played some Tee Ball earlier this spring, and has been enrolled in the Spanish Immersion Program at his school for the past few months. He’s picking it up fast, but I’m still not sure if we need to be bilingual at this point. The good news is: He loves his teacher! : ) Jeffy (Vuffy) also loves to play with his best friend, Evan. They tear through the house, in search of new and exciting adventures with Binky and Lea! It's fun to watch their antics! : ) Jeffy’s an energetic little boy, always ready for whatever lies ahead.

Lincoln (Binky) hit the ripe old age of 3 in October, at which point we thought it best to cut off his beautiful baby curls, and proclaim him an official ‘little boy’. (sob, sniffle) It was downright painful to say goodbye to all those precious, strawberry-blond ringlets. : ( Our Binky is growing up fast! His first day of Primary was last week, and he's learning new words and talking to us more and more every day. All boy, that one is! His giggle just lights up a room. : )

We hope you have all had a great year, and wish you a happy 2010!

Merry Christmas, and have a terrific Holiday Season! : )

Love, The Masons

Nutty November

2009-11-13T13:06:00.001-08:00

Last week was crazy.

Barely recovering from Halloween, we had to pull off two birthdays , a party, parent teacher conference, and the annual Primary Program. Jeffy turned seven, which I still can’t believe, and Laena is now 19, which surreal, pseudo-fact in equally as hard to digest. AAaahhhhhh! Jefferson had a fun birthday party here at the house. He had about 8 friends show up, including his cousins Zealan and Cazlea. It was fun to see everybody. Charlie came up with some cute games that made the 2 hours speed by. Surprisingly stress free celebration.

Saturday night, our college sweetheart rode the shuttle down to Salt Lake. She wanted to be home for her birthday , and also for a couple of friends’ missionary farewells. Laena took Tommy with her to one of the luncheons, spur of the moment. It was nice having her around, even if it was only for one day. Sunday night we got to finally meet “the boyfriend”, Jeff! He seems like a good kid. . . I wonder if he knows what he’s getting himself into. ; )

Clint and Eric were both on the honor roll this quarter, which is very encouraging. I still can’t believe that they’re so close behind their sister, both on schedule to graduate next year. How did this happen?!

Wednesday night, Charlie and I curled up on the couch and watched UP. It was a really cute show. I’d recommend it to anybody!

Yes, my friends, the holidays are here! November first rolls around, and it’s Christmas music non stop until January 2nd! : ) Halloween is abruptly over, orange and black decorations are put away, and it’s on to red and green glory! Don’t get me wrong, Halloween was great. . . We had fun hiding downstairs and watching our traditional Donald Duck and Charlie Brown, but now we’re down to cheapo pink bubblegum, fireballs, and caramel apple pops. It’s just not the same without chocolate. . . Sigh. The magic is gone.

So bring it on, Santa! We’re waiting for you to make the season bright, with treats in our stockings! Preferably chocolate mint truffles!

No pressure. . .

The Holidays are here! : )

Holiday Train!

2009-11-02T08:32:00.001-08:00

Well, the holidays are here! Time to put away all things Halloween, flip the pumpkins around, and gear up for Christmas! Can’t have Jack O’ Lanterns out there on the porch confusing people. . . I can’t believe it’s been a year already! A whole year since holiday oh eight. It’s crazy fast how time is flying by. . . Before you know it, it’ll be 2020 and we’ll all be wondering what the heck happened!

We had a relatively peaceful Halloween this year. . . All in all, quite a surprisingly pleasant experience, a relaxing efenink. Charlie and I were too beat to worry about the Fall Festival carnival thing whatever at the elementary school Thursday. . . The 9 am parade was enough for me, and with Charlie aspiring to go to HARVARD, he’s got a full plate. Friday, we had a great time at the church, hanging with the neighborhood crowd. The kids were beside themselves, chowing down on hot dogs, chili, 800 different kinds of soups and stews, and of course lots of candy and cookies. . . My favorite part was the costumes! Seeing all the little kidlets in all their cute, creative costumes was just the icing on the cake! : ) I was sooo disappointed later, however, to discover that most of my pictures from the Halloween party, and our Trick or Treating adventure, had not turned out. Yes, my friends, I have broken another camera. I’m so not happy about this. This hasn’t been the best year for losing pictures. Makes me just sick! Soooo uncool.

But we’ll fix THAT! Christmas is a comin’, y’all, and Mama’s gotta document! As Sally says on that Great Pumpkin Show, “There will be restitution!” : ) I’m thinking Nikon. . .

So here we go, everybody! Time to jump on that Holiday Train! Cause we’re going for a ride, Baby, and it starts TODAY! : ) Woo oo Wooooo!

Now I just need to dig out the Christmas music. . . The kids are gonna love it! Jingle Bells and Gloria 24/7 until the break of dawn, New Years Day!

Charlottesville Trip 2009

2009-10-18T18:21:00.001-07:00

Charlottesville High Reunion ‘09!

2009-10-18T17:43:00.001-07:00

Our Girlie-Bob!

2009-10-11T13:37:00.001-07:00

Last Tuesday, Charlie took Aleia on the Daddy-Daughter-Date of all Daddy-Daughter-Dates. Yes, my friends, he scored 2 tickets to see MILEY CYRUS! In the catered Coke suite, no less. YAY! : ) It was a night to remember! The Rosebud came home with a fancy light-up necklace and a 30 dollar tee shirt. They had ice cream and pizza and who knows what all. . . She was way excited! I . . was not. In the future, on such occasions as this, I’m going to have to keep that credit card at home.

The next night, the day before Charlie and I left for Washington, we all went over to the church to support Aleia at her Activity Days Recognition Night, for girls ages 8 to 12. Lea was displaying her artwork, a crayon drawing that she’d made at school. We had treats, and watched the kids put on their little talent show. It was fun and cute, but it seems lately that there is something going on every single night! I guess that’s the stage of the game that we’re in, and I should probably appreciate the fact that time waits for no man, but when the heck were we going to pack! : )

Kid Quotes

2009-10-11T13:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Charlie and I were driving to the store with some of the kids. We happened to stop in front of a body shop with some shnazzy cars parked out front. Charlie, of course, has to comment. . .

“Hey Jeffy, do you like those wheels?”

Jefferson is all boy, and all about cars. Staring out of the window, wide-eyed, with both hands clutching the top of the car door nearest his seat, he responded.

“I like the whole car!”

Tommy was cleaning out the garage yesterday, when he realized what dirty job it was. Very slightly irritated, he paused while sweeping the front porch.

“Boogers.” he stated calmly. “Boogers. . . and sour cream.”

Then, not too concerned, ‘cause Tommy’s all about gettin’ it done, he went back to sweeping.

Totally cracking me up. : )

Just now, Aleia was sitting at the computer. She’s been working on a story for school, and had found a website that looked sort of familiar. Miss Strawberry Shortcake is hoping to see her story printed in a local creative writing magazine. Not sure if she had permission to be online, I asked her what she was up to. Wound tight, as always, she turned and yelled almost frantically:

“I’m just trying to contact the publisher!”

Caught completely off guard, I did a double take.

What?

The child is barely nine years old! : ) Hilarious.

Incoming!

2009-10-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

Yesterday afternoon was a pleasant one. I love this time of year! Brisk Autumn breezes blowing color into little cheeks, rain and snow in the mountains. . . Down here in the valley, partly sunny, patches of blue sky, moving clouds. . . Ya really can’t beat it! : )

We turned on the heater yesterday morning, for the first time this season. When the kids left for school, they could see their breath in the cold mountain air. The car was covered with frost, and Charlie had to warm up his truck for a while before heading off to work and classes. . . So different from balmy Virginia, where we spent the weekend. But it’s good to be home! I enjoyed a fun day with the Binky, picking up, (as Charlie likes to say), or rather cleaning up the house a bit, and waiting for our errant luggage to be delivered from the airport. . . Luckily, I checked my email and it was there that I learned about my dentist appointment at two. No cavities! Yay!

Later on, after the kids were home from school, Tommy got it into his head that we needed to pick some apples. Our apple tree is bent over double, and the apples still on it are red, juicy, and overripe. Eric’s been bringing them in a few at a time, all polished up and beautiful. . . He’s filled up one of our orange Halloween bowls already with such admirable specimens, and even took the time to mix up some pie filling while we were gone on Saturday. Tommy talked Eric into helping him harvest. I could see the boys out of the kitchen window. Eric had climbed to the top of the tree, and Tommy was on the ground catching apples as brother tossed them to him. Too bad he accidentally beaned Aleia smack in the head. . . She wasn’t too happy. The highlight of their little game of fruit baseball, I would have to say, would probably have been the moment that Eric lobbed a juicy red hand grenade directly at the kitchen window. “Incoming!” he yelled, grinning. Unbeknown to me, Tommy was standing beneath this particular window, and with lighting-fast reflexes, shot his hand up and into my view, just in time to make a spectacular catch, intercepting the apple before it hit the glass.

I had to laugh. Really, what can you do? Yes, these are the moments we cherish! : )

Wisely, perhaps, I decided to move away from the kitchen window. Across the street, on the other side of the house, Aleia, and her friends Hope and Emmalee, were jumping on the tramp in their Halloween costumes. It was truly a sight to behold! Lea, in her black witch costume, with her long red hair whipping about as she bounced and spun, bright eyes and rosy cheeks, certainly contributed to the happy scene. The girls flew skyward and back again, shrieking with delight! : ) Such fun!

I think it was then that I got the bug, and decided to throw together some appley pies. Sugar and cinnamon, Baby! That’s what it’s all about! Anyway, it sure smells good coming out of the oven. . . I was very grateful to Eric for taking the time to cut up all those apples. . . But we’re not through yet! An hour later, Tommy hauled in a full box of newly picked bad boys and dropped/set it heavily (and without permission) right on the kitchen table. Such a helpful lad! : )

Guess we’ll be makin’ room in the freezer, cause there’s gonna be a whole lot of apple pie filling stacking up soon! YAY for October! : )

A Nostalgic Evening

2009-09-26T11:19:00.001-07:00

Jeffy was sick on Wednesday, picked up some sort of flu bug at school. . . But he was not sick enough to stay home from Classic Family Fun Center Thursday night! : ) Every six months our pediatric dentist rents the place out. Children who’ve had good check ups are given free passes, and can bring their whole families! Jeffy wasn’t about to miss this long-sought-after opportunity, and miraculously became ‘better’ around lunch time! : ) I ended up taking him, Eric, and Aleia over to this circus of Family Fun later that evening, where we had a great time amidst the chaos of scootering, skating, pizza, hot dogs, raffle tickets and colored lights. Eric, with his amazing talent and a whole bunch of tokens, somehow rigged one of the games in the arcade so that it spit out a seemingly endless amount of tickets, thus enabling us to choose from an “amazing” assortment of cheapo plastic prizes! This brought enough excitement and smiles, I’m sure, for any one evening. : ) One of these treasures ended up being a pair of toy handcuffs. Jefferson was enraptured! He kept us waiting the next day, walking home from school, when he obligingly offered to demonstrate this amazing new toy, and handcuffed one of the neighborhood kids halfway down the path, hopefully not to the fence. . . Both kids were grinning. Boys, and their toys, right? I haven’t seen his eyes light up like that in a while! Jeffy and crew played Cops and Robbers in the backyard all afternoon!

Pizza Quest!

2009-09-21T09:15:00.001-07:00

Thursday before last, Jeffy and Aleia got it into their heads, around dinnertime, that they wanted to pool their funds/resources, and see if they had enough to buy a pizza at Little Shleazer's. : ) We drove over there, Jeffy with his little plastic baseball bank full of change. He dumped it out on the counter and we started hurriedly separating the coins. Some might think that the cashier, or maybe the other people waiting in line might be annoyed or impatient at the prospect of waiting while some little kid counted out his pennies for a 5 dollar pizza purchase, but happily, the be-aproned, heavyset cook/cashier was beaming, and when we came up short, and Charlie found some random coins in his pocket that made the 5 dollars, plus one penny, there was not a person in the store that wasn't smiling. Jefferson held out his little arms, and was given a whole pepperoni pizza, with a “Here ya go, little man!” and a grin the size of a slice of watermelon. Aleia and Jeffy had accomplished their purpose. We took it home, and they shared their prize with the whole family. : ) It may seem like a small thing, but these are the moments that memories are made of.

Macey’s

2009-09-11T19:46:00.001-07:00

We were just at the store. Jeffy spotted the big, green coin-counting machine. Somebody was using it.

He was shocked.

“Did they fix it?” he asked, wide-eyed.

“Yeeaah, it usually works. . .” I droned wryly. “Just not when we use it.”

: )

On the way out to the parking lot. . .

“Hey, Jeffy, check out those ducks!” They were straight ahead, between us and the sunset, off in the distance. I pointed them out. “They’re flying south for the winter.”

Jefferson watched them move in formation for a moment.

“Do they always fly in a ‘V’?” he inquired placidly. . .

“Yes. They do.”

He grinned up at me, understanding.

“Maybe they’re all friends!”

: )

You can learn a lot from a duck. . . Maybe even more from a 6 year old boy.

Seriously?

2009-09-10T17:07:00.001-07:00

Okay, since when is our current President, the President of the United States of America, or any President, for that matter, featured on the traditional class ring? I don’t seem to recall this option last year. If memory serves, there sure wasn’t any George Dubya Bush engraving available! What is up with THAT!?

Evidently our Commander in Chief has reached new celebrity status. The thing is, he’s not a celebrity. He’s a guy, who happened to get elected to public office! Job description might read “Public Servant” numero uno. Maybe this is a hip new brainstorm on the part of the Jostens Jewelry company, but it follows a rather disturbing trend. . . Elevating this man to something higher than public servant status! Yes, he is our president. Yes, we should be respectful. But no, he is not a celebrity, or a god, or a king. He is an elected official, deserving of no higher recognition than of any of the other elected officials, who happen to be serving their country 9 to 5. Hey, wait a minute! Maybe this isn’t so bad. . . Do you think, if I ask nice, do you think maybe I could get a Jason Chaffetz insignia put on my ring? Or maybe we could take it to the next level, and have available engravings of ALL people with political affiliations! Rush Limbaugh, first pick! That’s what I want! A Rush Limbaugh class ring! We could even get jazzy, and carve “What a Rush!” as an inside engraving. Good times!

Here’s what a friend of mine wrote during a discussion about the President’s address to school children Tuesday:

“Clearly the President should be able to address the nation's citizens including school children. I am happy to allow my children to be inspired by an ordinary citizen who has risen to lead the country. However, that's exactly what the President is...an ordinary citizen who is temporarily elevated to a position of leadership who will then return to his place as an ordinary citizen like the rest of us. It's important to me that my kids respect the office of the presidency and realize that anyone can (theoretically) achieve the office. The tone of the directives to teachers in advance of the speech (what can the kids do to help Obama) concerned me because I perceived we were elevating the man and not the office. I'm not sure if the boys are watching today because the school hasn't said and I haven't asked. Either way, we regularly have discussions at dinner concerning politics and I'm sure tonight will be no different.”

My personal favorite was the question worded “How does President Obama inspire me?” How indeed.

My Laenabug

2009-09-10T09:35:00.001-07:00

If ever there was a girl. . .who personified ‘Sugar and Spice’. . .

We’re missing our baby girl, but we’re excited to see her fly. . . So much fun up there in Rexburg! Great roommates, cute apartment, beautiful campus. . . Can't beat it!

Monday, Labor Day, we dropped Laena off at BYU Idaho. We made the trip up with just her, Aleia, and baby Lincoln. Wish we’d been able to take the whole family, but the boys had flags, and Jeffy wanted to stay with Evan. . . Plus our Suburban’s still not quite ready to go. . .

It was somewhat surreal. . . Kind of a long drive. We actually ran into Charlie’s Uncle Tom and wife Denise at the family Restaurant in Blackfoot. The state fair is still going on, and things were hoppin’! Uncle Greg, who still runs the place, hooked us up with warm cinnamon rolls for the road. It was nice to see them again. Once in Rexburg, we pulled into the parking lot there at the Colonial House apartments, walked into the front office, and almost literally ran into Charlie’s boss, Jeff Edwards! Turns out, their daughter Becca will be living not only in the same complex, but next door to our Laenabug! : ) What are the odds!

After checking Laena in, and listening briefly to some valuable advice about boys from her fabulous overseer/house mother, Faith, we started unpacking the car. . . Lea and Lincoln had a great time helping carry little things up the stairs, Binky as fast as his 2-year-old legs would let him. . . : ) So cute! Laena’s on the 3rd floor, smack in the middle of the complex. Fantastic view! We got to meet some of her roommates, Britney, Auslinn, and Sydney. Laena is sharing a room with Auslinn, who is about the most perfect, sweet ‘roomy’ a mother could hope for. It’s a bittersweet experience, dropping your kid off at a University. . . Sigh.

I knew all this was coming. Laena’s been a big girl for a while now. . . but I didn’t think that it would come quite so soon. But there we were, off to lunch, and the Get Connected program! Twelve thousand kids out on the football field, in their I-Groups, playing “get to know you” games. :) It’s set up so beautifully up there. . . Nothing is left to chance! Leaves you with a warm, comforting feeling. We were privileged to hear President Clark speak at the welcome assembly, first to everyone, and then just to the parents. . . I think my favorite part was during the ‘question and answer’ segment, when one gentleman stood up and expressed his ‘concerns’ about his daughter’s dismay upon discovering that she was not able to access Facebook from her dorm room. He was informed that the students would not have access to Facebook, and other such websites, on campus, until after 6 pm during the week. You should have heard the applause! Smiles broke out, faces lit up, parents stood and cheered! If anyone in the crowd had been hesitant before, they now support President Clark, and the staff at Brigham Young North, one hundred percent! Hilarious! : )

Later, we dropped by Wal-Mart, where we briefly lost the Binky. Talk about scary! Eight thousand people in there, college kids everywhere, picking out bed sheets and last minute items. . . It had to have been the busiest day of the year. But we found him, and got what we needed. Aleia insisted on buying Laena a Beta Fish, ‘to remember us by’. . . We picked up a glass bowl and some pretty rocks to go with. : ) A trip to the local grocery outlet, to familiarize the Boogsie with her options, a jog past Sonic for some grilled cheese and a lime slushy, and it was just about time to go. . . She was all squared away, nothing left to do but to give hugs, and say goodbye. It still didn’t seem real when we left her unpacking dishes at her new apartment. . . She seemed okay. . . A wave and a smile, and we were out the door. Aleia made us run back inside for one last smooch.

You can see the temple for quite a ways, when you’re pulling out of Rexburg, and onto the freeway. . . Charlie was comforted by this. Such a good environment for young peeps, for anyone really. . .

Just as we were getting up to speed, settling in for the drive back, the Binky recognized an empty seat, and bewailed Laena’s absence with his plaintive whine.

“Naena!”

And a very deliberate

“Waaahhhh. . . ”

She was gone.

It didn’t hit me until later. I guess I was still euphoric about her choice of school, and still am, for the record. But when I opened her bedroom door, after saying good night to the boys, and she wasn’t there. . . That’s when it hit me. Like a ton of bricks. Laena was gone. Someone said last Sunday that they never come back the same. . . We have a picture of her, as a tiny four year old, sleeping in her toddler bed. For some reason, I couldn’t get that image out of my head.

An hour later, I was still awake. It’s terribly quiet in our home after everyone finally calms down and passes out. . . I got up and wandered into the living room, The bathroom light was on, which gave me something to work with, and I could see her picture on the piano, with everything else, just sitting there in it’s silver frame, like nothing had happened. I curled up on the couch, and looked around. We have a picture of the Savior, with his arm around a little child, centered on the wall opposite. Below the picture, inscribed in brass, is the quote: “Teach me to walk in Your light.” I guess that’s the question, isn’t it? When our children finally go, we ask ourselves. . . Is she ready to face the world? Have we taught her all she needs to know? Have we taught her of Christ.

And this was it. This was the night. Our golden haired baby girl is all grown up, and off to college. I guess all we can do now is be there for her, and help her when she needs it. The time to teach is over. All sorts of thoughts and feelings flooded my mind and heart. Had I prepared my daughter for all that she would face? Our golden angel had flown away. We would both have to rely on a higher power now. On faith and love. . . I kept seeing that picture of her, asleep, clutching her pink bunny. . . just a baby child. Time is something that I don’t entirely understand. Tears made their way silently down my cheeks. My baby girl was gone.

I sat there in the dark, hugged my pillow, and wished her four again.

Silence can be overwhelming.

Downsizing. . .

2009-09-06T18:30:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday, we got rid of RJ, the turtle. Yesterday, we said goodbye to Daisy the cat. Yes, my friends, we are downsizing. : ) It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing!

At one point, our home was quite like a zoo. . . Over the years, we’ve had two dogs, 5 or 6 snakes, 800 or so goldfish, a pair of bearded dragons, a frog, 16 parakeets, and at least a dozen kittens. . Many of them at the same time! Thankfully, I've been able to whittle it down to just the 3 now. . Well, four. . . Yesterday, the kids finally talked Charlie into letting them keep one of new kittens. The fuzzy one. But hey, I think we’ve come a long way! 2 of the cats hardy come indoors. : )

Now, don’t get me wrong. We really do like cute little baby animals. Someday, we may have to get a puppy. . . Certainly, there’s been talk. But for now, we’re looking forward to a lot less poop! : ) No more fish water, no more cleaning out cages. . . Such a relief. The Mason Residence has been reformed! Zoo status no longer applicable! Yippee!

BTB, If anyone is in the market for a little black kitty, (and just a month before Halloween, I might add. . .) feel free to give us a call!

A Necessary Evil

2009-09-03T10:18:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday, I was subjected to my first Arithmetic instruction in over 20 years.

Math class. Bleck!

Some people say, a necessary evil. . . I disagree. Having resigned myself to the task, however, and having driven all the way to campus, I located (dragged myself to) the correct building, and gingerly searched for the classroom, noticing to my chagrin that the place literally smelled like Math. Everything was square, and bare, and beige and BROWN. There ought to be a law. No personality, no color, no fun. I HATE MATH. If every right brained person this side of the planet got together and migrated to some other galaxy, I’d be okay with that! Sigh. Well, okay I suppose we need them, because somebody’s got to do all the dirty work, but cold calculations are just. . . so clinical! I loathe and despise them. “With a fiery loathing passion!” as Laena would say. That is correct, sir! There simply is no good reason for a Visual Arts major to be required to endure . . math. Ick.

Off We Go

2009-08-25T16:02:00.001-07:00

I am beginning to realize just how little time we have left with our little girl. . . Less than 2 weeks until we drop her off at BYU Idaho in Rexburg. . . It seems like just yesterday, or not so very long ago, that she was bouncing around, waiting to head off to preschool, and Kindergarten. . . It’s hard to believe that time has gone by so fast, also that so much of it is gone. We bought our first home, our ‘starter/fixer upper home’ just 14 years ago, just after Tommy was born, and now he’d a strapping lad of 14. . . Right now, at this moment in time, Laena’s working away at Dairy Queen, Clint’s been called off to work, Jeffy’s riding his newly refurbished bicycle past our front yard, Eric’s run off to his favorite store, Tommy’s dressing up like a Book of Mormon hero, and Aleia’s just finished her 2nd attempt at Oatmeal Cookie dough. School starts tomorrow and I am experiencing separation anxiety. . . In less than 2 weeks this will all be a memory, and life will be irrevocably different. Lincoln will the only one left at home. . . Change, something with which I am somewhat unfamiliar, sometimes tears at the heartstrings. . . Our eldest child will be only 4 or 5 hours away, but it will be so different not to have her here. . . Aleia and Jeffy will be calling her at all hours of the day and night, and I don’t know what I will do without my favorite babysitter. . . But here we are! It’s time to move on. . . On to the next phase of our lives. . .

That of ‘in between’.

Neither young nor old, childless or empty nesters, finished with school or just starting out. . . We march ahead toward new horizons, always hoping for better things, clearer understandings, more beautiful memories. . . .

Fun, Fun!

2009-08-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

The other day, Tommy was hanging out with me in the laundry room. I commented that the dryer vent needed to be ‘de-linted’ again outside. . . I asked him to help with that. This was his response:

“Why would I take an opportunity like that away from my own Mommy? What kind of a teenage boy do you think I am?!”

Followed by his obnoxious, contagious laugh. . .

Tommy’s so much fun!

I’ve decided to document all the hilarious things my kids say, and share them here on my blog. : ) It could be, like, a ‘kid log’. Maybe I’ll call it a ‘klog’! : )

Six - Going on Sixteen

2009-08-12T09:20:00.001-07:00

Jeffy took it upon himself to gas up Charlie’s truck yesterday. . I glanced out of the window just in time to see him toting a 5 gallon gas can across the yard, on his way back to the garage.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled, momentarily taken aback.

“Putting gas in Daddy’s truck!” he answered calmly/patiently, as he bounced along, (as if I needed to have this explained. . .) “He was out of gas.”

One of those moments, I guess, when you realize that your ‘just out of Kindergartener’ is growing up a little faster than you would like and there’s nothing you can do about it. Or maybe he just thinks that he’s TEN! Either way. . . Mama’s gonna have a talk with the little guy. . . .

Pioneer Day at Grandma’s!

2009-08-09T12:32:00.001-07:00

Pioneer Day weekend, Charlie took five of the kids up to Grandma’s miniature horse farm in Idaho. They had great fun seeing Grandma and Grandpa and some of their cousins, and also a fabulous time riding and caring for the horses. It was sort of an unusual weekend, however, because Laena and Eric stayed in Utah to work, and I was in Missouri at my HS reunion. Vacationing in three different states. . Don’t know if we’ll be doing that again! : )

Summer Fun!

2009-07-03T09:04:00.001-07:00

Tommy came home last Saturday fried to a crisp, banged up and bruised. Scout Camp, Baby! : ) He had a pretty good time. . . Just flipped over the top of his bike while riding down a mountain earlier that morning. . Chest and left arm covered with scrapes and bruises. And I never will understand why boys typically can’t seem to remember to put sunscreen on. It seems like such a no brainer! Especially after you’ve been burned once or twice! I don’t get it. No. Thank. You. Anyway, after several days of aloe vera treatments, takin’ it easy, and staying out of the sun, he seems to be almost a hundred percent back to normal. : )

Ah, memories!

I remember once, or maybe more, Eric was sent off to the week-long campout with a bag of freshly packed, well organized clothing and gear. After 5 days of dirt, swimming, and various other activities, he returned home. In the same outfit. Not having changed once. With the same bag still mostly packed.

It makes a mother wonder. . . Is that twitch above my right eye because of genuine concern for the welfare of my child, or because of outright bewilderment? Dubious, astounded dismay?

And then there was the age-old adage: Boys will be boys! : ) Well, clearly they don’t have the same set of priorities as their Mommies! Sigh. . . But it’s always fun to hear the story! The explanation. Their side of things. Gives Mama a whole new perspective! A glimpse into the mind of the teenage boy. . .

Twitch. . . twitch. . . .

Scout Master Man!

2009-06-26T14:31:00.001-07:00

Amy Tanner Mason is quite amused that "Charlie Manson" was unanimously approved as Stake Scout Master! : )

It’s true! We were sitting in church, and they called his name for consideration. . . but mispronounced it most egregiously! : ) Happens all the time! All . . the time. : ) You wouldn't believe how many people just automatically throw in that extra letter. . .

So, anyway, Mr. “Charlie Manson” is now in charge of a bunch of 12/13 year old boys, innumerable campouts, Courts of Honor, and all that goes along with. . . Quite a significant responsibility, to be looked up to as an example by the youth of our acquaintance. . Fortunately, it’s right up his alley, as Charlie has been affiliated with the Scouting program for the past 9 years, since the spring of 2000, just after the twins turned 8. Cubs Scouts, Blazer Scout Leader, Committee Chairman, Assistant Scout Master . . . He’s been there, done that, pretty much all of his life! So, like the rest of our neighborhood, I’d have to agree that he’s the right man for the job! : )

Pirate Ships and Loose Teeth

2009-06-26T14:16:00.001-07:00

Today is a very important day indeed! Jeffy lost his first tooth this morning! Hopped right out of bed, ran in and showed me his tooth, with a big ole grin and an air of importance. : ) He was so excited! It’s so cute!

Aleia has been exercising her creative tendencies again the last couple of days. Yesterday she built a pirate ship for Lincoln out of a laundry basket, plastic forks, and a homemade paper flag. Sooo adorable! I really need to get my camera fixed! Then today she dressed Jeffy up in a fanciful outfit made almost entirely of kitchen utensils and tape. I think it was meant to be a suit of armor. . . Darn cute! Wish I could’ve taken a picture! Sigh. Laena’s taken her camera to EFY, and Eric’s doesn’t have batteries. Argh!

Clint is 2/3 done with this session of summer school. He went on his ‘first date’ with Hanna last night. . . Of course, Hanna is not allowed to ‘single date’, so her mother and a couple of friends ended up going along with. But he was pretty excited, and they had a lot of fun! : ) We gave them our tickets to Cowabunga Bay, a new water park, which I’m told they thoroughly enjoyed.

Eric is talking about going up to visit Grandma, and her miniature horses, in Idaho sometime soon. . . The movie theatre’s just not working him all that much. Just the weekends, but personally, I think that’s perfect for Eric. He wants to relax and enjoy the summer as much as he can. . .

Tommy is off at a Varsity Scout Camp this week. . . They’re down somewhere close to Manti, and the really cool thing is. . . they get in on the Manti Pageant dress rehearsal! Way cool! : )

Laena is at EFY this week. She loves it, being our eldest social butterfly. . . Monday we’re taking her up to BYU Idaho for some business and the big tour! : ) Should be fun!

Binky is, as always, the Binky! Two years old and livin’ it up! : ) Beating the snot out of everybody, throwing fits, learning to talk. . . So much fun to watch him learn and grow! : )

This Week. . .

2009-06-23T19:01:00.001-07:00

My FB posts from this past week, in reverse order:

Amy is cleaning her house.

Pictures of Grandma’s 90th Birthday Party. . .

Amy is frying up some rice.

Family picture from 1982.

Amy says Happy Father’s Day to all my peeps!

Amy is sooooo excited about Hyrum and Kim having another baby! Wahoo!

Amy Grandma brought over a big bag of candy bars. She had twix, snickers, etc. Jeffy asked if he could have just one 'twick'. . .

Amy is having fun w the folks! Happy 90th Birthday, Grandma! : )

Amy agrees that there is NOTHING like strawberries fresh from the garden out back!

Amy: Jenny called from the airport. . . They're on their way to Ireland! Nice twist on Vegas, I must say.

Amy is enjoying the kids! : ) Baby in a diaper w mismatched sneakers and an old camo T-shirt, toting electric guitar. . . 6 yr old in red jammie pants, tearing through the house on his bike! A newly discovered talent.

Amy likes the sound of the rain. . .

Amy is soooo excited that she gets to look through Grandpa's old box of stuff! : )

Amy is not sure what to do with the 75 lbs of buttered popcorn. . .

And there you have it! My world in a minute. : )

‘Tis The Season!

2009-06-18T16:27:00.001-07:00

There is NOTHING like strawberries fresh from the garden patch out back! Mmmm. . . . I don’t know what it is exactly. . . There’s just something about the flavor of homegrown, organic, just-picked, red ripe strawberries that can’t be beat! Like Heaven in your mouth! And best of all, they’re good for you! Packed with Vitamin C. . . One of the most healthy things you could eat! Wow, Mama! : )

Ireland

2009-06-18T14:37:00.001-07:00

Jenny called from the airport yesterday while we were packing for Scout Camp. She and her man are off to Ireland! : ) A nice little twist on Vegas, I must say. : ) Yes, they are eloping! So much fun! And about dang time. They’ve been dating for 3 years now, engaged for one, and personally, I would have gone nuts long time ago. Guess I’m just impatient. But also very happy for our friend, Jenny, who I think has finally found her soul mate. They’re exactly the same age. . . they even look alike! I expect that they will continue to be very happy. : ) Can’t wait to see pics!

Morning

2009-06-18T08:06:00.001-07:00

This morning, driving Clint to Summer School, I was taken aback by the breathtaking beauty of the landscape all around me. Traveling east, driving back across the valley, I was struck by the light, and the colors, the joy of an early June morning in Utah. From my perspective, everything was fully lit by the morning sun. Sadly, I missed the best shot ever of the Jordan River Temple. Gloriously bathed in radiant sunlight, it shone as white and pristine as I’ve ever seen it, blue summer sky as it’s back drop, washed clean by the rain, white and gray clouds dancing contentedly together, set perfectly in the sky behind it. . . It was better than a renaissance painting! It was fabulous. FAB U LOUS. Wow, Mama! : )

One of these days, I will finally learn to carry a camera. Just another piece of me, a mandatory appendage. That image of the temple. . . How do you duplicate something like that?! Photographers the world over wait years for the opportunity to capture an image like that! Chuckle. Wow. I’m just glad that I got to see it. . What a blessing! What a memory. Anyway, it’ll make for the start of a pretty good day! : )

Friday Night

2009-06-12T19:19:00.001-07:00

Well, at last! It’s just the four little kids and me! Ha ha ha!

Laena’s off at a movie with Diego and Melissa, Clint’s out walking with Hanna, Eric’s at work, and Charlie’s supervising a Scout campout out at Horseshoe Springs.

Semi-dramatic exhale. . . (sigh)

I’m so glad that the end-of-the-school year craziness is finally over and done with! Things were WAY out of hand! But now they are finally winding down. . . Technically, Tommy should probably be with his dad, camping, but he did turn 14 last week, so we left it up to him. : ) These kids are getting so big. . . .

Recently, the weather has been unseasonably cool. . Cool and cloudy. With lots of rain. Not so much fun when you’re trying to air out a tent. . . If our lawn mower wasn’t broken, we’d probably be frustrated about that, too. But not right now. I’m too exhausted to be concerned about much of anything. Just wanna sleep. . . Hopefully, the evening will wind down soon. . . and these little buggers with it. They’re out of the tub, jammies on, watching a little Pink Panther. . . This would induce drowsiness in any adult!

Stretch, yawn. . . .

Well, we’ll see how it goes. But, for the most part, I’ve got what I wanted! What every Mama wants. . . .

Relative peace.

Thank goodness it’s Friday!

Summer!

2009-06-10T14:35:00.001-07:00

Most of yesterday afternoon, I found myself walking around in a zombie-like state, barely able to take it all in. First, Eric had awakened me with the fabulous news that he’d encountered cat vomit on his bedroom floor. Then, for the rest of the morning, we dealt with jobs, errands, and disrespectful teenagers. At some point, we picked up new shoes for Tommy. Within the hour, we discovered that he’d somehow stepped in cat poop, and completely oblivious, had ground it into the rug in several areas, while exercising downstairs. Gross! Evidently one of our cats is sick. Charlie said he’d gladly take care of the problem, but I think that might involve . . . well, anyway. . .

After lunch, we decided to make brownies, which naturally Mommy wasn’t allowed to have, because of this new-fangled “discipline” thing that I am trying out. . . During the course of preparation, our 2 year old managed to wrestle his way to the kitchen table, where he dutifully jammed both chubby hands into the gooey brown batter. It was funny to watch. He stood there for a minute, contemplating the best possible solution, and then instead of licking it off, he started shaking his hands vigorously, evidently thinking that flicking chocolate goo all over my kitchen would make things all better! Hmm. Yeah, I think all of us old people should just totally avoid brownies. I could eat a whole pan full by myself, but that’s just not a good idea. : )

A few minutes later, I discovered that same 2 yr old, trying to drink contraband strawberry lemonade through a Darth Vader mask that his mischievous siblings had stolen from the big boys’ room. I can’t imagine how people do this all day. Home school! Seriously?! What crazy shmoe thought of THAT?! I can barely handle them in the afternoon/evening! Ahhhhhh! Where’s my ticket to the day spa! Violent workout, massage, chocolate sundae. . . I have soooo much respect for people who choose to be school teachers. . . Or maybe they just didn’t know. . . .

Anyway, a little more about our day. The little kids had been acting up in all kinds of creative ways, boys fighting with PVC/noodle bats, we’d just gotten Tommy’s shoes all cleaned up, and him back to the grind, when we discovered that he’d stepped in it again! Apparently we’d missed another contribution from our feline friends. . . which I was once again obliged to scrub out of the rug.

For real?

I bought these shoes . . how many hours ago?!

Befuddled, exhausted, I stumbled around the house in a semi-conscious state, trying to make sense of it all. . . Dazed and confused, I fried up some hot dogs, and ran Laena to work. Charlie made an appearance. . . He took Tommy to check out a Tae Kwan Do class, and then it was off to Scouts! Turns out the campout this weekend has been postponed due to excessive rain. Big surprise there! It’s been raining every other day for about 3 weeks. It might as well be April!

The last thing I remember, Laena needed a ride home from Dairy Queen just after 11 pm. . . at night. . . . The baby was still awake, and he hadn’t even had a nap!

And people wonder why Mommys want to sleep in. . . Ha ha ha ha ha! : )

Smooch

2009-06-03T20:26:00.001-07:00

This is what Jeffy said to me today on the way home from school: (I had visited the school earlier that day and dropped by his class. They were practicing for the dance festival.)

“Mama, it’s embarrassing when you give me a smooch.”

Good Night! He’s in Kindergarten, for Petey’s sake! What next?! They’re usually okay till 3rd grade at least! : ) What happened to my baby? Sniff, sniff. . .

End of the Year Shenanigans

2009-06-03T09:10:00.001-07:00

Got the book situation handled, Laena’s off to Graduation practice, summer school taken care of, lunch money on it’s way, and Mama still has some energy! Yaaaayyyy! Probably because it’s not even ten o’clock in the morning! : )

This has been an exciting couple of weeks, accompanied with all kinds of different emotions. Excitement, frustration, sadness, fear, joy, regret, you name it! Anyway, once we get past the dance festival on Friday, and a couple of parties, I think we’ll be okay. Sigh. Tommy’s birthday is on the fifth. It always seems to land on the last day of school, or somewhere close to it. Poor kid. But not really, ‘cause he gets the whole summer to celebrate! : ) Aleia’s freaking out because she wants to provide cookies and other treats for the entire 3rd grade class. I had to tell her no. She always has these fantastic plans. . . just not the ways and means to accomplish them. Over doing it a bit just doesn’t adequately describe our Rosebud and her intentions. But so sweet! : ) Love the little Strawberry bugger! It’s just that with all that’s going on, we have to continually reorient, and reevaluate.

Last week, for instance, was nuts. We had Clint’s tech center graduation, Eric’s track banquet, the Senior dinner dance up at the U. . Seminary Graduation on Sunday. . . It goes on and on. May is almost as chaotic as December! But things were running pretty smoothly. . Everything went off without a hitch! : ) Well, almost. . . We thought it was just fantastic that our daughter's name was spelled "Mayson" on the program Sunday . . .

This was my Facebook update a day or so ago:

“It seems that the end is in sight. . . We’re almost done with this crazy ride. . . Just a banquet, dance festival, ceremony, field trip, graduation party, birthday MORE, and we're THERE!”

Ha ha ha ha ha! We may make it after all!

Pray for me. . .

Memorial Day, Music, and The Jungle Book

2009-05-27T11:19:00.001-07:00

Charlie got a lot done on Monday. . . For starters, he got the boys together and put up the flags at 6 am. It’s tradition, here in our neighborhood, for the Boy Scouts to tap an American flag, and some rebar, into everybody’s front yard just before the sun comes up. It’s an inspiring sight, all the flags waving in line up and down the street. . . There was a fair breeze that day, which made the blue skies and white billowing clouds all the more majestic. Charlie ran to work for a couple of hours, pulled the carburetor on the Suburban, trimmed the trees, fixed Aleia’s bike tire, and many other things. Later on that evening, when we were relaxing with the family, Binky discovered a picture of a football on his T-shirt, and shouted excitedly. “Game, game!” Shortly thereafter, he spilled some juice down his front, probably on purpose. Several minutes later, I asked him what had happened to his shirt. He looked down, gasped, threw out his arms, and exclaimed to us, in his most concerned baby voice, “Wet, wet!” as if this condition had escaped him previously. : )

Last night at Laena’s Choir concert, her instructor, Kelly DeHaan, was given a guinea pig in a cage as a present from one of the classes. A little while later, the lights in the auditorium were dimmed for effect as they prepared to sing their next song. Aleia nudged me, concerned. . . grabbed my arm, and asked somewhat anxiously: “Mama, are you sure this won’t scare the hamster?” I laughed out loud. She was really worried about the poor little guy! : ) What a sweet little gallypoo!

I just can’t believe that this was Laena’s last concert ever at the high school. Except for graduation, this was it! : ) I have mixed feelings, but they’re mostly sentimental as I contemplate the finality of our children growing up. Our Laenabug is a big girl now. . . moving on to college this fall, wherever she decides to go, and the twins aren’t far behind. It’s just bizarre, thinking of the fantastic speed of time. . . You have a bunch of little kids, can barely get through the day, think it’s never going to end. . . and then you blink, and there they are, graduating from high school. It’s absolutely surreal!

But all is not lost. Considering that the Binky just came up to me, with the Jungle Book DVD clamped tightly in his baby teeth, (must’ve been tasty), and a puppy dog look on his little face, I think that we have a few more years yet of fun with the kids! : )

Easter

2009-05-27T09:20:00.001-07:00

The message is timeless. : )

Graduation 2009

2009-05-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

Here it comes! : )

Saturdays, Etc.

2009-05-22T12:45:00.001-07:00

May 22, 2009 Friday

Last Saturday was nuts. The Saturday before that was even nuttier.

We got up early, and got the big boys off to Best of EFY. . . then it was an 'almost' soccer game in the pouring rain, a Primary activity with pizza, stories, costumes, and mud pudding, and then a bridal shower for one of Laena's friends. Only noon, and I was already exhausted! Later that afternoon, my brothers Nathaniel, Hyrum, and Benj came over to visit. We went out for ice cream at Dairy Queen until it was time for Laena's shift. She clocked in and stayed. Charlie went on a 5,6,7 mile run. I don't remember which. He's been very vigilant about the exercise. But I guess you kinda have to be when you're training for a Marathon. . . What an amazing guy. I can barely run around the block! : )

Anyway, last Saturday was picture day out at the soccer field. Naturally EVERYone showed up! We had to park in a field adjacent to the regular parking lot. . . It was nice, though, a perfect sunny day! Blue skies, bright colors, children everywhere. . . Sigh. : ) It was beautiful. Of course I hadn't picked up the camera, and therefore missed some fantastic shots of Aleia and Caitlin, and Jeffy and his friend Paulo. SO annoying! Playing in the cool green grass, they were smiling and happy, taking turns whapping each other with Jeffy's stuffed snake. . . : ) Ya gotta love little boys! Typical, yet exceptional, pretty much every time. . .

Anyway, last week, on Tuesday, Eric had his last Track Meet, JV Regionals out at Kearns High School, and Jeffy had his last T-ball game of the season. It was fun, yet a little bit sad to see the season end. Tommy, this Wednesday, was in charge of the combined activity for the Youth. He forgot all about it, and was scrambling to pull it all together. None of the people who were slated to participate ended up being available, so he just asked everyone to bring board games over to the church, at the suggestion of his brother, Clint, and it turned out great! : ) Tommy's such a good kid! He's been so amazingly disciplined these last few weeks, eating no carbohydrates to speak of. . . Nothing but rabbit food for him! : ) He's really doing well. When Tommy gets going, settles into a groove, better watch out! Also Wednesday, Caralee and I stopped by Marissa's second bridal shower at seven. But American Idol was on, so we couldn't stay. . . Had to leave early to go watch a bunch of flashy people sing. IMAO, Aleia could've smoked 'em all with her fabulous vocal skeels! She does have an amazing operatic quality to her voice, which by the way, is always on key. . . We'll see where she takes it! : ) I wouldn't be surprised if she took it pretty far, she's got such a way of remembering words, lyrics, after hearing a song only once or twice. . . real talent! : ) Last night, we took the family to her Choir Concert at the elementary school. Lea was so cute, standing there in the middle of the pack o' little kids, singing happily away. . . I wish we'd all been able to be there. The songs were fantastic, all about American History, and Patriotism. . . Values and Ideals that we want our children to remember. And they will! : ) Eric had walked to the Carnival over at the high school, and Clint was conveniently helping to haul some wood for Marcus. Uh-huh. : )

Jefferson.Lincoln.Laena.Aleia.Eric.Clint.Tommy.Mommy.Daddy. (Jeffy had to make his contribution.)

Well, Charlie is off at work! I'm ready for a nap, and it's almost time for the kids to come home! Sigh. Well, you know what they say. . . No rest for the wicked. : )

Eric’s Flowers

2009-05-20T10:47:00.001-07:00

Ever since Eric was a very little boy, he’s brought me flowers. For whatever reason, and on a fairly regular basis - he’ll be walking home from school, or out in the yard, whatever - and he’ll very often present me with a cherry sprig, or apple blossoms, as he comes upon them. I think it’s very sweet! : )

We’ve lived here, in our current home, for almost fourteen years now, and every Spring Eric catches the fever, notices the beauty of the world around him and wants to share it. What a good kid! So if it’s a couple of dandelions, maybe accompanied by a little note when he was younger, or a colorful bloom from some other flowering tree he’s happened across, it always warms my heart when Eric shares the joy of the season! Makes this Mama’s day. : )

I know our kids our getting bigger, growing up, and are eventually, perhaps sooner than I’d like to admit, going to leave the nest. But I seriously can’t believe how fast the time has gone by. It seems like we just moved here, with four little kids. . . Tommy a brand new baby, Laena, four, and 3 year old twins. Eric was so tiny then. . .

Hopefully he’ll stick around for a couple of years longer! Mama loves those pretty flowers.

Mother’s Day

2009-05-18T09:12:00.001-07:00

We had a really nice Mother’s Day weekend this year. Charlie brought me home flowers, and a lilac bush, of all things! Very sweet. : ) I can’t wait till it grows. . .

He also made lasagna, and chocolate pie, etc, so that was pretty cool. . .

I think my favorite part Mother’s Day was the homemade cards from the kids, including Lea’s poster. . . Oh, and maybe the downtime provided by Charlie when he started up Pride and Prejudice, the movie, with out being asked! Wahoo! : )

Springville

2009-05-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, my brothers flew up from Phoenix for a weekend with the fam. We went out for ice cream that Saturday, and then ran down to Springville to visit Grandpa Sunday afternoon. Our Grandpa Tanner is 91 years old. It’s still sort of weird that he’s gotten so frail. He was always strong and capable while we were growing up. . . But it was nice to see him again! : ) Nathaniel brought his camera, but unfortunately ran out of power. But, being the innovator that he is, he got a pic with his super-duper cellphone! : )

Excerpt

2009-05-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

Journal Entries

May 7^th, 2009

Last week Jeffy learned how to ride a bike! I still can't believe it! Just out of nowhere he hopped on a friend's little bike one day, and was exited to learn that he could balance pretty well! By Friday Charlie had him riding down the middle of the street, all on his own. It was so cute to see the little guy pedaling away, over-sized helmet and all, with Daddy running along behind. . . Lea picked up the bike riding thing when she was five, so it's been a while since we've enjoyed this type of adventure.

Last Monday we had a really great Family Home Evening. Sort of impromptu, not a lot of planning. . I pulled out a bunch of photo albums and we all spent a few minutes looking through them, then everyone shared their favorite memory. We had a nice time with our little family, fairly spontaneous, and amazingly stress free. As the kids get older, I realize more that the time we have together is invaluable, and the that memories we make will hopefully live on in the minds of our children. : )

Jeffy got to take the post game treats to his t-ball game Thursday. He was pretty excited and reminded us more than once not to forget. . . Later on, Charlie and I decided to drop by the Dave Ramsey event being held down the street. He had a lot of good ideas, and ended with a superbly written honor to the Savior, which I think probably touched everyone who heard it.

One Hundred Percent Right ON!

2009-05-01T10:38:00.001-07:00

From my brother's recent blog post.

Fantastic!

100 Days of Unmitigated Disaster

I received this email from a friend. I haven't studied these issues enough to be able to vouch for its completely accuracy, but he touches on many issues that will affect what's going to happen to our country in the very near future. These are the issues that we need to be educating ourselves about, and hopefully doing something about.

AMERICA:
WAKE UP!

"In 100 days Barack Obama has shown us that he is this:
Anti-American, anti-business and pro big government. In addition, that he is socialist, a narcissist and a pathological liar ........ as is vice president Biden, most of Obama's cabinet picks and all of the democratic leaders in congress.
Janet Napolitano and little Timmy Geithner are unimaginably incompetent, yet Obama continues to give them a free hand in jeopardizing both the safety and the economic future of America. And Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank are some of the most despicable slime to ever slither the earth. Yet this is the group of people who are now in charge of handling the destiny of the country. YOUR COUNTRY!
I not only don't support President Obama or his policies, I now strongly oppose his presidency and urge you to do the same.
In a mere 100 days, Obama has already committed to spend America into oblivion to the tune of TENS of TRILLIONS of dollars.......all while unemployment is running rampant, businesses continue to shutter their doors and our GDP is falling off the cliff. You'd think we must be a rich country! Where do you think all the money is going to come from to pay for all of this? Yet, the happy clueless idiots and infatuated Obama cultists are celebrating his first 100 days in office as if they've been reborn.
Billions of YOUR money was recently poured into Chrysler and GM under the guise that "Only the Government" can save them. Well the money's all gone and they didn't save them. Gee, what a shock! PLEASE STOP SAVING US ALREADY!"

He continues with more about the GM fiasco and it's implications:

"And to boot, another 8 billion of your tax money has already been pledged to Chrysler to help them work through this "difficult" period. And of course, the government - again with your money - will continue to support these car companies in the future for a price: Dictating what type of cars they will be allowed to produce in the future. The banks will be next to fall under governmental control and after that will be health care.
This single act alone should scare you to your core. If Obama is so quick and willing to skirt the legal rights and confiscate the savings of your fellow Americans, what makes you think for a minute that your money or your property won't be next? You know, if he thinks it would be good for the country and all. Nor will his grand agenda make for a safer, better or more prosperous society. Exactly the opposite will happen. American ingenuity will be squelched, the quality of everyday life and health care will go DOWN, not up - and attempting to repay he national debt will consume the citizens at every level of society.
When Obama tells you that your taxes will not go up he is flat out LYING to you. Very soon, you will see huge tax increases passed on to you in the form of higher sales taxes, property taxes, state and city taxes, increased college tuitions, toll roads, fuel taxes, utility surcharges, etc., etc.
Yet the largest, most expensive tax increase that is coming - and will soon affect every citizen at every level - is something called the Value Added Tax. (aka: the V.A.T.) This is widely used in Europe and now our congress is rapidly working to implement it here in the U.S. This will be an insidious, yet huge tax burden that gets passed on to us all and here is how it works:
You will pay an additional FEDERAL sales tax on top of the local and state taxes that you already pay on the goods you buy.
But that's not all.
Value Added Tax means there is also a tax incurred every time that a perceived "value" is added to the unfinished goods before they are ultimately bought by the consumer. So a federal tax will be added to the price of every product you buy at EACH STEP of the manufacturing process accomplished prior to completion of the product. That is, anytime perceived "value" is added along the way.
Ex: If you buy a bicycle, the company that produced the steel for the frame will have to pay a federal tax when they sell their steel to the bicycle frame manufacturer; who in turn will have to pay yet another federal tax when they sell the completed frame to the bicycle assembler/distributor; who in turn will have to pay yet another tax still when it sells the fully assembled bicycle to the local dealer. In the end, all those additional VAT taxes will be passed on to the consumer in the form of a higher purchase price: oftentimes added 10% - 20% more to the purchase price. On top of that - you'll now be paying sales tax AND a federal tax on that higher price.
Additionally, the VAT tax will also be added onto all consumer "services", not just onto the goods that you buy. So if somebody cleans your swimming pool, cuts your hair, delivers your newspaper, provides child care, etc. there will now be a federal tax charged to you for the "services" they provided. This is what's on the horizon. If you don't believe it, do some homework. Did people honestly believe that all the money that is being spent on these spiffy new government programs (the ones that the happy idiots THINK are going to make their lives better) would come without consequences?
As you read this, your rights and liberties as U.S citizens are being stripped away from you by Obama's administration and the den of thieves we call congress. If you do not take some affirmative action and they are allowed to continue down this path, they will do irreversible damage and ALL OF AMERICA WILL SUFFER!
To those of you who believe this isn't happening or that somehow or some way, you personally will be exempted from the results of this impending disaster, well then go make some cake and throw yourselves a BIG Obama party. And in a few years when I see you working as a Wal-mart greeter, you can remind me of how good that cake was........"
Regards,

. . .

Maybe this post comes across a bit angry and sarcastic, but I ask you, if the information outlined here is correct. . ! Would any other reaction be reasonable?!

Well said, in my opinion! So refreshing to hear from someone who isn't buying up all the propaganda that the media keeps feeding us.

What are the ramifications of these recent tea parties? The federal government is WAY out of control. Whoever wrote that blog post of Nathaniel's was brilliant. You can't borrow your way out of debt. Congress and the President have both taken advantage of their positions and are implementing legislation, or at least trying to do things . . that are downright illegal. If things continue in this manner, if we keep heading in this direction. . . I am very concerned for the future of America, and the traditional American way of life. Specifically, freedom. This whole current swirling political scene is highly reminiscent of the situation that led up to the American Revolution, and will reach that point if somebody doesn't rein in the outrageous spending, the vehement attacks on morality, the socialist philosophies that seem to dominate today's rhetoric. . . I would encourage you all to get involved and make something happen, because, as we've heard many a time. . . All that has to happen for evil to win, is for good men to to nothing.

Last Thursday

2009-04-30T12:22:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, I fell sucker to the pleas of our 9 year old chickeepoo, and consented to bring Jaguar the Cat to school for Show and Tell'. Not so sure that this was a good idea, I attached a leash to his collar, in the hopes that I'd more effectively be able to control the kitty while at the school, or at least wouldn't lose it. . . As luck would have it, naturally the little bugger hated that leash, and refused to move while so tethered. Also didn't like the car ride, I discovered on the way over, and certainly not the bulldog who happened to be out front with it's owner, waiting for school to be let out. At this point, Jaguar was pretty on edge, and sure didn't need to be pawed by 25 8/9 year olds in an unfamiliar environment. I was a little nervous to let them pet our kitty, as nervous as he was. . . To add insult to injury, when the kids were finally finished with him, and he'd found a nice cool spot behind a plastic drawer, I was forced to drag him right back out of there, in order to beat the rush, and get him back home. Tooth and nail does not accurately describe the protest exhibited by that 'feline fur-ball', as Eric likes to call him. I'm gonna go with his other favorite name: "Bad Luck on 4 Legs". When the final bell rang, I was disastrously still in the classroom, and just barely made it out, hurriedly, with Aleia in tow. . . just ahead of the rush. We did still encounter quite a few eager children on the way out, all of whom wanted to pet the kitty.

"Awww, so cute! Can I pet him?" was the request 50 x over. I had to keep repeating the same line: "Well, he's a bit nervous right now, (as he climbed up my shirt and clawed frantically at my neck), he might scratch you, and I wouldn't want anybody to get hurt. . ." complete with a big smile.

How do I get myself into these situations? It's unbelievable. That kid bats her eyes at me, and I melt and go along. . .

When, oh when, will I ever learn?! The next time somebody wants to bring a pet to school, it's either gonna be in a wire cage of some sort, with the door latched securely SHUT, or stuffed! : )

I Can Go The Distance!

2009-04-28T11:35:00.001-07:00

When our son Clinton was maybe 6 or 7, his favorite movie was Hercules! He loved that show, and sang along with some of the songs as they came up. Well, more than sang. . . he performed! The little bugger got up and struck a pose, and belted it out like only a 7 year-old-boy can. . . It was so much fun to watch!

One song in particular he loved more than the others. . and that was: "I Can Go The Distance", sung by Hercules as he's heading off into the sunset to find his calling. It's darn near inspirational, especially when you hear it performed by your own child, with almost unflinching faith and optimism. : )

Sniff. How I wish we'd gotten that one on video. So adorable!

Twitter

2009-04-24T16:47:00.001-07:00

Tweet, tweet! Sigh.

A few months ago, my brother Hyrum talked us into signing up for Twitter. This is the extent of my activity so far:

Amy Tanner Mason is mildly curious about this twitter thing. Bird like communication. . . What's the fascination? : )

Amy is twitterpated!

Amy says bring on the weekend!

Amy is all about Fresca!

Amy would like to get this show on the road!

Amy can't resist the fruity, fruity birthday cake!

Amy is cleaning the kitchen.

Amy is just not that excited about Power Rangers!

Amy is excited about Charlie's Lasik surgery tomorrow!

Amy is a big fan of Jason Chaffetz!

Amy is amazed that she actually got all the big kids out the door on time this morning!

Amy is twitterpated.

Amy is also ready for a good night's sleep!

Amy had fun with the kids at Skate Night!

http://tinyurl.com/az3cy6 Too funny. : )

Amy enjoyed her date with Glenn Beck and Jason Chaffetz!

Amy had great fun at the St. Patty's Day parade! : ) Disney on Ice and the wedding reception weren't bad either.

Amy can't believe it's snowing. I guess that whole 60 degree Spring thing last week was just a big TEASE!

Amy is blow-drying the stroller, and wondering why she signed up to teach this class. . .

Amy thinks it's cool that Eric wants to be a wildlife photographer for National Geographic.

Amy just had to break into her own room again, after being locked out by the 2 year old. . .

Amy woke up to 6 inches of fresh powder and swirling snow. Lot's o' homework, no money for skiing, ha ha, April Fool's indeed!

Amy still needs a little Jane Austen.

Amy is still looking for her sea legs. . . Will I ever get a good night's sleep?

Amy is lovin' this weather!

Amy doesn't believe in Spanish. : )

Amy is convinced that the Pie Pizzeria will be her undoing.

Amy really likes the movie Spirit!

Weightier Matters

2009-04-22T11:16:00.001-07:00

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=6647

This is a fantastic article by Dallin H. Oaks, addressing issues of our day. Very well put together.

Random Observations

2009-04-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Aleia stayed home from school. I haven't really seen her in a week. She drew pictures and we made oatmeal cookies, I worked on some homework, and at lunch we picked Laena up from school and took her to the doctor. Turns out she has an ear infection, which would have been annoying at Prom. . . .

Last night, Charlie and I drove over to the mall, and walked around for a few minutes. We haven't been on a real date in a couple of weeks! Laena and Diego babysat. She put together a little picnic blanket pizza dinner there in the backyard. It was so cute! : ) Ah, the shenanigans of those crazy kids!

Charlie's been working out a lot lately, training for the marathon and half marathon later this summer. He's in fantastic shape, which means that I've gotta get it together and follow suit. I need to get back in the swing of things. It's so hard to find time to get over to the gym! But I really should face facts. . Easter is over, and summer is on it's way! Mama needs to synchronize her schedule, and get some exercise! Tommy's even caught the bug, and is working out hard with videos that Charlie brought home from work. He's way gung ho, drinking protein shakes for breakfast, reading up on martial arts. . . Go Tominator!

Eric's got a Track Meet today, out at Copper Hills. I hope one of us can make it! He's so cute in his black and blue track uniform! : ) And he's so disciplined, with the rabbit food, and the no dairy to speak of. . . The rest of us can only aspire to someday be in as great o' shape as Eric!

Bye-Bye, Baby!

2009-04-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

The day before we left for Seattle, Lea and Jeffy were helping me pack. Aleia was very upset about not being able go with, and Jeffy wanted me to pack just about everything in the closet. Eric had brought me home a sprig of cherry blossoms that he'd run across on the way home from Track. As I was giving my suitcase a final check, I discovered that someone had slipped a framed picture of Aleia, Jefferson, and the Binky under the first layer of clothing, with Eric's spring flowers laid on one corner, and getting slightly squished.

Good Night! What's a mother to do? Earlier that day, Jeffy had handed me his miniature baseball, to put in the duffle bag with the snacks. He wanted us to take it along on our trip, so we'd 'remember about him.' Gyah! They were killing me! Aleia didn't want to be the only girl left at home, but she knew we couldn't take her with us, and Jeffy is the cutest little bugger that ever graced the halls of Kindergarten. . .

Sure. Good thing the baby was distracted, or we'd never have gotten out the door. Thankfully, Charlie was able to take a couple of days off, so I could make this trip at all! He was really great, taking kids to practices and games. . . Tech Center exhibitions, Track Meets, work. . . CHURCH. What a guy!

Oddly, the five days went by surprisingly fast! We were back before we knew it. : ) I'm really glad that I was able to go with Laena on her field trip. We had a great time up there in Seattle, eating fish and making memories.

Sunrise, Sunset

2009-04-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

Last night about dinner time, as I walked in the front door of our home, I noticed . . that right at that moment, most everybody was gone. Laena was over at Trevor's, supposedly for drum lessons, Clint was heading over to the Dance Company performance at the high school, straight from work, Eric was still at Track practice, and Tommy was working out downstairs. I'd just dropped Aleia off at soccer practice, Jeffy was with his dad at the big T-ball game, and I was left with one irritable 2-year old, and a lot of semi-foreboding, pseudo-quiet.

Is this what it's like your children grow up, and slowly phase out of your personal space? I don't know if I like it.

Change.

That's what it's called, and I don't know if I'm prepared. When we got back from the big Choir Tour field trip late Sunday night/early Monday morning, I realized that this was Laena's . . last . . one. Sigh. Talk about a sense of closure. Graduation's coming up, Prom is this weekend, college, summer camps, soccer and swimming. . . It's all part of the adventure, but I'm still torn. I get the feeling that our kidlets are slowly pulling away from us, and there's nothing I can do about it. I suppose I should just sit back and watch, and enjoy the show, but it sure is hard some days. . . I mean, who knows! It's not too unrealistic to assume that our Laenabug could be hitched up and settled down sometime in the not too distant future. Heck, in 5 years time, we could be grandparents! Aaaaaahhhhhh! So what do we do now? Do we have a couple more kids and continue with the game, or do we accept the fact that we're older than trees and just deal with it.

'It' being the coming of age. Yike!

I'm not sure that I'm ready for this. . . I'm still getting used to having teenagers, for Pete's sake! Just yesterday, we learned that another one of Laena's friends had gotten married! Pictures and everything, staring us in the face. It's just disturbing. And time marches on. . . seems to be speeding up, in fact! The older you get, the faster it goes. I guess that's the way it was all set up, in the great wisdom of the Universe, but some days I want to grab the reigns, and pull back hard. I just figured out how to enjoy my babies, and now they're, like, BIG!? Are you kidding me? We've gotta figure out some way to slow it all down. Big sigh. Hey, if you hear of anything, out there on the market, let me know. Time is flying by. . . We should probably just pick up some lawn chairs, settle down on the front porch, sit back and enjoy the ride. . . but you know I'm not that kinda gal. : )

Come and Get It!

2009-04-21T15:22:00.001-07:00

Here's my FB post for the afternoon. Tell me what you think.

"Amy watched her boys snarf down chimichangas, pancakes, salad, eggs. . . and wondered if this could all still be classified as an 'after school snack."

Huh? : )

Pretty typical, actually. By the time we get around to having dinner, those teenagers will have eaten the equivalent of a 7 course meal. It's traditional, I know. To be expected. . After all, these are growing boys! : ) But it sure does make a dent in your wallet.

Jefferson!

2009-04-07T19:20:00.001-07:00

Jeffy got a library card yesterday. When asked what name he would like on the card, he said "Jefferson!"

"Are you sure you don't want 'Jeffy'?" his dad inquired.

"No! JEFFERSON." he clarified. "I'm named after the President!"

What a cute kid! : ) I recently showed him the painting of Thomas Jefferson, hanging in the entryway at the school. Evidently he was impressed.

Track Meet

2009-04-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

Eric has another Track meet today. . . He told us about it last night, but then mentioned to Laena this morning that he hoped we'd forget. : ) Probably embarrassed him taking all those pictures last week.

Eric's such a good kid! He goes to Track practice every single day, essentially without complaint, and then walks home by himself, about a mile and a half walk, every afternoon at five. What a guy!

This will be Eric's 3rd Track meet of the season. He's in fantastic physical shape, always partial to rabbit food, exercise, and fresh air, I suppose it would be almost impossible for Eric to do or to be anything else! : ) But I do hope to fatten him up a little, this Easter Sunday. . .

If we could just get him to eat a couple of rolls, with butter. . .

Eric's been in Track since 7th grade, so I guess this would be his 5th year now, and he's steadily improving. . . I hope he enjoys it as much as his Dad did. Charlie went to State his senior year in HS, and in my estimation, easily could have made the BYU football team at the time. The boy was fast!

And, I might add, still is. . .

He and Eric may 'meet' at the track, so to speak. . . cross paths, if you will. Like Father, like son! : ) Anyway they have that in common, and I think it's great!

Nine Years Old

2009-03-31T10:36:00.001-07:00

I remember one day last week. . . Lea looked so cute, in her light yellow sweatshirt, silver blue coat, red hair, and pink cheeks! A beautiful child. : ) I refuse to believe that she's gonna be NINE years old on Saturday. She's not old enough to be nine! How did this happen? One minute, she's our bouncing baby girl, 10 and a half lbs, newborn, cute and chubby, and the next second she's 6, 7, 8 years old. . . and now NINE!?

It's impossible. Time simply cannot go by that fast!

Can it?

Sigh.

So Saturday, April 4th, 2009, our baby girl will be having a birthday. And a birthday PARTY, she's let us know, in no uncertain terms. . .

Looks like we'd better gear up for the big bash, cause when Aleia plans something, (and she LOVES to plan), it's always a big deal!

Happy Birthday, Rosebud! : )

Haircuts

2009-03-27T20:30:00.001-07:00

Earlier today I gave Eric and Tommy much needed haircuts. Later on, I passed by Tommy sitting on the couch.

"You look so good with your new haircut." I told him, running my hand through the top of his hair.

"I know." he said matter-of-factly. "I'm very good looking."

: ) Big grin.

That's my Tommy!

Easy Cookie Recipe

2009-03-26T14:53:00.001-07:00

We got this fabulous recipe from Tommy's and Aleia's piano teacher! Lea insisted that we write it down. : ) Brook is so cute, she makes cookies for the kids every week, and they get to have one (read 3 or 4) if they've practiced their lesson. Easy, yummy cookies that take about 3 minutes to make! It's fantastic! You can use several different combinations of cake mixes and baking chips. Yum, yum, yum! Sigh. Unfortunately, they're so fantastic that we've been making them almost every day, and this just simply isn't good for my diet. . . white flour, cane sugar, most times chocolate, and oil.

As Tommy would say. . .

"THAT'S nutrition!" : )

Perspective

2009-03-26T12:40:00.001-07:00

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29867937/

I really liked this quote:

"The right question to ask is not if we want the president to fail or succeed, but whether we want America to succeed."

Saying "the time for talking about the past is over," Jindal said Republicans have begun to find their voice after back-to-back elections losses — motivated by what he called historic Democratic spending excess.

Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Seems like we've finally acquired some perspective. I hope we can continue on, in the political arena, with this goal in mind.

Eagle Scout Blood Drive

2009-03-25T13:23:00.001-07:00

Here we go! We'll see how many people show up. . . Eric is just about finished with his project also.

Maybe we'll end up having a joint Eagle Scout Court of Honor for our twin boys! Ya never know. . . By some quirky twist of fate, that just might work out! : )

The Weekend List

2009-03-23T10:37:00.001-07:00

And it goes a little somethin' like THIS:

Friday:

Jeffy's fever is down, Charlie has the day off

Get all the big kids to school

Drop little kids off at Kim's

Drive up to Park City with C-Man, tour galleries, take notes for Art assignment, take lots of pictures - THIS, I can do! - : )

Drive back, pick up little kidlets, (enjoy the fabulous weather) take Aleia and Tommy to piano lessons

Drop film off at Target, grab Tominator and Lea, pick up Laena from Tardy School (read detention)

Deal with big kids, conjure up an after school snack, take Clint to work

Figure out dinner, get Eric from Track practice, take Eric to work

Eat dinner, hook Laena up with car/ride to Spring Fling, try to fix camera

Work on BYU-I detail, EFY sign-ups, acquire tickets for temple dedication Sunday, take Aleia to sleep-over

Bag Twilight party, more calls for blood drive, fetch Eric, wrap things up, Family Prayer, get to bed (Ha!)

Wrestle little buggers into bed, take Diego home, beautiful, beautiful sleep

Saturday:

Kids up, Laena off to Tardy School, me to gym, (scratch that, slept in), wonder why I agreed to fill in for Diann on Tuesday with that 45 minute presentation. . .

Laena babysitting for Laura, get Clint working on recruit times for Eagle project, make job lists, clean house, do laundry, get Aleia to Activity Days, homework (sure)

Take Jefferson to doctor, (thank you Charlie), put together Singing Time lesson for Sunday, take Lea to birthday party, grocery shopping, pick up prescriptions

Make disc for Mama, encourage Laena to drop off applications, cut Tommy's hair, give Jeffy medicine

Take Eric to work, score babysitter for double date with Charlie and Bullards, catch movie, get ready for church at 9 am

Take Diego home, pick up Eric, grab Sprite for Laena, (who now has the flu), finish up laundry

Wind it up, put them down, collapse into bed (didn't actually happen, because Charlie happened by a Red Box, brought home Twilight, and we stayed up half the night watching it)

Sunday:

Get up, take care of sick kids, get family to church

Teach 40 little children Primary songs, help Clint and Charlie with Blood Drive sign ups, get little guys home, deal with Choir practice, help Laena apply for scholarship

Home Teachers coming over, Draper Temple Dedication with family (unfortunately I missed it, Jeffy was still sick)

Picked up touch of the flu, took a beautiful, beautiful NAP, (THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN, angels singing, baby asleep, no teenagers in the house, bless you Charlie), made pasta

Helped Aleia with Theatre Class memorization, wondered about the sudden cold snap, got ready for school Monday morning, tried to do homework

Read scriptures with the kids, watched Easter Beagle with the Binky, pinned down the fort, somehow made it to bed

Monday:

Woke up to a full-fledged snow storm, big kids off to school, broke windshield wiper AGAIN, got Lea to class, picked up muffins in my bathrobe

Called high school about announcements, called Miss Roybal about presentation, contacted Red Cross about eligibility, verified appointment time for refinance

Got assignment together, went over schedule, discovered that Eric's Track meet, Aleia's play, Clint's Eagle Project, and Charlie's class for work are all scheduled for the . . same . . . time.

My question is. . .

HOW DO SINGLE MOTHERS . . . DO. . IT. . ?

It Starts

2009-03-18T13:07:00.001-07:00

The Binky just fell asleep in the middle of the living room floor, a baseball mitt stuck hopefully on his chubby little paw. Poor little guy. . . : ) He wants to be just like his big brother Jeffy! But mostly he wants to play ball! Too bad they don't have a little league . . for little 2 year olds. : ) There's probably a good reason.

Monday Charlie signed Jefferson up for T-Ball. Then last night they went out 'bat shopping'. : ) Jeffy's eatin' it up, wearing his baseball hat everywhere, and now the whereabouts of the mitt and the bat are being carefully monitored. Such a cutie! : )

Sigh. They grow up too fast.

But here it comes. . .

Spring, I think, is finally here, and with it chaos to our home and our lives. Not that that's anything new, but May and December, December and May. . . are crazy, busy months, and now, with the coming of warm weather, I can feel it coming. . . Craziness in general will once again reign supreme at the Mason residence. It's just a matter of time.

Graduations, birthday parties, reunions, baseball practice, swimming lessons. . . Soccer, Scout camps, Youth Conference, Girls camps. . . Summer.

Big grin.

Here we go!

A few years back, we decided to limit the kids' extracurricular activities to one per child per year. This works out to 'almost manageable', if you do the math, and makes it so much easier to keep it together. . . because, my friends, there are only seven days in a week.

And how many kids? : )

Mama. . .

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

2009-03-18T12:29:00.001-07:00

Last week I was heading to school, in a driving snow storm.

I had studied all day. I was brain-fried. There was no way I'd be able to remember all the stuff I'd read.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, the driver's side windshield wiper somehow went from slightly torn to shredded, making visibility a mildly urgent issue. At that moment I realized that the heater had stopped working, eliminating the defrost mechanism. To add insult to dubious injury, the low-fuel light chimed in, with it's not-so-pleasant beeping, letting me know that we were almost out of gas.

Oh brother.

Was I not supposed to take this test? Had the elements literally combined against me? What to do. I had left the cell phone at home, no gas station within a mile or so. . .

There was no time, I'd have to chance it. . .

Coasting into the parking lot, I realized that I had just enough time to make it to class. Battling a head wind, in almost blinding snow, I hurried across the frozen campus toward my building and shelter.

Throwing open the door, I darted inside, and shook the snow out of my hair. I'd made it!

The instructor mercifully gave a short lecture, allowing us slackers to cram in a small amount of studying before he administered the test. Arghhh!

"This test will probably take you 30, 35 minutes. . ." he droned.

Heaving an internal sigh, I began, going with my first gut impulse, first reaction to each question. I only got stuck on a couple, which I flubbed my way through on the second go-around.

Yay, done!

I looked at the clock. It had been about 5 minutes. Since we were free to go when we were finished with the test, I decided to high-tail it out of there, maybe try to limp back home. Thankfully, the storm had let up. You know how it is in Utah. . I'd heard it a hundred times. "If you don't like the weather, wait ten minutes." Yeah!

I made it back to the car without too much trouble, but noticed, to my momentary alarm, that someone had been in it! There was a red and yellow box sitting on the passenger seat that had not been there before. I hesitated, took stock of the situation, and realized that it was okay. The car was locked, no one in the back seat. . . It was still light outside. . . Once I saw the Almond Joy on the dash, I knew I'd been been saved. Charlie had left a note, with my favorite candy bar, and had changed the wiper blade while I was in class. : ) Wow.

I always knew I had a guardian angel, and now I know why my Daddy let me go ahead and marry this guy, even when we were so young and goofy. Sigh. Because of little things like this. : ) Which add up to life.

Charlie's a good man.

Busy Weekend

2009-03-12T13:50:00.001-07:00

Friday before last we were pretty busy. . . At 6 pm, a guy from the Red Cross came over to help Clint get started on his Eagle Scout project. Clinton has chosen to hold a neighborhood blood drive. Yay! : ) At 7-ish, Charlie and I, and the 3 little kids, drove across town to Hyrum's and Kim's for ice cream. The little buggers had a good time playing with their cousins. . . Then at 8 pm, I took Laena and Clint to meet their friends, Morgan and Kalin, who were in town for the High School Basketball State Championship Playoffs. They were staying at a hotel over by the E- Center, with about 300 or so other supervised adolescents. I spent the evening in the lobby, reading my POLYSCI book, and trying to tune out dozens of giggling teenagers who kept buzzing in and out. . . Yeesh. . Yawn. Laena went to one of the games the next day, before her date with Trevor. West Jordan ended up winning later that weekend. : ) Champion Jaguars! Pretty cool. One of these days, I'll figure out how to stop procrastinating my Singing Time lesson. . . Ha ha ha! It just never stops. . . .

Idy-Heidy-Ho!

2009-03-12T13:23:00.001-07:00

Never thought it'd be Idaho, but a few days back, Laena got her acceptance letter from BYU-Idaho! Formerly known as Ricks' College, up in Rexburg, it's now a full-fledged, 4-year University. : ) I think Laena was pretty excited. She smiled, and hopped online to verify her intentions. Sigh. Should be interesting. . . We were almost expecting her to stick around and go to the community college, but Charlie and I feel like this would be a much better idea, a fantastic opportunity for our little girl! Except she's not so little anymore. . . and now we won't get to take Math 1050 together. . . . Sigh.

Anyway, we're way excited for our Laenabug. : ) Should be a good experience for her.

An Exhange

2009-03-07T10:05:00.001-08:00

H.R. 45: Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (GovTrack.us)

Source: www.govtrack.us

A bill in the U.S. Congress: To provide for the implementation of a system of licensing for purchasers of certain firearms and for a record of sale system for those firearms, and for other purposes.

"Once this bill becomes law, you'll need a license before you can exercise your 2nd Amendment right to obtain a handgun.
I wonder what would happen if Congress tried to require that you get a license before exercising your 1st Amendment rights?"

Dot, dot, dot. . .

"I might feel differently about the licensure for exercising First Amendment rights if words and pictures were as capable of killing as firearms."

Etc, etc. . .

"And I think you're making an awfully big leap to think this will become a law. Something like the Stimulus bill can go on a straight party line vote, but there's no way something like this bill would. Too many moderate Dems and Republicans that will sway one way or the other. Plus there's plenty of crap McConnell can do in the Senate without 60 votes against him. This might get a vote there in 2011."

"The most comforting thing I find in this potential legislation is that I am sure, absolutely sure!! (like all of you should be) that the current administration will be able to assure - even guarantee - that EVERY American, good guys like me and bad guys like rapists and muggers and home invaders will go get the license. Oh, and that any licensee will use such license and weapon for the protection of others not to do any harm. I'm sure after such a great law is enacted there won't be a soul in the country possessing any firearm without a license. I also hope to see the President and his family out in public without the protection of firearms, because after all there won't be any threat to their lives by an unlicensed firearm user."

"Maybe they could give the secret service guys mace, or something. . . maybe really heavy flashlights."

"And whatever is Hollywood going to do when firearms are no longer politically correct? All those sexy action movies. . . I mean, James BOND!"

"He definitely has a license."

"As, I'm sure, do all the bad guys. Sounds like effective legislation. I feel like it's Obama and crew out and out saying "Yes, we CAN take away your 2nd Amendment rights." Let's make it as difficult as possible for law-abiding citizens to obtain protection for their homes and families, while all the bad guys will have whatever weapons at their disposal, because that is simply the nature of things. I will NOT leave my family defenseless. Sportsman's Fast Cash, here I come! Hmm, also might buy Charlie's 30 ought 6 back from our neighbor down the street. I wouldn't move to Phoenix, but if you do, and when those 'bad guys' are breaking down your door, I'll gladly lend it to you. . ."

"Do you guys remember the days, back in HS, during hunting season, or not, when you'd drive to school with your rifles mounted in the cab of your pick up? Doubt that'd be tolerated anymore. Slowly, but surely, our rights are being stripped away. . . I ask you, why should I have to have a license to exercise my Constitutional rights? Isn't the fact that this is the central document, upon which all of our country's law are based, enough?! And why should it be concealed? I've never killed anybody. Why should I hide my weapon? Is it gonna freak somebody out? Realistically, crime would drop if everyone packed them some heat. It's just common sense."

"Food for thought: If your teacher were strapping a Glock, and you could see it, would you mess with him? Doubtful. Anyway, you'd be a little more hesitant than some of the disturbed teenagers we've heard about these past few years. . I have some beef with schools not allowing firearms on campus. Number one, it goes against the Constitution. Number 2, the very idea is ridiculous! They're sitting ducks! Ever think, if the teachers at that unfortunate HS in Colorado had been required, or simply had had the OPTION, of choosing to carry firearms and thereby protecting their school, classroom, students, that maybe a few more of those kids would've had a shot, literally, at survival while attempting to acquire an education? As it was, many people, most of them children, died, because of an obvious lack of preparation. I think every teacher should be asked to take a gun safety class, and also to carry a firearm while on campus, whatever the learning institution, in order to protect against possible uprisings. If some crazy kid gets out of line, there they would be to take care of it, and to protect the life of your child.

And what is the cause of such behavior? Let's get down to the real issue here, the unbelievable onslaught of negative, violent programming/movies/videos games, which cleeeeaarrly affects and influences the young mind, and certainly does not promote peaceful behavior. Perhaps we could spend some of the 'stimulus money' on programs to eliminate drug use! Maybe we could go retro and acknowledge the existence of right and wrong, something that seems to be regarded as old school or outdated. It's still in effect, y'all! Right is right, and wrong is wrong, however ya wanna slice it. I know it's ain't politically correct, but that's the way it is. All of my 7 kids are going to be taught these principles, and hopefully pass them along to their own children.

Schools should be institutions of learning indeed, where we can feel protected, relatively safe, and be able to concentrate on our studies.

Oh, and FYI, nowhere in the Constitution does it mention anything about concealment of 'arms'. Just the right to keep (have) them, and bear (carry) them. Meddling with these freedoms/rights is just not smart. We're just a couple of notches up/away from what happened to the citizens of Germany right before World War 2. They took guns away from the people. How'd that work out again. . ? Hmm. . . Exactly. And that's where we're headed, if we stand idly by, and do nothing about some of this ridiculous, oppressive legislation that is being proposed. Squelch it now, make it stop, retain your rights, and protect your families."

Something important to think about.

Kid Quotes and More!

2009-02-25T12:33:00.001-08:00

At school today, Jefferson was asked what he would do if he were President.

I asked him, "What would you do?"

"Give food." was his simple reply.

"Who would you give it to?" I inquired.

"All the people." given matter-of-factly.

Clearly I was distracting him. Cyber Chase was on. .

"Where would you get the food?" I pressed, interested.

"At Macey's." he said without missing a beat.

: )

It makes perfect sense, after all. Where else would you get FOOD, but at a grocery store?

The other day, one of our sons, who shall remain nameless, was . . in the bathroom. I wouldn't mention this incident, but it's just too hilarious to pass up.

Anyway, this boy decided to open the window, as people sometimes do, to air things out a bit. . .

Well, as luck would have it, Aleia and Jeffy were in the backyard, simultaneously amusing themselves by throwing snowballs at the house. I don't get it either. You'd think they'd be throwing them at each other. . .

But sadly, and by pure coincidence, one of them lobbed a snowball just a little too accurately, and sailed it clean through the open window, right into aforementioned unfortunate big brother's lap. : ) He let us know.

I ask you, what are the odds?

Could your day get any worse? : ) Pardon me while I stifle a big grin.

Recently Tommy was pondering his upcoming birthday. I say upcoming because it takes place sometime in the next 6 months. Kids, you know. . . They like to plan ahead. So responsible! : ) Presents, presents, presents!

Anyway, all Tommy wants are movies. He's made a big, long list of a hundred or so of his favorites. He decided to be diplomatic and let us know in all seriousness, and in advance. . . that

"Do what you can do. . but wide screen is preferred."

: )

That boy is in for a rude awakening come June 5th!

Jeffy, a while back, was looking at me threw a glass prism he'd concocted out of thin air. I don't know how he got it. I was sure I'd hidden it away in our closet. . .

He stood on the piano bench and made the astounded observation:

"Wow, I see a ton o' Mamas!"

I laughed and told him it was just me.

"Well. ." he said, undaunted, "You've got like a thousand sisters!"

: ) Ha ha ha. Isn't he cute!

Today, at Kindergarten, a couple of kids were quarreling.

When reprimanded, the first responded with the traditional. .

"He started it!"

The other countered, pouting. . .

"And he hit me second!"

Such pure entertainment!

You could hang out at the school all day, and never stop laughing!

Necessary and Proper?

2009-02-20T19:39:00.001-08:00

The Necessary and Proper Clause, or Elastic Clause, as stated at the end of Article 1, section 8 of the Constitution, is clearly a concern, in light of recent and ongoing events. Elastic indeed! This clause states that one of the purposes/privileges of Congress is "to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, (which are many and varied) and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof." Wow. That kind of leaves it wide open, doesn't it. They can pretty much do whatever they want, as long as they can convince people that whatever it is . . is "necessary and proper".

Personally, I'm not sure that the stimulating bailout plan is/was necessary OR proper in the eyes of the public majority. I am still confused as to how and why this bill came into being so fast, and was shoved through Congress with such incredible speed. Something's not right here, and this problem comes to mind again when I read about the Elastic Clause: "This has historically been a very important phrase in the Constitution, because it has allowed the national government to expand its powers into a variety of areas that were not anticipated by the founders." Again, I'm not sure that this is/was a good thing. The concerns of many people are being laid by the wayside as a thing of naught. I don't mind our Representatives and Senators voting on the stimulus package, if they're doing it in a 'necessary and proper' fashion. But I, and many of those in our circle of influence, do not agree that this has happened. I find these recent events, with regard to our government interfering in the financial sector, disturbing and very much UNnecessary.

http://www.frc.org/washingtonupdate/haste-makes-stimulus-waste

http://www.lonsberry.com/writings.cfm?story=2568&go=4

Another point of interest: Yesterday or today I caught a talk show that I can't seem to place. I wish I had written down the link. In a nutshell, someone was pointing out that not only did Sarah Palin cut spending for Alaska again, but that the state of Alaska, under her leadership, has a significant amount of money in savings. Enough money, evidently, to carry them through at least 2 years of diminished oil profits, due to the reduced gasoline prices. They don't NEED or necessarily want the bailout money. Their state's economy doesn't need to be 'stimulated' because they have taken the old-fashioned, common sense approach and saved for a rainy day. And now the governor, Governor Palin, has wisely cut spending to match the money coming in. I believe it's called 'balancing the budget'. Seems pretty responsible.

Discussion Quote

2009-02-17T16:43:00.001-08:00

This brilliant kid in my Political Science class summed it up nicely. I couldn't agree more.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29231797/

"Billionaire Wilbur L. Ross Jr., who has rescued numerous failed companies in the steel and other industries, said Monday that GM can’t be cost competitive with Japanese automakers with such a heavy debt burden."
So, why don't we move the industry towards a new direction? Why don't we stop the bleeding now.. and let the market run its course? I think we'd all be in a much better position. If there's anything that this generation learns from a rough recession, I hope we learn how to set ourselves apart as being more financially responsible than those who went before us. I think what I've learned in this course, is just how political this corporate stimulating handout package has become. We need to study the past, and take the necessary steps in getting us back on the right track. I find it fairly humorous to try to count all the anonymous economic experts that are giving the associated press all this inside information, and we eat every last crumb of it.
I can't help but wonder what Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Mason might've thought about the nation in its current condition. I doubt it would be very fond."

What they must think of us.

Brazilian Grill and Sundance Memories

2009-02-17T12:17:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, Charlie and I got to go out to dinner, courtesy of Coca-Cola! His office crew likes to have a New Year's office get-together, rather than try to squeeze it in during the holidays. And I am totally okay with this. As everyone knows, the holidays are CRAZY. Anyway, this particular time, they'd picked the Rodizio Grill downtown at Trolley Square. Faaaantastic! Wow, wow, wow. We had a lot of fun! I kid you not. Here was my Facebook comment that evening:

"Amy has died and gone to Heaven! Rodizio Grill rocks! Amy would like to LIVE at Rodizio Grill. Torta de Limao!"

Indeed! : ) Key lime, Baby! Yum, yum, yum!

My brother has talked about his visits to Brazil, how they're always cooking up yummy meat kabobs. A favorite meal, evidently. . or rather expected fare in times of celebration. . saaay, when you have guests! : ) He wasn't kidding. (Next time he heads down there, I'm going with!)

And, believe it or not, we ended up sitting next to the U of U football team!

You know, the team that just kicked some serious tush at the Sugar Bowl. . . Yep! There they were, just a table away, having dinner with their families! One of the guys has some cute little twins. Guess we picked a pretty good restaurant! : ) Though I'm not too sure that I'm real fond of the quail's eggs. . .

Amazing though, aint' it! We had dinner with Coca-Cola, good friends, AND the University of Utah football team. : ) It don't get much better than THAT!

A bit later, after walking around a bit at the mall, which BTW, is amazing, (all red brick interior. . . and a pop can sculpture to beat all pop-can sculptures, hanging from the ceiling. . .) we did a rare thing, and decided, spontaneously, to head up to Park City! The last night of the Sundance Film Festival.

I have 2 words for you. SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL! Okay, 3. : )

It was so cool! We walked around for a while, checked out the sights, mostly on historic Main Street. Wowwwww! Incomparable ambiance. Quaint little restaurants, art galleries every 10 feet. . . It's soooo beautiful! And with the snow, quite lit up, even at night. Magical would be a better word. Many of the trees are still intricately decorated with Christmas lights. . . I wouldn't be surprised if they leave them up all season long. Who knows! All I know is, ya sure don't need sleep when you're up there! : ) Best date we've been on in a while. I think when we retire, someday in the future when we're old and gray, maybe we'll get a little cabin up somewhere close to Deer Valley. . . Sigh.

There are no words. : )

Well, anyway, I'm too tired to think of them.

Wish to heck I'd thought to grab the camera. . .

Valentine's Day, Bay-bay!

2009-02-16T17:55:00.001-08:00

Well, it's that time of year! Or was, last week. I always enjoy Valentine's Day. . . with it's sugar cookies, hot pink balloons. . . it's romance. . . : )

This year Charlie and I went out to eat at a fun, quirky restaurant called Buca di Beppo's. Faaaaan-spankin'-tastic stuffed mushroom appetizers! I don't know what they put in them, but sa-weet Mama, they were good! Laena and Diego made it over to the Sweetheart Dance the week before. . . Laena's so cute. She decided to make her own dress! : ) Again, hot pink. Just like last year's Prom.

Such a festive holiday! I always like to make Valentine cookies, and decorate them with all kinds of candy and sprinkles. So much fun! : ) When I was a kid, my Mother would bake these huge, cake pan-sized, personalized sugar cookies on V Day, and then leave them on the front porch, ring the door bell, and run. She liked to say that the Valentine Fairy must have left them there. : ) It's a cute little tradition that we like to perpetuate. Charlie took it to a new level a few years ago, when he decided to leave us all little presents, with our names on 'em, scattered around the living room on V-Day morning. LOVE it! That year he picked up a print of the truest representative of love, The Savior, tenderly instructing a small child. It hangs over our comfiest couch to this day, as the principle decoration in our home, the first thing you see when you walk in the front door. : )

So, anyway, we had a great old time this year. Dances, parties, cookies. . the Valentine Fairy showed up, and today, at the grocery store, I found unbelievable deals on pre-cut, heart-shaped cookies with frosting and sprinkles, which I bought way too many of, brought home and we all decorated! Again, LOVE it! : )

Week In Review

2009-02-11T12:23:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Laena did great on her Choir solo, and made it to the regional competition, much to her surprise.

She nailed it!

Way to sang it, girlie! Yay, Laenabug! I'm so proud of my baby girl! :)

Guess we'd better run through the ranks. . .

Clinton recently started taking drum lessons from Laena's friend, Trevor. She kind of set the whole thing up. Chuckle. She probably just wanted an excuse to hang out at his house. . . Ha ha! Just kidding. ; ) So today, it's Lea's guitar lessons, tomorrow - drums, and Friday, piano for Tommy and Aleia. . . Guitar, drums, piano lessons. . . For Mama, it's a virtual whirlwind, of school/house/kids/man/church. . . every week! And round and round we go. : )

Monday, Charlie got his eyes fixed. He went ahead and went through with it, had 'em LASIKed! Or rather, PRKed. . . which is a sight more painful, no pun intended. He's supposed to experience some discomfort for about 3 days, and then the epithelial layer of the cornea, which they remove during surgery, is supposed to completely heal in 4 to 5 days. Problem is, it's still day number 3, and he's having kind of a hard time. They said that one in five people have a hard time recovering, and I'm wondering if he's the 'one'. Sigh. Our neighbors, Paul and Wendy Lloyd, were kind enough to watch the Bink for us during the procedure. Paul and Dave Richards came over and gave Charlie a blessing the day before. I think he'll be fine, come Friday, but right now he's feelin' it, poor guy. : (

Monday afternoon, after we'd come home, Clint took off with Marcus and Adam. Just took off, out of the clear blue sky, without saying a word. . They evidently went over to Westland Elementary to see if Clint could get a part time job after school doing janitorial work. He'd briefly worked at Majestic Elementary doing the same thing a little over a year ago. . . I was blown away by this turn of events, since Clinton's been resisting the whole 'job' thing these past couple of months, pointing out to us that he really doesn't have to work while he's still in high school. . . Oh brother. He'll think 'have to' when summer rolls around, and he wants to do all sorts of fun things with his friends, and can't afford it! Well, anyway, it's a start. : ) I'm excited! First the drums, and now this! A week or so ago, after Laena and her friend Summer had dragged Clint over to Trevor's, he decided to pick up his drum set from Mathew Richards, who'd borrowed it a while back, and now he's actually practicing now and again. Without being asked! Wow. . . .

Eric is slated to start Track here in a few weeks. The 'winter workout' crew is already out there torturing themselves. Such amazing discipline I never had. . .

Tommy and I went over to the middle school yesterday to sign him up for ninth grade. I can't believe he's so big! Mmmm. . .

Lea joined up with Lisa Bullard's little Theater class last night, also at the middle school. I may put her in Ballet as well. These community programs are so reasonably priced! It's fantastic! : ) And it's so cute to watch them grow and develop!

Jeffy has wanted to do his homework the past couple of days, thinking that maybe he could win a bike at the end of the school year. I guess the kids who finish their homework are entered into a drawing of some sort.

Seriously?

The boy is in Kindergarten. I pointed out to him that he already has a bike, and that Kindergartners really shouldn't have homework, but he didn't seem to buy it. Ha ha. I guess it's good that he wants to be responsible. Why not? : )

To continue, yesterday, our old friend, Narhea, now Thornock, came by just as the kids were getting out of school. We were surprised and happy to see her. : ) Long time family friend, close to Laena's same age, she was married last October, and has settled down in Spanish Fork close to her parents. Apparently she's applying for a job through West Jordan City, whose offices are just a couple of blocks to the south of us. Narhea and I picked Laena up from school in her tank of a car, and then we all drove home and hung out for a while. It was nice to see her again. It's still hard for me to believe that Laena has friends that are married! It's just nuts!

Last night the boys all had Scouts. Needless to say, Charlie stayed home. Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow. . .

I'm back in school, as mentioned previously, if that's even possible in the realm of rational thinking. . . I've had a couple of quizzes the last couple of days, and have done reasonably well, I guess you could say. . . We'll see how it goes. . . Anyway, for NOW, due to lack of sleep, and more than the usual amount of stress. . . I would have to concede that. . .

Mama needs a nap. : ) Yeah, right.

(stretch, yawn)

So I'm signing off for now, peeps! But it's cool. . . Cool beans!

More later, hasta la pasta, and all that! I hope next week is less crazy. . .

Ba-bye!

Good Job, Political Derby!

2009-02-06T12:43:00.001-08:00

This is an excerpt written by a friend of mine. I just have to plug Politcal Derby one time. It is a fun website. : )

"We interrupt this blog for a political post

Friday, January 16, 2009 1:56 PM

I don't often (ever) cross post to my political work, but I thought this post might be amusing to some of you.

From PoliticalDerby.com:

Bush Haters, W’s farewell address, and a prediction
Posted on January 16th, 2009 at 3:04 pm by Jason Wright, Editor

I’m curious to know how many watched last night’s farewell address by President Bush. Certainly W can be called many things: Stubborn, dangerously loyal, the Word-Mangler-in-Chief. But he cannot be called phony. He is as authentic a president as we’ve had since Reagan, and you can argue he was even less polished and layered than the Gipper.

It’s indisputable that we live in an unprecedented era of manufactured politics. Both parties are guilty of packaging and messaging their themes to the point that they resemble fast food. Nice commercials, free toys, most of their ideas look good on the menu, but they all give you terrible gas.

And their leaders? They’re as authentic and honest as Barney Frank at a strip club. Bill Clinton? Phony. Mitt Romney? Too much glitz. Hillary Clinton? Poll-driven and spineless.

And what about the likes of Trent Lott, Ted Stevens, John McCain? The right arm promises one thing, but the left is picking his nose and your pocket. Sure, these intellectual midgets would like you to think they’re the real deal, agents of the people, standing at times for the best interests of their constituents. Right. And Nancy Pelosi is religiously opposed to face lifts."

Right on!

Though I normally view references to 'gas' with terrible disdain, I'll let it slide just this once. : )

Check it out! I especially enjoyed the 'Photo of the Day' idea.

Politicalderby.com

Izzy

2009-02-05T12:11:00.001-08:00

One of Laena's cool Choir friends singin' up a storm. : ) Yeah, Izzy!

Whenever I See A Sunflower

2009-02-03T08:47:00.001-08:00

Goodbye America. Mi hermana, mi amor. Te amare' siempe. I will love you always.

We first met Glenn and America LaPointe probably 10 years ago, maybe more, when Charlie was driving truck for Coca-Cola. Glenn still is. He and Charlie immediately hit it off, and we decided to go out for Mexican. Over the years, we've spent a fair amount of time together, barbecues at their place, enchiladas at ours. . . D & D club get-togethers for the super-nerds. Star Wars marathons planned. . . Every year we'd see them at Lagoon on Coke lagoon Day, and we'd hook up and hang out. It was so funny to see America roll her eyes and talk about these annoying Mexicans who won't learn the language. She's about as ethnic as they come. : ) What a sweetheart! Always talking about 'my husband', and calling him 'My Love'. Her whole house was decorated with babies and sunflowers. Anne Geddes, and little antique tricycles made out of/fashioned from old rusted metal. . . America was a breath of fresh air.

America was a crack up. She made people laugh. Like the time she asked the Relief Society president if she could bring wine to the activity they'd invited her to. : ) I will always treasure the memory of Adrienne's baptism, and other special times. So many memories. We have some cute pictures of Tommy playing with your dog, Rocket. America was a good friend.

She joked that people expected her sisters to be named Liberty and Europa, or something like that. In reality, it's Patty, and the older one. . . I can't remember her name. But I will always remember America. So full of love. Such a good Mama. She loved her girls, and she loved her husband, Glenn. I'm so happy that we got to be there when they went through the temple in 2005. It's such a comfort to know that her dream was realized that day, the dream of uniting her family for eternity.

Where ever I end up, I hope it's where you are, mi hermana.

America.

The Draper Temple

2009-02-01T19:36:00.001-08:00

The LDS Church has recently finished the Draper Temple, which sits up on the south east bench, just across the valley.

It's absolutely beautiful, inside and out. We were privileged to be able to walk through, during the open house, a couple of weeks ago. Tours are available to anyone who's interested, for a month or so, from what I understand. . .

This was a special experience that I hope our children will remember for the rest of their lives. : ) I feel so blessed to be living here in Salt Lake City, where the Light of the World shines for all to see!

St. John 8: 12, (9: 5)

Isaiah 2: 2

Yearbook Ad

2009-02-01T18:39:00.001-08:00

Had to fill out the yearbook ad papers today for Laena's graduation edition. . . Tomorrow I'm sending it off.

Wow, 2009! I just can't believe that the years have flown by like they have. . . .

And there she is, our Laenabug!

All grown up.

Here's the ad, as it will appear in her yearbook this spring:

"Laena Cheyenne Mason

We love ya, Boogsie!

Way to go! The years have gone by so fast. It seems like just yesterday you were a bouncy little golden-haired baby girl! Now you are a bright, capable young woman with your whole life ahead of you! So many possibilities. Always believe in your dreams!

Happy Graduation! : )

Love always,

Your Family"

And there it is. One childhood in reflection. A crossroads approaches. At times like this, Mama Love takes over, and words are insufficient. She warms my heart.

My baby girl. : )

Seventeen!

2009-01-31T16:15:00.001-08:00

"Mother, could you please make him scream somewhere else?" our eldest daughter complained, whilst I tried to wrestle the fork away from our 2 year old baby.

I shot her a look.

She was still reclining in the computer chair, watching TV and eating cake. She didn't notice.

I turned back to the task at hand.

"I . . WILL WIN . . THIS . . WRESTLING . . MATCH. . . !" I panted, fighting for breath.

Piercing, high-pitched screams split the air in our living room, echoing throughout the house. Resonating above the normal, everyday chaos, Lincoln's protests were quickly shot down again, with annoyed retorts from the big kids, and plenty of fidgeting.

The homestead is presently nearing capacity. . Fifteen or so teenagers/children are 'hanging out' over here in honor of the twins' birthday weekend. It's really pretty great. : ) They're laughing and talking, joking around, shooting the breeze, havin' a good old time. Of course we have the usual kaleidoscopic rainbow of drama, moodiness, and dynamics to deal with. . . which shouldn't be too surprising, considering the age range represented. . . .

But anyway,

Happy Birthday to Clint and Eric, Eric and Clint! Number Seventeen!

25 Things About Me!

2009-01-29T14:42:00.001-08:00

Okay! Here we go!

1. I am technologically impaired/challenged, and really have no idea how to set this up. . . : ) (This being just about anything having to do with the computer, although I am learning. . .)
2. My childhood dream was to someday be an Olympic figure skater!
3. I'm from 3 different places: Northern Utah, Northeast Missouri, and Central Virginia, Charlottesville.
4. I met my husband almost 20 years ago, while job hunting AT THE MALL! : )
5. I'm a big fan of holidays, primarily Christmas. . and old movies, mostly from the 40's and 50's. . .
6. My Italian Grandmother's sister. . . was blond. : ) Go figure.
7. Blupebbles has been my call sign/user name for about 10 years now. . . reference to a random Flintstone nickname from way back when. . .
8. My favorite color is acid wash blue. Electric turquoise, Cancun aquamarine. . .
9. My husband and I originally thought/felt that we could probably handle . . maybe 4 kids. . . Turns out we were right. : )
10. I will forever remain a die-hard conservative who finds politics mildly amusing, or moderately stimulating, depending on the day. .
11. I do love being a mother, although I have no idea what to do with these kids once they hit that tweeny-bopper stage. . .
12. My family lives about 5 or 10 minutes from the busiest LDS temple in the entire free world! Jordan River.
13. I'm happiest when snuggling a warm little baby. : ) I love my babies! I continue to be fascinated by genetics, and the miracle of childbirth.
14. I'm the oldest of 8 children, 6 brothers and one little sis! And I can't have 8 kids, because my mother had 8 kids, and her mother had 8 kids. . . Wouldn't wanna be redundant! ; ) Oh, and I hate the phrase 'stay at home mom'. I ASK you, where ELSE would a mother stay?!
15. I have recently taken up writing, and although it hasn't proven to be terribly lucrative, I plan to pursue it more aggressively in the future. : )
16. I'm a big fan of Snoopy! And if we're gonna watch Peanuts, and order out, it's going to be pizza, or Mexican! Ole!
17. I think it would be great to pick up his and her's sports cars. . . Maybe a Navy blue Cougar, with bronze-ish interior, and BYU on the license plate. . .
18. I'm a quarter Italian, about a third German, and the rest is a fun mixture of Northern European. English, Scottish, and Dutch, to name a few. I've always wanted to tour Europa, maybe do that backpacking thing. . . Someday.
19. I'm way hip into photography. Ask anybody, I loooooove to take pictures! I'm the obnoxious one at parties, who's always snapping your picture just when you're getting ready to take a bite of something.
20. I am a cowgirl at heart, and someday hope to have a cabin up at Christmas Meadows. . .
21 . I like my syrup COLD, thank you very much. Like it was just harvested from a tapped, frosted maple tree somewhere up in New England.
22. I freak out when people touch my feet. Probably the ticklish thing.
23. I am a passionate person, who tends to speak out, sometimes when I probably shouldn't.
24. Love kitties!
25. Recently went back to school, where I will be majoring in Visual Art and Design. Oddly, I'm doing better in the Political Science class. And I'm not entirely sure that this whole school thing was a good idea. . . because there simply is not enough time in the day!

And there you have it! 25 Things About Me! Courtesy of the evil Facebook.

January!

2009-01-29T14:29:00.001-08:00

Well, like I said, a couple of weeks ago, I went back to school. But that wasn't all! There have been so many other fun things going on this past little while! Laena is in the process of applying to different colleges, so we'll see where that goes, although she has talked about staying home, and just going to the Community College. . . We'll see what she decides. . .

Clint has started drum lessons! Private drum lessons with Laena's friend, Trevor. He's such a good kid! Laena and her friend Summer dragged Clint over to Trevor's last Thursday, and he liked it so much, he decided to give it a whirl. : ) I'm excited that he's excited about something!

Eric keeps plugging away, working at the theatre on weekends, having fun at school. . . And again, the boys' birthday is tomorrow! : ) It's funny. We always have to make 2 cakes, because Eric likes fruit flavors, but Clint's all about chocolate! You would think we could get away with ordering just the one. . . Chuckle.

Charlie and Tommy drove up to camp Tracy last weekend, for an overnighter with the Boy Scouts! I've never understood the reasoning behind Winter camp outs, but this one's a little different, because they get to sleep in cabins! With little wood stoves. : ) Tommy had a great time tubing down the sled hill. I'll see if we have any pictures. . .

Yep, we've been having all kinds of fun lately! : ) Believe it! On the 17th, Aleia and I went to lunch over at Wingers. She had won a coupon for a free kid's meal doing something scholastic. : ) What a cutie, that Rosebud! You never know just what's coming up next!

Jeffy's been having Evan over every chance he gets. . . They have a lot of fun together. Jeffy's enjoying Kindergarten, but I still can't bring myself to let him go 'full-day'.

My mother's birthday was last week on Sunday, January 18! Along with her twin sister, Jean's. ; ) Happy Birthday, Aunt Jean!

A week ago last Saturday, Laena went to a fun dance with Trevor and Summer and all the gang. It was an '80's Neon Retro Dance'. They dressed up all cute, in jeans and florescent tee-shirts, and made me think of yesteryear. (wistful snicker/sigh) Too bad I got rid of all my 80's stuff a couple of years ago, just in time for it to all come back in style. . . But ain't that the way it goes!

Somewhere around that same time, we sold Laena's car to Pick-N-Pull, your friendly neighborhood scrap yard! She got to drive it up there with her dad. And now we don't have that old beater Oldsmobile perpetually taking up space in our driveway! Yay! Plus, she got a couple o' hundred dollars out of the deal, which was nice. Good stuff. : )

In other news, Charlie's planning to get his eyes fixed in about ten days! Lazik, Baby! I still can't quite believe it. . He's been wearing glasses for about 30 years now, and has wanted to do this for a while. I tell ya what, he's a braver man than I! There's no amount of Valium that could hold me in place. I'm freaked out just thinking about it! But it will be really neat for him to be able to see without contacts, etc. . . And kinda weird, at the same time. . . It's just amazing, the technology that's available these days! : )

And that's a wrap. : ) The latest update from the Mason Clan, here in the fabulous Salt Lake Valley!

Tune in next time, when you will undoubtedly hear even more fantastical, amusing stories, from our home to yours!

Pre-Twilight

2009-01-29T08:00:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow is our twins' birthday. January 30th, 2009. There's a date that brings back memories! (shudder, sniff) And it always seems to land on Super Bowl weekend! : ) I can't believe they're as old as they are. It's insane! We must really be getting up there, if we have 2 boys that are Juniors in high school, and almost SEVENTEEN! Seems like they follow their sister so closely, that they're almost in her shadow, and tend to surprise us when they reach these types of milestones. They're right behind her, but really shouldn't be so close!

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I started school again. Yep, went 'back to school', to see if I could improve myself through education. It was kind of an emotional experience for me, when Charlie and I were picking up books at the bookstore, and getting my student ID. . . all of that. I'd always wanted to go to college, but have never taken even one class. Well, okay, there's been a little experience picked up over the past 19 years or so, and we have sat in on some parenting classes, etc. . I suppose I would probably have earned the equivalent of at least a Master's Degree in 'the school of hard knocks', considering our lives up till now. . . But still, I have never graced the halls of a University, or even been inside a college classroom. As crazy as that sounds, it's true. And now I'm getting misty again. It really was a tender moment for me, when Charlie and I were there at SLCC, and it seemed like I was actually going to be a part of something . . alive and important.

Of course, our family is all of these things, and obviously number one, but it was still pretty cool.

Last night, as I was walking back to the parking lot, just before twilight, books in hand. . . I looked around at the frosted campus, softly lit by a dozens of muted incandescent lamps, and realized it's purpose, and the blessing that education is, in our lives.

So, we may be approaching the 'twilight' of our lives, what with all these big kids, who are soon to be going off to college themselves, and the impending onset of 'middle age'. . . (40's comin' up fast!) But I think Charlie and I have 20 or so years yet, hopefully more, to experience life, and learning, and to grow from both. : ) Here's to the dawn of my formal education, and to the 'top of the mountain' for myself and my husband, which we can hopefully enjoy more fully together, with the growing independence of our children, before we start heading 'over the hill'. ; ) And hey, it's all good! It's okay to be getting on in years. . . (ha ha) The view is sooo much better from up here!

We can see!

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T17:43:00.001-08:00

The Inaugural Address was well written, but, as stated in an email from the Family Research Council,

"By God's grace, many old wrongs have been righted, but some remain."

"President Obama referred to the Declaration of Independence when he said, "The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness." What he neglected to include was the Founders' emphasis on life and liberty.
The weekend has been full of symbolic tributes to President Abraham Lincoln: the train ride to the nation's capital along the same route taken by President Lincoln nearly 150 years ago, the festivities yesterday in front of the Lincoln memorial, the swearing in on Lincoln's Bible. While we celebrate the symbolic meaning of these events, there is much more to Mr. Lincoln that we urge President Obama to reflect on. Lincoln once said, "Nothing stamped in the divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on..." Mr. President, with respect we ask--are not unborn children so stamped?
We would not be truthful on this day if we did not share our grave concerns. As we have mentioned, the Mexico City policy, which has long protected the American taxpayer from funding abortions, is slated for repeal. The President's appointees and a willing Congress are poised to accelerate the loss of human life through the expansion of abortion. We are concerned not only that abortion will be expanded, but that American taxpayers will be forced to fund the expansion--something that has not occurred for nearly a quarter century. They appear ready to shackle on us a culture of death in their plans for national health care. There are already signs that indicate opposition to such policies will not be tolerated or even heard.
Thankfully, in the face of trials that beset us, the Lamp of God has not yet gone out, nor has the sacred fire of liberty been quenched. We still have our constitutional right to speak, to evangelize, and to petition government for the redress of grievances. If we are to be taxed for unjust killings, if every American county is to become a new killing field, we will resist in every legal and constitutional way with all the strength God gives us.
Mr. President, this is an historic day. Your inauguration heals an ancient wound. We pray that your administration will not deepen and inflame the wounds of today. We urge you to reject the counsel of those who prey on the young, who profit from death, and who daily break parents' hearts.
President Obama, on the first day of this new chapter in America, we appeal to the better angels of your nature. Protect the most vulnerable among us."

I recently read about the mind numbing evil known as partial birth abortion, that is practiced right here in our 'free' country.

Life and Liberty indeed.

Park City Memories

2009-01-20T14:56:00.000-08:00

This is a pic of Charlie and Tommy up in Park City. Charlie worked up there for 4 years, driving 40/48 foot red and white trucks up and down the mountain, in all kinds of weather. He changed routes just before the Olympics. Tommy was probably 2 or 3 years old in this picture. I have a lot of great memories of my hubby's time up in Park City. . . He made a lot of good friends, and learned to believe in mankind a little more, since almost everybody up there is fantastically friendly and genuine. Someday, we hope to build a cabin up in Park City, or thereabouts, or maybe just buy a little house. A little house up in the mountains! : ) Just for us!

Smarty Pants and Perfect Pancakes

2009-01-13T13:36:00.001-08:00

The other day, I believe it was Saturday, I had a really nice time just hanging out with our boys, listening to them chat. It was one of those rare instances when they were all getting along, joking around and having fun together. : ) I have to smile! A good memory. .

At some point, Clinton had walked in, and announced to everyone that he had finally gotten the smushed up 'smarty powder' to come out of his nose. . I felt all warm and fuzzy! : )

Hmmmm. . .

Now, you have to understand boys to fully appreciate the entertainment value here. . . Of course, Smarties are the famous wrapped candies that everybody has on hand, leftover from Halloween, stuffed in the back of the munchie cupboard. . The ones that we all pretended were 'pills', or 'medicine' when we were growing up. Hee hee! Such fun! : ) I told my mother that it must be a 'boy thing' . . . She agreed. She also pointed out that trying to breathe in any sort of candy . . would probably be terribly uncomfortable! : )

Leave it to Grandma to be reasonable and practical! But, as the boys would say. . Where's the fun in THAT?!

Ha ha ha! ; )

Saturday (and Sunday) I decided to whip up a batch of our traditional 'Saturday morning hot cakes'! I found a great recipe on the Internet, and went to work. After a while, the aroma of baking 'sweet bread' filled the house. (There was a fair amount of sugar in the batter.)

"Pancakes!" someone was heard to yell. .

Jeffy noticed, rushed into the kitchen, and inquired breathlessly:

"Are they perfect? Or are they all burned?"

Seriously?

You have to understand. . He's just six years old. : ) And genuinely inquisitive.

Hmmmm.

Could this possibly have anything to do with some of my recent baking fiascos? Maybe those involving cookies, and the lack of a timer. . ?

Perhaps. . . But his comments were priceless either way. . . What a cutie!

Chuckle.

Being a Mama is a lot of work, but soooo much fun at the same time! : )

Memories. . .

2009-01-13T13:10:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks back, The Primary put on a breakfast at the church, and called the activity “Meet Your Teacher”. More like “Meet These Bacon and Eggs, and Fabulous Belgian Waffles Made By Janet Wayman!” : ) Just unbelievable. Those waffles were to die for! Charlie couldn't resist. He has actually lost 20 lbs during the past month and a half. . . He's taken on this 'no carb' diet, and has followed it! For the most part. . He did have a small Holiday treat every now and again. . . : ) It's hard to be 100% disciplined in December, with all that chocolate and cheese laying about! Plus his birthday was right there in the middle of it all. . The peeps at work took him out to lunch, and bought him cupcakes. : ) They're always feeding him over there, ordering in or going out. . . He actually passed up lasagna one day! Absolutely amazing. Truly inspirational! Considering my weakness for Italian food, I just have to say. . What a MAN. : ) I need to do something similar. . Especially if we're actually gonna go to my 20 year HS reunion this summer. . . : ) Gotta loose that persistent 'baby fat'!

Christmas Eve, somebody left us a card with a hundred dollars in it. This was a blessing indeed, since the Santa stuff didn't seem to be quite even. . . I was 'on top of it' this year! : ) Normally, we make lists, but for some reason, things just weren't matching up. Consequently, Charlie and I did a rare thing, something we've never done before. . We ran out to buy last minute Christmas presents, in a moderately enthusiastic snowstorm. : ) We drove carefully through the neighborhood to the traditional 'corner drugstore', Wal-Green's, on the corner of Redwood and 78^th. It was a lot of fun, and quite entertaining. Funny how all 15 cars that were actually out on the streets at this hour, seemed to be heading in the same direction. . After all, there was only one store left open. . . : ) Ha ha! Hilarious! We had a good time searching for appropriate gifts among all the varied and sundry items traditionally displayed there. Light bulbs, grout tools. . toenail clippers. . just what kids want to see under the tree Christmas morning! Snicker. : ) Thankfully, they had somewhat of a . . diverse selection. . .

December 30^th, there was a special Youth Activity held at the Stake Center. All our big kids went over. . . They had dinner, 'a whole lot of pizza' and salad, and watched the program that had been recorded at the Conference Center back in November. I'm so glad that there is something put together to entertain teenagers!

New Year's Eve, Charlie came home with red and white roses, a small box of chocolates, and 3 large pizzas from Papa Murphy's : )

Wow. . . It was soooo nice to see him! Such a relief to have a 'grown up' to talk to!

I hadn't been feeling very well, and had spent the afternoon at the zoo with Eric and the little kids. It was a perfect day to be at the zoo. . mild, sunny, no wind to speak of. . . but after dealing with the children all day, I was so glad to see my man! : ) We had a nice peaceful New Year's Eve, munching pizza, watching movies, and trying to stay up till midnight. . I didn't quite make it. : ) Aleia was excited to see The Jonas Brothers perform at Times Square. Laena spent the day with Diego, and for whatever reason, decided to dye her hair a dark red for the evening's festivities. Why not? She wants to get 'extensions' so as to make her hair long again. : ) Such fun!

On a different note, Charlie's come up with a great plan to get the kids to want to read scriptures! We read every night for a month, and if we get up to 60 pages, we get to go out to dinner to some nice place at the end of that month! We'll take turns deciding where. : ) What a great idea! : ) What a great plan. What a great guy! I've been blessed to have Charlie as my husband. The Sunday before Christmas, we took the family down to Provo, and Springville, to see my Grandpa Tanner, and then my Grandma June Bartholomew. They're both hanging in there. . . Grandpa seemed happy to see us. He's in a wheelchair most of the time now. I don't know if he'll make it to another Christmas. Sigh. Grandma's in better health. She's always taken fantastic care of herself. She's now the only one left, of her immediate family, her little sister Carol having passed away in October a couple of years back. . . Probably has something to do with the fact that Grandma never eats red meat, and always does her exercises! : ) Jean's family planned to pick her up Christmas Eve for a surprise treat. : ) I think they were heading down to Natalie's, in Spanish Fork, for a evening with Santa Claus! Pretty cute. : ) Jean and Richard are currently on a service mission up here in Salt Lake City. Jean's such an amazing woman. . so dedicated and hard working. . . On the 'other side', my cousin Jessica took Grandpa out to Paul's in Duchesne, for a Tanner Family Christmas!

Seems like we had a pretty good Christmas. . Now, to start off the New Year. . .

"I . . must blog!" : )

Wrapping It Up. . .

2009-01-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

Well. . . this last month has been really interesting, somewhat traditional, and definitely insane. We've had so many activity, concerts, events to attend to, that I think it's probably good that Christmas comes only once a year!

Charlie's brother Clinton and his wife Michelle renewed their vows the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It was more of a full fledged, pull-out-all-the-stops wedding. Everyone was there but our son, 'little Clint', (who is really not so little), and who couldn't get out of work. Lame!

We went to my brother Hyrum's for Thanksgiving. . It was nice to see the little cousins, and uncles Nathaniel, Matthew and Benj. Nathaniel and Benj had flown up from Phoenix a couple of days earlier. Charlie ran and picked them up from the airport. . . It was nice to see family, people who understand and accept you, people who like to play Ricochet Robo! : ) It was so nice to be among friends! The big kids had fun playing games with my brothers, and he little ones romped around with cousins Zealan and Caz. (Caslea) Nathaniel is sort of a Godfather to them. The first weekend in December, Charlie and I dressed up and went to the Coca-Cola Christmas party downtown! Just minutes after Charlie and Aleia had gone caroling with the Achievement/Activity Days girls. It was nice to see half the neighborhood out in our front yard, singing. : ) Again, you can't buy entertainment like that! : ) The second weekend in December, Charlie and I flew off to New York City, to see the sights, and to visit my Cousin Daniel Bartholomew, who was kind enough to us stay with him and his wife in their upper west side apartment! : ) Yay! We had a great time in New York, but naturally didn't get to see everything, because unfortunately, there simply is not enough TIME crammed into one weekend. We did see some amazing things, though, like the museums, the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, and a guy on the bridge, in Central Park, who was proposing to his girlfriend. : ) So romantic! : ) When we got home, after a looooong flight, and another taxi ride, Aleia had left us a welcome home letter and picture. : ) What a sweet little Angel! We had thought about driving out to Missouri for Christmas. . We debated on whether or not it would be a good idea. . Could we afford it, what would the weather be like, and so on. . . Charlie's friend Bruce even offered to lend us his Yukon. In the end, we decided to stay home. It was a good thing, too, because the weekend before Christmas, when we would have been traveling, the west was hit with a big snowstorm. And we didn't have to worry about packing for 9 people! That's my least favorite part of traveling. I do enjoy the adventure, though. . . ; ) We got my mother's big box of Christmas presents in the mail, the Thursday before Christmas. The kids are always excited to see what she sends. : ) The week before Christmas, we had Choir Concerts at the high school Wednesday and Thursday, and the Majestic Elementary Christmas sing-along Thursday as well. It's always 'fun' to try to juggle these family activities when they fall on the same night. Usually, Charlie goes to one, and I go to the other. Thankfully, I made the last half hour of Laena's Choir gig. I have to take pictures, you know. : ) Thursday, December 18th, was my Grandpa Tanner's 91st birthday. . Friday, the nineteenth, was our ward Christmas party. Laena's choir sang, Santa Claus came, and ham and potatoes were enjoyed by all! December 19^th was also my parents' 40^th wedding anniversary. Wow!

I can't believe how fast the time is going by. . . It seems like just yesterday I was doing Christmas cards for 2007. . And now here we are, welcoming in 2009!

Unabridged Holiday Letter 2008/Happy New Year 2009!

2009-01-01T17:45:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2008

For those of you who would prefer a direct, 'to the point' approach, just skip on down to the 'summary' version of our annual Family Christmas letter at the bottom of this post. : ) For those of you who would rather kick back, take your time, and drink in the more Grandma-friendly edition, along with some hot cocoa, here you go! Enjoy!

Mason Family Christmas Letter 2008

Well, another year over, and here we are again. . . Trying to remember all the amazing things that transpired/happened this past year. . . I have a feeling that the first part of the year is going to get less than it's fair share of the spotlight again. : ) Considering how fast time is speeding by, and how crazy it is around here most days, it's not too surprising that the spring and summer memories tend to be a little bit hazy, come December. . . I can hardly keep up with all the kids' shenanigans.

Anyway,

To start off,

Our eldest child, Laena, is a senior in high school this year. I can't believe it either! Who can tell where the time has gone! Laena spent the first part of 2008 juggling school, work, friends, her part time job at McDonald's, babysitting, cello practicing, Choir gigs, and of course BOYS. We could tell ya some stories! : ) Laena enjoyed her 'field trip' to Southern California with the West Jordan High School Choir in the Spring. . . just before she got another part time job at the Classic Family Fun Center, just across the way in Sandy. The Fun Center is a glorified roller rink, with a lot of added . . benefits. Water slides, bouncy jungle play land, etc. Our baby girl had a great time playing lifeguard, and hanging out with friends. : ) It was almost like working on the set of High School Musical 2! Except not quite so glamorous. They don't call it the Family Fun Center for nothing! : ) Toward the end of the summer, we got sick of driving across town in rush hour traffic, and somehow convinced the Boogsie to find employment closer to home. Now she's back at MickeyD's, which is thankfully within walking distance. Whew! This fall, Laena was chosen, a second time, to work as a tutor in the Special Ed Seminary. I was very touched by this. We're so proud of our Laenabug! : ) Also this year, Laena has been serving as VP of Belles Voix, the girls' choir at the high school, and President of her Laurel Class at church. Pretty cool! : ) In addition, she's recently been dating Diego "King Julian" Guzman, a nice young man from Bolivia who plays Classical Spanish guitar. : )

Clinton is a junior this year. . He's spent the better part of 2008 working at Pizza Hut, and was pretty good at it, too! Clint's always been good at picking up/learning new computer skills, so they had him up front quite a bit. . . But he also makes a pretty mean pizza! We were excited to sample his brilliant culinary experiments when he would bring them home. : ) Ya can't get enough pizza out here in Utah, as everyone knows. . . ; ) Clint had fun down at Lake Powell, with the neighborhood crew, in June. It was a bit too hot for his taste, but Charlie and the twins got some great pictures! Clinton was disappointed, later on this fall, to see is good friend Morgan Burr move away, down south to the Fillmore area. . . But he got to visit the their new home in November, and ended up spending Thanksgiving with Morgan and the Burr family. Clint's been studying 3D Animation at the Tech Center this school year. He's always shown great proficiency when dealing with computer related art, and matters that require technical skill. In 10th grade, he played several instruments in the HS Percussion Ensemble. We're excited to see what Clint will do with his many talents in the future!

Eric is also in the eleventh grade. He's developed quite an avid interest in photography these last few years, and recently bought himself a digital camera. We've gone the zoo a few times, and he's putting together quite the collection of interesting animal pictures, 3 of which were entered, and received attention in, an art contest last February. I still think it's awesome that Eric was named Artist of the Year in 9th grade! : ) Eric Charles ran Track again this year in the spring, following quite literally in the footsteps of his Dad, and continues to be ever concerned about all things health-related. Blinking kid still won't eat dairy. . . but I guess that's a good thing, right? : ) It's rabbit food all around! : ) If only we could convince the rest of the Clan! Eric had fun with his twin brother Clint, and Dad, down at Lake Powell this past summer, and all 3 of them somehow managed NOT to get sunburned, or injured. . . Truly a miracle! Eric got on at the local movie theater, Carmike Cinemas, back in March, and has adjusted brilliantly. He has a great time down there, and everybody loves him! Eric's currently working on his Eagle Scout project, a massive food drive, and as always, is doing well in school.

Tommy is having a great old time, loving middle school, and learning to work with his hands. He played cello in the spring, almost went to a charter school this fall, and continues to discover new interests and abilities. Tommy has had a lot of fun with his Dad being Scoutmaster these last couple of years. . . At Camp Tomahawk, (East fork of the Bear River), they learned about archery, fire safety, "dry wood is good for burning", (ha ha), rifle shooting, swimming in cold mountain rivers, ("like, negative 40 degrees"), and enjoyed all of those joyful activities that stress a Mama out. : ) Thankfully, Tommy usually has the sense to walk away if the proposed activity is too dangerous. What a relief! Our Tominator had fun tearing apart Charlie's 'parts truck' this summer. If fact he's accumulated quite the bizarre collection of . . metal. Twisted truck parts, rusted screws he's found on the way home from school, fascinating childhood treasures of the traditional All-American boy. . . Love it! : ) All the boys have a great time playing catch, Frisbee, football, etc at the field behind the school. This year, Tommy's earned his Life Rank in Scouting, and has taken up piano lessons again. He's looking forward to spring semester at school.

Aleia is the life of the party, full of energy and sparkle. She is growing up way too fast, always on a voyage of some type of discovery, and constantly rivaling her sister for 'most dramatic teenage personality', when she's still only eight! Not even a tweeny bopper yet, and she's taking over with all her big plans! : ) This is what she wrote down when I asked what she had done this year: "I became a great student on Tuesday. I fell out of a boat! I had my. . ." Earlier this week, we learned that Aleia is going to be presented with some sort of an award celebrating her accomplishments at the elementary school. She was sort of taken by surprise. : ) Earlier this month, she was picked to help lead the 3rd grade, as a chorister, in the annual Majestic Elementary Christmas Sing-Along! She was so excited! Lea is always eager to learn, and consequently, always does well in school. She and her sister seem to be above-average go-getters! And we're not complaining. : ) Must be a girl thing. ; ) Lea and Jeffy had bunches of fun at Aunt Sarah's cabin in August. Aleia was slightly shaken when she was out on a canoe ride with Uncle Nathaniel, and the boat tipped over! Cool as always, he set her on the riverbank, and swam for the oars. Thankfully, it was only about 4 feet deep. : ) Aleia loves to plan parties and play with her friends! She had her birthday party at the Fun Center back in April. She and Jeffy wanted a puppy for Christmas, but sadly our backyard isn't completely fenced in. Santa will have to be notified.

Jefferson Wilder Mason . . is starting to live up to his name! : ) He was ever calm, cool, collected . . relaxed, well behaved. . . up until last spring. This past summer, a fair amount of that baby boy sweetness must've run out. : ) All of that bottled up 'snips, and snails, and puppy dog's tails' . . must've caught up with him. What a little ball of . . BOY he has turned out to be! Energetic, mischievous, pretty much always covered in dirt, and sometimes downright naughty! Who knew preschool, and Kindergarten, would turn our little angel into a . . (sigh) sweet little stinker. : ) The other day, Jeffy asked big brother Clinton if he could take him and his friend Evan sledding at the "tire swing park". I pointed out that his sled was broken. Intensely, hopefully, he whined to Clint with his be-mittened hands clasped. "We could use Hope's sled. . . You could bring Richard. . . Then you guys could hang out and talk!" : ) He was workin' it as best he could. Cute little guy! Just now, he burst in the door from sledding with his dad, yelling: "Mommy! It was totally wicked! It was wicked out there!" Lea tattled that he had "gone on the big jump", something I probably would've forbidden. Without missing a beat, he validated her claims. . "I didn't even bonk my head! It didn't go up off the sled! The rest of my body did, huh Tommy. ." I guess all we can do is chuckle and sigh. : ) Jefferson is as good as gold during church. . . His Primary teacher adores him. : ) He's the only boy in her class.

Lincoln is our baby. : ) He's such a cutie! Recently, he's been learning how to talk, and climb, and make messes. : ) Just in the past couple of weeks, he's figured out how to open the front door, climb up the ladder onto Aleia's top bunk, whine for a bath, and chat a bit on the phone. Well. . . he says 'hi' to Daddy, but hey, you've gotta start somewhere! : ) Lincoln, fondly known as 'The Binky', can throw a baseball like a pro. He loves to throw things, pretty much anything, as far and as hard as he can. : ) He prefers to play with balls, however, and if he ever sees one, he immediately, and urgently, yells "Ball! Ball!" and reaches for it. . . until we figure it out, and deliver said glorious toy into his chubby little hands. We've learned to put traditional hard balls, and other such painful things, out of his reach. : ) Binky discovered snow this year, is learning how to push 'the gate' down, (so as to explore parts of the house which are off limits to babies), and continues to charm and captivate everyone with his strawberry blond cuteness! : ) Recently, he's dubbed Jeffy - Vuffy/Juchy, and Eric - Ricky/Rocky/Rooky. It's probably Rocky that's gonna stick. It's fun to watch our Binky 'get big'!

Looking back, we are grateful for all that we have been blessed with this year, time with family and friends, memories made, and lessons learned. Sadly, this year we lost Amy's grandma, Elena DeSantis Tanner, and close family friend, Charles Eugene Loper. We will always treasure the time that we had with them. It has now been a year and a half since we said goodbye to Charlie's dad, Jay. We will continue to 'forge on', to move forward together in our efforts to 'hold down the fort', in more ways than one. I plan on taking some classes in the spring, and Charlie plans to take a small break. Best wishes, and a Happy New Year to all those in our circle of friends! We think of you often!

Happy Holidays!

Love,

The Mason Family : )

Short version:

To sum up. . .

Laena's a senior in high school, vice president of the girl's choir, and looking forward to college. Working again at MickeyD's, and dating King Julian.

Clinton is a junior this year, working at Pizza Hut, and studying 3D Animation at the Tech Center.

Eric is also in eleventh grade. He's working on his Eagle Scout project, a massive food drive, and enjoying his job at the local movie theater.

Tommy's over at the middle school. (I can't believe we have all these big kids!) He's been having fun tearing Charlie's 'parts truck' a-part, got his Life Scout rank, and started up piano lessons again.

Aleia is the life of the party, full of energy and excitement. She was recently picked to help lead the 3rd grade, as a chorister, in the Majestic Elementary Christmas Sing-Along! : )

Jefferson has started Kindergarten, loves to play with his friend Evan, and digs cars.

Lincoln, (aka The Binky), is growing up fast, learning how to talk, and climb, and make messes. : ) We love our Binky! What a cutie!

Charlie's finishing up school, for now, and Amy is ever holding down the fort here at home.

I'm thinking about taking a class or two in the spring, and Charlie's thinking about taking a break. : )

Between Scout Master responsibilities, the 7 kidlets, Coca-Cola, school, church, and household stuff, we would have to agree that we do have our hands full.

Happy Holidays! Love, The Mason Family

Mason Family Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-30T17:38:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2008

To sum up. . .

Laena's a senior in high school, vice president of the girl's choir, and looking forward to college. Working again at MickeyD's, and dating King Julian.

Clinton is a junior this year, working at Pizza Hut, and studying 3D Animation at the Tech Center.

Eric is also in eleventh grade. He's working on his Eagle Scout project, a massive food drive, and enjoying his job at the local movie theater.

Aleia is the life of the party, full of energy and excitement. She was recently picked to help lead the 3rd grade, as a chorister, in the Majestic Elementary Christmas sing-along! : )

Jefferson has started Kindergarten, loves to play with his friend Evan, and digs cars.

Lincoln, (aka The Binky), is growing up fast, learning how to talk, and climb, and make messes. : ) We love our Binky! What a cutie!

Charlie's finishing up school, for now, and Amy is ever holding down the fort here at home.

I'm thinking about taking a class or two in the spring, and Charlie's thinking about taking a break. : )

Between Scout Master responsibilities, the 7 kidlets, Coca-Cola, school, church, and household stuff, we would have to agree that we do have our hands full.

Happy Holidays! Love, The Mason Family

Christmas Eve!

2008-12-24T09:48:00.001-08:00

My favorite day of the year! It's here! It's been a great day so far. . Laena is over at McDonald's, sporting her Daddy's very special Santa Claus hat, on loan from the man himself. : ) Charlie took all three big boys to work with him today. . He'd volunteered to help merchandize at a local grocery store this morning. (Translation: pull product from the back room and stock the shelves.) The four of them dressed up, for a little while at least, in candy striped red and white Coca-Cola work shirts. It was a sight to see! Of course Tommy and Clint thought the shirts looked too much like. . pink. So that didn't last too long, but at least I got a picture! Charlie thought it would be good to get the boys up early, so they could experience the joy of distributing soda to the masses this Christmas! They blew through the drive-thru at MickeyD's, grabbed some sausage biscuits, hollered hello to Laena, and they were off! On their merry way. . : ) Working together as a family, and making some great memories! Aleia and I plan to paint our nails, and make cookies for Santa! : )

Last night Charlie and I drove over to the Jordan River Temple. It's amazingly beautiful, silhouetted in stark brilliant relief against the black velvet of the winter night sky. It's all white, with vertical stained glass running from top to bottom. Love it! We then finished up some last minute Christmas shopping, while Laena babysat. Swung by and picked Eric up on our way home. It was perfect timing. He was just getting off work, and toting another enormous bag of theatre popcorn for Clint to use as 'cushion' for one of the presents he's still gotta wrap. . We might try to make a whole lot of popcorn balls with whatever's left over. . . : )

Contest Winner!

2008-12-22T22:38:00.001-08:00

Finally! We've posted a video announcing the results of the Christmas Sweater Contest. Some lucky guy or gal will win a copy of our favorite radio talk show host Glenn Beck's latest publication, The Christmas Sweater, personally signed by the man himself. Yes, it will be a Merry Christmas! Signed, sealed, and delivered. And would the winner please contact me ASAP with his/her mailing address, so we can send him/her this lovely gift! Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!

Christmas Sweater Contest!

2008-12-20T17:08:00.000-08:00

Some of you may have noticed the lovely red and white Glenn Beck ad/reference here on my blog. So pretty! So festively decorated! : ) Hey, what can I say? I'm a fan.

As luck would have it, I happen to have access to a signed copy of Glenn's fabulous new book, The Christmas Sweater, just recently released! I was planning on buying tickets to the corresponding simulcast here in a week or so, but in keeping with traditional December craziness, our girls' Choir concerts/sing-a-longs, by sheer coincidence, happen to land on the same 2 nights. ARGH! Needless to say, I have mixed emotions.

So all right, Glenn. . . You're pretty popular, ain't cha? Of course you are! People lining up all over the country to see your show . . You're a pretty cooI guy, right? I sure think so. : ) You brighten my chaotic afternoons! You're one of my favorite people. Radio show rocks!

So. . maybe we'll do a little contest, here on my blog. . to help ya out. As if you needed any. . . But I don't mind plugging your latest gift to mankind, because I'm just that kinda gal! : )

How 'bout this: Everybody who leaves a comment, with their favorite quote, (be it inspirational or otherwise), here on my blog. . . will be entered in a fun little holiday contest! And who will win this signed copy of Glenn's fantastic new Christmas novel? The lucky person whose name my 6 year old picks out of a hat at the end of next week. Say, Friday night, December 19th? Be sure to check back for the video drawing!

All righty then! Sound good? Yeah, I thought so. : ) Who could pass up a chance like this? It's fabulous! A fun, entertaining, and inspirational holiday treat! Just leave your favorite quote, and your email, as an entry here in 'comments'!

Good luck to you all! Merry Christmas!

This Is Why . . Piano Lessons!

2008-12-18T15:24:00.001-08:00