Popcorn Bopping!

I looked out the window
and what did I see?

The mailman brought me a copy of a new CD!

Children's Primary songs set to a beat
everyone can dance to!
And the best part is that everyone already knows the words!

I would recommend this cd for the listening ears
of Primary children
any day of the week!

Make sure you get out the camera to
catch their dance moves
and happy shiny faces!

Deseret Book is offerring a cd to one of my followers--
all ya need to do is leave a comment
with YOUR favorite primary song.
Winner will be chosen randomly on Friday.

I'm Over Here Today!

Mormon Mommy Blogs

Garden of the Gods

 HI, I'm Momza

and I'm addicted

to 

Garden of the Gods.

 I started "using" when I was 36 years old.

My boyfriend at the time

introduced me to it.

 He brought me here under the guise

of a 

"nice drive".

 Obviously,

I had no idea

what lay in store for me.

 The longer I go without it,

the more I need it...

 my thoughts compel me

to plan ways where

I can get my "fix"...

 I daydream about the beautiful ancient red rock formations....

 I try to hide my  addiction 

but my yahoos know.

They just know, alright.

I try to be all casual when the topic comes up of

"Whadd're we gonna do today?"--

I mention going to the mall

or Fox Run Park.

But then I subtly mention

"Garden of the Gods"--

hoping they'll jump in the car

and go with me.

I know,

I'm making them co-dependent

but 

 I just can't help it.

 I try to distract my mind on 

other places to go

other things to do

 but I'm helpless

to overcome

the call of this Garden.

 The pines beguile me

with their fresh scent...

 and the red rocks and dirt call my name

to bring my family and come play.

 That ledge right there...

that's where Mr. Wonderful 

asked me to marry him.

~

It's where our story began.

Where my "addiction" took root.
Mr W has shown no remorse in introducing me 
to nature's version of
ecstasy.

 So, is it wrong that I don't feel remorse for introducing

my babies to this environment?

Say it ain't so.

 The scrub oaks are sprouting their new spring leaves...

these same leaves will deliver the goods

in the fall when they turn the hillsides

crimson red.

How can anyone walk away from this grandeur

unaffected?

If loving this is wrong,

I don't wanna be right.

 Who can resist a nature-carved seat, anyway?

It begged me to sit and stay and soak it all up.

Any efforts to decline were squashed

and I took my place and sat awhile.

 See that boy?

That boy's been coming here since before he was born.

He knows these trails like the back of his hand.

This is his playground,

this Garden of the Gods.

 See that young woman? She's been coming here since she was a toddler of three years old.

She has her own niches that nature has carved out and she find new ones every time we come.

I taught her how to "use" here too...she's almost as addicted as I am.

I'm afraid there's no cure for her.

 And I can only hope,

with all the energy of my soul

that

when my children think of me,

they'll think of my blessed addiction too,

And know in their hearts

that some addictions

are

very 

very

good.

Last Day of School: Tissue, Please

Friday was the last day of school for my yahoos.
The last day.
Where has the year gone??
It just flew by, really.

I took the afternoon off from work
so I could attend Ari's class party
and help out with field games.
And also be a part of the
"Fifth Grade Clap Out".

I'd never done this in years' past,
in fact, never heard of it before,
but since Joseph is a fifth grader,
well, you know.

So this is how it went down:
All of the other students,
teachers, staff,
and parents
gather in a long line outside
and then the 5th graders
stream past everyone
giving high-fives and clapping hands
in celebration of the end of elementary school
for them.

Turns out this little ritual is quite emotional,
as many of the girls were teary-eyed
and even a few boys.
Then before I knew it,
I had a lump in my throat too.
I am such a sap!
I didn't, ya know, outright CRY
but man,
I felt like I coulda if I wanted to.
Sheesh.

When Joseph came around,
his face was stoic--
no emotion other than a look that said,
"this is no dang fun."

As soon as he got to the end of the line,
he circled around and came to me with a big hug and a
"let's go."
So we looked back over our shoulders
at the crowd of mushy parents, teachers and kiddos
and decided we'd better get the heck outta there
before we were one big pile of mush ourselves.

What happened to the days of busting through the school doors
yelling,
"YEA!!! NO MORE SCHOOL!!" ??
So much drama for elementary school.

IN the car on the way home
the conversation naturally turned to the scene we'd just left--
where Joseph admitted he was "a little annoyed" by all the drama
because he too, felt "like cryin' a little" towards the end.
He declared it was the best year ever due to an awesome teacher
who loves Shakespeare so much he has his students put on a performance
every year--
and those students love it so much
that they return with their parents long after they've left the classroom
going onto middle school and high school,
just so they can enjoy a Night of Shakespeare
with Mr.Hinkle, community legend.

I listened while both Joseph and Arianna
shared their days ups and downs,
reminisced about favorites--
everything from friends to lunchroom "fettucine alfredo";
and what they were looking forward to this summer.

Just about the time we were getting close to home,
Joseph grinned and said,
"Right when I was leaving,
a girl came up and gave me a hug.
Then she whispered in my ear,
"I've had a crush on you all year."

Did I mention he's using "axe" body wash?
And did I mention I am not having to threaten him
to shower
lately?

When I asked what's her name,
he grinned and did the motion of
locking his lips with an invisible key.

Mums the word.

Yeah.

And can you imagine the courage (!) that little gal mustered
to get those words outta her mouth?!

Sheesh.
Where's a tissue?

Smile, No Really.

I finished my 7th year in 5th grade last night.

Thank you.

Got one year left

with The Caboose

then I'm good.

Last night,

was Joseph's 5th grade Promotion Celebration.

I know.

We'll celebrate anything

if it gives us a reason

for cake and lemonade.

There were parents holding 

bouquets of roses n' such

for their elementary school grads.

We're lucky that we got there at all.

We were 30 minutes early by mistake.

We thought it started at 6pm.

Otherwise we'd have been standing in the back.

But due to our awesome planning skills,

we actually sat on the 4th row.

I didn't buy flowers, though

we did go out for pizza afterwards.

Hey. He is Number Six.

I coulda gotten him a t-shirt that reads:

I AM NUMBER SIX.

Dang, my inspiration is always 

a day late.

 Hey, Joseph,

let's get a picture, k?

Just sit for one second.

"I don't do flash photography."~Joseph

 C'mon, Smile.

"Are you done yet?"~Joseph

 Nope. Ya look like a chipmunk. 

Just smile.

Like you're "normal".

"Mommmmm...c'mon."~Joseph

 Nope.

Ya look like Stanley Laurel.

See?

One more time.

That's all.

One more.

Let's try again.

Now, just just just

SMILE.

Hey! Where ya going?

aw nevermind.

You Can Help Joplin

Easy Peasy lemon squeasy.

Head over to 320 Sycamore,
donate a dollar
get a special lemonade recipe.

We can do this.

Guest Post by Dani: The Rapture

My oldest daughter is sharing her adventures
and they're too fun not to share!
The Price is Right.

G'head.
You'll be glad you did.

Human Disasters and What You Can Do

You know,
it gets to the point where any good news I might enjoy
is over-shadowed by the reality
of the calamities of the world around me
and the ensuing suffering of others,
so much so,
that it feels selfish to write about the world
and my own little corner of it.

It affects me.
Whether it's happening in my own backyard or not.
One cannot escape the media's presentations
from the far corners of the world
on the wars, famines, and "acts of God".

So much devastations leaves the question:
"What am I doing to help?"


Here are two ways--
American Red Cross
and
LDS Humanitarian Service

We can all do a little bit to make a difference.

On the Cusp of Summer

Despite snow/sleet/rain all this past week
and into this weekend,
AND
despite the proclamations of a few wingnuts
that the world was going to end,

the yahoos had a mighty-fine weekend.

The Caboose managed to have a late-night with a friend,
set-up a lemonade stand
and dog-sit some neighbors' dogs.

The Boofus also had a late-night,
spent alot of time wettin' a fishin' line
at the little pond,
participated in a neighborhood boys' airsoft battle,
and riding his bike every which way,
aside from helping his dad mow the yard,
dig a trench--
in which he proclaimed was
"great father-son bonding time".

Daisie babysat afterschool
and
had a date Friday,
got her hair cut into a chin-length bob
on Saturday,
and worked on Seminary make-up after church today.

Dani and Mr. Idaho arrived safely in Baytown, Texas
yesterday,
where they've been overwhelmed by the kindness,
in true Southern style.
As well as humidity.

Diana was called to be in her ward's Relief Society presidency
as a counsellor and is thrilled with the opportunity.

Mr W and I have been waiting to hear
if our offer on the new house was accepted.
It was.
I'm grateful.

I was also asked to teach Gospel Doctrine in two weeks.
I know, right?!
Ack!
Don't tell the teacher who asked me to do this,
but as soon as she turned away,
I whispered to Mr. W's ear,
"I hope I die before then."
true story.

We've gotten alot of much-needed rain lately,
which thrills me--selfishly so,
because the new house is empty
and I want the grass to get watered!
So everytime it rains,
we all smile our biggest smiles
and think of our new yard.

It's good to have things to look forward to...
School is out at the end of this week,
and all I can think of is
SUMMER!!!

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Wednesday Whatevs

We put an offer on a house.

It's a Short Sale house.

I'm already decorating it in my mind.

Supposed to close mid-June.

Dani and Mr. Idaho are leaving tomorrow for their big adventure

in the Lone Star State.

They are, in fact, taking the Ninja Baby with them.

We hate that.

They'll be gone until late August.

Mr. Idaho is doing an internship with Chevron-something-or-other

for his degree.

The next time we see them,

they'll have a new baby,

and we'll be in a new house.

The real estate presentation went really well last week.

My partner, Kelly and I had fun like we always do.

As part of our love for the community,

we've initiated a service to work with 

Short Sale and Pre-foreclosure homeowners/realtors

to stage their houses for Free.

The idea for that came after my own house-hunting experience

and I'm excited to help those that need it.

The truth is, 

empty homes affect the morale of neighborhoods,

local economy,

and the families that live inside of those homes

who can't afford to have their home professionally staged

so that they can join the competition.

So that's where we come in.

The realtors were interested in this,

so we'll see what happens!

The Winner of the Women of Hope cd

is

Number 5 commenter:

Mitchell4.

Please contact me so I can forward your address

to Deseret Book and they'll get that out to you!
Congratulations!

Happy Hump Day!

A Real Boy's Desk

I spy with my little eye:


golf balls
binoculars
cub scout belt loop "Flag Football"
leatherman knife
climbing rope
Sunday tie
hymnal
Backpack Stove instruction guide
clothespin
pliers
candy wrapper
pinewood derby car
headlight
flashlight
clothes hangers
hockey puck
Boys Handy Guide to Everything
rock climbing harness pack
airsoft guns
airsoft pellets
Bottle rocket
air rocket engines
pocket knife
compass
caribeeners
pvc pipe 

Anyone have the number for the Producers of "Survivor"?

Utah-Mormon-Style Funeral Potatoes

Mormon women cook.
Alot.
I cannot think of a Church activity where a menu is not part of the planning.


Who hasn't heard of green jello and carrots?
Orange jello and grapefruit?
scones and honeybutter?
how about 
"Funeral Potatoes"?


I'd heard of none of these until I became a member of the LDS Church
when I was 16 years old.


That was a whole heckuvalotta years ago
and I still hadn't made any of those recipes
until
this past week.
A lovely sweet sister lost her good fight with ovarian cancer.
Her funeral was Friday,
and as I volunteered to help wherever I was needed,
my Relief Society President asked if I could bring
some 
"funeral potatoes".
I said I would, but needed a recipe
as I've never made them before.


She sent one via email:

Funeral Potatoes

1 lg. pkg. frozen hash-browns
-1 can cream corn
-1/3 cup chopped onions
-1/4 cup butter
-1 pint sour cream
-1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
put hash-browns in greased 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Mix all remaining ingredients and add to hash-browns. Bake for 30 minutes. you can add crushed crackers or breadcrumbs with melted butter during the last 10 minutes if you want a crispy topping.

I looked at the recipe again--

creamed corn?

really?

I'd never noticed creamed corn in the many styles of 

funeral potatoes I've had over the years.

I called my friend, Nan, and asked her.

She's also a convert to the LDS faith and said,

"Maybe they're Utah-Mormon funeral potatoes?"

Yeah.

Those kind.

They're tricky, I laugh.

Okay then, creamed corn it is.

I made the recipe as it was written,

dropped off the pan in the kitchen of the church

and joined my friends in the Chapel 

for the lovely funeral services of our dear sweet sister, Joanna.

She had a quick sense of humor,

loved a Goodwill bargain so much, 

that Goodwill employees were in attendance,

loved Carlsbad, California,

her family and the Gospel.

It was an emotional, loving service.

At the end,

I was standing in the foyer of the Church 

when my Relief Society President, Lynnel, stopped to visit.

You should've seen her face 

when I asked about the creamed corn!

"What? No, no, no. It's cream of chicken soup!"

"Well, I just thought it was a Utah-Mormon recipe." I answered.

Oh no! 

Lynnel bolted for the kitchen to warn the sisters

to not serve that dish!

She tasted it and said it really wasn't that bad,

in fact, she couldn't taste the corn at all,

but definitely missed the salty flavor of the soup.

"With a little salt, it would be okay."

Lynnel isn't from Utah,

she's an Idahoan.

So there's a lesson for ya.

No creamed corn in funeral potatoes.

Joanna woulda loved this.

Women of Hope: giving voice to your heart

What do you get when you put wonderful women performers 

together

with music producer, Tyler Castleton?

A beautiful, uplifting, brighter than sunshine
musical collection called, 
"Women of Hope: Giving Voice to Your Heart".


Hilary Weeks
Cherie Call
Mercy River
Katharine Nelson
April Meserv
Debra Fotheringham
McKenzie Turley
Jen Handy
Lisa Hentrich
Joslyn Poole
and 
Julie Yardley--
each bring their own ray of sunshine
guaranteed to gladden the heart
and warm the soul.


This is the CD you're looking for to add to your collection!
Pop it in your PC while you're blogging,
or writing emails;
load it on your itunes or ipod;
play it in the car while you're running errands like I do--
it makes my errand-running enjoyable.
Whatever
Whenever 
Wherever
You'll find yourself smiling

and feeling all warm and fuzzy 

you're listening to each selection.


Of course you're going to find your favorite
and hit 
REPEAT a zillion times
because it speaks to your heart.
Just like the title says.


You can buy it from DeseretBook.com.
Or you can enter this Giveaway for your own copy,
simply by leaving a comment with your email address.
Winner will be chosen randomly
next Wednesday.

6:36 AM

Boofus creeped into our room this morning,
wrapped both arms around his sleeping daddy's shoulders,
laid his head on the large pillow
and says,
"I'm barely on the edge."

We scooted over to make room,
half-awake, half- asleep.

"I had some weird dreams last night.
I dreamed about fried chicken."

Mr W and I crack up in laughter--
eyes still closed.

"N' I dreamed about a big organizer.
N' it was for jerky.  Turkey jerky, jalopeno jerky,
teriyaki jerky, beef jerky, buffalo jerky..."

Dad: "Did ya go to bed hungry, Boof?"

Boofus: "Yeah."

Me: "I am so blogging this."

I love waking up laughing.

I'm With the Band

Last night was two concerts for Joseph and Arianna--
he, on the clarinet and she, on the violin.
Joseph's been going to band under duress since about December.
Begging for permission to quit.
Mr W and I told him he could not quit but had to finish out the year he committed.

Before we left the house last night,

I asked Joseph if he needed to shower,

and he said 

"Mom, I've been nervous today. Band had to play for the whole school! I was so nervous, I was sweating. I forgot all the notes!  Mr. Schwartz said if we didn't know them, just fake it, so I did! And the kid sitting next to me, J*, wet his pants! I looked over at his lap and saw a big circle of pee! Can I just quit band right now?  Just quit. It's okay, another kid did. Can I? Can I? "

Ahhhh elementary school.

When we got to the school, 

I told Joseph to remind his bandmate to go potty

before they got on stage.

It was better than I expected.
Much better.

Lemme just say that the music was so good,
I didn't recognize any of it!
Each time a piece would begin,
I'd think--
"Did Ari ever practice that?
I don't think she knows it.
This does not sound like a cat in a blender."

"Is Joseph really playing his clarinet?
I never heard him play this song."

I was watching to see if he was faking it,
and
watching the pee-pot kid next to him.

The concert was good.
 I did ask Joseph afterwards if he played or faked it--
"I played the whole time, Mom.  Mr. Schwartz thinks I'll do good in middle school next year."

"So you're thinking you wanna be in band again next year?" I asked.

"Uh yeah. This was fun."

I'm getting a t-shirt
Rock on.

It's Hard to Smile with Clenched Teeth

Mother's Day weekend was awesome.
AWESOME!
We took a little road trip to visit Dean
in northern Colorado.

I wish so much I'd had my camera in my hand
when his caregiver led us to him--
he was out in the pasture petting their horse
all by himself.
When he turned and saw us,
his face, indeed his whole countenance was so calm and happy.
I haven't seen him look that way in a very long time.
He hurried over to us all smiles and gave us all big hugs.
Then, very purposefully, he said,
"I'm staying here."
I understood exactly what he meant.
"Yes, you are."

He took all the kids on a tour of the grounds--
introducing them to "Lucky" the horse,
the pigs, the chickens,
the dog,
and back around a couple more times.

We just all hung out with his caregiving family,
and it felt so relaxed and genuine.
We asked if they'd be our caregivers too.

We took Dean into Fort Collins to his fav restaurant--
Red Robinnnnnn....YUMMMMMMMM.
And over to a park to hang out for a little bit.
Fort Collins has a lovely Spring--
they're lower in elevation than Colorado Springs,
so all of their trees are blooming and the grass is already green
everywhere you look.
Mr W and I talked about moving back up there someday
once the yahoos are out of school.
We prefer the school system here which is the major reason
we moved back down here
when we left Idaho.
Anyway, our Saturday afternoon with Dean was perfect.
I love that boy.

Clenched teeth.
Well, before we left to see Dean Saturday morning,
we went to check out a house in our area.
It's a house I've had my eye on since last Fall,
but it was outta our price range.
Then, there was a contract on it,
so I just forgot about it.
mostly.
Well, on Friday night, it popped back up on the MLS
and I emailed my realtor to get the details.
Not only was it back on the market,
but
it's priced 30k less than before!
She set up a showing for us Saturday morning.
We took the yahoos with us b/c we're on our way outta town
anyway, and they went nuts.
Loved the house.
It is pretty darn cute.
We talked about it,
then last night, Mr W and I prayed about it,
and have gone forward and put an offer on it.
That's why my stomach is trembly,
I can't sleep (it's a little before 4am)
and my teeth are clenched.

I hate buying a home.
It has got to be one of the most miserable experiences in life.
I'd rather have a root canal.
I'd rather have three root canals.

I'm self-talking/coaching all day long inside my head:
"it'll be okay."
"if it's meant to be, it'll work out."
"be patient in the process."
and on and on.
I get sick of listening to my self so much,
that I talk back--
"What if it's not okay?"
"Are you doing everything you can?"
"I feel sick to my stomach."
"The MONEY!"

Ugh. I'm pathetic.

I'm focused on other things--
in fact,
you could say I have many irons in the fire...
the yahoos are at the end of the school year--
which means concerts,
dance performances,
recitals,
plays,
ceremonies,
finals, etc.
We're talking about summer plans
with the house;
with family;
Dani and Mr. Idaho's summer internship in Houston
and their baby boy that'll be born there;
and
I'm pitching my home staging business to
an entire Keller Williams real estate team
this morning,
in exactly 5 and a half hours.
Power-point presentation even.
Daisie helped me make it, of course.
She likes it when she knows how to do something that I don't.
Whipper-snappers these days.
I need to go back to sleep,
but I can't for all the noise in between my ears!

I hope the presentation goes well.
Mainly, I hope I can smile with clenched teeth
and don't pass out or puke in a room full of strangers.
Cuz, ya know, noone wants to see that.

Cross your fingers and toes for me, please.

Real True Gratitude to My Children

David Scott, Danielle, Dean, Diana, Dara, Joseph and Arianna,

You all have blessed my life.

You ARE my life.

All of it.

Whatever I am, 

whatever joys have been mine,

whatever stretching I have done,

growth I have achieved,

is because of each and every one of you.

David Scott/Daba Jott,

you are my first Teacher.

You taught me to slow down

from my selfish young adult priorities

and focus on someone besides myself.

You taught me how to exercise self-control,

and learn time management--

how to get out the door:

time a feeding, 

a shower, 

another feeding,

blow dry my hair, 

another feeding, etc.
just to get out the door in the morning!

You put perspective on my "vanity" issues--

my make-up was shoved to the back of the counter

or under the sink--

au naturel suited me.

Clothing, or the focus on it changed too--

what's a little baby spit-up on silk anyway?

Laughter--

you taught me to laugh when things don't go my way.

And to never shop after dinner.

My lessons on "sacrifice" came thru you

like a "Motherhood Refiner's Fire"--

I found out what I didn't need--

as much sleep
or,

as much money
as I thought I needed.

And showed me what I could not live without--

Being a Mother.

Your Mother.

Dear Sweet Danielle/Dani/Dani-Jo/Punkin Britches/Nellie/Pomadore Flapjack,

You were sent here for me

like a little helper angel.

Your strong little spirit burst forth

with clarity.

You have been my second set of 

eyes,

hands,

heart.

You taught me that every child is different

and because of that,

I learned to foster other attributes I didn't know I had--

you stretched me 

and

supported me all at the same time.

You are the mother at times

and I am the child--

love you.

Dean/Deano-Beano:

well Dean, 

you're never going to read this.

My heart is yours.

Your special-needs limit you in ways 

neither of us expected,

and exalts you in others.

Our best days are still ahead.

We both know that.

Diana--my Nana-doos--

You came to heal my heart

as only you can...

your appearance on this earth calmed 

my heart

and faith.

My little peacemaker,

you taught me to lower my voice and use a sweeter tone

whenever possible.

To say "yes" when "no" isn't necessary.

We've survived your "rotten teenage" years

and now we are sisters and friends.

Dara/ Daisie/Day--

you are my excitable child!

From your toddler years where the older siblings

chanted "run, Day-Day, run!"

sending you screaming down the halls and around corners,

you haven't changed much. lol

Your eyes are bright and your to-do list is long!

You have come to this earth

ready to accomplish something HUGE

and I am just as excited to see what that 

"something" is!

You are THE element of "surprise" in the family--

could it be related to the fact that you were due on 

April Fool's Day and my water broke at exactly 11:59pm?

My first homebirth...you made it so easy on me.

"Let's get busy!", you seemed to say that day

with your eyes wide open, all alert and smiling.
And just this morning,
when you busted thru the bedroom door
because you missed
the bus
again!
Exasperation and Excitement defines you!

Joseph/The Boofus/ Boofdawg/Jofus/Boofinator...

We've known each other long before you came to me.

We share alot--

all of the other kids,

the bed you were born in, 

and love of your devoted Daddy.

You not only own the one set of big brown puppy-dog eyes

in our family,

but you own me too!

Arianna...the Bee/Caboose/Bee-bop-anonymous/Beeps/Ari--

being the Caboose in a large family has it's pros and cons.

And I'm pretty sure you know them all!

You keep me young--

I'm not allowed to feel like an old woman.

I still shop in the little girls' department,

wander the Barbie aisles,

and buy BonneBell lipgloss.

I get to make a ponytail,

and pigtails,

braids and barretts

every day.

Easter dresses and white frilly slips.

Activity girls and spelling lists--

you keep me young and I love you for always.

I love you all the days.

Happy Mother's Day.

love,
Momza