Children's Museum

Children's museums. What a great idea. Really. Every time we take the kids there we are amazed at all the different things they can do, not to mention all the things they can catch. If you are looking for a sure way to boost your child's immune system, then look no further. A visit to your local children's museum is sure to do the trick. So many toys, gadgets, gizmos, who-zits, and whats-its galore...you want thing-a-ma-bobs, they got twenty, and all of them teaming with virus' and bacteria. When you can get past that, and the swarms of little kids running into you and wiping their slimy faces on your leg as they scream for their mommy, then the opportunities for learning are endless.

Oh, what will our William be? A builder?

Giggies took a keen interest into the natural laws that govern this planet. Here he is performing a ground breaking experiment in the world of physics.

We noticed in the "healthy bodies" section that there was a microscope. Will noticed it too. Josh felt a swell deep in his heart when maybe just maybe we had another scientist waiting in the wings...

And then upon further inspection, we thought...maybe not.

The piano! Hmm...maybe?

A cyclist?

Giggies, putting in a call for lunch while the rest of the chumps in the mail room buzz about wasting there energy working. He has his priorities straight.

Red Letter Day!

How long does it take to lose nearly a full set of rubber maid and storage containers? Approximately 5 1/2 years. I opened my cupboard to find a storage container for some left overs, and forget finding the appropriate size, I was just looking for a bottom to one of my many random tops. How does this happen?!







After much searching, and even cleaning out my fridge, all I could come up with was this beauty. This particular storage receptacle has been stricken with the leprosy of tupperware. I know that you all have some like this too. They say microwave safe...but what they mean to say is microwave will leave said container horribly disfigured, causing it to never look clean, and forget ever being sent over to the neighbors with a yummy treat in it again, but yes, you can microwave this! Talk about embarrassing. The note attached to the whatever delicious baked good you wish to share with friends would read, "Dear Dan and Suzie, thanks for being so good to us. We really hope that you enjoy this delicious baked good. Oh, and we really did wash this tupperware before we sent it to you. We just microwaved spaghetti sauce and chili in it and it's never been the same since...you understand, right?"

After all of my searching, throughout the day, including searching through Josh's backpack and car for random pieces, this is all I could come up with. But, after a quick trip to Sam's Club, I can now proudly display...

These!

See what I mean? A red letter day and my red topped rubber maid. The order, the stackability, the neatness...these things bring peace to my soul.

This One Goes Out to the Old People

Mom (ground beef) & Dad (caramel popcorn)

I should clarify-not to all old people, but rather to my old people.

Mom and Dad you are a part of me, or rather I'm a part of you, or...you know what I mean. You made me, you raised me, and it is because of this unbreakable bond that I find you popping up in my life when I least expect it. Tonight while separating my 3lb package of ground beef my mind was flooded with thoughts of my mom doing this very act at least a billion times every Saturday after returning from our grocery shopping trip to Reams. I felt just like you, and only wished at that moment that I owned an apron so that I could wear it just like you.

Then, just an hour later I was making caramel popcorn for dinner, and Dad, you were the culprit of thought invasion. (Right, I know! Who makes caramel popcorn for dinner?! I'll get to that.) I can remember making caramel popcorn once at my parent's house. Mom and I had popped the popcorn, and made the caramel, and we were just about to do the big dump, when Dad came in and told us to back it up--What about the old maids? You know, the old maids-the kernels that don't pop-well, I suppose mom and I were perfectly ready and willing to risk cracking a tooth in order to get this train moving, but my dad insisted that we wait. He went through all the popcorn and sifted out every last one of those old maids. That is just dad. He likes perfection, and the rest of us just schlump things together and go about our way. (No offense, mom, you are definitely less guilty of this than me, but dad is a little crazy in our defense.) For instance, when I was in biology in 9th grade we had to make some dead bug presentation on foam board. My dad walked in when I was hacking at my foam board with a pair of scissors, leaving a horribly jagged edge, and went and got a razor blade so that I could smooth out the rough edge. I thanked him for the tutorial on how to use it, he left, and I continued with the scissors. It ended up looking like crap--I never showed him the finished product, or the grade I got on it, but I do remember getting an 'A' in the class overall. Big picture--that's my focus :)

Mom and Dad, as I have proven in the above paragraphs, I am me because of you...so, why on earth do I think that it's ok to make caramel popcorn for dinner? Who does that?! I'll tell you who. Someone who is left alone with their kids too much...their husband gets to go to big, fancy dinners all the time with school leaving you to either join your kids in the dinner of Top Ramen that they have enthusiastically requested for the 4th day in a row, and quite frankly, someone who is completely isolated in the frozen tundra without another person to say, "Caramel popcorn? Really?" You see, I don't have anyone to talk me down so to speak, and then I end up eating caramel popcorn for dinner, all by myself, and whistling. That's right, I said whistling. I have been working on my whistling lately. Whistling is a talent that nobody wants to listen to you practice, but when you are all alone, there are no complaints, and let me just say that I have come along way. I can now whistle the whole Veggie Tales CD and harmony parts for each of the songs. No mocking--this skill could prove invaluable at a later date-you never know.

The Good Ol' Days

I'm a little late in posting this, since we have warmed up nearly 70 "feels like" degrees from the day this actually happened. So, to those of you reading this now I realize that we are at a balmy 20 degrees, but you remember the cold I'm about to speak of and you remember it well.

We had a bit of a cold snap in the last week. I believe they said that this came on the tail end of a "Canada clipper"...damn the Canadians! (I believe a cuss word is appropriate for the cold that we experienced). It was so cold that when walking into church both of my boys got just a few feet away from the car and just stopped, dead in their tracks (they could have very well been frozen) and just started crying. It was really cold.

I was driving to the gym on one of these nights, and noticed 3 people walking home from the grocery store. My heart sank for them...yes, it really elicited an emotional response for them on my part. No-I don't know them, but, Yes-I wanted to cry for them. It was that cold! I immediately flipped around, and said a prayer that went something like this, "Heavenly Father, please don't let these people be rapists or murderers..." and picked them up.

Here comes the really sad part of this story. They hesitated to get in the car! I realize that people don't do this anymore. I'm sure at the moment I pulled over and told them to get in they offered up the same prayer that I had previously uttered, and then when I demanded that they get in, they climbed in and over the car seats. When the last boy got into the car he said, "What is your name?" I told him, and then he said, "Megan, did God send you?" I told him that I don't know if God did or not, but that I was happy to give Him the credit.

After just a short 1/2 mile to their home, they got out, warmer and happier people. I wish that the world weren't so scary that we could do more things like this without having to question our safety, but this just isn't the case in most situations. But, in the spirit of "taking the winter by the horns" I thank the hell-ish cold for the opportunity to exercise a little humanity and kindness.

In Case You Were Wondering the Effects of -40 Degree Weather on Soda Pop

I've heard that there are similar outcomes to humans when it drops just another 10 degrees.

These Pictures Speak for Themselves

"We are the kings...Mom and Dad are chumps!"

He's a Sneaky One!

Will has a special way of saying his prayers. It is quite sneaky in fact. He used this tactic at Christmas, and then again this last week. For example, instead of asking Heavenly Father for things, he will just say something like this, "Heavenly Father, thank you that Santa Claus is bringing me an excavator, and a bull dozer...". It's like he leaves you no choice but to do it, since he is already so thankful.

Josh was incredibly busy this last week, and so we went about 3 days where he didn't really see the boys, and on each and every one of these days Will said in his prayers at night, "Thank you that daddy is going on a bike ride with me down the icy hill..." What choice do you have? He even made up a bed time song called the "Icy Hill Song" that he would sing to me each night. His prayer was answered the other night, and here is the grand ride down the icy hill.

GO UTES!

I don't understand why a lot of women don't like to watch sports--especially, football. Josh and I just had the most fun watching the Utes beat Alabama. The energy, the excitement, the strategy! My heart is still beating funny from all of it. I have always liked football. I grew up in a house where there was a lot of football watching going on, but it has been since I've been married that I really enjoy it. Each season I learn more and more. I understand formations, play calls, strategies...and tonight's game did not disappoint. I can honestly say that in all five+ years that I have been married 4 of the most fun nights have been watching college football bowl games. Here they are in no particular order, although tonight's was pretty, stinking awesome:

1) 2005 Fiesta Bowl. University of Utah vs Pittsburgh. I remember the let down of not playing a bigger school, but still being in a BCS bowl and winning was exciting.

2) 2006 Rose Bowl. Texas vs USC. Vince Young was amazing in this game! I was 6 months pregnant with Gig's and I was jumping up and down and screaming all game.

3) 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Boise State vs Oklahoma. The trick plays, the underdog...you can't ask for more!

4) 2009 Sugar Bowl. University of Utah vs Alabama. "What?!" (important to say like Chris Berman from ESPN) This game was incredible. The first quarter left my body all tingly, and then the defensive effort the rest of the game was phenomenal.

We married in 2003, so I'm sure that there were some pretty amazing games during the bowl series in 2004, but we only had one channel back then, leaving our selection minimal.

Ladies, if you aren't already fans, check out highlights on you tube...ask questions, only not too many during the actual game, this can become obnoxious, if you do, I know that football will not leave you disappointed.