Aluminum Foiled

Screen Time

2012-01-29T21:08:00.002-07:00

Max brings home a book every couple of days for homework. He is supposed to read it three times and then return it. The first two times through go pretty well. But by the third round, he is bored (mostly because the books are really dumb: can't they write simple books with a decent plot?). It takes some coercion to get through the third read.

In the middle of whining and nagging the other day I had a flash of brilliance. What. This is not the time for humility. I remembered how much he loves reading the books we download to my Nook. Because they're on a screen. So I whipped out my phone, snapped a picture of each page and had him read his final round as an "electronic" book by swiping through the eight photos on my phone.

I know. Genius.

What is it about that small glowing screen that is endlessly appealing? How did we ever parent before this?

Bananas!

2012-01-26T10:30:00.000-07:00

He's a natural.

And if that series of pics didn't make you feel all mushy inside (what?! is your heart made of stone?) click over to this blog post (by a male coder, of all people). About parenthood, vampires, Lost in Translation.

Shine

2012-01-25T23:20:00.000-07:00

New Beginnings! We used part of the 2012 Mutual theme: "Arise and SHINE forth that thy light may be a standard for the nations." And turned it into an 80's Neon theme. We asked everyone to come dressed in 80's neon, and man, they were decked out! Lots of big hair, flipped collars, shiny fingerless gloves. Even a lot of parents came dressed up. So fun.

Spray paint!

Light Bright, neon programs and info for the parents.

Program covers.

Is the height of my hair an indication of my commitment to the Young Women? Definitely.

Most Mormonads that you recognize were taken in 1986. Here's our primp station.

Refreshments: Sprite and sherbet and cookies.

Our Beehive leader put together some totally rad kits for our new Beehives. She decorated boxes to look like Rubix cubes and included hilarious stuff, like a spoon (Don't "gag me with a spoon" enjoy this gift card at Golden Spoon) and hairspray (Help get your bangs high enough for Wednesday activities) and so on. So great! Another adviser set up a photo booth and took pictures of all the great outfits of the night. We'll give the young women copies next week.

We had so much fun together: I totally underestimated the enthusiasm of the young women to dress up! 80's party=highly recommended.

Clutch Shooter

2012-01-22T17:46:00.001-07:00

Warning. Parental bragging ahead. Look away if this sort of thing turns your stomach.

Today, right before sacrament meeting started, Josh walked over to us with a white face.

"I forgot to write my talk," he said.

Randy jumped into action and the two of them rushed into the hall to see what they could put together. Fifteen minutes later, after passing the sacrament, Josh took the stand as the first youth speaker and delivered a three-minute talk about the importance of the scriptures, complete with a quote from For the Strength of Youth, a personal experience, and a scripture story. Bravo, kid.

Also. Randy coached Josh with one piece of advice that I LOVE and it's worth passing on: Don't start your talk with an apology. Don't tell a "funny" story about how the bishopric member asked you to give a talk, and don't tell us how or when you prepared it (or didn't, in this case). It's never funny. It's never original. It's a waste of time and it's boring. In Josh's case, today, because he didn't apologize nearly no one knew that he was unprepared. And why should they? He delivered a few valuable thoughts clearly and sat down. That's a useful contribution to a Sunday meeting.

I am most proud that Josh didn't start whining or crying, didn't try to excuse himself from his assignment, and didn't blame us (the worst parents ever) for not reminding him to write his talk and practice it. He just got to work. That's the kind of kid I want to keep around.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

2012-01-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

Max is a great motivator for innovation around our house. Because he's always insisting on something or negotiating better terms for something else.

Last week he wanted to make chocolate chip cookies together. We were out of chocolate chips. I have learned from painful experience that with Max it's smarter to accommodate than divert or substitute. So I sent Randy to pick up some chocolate chips. Instead of the normal semi-sweet I was imagining, he came home with DARK chocolate chips and shredded coconut.

And our new favorite cookie was born. We've made this twice in the last three days. I ate three cookies while I was trying to take this picture. They are yummy.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies

1 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp almond flavoring

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cherries

Cream together butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in almond flavoring. Stir in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and mix well. Add chocolate chips, coconut, pecans and cherries and mix well. You can vary these ingredients to taste.

Shape into balls. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350.

Le Petite Garcon

2012-01-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Something CrAzie happened at Jonesy's four-month well child check. The doctor used a word I'd never heard applied to my children before: petite. He said: "He's just petite," in reference to my son (pictured above). Ha!

Jonesy weighed in at 13.51 lbs (the 13%) and is 25.2 inches (the 47th%). But his head circumference? 17.2 inches, in the 76%. Kind of a big head. To hold all his brains. Perfectly healthy in every way.

I made Randy take a picture of us together to record Jonah's size with me. I feel like, for the first time, the baby fits ME instead of Randy. What I mean is: I used to lug around my big baby boys, their legs hanging past my hips, their gangly arms across my torso. Huge and heavy. But the second I would put them in Randy's arms I would think, "Oh. That kid still looks like a little baby with Randy."Josh, Lucas and Max were Randy-sized. Jonah is Rachel-sized: the fun size baby. Even more fun to cuddle with, bathe, and carry.

So yummy.

Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-12T19:32:00.001-07:00

I think my favorite movie is Royal Tennenbaums. I watch new Wes Anderson films carefully. Usually they are charming. Sometimes they fail. Even then, they always fail with style. I know some people find them too precious or too stylized. I appreciate the effort and the vision.

2012-01-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

We have sick boys at our house this week. All sorts of sick and at every time of the day and night. Luckily, nothing is very serious (just persistent). A touch of congestion has settled into my head now, too. It leaves me feeling off kilter. I don't know what commitments I'll be able to keep, because no one is going to school reliably. I'm not sure if I'll be sleeping through the night or getting up midway through to check a fever or wipe up a mess. I'm not even sure if I'm thinking clearly through the haze in my head.

And it snowed this morning. It was a very late snow. It's been a very warm winter. Just. Off kilter.

Sort of like this photo. An elephant in Europe? A place with clocks and sealed skylights. It's a bit surprising. Unexpected. Not painful or unwelcome. Just off kilter.

See you next week.

On Resolutions

2012-01-02T18:18:00.001-07:00

This year we continued our New Year's Eve tradition of Chinese food for dinner and a quick list of goals and favorites. It surprised me how quickly the kids began to feel a sense of heritage about this meal, only three years in. But that's what family traditions are all about, right?

I don't really like "resolutions" per se, but I'm a big believer in lists and goals. It seems like anytime I write something down, it's much more likely to come to pass. Even when the goal is not fully within my power to achieve. Last year I finished the Personal Progress program in Young Women's again. You can redo it as a leader in YW, did you know that? It was surprisingly fulfilling: a pleasant journey through scriptures and goals. Sort of nostalgic, too.

This fall I found a "Bucket List" that Josh was assigned to write for a class. I grabbed it and made copies, hoping it could spark some ideas for gifts or trips. Will he make it in the NBA? Maybe as a General Manager. But can I help him realize his dream of dancing in a coconut bra and grass skirt? Definitely.

For Christmas we crossed off this readily attainable goal: Win a game of Monopoly.

We didn't even own a game of Monopoly (we're not big board game people at the Davis house). So we gave him a Monopoly game for Christmas, but I thought achieving the win would take a little more time. Nope. Josh cleaned up his first time around.

Look at that board. A hotel on every property he owns. Complete and total dominance.

See? Lists are magic. Happy New Year!

Josh's Bucket List, circa 2011

2012-01-02T17:49:00.001-07:00

In 8th grade Honors English, Josh was asked to compose a "Bucket List." Luckily I grabbed a copy. For posterity. Here it is:

Go spelunking
Whip a lion/tiger
Skydive
Paraglide
~~Model 2nd period 8th grade thinking caps~~
Cliff dive
Zip-line over 3 miles into a lake
Own a private island
Dance in a coconut bra and grass skirt
Make it in the NBA
Sneak across the Canadian border illegally
Fall into Niagara Falls
Live in Australia
Be some form of political officer
Tour Venice
Participate in a world record
Dress up as a storm trooper
Eat Indian curry
~~Win a game of Monopoly~~
Visit a place named the same as me

An Open Letter

2011-12-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

Dear 2012,

Please. Tell me you're an easy, breezy kind of year. Filled with pleasant surprises and small, everyday delights. Less boat rocking announcements. Fewer punch-in-the-gut, frozen in time moments where the future shifts in front of my eyes. More signed deals and checks in the bank. More grass in my toes, more warm sun in my hair. More good news headlines. More trending upward.

Please reserve the afternoons for a few more naps like this with Jonesy. The crawling and the running will come quickly this year. We can wait.

More Saturdays like this, please. I love it when their hair gets long and sunny yellow. I love watching their swim lessons. Make it a good summer: the year when my legs get tan again. Let this be the year that I find a new favorite pair of jeans and perfect summer sandals.

There will be more wrinkles and freckles this year: I don't mind. They have been well earned. But could we have a little less camping? A little less Bieber and a little more Passion Pit? A little less Jell-O and a little more creme brulee?

Whatever else happens. Please. Watch this one closely. The time for scraped knees and broken toys has passed and he's due for his first real tragedies. The grown up kind, like broken hearts and the first inkling that life will hold disappointments that cannot be repaid. We can't stop the clock or slow the tide. But please, ease him through 14 this year.

I guess I should just be grateful to have another year, 2012. But I'm really hoping for more than that from you. Please be the year where I make more, build more. And worry less. Please be the year that we see that the lessons we've learned have been for a reason. A purpose beyond grinding through the middle years. Bless the lessons to grow roots and bloom. Be a year for blossoming.

With love,

Rachel

2011-12-25T16:01:00.001-07:00

This is me trying to explain which kind of ribbon I need Randy to pick up while he's at Walmart. He forgot it anyway. But the wrapping is over. Over!

And "the meal" was delicious. No more baking for the season: I made hundreds of peppermint meltaways, gingersnaps, and chocolate sandwich cookies for our neighbors. Done and done.

We visited the lights on a ~~congested~~ charming little cul-de-sac. Would you be thrilled when Christmas is over if you were these guys? Or glum, with the thought of winding up all those lights for next year? Do you wish Christmas lasted longer?

I kind of like the Christmas buzz, but I like it best when the list is complete. This week is really my favorite: the in-between time, before the new year starts and before the old year is really over. Time is on "pause," and I tend to turn inward, think a lot and materialize hopes for the year to come. My boys putter around, happy with new toys. The expectations are low and pleasant. Happy, happy. Merry, merry.

Noose

2011-12-19T22:19:00.002-07:00

The season is going fine. But when I saw this online, I still thought:

Yes.

The only way out is through.

Posted

2011-12-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

2011=Davis family postcard. This is not the year for elaborate bows, stamps or multiple folds. I am feeling quite triumphant that there is a photo and that they are in the mail. Here are a few more from our shoot (don't tell the grandparents--they are getting copies for Christmas):

We all love this one of Jonesy. It looks like he is saying: "What the...?" It makes us laugh.

And this might be my favorite one. Completely unrehearsed, this captures our lives right now: Jonesy cries and everyone turns to look. They are great older brothers, all three.

Jonesy Update

2011-12-13T13:26:00.002-07:00

Jonah rolled over today. From tummy to back. Also, he woke up smiling this morning. At 7:50 am. We have lots of good reasons to love (Love, LOVE!) this kid.

But mostly we love him because he's our Jonah.

I can see Christmas from my house

2011-12-12T18:32:00.002-07:00

I have a manila folder where I keep a list of addresses for Christmas cards. It becomes my de facto Christmas Planning Center every year. I throw in address change cards, ideas for neighbor Christmas gifts and my official, annual Christmas List. I make one every year, a simple table with two columns: on the left the receipient, on the right the potential gift. It starts out neat and clean with one fancy font up top. Over the course of the season the list gets marked up and crossed off.

I've inadvertently kept the Christmas List from our last few years, since 2008. That year, these were the items on my list for the boys: Lego, light saber kit, video game, bike/trike, light saber, Leapster. In 2009 the list for the boys looked like this: Nano, Lego set, CTR ring, iTunes card, DS, bookmark, Lego Set, Batman, Lego Set. In 2010, the list was: Millsap jersey, Super Smash Bros Brawl, Lego Set (3).

Guess what's on my list this year? Exactly. the. same. stuff. It's kind of killing me. Just for kicks I've decided that I'm not buying any Lego sets. Enough with the Legos already. The requests are in for a basketball jersey, video games, and a CTR ring. I guess I'll be buying the same dozen items for at least the next ten years or so.

And someday I'll miss all the time I spend in the blue toy aisles when Christmas shopping was so easy.

Merry Christmas everyone. I hope your pink or blue preparations are going well.

Christmas Trees

2011-12-06T21:03:00.001-07:00

This is our Christmas Tree 2011. I let Lucas and Max do a lot of the decorating, so I think it's a little less... balanced... than usual, but more or less, this is what our family Christmas tree looks like every year. I have started to toy with the idea of putting together a slick, coordinated tree instead of the sentimental hodge podge of ornaments we've collected.

I even had a chance to try it out when I put together this smallish Giving Tree at church with the Young Women. Lime Green! For fun. But would one get bored with all green? Too bland? Not personal enough? I can't decide.

For an activity last week we made these star ornaments from a recipe I came across on Pinterest. (The second recipe I've made from a pin: the other was Peppermint Meltaways, which were absolutely delicious!) Click over for great, complete directions, but basically you cook 2 cups baking soda, 1 cup cornstarch, and 1 1/4 cups water. They are easy and inexpensive.

I have a romantic notion that some of my young women will remember this recipe when they are in their first apartment for their first Christmas on their own and will make a couple of batches of ornaments. I always remember that my Mom made heart-shaped sugar cookies and hung them with red ribbon on her first tree.

But anyway. They were perfect for our lime green Giving Tree this year and would be a great activity for little hands to help with.

Divine

2011-12-03T12:44:00.001-07:00

Last night was the sold out Divine Comedy "Best Of" show for the semester. Divine Comedy is a sketch comedy group Randy started at BYU 17 years ago. Turns out, when you contact these guys and tell them you're the founder, they will comp tickets and let you in early to get seats. Sweet.

Over the years Randy performed with good friends, cast who became great friends, and Greg, his brother. Josh actually went to his first Divine Comedy show when he was six days old in the very auditorium pictured above. I was sure that newborn Josh recognized Randy's voice on stage. Now I think... maybe not.

The show was funny and super, duper clean. I felt like they were telling the same jokes that Divine Comedy has been performing for 17 years: Provo construction jokes, song parodies, dating at BYU stuff. With some fun random skits thrown in for good measure.

I never, ever thought that I would be able to take my kids to a DC show all these years later. Never. We talked to a DC spouse member before the show. She asked if it was all worth it. I smiled and said "Of course," without really thinking about it.

But the truth is, it really was. Aside from family, there is very little that means anything in the end. And I think the memories and friendships we formed during the Divine Comedy years really have meant something. Something important and irreplaceable. It was a pleasure to share it with our kids. They loved the glow sticks and the atmosphere. We loved sharing a glimpse of fun, past and future.

The Countdown

2011-12-02T11:12:00.001-07:00

I got a Star Wars Lego advent calendar for the boys this year. It has a tiny toy or minifigure for each day, including Santa Yoda and Chewbacca. The kids are ecstatic.

I have mixed feelings about advent calendars because I really don't think December needs more toys or activities. An advent calendar in March would probably be a nice pick me up (bookmark that idea for later).

So I decided to get only one calendar, even though I know each of them wish they could keep every single tiny toy. They rotate turns, opening and keeping the toy on every third day. The calendars are a little bit expensive, but mostly I wanted to create the feeling of anticipation and scarcity. Our house is full of generosity (easy access to snacks and sweets, TV and computer time). Our lax parenting policies generally make for peaceful, fulfilled children (in my opinion), but once a year it is delightful, somehow, to watch them plan for their turn, negotiate trades, and race down the stairs in the morning to open the tiny advent door.

It also helps pass the time until Christmas. From my vantage point, the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are chaotic, filled with errands, parties, and wrapping. For the children it's more of a waiting game so the little surprises help the time go more quickly.

Maybe next July I'll make myself an advent calendar for December. On December 1st it will have all the Christmas toys for the children, wrapped. On the 6th I'll open it up and voila: Christmas cards, addressed and stamped, ready to send. On the 24th: Christmas Eve dinner, hot and delicious, ready to be served! That's the kind of advent calendar I could get behind.

Turkey Day

2011-11-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Look who was smaller than the turkey this year.

2011-11-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Max came home from school this week having celebrated with a feast! He also got to bring home his turkey. The assignment was to camouflage this turkey so it could escape being eaten at Thanksgiving. Who could bring themselves to eat a punk rock turkey?

Lucas

Mom and Dad

Josh

Baby

There is something magical about kindergarten construction paper crafts.

Especially the part where Max chooses the very best things to be thankful for: family.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jonah Watch 2011

2011-11-21T19:39:00.001-07:00

These are the texts I get from Randy when I am at BYC at 7:45 am.

Not like I needed another reason to wish I was at home in my pjs, playing with Jonesy.

Small and Simple

2011-11-17T14:27:00.001-07:00

Last night was Young Women in Excellence, a meeting with a prepositional problem. Who knows how the Young Women are IN Excellence? Coated in excellence, like a Jell-O wrestling match? Drowning in it, like water in a swimming pool? Or surrounded by it, like oxygen? Who knows. A problem for another day.

Our theme this year was: By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

Programs

The metaphors were flying fast and furious last night. I came up with a small and simple thing for each value (color coordinated, even) and the leaders presented them.

For instance, Choice and Accountability is the color orange, so it was represented by an orange Monarch butterfly. A protein in the antennae of the Monarch butterfly helps them navigate their migration from North American to Mexico every year. Hence, by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.

This part of the presentation made up the bulk of our meeting. If you are interested in the complete text for all eight values, click here.

iStockphoto had all the images I needed for my banner: I wanted to have images of each of the "small and simple" items to help teach the lesson at hand. I also put together tiny jars with real live versions of each metaphor, below. These tiny items were mostly found by wandering around Michael's for a while. I found these variously sized jars there as well.

Lots of small items stuffed in tiny jars: we also gave each young woman a small jar (about 3 inches tall and 1 inch in diameter) and instructions to fill it with an item that represents some part of their personal progress or their personal spiritual growth this year.

Here are a few of the jars the young women completed. We had each class come up together to the front and then individually explain their jar. I didn't do this just because I like little jars. I really like to standardize this part of Young Women in Excellence (the "sharing of accomplishments" part) because I remember very clearly the YW in Excellence evenings I went to as a young woman, with tables full of stuff each person was showing off. As you can imagine, in a room full of teenage girls this created lots of competition and lots of feelings. And the type-A girls who were always in the spotlight were, still, in the spotlight while the others were left to stare at their shoes. So, I'm pretty adamant about coming up with a way to standardize this part of the evening. It helps to minimize comparisons but still gives a chance for each individual young woman to shine.

My favorite one of these jars (not pictured) was from one of my Laurels. She filled her jar with pennies and nickels and said her achievement this year was "change." She was trying to make some changes in her life.

More tiny jars stuffed with small items. In truth, this is the take home tchotchke where the tiny jar madness started, originally inspired by this post. Each jar is filled with one of the eight "small and simple" items. My young women really got a kick out of these, even the Laurels. There was a lot of trading as the girls tried to get the one they wanted, but in the end they all left happy.

Easy to make. I curled the paper with our theme phrase on it and slipped them inside. I also used a dab of glue (dries clear) on the cork stopper. Other supplies found here. I also sent them home with the recent personal progress edition of The New Era. It's a really excellent one and I wanted them each to have it.

One of my favorite traditions, started by a Young Men's president who grew up with a mother who was Young Women's president: the Young Men attend YW in Excellence as a token of support and appreciation for their work. Randy came with his young men (and our boys). Handsome devil.

Small and Simple Metaphors

2011-11-16T16:29:00.000-07:00

Faith/White-- Mustard Seed
(Faith is the only one where the item is not the "color" of the value. I just couldn't pass up the mustard seed: it's too perfect. If you want to change it, I thought about using an egg or salt, both white.)

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 17:20 that faith the size of amustard seed can move mountains. This lesson is one that is often repeated inthe scriptures. It is a common parable because it’s an example we can allrelate to. We have all seen trees, flowers, and vegetables grow from smallseeds. It’s a truth we can see and know for ourselves.

Alma teaches us that this pattern holds true for the growthof our faith. He teaches that even a small amount of faith (as small as thesize of a mustard seed) can be nourished with diligence, patience,experimentation and the word of God. With the right nourishment it will growinto a strong and steady tree, with deep roots. This kind of faith can lead toeverlasting life. (Alma 32:28-43)

The mustard seed is a reminder that through small and simplesteps, great faith can develop, a faith which can move mountains.

Divine Nature/Blue--Forget Me Not

In the General Relief Society meeting of Conference thisyear, Elder Uchtdorf based his talk on the small blue flower called a“Forget-Me-Not.” This little blue flower is the same color as the Young Women’svalue of Divine Nature and it also teaches an important lesson about our divineworth.

Elder Uchtdorf explained it this way:

“As a child, when I would look at the little forget-me-nots,I sometimes felt like that flower—small and insignificant. I wondered if Iwould be forgotten by my family or by my Heavenly Father.

“Years later I can look back on that young boy withtenderness and compassion. And I do know now—I was never forgotten.

“…Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, youare not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter howinsignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be,your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with aninfinite love. Just think of it: You areknow and remembered by the most majestic, powerful and glorious Being in theUniverse! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

“He who created and knows the stars knows you and yourname—you are daughters of His kingdom.”

(Uchtdorf, Oct 2011 Gen Conf)

And so the small and simple blue foget-me-not represents ourinherent Divine Nature. Understanding and acknowledging who we really are asdaughters of our Heavenly Father is a small and vital part of our earthlyjourney.

IndividualWorth/Red--heart (fingerprint heart?)

President David O. McKay spoke of the power of small andsimple acts:

“There is no one great thing that we can do to obtaineternal life, and it seems to me that the great lesson to be learned in theworld today is to apply in the little acts and duties of life the gloriousprinciples of the Gospel. Let us not think that because some of the things weneed to do may seem small and trivial, that they are unimportant. Life, afterall, is made up of little things. Our life, our being, physically, is made uphere of little heartbeats. Let that little heart stop beating, and life in thisworld ceases.

…And so the true Christian life is made up of littleChrist-like acts performed this hour, this minute, in the home, in the quorum,in the organization, in the town, wherever our life and acts may be cast” (inConference Report, Oct. 1914, pp. 87–88)

Individual worth is represented by this fingerprint heart.It’s made up of a fingerprint as a reminder that the contributions we make areunique, just like our fingerprints. Each small act of service we do for othersis irreplaceable. We each bring a special and unique worth to our Young Women’sgroup, to our family and ward, and to the world around us.

Knowledge/Green: Swatch of Green Fabric

2 Nephi 28:30 reads: For behold, thus saith the Lord God: Iwill give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here alittle and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts,and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom…

This scripture helps us understand the Lord’s way ofteaching is line upon line and precept upon precept. The small piece of greenfabric is a reminder of this concept. Alone these threads mean very little, butas they are woven together carefully, thread by thread, they become a usefuland beautiful piece of fabric. In the same way, Heavenly Father teaches us thewisdom of his kingdom by teaching small and simple lessons, one at a time, stepby step, until we begin to see the beautiful tapestry of the gospel moreclearly.

C&A/Orange: Tiny Antennae of the Monarch Butterfly

Choice and Accountability is the Young Women’s valuerepresented by orange. The tiny antenna on the orange monarch butterflyrepresent this value because the antenna help these butterflies make an epicjourney every year.

Monarch butterflies are unique because they spend six monthsmigrating from the US to Mexico following the warm weather. The migration takesseveral generations. A single butterfly won't make the complete round trip, buttogether as a group the butterflies complete the journey.

Research shows that Monarch butterflies have a protein intheir antennae that allows them to use the earth’s magnetic field fororientation. It helps them choose theright way to go as they are travelling across the country on their migration.

The tiny antenna of the Monarch butterfly guides them safelyacross the North American continent. In the same way, tuning our antenna to theSpirit can help us make good choices throughout our lives. Listening carefullyto the still small voice can guide us on our own epic journey through this lifeand home to Heavenly Father.

Good Works/Yellow: Bee.

The bee is just a tiny insect, but without bees to pollinateour flowers and trees, the whole food chain is at risk. Just this month the New Era published anarticle about some of the things that bees can teach us. Annette Wells hasspent years raising colonies of bees and she made these observations. Shewrote:

First of all, women do all the work in the hive. All of thebees that pollinate, collect nectar from flowers, and make honey are girls. So,a beehive is like a colony of young women all working together toward a commongoal. It’s a fitting representation for the young women of the Church. Becausea bee is so small and her lifespan so short (about 30 days) each bee producesonly 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. It takes the lifetime of atleast two dozen bees just so I can enjoy a little honey on a slice of toast inthe morning.

When my family moved to Idaho from Hawaii (after only oneyear of managing 20 beehives), we brought with us 1,000 pounds of honey, whichis just over 83 gallons. This gives you an idea of what so many can accomplishwhen they work together: 1/12 of a teaspoon per bee isn’t much, but it adds upquickly. [Annette Murray Wells and Stephen A. Wells, Nov 2011 New Era]

The little yellow bee represents the value of Good Works.Just like the tiny bee, we should be busy with good works, actively findingsmall and simple ways to serve others in our Heavenly Father's name. As we all contribute, a lot of good can bebrought to pass.

Integrity/Purple: Purple Stamp

Elder Bednar shared a story about his ancestors, Albert andMatilda Reber who lived in St. George. In 1898 Albert was called on a missionto Switzerland by President Lorenzo Snow. Albert would be leaving his wifebehind to take care of their six children and support their family. They gladlyaccepted the challenge. Besides caring for children and working their cottonfarm, Matilda also ran the Post Office. Elder Bednar tells this story ofMatilda’s integrity:

“One day Matilda was attending to her duties in the postoffice. A man, as he was ready to depart after completing his postal business,gave her 25 cents to send to Albert in the mission field. I know 25 cents doesnot sound like much today, but to Matilda it meant a great deal! Matildathanked the good brother, and then asked him if she could use 2 cents of themoney to buy a stamp. She explained that she had written a letter to Albert aweek or two earlier but did not have the 2 cents to purchase the necessarypostage. The man agreed, and the letter was mailed.”

“Matilda was the manager of the post office. She easilycould have borrowed and used a stamp—fully intending to repay the two centswhen she was in a position to do so. And no one would have known. In her direfinancial situation, it would have seemed reasonable to go ahead and mail herletter at the time she wrote it. But Matilda would have known! And she was awoman of integrity and honesty. She simply refused to use, in any way,something for which she could not pay. She also was careful to seek the man’spermission to use a portion of the money for a purpose other than that which hehad intended.”

“The integrity and honesty of Matilda, my great-grandmother,have had a profound and lasting impact upon my life. She is an example ofintegrity and honesty with God, of integrity and honesty with herself, and ofintegrity and honesty with other people.” [Bednar, New Era, Oct 2002]

This small purple stamp represents the Young Women’s valueof integrity. The small and simple things we do to protect and preserve ourintegrity to ourselves, to others, and to our God can make a great andmeaningful difference.

Virtue/Gold: Gold chain mail:

Virtue is a new value in the Young Women’s program. It’srepresented by the color gold. The small and simple object that representsvirtue tonight is this piece of armor called chain mail. It’s a kind of metalfabric you might imagine a knight wearing. It was made by linking togetherthousands of tiny circles of metal. Elder Ballard used it as an example in theEnsign. He said:

“I like to think of spiritual armor not as a solid piece ofmetal molded to fit the body but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists ofdozens of tiny pieces of [metal] fastened together to allow the user greaterflexibility without losing protection.... It has been my experience that thereis not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. Truespiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric ofspiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil." Elder M.Russell Ballard, Ensign July 2004.

Virtue is working to prepare to enter the temple andremaining pure and worthy and in keeping thoughts and actions based on highmoral standards. This gold chain mailcan remind us of the many small acts it takes to weave together a fabric ofspiritual fortification that it takes to remain virtuous and pure.

2011-11-13T12:57:00.001-07:00

To get you in the mood for the holiday season, with a heartwarming twist at the end. Enjoy!

iPhone

2011-11-07T17:42:00.002-07:00

You may not be aware of the roller coaster drama Randy's been going through with his cell phone. To be honest, I'm not fully aware. He talks about it a lot and I try very hard to listen, but mostly I hear: "Blah blah blah Palm Pre, blah blah stable platform, blah blah no more upgrades. Contracts blah blah."

And then I say: "Can I keep my Pixi?"

And he says: "No. We're getting iPhones."

Then I whine for a little while. Which, to Randy, probably sounds something like: "Blah blah, ungrateful. Blah blah blah I hate change. Blah blah does it have a cute cover?"

Ironic. That our conversations about cell phones (which ENABLE COMMUNICATION in a way heretofore unknown to generations of human beings on this planet) are hampered so severely by a lack of communication. Basically, Randy follows technology so closely that he knows more than the guys at the cell phone store. Literally.

And all I care about is if the phone works and if it looks cute. So we both have to make quite a stretch to reach any overlapping interests in cell phone conversations.

But what you really need to know here is the end of this roller coaster story: we got iPhones. I'm not totally sure why or even how, but I trust Randy on this one. I got an older version (the 4, maybe?) and he got the newer one (the 4S, maybe? The one that talks. You know, with Siri). They are both cute.

A few things have happened because of this switch. First, we are texting Josh more than ever. Now we text him to wake up in the morning. He sleeps less than 40 feet from where we sleep. But there are lots of nice things about waking up a teenager via text in the morning. Obviously, I don't have to get my lazy bones out of bed. Also, he doesn't say anything grouchy to the text. And it works surprisingly well: it wakes him up every day. It's like his brain is tuned in to hear the text message alert tone or something.

Another bonus. All of our apps sync together. It's because of something like the blah blah iCloud. Whatever. It means I access all the music and games without any hassle. So I've been buying new (to me) music. The big winners? "You! Me! Dancing!" by Los Campesinos! (How can you NOT love a song with three exclamation marks in the title?!) It's a slow start but it's worth the effort. *Kjerstin, this song is for you.

The Avett Brothers also made a big comeback on the playlist. Last year we fell in love with the song "I and Love and You," but this year it's the more upbeat "Kick Drum Heart" that I can't stop listening to. Also, try out "Lost In My Mind" by The Head and the Heart and "This Year" by the Mountain Goats (love).

Finally the apps. Do you know about the game called Harbor Master? Of course you do. Everyone else has been playing it for three years. Randy bought it for me three years ago because he thought I'd like it. And, oh boy, I do. Only three years late. I just started playing it because it was synced to my phone from the cloud. (See how I can throw around all those tech terms like an iGenius?) Also, a gorgeous To-Do app called TeuxDeux which lets me have a beautiful, clean to do list every day. I adore it.

The only downside so far is when people see me whip out my white phone and they assume I know all about it. And they start saying stuff like, "Blah blah platform. Blah blah Sprint. Blah blah blah blah blah blah."

I just smile and say, "I know, it's so cute, right?"

Gifts

2011-11-04T19:18:00.003-06:00

I had a birthday this week. It just felt like part of the Halloween whirlwind, partly because Randy's been out of town this week. Partly because Halloween was on a Monday. Partly because we are rushing headlong into the holiday season and I'm thinking seriously about the busy months ahead.

I've started Christmas shopping and planning neighbor gifts. Headlong, I tell you.

The best gift this year? Jonah smiles at me (not just around me). Also, he is famous. We get stopped every time we are out by cooing grandmothers and smiling, whispering moms. They tell me he is adorable and ask about his age and health. I indulge their comments and questions and then whisk him away, all to myself.

Halloween Extravaganza

2011-10-31T22:36:00.000-06:00

You know, I love Halloween. The candy, the costumes, the silly craziness of the whole thing.

This year Lucas was a mad scientist. Yes. The green hair spray came out completely. A Halloween miracle.

We found his lab coat at the uniform supply store, so it is authentic. They have all kinds of scrubs and stuff in kids sizes. Who knew? We printed his credentials at home: Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz, from Phineas and Ferb. It is also a working stethoscope, which has provided endless entertainment. The little plastic rats are glow in the dark.

At the elementary school parade.

Darth Vader. With beautiful blue eyes. Yep. This is a repeat costume. Josh was Darth Vader four years ago.

I have a problem taking pictures of Jonesie. I think all of his expressions are ADORABLE. I want to post every single weird scrunchie crying face and pout. He's so cute! Lucky for you I narrowed it down to these three silly ones.

Jonah Watch 2011

2011-10-30T08:01:00.001-06:00

that it will never come again

is what makes life so sweet

emily dickinson

Jonah saw the Doctor on Friday. He is just over ten pounds and growing well. Much more thrilling news: he started smiling last week (Oct 26).

Don't blink. He'll be walking before we know it.

2011-10-27T08:52:00.000-06:00

Lucas was assigned a report on Davis County. Because, you know, DAVIS. It was named for Daniel C. Davis (no relation), a pioneer-era Mormon who was also a captain in the Mormon Battalion.

[I have learned all sorts of curious facts about Davis County. Like, the first family to settle in the area was led by a man named Peregrine Sessions. I sort of think Peregrine or Sessions would be a much sexier name for the county, don't you? And then maybe we could be assigned a better county. Like Summit. Or Utah. Anyway.]

Antelope Island is one of the main attractions of Davis County. You take a 7-mile causeway across the Great Salt Lake to get there. There are indeed, Pronghorn Antelope, although the original herd disappeared long ago. These guys are replacements, placed on the island in 1993.

The most famous residents are the approximately 600 bison that wander around the place. We saw a handful, mostly from a distance. I hear the Buffalo Roundup is worth seeing.

Antelope Island feels familiar. It has the same grasses, rocks, and lumpy hillside as the empty lot around the corner. Which makes it feel even more surreal to be surrounded by miles of glassy water.

Max spotted this slithery little guy near the Visitors Center. Wildlife, indeed.

The Davis County Courthouse in Farmington, Utah, the Davis County seat. Did you know that Davis County had the first courthouse in all of Utah? Of course you didn't. Now you know.

This is Davis County (in green). Lucas is standing on Antelope Island.

This is a sad excuse for history, but it looks historical and boys like guns, so Lucas insisted. It's a replica of a cannon that was used in the Civil War. It was replicated in the '60's.

A famous resident of Davis County? Besides all the Mormon GA's that live there now (Bountiful is the nexus, I'd say), LeConte Stewart is it. He's a well-known Utah painter, especially famous for his non-idealized Utah landscapes and Depression-era houses and barns. A family friend gifted me a Stewart book when I was 13 after we'd moved to Provo. She promised that great talent grew in Utah, too. It was something I didn't know I wanted to hear, but I've thought about it many times over the years. And I've kept an eye out for LeConte Stewart all that time. He's a sentimental favorite.

We also stopped at Lagoon for a picture because it's one of the only "fun" attractions in the county. It was never my intention to actually go to Lagoon. I underestimated how utterly disappointed the boys would be to come so close to Lagoon without staying for the day. Never take children to a theme park without going inside. I'm just sayin'.

One Year

2011-10-25T20:50:00.000-06:00

So. Today marks the day, one year ago, that we drove to the hospital and had the surreal "we regret to inform you" moment. And then made all those phone calls we didn't really want to make. Wondered about the man at the mortuary who remarked that a death like my Dad's wasn't really a tragedy (odd). Wrote a talk I didn't expect to write quite so soon. And felt so acutely, as we followed the coffin into the chapel, that I would rather be anywhere else at that moment.

It has been a year FULL, a yearful. Some of the very best, most joyful moments. Some which left very little to show. Many worrying, serious moments. I think some of them even qualify as tragic. And still I think it has been a good year.

A year which has left me more convinced than ever of one truism, a phrase that seems trite until it seems unbearably true: "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life — It goes on." From the incomparable Robert Frost.

And this parting shot, just for my brother and sisters. A trunk full of wrappers from bouquets of flowers.

Indian Summer

2011-10-23T14:00:00.000-06:00

This fall in Utah has been the best in my memory.

The color is amazing, the temperature is perfect, and the light is golden.

If Utah was like this for six months every year I could never, ever leave. Alas, after nearly six weeks of this bliss I am hearing rumors that the end is coming (next week will get chilly).

The boys had fall break and a long weekend so I tried hard to remember that every minute is borrowed time. To remember to soak up every drop of our Indian Summer.

So we visited Antelope Island for a 4th grade Davis County report where Max found this slithery friend. More on that (with pictures!) next week.

And we took advantage of the warm morning light to work on a couple of art projects for the Reflections program at school.

Among other things: cousins and basketball and book club and chicken wings and missionaries...

A magical Indian Summer weekend.

2011-10-22T13:03:00.002-06:00

I don't know why incentives are needed to get a 6-year-old to ride his bike, but Max is finally up and moving after Randy promised a Slurpee. Whatever works, I guess.

My favorite part of the bike riding theatrics is the dismount. Max still doesn't exactly understand using brakes. Usually he turns quickly, drops the bike and jumps off with his hands in the air, yelling "I'm alive! I'm alive!" It makes me squirm every time, but so far, no serious injuries. So: funny.

"It's gonna be a CHERRY Slurpee and it's gonna be SUPER-sized, do you hear me?!!"

Just kidding. I don't know what he was really saying here, but clearly: passion.

Jonah Watch 2011: Episode 2

2011-10-17T21:18:00.002-06:00

Big News: Jonah is no longer an newborn! Last week he became a infant. It's a subtle shift, but it means he is opening his eyes more often, crying a little bit louder, and notices noise. I think this first snapshot looks most like the kid I see everyday.

The cheeks are plumping up nicely. His legs aren't quite so skinny anymore and I can see his eyelashes. His eyes remain blue: he looks great in navy blue. It is nice that he is getting more sturdy but I already miss the gentle newborn.

Lovely, lovely.

2011-10-16T21:24:00.001-06:00

This weekend we took a trip to the BYU Museum of Art to see the Quilts of Gee's Bend.

I've talked about them before. The selection on display was quite small, but I'm still glad we saw them in person. I find, as a general rule, that art in person is exponentially more moving and more meaningful than art in a book or in a picture on a blog.

And speaking of books... This installation of books on the main floor was stunning. We all delighted in finding books we recognized, pointing out layers of strata, wondering how this brick fortress was built and what was inside. Art can delight. (Arguably, it should.)

I was also happy that this piece was hanging. We have a print at our house so the boys found the faces they recognize and soaked up the passion only to be found in the massive size and tender brushstrokes you can see in real life.

Let's go back to this snapshot for a moment, shall we? Perspective is important: Josh is one half of a step ahead of me. But look. He's pretty much about as tall as I am. When we stand back to back he's still got a couple of inches to go. Still. That kid.

Jonesing for some pictures of our little Jonah? Hang on. I'll get around to it...

2011-10-05T22:32:00.004-06:00

Your time is limited. Don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

– Steve Jobs

The whole house was saddened by the news of Steve Jobs passing. Max wanted to know if Jobs was Mormon. The boys are always disappointed to find out that our heroes or presidents don't share our faith. (They were stunned--stunned!--to find out that no president has ever been Mormon.)

Jobs' death was sad for us because his life work forms the scaffolding for most of our entertainment, communication, and creativity. Our MacBook's, the iPad, iPod and all those little Nano's floating around... all day, every day we're interacting with Jobs' legacy.

A few years ago I read a book called Insanely Great. It explained the importance of Apple (and really, the genius of Steve Jobs) in the broader context of our culture and the business world. One idea I remember is that the introduction of the Mac operating system (a "what you see is what you get" or wysiwyg system) affected not only the way people do their work, but would eventually change how people work, affecting at a subconscious level the way people think. The idea was that over time people using Macs become more creative because of the operating system itself. I don't know how this could be measurable, but I do know that Apple revolutionized the user interface, making it intuitive and friendly. That means that today Lucas knows how to get around a Nano and is learning to love music, Max is comfortable reading on the iPad, and Josh can do anything (anything) on nearly any operating system. And here I am typing into a wysiwyg format, self-publishing to the world wide web.

So from all of us at the Davis house, a big Thank You and godspeed, Steve Jobs.

2011-10-03T20:53:00.002-06:00

Conference weekend is great, isn't it? For so many reasons. This year we added another layer of memorable by sneaking in Jonah's blessing between sessions. Jonah was remarkably awake all morning: studious and alert. Those big blue eyes charmed everyone.

2011-09-27T14:15:00.002-06:00

TV season is on! As if it were timed precisely for me: someone spending a lot of time feeding, burping and cuddling. I have lots of time to clear the DVR.

Recently Randy and I came across a list of the most "popular" shows in America. The list follows:

1. Dancing with the Stars
2. Modern Family
3. X Factor
4. Two and a Half Men
5. Criminal Minds
6. Breaking Bed
7. True Blood
8. Big Brother
9. So You Think You Can Dance
10. The Closer
11. The Bachelorette
12. Weeds
13. Jersey Shore
14. The Voice
15. America's Got Talent

Guess how many of these popular shows we watch? Two. 2! Which we found surprising, because we think the shows we watch are the "right" ones. But apparently, the rest of America does NOT agree with us. Frankly, some of the shows that made it to this Top 15 list make me want to weep. Jersey Shore? The Bachelorette? Good gracious, America. It does not bode well.

Then I started wondering if the state of affairs is worsening. What were the most popular TV shows of 1993?

1. 60 Minutes
2. Home Improvement
3. Seinfeld
4. Roseanne
5. Grace Under Fire
6. Coach
7. Frasier
8. Monday Night Football
9. Murphy Brown
10. CBS Sunday Night Movie

And 1983?

1. Dallas
2. 60 Minutes
3. Dynasty
4. The A-Team
5. Simon & Simon
6. Magnum, P.I.
7. Falcon Crest
8. Kate & Allie
9. Hotel
10. Cagney & Lacey

So, a couple of conclusions. 1) It's sad that no news programs made it to the most popular list these days. Perhaps our appetite for news has fragmented so it's no longer at the top. Goodbye, 60 Minutes. 2) I think we're doing better than they did in the '80's. Dallas? Dynasty? Falcon Crest? 3) I miss Magnum, P.I. Tom Selleck, where are you?

2011-09-22T13:48:00.000-06:00

I've added a list of "Good Things" on my sidebar from the eponymous site found here. I don't agree with all their politics, but I read GOOD regularly to keep my perspective in balance and for a window into a different point of view.

I really love this list of monthly challenges they came up with: small, everyday acts of kindness that seem manageable yet effective. A couple of years ago I wrote a series of gratitude posts in the fall to get my sense of thanksgiving in balance. This year I've decided I want to work through this list of "good things" before Christmas as a way of shifting my sights beyond my own doorstep. I want to get back into the habit of remembering others, and I've decided that our life is never going to slow down enough to make this kind of thing seem easy.

Sharing the list here is a good place for me to start. Is there anything you would add?

Jonah Watch 2011

2011-09-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

Last week was a big one for baby Jonah. He visited the doctor for his two-week check up. The kid gained nearly a pound (almost hit the 7 lb mark!). Considering that eating, sleeping, and pooping are the only things on his to-do list, we think he is something of an over achiever. Nice work, Jonesy.

He also had his first photo shoot. My sweet friend Julie spent the afternoon with us and got some really extraordinary shots of Jonah. They are the first newborn pictures we've ever had that really capture the gorgeous. You'll see more of them on the baby announcement and they'll show up here on the blog, too. Thanks, Julie!

Also, today was his first real (submersed) bath in the sink. He liked it very much. Jonah fits comfortably in my bathroom sink. He's tiny.

This is also Jonah's official due date. What a great three weeks NOT to be pregnant. We've enjoyed spending every early day with Davis baby number four.

Salt Dough Recipe

2011-09-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

This year Lucas will spend lots of time on Utah Studies. He will be assigned a county for a big report (we are leaning toward Davis County, for obvious reasons, but Utah and Uintah are also in the running). He is learning a song to memorize all the county names. And next week they'll be sculpting a raised-relief map of Utah out of salt dough (home made Play-do).

So guess what I was doing this morning before school? That's right. Whipping up a batch of salt dough for Lucas. The teacher sent home this recipe and I was surprised how fast it was to make and how smooth the dough turned out. So I'm sharing the recipe:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine:

2 cups water
1/4 cup oil

Cook in the microwave for 3 1/2 minutes, until boiling. Then add:

1 Tablespoon alum (you can find it in the spice section)
1/2 cup salt

Stir. Then add:

2 1/2 cups flour

Stir, then knead. Put it in an airtight bag. Add extra flour if it's too runny (I added an extra 1/2 cup of flour). I think if you're making it for your kids you just add food coloring.

Do you buy Play-do or make it?

Milestone 2

2011-09-09T19:20:00.000-06:00

Josh just gave all of his Lego guys to his younger brothers. They are delighted.

I'm trying not to read too much into it. But it makes me want to cry and it makes me proud at the same time. Next step: car keys.

Milestone 1

2011-09-09T19:15:00.000-06:00

Remember how kindergarten starts a week later than the other grades? Well, Max actually missed the first day. Jonah was born late Sunday night and so the boys spent the night at Aunt Anne's, 45 minutes away from school. The kids all took the day off. So Max went on Day 2. Hopefully this will become a charming part of Jonah's birth story and not a cause for therapy.

Max still gives me a hug and kiss goodbye at the playground. And then he bounces home from kindergarten happy and dirty every day. So far so good!

Celebration

2011-09-09T18:58:00.000-06:00

A friend gave us a set of chocolate cigars from See's to celebrate Jonah's birth! We had to take advantage of the props with a photo. Do the guys look casual? Like they're at a cigar bar or something? Yum. They were tasty, too.

It's just one of many, many kindnesses we've enjoyed over the last few weeks. It has been a parade of casseroles, gift bags, blankies, and stuffed animals around here lately. We have so enjoyed celebrating Jonah's arrival with our family and friends. The phrase "Baby Jubilee" has been running through my mind: when Kjerstin married James, his siblings told us that James had been called "Baby Jubilee." He was the 10th and final child in their family. James' arrival was, apparently, cause for great jubilation. And the same has been true with Jonah. Baby Jubilee, indeed.

I've been spending nearly all of my time hanging with this little guy. Completely NOT over him. He is just divine. Jonah's still in that lovely stage where my voice and a blanket is all he needs for comfort.

And. Max has taken to calling him "Jonesy." He was quick with a nickname, yes? We have all been using it already. We've also been teasing that he is the"Fun Size Davis," as in, a Fun Size candy bar (tiny). So. Jonesy the Fun Size Baby it is. We love him so.

My Name is Jonah

2011-08-31T13:46:00.000-06:00

Randy says every newborn looks the same. And that they all look like little old men. He may be right. But isn't this one delicious? He smells even better.

With his brothers (and a tray with boxes full of pie). Even though we all knew he'd be coming soon... Jonah's early arrival and his tiny appearance have taken us all by surprise.

He is so tiny! A full two pounds lighter than every one of his brothers, and nearly three pounds lighter than Lucas. It was a blessedly easy delivery.

It's just not possible to capture the newness. There is nothing quite so perfect.

Welcome to the world, little Jonah.

Best Restaurants in Salt Lake

2011-08-27T11:36:00.000-06:00

37 Weeks and (apparently) hungry

Someone asked me about my favorite restaurant in Salt Lake: if I only had one night for dinner I would spend it at Eva. Last night we had a table full of small plates (tapas): heirloom tomato salad, summer corn chowder, grilled asparagus with a poached egg, Thai chicken wings (Randy's fav), and an orzo, cucumber, tomato salad. And goat cheese crostini with a butter salad. It all tasted so good. Tip: ALWAYS get the something from the daily specials menu. Those dishes are special, not just "for a limited time."

Eva is a great place for couples. It's not as impressive as a Franck's: it's sandwiched between a couple of seedy bars on a dirty downtown sidewalk. So for a first date, it might not be the right fit. But the service is always kind and attentive and the crowd is younger and animated. It's fun to eat there.

Martine, also a tapas place downtown, is arguably more decadent and is totally worth a visit. But there's something about Eva's exceptional ingredients. Their presentation is lighter and more simple, so you can really appreciate the food itself. Plus the atmosphere is not as stuffy as Martine and it is probably half the price (love). So if you only had one night and a client to impress, Martine would probably win out.

We also recently tried out Copper Onion. Their presentation and polish is also slicker than Eva, but the food does not taste as good! Still, I think it's worth trying. But I can't get Randy to go back. Other spots you should like: Tin Angel, near Pioneer Park. Call ahead for reservations or seating gets cramped, especially in the winter. The best thing I've ever had there is the bread pudding for dessert. It's ridiculous.

We've also had a good time at Pago, although for some reason we don't frequent that place. I think that would be a great place for lunch with the girls if you're downtown. But I would always choose Caputo's for lunch first: they have great salads, a manly meatball sandwich, and fabulous bread. And you can always pick up a waffle from Bruges just around the corner for dessert. I also always love Red Butte Cafe in Foothill Village, but I think that's mostly sentimental. It's a great chick lunch spot, but another one where Randy goes only to indulge me.

Then there are the old standby's like Bambara and Market Street Grill (go there for the best breakfast in town), Fresco, an Italian spot on 15th which is delicious even though I always leave grouchy about the service, and Cafe Trio (Salt Lake location is the most fun). And the chain restaurants like PF Chang's, Buca di Beppo, and Biaggi's are still yummy and familiar even if they won't surprise you. Somehow all of the spots in this paragraph are restaurants I enjoy but that we go to as a default. They aren't usually the first choice for the night: they don't have that one dish that I've been craving. But still, all solid offerings you would really like. Promise.

So there's the long answer to a short question. Are you hungry yet? Any other places we have to try?

Fulfilling my Duty

2011-08-26T10:53:00.000-06:00

Last night was a Stake Court of Honor. Scouting makes me uncomfortable. Because it's a pseudo paramilitary organization with external rewards (patches and pins and medals) that demands fiduciary allegiance to a national organization. I don't care if Josh ever learns the Scout Oath or the Scout Law (I think he knows them already).

Plus they're a bunch of nerds.

So we spent an hour and a half with guys in ill-fitting uniforms who kept using the phrase "I'll just take a moment..." followed by a ten or fifteen minute unprepared gush about the lifelong value of scouting. And they left it all on the court: how, all things being equal, one of them hired the Eagle Scout over the non-Scouter; how Scouts is really equivalent to priesthood responsibility; how President Monson has been a Scout for 70 years (hence, scouting=goodness).

My personal favorite was the story recounting how a 12-year-old Scout recently survived a night in the wilderness after getting separated from his Scout troop thanks to his great Scout training. Leaving aside the glaring fact that he should never have been lost AT SCOUT CAMP in the first place. It was a bunch of false doctrine parading as personal anecdotes and chest thumping over the pulpit.

Motivated by good intentions, to be sure.

On the other hand. The New Era in September is all about Duty to God as the male equivalent to Personal Progress (Two Halves to a Whole, they're saying). The Duty to God program is pretty outstanding. I've pushed it into Josh's hands on many Sundays. But the unfortunate truth is that no ward we've ever lived in has successfully advocated both Scouting and Duty to God. Scouting is always (always) the program with all the energy and money and rewards behind it. People can't do two things at once.

Nor should they have to. I'm waiting anxiously for the day when we can throw out Scouts altogether. It can continue to operate as a private organization for all those Scouters who can't imagine boyhood or manhood without it. As long as I am not required to support it just becaue I choose to be a faithful Latter-day Saint.

And I really hate the argument that Scouting draws in people who would otherwise not associate with our church. Last night I watched at least half a dozen boys uncomfortably accepting what were obviously "pity patches" and was reminded that for every kid who thrives in Scouting there are plenty who suffer and feel alienated because the program is not suited to their strengths or interests. Not to mention the dozens of boys who won't even show up for something like a Court of Honor. And it's always the kids who need church social activities the most who don't feel like they fit the highly regimented, didactic demands of Scouting.

Until we embrace a doctrinal, scripturally based program like, say, Duty to God, I truly believe we are institutionally failing our Young Men because Scouting is not providing them with the strong spiritual underpinnings they need. I have seen that the slack can be picked up with things like Seminary, a good Sunday School class, or, just like always, good parents. Can't we just eliminate the slack to begin with? Let the outdated Scouting program die in dignity and let's move forward with an "activity arm" better suited to the actual needs of our young men.

First Day

2011-08-22T16:52:00.000-06:00

Today started with pancakes...

The boys call these "sample size" pancakes. Lucas and Max request them. And eat them without a fork or syrup. Special pancakes for a special day: Back to School 2011.

Josh headed off first.Way too tall and way too old for me.

These two have had a precious "simpatico" summer, with lots of similar interests and similar neighborhood friends. They have bounced around together all day long, wrestling and bickering (negotiating) over Wii remotes and playing time, telling each other stories and jokes and generally breathing the same air. They are both happy to finally be at the same school this year.

Max will start afternoon kindergarten next Monday, so he got to lounge in his pajamas for a while longer. (Note the black socks for Josh and Lucas. It's the new thing at our house.)

So once the older boys got off to school, Max and I ran some errands. One of the last few days of spending the day alone with Mom. We returned to a quiet (quiet) house and no one to help unload groceries. The boys rumbled in this afternoon happy. Josh has lunch with most of his friends and had a pretty good day. In his own words, Lucas says his teacher is "relaxed." (I think he got the best teacher in his grade, again!) I think we are all feeling relieved.

The Green Album

2011-08-15T13:13:00.002-06:00

I think I must have caught the Muppet Show in reruns. I loved the grouchy old hecklers in the balcony (Statler and Waldorf, Wikipedia tells me). Are they predictive of my current love for grouchy old men like Ron Swanson or Jay Pritchett? Watching Ms. Piggy chase Kermit was probably my first lesson in a version of liberated feminism: she was chasing him! Their relationship was so, so confusing. I had a special love for the Swedish chef, the cadences of his weird Swedish-like gobbledy gook sounded familiar and sweet.

And the music. I think I had only five albums as a kid. One was from church (...when I grow up, I want to be a mother... and have a family...), one was Annie (it's a hard-knock life... for us), and one was The Muppets. Their songs imprinted deeply on my childhood.

So I was wary and also a little thrilled that a new Muppet album is coming out in conjunction with the movie this fall. The movie looks terrible. And listen to the plot summary from IMDB: "With the help of three fans, the Muppets must reunite in order to save their old studio from a greedy oil tycoon." (But I like oil tycoons! They keep my gas prices low and help provide jobs. Drill domestically, please! Even if it's right on top of the Muppet studio!) You never know. Maybe it will turn out to be an Enchanted kind of thing and I'll be able to ignore the politics.

Back to the music. The album is a remake of the old classics by current artists. Thanks to NPR you can listen to the whole album early: click here. I was prepared to dislike it, but the music struck a lovely nostalgic chord. I think what you like best will depend on which songs are most "yours" from your childhood. I especially liked "I Hope that Something Better Comes Along" (the word irresistib-ullish caught my fancy as a young child) and "It's Not Easy Being Green." With the latter song, I remember clearly feeling the contradiction of watching a Muppet express sadness. Because as a kid I knew the Muppets were meant for children. And they looked like they should always be happy and upbeat. But then there was Kermit, kind of depressed about something that wasn't likely to change anytime soon. At the time it felt like a forbidden insight into the adult world.

This rush of memories about the Muppet's really makes me wonder what my children will remember. Music from their video games? We heard an ice cream truck playing the Tetris theme song the other day and Randy and I both laughed out loud. Will it be Primary program songs? Theme songs from their favorite TV shows for sure. And they love Queen (We Are the Champions, We will Rock You) just like every little boy in America.

I think I will need to throw this new Muppet album into steady rotation for good measure.

Surprises

2011-08-13T17:38:00.000-06:00

You would think that nothing would be new about a fourth pregnancy. Surprise!

In list form, let me catch you up.

1) Freckles. Dude. I have freckles. For real. Randy even noticed some on my forehead. This is totally new and it is pregnancy induced (almost for sure). I think they'll go away? Also, I've never been pregnant through the summer (babies in April, May and July) nor spent quite so much time around swim lessons as I did this pregnancy, so... voila. Freckles.

2) MAXI DRESSES! This is the best summer EVER to be pregnant. I buy these Maxi dresses (from Target, from Old Navy, even one awesome one from Anthro for Kjerstin's wedding) and they're not even maternity. They are so comfy, cool, and cute! Thank you, pregnancy gods, for small miracles.

3) I like my OBGYN. I really loved my first doc (Dr. Dewey in Utah County) and he also delivered Josh. It was a dream scenario for a first birth. But numbers 2 and 3 were delivered by different doctors than the doc I saw in the run up. And I noticed that I didn't mind that at all. I think the best thing to hope for is a good nurse and a great (and timely) anesthesiologist. (Unless you do the doula/midwife thing, in which case you're much, much smarter and more earthy than me anyway.) So I wasn't expecting much from my doctor this time around, and I have been pleasantly surprised. Dr. Darren Watts, Salt Lake. He's good.

4) Gestational Diabetes. Yes, I have it. I prick my finger four times a day to make sure my blood sugar is correct. I eat almost no sweets (I have shed more than one tear about this). I balance carbs and eat lots of fruit. It is going great. I felt really guilty about this for about a month, but everyone keeps promising me that it's nothing my previous diet caused (you know how I love the candy and Sno-Cones and stuff), that it's just one of those things. Plus I can still drink the Diet Coke.

I would feel even worse about it all, but I feel so much better now that my blood sugar is in line. I feel like I'd been living in a cloud for six months and I'm finally clear again. I have twice as much (4x as much?) energy as I did before even though I'm eight months pregnant. It's strange.

Four big surprises. What was your biggest surprise during pregnancy? Do share.

Suspense

2011-08-10T16:23:00.000-06:00

This morning I am feeling settled and peaceful about a baby name for our new little guy.

I am moody and hormonal, so tonight I may be quietly weeping to myself that we will never, ever find the right name.

Let's just enjoy the up-swings, shall we?

I'll keep the name in my back pocket for now just in case there's a change, but it feels good to be so close to a decision. Some of you may have heard Randy's qualifications for a good baby boy name: it has to suit both a President and an Action Hero. I'm not sure this name really fits both those categories but it feels good coming out of my mouth and I like it.

Do you check how the name feels rolling across your tongue? I always practice singing it, like I will to my newborn, and saying it toward the imagined car seat behind me. Josh's name won the lists this way: it's lovely and soft to say out loud. Lucas came the closest to self-naming: we thought he would be Luke. But after we moved to Salt Lake, he made close friends with another Luke. Soon enough he was called Lucas and self-identified as such before he was three. It stuck. Lucas it is. Randy and I both agree that Max has been the most perfect name choice so far. The kid just is a Maximus Rex.

Hopefully the next name will fit half as well. We'll wait until we met the little guy (only about a month to go!) in case he has something to share during our first day together.

Summer in the (Park) City

2011-08-07T19:41:00.000-06:00

My camera was tucked away for most of the week, but I managed to get a few snapshots from our family reunion in Park City. After a sobering kick-off with Great-Omi's funeral on Monday, we spent the rest of the week swimming, eating, and playing games. There were a few hikes (thankfully, pregnant women were exempted) and a jam-packed day of Alpine Slides, Coasters, and ziplines.

We also spent an afternoon at the Olympic Park. The ski jumpers were practicing. In the summer, they launch off the same steep angle but land in a swimming pool, cushioned by extra bubbles. It was truly astounding to watch the pro's practice all the twists and flips they take before landing. I was impressed.

Then we did a quick trip through the Olympic Museum where we got this shot of Max as a skier.

On the last night we gathered outside to play the Diet Coke and Mentos game where I also managed to get a few photos. Fun.

I promised to post a meat rub recipe we used when we took our turn cooking dinner. Randy grilled some pork chops (thanks Costco) to perfection. I think the meat thermometer really helps with pork, too, because there's always a lingering worry about "pinkness" when pork is on the line. So use one to help avoid dry, overcooked chops. The internal temp should reach 160.

Pork Chop Rub
1 Tbsp seasoned salt (like Lawry's)
1 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke (this stuff is magic)

Mix together. Massage into the meat, allow to stand 10 minutes. Grill!

Yummy and quick. But I think the biggest win in the kitchen were the heirloom tomatoes from the Farmers Market that Emily picked up. Gosh. Where are the tomatoes this year? Real, ripe tomatoes from the vine. It just doesn't get better.

Life and Death

2011-08-01T09:01:00.000-06:00

Henry and Margaret get married.

Henry and Margaret stay married for 50 (plus) years.

My Omi passed away last week. She was 84. She's been anxious to reunite with her husband, who passed away four years ago. The funeral is today.

I hope I don't sound too flippant, but this kind of event feels more like a graduation (celebratory) rather than glum or surprising or disappointing in some way. She was ready. Her faith was the foundation of her life. The passing was comfortable. I believe she is busy and happy again.

Also. (This is Kjerstin's favorite transition word.) Kjerstin and James got married on Saturday. It was lovely. And fascinating to watch from my vantage point (older sister, married for 15 years, expecting our fourth little boy).

Which is to say, we've been busy. Living life. Watching the sands shift around us. Thinking a lot.

And ironing lots of Sunday clothes.

Max's Party

2011-07-24T20:12:00.001-06:00

I know. We've been celebrating all week! I wanted to share some of Max's party because we had a win with this cool PVC pipe thing we built.

We decided to have a neighborhood party, our first, because Max and Lucas spend so much time running around with these kids! Usually when it comes down to party time, we just invite a handful of little boys from school and church and go to a bouncy house or trampoline barn. This time, it was super fun to be able to celebrate with the kids that our boys truly spend the most time playing with.

Singing Happy Birthday to Max with popsicles in hand.

The real reason we decided to throw this kind of party started when I found this idea online for a "Bike Wash" the kids could ride through on scooters, trikes or bikes.

So this is just a PVC structure with a hose attached and some holes drilled in it. The holes turn the pipes into sprinklers, so the kids get a little wet as they drive through. The streamers are plastic tablecloths from the party store. They were originally all long (4.5 ft or so), but the wind blowing on the streamers seemed to destabilize the structure just a little bit, so I trimmed them up on one side at the beginning of the party. I think you could make it a lot more beautiful and creative (sponges, water noodles, balloons, paint) if you weren't 7.5 months pregnant like me.

A few other engineering notes. We added the two horizontal bars, obviously. If we were doing it again, I think it would work better if they were lower, at about waist level. We think the horizontal PVC pipes up high made it a little bit unstable (more prone to tip over). It only actually tipped once, with a kid collision, but the wobbly was a little nerve-wracking.

The kids had such a blast! And so did Max.

And some video Randy took to give you a good idea of how the whole thing came together.

Days of '47 Float Preview

2011-07-23T14:28:00.000-06:00

We made it to the Days of '47 parade float preview again this year. It's such a fun way to see the floats before the parade, which is on Monday the 25th this year in downtown Salt Lake if you're interested. Every year I am prepared to be disappointed, but it was full of quirk and kitsch and the odd provincial shorthand that makes me feel right at home. And a little embarrassed and delighted all at the same time.

Be warned: we've got a lot of pictures ahead. And away we go...

A real mermaid! Enchanting.

This year there were a lot of animal-centric floats.

This one from the Herriman Stake was really well executed: the horse looks great. But the rider has no head?

Again with the animals.

The penguins on the float were little missionaries (ha!) and this one has a fish necktie. (Where do they get this stuff?)

It seems like the floats were a little more *sparkly* this year. Like at the orientation meeting someone emphasized the importance of glitter and everyone took notes.

We especially liked the *bedazzled* Book of Mormons. They were all over the place, on several floats.

And for some reason this *bedazzled* picnic meal cracked me up.

So did this little mouse. It's staring up at a laptop set to lds.org. ;) Get it? A mouse.

This bee float was sort of cute...

...and then I fell in love with it when I saw this pink insect net was filled with Bit 'o Honey. Candy on the float! Love.

This was the craziest float face. Wha...? There's a smile there. And he's opening his mission call. And he's race neutral and oddly deformed. Weird.

The big winner in 2011 was the Ensign Peak Stake. They recreated some of the iconic buildings in their stake to populate their float.

I guess part of the reason I love it is because I love these old buildings in Salt Lake.

I always wanted to buy one of these old homes downtown. Maybe when the kids are done with school. And we have limitless funds to replace all the old plumbing and rewire the electric. And replace the drafty windows. You know the drill.

And you know I love miniatures, too: I could have spent an hour at this float alone.

The Tabernacle was in the center of the float (my snapshot of it was a bit blurry). This one is the Cathedral of the Madeleine downtown. The float as a whole took my breath away just a little bit. Loved it.

And. We came across a face painter with a little bit of talent. You should have seen her with those brushes: deft. Because you know how sometimes face painters are a little bit lame? This woman was a little bit of an artist, so much so that it was entertaining to watch her work.

Another fascinating year of floats. Our current stake was assigned a float for 2013: they just announced the couple who accepted the calling to pull it off. Unfortunately, there are not enough iconic buildings in our stake to rival the fascinating Ensign Peak float. I hope I get to see what our stake feels is the defining imagery/theme for our float. Perhaps food storage?

Happy to the Max

2011-07-18T17:44:00.001-06:00

I have been worried that Max will become a full-blown hoarder. He loads grocery bags full of toys and snacks almost every time he leaves the house. I am always coming across backpacks full of his stuff. He doesn't have one stuffed animal on his bed: he has 22. And he sings a song to them with all of their names.

We spent a year and half collecting all of the Imaginext Batman toys. Christmas started off with a bang with the Batcave, but then he slowly added each and every toy from the set (the Joker, the Riddler, and so on... you get the picture). He really likes to own the complete set. Almost every time we were at the store together, we spent some time drooling over the pieces he didn't own yet.

Max tells me that when he has children, he is going to take them to the store and let them choose whatever toys they want from the shelves and he will buy all of them (ALL OF THEM). Apparently the "choose one" ultimatum I constantly present him will be one of the issues he has to work through in therapy some day. He really likes to feel a sense of abundance, of limitless indulgence.

So I worry more about Max on his birthday than I do for my other children. Worry that he'll feel satisfaction and pleasure with the toys he receives while I stay within some sort of relevant budget. Hopeful that he can delight in something besides the complete set.

It was a relief that a couple of video games, a load of boy-themed Squinkies and some Legos hit the spot. Cake, special burgers for dinner, and Cold Stone in the afternoon: he is happy.

We may survive this childhood after all.

The Davis Boys in California

2011-07-10T19:04:00.000-06:00

I've been keeping a small internet secret: Randy took the boys and went to the Davis Family Reunion in California this week. I've been home alone for the last five days! It's so, so quiet. And clean. Plus, I haven't had to buy any milk for a week. Weird. It was still a busy weekend without them, but their absence has given me a chance to get back into my own head. I bet you know what I mean. It's sort of like being able to hear yourself think.

When I was a young mother, I would occasionally take a night or two away at a hotel, alone, for the same purpose (Randy really is an excellent husband, isn't he?). Back then the break was so deeply restorative it was almost cellular. I've discovered this weekend that I am much less dependent on the quiet and solitude than I was in my younger days. It's part of a process I've just begun to articulate. Mothering used to be something I would do during the day: projects and activities, laundry and shopping. So taking the weekend away from these kinds of activities really meant everything.

The work of mothering used to be something that I did. Now, after more than 10 years, mothering is what I am. I have found this to be relevant in other parts of my life, too. Like my calling with the young women: my mothering has made me much more useful, not really because I know how to do certain things (like make a lasagna) but because of what I am due to mothering. I'm going to keep thinking about this idea, but the kernel is there.

All of this "do vs. be"-ness has meant that this weekend was peaceful and pleasant, but not as restorative as in the old days. Interesting.

Meanwhile, I got e-mails all week with these great shots of my boys at the beach, funny video of Max dancing, and love-y phone calls from Randy every night.

And Randy got long tall drink of California and a boys weekend they'll always remember. They'll be home soon, with a trunk full of laundry and good stories to tell. And my house will be back to the juggle of chaos and crazy I've (finally) come to love.

Kjerstin's Shower

2011-07-08T22:28:00.000-06:00

My little sister Kjerstin (say it: Cher-stin) is marrying a boy named James in less than one month. This picture is from their wedding announcement.

Today we threw a family shower for Kjerstin. The girls in my family love throwing parties. It's our love language. If we really love and trust you, we'll find a way to throw you an elaborate party. The quote on the invitation was from the incomparable poet Pablo Neruda: I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way than this: where I do not exist, not your, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Above: "Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answer," Nicole Krauss, History of Love (one of my very favorite books, by the way).

Because Kjerstin just graduated with her master's in English, we thought it would be appropriate to center her shower around literary love quotes.

I'm not the silly romantic you think. I don't want the heavens or the shooting stars. I don't want gemstones or gold. I have those things already. I want a steady hand. A kind soul. I want to fall asleep and wake, knowing my heart is safe. I want to love and be loved. From Shana Abe.

This F. Scott Fitzgerald one is a Kjerstin favorite: "Think how you love me. I don't ask you to love me always like this, but I ask you to remember...I'll be different, but somewhere lost inside me there'll always be the person I am tonight."

We also used this one from Antoine de Saint-Exupery: Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.

We made a bunch of flowers out of paper ripped out of books and some tissue paper. The tutorial for the origami flowers can be found here.

Anne put together these perfect take-home treats: Haribo gummi letters packaged to go. Yummy and adorable (and on theme, of course).

Instead of a sign-in book, we had each guest circle a word in this dictionary and leave a note for the couple. Anne found a perfect dictionary and made a perfect bookplate for the front.

Kjerstin and James had a painting made by a local artist. I can't believe how well it captures them while being so abstract! Sweet.

Connie made lots of really great food. Yum, yum, and yum. Plus dessert.

So the food and decorations were fun, but the best part, as always, was our friends and family. I fell in love with James' family: several of his sisters were able to come to the shower. They are funny and talkative and friendly and interesting. It is nice to see how Kjerstin will fit into this new family.

Cousins! And Melissa.

And one parting shot of the lovely couple.

Summer Snaps

2011-06-27T14:08:00.000-06:00

The streams are full! Fun for wading and throwing sticks.

Swim class. Lucas is a pro: he spends his half hour doing laps and strokes.

Hello...

Goodbye.

Beehive Camp

2011-06-27T13:37:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was Beehive Camp at Christmas Meadows. We saw a real moose, some squirrels, and lots of mosquitoes and wildflowers. The rain = mosquitoes and wildflowers.

Yep. Definitely pregnant under there.

Decorating. (Only at Girls Camp, right?)

Dutch oven pineapple upside down cake. Delicious.

Snipe hunting.

Fathers

2011-06-19T15:38:00.000-06:00

I have been surprised that Father's Day was a little bit difficult this year. My little sister wrote a sweet post articulating why she misses our Dad.

It reminded me why I miss my Dad. He was my "who to call if you need to bury a body" guy. Do you have one of those people? That was my Dad for me. I always felt that if I needed to bury a body in the middle of the night, he would be my guy. He would know which desert was most deserted, he would bring the shovels and help me dig, and then never tell anyone about it. Ever.

It is disconcerting when that guy is permanently unavailable.

I am not sure if it's possible to identify what you'll miss most unless you've experienced the loss. But it's worth thinking about. And if you know what it is, that would be the very best thing to write in a Father's Day card today, yes?

Coco

2011-06-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Late night variety shows lost my interest a while ago. One night it just hit me that Letterman seemed older than Willard Scott and his jokes felt just as dry. But I don't live under a rock, so I followed the "Team Coco" movement and Leno's greedy career play. And I casually concluded that I'm a Conan fan. Plus: he went to Harvard and wrote for The Simpsons. Kind of fascinating.

Conan gave a commencement address at Darmouth recently that made me like him even more. You can read the full text here and you can watch it on YouTube. A lot of it is silly, but the concluding advice is heartfelt and, I think, true. I found it inspiring.

"Eleven years ago I gave an address to a graduating class at Harvard. I have not spoken at a graduation since because I thought I had nothing left to say. But then 2010 came. And now I'm here, three thousand miles from my home, because I learned a hard but profound lesson last year and I'd like to share it with you. In 2000, I told graduates "Don't be afraid to fail." Well now I'm here to tell you that, though you should not fear failure, you should do your very best to avoid it. Nietzsche famously said "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger." But what he failed to stress is that it almost kills you. Disappointment stings and, for driven, successful people like yourselves it is disorienting. What Nietzsche should have said is "Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you watch a lot of Cartoon Network and drink mid-price Chardonnay at 11 in the morning."

"Now, by definition, Commencement speakers at an Ivy League college are considered successful. But a little over a year ago, I experienced a profound and very public disappointment. I did not get what I wanted, and I left a system that had nurtured and helped define me for the better part of 17 years. I went from being in the center of the grid to not only off the grid, but underneath the coffee table that the grid sits on, lost in the shag carpeting that is underneath the coffee table supporting the grid. It was the making of a career disaster, and a terrible analogy.

"But then something spectacular happened. Fogbound, with no compass, and adrift, I started trying things. I grew a strange, cinnamon beard. I dove into the world of social media. I started tweeting my comedy. I threw together a national tour. I played the guitar. I did stand-up, wore a skin-tight blue leather suit, recorded an album, made a documentary, and frightened my friends and family. Ultimately, I abandoned all preconceived perceptions of my career path and stature and took a job on basic cable with a network most famous for showing reruns, along with sitcoms created by a tall, black man who dresses like an old, black woman. I did a lot of silly, unconventional, spontaneous and seemingly irrational things and guess what: with the exception of the blue leather suit, it was the most satisfying and fascinating year of my professional life. To this day I still don't understand exactly what happened, but I have never had more fun, been more challenged—and this is important—had more conviction about what I was doing.

"How could this be true? Well, it's simple: There are few things more liberating in this life than having your worst fear realized. I went to college with many people who prided themselves on knowing exactly who they were and exactly where they were going. At Harvard, five different guys in my class told me that they would one day be President of the United States. Four of them were later killed in motel shoot-outs. The other one briefly hosted Blues Clues, before dying senselessly in yet another motel shoot-out. Your path at 22 will not necessarily be your path at 32 or 42. One's dream is constantly evolving, rising and falling, changing course."

Preach it, Conan.

One, Two, Three...

2011-06-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

Late on Sunday afternoon we took the boys for a walk to the gully near our house. It is usually desert dry, brown and crunchy. But it's flood season in Utah so there are two streams winding through the gully, each a foot deep. The trees are full, the grasses are green and tall. It's really beautiful. A perfect place to blow off some late Sunday irreverence: they threw rocks and sticks and raced grass and flowers to their hearts content.

Muddy and wet, we headed home, each boy clinging to a favorite stick. Just before we crossed back into civilization, Randy instructed all three to toss their sticks into the wilderness. Good policy, because sticks are swords that start fights, inflict pain, and draw blood.

I want to remember their reactions forever. Josh: obedient. Immediately threw his stick into the trees. Lucas: pauses, starts simultaneously crying and negotiating. Does not let go of the stick. Max is ten feet ahead of us on the trail. He looks back at Josh and Lucas and notices Randy and I turning our attention to Lucas' stick. Then tucks his stick under his arm, turns and runs. He doesn't beg or plead. He doesn't negotiate. He takes the opportunity to keep what he wants and runs home. I couldn't do more than laugh, hard, as I watched him disappear down the trail with his stick under his elbow.

Guess how many sticks made it to our home that night? Three.

Lovely, silly boys.

On Marrying Young

2011-06-10T08:09:00.000-06:00

I'm tired of talking about marrying young with an apologetic tone.

Marrying young was the best decision I have yet made. Not only do I think it was the right choice for me, personally, I believe the benefits of choosing to marry young usually outweigh the benefits of waiting.

I know it might feel offensive when I speak declaratively about something that is held to be personal and beyond the realm of public discussion. Like politics or religion. But others regularly attack my choice to marry young with an offhand derision that can only be expressed by someone who believes their worldview is common truth. It has been acceptable for at least 20 years to look down your nose on people who marry young as if they are too stupid, too over-sexed, or too inexperienced to choose to marry young On Purpose.

It doesn’t mean I think everyone must marry young. You can call on your God or your intellect or your heart to know when marriage is right for you. I just refuse to apologize for knowing it was right for me to marry at 20. I reject the commonly held view of my (lovely) marriage by groveling that it was difficult or silly or accidental.

I married young On Purpose. And marrying young was an enormous act of faith for me. I was frightened of commitment, a child of divorce myself. I was afraid of being poor, of not graduating from college, of not having the chance to build a career, of subsuming myself to a charismatic husband. There was no shortage of warnings from friends, family, and society, shouting the familiar phrases of doom about “finding yourself,” “sacrifice,” and “closed doors.”

Fear overpowered the scene, at first, whenever thoughts of marriage came up. In hopes of averting anything close, I tried to break up with my husband, a returned missionary, long before we became exclusive. It didn’t work. In the end, of course, the fear was overcome by love, respect, and moreover, faith.

Because I know our young marriage was an act of faith, made in careful consultation with our Heavenly Father, I believe our young marriage was blessed. Given an extra measure of grace and strength and purity. I believe our relationship was blessed with deeper roots as an act of mercy and benevolence from above because it was begun as an act of faith over fear. I believe this is a blessing God gives to many young marriages.

It feels uncouth to claim that young marriages can be blessed in extra measure, but I believe it. I also believe that marriages that begin differently are blessed with necessary gifts: compensatory, even commensurate kinds of blessings, but blessings that are not the same.

This reminds me indirectly of the parable of the prodigal son. When the wayward son returns, the father lavishes him with love and material goods, a brilliant and touching exemplification of the generosity of the redemption. The father doesn’t want to withhold any blessings from the younger son. But the natural consequences of the wayward son’s absence cannot be smoothed away entirely by the father’s largess. The obedient son surely experienced years of blessings that the younger son simply cannot reclaim.

Imagine, for example, the years the obedient son probably enjoyed with a wife and family. He had probably raised children who spent years learning at the feet of their wise grandfather. These are years that cannot be replaced. The obedient son had likely known and loved his mother, perhaps nursing her through the anguish of losing his younger brother. These experiences cannot be replaced for the wayward son. Compensatory gifts can be provided, but some natural consequences cannot be undone.

While young marriage is neither intrinsically obedient nor wayward, I believe these marriages do carry special blessings that cannot be replicated or replaced, probably because it’s so easy for me to look back to see many tangible blessings that came to us through marrying young: faith, family, and time.

Randy and I finished our undergraduate work together, receiving our diplomas on the same day, and promptly had a child. This too, was an act of faith, an expression of our belief in a God so great that He could make our burdens light, a faith in the eternal and sanctifying nature of families. Choosing first to take the leap of faith to marry young made it easier to summon the faith for that next step. I still believe that our oldest son was given a soul with extra depth, prone to obedience and open to truth as a blessing on this act of faith. The faith and hope it took to have a child are values that bless our family to this day.

We didn't have a child every two years like many families do. We kept close to our God, and carefully considered my needs as a young woman and a young mother. There are gaps and starts and stops in the babies. They are all boys (three, with one more on the way) and they love each other with a startling loyalty and fierceness. Because we started young, there has always been plenty of time to consider when it is best to add another child to our home. This blessing of time and space has been one of the greatest gifts of a young marriage to our family.

Fifteen years on, I can also see the ways in which Randy and I were able to merge our souls so completely because of our age at the time of our marriage. It's true in practical ways: we learned to cook together, easily melding preferences and opinions. We built our home keeping habits and style choices together. He verifies my memory, he tracks my politics and runs the electronics. I keep his calendar, his style, his heart soft. We discovered, together, the strengths and weaknesses of the other as we chose the roles we'd each take responsibility for in making a life together.

This oneness also came in a transcendent, spiritual way, born too of faithful early beginnings. Imagining a life without Randy is wrenching. Becoming so utterly reliant on another flawed human being is among the most frightening things I can imagine. A fear that can only be overcome by faith. A faith in Randy, faith in the power of forgiveness and repentance, faith in the ability of humans to grow. A faith in myself. A faith that overcomes such a profound fear, that fear of utter dependence, is one of the fruits of our first giant leap of faith together, into a marriage at a young age. It enriches our relationship and deepens our bond. This faith in each other and in the safety net that is our God allows us to, still, make gutsy decisions, be brave in the face of fear, and stay calm in turbulent waters.

So when I teach my children or my young women about marriage, I wholly endorse marrying young whenever it’s God’s will, and with a clear conscience. It's not often stupidity or ignorance or luck that allows young marriages to thrive. I believe it is a fruit of the faith that began at the beginning. That fruit is born of the faith it takes to marry young and the blessing of the depth of that faith grows exponentially thanks to beneficent beginnings.

** My sister is getting married in July. This post is in no way a reaction to her news or announcement or timing. Thrilled for her, thrilled for him: happy, happy. It was an odd Facebook post that set me off.

Wrapping it Up

2011-06-09T09:49:00.000-06:00

Just because it's been quiet around here lately doesn't mean we haven't been busy! To the contrary, of course. We've been pouring our energy into the parties and projects that dominate the end of the school year. This year we had an extra measure of "party" because of seminary and high school graduation that we get to fuss about with my young women. Such good girls: it has been fun to watch them make it through Senioritis to the finish line!

Playing NBA 2K11. Note the omnipresent cell phone. Guess who has the most texts at our house?

The boys each finished up the year on their own terms. After a flurry of end-of-the-year projects, extra credit and a choir concert, Josh celebrated by taking the last day of school off. In true middle school style, Josh and his friends met up at school, wandered off campus to the local shopping center and enjoyed their independence with fast food and gas station treats. But he also asked permission and texted me twice that morning. Breaking me in to the teenage years easy.

Can you spot Lucas? With his mouth open instead of a smile?

Lucas' week was typical end-of-the-year elementary school: field day, water games (I did this one and it was a hit with the third graders), ice cream party, talent show, school assembly, Zoo day (that's what this Snow Leopard project is about) author day... lots and lots of celebrations.

Nice pale Davis skin. By the end of the summer, Josh and Max will be tan. Lucas will still be pale.

Max is not finished with preschool until Friday. But we already attended his graduation, his water day was yesterday, Daddy Day was last week, and tomorrow is the last goodbye party (this time with no parents). I don't know if it's the fact that they're all in different schools that makes this whole end-of-the-year rigamarole feel so excessive, but... whew.

Max with his friend Blake and the "Cute Girls"

Weird. I wonder why Max is on the end? And not sitting by Blake?

I celebrated by stocking the house with Bagel Bites and frozen burritos, a dozen new Play-doh colors, and bubble liquid (outside only!!!!). Swim lessons start on Monday. We are ready for summer!

Gracious Goodness

2011-06-06T07:34:00.000-06:00

Reese Witherspoon was given the Generation Award at the MTV movie awards last night. I kind of like Reese: Walk the Line is one of my all time favorites, and she seems like a generally decent person, with slightly conservative southern values.

So have you heard about her acceptance speech? Go read it. She thinks naked pictures and sex tapes are... get this... EMBARRASSING. She thinks it's cool to be a Good Girl. She closes with: "I had my first baby when I was 23, so I've always been choosing roles knowing that I have a daughter and I have a responsibility to her and to the world to be representing women of strength," she said. "I think it's a natural extension of parenthood for you to feel like you’re responsible for the worlds you create, whether they be silly or serious. I think you are responsible for the art you put in the world."

Especially in light of the latest Twitter photo scandal (hacked, Anthony Weiner? Really?) and the revealing photos and tapes that come out pretty much every week featuring one starlet or another, Reese's statement is an absolute revelation. Can the pendulum swing back? Is it possible for women to have a measure of success without an "Oops! It got leaked to the media!" moment? I sincerely hope so.

Summer Dirt

2011-06-01T06:53:00.000-06:00

Summer arrives and coats my boys in a film of dirt. We can never seem to wash enough: too many nooks and crannies, too much fun outside in the mud, in the swings, on their bikes and scooters and skateboards. I took this picture of Max's hands after, yes, after, he'd washed his hands for dinner. And look at those jeans! That's the kind of dirty we're dealing with around here: elbow to fingertip, on clothes, skin and hair.

After years of tinkering with cleaning tips and lists and procedures, I've finally concluded that my only goal as a homemaker is to keep a house clean enough that it doesn't smell like little boys all the time. Cleaning bathrooms constantly and doing lots of laundry is my first line of defense. Next come the chemicals. Bath and Body Works is my friend: love those wallflowers. Also love this carpet stuff. It makes my house smell the way I wish my clean laundry did. (Does anyone have laundry that smells this good?) I also like to have soap PLUS hand sanitizer in every bathroom. What would I do without all the powders and products? Hooray for modern science.

Pinteresting

2011-05-28T09:33:00.001-06:00

One of my Pinterest Boards: the "Ha! Random Stuff" category

Let's talk for a minute about my Internet consumption.

I would say my consumption level is high. But, in my opinion, it's much less obscene because of Google Reader. Google Reader is a free service that is easy to set up through your Google account. This service allows you to subscribe to whatever blogs you'd like to follow and then Google Reader keeps track of which of "your" blogs have new posts. So you're not checking all the blogs you're interested in every day: you are simple alerted when there is new content on one of the blogs you're following. Easy.

I subscribe to about 100 blogs (! which I didn't realize until I just counted them this morning). It seems like a lot to keep up with, but most people don't post daily. Many of the blogs I follow are family blogs which post next to never. But! If they do I want to see those baby pictures and puppy updates right away. Family blogs have a permanent spot on my Reader.

Other blogs come and go. I usually subscribe because a blog has a certain appealing personality or absurdly practical/inspiring ideas. I often stumble across these blogs through a link on a blog I already like. Sometimes these blogs get more professional and polished and lose their personality. Usually this means their blog becomes more about "blogging" and less about life and ideas. That's when I check out. There are other blogs that I test drive for a while. If they leave me feeling deflated or competitive or demoralized in some way, I just don't follow them. They can do their thing out in the internet universe and I just don't have to participate.

Why am I talking about this today? Because I just started using Pinterest. I know you've heard about it. It's only been about a week, but so far I'm loving the ability to aggregate ideas from around the web. Before Pinterest, when I came across an idea I wanted to remember from my blogs, I would bookmark it. You can imagine what my bookmark toolbar looks like. Ridiculous.

Pinterest makes it possible to capture the idea/image you like and file it on a "board" (this is just a category or file folder). Clicking on the photo that you've "pinned" takes you back to the original blog post. It makes for quick review and quick retrieval. You can follow what other friends are "pinning" and "repin" their images, too. It's great for keeping track of party ideas, decorating images, recipes, books to read, quotes... whatever.

Do you use Pinterest? Do you like it? Is it a time suck? Are you tired of learning new lingo every time a new technological application comes along? (Tweet about it!) I resisted for a long time for all of those reasons. But I need tools to manage my consumption! And it's fun.

Dy-No-Mite

2011-05-22T19:49:00.002-06:00

Lucas' Pinewood Derby car this year: a ticking time bomb: the countdown clock worked and made noise!

It didn't win and it didn't lose. Lucas was a champ.

Does it seem like we just had the last Pinewood Derby? Yeah, for me too. We have gotten better and faster at putting these cars together: we have a permanent Pinewood Derby box in the basement with patterns, weights, graphite and stickers that we pull out every year (there's parenting tip #42: keep a Pinewood Derby box on hand).

Stuff that Sucks

2011-05-18T07:00:00.003-06:00

I spend a lot of timing thinking about stuff that sucks and not nearly enough time cataloging it all. An edited suck-tastic list:

Hosting birthday parties for 8-10 year old boys
The comment sections on the SLTrib online (vitriolic AND uninformed)
Sandy Costco on any given Saturday
Arnold Schwarzennegger
Rainy, chilly spring
Season finales of all of my regular shows and
The Bachelorette starting again (will this franchise please just disappear!)
Monthly pregnancy weigh-ins and peeing on a strip

Anything bothering you lately?

Syttende Mai

2011-05-17T07:00:00.002-06:00

My family lived overseas from the time I was 4 through around age 10. It made for some unorthodox childhood memories: my favorite childhood candy was chewy gummy feet with a huge big toe (?), Guy Fawkes Day celebrations instead of Halloween, and an extensive if hazy recollection of Charlie Chaplin films instead of American cartoons like Gem or Thundercats.

Another weird one occurs to me every year on May 17th: it is Norway's Constitution Day. Is that what you think about when you write 5/17 on your check? Crazy latent Norwegian memories.

I can remember visiting my Dad's office where we could get a good view of the parades. I had to wear a dress and I could eat all kinds of treats (caviar and cold fish, probably) and soda. Pickles and honey were a favorite appetizer. We stood on the balcony waving Norwegian flags and watching crowds.

So. Good Syttende Mai, everyone. Fish and meatballs for dinner, maybe?

If only I could find some of those chewy gummy feet.

Strollers

2011-05-14T12:00:00.002-06:00

Our last stroller suffered through both Lucas and Max. By the time Max was two, it was barely limping through zoo field trips. So I'm on the lookout for a new one.

I don't want a stroller/car seat "system," I'm really just looking for some version of a sturdier umbrella stroller. Maclaren strollers are looking pretty good for now.

Every once in a while I wonder whether I'll want a jogging stroller. The answer is: No. I might run and I will have a baby but I don't plan on running with baby. Riding along with baby... this looks more like my style. I can't find this in production anywhere, but I am in love with it.

Roller Buggy by Valentin Vodev

569

2011-05-13T11:57:00.002-06:00

The boys love Star Wars and the boys love Legos. We have lots of both in our house. For his birthday, Lucas requested a big Star Wars Lego set: the Slave ship. It has the Boba Fett, Han Solo, Bossk and Han in Carbonite mini-figures (a key attraction of Lego sets is which mini-figures are packaged with them).

It also takes 569 pieces to assemble, with about 130 pages of instructions. Guess what I was doing last night for two hours? Randy thinks it's a good project to refine my spatial reasoning skills. I told him I've already taken the ACT's, thank you.

Nevertheless. It is complete. And that is how much I love my little Lucas. Happy Birthday, LGD.

Mother's Day in the Rearview

2011-05-09T12:30:00.001-06:00

If you like Ron Swanson, check out this site.

Do you watch Parks and Rec? I do so love the character Ron Swanson. (I also really love Jay from Modern Family and Jack from 30 Rock: all the gruff, Republican older men make me giggle with delight and, yes, even swoon a little bit. This bodes well for Randy.) Anyway. Ron Swanson had a birthday last week. Leslie Nope planned a birthday party for him. And at the last minute we are let in on the secret that she planned a true "Ron Swanson" party: an empty room with a comfy chair, a table full of meat, and Bridge on the River Kwai on the screen.

I love the whole thing, especially the idea that Leslie planned the kind of party that Ron would actually love, instead of planning a party that she would love. The best kind of service (the best kind of love) is when you give what the receiver wants, not what you want.

And that's the kind of Mother's Day I had. Randy made breakfast I like (eggs on English muffins with Hollandaise and fruit) instead of the breakfast he likes (bacon, ham, pancakes, and hash browns). Low fuss but adorable cards and notes from the boys. A Nook because I am keen to own books digitally instead of IRL. I only want to own hard copies of books I really love. This was hard for Randy to do because I think he'd rather have gotten me an iPad. Instead he got me what I asked for.

Then a slow day at church. (No meetings!) I discovered that I like Mother's Day much, much more when I am not helping the children present a song in sacrament meeting or making dozens of craft projects for all the mothers in the ward on Mother's Day. Chocolate dipped strawberry from the Young Men. Then a long, lazy, quiet day with no fuss. Especially lovely after Randy was out of town for most of last week.

I hope you all had exactly the kind of Mother's Day you were hoping for.

To Remember

2011-05-06T20:04:00.001-06:00

Max is busy learning to read and spell.

Dozens of times a day he calls for me: "M. O. M." Like, spells it out instead of saying "Mom." I thought it was cute the first four times. Now it's kind of bugging me, but for no good reason.

I respond with "M. A. X." He seems to like it.

Five-year-old's are cool.

Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

A friend and I were talking last night about how much more fun it is to celebrate the lesser known (shall we say the "minor") holidays as opposed to the biggies.

I think it's because holidays like Easter, Christmas, and even Mother's Day arrive cloaked with a great deal of expectation and attending guilt. Instead of deciding what you really want to do, you know, for FUN, there are always a bunch of traditions, standby (i.e. boring) recipes, and obligatory greeting cards or phone calls on your onerous "To Do" list. And when you're the adult, guess who gets to make sure all that stuff gets done? You are it, baby.

Which is why I love Cinco de Mayo. It's a weird one, to be sure, especially if you've read up on the historical background of what is truly being celebrated. Most people remember it late or not at all. No one expects anything. Lovely.

Randy and I celebrate this holiday off and on. We've gone out to eat Mexican with friends, hosted parties at our house where we pass the sombrero and take turns expressing gratitude for independence, served Sangria with dinner, and skipped the holiday altogether. Whatever sounds fun that year is what we do. It's fun.

This year it sounded fun to celebrate with my Laurels for a class activity. And it was. We made Mojitos (Lime-Mint Punch, I called it), took pictures with a sombrero and a mustache, ate chips and salsa, and stuffed a pinata as a surprise for our newest Beehive. The Laurels dug up some great Mexican music (thanks, Pandora!) to listen to during our little party. The rest of the Young Women wandered in and out snacking and sipping with us.

It's was what every holiday should be like. You know: fun.

Mojito recipe below. Click the link for the original post.

from The Big Book of Backyard Cooking

8-10 large mint leaves

1/2 c. sugar (you can add more if necessary, especially if kids are involved)

3/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 7 small, juicy limes)

1 24-oz. bottle of sparkling water (like Perrier)

Finely chop the mint leaves. Place the chopped mint leaves in a bowl or non-reactive pitcher and press them with a pestle or the back of a spoon to release the oils. Add the sugar and press the mint leaves and sugar together with the back of a spoon. Add the lime juice and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy.

If you haven’t been mixing the mint and sugar in a pitcher, transfer to a glass or plastic pitcher. Right before serving, add the sparkling water and serve immediately over ice. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves.

*I used thawed limeade concentrate instead of fresh lime juice. It was easier to get a strong, concentrated flavor and it was delicious. You need to have some limes for garnish, but our hard, tiny Utah limes just aren't buff enough (imho) to produce the necessary lip smacking.

Developing Instant Family Fun

2011-04-30T19:34:00.000-06:00

I know you've been up nights wondering, so I'll put an end to the suspense: the boxes were for a Sharing Station booth we put together for Women's Conference last week. What's a Sharing Station? I'd never heard of it before either. At Women's Conference they set up, essentially, a science fair for women to browse through. About 60 booths were set up with simple ideas to take away and use, mostly related to living a faithful, Mormon lifestyle. (You gotta love the lighting here: so sorry for the lame pictures.)

You can find the archives here: tons of useful ideas for everything from callings to family life to sharing the gospel. Our assigned topic was "Wholesome Family Activities." With lots of help from my sister Anne and my friend Julie, we put together this simple idea about FHE: assign a theme to each Monday night of the month and keep a running list of activities you might want to do with your family for that theme. It just adds a little bit of structure and a longer term perspective to FHE nights.

We made up four hypothetical families and brainstormed different ways they might apply this FHE idea for themselves. You can download all the details at the link above in a couple of weeks, as soon as they upload all the 2011 documents.

The graphics work, with the overblown Polaroids, was a big topic of discussion! A lot of the questions we got during the day had to do with how to recreate that look. The link for the free Polaroid templates I used are found here. Funny. If I'm ever asked to do this again, I'll do a booth about Photography!

We also talked a lot about the fabrics we used: all from Ikea. How cute is the house pattern tablecloth Anne made? Everyone had ideas about how we could use it (wallpaper, oilcloth, vinyl overlay).

It was fun to spend the day with Julie and Anne. It was really inspiring to see the crowds of Mormon women earnestly intent on learning more and doing better. Why don't I ever go to Women's Conference? Such a sweet spirit among the ladies there.

This was a neat project to be involved with. And. It's nice to have another big project all wrapped up.

The (Not So) Great Salt Lake

2011-04-30T12:43:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we drove out to Salt Lake. We never go there because it's kind of icky.

This time it was kind of icky and overcast. But we wanted to be sure we could say the boys had seen it! And they have. We threw lots of rocks and walked around for a while.

Maybe boating could make it more fun? I think sailing on it could be pretty cool, too. The older boys have been to Antelope Island (buffalo!) and that is a bit more compelling if you're interested in spending some time at Salt Lake.

Since we were nearby, we also drove out to Tooele and checked out the Miller Motorsports Park. That place is amazing: big, fancy, beautiful. But completely irrelevant for me/us. They had a go-cart track, but you have to take classes to be able to use it. They had a bungee cord harness, but it wasn't in use that weekend. It's not really the kind of place for a casual family outing. (Or maybe we were there off season?) But for a Nascar race fan or a hardcore driver/racer of some kind I could imagine it would be fun.

I don't mean to sound so negative, but I guess you should take this as a cautionary post. Approach a family field trip to the Salt Lake with caution. The fun does not magically appear: you may have to conjure it up yourselves.

Project Number 6

2011-04-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

A sneak peek at another one of the projects I'm working on. This one will be wrapped up next week and I'll tell you all about it then. For now, the spring green and stripes are making me happy.

Teen Invitation

2011-04-20T10:19:00.001-06:00

Am I supposed to do invitations for Josh's parties now that he's a teenager? Who knows. I just ask him what he wants. Last year we didn't make one. This year he wanted a flyer to hand out. Inspired by this, here's what I came up with (I added party details below the images). I'm a little bit in love with it.

Parenting Tip

2011-04-18T09:22:00.003-06:00

Listen up. This may be the best tip parenting tip I have learned in my 13 years of on-the-job training.

One day your kid is going to have the chance to be the VIP for the week at school or church. (Lucas is the Spotlight child next week!) Part of this little celebration will include decorating a bulletin board or poster with pictures of your kid.

Here is the tip. After you do the first bulletin board, keep all those photos in a big envelope for next year. Throw in a couple duplicate prints or copies of the family Christmas photo during the year. You'll want to have at least a dozen and if you have more you'll just have more to choose from when it's time to use them. My experience has been that you usually do these things from preschool through 3rd or 4th grade. And we all know how the years blow by like weeks: you'll need that trusty envelope again before you know it.

An added bonus: these photos usually get a little bit of wear and tear, but when they are just the extras from your envelope, you don't have to worry about it. They don't have to go back into a frame or scrapbook. You can stop worrying about that and just use them instead.

Trust me on this one. You'll thank me for it later. Like at midnight the night before you're supposed to take the poster to school. And instead of ripping precious photos out of your scrapbook or scrolling through hundreds of digital files, you'll have a pile of great shots ready to go. It will make you look like a great mom. It will make your kid feel great. It will prevent all manner of meltdowns.

You're welcome.

Fortune Teller

2011-04-15T09:14:00.001-06:00

Pei Wei for lunch with some birthday girls yesterday. This was the fortune in my cookie.

Ha!

Obvious fortunes make me laugh. How about this one: Ice cream tastes delicious for dessert. Or this: Noisy children will cause headache. Or this: Spend time outside when the weather is sunny. See? I can do it too.

My favorite fortunes are the outrageous ones. Like: You will have wild success on a project you have just begun. Or: You will find fame and fortune on your next ocean voyage. Those are the kind of fortunes that get my imagination going and stoke my dreams.

Movies over the weekend? Not so much.

From the Group

2011-04-12T09:22:00.000-06:00

I just did a super easy project with our Young Women that could be adapted in so many ways... and that's the kind of project worth sharing!

Our most recent YW president is about to have a baby. She had spent almost four years in YW, so all of the girls know her really well and love her (she is awesome!). We wanted to do some kind of group gift for her and her new arrival. A quilt, maybe, where every girl stitches a square! Or a hand crocheted baby outfit! But... time and money and skill (I don't quilt) were making our best ideas seem really ridiculous and out of reach.

A card from the group seemed a little too impersonal. So I came up with this simple idea: cut strips of cardstock, have each person write a note of encouragement and support, then staple them into a chain of good thoughts and good wishes. It's great because every person can write their note at the same time (we're not sending around a card for the whole hour) and it's still very personal. I wanted the chain to be a little longer, so I alternated the messages with a patterned paper. You could also include cute "baby" quotes if you wanted even more length.

I vaguely remember doing something like this for a baby shower once: we all wrote encouraging thoughts on a countdown chain for the mother-to-be. I think maybe I did it for my sister Anne?

But you could also do this for Teacher Appreciation Week: have each child in the class write down something they like about their teacher (or something they learned from their teacher) and hang the paper chain around the room. Or you could send the flat paper slips with notes from the whole extended family to a missionary: some assembly required. Maybe even include one of those mini-staplers to make it easy for the missionary to put it together. Or you could write the things you love about a special birthday child on dozens of little slips and hang a giant compliment chain for a birthday. You know... whatever.

Sharing the love, one paper chain at a time.

Chicks

2011-04-08T12:28:00.000-06:00

Even though the ground is blanketed in wet snow and the skies are gray, gray, gray, Spring is still coming.

That's the thing about Spring.

Today we stopped at the IFA store. I'd heard they have chicks.

They do!

Happy Spring!

Over the Moon

2011-04-08T12:24:00.000-06:00

At the moonscape. Pretending to be a Jedi

In front of the Jake Garn exhibit. First Senator in Space.

I think you already know how I feel about the Planetarium. But these pictures of Max are pretty cute, so here we are again.

Miniature

2011-04-07T09:26:00.000-06:00

Have I told you that my dream job is to create miniature sets and photograph them? I was reminded how much I adore all things mini by a post of Lori Nix's work at Anthology Magazine.

Laundromat, 2008

She creates disaster and gloom with miniatures and then photographs them.

Library, 2007

Haunting and lovely.

Flood, 2008

And did you get to see the Walter Wick exhibit at BYU? I went a few years ago with the boys. He creates those marvelous "I Spy" books.

I want to touch everything on the pages of his books. There is something interesting about the viewer experience when the art you're looking at is a photograph of an actual object that exists in real life. It seems more legitimate, maybe? It adds a layer of fascination, for me.

My prized toy as a child was a two story doll house with lighting that worked! Later I redecorated it: new wallpaper, new rugs, new furniture. I don't know if this inspired a love of miniatures or was the result of one already inborn. I think one day I may become one of those doll house hobbyists: there's a whole section for this particular brand of insanity at Hobby Lobby that is calling my name...

13

2011-04-03T18:31:00.000-06:00

Has not been unlucky so far.

Our family tradition is to open family presents and celebrate when the birthday child wakes up. Usually this means we decorate with half a dozen balloons and the now obligatory birthday poster (see below) before we go to bed, because children wake up early.

But Randy and I went out last night (Source Code=good show) and came home very late. Thirteen year old's also sleep in. Late. So we got to decorate in the morning, at a leisurely pace. Josh showed up just before conference started.

It made for a nice slow birthday morning.

Filled with little treats and memories. Like the fact that at birth, Josh was the smallest and shortest of all of his brothers! And today I realized that all of my children were more than 8 lbs at birth. (She sighed.)

I also remembered that the weekend Joshua was born was also conference weekend. Because I delivered in Utah County (Payson: but that's another story) the hospital slowed to a trickle, the TV's in the nurses station were set to channel 5, and the familiar voices and cadences of conference were murmuring in the background during the first few days of Josh's life.

Josh doesn't think conference is a great day for a birthday. Yet. I think in another 15 years he'll appreciate that this special weekend commemorates a new beginning for him in more ways than one.

Cookies for Conference

2011-04-02T14:52:00.002-06:00

I've been in the middle of a couple (or five) big projects lately. Plus: pregnant. So, obviously: distracted.

One of the projects we just finished was our Young Women's fundraiser. We got permission to make cookie dough for donations for delivery just before Conference weekend. Cookies for Conference. We made something like 3000 cookies over the last week or so! My favorite thing about this project is that we made it possible to give the cookies as gifts. Kind of like Junior High when you could buy a Valentine's treat and have it delivered to your sweetheart (or friend) during 2nd period. So not only did we deliver cookies that had been ordered, we also got to deliver bags of cookie surprises all over the ward to visiting teachers, friends, and neighbors. People like getting surprises.

Randy's favorite thing about this project was wandering into the kitchen all week to snack on cookie dough: heaven.

The casualty of the week? My KitchenAid hand mixer! I'm pretty sure Sister Crosby gave it to me for a wedding gift 15 years ago. Trust. Hardy. Expired with a puff of smoke after the sixth double batch. RIP.

Although I have them memorized, I thought I'd share the following two recipes which we used: solid cookie recipes that you might enjoy too.

Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip and Pecan Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

6 ounces dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup toasted pecans-roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together butter, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Add flour, soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Blend well. Add cranberries, white chocolate chips and pecans. Blend until mixed evenly through batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes (I found that they cooked well at about 12 minutes, but I made then small).

Blue Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together butter, both sugars, eggs, and vanilla.
3. Add flour, soda, salt, and cream of tartar. Blend well. Add cranberries, white chocolate chips and pecans. Blend until mixed evenly through batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Spring in California

2011-04-02T14:29:00.000-06:00

I think the pictures say it all.

A day of perfect weather, good guacamole, sandy toes.

Lovely.

Legoland!

2011-04-02T14:24:00.000-06:00

We'd heard mixed reviews about Legoland. But for our three boys it was a great fit!

My favorite attractions were the building activities.

The boys built their own cars and then raced them on this track:

It was fun to see all three boys absorbed in building and creating.

There were no lines and there was plenty of room and supplies for the kids to just really enjoy playing together. Even though we went on a Saturday!

At the Bionicle buiding. Left to Right, creations by Lucas, Josh and Max.

Aside from watching the boys have fun, my favorite part of Legoland were the Lego installations like this mosaic wall.

Here's the wall up close: just tens of thousands of tiny Lego pieces. Awesome. These kinds of installations were all over the place.

In the center of a winding line was this Lego table where the kids could play while adults were waiting in line. So perfect for my kids! They made friends and built all sorts of little creations.

So, for us Legoland was a big win. We had fun on the rides, but the best part was being in and around stuff the boys loved all day long. Everywhere we looked and everywhere we went: more cool boy stuff. Because not only do the boys play with real Lego's every day, they also play Lego video games (Lego Star Wars, Lego Indiana Jones) all the time.

Have we talked about how much I like Lego video games? Love 'em. Because my rule of thumb for video games is: no blood. And with Lego games, when you destroy a Lego guy it simply falls into pieces. Somehow this seems less violent. Plus they're a bit cartoonish. Cute but still appealing to boys.

I love you Lego's.

This is Not a Practical Joke

2011-03-23T20:00:00.011-06:00

The last year has been a whirlwind. For so many reasons that are bigger and broader than the scope of this blog. Or this medium, frankly. If we could sit together for a few hours and talk over a really good meal... we could get into everything behind and around our big announcement. But just because we don't have such luxuries doesn't mean I can't share our news:

We are expecting another little Davis boy.

Seriously.

Take a breath.

He's due late September which means I'm about 13 weeks along. Too soon for gender diagnostics, you might be thinking. Which is technically true. But I went in for some special testing via sonogram (a cool new test called nuchal transparency screening) and while we were getting assurances that this baby is otherwise healthy, the Doc was also quite sure she saw something suspiciously male, so we're running with that judgment call unless a further test proves otherwise.

We've been out of the baby game for a while: Max will be 6 in July. So Randy and I keep looking at each other and reminding ourselves: we've done this before. We know what it looks like. First they look like this:

Then they look like this:

Then they start to look like this:

And this:

And then this:

Two or three years in we're sleeping again and we've got a cool kid to show for the trouble.

We make happy little blond boys. We suspect the new kid will fit the mold.

Diet

2011-03-17T09:21:00.000-06:00

It may seem incongruous to those who know me well (or know me at all), but I'm a big believer in the affects of diet. Not for weight loss! I avoid those kinds of diets assiduously. At the cost of curvy hips: a price I can live with.

I mean the kind of diet where you choose to avoid or increase a certain type of food when the effects on your body are evident. Randy's been on this kind of diet for most of his life, thanks to a mother with wide-ranging beliefs about health and healing. When he was a kid, they discovered that a handful of foods affected his behavior and restricted them. I have a sister-in-law who is implementing some serious food restrictions as one piece of her work to ease the affects of autism on her dear little boy. And I have heard countless anecdotal stories from friends and mothers of careful adjustments to diet that have deeply affected children and family.

It only makes sense that what you take into your body can effect the way you feel and hence the way you act.

So this scientifically based article has been just another confirmation of something I already believe is true in my gut, something I have seen for myself. File it away for the next time you are thinking carefully about behavior and medicine.

Fail

2011-03-07T19:42:00.000-07:00

This kind of junk makes me laugh. Especially with the patriotic music in the background.

Via Gizmodo.

Grant Wood

2011-03-07T19:39:00.003-07:00

Today was the last art history assembly for the year! We had a one-hit wonder, an American artist named Grant Wood. You know, the American Gothic guy:

Wood was born in 1891 in Iowa. After studying art for a few years in Minneapolis, he spent a couple of years in Europe in the '20's, then came home to middle America where he lived the rest of his life. Wood was a pillar in Regionalism, art which legitimized/romanticized life in the heartland of America, especially as a reaction to the highly abstract work being produced in Europe.

I think this movement deserves a revisit, especially in light of the politically polarized, blue state/red state divide that seems to run so deep these days. I feel like the urban, coastal intelligentsia think this question has been settled: that their way of life and their way of thinking is the "correct" way and that the unwashed "flyover" masses in the middle have it all wrong. Middle America feels the same way about the urban liberals, blaming "Hollywood values" for individual failings and big government for an imploding economy (Tea Party, anyone?).

I know that's an oversimplification. Which is why I'd like to see this dialogue re-energized via art. Wood's realism, depicting the Midwestern people he loved doing honest work in bright and colorful spaces is an argument for the decency (and arguably the superiority) of that sort of life in the early 1900's. Do we have any artists making the same argument today?

This kid looks like someone I have met. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm pretty sure it's someone in Lucas' class. There is some debate amongst the critics about whether or not Wood admires his models or is painting them ironically. Mostly there seems to be some respect.

But sometimes there it is clear animosity. This one, above, populated by Daughters of the American Revolution has a story. Wood was granted the commission for a massive stained glass installation by the DAR. It is lovely but Wood never got to see it in place because these stiff ladies delayed it until Wood had been dead for 13 years. They were offended because Wood used German glass for the piece and we had been at war with Germany. Wood used Crossing the Delaware, shown in the background above, because the artist used the Rhine river (in Germany!) as the model in this iconic American painting.

A close up of the stained glass piece.

Towards the end of his career, Wood did a series of lithographs. I think his pictures often suggest a story of their own. They remind me very much of a current artist that most of the children are familiar with: Chris van Allsburg. The Jumanji, Zathura guy. See?

But I think Wood was the least ambiguous when it came to his landscapes. He clearly loves his land: sunny and bright, slightly inflated, a bright place where nothing could go very wrong. He did love Iowa, didn't he?

2011-03-01T08:06:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I feel sorry for celebrities who lose it. Lindsay Lohan. Britney Spears. Dakota Fanning. (She hasn't gone crazy yet? Just wait. She will.) Usually I feel sorry for them because they were conscripted to a showbiz life as children and I don't feel like they can be held responsible for the craziness that shaped them nor for the crazy they have become. Off the hook. I avoid their stories and reserve judgment.

Then there are the truly foul celebrities who are utterly depressing: Mel Gibson, Courtney Love, Dennis Rodman... that kind of celebrity hasn't "lost it." They willingly sold it to the devil himself. For whatever reason I feel they are responsible for their own circumstances and so I don't feel sorry for them. Icky and depressing. I avoid their stories too.

Then there are the crazies who are hilarious. Matthew McConaughey always seems to fall into this category. Because he's a pothead? I don't know. When he's crazy it just seems funny, not frightening. Winona Ryder. Non-threatening, but clearly a crazy klepto. Fun to watch. Robert Downey Jr. Watch him closely: hilarity ensues. These stories I love and I read whatever I can get my hands on.

The best category is the one where the celebrity is BOTH depressing and hilarious. This week we have a bonafide crazy who is the perfect mix of depressing and hilarious: Charlie Sheen. Don't avoid the articles about him: they are laugh out loud funny. He is walking on thin ice... next week he may cross into the utterly depressing category. But for now: thanks Charlie. You've made me laugh more this week than your sitcom ever did.

PS: Not enough crazy yet? Check out this slideshow of Muammar Gaddafi's fashion sense. Is he a bloodthirsty dictator contributing to worldwide regime uncertainty and causing your gas prices to rise precipitously? Undoubtedly. But the stuff he wears? Hilarious. It's Moon Over Parador crazy. Enjoy.

Ordinary Extraordinary

2011-02-21T11:27:00.001-07:00

Ordinary has been extraordinarily pleasant these last few weeks.

We went to see the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU. It was remarkable. I loved seeing familiar pieces in their original size and splendor. Lovely. Then we went downstairs to the At War! exhibit of wartime art and illustrations. The boys preferred it.

Then we had dinner at the Wilkinson Center. Don't nurture any fond nostalgia for the food at BYU. The worst lemon bar I have ever tasted. And the chow mein. Goodness gracious. IN. edible. My expectations were low but I was still disappointed.

But the memories were really fun. I have spent quite a bit of time on campus with the boys, but not much with Randy and the boys. We wandered around remembering our friends and our dates and our classes together. We've come so far and learned so much. Fun.

Haircut. This is my Mom's haircut. Literally. Because the guy I am going to now is the guy my Mom went to for years. So I showed him some pictures of Kirsten Dunst... and he gave me my Mom's haircut. Randy loves it. LOVES it. I like it. But I still think I'll grow it just a little bit. It's just too much for me to see my Mom staring back at me in the mirror. (Love ya, Mom.)

And we had a favorite cousin over. He blended right in. I think he could live with us without any adjustment whatsoever (on our part... he might miss his Mom). Cool kid.

2011-02-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

You might remember that Randy had his gall bladder removed. Fun! For the first few weeks following surgery he was asked to go easy on all fatty foods. Thankfully that restriction is lifted.

At the same time they accurately diagnosed the gall stones, the gastroenterologist also diagnosed Randy with adult-onset lactose intolerance. Double fun!! We're actually really happy with the accurate diagnosis (our questions about this have been kicking around for years now), but the ripple effects on our eating style have been tsunami-level.

Because milk and cheese are everywhere. There are the obvious offenders: corn chowder, lasagnas and cheese stuffed Italian dishes, quesadillas, tomato-basil and cream soup (my favorite), ice cream, and, say, fondue. It's the ones that sneak up on you that hurt the most. For example, most candy bars have high levels of milk. As in, "milk chocolate." Sad. Randy eats a lot of dark chocolate these days.

The good news is that he can take lactase supplements before eating many cheese and milk products to manage the consequences. Still, a full-on Potato Chowder is just out. And steamers are no more (remember how we love steamers?). Cream, glorious cream and strawberries, for instance: nixed. But with lactase pills, pizza is a go. Yay. Randy has been a champ. I've been a little bit whiny about retiring some favorite recipes.

For a few weeks we poked around the kitchen with blank looks on our faces. But I feel like we're getting our mojo back. A few things have made it easier. 1) Lactaid. It's gross to drink, apparently, but when used in cooking it can replace milk. Not good enough for a recipe dependent on cream for flavor, but good enough when it's secondary. 2) Creativity. I'm starting to spend more time looking for recipes. There are a few blogs that are helping. None of them are lactose-free blogs, they just have nice recipes that make me want to cook. I'm starting to rebuild a cache of recipes to work from. My inspiration;
Dinner: A Love Story
Zupas (the restaurant blog = good recipes)
Shutterbean
Our Best Bites
There are a few others that I lurk around, but these are the blogs where I find recipes that I actually use. Even without a gall bladder surgery in your recent past, you'd probably like them, too.

2011-02-14T09:30:00.002-07:00

I have learned many new things as a mother of boys. One of the things that has been an absolute revelation is their regard for girls. Because I spent many years as a little girl wondering what the little boys were thinking. Wondering when they were going to notice me. Wondering if they liked my blue shirt or my red shirt better. Wondering when they would finally proclaim their endless love and adoration.

While I was dreaming of being swept away on my first date and for my first kiss, I now know what the little boys were thinking: "Fish sticks for lunch. Star Wars. Yellow hair. Light Sabers. Hungry. Thirsty. Anakin Skywalker. Peanut butter cookies. Lego's."

Girls might flicker through their minds (the "yellow hair" part). But in elementary school, little boys are not planning a perfect first date or how to orchestrate the most romantic first kiss. Not even remotely. They can barely keep both shoes tied at the same time. They're not playing games when they give a Valentine to Jane but not to Jessica: they ate Jessica's at recess.

They are simple and a little bit obtuse. They like candy and cookies. They like little girls who smile at them. The end.

Day-gaaaah

2011-02-08T10:28:00.000-07:00

This morning before I sat down to fill you in on Edgar Degas I cleaned all three toilets and swept the hamster cage. You're right, we don't have a hamster. That's what we call the family/TV room because the amount of garbage and honest-to-gosh dirt I sweep out of that room is hamster cage comparable. It's beyond disgusting: it's stunning, remarkable... like some kind of achievement. Because how could three boys make such a mess without really working for it? Someday I'll take a picture to show you.

Anyway. I share all that to explain that I've already had a day. And because the icky chores are all done, I feel license to do what I want with the rest of it. Isn't that a nice feeling?

Yesterday was the Degas assembly. His paintings are pretty and accessible. Degas was born and raised in Paris. His mother died when he was 14. He decided to be an artist when he was 18, a decision his father supported.

Although not fabulously wealthy, his father was a banker and Degas never worried much about money. I think this is important to note. It is a start in understanding whether an artist is producing what he wants to or whether he is producing art to sell. Degas had the luxury of painting what he wanted to.

He spent some time in Louisiana with family, where he painted the piece above, The Cotton Exchange at New Orleans. It was his only work purchased by a museum in his lifetime.

But he is famous, of course, for his ballerinas. Degas was a moderately successful and quite artistically conservative: several of his pieces had been accepted by the Salon, but he was adventurous enough as an artist to exhibit with Monet, Pissaro, Renoir and Cassatt as part of the movement that came to be known as Impressionism. Degas himself never wanted to be known as an Impressionist! He didn't like outdoor painting and he liked to artificially manipulate composition and light. But, like the Impressionists, he was interested in movement and his subject matter was everyday people instead of religious or historical themes. His brushstrokes are loose. And that adds up to Impressionism, Edgar. Sorry.

Below is his most expensive piece, called Dancer in Repose, sold in 2008 for $37 million. It's about 25" square.

A snob to begin with, Degas got progressively grouchy with age. Charges of anti-Semitism and general curmudgeoun-ly behavior led his colleagues to conclude: "He's a terrible man, but frank and loyal," from Pisarro. And "What a creature he was, that Degas! All his friends had to leave him; I was one of the last to go, but even I couldn't stay until the end," from Renoir. He did have a long-term relationship with Mary Cassatt (she burned all of their letters before she died, so the exact nature remains a mystery). They shared a love of Japanese woodcut prints. It seem apparent that they spent a great deal of time together. She wrote: "I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his [Degas'] art. It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it." A few of my favorites:

Love the colors.

La Asbinthe. I remember studying this one in high school. I still like it very much.

It's February 2nd for the first time this year.

2011-02-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

DJ 1: Okay, campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties 'cause it's cooooold out there today. DJ 2: It's coooold out there every day. What is this, Miami Beach?
DJ 1: Not hardly. And you know, you can expect hazardous travel later today with that, you know, that, uh, that blizzard thing.

DJ 2: [mockingly] That blizzard - thing. That blizzard - thing. Oh, well, here's the report! The National Weather Service is calling for a "big blizzard thing!"

DJ 1: Yessss, they are. But you know, there's another reason why today is especially exciting.
DJ 2: Especially cold!
DJ 1: Especially cold, okay, but the big question on everybody's lips...
DJ 2: On their chapped lips...

DJ 1: On their chapped lips, right: Do ya think Phil is gonna come out and see his shadow?
DJ 2: Punxsutawney Phil!
DJ 1: That's right, woodchuck-chuckers - it's...
DJ 1, DJ 2: [in unison] GROUNDHOG DAY!

Phil: You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life.

Ned: Do you have life insurance, Phil? Because if you do, you could always use a little more, right? I mean, who couldn't? But you wanna know something? I got the feeling...
[whistles]
Ned: ... you ain't got any. Am I right or am I right? Or am I right? Am I right?