Grandparents

It's still really odd to be a Grandma. Don't get me wrong. It's so fun to have a grandson, to hold him and love him. It is enjoyable to be able to help Mariasha as she calls to ask a myriad of questions about how to care for a baby. It was so amazing to be there for the birth. I love all of that. But when someone talks about me and says things like "You'll have to talk to Grandma," or "Grandma will spoil the baby rotton," and then people turn and look at me and I realize that I am "Grandma", that is really, really wierd. Oh well, Quinton is so cute, it's worth it. I love him and his family so much!

Thanksgiving fun

Mariasha, Jared and Quinton came to visit us for Thanksgiving. It was so fun to see them, and Quinton is getting so big! I loved holding him. We were supposed to go motorcycling with Teri and Mark, but when Mark went to get the trailer, he found out that the trailer park had closed several hours early on the day before Thanksgiving, and wouldn't be open again until the day after Thanksgiving. Instead, Teri's family came to our house and we had Thanksgiving dinner here. The kids had fun playing Just Dance on the Wii. It's a fun game that is good exercise too. You follow the dance moves on the tv screen, and hold the wii remote. The game can tell if you are dancing correctly or not.
The day after Thanksgiving Teri's family went camping, but we decided to stay home. We went to the zoo instead. We borrowed a stroller from my neighbor, Nuria, and headed down to Balboa Park. Before we went into the zoo, we stopped at picnic tables and had homemade sandwiches. There were several chipmunks that were hanging out in the trees and on the ground, and Taliah and Kallai had fun feeding them peanuts. The chipmunks weren't shy at all. After we got into the zoo, we took a bus tour around the park. The kids wanted to sit in the very front seat. We realized quickly that that is the worst place to sit. The bus driver would drive past each exhibit, so the people in the middle had the best view. The people in the front had to crane their heads around to see the animals behind them. Oh well. We made a special visit to the polar bears and elephants. We saw a lion who was lugging around a huge barrel in his mouth. We had a really cute picture taken, our first family picture with Quinton. We really enjoyed ourselves. After the zoo, Mariasha and Jared went to see the new Harry Potter 7 movie. I got to babysit Quinton. He is so adorable.
The next day Mariasha and Jared headed off to Disneyland. We had quite a commotion about it. They had made blankets for the Disney Give a Day Get a Day service opportunity, where you give a day of service and get a day at Disneyland. Unfortunately, they had forgotten to print out the tickets. Mariasha figured she could print them at my house, but when she tried, she found that the website had been shut down, and wasn't able to. I spent some time trying to figure out a phone number to call to ask about it. Disneyland is a difficult place to get on the phone. I finally got the number of the Orlando headquarters, but they were closed for the weekend. We finally talked to my Sis in law Julane, who had had the same problem. She had found out that you just had to take your id to the park and they would look it up. Next problem, Mariasha had changed her name since getting married, and her certificate showed her maiden name. She was supposed to have brought her marriage license, to prove the name change. She forgot. Luckily I happened to remember that I had kept a copy for genealogy. Well after much anxiety, they were able to go and get in just fine. It was fun to be able to spend the whole day with Quinton. This whole grandma thing is pretty cool. Kevin and Julane came down after Thanksgiving, and it was fun to catch up with them. They have an adorable new baby girl named Shaylee. Pretty soon she and Quinton will be playing together.
On Sunday Mariasha and Jared left for home early so they could have a few hours to relax at home, since Jared had to work on Monday. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate. They got stuck in terrible weather. What should have been a 10 hour drive turned out to be a 15 hour drive. At least they made it home safe and sound.

In case you ever wanted to know...

A few random things about me. I saw this on a friends blog, and I thought some of the questions were fun. No one tagged me, and I'm not going to tag anyone else because I think chain letters are terribly annoying, but if you feel so inspired, it would be fun to hear your answers too.

1. Who is your hero? Why?
Growing up, I would have to say my dad. He could do no wrong. He knew everything, from politics to science to random interesting facts. As I look back now, I'm sure he made some of his knowledge up on the spot, but he spoke with such confidence that it had to be true. He could do anything, from building furniture to building/remodeling our house, from stitching up a cut to beautifully tooling leather, from flying an airplane to riding a horse. , He always had time for me. He read stories to my sister and I, and continues to read stories to my kids. He took us camping, fishing, hiking, cliff jumping, on vacation to Disneyland, on vacation driving across half of Mexico, and so many other fun and exciting experiences. He was and still is amazing.

Now, however, my dad has to share his pedestal. My grown up hero would have to be my husband, David. David is amazing. He is very talented. He can do so many things, and when he does something, he always does it well. He finished our basement and landscaped our yard, both of which were done very beautifully and professionally. He is great at many different sports. He is an amazing artist and creates breathtaking works of art. But the main reason David is my hero is how well he takes care of me and the kids. He works long hours a work providing for us, and then he comes home and helps out around the house. He treats me like a queen. He is always worried about my comfort, but takes very little thought for his own. I am never in doubt that he loves me.

2. When you were a little tyke, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a teacher. What I would teach changed from time to time. As a young child, I wanted to be a first grade teacher. I wanted to be like my wonderful first grade teacher, Mrs. Lott. In Junior High and High School, I wanted to be a Home Ec. teacher. I wanted to teach kids how to sew.

3. What is one goal you currently have?
Well, this one isn't very big or consequential, but I would like to be able to find my way around North San Diego county without getting lost, without having to make multiple u-turns after having taken a wrong turn. I'd like to travel North on I-15 without accidentally taking the 78 interchange, not because I'm concentrating very hard on not taking it, but just because I know where I'm going, and it would be silly to even be caught in the wrong lane at that particular point on the freeway.

4. What life achievement are you most proud of?
Twenty years of a successful marriage. Marriage is tough, it's a lot of work, and in this age of disposable spouses, I think twenty years is quite an accomplishment. I am very proud of the fact that David and I are happier, more in love, and that the spark of romance is burning brighter now after 20 years than ever before in our marriage.

5. If you could do anything with your spare time, what would you do?
Do I have to pick just one thing? I have too many hobbies to pick just one. If money and school schedules and the like were no object, then I'd like to travel more. I'd like to see the world. Until the kids are up and out, however, my sights are set much lower. I'd like to have time to quilt more, to scrapbook more, to paint more, to cake decorate more. There are hundreds of different crafty things that I'd like to try my hand at, but there just aren't enough hours in the day.

6. What is your best physical feature?
I'm thinking my legs. I get lots of compliments on my calves especially. I inherited them from my mom. They are very muscular and defined, and I have skinny knees and ankles. At least that's what others tell me.

7. What is the most important thing your parents ever taught you by example?
So many things! First, with hard work and persistence I can do anything I want to, and if I do something, I should do it well. If I don't know how, I should put effort in, and learn how. Second, everything I have was given to me by God. I shouldn't be selfish with or prideful about what I have. I should always be grateful, and I should show that gratitude by serving God and those around me. Third, wonderful people come in many different packages. People that others might think are odd or eccentric often make the best, truest and most enjoyable friends.

8. Why do you think the Mormon church is true?
I believe that the Mormon church is the re-established original church of Jesus Christ that he organized while he was on the earth. I have many reasons why I believe it is true. They all come down to basically the same thing. I have received confirmation from God that it is. This has come in many different ways. I have received an answer to the direct questions "Is this church true?", "Is the Book of Mormon true?", and "Is Thomas S. Monson a prophet?". I have received direct answers to my prayers from God, inspiration and knowledge that I could not have known on my own that saved my marriage. I have received answers to my prayers while reading the Book of Mormon. Answers that are so specific, even down to the use of the same words that I used in my prayers, that there is no possible way that it could be a coincidence. I have received answers to my prayers while listening to speakers in church, in General Conference, in other church meetings, again that are breathtakingly specific and personally relevant. And finally, it just make sense to me. There is a God, who loves his children, who still speaks to them and guides them through modern day prophets.

1) What is one food you hated as a child, but as an adult you now enjoy?
I hated everything as a child, and love most everything now. Cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, mustard, saurkraut, brocoli, cantaloupe, bleu cheese, etc.

2) Favorite memory growing up?
Hanging out with my family. We did all kinds of things together: board games, hiking, river rafting, water skiing, running, reading, Dad reading the Sunday morning "Funnies" to us, etc. I really had an idyllic childhood.

3) Craziest thing you've ever done and/or seen happen?
Jump off a 63 foot cliff into the water on Mustang Ridge at Flaming Gorge with my dad and sister. I was probably 13. It took me about 30 minutes to get up the nerve to actually do it, but it was awesome!

4) If you could choose any super power, what would it be?
I always answer "fly" when asked this question. Why? I don't know, because it would be really cool. It always is when I can fly in my dreams, except when I get tangled up in power lines.

5) Favorite book, and why?
I adore so many books, it's so hard to choose. All I ask of a book is that it entertain me, and that it keep itself reasonably clean. I can't stand steamy romances or swear words in every other sentence. I'd have to say that my two favorite books are Twilight, by Stephanie Meyer and Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Both made me laugh out loud, cry until my nose ran, and stay up well into the night to find out what happened next.

6) Why did you choose the major/degree/career that you did?
I always wanted to be a teacher, and I loved volunteering in my kids classes, so it seemed natural to work in a school helping kids.

8) Paper or plastic?
This problem is one that I have actually given serious consideration. Which is better? I don't know. Paper kills trees, plastic fills landfills and doesn't biodegrade. Plastic has nice convenient handles, paper doesn't squish the bread. Decisions, decisions. I guess the best answer would be to bring my own cloth bags, which I actually own. Some day I will be organized enough that I will actually remember to put them into the car before I go to the store, and then remember to take out of the car and into the store. Until that day though, I usually get a combination. Paper for eggs, chips and bread, plastic for everything else.

It's starting to feel like home

I've finally started getting some painting done. I just couldn't stand the flat white walls anymore. I don't know who came up with flat paint, but that person certainly didn't have children or pets. The color scheme is very bold, but I love it. I wasn't sure at first, but once we got the color on the walls, I realized why my husband is a very talented designer. He knows his color!

We painted the kitchen/family room and powder room in "Graham Cracker Crust. David decided that wasn't the right name at all, so he renamed it "Pumpkin Bisque". Jordan felt that neither name truly captured the color, so he named it "Caramel Syrup". The hallways and stairs are painted in "Burlap", but again, David and Jordan were unsatisfied, so David calls it "Golden Wheat" and Jordan calls it "Horseradish Mustard". I think it's pretty amusing that they can't be satisfied with the original names, but whatever makes them happy.

We bought an amazing ceiling fan for the family room. It has wooden blades that wrap around the light. I love it. It matches really well with the color and the sculptures in the family room.

I'm hoping to finish painting all of the public areas before Thanksgiving. I think it's doable, as long as my family is willing to eat cold cereal for dinner for a little while longer. Actually, I "hired" Jordan to help with the painting, because he needs money for his choir trip, and he doesn't have a job. He's been chauffering children, cooking dinner, and cleaning while I paint. It works out pretty well, although I'm guessing that Jordan is starting to think maybe he should just get a job. I only have 2 rooms left; the office, which will be painted in "Monks Cloth", a brown/green color, (David's and Jordan's names are still pending), and the TV room, who's color is yet to be decided. I'm thinking red. After that, we will just have bedrooms left. I love having color on my walls. It makes my home seem so much more inviting and personal.