A New Year Countdown

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Folks, it's time. It's time to start blogging again. Phooey on Facebook, I say. (Just kidding, I do like Facebook.) But I need an OUTLET, people, an outlet for my thoughts that just might be (and often are) longer than what Facebook can give me. In short: I've missed blogging and want to get back! So, with that said, here's our "New Year Countdown" summary of what we've learned since August:

NUMBER TEN:

WE'VE LEARNED that James and I should seriously consider a future as long-john models:



(Please contact our agent if interested. I think this may just be the big break we've been waiting for! Thank you.)

NUMBER NINE:

WE'VE LEARNED that Bethany has her priorities right. When we tried to hand her a Christmas present, she said, "No thanks, I have enough." (Mommy is BEAMING here.)



NUMBER EIGHT:

WE'VE LEARNED (Well, James has learned) that he has to give me TIME to do my hair and makeup before we go on a date, or else I look like this:



I need my beauty time, people.

NUMBER SEVEN:

WE'VE LEARNED that Bethany is a budding artist! She has started drawing smiley faces! This is a picture of her first smiley face ever. Please note that the potato-man is in a lying down position.



She has also taken to making up her own stories. Just tonight she wrote one called, and I quote, "Bethlehem by Bethany." It went something like this:

Bethlehem by Bethany

"As soon as the Genie came to life, he came to Bethlehem to meet the witch. And he said, "SMACK!" And the end.

I think this kid is on her way to a Newberry!

NUMBER SIX:

WE'VE LEARNED to never, never, never try to go to Temple Square to see the lights on the same night as the Tabernacle Choir concert. It took us an hour to park. Here we are below, smiling through our grumpiness:



NUMBER FIVE:

WE'VE LEARNED (Well, Bethany has learned) how to do headstands on her own!



NUMBER FOUR:

WE'VE LEANRED that Bethany doesn't mind a good thrill! In October, we went to Frightmares at Lagoon and there wasn't a ride she didn't like. This is us on the Dinosaur Drop, ready to ride!



NUMBER THREE:

WE LEARNED that if you give men a couple of ice scrapers they turn into Jedi Knights (a.k.a. little kids) just like THAT!



NUMBER TWO:

WE'VE LEARNED that dental hygiene is really, really important:



(And don't forget to brush the tongue, too)




NUMBER ONE: (Drumroll, please)

WE'VE LEARNED that no matter what life throws you, singing "The Scotsman" with a bunch of crazy Aggies can only lift your spirits!



Happy New Year, everyone!

"Over the Rainbow" by Bethany

Monday, August 3, 2009

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Bethany is eating, breathing and sleeping The Wizard of Oz these days. Tonight I finally caught a rendition of her singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on videotape. She sings this song (as well as the other Oz songs) several times a day as she runs through the house. Enjoy, and especially note the dramatic finish with the big hand gesture at the end (which she, not us, made up)! We happen to think she's the cutest little Dorothy we've ever seen.

"If I Were King" by Bethany

Okay, this is a rendition of the song the Lion sings in The Wizard of Oz, only this one is Bethany style! It's a little hard to understand, because she gets very enthusiastic in her interpretation. So below are the words so you can follow along somewhat. (She does skip around somewhat.)

If I were king of the forest
Not queen, not duke, not prince
My regal robes of the forest
Would be satin, not cotton, not chintz.

I'd command each thing, be it fish or fowl
With a woof! And a woof! And a royal growl. (Woof!)
As I'd click my heel, all the trees would kneel,
And the mountains bow, and the bulls kow-tow
And the sparrow, would take wing!
If I, if I, were king!

(Yes, I typed that from memory. A thousand times of this will engraven the lyrics on anyone's mind.) Enjoy, and note the vibrato!

Is the Davis Conference Center Trying to Poison Us? You Decide.

Personally, I think there's more to that pink punch than meets the eye. But let me backtrack . . .

This last weekend, James and I had the great opportunity to go to the National Families Supporting Adoption Conference in Layton at the Davis Conference Center. We try to go every year--it's like EFY for adoption with tons of classes to choose from and just an all-around good time. And we did have a good time! It was great to see good friends and take some really great classes that will help us as parents. And the speaker, Troy Dunn, was just wonderful and inspiring. We laughed, we cried, we loved his whole speech, etc. etc. etc.

Now here's the kicker: both times we ate the food, we both got sick. Now, how does that happen unless one is part of a diabolical poisoning plot? Friday night, at the banquet, we ate and generally enjoyed the food (I say "generally" because we really aren't the gourmet type--keep in mind that James is from "Blanding" and that's how he describes his taste in food). Anyway, on the way home we're both just really feeling not so hot. But we make it through the evening and the next day, after a good night's rest, we feel great! So on Saturday, after our morning classes, we head to the luncheon. Now, the luncheon had the same salad they had served the night before, so we decide to skip that part and enjoy the new, totally non-recycled parts of the meal (which were tasty, I might add). And then, a couple of hours later, we feel sick again!

Now, I ask you: what is up with this? Is the Davis Conference Center trying to poison us by degrees, like Lehonti in the Book of Mormon? Did anyone else get sick? I know many of my FSA friends read my blog. Did any of you get sick? Does it all come down to the pink punch? I'm thinking that next year they should have a "pay for the conference excluding the meals" option. Then the rest of us can hightail it over to Cracker Barrell or at least find safety in a peanut butter sandwich.

That said, however, the conference was wonderful as usual! Another fun weekend over.

38 Reasons Why I Love James: Happy Birthday!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Happy birthday to my sweet man! How do I love thee? Let me count 38 ways! (Note: There's no reason for the number 38--heavens, he's only turning 26 today . . .hee hee!)

1. I love the way he smells!
2. His funny little dances make me laugh.
3. I like the way he says "behind." (He says it like "BEE-hind." It's cute.)
4. He's so, so nice and patient with me when I'm not at my best.
5. He's even so, so nice and patient with me when I AM at my best.
6. I love the way he laughs.
7. He has light beams that shoot out of his eyes.
8. I love his clear, tenor voice. I could listen to him sing all day long.
9. He comes up with funny little jokes just like THAT (snap!).
10. He gives great hugs.
11. He's not a bad kisser, either . . .
12. He's such a good sport about whatever scheme I've cooked up.
13. He's so dang smart. What a mind! What a brilliant mind!
14. His heart is so very kind and very tender.
15. What a good dad he is. And not even afraid to change diapers.
16. He works hard, hard, hard and is such a good provider.
17. His inner child is alive and healthy. I like that in a grown-up.
18. He's glad to lend a hand to those in need.
19. I like how observant he is. (For a man, he's really quite observant, actually!)
20. What a friendly guy. Everybody likes James!
21. I love how he appreciates the beauty in life.
22. He cooks a mean scrambled egg with ham and cheese.
23. He wouldn't hurt my feelings for the world. I love that.
24. I really love the way he laughs. What a great laugh.
25. He's so dang CREATIVE and INVENTIVE. What talent!
26. He looks hot in his fedora.
27. He's quick to apologize when he's wrong, and quick to accept my apologies, too.
28. James has a tremendous amount of faith. I love that.
29. He always gives me his jacket when I'm cold.
30. His navigational skills are remarkable! He gets us where we need to go.
31. He's just a lot of fun, wherever we are.
32. He's thrifty, clean, brave, reverent . . .
33. His blonde hair in the sunlight is like living gold.
34. He hasn't met an object he can't stick to his forehead. Now THAT'S skill.
35. He stashes candy around the house like a POW stashes bread.
36. He's BRAVE and TOUGH and kills all of the hornets for me. Kill! Kill! Kill!
37. He can fix or build anything, from toilets to computers to sheds to basements...
38. He's "true at all times in whatsoever thing he is entrusted." And I trusted him with my heart almost 15 years ago--he's always taken GREAT care of it.

I guess I just love you because you're James. Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Bethany's First Camping/Lake Trip

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Wow, are we tired. We just can't hold our fun. We partied like it was 2009 and now we're paying the price! Here's our account of our vacation, and there aren't many pictures of me here because I'm a little afraid that my camping bangs make me look the teensiest bit like Donald Trump.

Anyway, last week we decided it was time for a little family togetherness so James, Bethany and I hit the dusty road. The plan was to camp overnight in Logan Canyon, then wake up the next day and spend the day playing at Bear Lake. So we executed the plan, and then the plan executed us. (No, it was fun, really it was. I just have that day-after-the-vacation hangover where the sunburn, laundry and unpacking has made me a little loopy. But we did have a GREAT time!)

On Friday, after a little trouble finding an available campsite (the down side to not planning ahead) we managed to find a beautiful spot at the Bridger Campground in Logan Canyon. It's right by Zanavoo--not too far up the canyon, which was nice since we were heading up after James got home from work and we didn't want a long drive before digging into dinner. Anyway, we arrived at the spot, set up camp and cooked our tin foil dinners. Bethany LOVED her dinner--yum yum! (Why does everything taste so much better over a campfire? Is it the ash?)



She was also a big fan of the tent. Let's face it, tents are fun--I don't care who you are, tents are fun! After dinner, and after a lot of persuading by James and calming of my fears about Bethany and campfires and the dangers thereof, James taught Bethie the finer points of marshmallow toasting:



And she had her first s'more!



Mmmmmm, those s'mores were sure good! But you know, after the first bite Bethany preferred just eating marshmallows straight from the bag. I, however, had no problem eating three of those bad boys. I love s'mores made with Fudge Stripe cookies! Yum!

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly by, and as it got dark we looked forward to sleeping peacefully under the stars, rocked to sleep by the gentle breeze wafting through our tent and the sounds of the crickets and the distant river soothing our souls.



WELL HA HA HA THAT WAS A DREAM SHATTERED, THANKS TO THE JERKAZOIDS AROUND THE CORNER!

I'm not bitter. Really. Truly. I'm working on repenting from all of my angry thoughts. But just as we were all tucked up snuggly in our beds (bags), our nice little camping neighbors decided to crank up the party. And they partied. And they partied. And they partied. And they blared their music and their laughter grew raucous. And then they switched from their annoying rap to Garth Brooks, and because I happened to know all of the words to "Friends in Low Places" (my family sometimes sang that before church on Sundays, don't ask) I couldn't even pretend the music was white noise, as I was now singing along in my head. Grrrrrr!

And then, in the campsite on our right, one of the guys decided to start playing a bongo drum. (Who brings bongo drums camping? I mean, a nice guitar is one thing but bongo drums?) Thankfully, though, the bongo didn't last too long.

So somewhere in there, while gazing up at the stars in the middle of the night, I'm thinking, "Get me out of this stinkin' fresh air!" We did eventually fall asleep, however--me with one eye open in case one of those partiers was thinking of slashing our tent and stealing our daughter (I don't think too straight at that point of exhaustion). And, to make a full confession, I was thinking pretty horrible thoughts about our neighbors and wishing them all terrible deaths from alcohol poisoning. In the morning, however, I did repent of my thoughts and my revenge simmered to wishing them terrible hangovers.

Here's Bethany the next day after our long night--I think this look says it all:



But after a GREAT breakfast that James cooked over the fire again (James is one great camp cook!) our adrenaline kicked in and we were once again happy campers. After striking camp, we headed for Bear Lake. And let me just say how much I love Bear Lake: I really, really, really love it. It's beautiful and the water is nice and cool and I have so many memories of family reunions there that a big piece of my heart resides in the turquoise blue water of Bear Lake forever! Okay, enough of waxing sentimental!

We had a BLAST. We really did. Bethany loved the lake. She loved digging in the sand with her little bucket and shovel, looking for and collecting shells, and spending lots and lots of time in the water. She talked to the seagulls and talked to the sailboats. For example, "Hi Seagull! I'm going swimming, Seagull! In the lake, Seagull!" and "Hi, Sailboat! I'm swimming with Mommy, Sailboat! See you later, Sailboat!" I love how she talks to animals and objects!

Here are a few pics (mock my pearly white legs and die):

Playing in the Sand:



Ready to Get In:



Lunch Break:



Little Sand Princess:



We really had a ball, as reflected in this picture taken just five minutes after getting in the car to come home:



And I'm proud to report that the only person who is sunburned is me, and only on my back in one spot that I failed to remember when applying sunscreen. (To truly appreciate how unscathed this is, you must be very familiar with Bear Lake, a.k.a. Sunburn Trap of the World.) So we're hobbling around a little today, and we were all a bit glassy-eyed at church, but the memories were worth it!

Three Cheers For the Red, White and Blue!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

I thought I'd better blog about the Fourth of July before I forget everything. What a crazy weekend! We yankeed and we doodled and we had a dandy time! (And now I'm exhausted and I have a headache! All part of the package.)

Friday night was the best--after a great BBQ and birthday party for my niece Ruby (Happy birthday Rubykins!)we headed to the fireworks at the stadium. Oh how we love the fireworks at the stadium! And yes, we always go inside--it's such a party! (SOAPBOX WARNING) I believe in paying to go in so that they'll continue to have the money to do it every year! (End of soapbox.) Bethany loved watching the military fly-over ("Big plane come back!"), watching "Big Blue" on the field, and doing the hokey-pokey with thousands of other people. I tried to prepare her for the fireworks and how loud they would be, and I think my efforts paid off because she really liked them a lot! At first, she just snuggled into me and looked a little wary (it doesn't help that it's so late and she's barely keeping her eyes open) but she totally got into it! Nieces Ruby, Lizzy and Macy all liked them, too--well, Macy just slept through the whole thing. Pretty good for a two-month-old.

James, Tracee, Ruby and Macy:



Julie and Lizzy:



Grandpa and Bethany:



Saturday morning, Bethany, my dad, and I woke up bright and early and headed out to the Lewiston parade. When we got to Lewiston, the police officer guiding traffic made us park down this road that was TOTALLY far away from the parade route. (I'm thinking at least two miles but as time goes by, the distance gets longer!) So like the pioneers of old, we had to walk, and walk, and walk and WAAAAALLLKKK! Carrying a two-year-old (yours truly forgot the stroller) and heavy parade chairs. Oh, and the heavy diaper bag. If anyone who reads this knows, please tell me why in the world the officer made us park far, far away when there was plenty of parking close to the parade route? Help me understand? Let's just say I DESERVED all those Golden Oreos I ate the night before at the fireworks, and I definitely walked them off by hiking the Lewiston parade.

As soon as we got back from Lewiston, it was time to hit the Hyrum City parade. (Yes, we're parade goers!) So we swung by the house to pick up James (hubby), James (brother), Tracee (sister-in-law), and nieces (Ruby and Macy)and head to Hyrum. We had a much more pleasant experience this time--we parked two blocks away (maybe Lewiston could pick up a few tips from Hyrum, here--I'm not bitter--I'm really not) and found a place right under a shady tree. The temperature was perfect and the girls had a ball catching all of the candy with their dads. (Isn't that just a dad's job--to teach kids how to gather parade candy? SO American.)

Dads and Daughters--The Training Begins:



The Race For The Taffy:



It seems to me that one could just drive down the street to Macey's and buy ten tons of salt water taffy for a nickel, but I guess that would take out the thrill of the hunt, huh?

Eureka! Now, Which Candy to Choose?



And (TANGENT WARNING) speaking of saltwater taffy--here's a secret: I just don't like it. I try to like it every year, and I just don't. Okay, so the cinnamon ones are pretty good. But I'd eat dirt if it tasted like cinnamon! Don't you think that saltwater taffy just tries too hard to be candy? (END OF TANGENT)

After the parade, we did various and sundry things that were totally NOT Fourth of July related while the girls took naps, then we made tostadas for the family and ate them! (Yes, we ate Mexican on the Fourth of July! Viva Mexico! Is my tostada eating plus my distaste for saltwater taffy going to paint me as un-American?) After dinner, we said goodbye to my family and James, Bethany and I went to see some friends and their annual fireworks extravaganza, which was fun, especially since no one set themselves on fire.

And then we called it a night! Another fun Fourth of July come and gone. We love the Fourth of July. We love our country (despite the tostadas). We are grateful for our freedoms and for those who fight for us so we can go to fireworks and parades and sing The Star-Spangled Banner with tears in our eyes. Happy Independence Day, everybody!

My Munchkin Has Been Ozified

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

The above picture is of my daughter, in her Dorothy costume and "ruby" (a.k.a. red sequins) slippers, GLUED to the TV screen during breakfast this morning. The reason she is GLUED and TRANSFIXED and COMPLETELY UNAWARE of her surroundings is because The Wizard of Oz is playing on the screen. Now, the reason I agreed to let her watch The Wizard of Oz this morning during breakfast was in hopes that it would a) distract her from reading The Wizard of Oz book, which we read together no less than seven times today, and b) I thought that at least we could shovel some food in her while she was watching the movie, which doesn't work well with the book thing.

Well, she didn't eat much. She didn't even respond to anything. It was like aliens (Ozians?)had taken over her body. We had to stop the movie several times ("Eat three bites, please!") so she could at least get some sustinence. Then she proceeded all day to talk about Dorothy, the tin man, the scarecrow, the witch . . .in all times and in all things and in all places. (Example: during a diaper change she said, "The lion has a bum! The tin man has a bum!") Right at this moment, even as I type, she's making up a song involving all of the characters. "Oh the lion, dum dee da, the scarecrow, doo doo doo!"

I've created a monster! A cute little monster in blue gingham, but a monster none the less! At least it's a classic, huh?

Let's See if I Can Remember How to Blog.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

It's been forever since I've blogged. We've just had too much going on in our family for me to even catch a breath, let alone sit at the computer!

First of all, I want to say "thank you" to everyone for your kind sympathy at Grandpa Johnson's passing. Losing Grandpa this way has been really hard, and we continue to be very busy trying to help Grandma through this adjustment time. The funeral was incredible--such an outpouring of the Spirit. The talks were focused on Christ, faith, eternal families and the temple. What a boost it gave me to be reminded of these simple gospel truths. I know we'll see Grandpa again--it just seems like the wait is too long at this point. But I've felt much more peaceful this week than last week, and I'm grateful for that! Please continue praying for Grandma--she's a pillar of faith and strength, but could still use all of the prayers she can get!

Another thing that's kept us busy is the ongoing effort to try and sell our house. Man! I'm getting tired of deep cleaning the house three times a week! Every time someone comes to look at it, we clean this place from top to bottom until it shines. Then I bake something right before they come over, to try the old olfactory trick of the house smelling like cookies or bread when they walk in. So far, we've not had an offer--although our realtor told us we came really close with one couple. So we have hope! I'll keep cleaning and baking, cleaning and baking. Thank goodness for pre-done cookie dough!

I'm thinking of having a yard sale to get rid of some of my junk. Is it worth it? Hmmmmm.

Anyway, I'm hoping to be getting back into the blogging scene again! I'm so grateful for my family and friends. Thanks guys!

Yearning For the Good Ole Days When Pa Could Just Chop Down a Tree to Build a House . . .

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

So, James and I are putting our house up for sale this week. Yikes! Here we go. We must be crazy to jump out of our comfort zone like this, but one-two-three JUMP!

We're not moving far, just across the street into the Aspen Meadows subdivision. So we'll still be in our same ward and everything (we LOVE our ward and didn't want to go). And we all know I can't live without the city library, which will now be a two-minute walk from my new backyard. But all of this is contingent on us selling our current home, so . . .anyone want to buy our house?

And all of this talk of contracts, and earnest money, and interest rates, and mortgages, and equity makes me think of how complicated life is now. Back in the day, if Ma wanted a new house, Pa just went and chopped down some trees. Then "Half-Pint" would help him throw the planks together and pound in some penny nails, and voila! A house. No mortgage shopping, no appraisals, no little homesteader building inspectors.

I just compiled my "to-do" list of projects we need to tie up around here before posting that "For Sale" sign, and I must say it looks a little overwhelming. Okay, a lot overwhelming. But if Pa and Half-Pint could do it, so can we. "Shoulder to the Wheel" time!

At least we have indoor plumbing! Poor Ma.

You "Can" Have a New Hat, Too . . .

Monday, May 11, 2009

Last night, I was lying on the couch, reading a book, and Bethany trotted up to me and told me, "New hat, Mommy!" So I looked up and this is what I saw:



Yes, that is her new Tinkerbell toilet seat. What a functinal new hat--just pick an end!

Wicked: Wow! Wow! Wow!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Last Wednesday, James and I had the unexpected opportunity to go and see Wicked, one of our all-time favorite musicals. We've had the soundtrack since it first came out in 2003, and have really, really, really wanted to see it since that time. We absolutely love the music and have all of the songs memorized, etc. etc. (Your basic CRAZY fans.) So when the opportunity came to go, we were so excited to finally see it! And we were NOT disappointed. The talent was amazing! And to demonstrate just how geeky I am, I'll tell you that when the lights came down and I heard the first few chords, I got all teary-eyed! (Geek! Geek! Geek!) And that wasn't the only time I teared up, either. (If I ever make it to a Broadway show in NYC, I'll have to remember to bring Kleenex.)

We weren't able to sit together, but we just held hands "mentally" and we both LOVED it. The only problem is--now we want to see it AGAIN. Thank you to the people who arranged for us to go--it will be a night long remembered! And thanks to my sweet husband who insisted I take the better seat. What a gentleman! And thanks to my wonderful aunt and uncle, who at intermission insisted we switch them seats for an even better view! And I'd also like to thank . . .(Do I sound like I just won a Tony? I'll be quiet now.)

Anyway, here's me in my seat, WAY too excited for my age:



James in his seat--he's over there somewhere, I promise:



Actually, James's seat was good, too. We both could see everything quite well. Anyway, Wicked: Wow! Wow! Wow! We're still smiling!

Welcome to the World, Macy Grace!

This is a little late, but better late than never! Our family welcomed the arrival of Macy Grace Higham, daughter of my brother James and his wife Tracee, last Saturday (April 25). After being a week overdue, they induced Tracee and after laboring all day Saturday, little (little?) Macy was born at 5:35 p.m. She weighed a not-too-shabby 11 lbs.9 oz and was 23" long. She has beautiful black hair and is as sweet as can be! Oh, and in case you're wondering--she came via the regular exit, NOT by C-section.

The Proud Aunt:



The Proud Cousin:



The Happy Parents (Way to GO Tracee!):



The Happy Older Sister, Ruby:



We're so happy to have Macy in our family!

Diapering the "Bahbee" and the "Ekema"

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

So. Let no one doubt Bethany's maternal instincts!

Last weekend, the big Lyman family reunion was held at our house. It was really fun! On Saturday, I left Bethany home with James (and the rest of the guys who weren't up to the adventure of shopping for large quantities of pink shirts for the upcoming family portrait) and I hit the stores with the Lyman gals.

A couple of hours into our pink-shirt-shopping, I called home to tell James we were running late and could he PLEASE run to the store for salad ingredients, and by the way how is Bethany doing? And he related the following experience:

Apparently, while James was talking with the guys, Bethany trotted off to her room to play. After awhile, James noticed she was being pretty darn quiet (you know what I mean--THAT kind of quiet), so he went to check on things. Sure enough, she was up to no good--she had decided to diaper the "Ekema."

The "Ekema" is actually a stuffed, bean-bag type echidna (Australian animal, similar to a porcupine, we got it in Australia). Anyway, Bethany had it on the floor and had smeared Vaseline all over its little bottom and underbelly--she is SUCH a good mom to protect against diaper rash! (Nothing worse than a stuffed echidna with diaper rash) And the whole thing was a goopy mess!

Exhibit A:



She then proceeded to try and put a diaper on it. (If there's anything worse than stuffed echidna diaper rash it's a diaperless echidna having accidents on the floor.) Bethany also likes to give "Bahbee" the occasional diaper change as well:

Exhibit B:



So the question of the day is this: how do I clean Vaseline off of Ekema? Any suggestions?

If Pictures Say a Thousand Words--I'm Gonna Let Them This Time!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Happy Easter, Everyone!

The Eggs:





The Baskets:







The Hunt:





The Dress:



The Hair (I actually DID that!):



The Reason:



I know that my Redeemer lives! And I'm so grateful.