M&M

forget you, muppet style

2012-02-17T03:15:00.004-06:00

hApPy fRiDaY!

mY jOb: iN A nUtShEll

2012-02-16T14:57:00.000-06:00

A Ballet in New York

2012-02-16T08:12:00.000-06:00

http://www.metroballet.org/

don't be scared of the menacing looking pirate

when you open the link.

it really was the most beautiful thing

i've seen in a long time.

flashback - sister kucera the 2nd

2012-02-15T10:24:00.000-06:00

http://emilykucera.blogspot.com/

just remember emily, i was the first sister kucera.

you may have had a more exciting mission. my stories of meth labs, rabid dogs, gangstas & cockroaches may not compare to argentina, but let's just say you may have gotten the better end of the deal. ;)

love you more than all the missions in the world,
lala

happy heart day

2012-02-14T08:54:00.000-06:00

i adore valentine's day! i'm being serious! i love the colors, the candy, the cheesiness, the hallmark specials, the flowers. i love it all. i love seeing men carrying roses for someone. they have this look on their face that says 'i love someone and i can't wait to give her flowers'. really, it just melts my heart.

i love giving valentines & candy to my friends. i love thinking about all the people i love. i don't even mind the commercialism. i especially love the day AFTER valentine's day when all the candy is 50% off. because come on, how can you not love that.

i love little kid valentines. the kind they make themselves and the way they spell their names with a few backwards letters. i love how they draw happy people and hearts and x's and o's.

i'm going to give out my valentines tomorrow, because today i am sick in bed. but that's ok, because candy and cards will make people smile on february 15th too. because it's never a bad time to tell people that you love them and are grateful for them.

here's a project i participated in -- it's called http://howtowriteacrazyloveletter.wordpress.com/. emilia set up an etsy shop after making these beautiful posters. so i hung them up around the city. i felt like i was a secret agent... for spreading the love. <3

A Little Book of Mormon Reenactment Never Hurt Nobody...

2012-02-13T09:43:00.000-06:00

that is, unless they tied the ropes too tight.

Ephraim didn't seem to mind.

Plus I finally got to use the teaching

technique that is usually off limits.

(tying children up in primary is

usually frowned upon, go figure)

1st Nephi, Chapter 18

Nephi, on a ship, and his brothers tie him up.

The storm comes, the brother repent,

and they are saved

from the storm.

Get in your PJs, we're going to the library.

2012-02-10T14:26:00.002-06:00

"Do you mean to tell me that my children have waltzing around Salzburg in nothing but drapes!?" - captain

"Mmmhmm. And having a marvelous time of it." -maria

i don't dress children in drapes,
but having a pajama party

at the library

is perfectly acceptable.

too bad you can't see that chloe

is wearing footed pjs.

with winter boots.

come on now, it could catch on.

zayah in his little pj suit.

heads were turned! he's looking dapper.

in this picture you can't tell that these kids are

surrounded by books. NBD (no big deal - yeah, i've been

getting into the texting lingo).

who needs books when we have ipads, laptops, iphones.

before the library, we were making a gigantic fort in the

living room. creativity was used and no lives were lost.

all in all, a great day.

but hmmm.... back to those drapes. i believe

they would make some awesome forts.

just a teensy bit of child labor

2012-02-09T08:36:00.001-06:00

she's so cute, isn't she? she's at such a fun age... she laughs when i tell her dumb jokes, she plays along and tell me my outfit is cute when it's completely ridiculous, and at the store when i trick her into carrying all my stuff she smiles at me with her big green eyes.

this girl makes me laugh. when i stop by, she's the first to run to the door and hug me. i love her soooooo much.

classic lunch

2012-02-08T08:39:00.000-06:00

Why certain condiments make me cry ...

2012-02-07T08:58:00.000-06:00

pease... pease... a little bit of cheese... -eva

what is she talking about? - marla

she eats parmesan cheese now - emily, pouring

about 1/2 a cup into a bowl.

ok then. - marla

~chowing down~ - eva

this kids loves whipped cream, parmesan cheese &

spray butter (directly into her mouth, not kidding)

i missed you when i made spaghetti last night

and put parmesan cheese on top.

i missed you when i asked for whipped cream

on my starbucks hot chocolate.

i missed you when i used

spray butter on

my broccoli.

so if you see some tears, it's only because

i'm thinking of my little eva.

Jumping off a Cliff

2012-02-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

For a small fee of 225-375 Euro, one can stay in a Castle on a Cliff.

I wonder if we threw ourselves off the cliff

after staying there if we would still have to pay

our bill (after breakfast of course).

Just considering all of our options.

Scratch N Sniff

2012-02-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

Walk down memory lane for you sticker collectors.

You're welcome.

my little rebel rousers

2012-02-02T08:26:00.000-06:00

8-9 year olds.

all boys.

every sunday.

zoom zoom.

some sundays, i need two diet cokes. ;)

dear b, i heart you.

2012-02-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

It's just a Phase.

2012-01-31T09:50:00.001-06:00

Truly, my mild obsession with The Vampire Diaries show is just a phase. It will pass.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the show and these recaps.

Besides, who on earth would ever think of combining Saved By The Bell and The Vampire Diaries. Seriously.

I die laughing read this guy's photo recaps. Totally makes my day.
http://www.tv.com/news/the-vampire-diaries-better-living-through-brainwashing-photo-recap-27502/

What recaps do you have to read? What shows are you digging?

Tech Central

2012-01-30T09:27:00.000-06:00

a modern miracle

to see jumping and singing and smiling

to hear laughing and chattering and silliness

thank you mr. skype inventor. i heart you.

More Peace, More Joy

2012-01-29T19:22:00.000-06:00

Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands.”

― Elisabeth Elliot

Quoty Quotes

2012-01-27T10:15:00.001-06:00

Marla: -talking with her face smushed to Jana's belly- Well HELLO DARLING! it's your favorite auntie lala! i'm going to hold you and squish you and rock you and buy you cute clothes. MWAH!

Jake: (age 7) ...suddenly quiet and staring at me with wide eyes: That was awkward!

Eva: (age 3) after Emily asked her to do something: You're killing me!

bathroom floor prayers

2012-01-26T13:28:00.002-06:00

the movie eat, pray, love was super, dooper boring with a capital BBB. however, i remember reading an excerpt of the book in Oprah magazine. i tore it out, and put it by my bedside. it has worn edges as i've read it so many times. this article/concept has stayed with me. i never read the full book eat, pray, love because i felt like it got all muddled up with her finding herself and turning more inward than outward, but i do think her post below has some gems. we really can have a dialogue with God if we want to. it takes some effort on our part.

http://www.beliefnet.com/Inspiration/2007/08/Hearing-The-Voice-Of-God-On-The-Bathroom-Floor.aspx

favorite quote:
"Quite abruptly, I found that I was not crying anymore. I’d stopped crying, in fact, in mid-sob. My misery had been completely vacuumed out of me. I lifted my forehead off the floor and sat up in surprise, wondering if I would see now some Great Being who had taken my weeping away. But nobody was there. I was just alone. But not really alone, either. I was surrounded by something I can only describe as a little pocket of silence—a silence so rare that I didn’t want to exhale, for fear of scaring it off. I was seamlessly still. I don’t know when I’d ever felt such stillness."

this dialogue with God reminded me of the recent general conference talk where the man was hungry, and prayed for a quarter to buy a chicken wing. totally insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but to him in that very moment, it mattered a lot. so it mattered to God too. how neat is He.
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2011/10/the-privilege-of-prayer?lang=eng

Oops I missed some!

2012-01-24T12:32:00.000-06:00

Charles. You're still rich, but still a bad guy.

No redemption for you.

Alex, still fighting the dead ones. These guys don't

whisper, they scream.

Shannon, you are so... white. What happened

to your beach tan from laying out all day long?

What? You want one more peek at the Apollo candy bar?

Ok, then. Here you go:

and the LOST obsession continues on ....

2012-01-23T09:36:00.001-06:00

Well hello Boone! It's lovely to see you again.

You may still be dead,

but you are still hot.

way 2 go.

You may not be able to see what she is picking up, but

you better believe I noticed it. It's an APOLLO candy bar -

the ones that were used on LOST.

Alcatraz with the loveable and comedic Jorge Garcia.

Long live Hurley!

Well hello there Claire!

You brushed your hair!

Good job!

Anyone miss Flocke? (fake Locke?)

Or maybe you miss the kind hearted, naive John?

Flip your channel to Hawaii Five-0 to catch him

in more action packed drama.

Last but not least, freaky ben is the star of Person

of Interest. Haven't watched it yet... and I can't

say I really miss him.

The Best Kind of Happiness

2012-01-20T08:49:00.000-06:00

the 'just because' happiness

happy for no reason

so good for the soul

he is a great example

of how we should be.

demonstrated by mister benson

9 months

so put on a smile, and spread

the happy today.

just a typical friday night

2012-01-19T09:08:00.002-06:00

it's really a shame i didn't get a picture after we were done

putting on the tacky makeup. i looked over and chloe

had taken the brush filled in her forehead

a pink forehead may be the new fashion craze.

jeff got home and said to chloe, what's wrong with your eyes!?!

i guess there was a little pink left and she looked something like this:

OOPS!

just replace the pout with a goofy, sweet grin

and there you have her.

up north quotes oct 2005

2012-01-18T08:00:00.001-06:00

the following is what is found

when i clean out my closets

and go through old journals and notebooks.

"jana, it's so nice that we can bond together in the back seat" - Marla

"not in my face, not in my space" - Jana

"why is there two of everyone?" - Reva, stumbling around the hotel room after taking ambien

"who says you can't eat two desserts?!" - Reva

"reva, get back in your bed now!" - Marla

"we're going to play games and stay up ALL NIGHT!" - Reva

"jana, you sound like napolean dynamite... again" - Marla

"emily, hide in the back seat when we check into the hotel. we are over the limit" - Reva
"great, it's just like the good ol days" - Emily

"can you get that seaweed off my pizza?" Jana, (and it was rosemary, not seaweed).

"oh my gosh - put out the candles! the fire alarm is right up there!" Marla, on her birthday cake situation in the hotel.

"you know what? the heat is not necessary. i have lots of hot flashes." Reva

"it's my birthday and you have to do what i say". Marla
well ok marla, but this is your LAST SONG." Jana, while at Lutsen lodge

"too. much. physical. activity!" Reva, on a hike.

"marla, it's called mecho-litis" Jana, trying to explain her cough drops
"uh, no i don't think so, try "mentho lyptus" Marla

"those ginger snaps are really SPECIAL" - Old lady at Toby's bakery

Those Catholics really know how to Party!

2012-01-17T08:51:00.001-06:00

Midnight Mass - St. Mary's Basilica December 2011

comic relief --

some little kid (or maybe it was dan)

colored on mary's face on the program.

i loved the wreath hanging from the ceiling.

wonder if one will fit in my living room?

this guy was smiling the whole time.

he was taking it all in, like a kid at a candy store.

dan's Catholic friend bob is to the left.

they bonded.

the whole church was dark, and then we all lit

the candles, row by row.

the front of the basilica.

we were way in the back -- for the mass.

then moved up to practically the front row

for the Christmas program. it was incredible.

i've always wanted to go there on Christmas

Eve and because dan was game, i finally did it!

PS The Christmas miracle was that

I stayed awake enough to enjoy it.

PPS This is supposed to be the best Christmas Eve

Mass in the Twin Cities. I can't really say because I haven't

been to many, but this one is really spectacular.

Naps. They help you get over it.

2012-01-16T08:29:00.000-06:00

The New Saturday

2012-01-13T09:33:00.002-06:00

A New Year's resolution

2012-01-12T08:44:00.000-06:00

new year's has never been my thing.

one year i planned to go to a new year's eve dance.... but fell asleep on the couch while my sisters and their friend were doing shots (with water) in the kitchen and taking pictures of themselves passed out on the counter top. i could hear the giggling.

one year i planned to go cross country skiing... but fell asleep on the couch instead.

one year i planned nothing and stayed home, went to bed at 10:30 and didn't have to cancel on anyone. i think i'm learning.

in general, there are high expectations for a whole lot of nothing. except maybe in the movie cutting edge, where they get to awkwardly kiss on midnight, but the sparklers make it so magical, don't you think?

here's an article my friend posted on FB. i love it. out with the old, in with the new. there is something liberating about leaving the past behind.

http://www.marcandangel.com/2011/12/11/30-things-to-stop-doing-to-yourself/

i wonder how much time we all spend on things in the past. on replaying stuff in our mind that bothers us, stuff that makes us angry or sad, or stuff that just ticks us off. i'm going to work on one of these things every week. we'll see what happens.

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people.
2. Stop running from your problems.
3. Stop lying to yourself. (no way, i did not just eat 25 rolos)
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. (no really, I AM michael jackson!)
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. (remember that time I backed into the parked car in your driveway Dad? forgetaboutit)
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. (goodbye TJ Maxx, I'll miss you)
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness.

11. Stop being idle. (Words with Friends anyone?)
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. (i was BORN ready)
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else.
16. Stop being jealous of others. (if only that monkey on her shoulder was on MY shoulder)
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.
18. Stop holding grudges. (in third grade, you pulled my hair and pushed me in the mud. wahhh)
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. (oh, so this is what sea level looks like)
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. (spend five minutes with a kid, you'll see it all)
23. Stop trying to make things perfect.
24. Stop following the path of least resistance.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. (i feel good i feel great i feel wonderful - bob wiley)
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone.
28. Stop worrying so much. (worry is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but you don't get anywhere)
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen.
30. Stop being ungrateful.

memories of december

2012-01-11T08:10:00.000-06:00

eva, resting. (this is most definitely unusual)

before we left sears, she had to say goodbye

to all of her friends. each one got a pat on the back,

a kiss on the cheek and a wave.

it took for.ev.er.

eva & zayah at the MOA

i love her little pony tail.

and i just want to pet zayah's head.

he has such soft baby hair.

favorite part -- besides the fact that her coat

is 11 sizes too big...

her pink little cheeks & lips.

should i call a plumber?

totally normal baby shower game

2012-01-10T09:23:00.000-06:00

the first baby to melt through the ice wins

creepy? i'd say so.

you can thank cousin stacy for that.

jana's little girl is coming soon!!!!

Residual Effects

2012-01-09T15:51:00.000-06:00

Dad: There isn't a chair that isn't STICKY!

MOM: Oh, maybe we should just leave them like that, so we don't forget!

And - - I've got the perfect receipe for a new glue! Buy a hard baby cookie and let Benson chew on it for about five minutes - then, stick it between ANYTHING you own for a lasting bond that only a sledge hammer can destroy! - Ritchie

I think they miss the kiddos, what do you think?

ps i do too.

Loda's New Glasses

2012-01-08T21:46:00.000-06:00

reason #134 why i love my aunt:

when i tell her to try on dorky glasses, she actually does

and she even lets me take a picture

classy glasses eh?

SUPER tricky hide and seek

2012-01-06T09:08:00.000-06:00

eva, age 2

she's the mother ship for all the energizer bunnies...
like in Independence day, the aliens always have a mothership with little ships coming out of them. - sandra

what i do with christmas card pictures

2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-06:00

i just cut them up and put them on packages.

totally normal thing to do, right?

elder migliori is currently serving in the Portland, Oregon mission,

which is the place where the best movie of all times was

filmed. i can't wait to see the Goonies beach.

Benson Hates Green Beans

2012-01-04T09:37:00.000-06:00

December has been Kind

2011-12-30T09:15:00.001-06:00

sharing a harry & david pear with darling benson (7 months) in the backseat of the car on the way to the temple

seeing the tired bishop, still smiling, after a long sabbath day

repeatedly hearing 'la la' from the sweetest tiniest voice from a little one

being with my family in the temple, all dressed in white, with eternity in full view

devouring frango mints. yum. you should try one. i would share but ... mmphuh, chew, lick fingers, gone.

wrapping white elephant gifts. this may be my favorite holiday tradition. just wait til you see what i have in store for this year

kurt metzger's concert

finding christmas presents on my desk at work

holding a very new baby Greyson

watching Jana open her presents for her first baby shower

playing, tickling, chasing the kiddos around the house and hearing their chaotic, beautiful laughter

The Christmas Devotional from the Prophet of the Lord

remembering and focusing more on the Savior

kids & blenders

2011-12-29T08:30:00.003-06:00

what a kid.

after he kissed eva on the cheek.

whistling...

A two-year-old is kind of like having a blender,

but you don't have a top for it. ~Jerry Seinfeld

mohawk city. oh yeah!

or maybe just a little alphalpha

hey what's up. we cool. we hangin'.

mickey blue eyes

isaiah should get an award or something for his

awesome facial expressions

just a little man

in his track suit

chillin'

ps eva's cute fleece shawl - costco, 12.99

if they had one in my size, i'd have a matching one.

my dad stole my hat.

2011-12-28T10:02:00.000-06:00

let's see - this is what we packed into one day:

gingerbread house making

white elephant game playing

a little park excursion

lots of cookie eating

baby holding

picture taking

and lots & lots of noise.

hope everyone had a lovely christmas!

what does crazy look like?

2011-12-28T09:38:00.000-06:00

shopping, the day after Christmas, with 4 children, driving a huge Target cart. just sayin'.

reva: this is the most fun i've had all year!

(she was being serious! we did laugh a lot)

oh my gosh. she just grabbed some of his cheek and pinched!.

i guess i want to pinch his cheeks too -- he's so cute. - marla

eva, tell isaiah you are sorry for grabbing his cheek. - emily

sorry zayah! - eva (after many tears

and a time out in the air filter aisle)

marla, quit taking pictures! - dan

well slow down and i will - they are getting blurry! - marla

A Little Tree

2011-12-24T07:51:00.000-06:00

With Christmas near, it brings a lot of memories.

I looked at my little tree and was transported to a hospital at Christmas time. My mom brought me to visit Katy, a little girl with Leukemia. We brought her a small tree and decorated it with her and played some games. I remember feeling such varied emotions - glad that we could visit her and spend time with her, but deeply pained that there was nothing I could do to save her. When you are little, dealing with death and dying is incomprehensible.

Being 'almost' grown up now, I don't understand a lot of things. But I do know that the Lord is in charge of every little detail in our lives. And the more we come to rely upon Him and figure out what He wants us to do, the results are always better.

Katy passed away a few years after that Christmas. I'm sure her family thinks about her at every holiday, every family gathering, every wedding. They look forward to seeing her again and they find comfort in knowing that this IS possible.

I know it is too.

http://www.mormon.org/

LOST

2011-12-22T10:48:00.001-06:00

so i'm watching snippets of t'he fugitive' last night with harrison ford.

and i look a bit more closely

at the characters --

one of them is an african american

woman that sounds so very familiar.

i look closer and scream at the tv

'oh my gosh, it's Rose!'

see! everything does all relate back to LOST.

Best. TV. Show. Ever.

what did we all do before i.m.d.b.?!

The bottom of crayola markers do not match the tops because why?

2011-12-20T14:23:00.000-06:00

http://www.crayola.com/green/products.cfm

how do i know this? i was in a meeting and read the back of the marker box.

Mormonism. All True. Every Word.

2011-12-19T07:32:00.001-06:00

I about spit out my gum...

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/12/18/snls-jesus-tells-tebow-take-it-down-notch-and-mormonism-all-true-ever

It's funny, I never see this stuff coming. Watch the video - make sure you get to the end.

:)

I know they are poking fun, but I think it's so very ironic that even in a mocking tone, they are speaking the truth.

Marla,
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
All True.
Every Word.

Repeat the Sounding Joy

2011-12-17T15:19:00.006-06:00

"Focusing on what we already have and are grateful for right now is one of the most powerful things we can do to alter our life in a positive way." - Mike Robbins

isn't this a lovely time of year? so much to be grateful for.

here are some people i am grateful for -- in the form of quotes.

Get that flashlight out of my face. - Dan

Grandpa! You’ve been tickling me ALL DAY LONG. - Eva

I can't figure out how this tree goes together!
Dan, will you help me? -Marla
Women... - Dan

I totally tricked you Dan. You put up the whole tree. Ha ha HA. How's that for a woman?! - Marla

It's my magnetic personality. - Jeff, after setting off the emergency alarm five times.

There hasn't been any Lady Gaga in this concert. - Richard, at Kurt Metzger's Christmas concert

La La. - Benson
Oh my gosh! He just said my name! - Marla
He said MA MA. Geesh. - Emily
Oh. - Marla

Um. She smells like a ball of parmesan cheese. - Marla
Yep, that's what Eva eats. - Emily
She certainly does seem to love condiments. - Marla

La la's ipod! -Eva

You should really clean up your workbench, it's quite messy. - Marla
I think it's time for you to go home. - Dad

muppet movie = super good! loved it!

had a smile on my face the whole time.

the kiddos made it even more fun.

just another day in paradise. isn't my laundry darling?

ALLLLLLLVINNNNNNN!

Saving the World, One Love Song at a Time

2011-12-16T11:18:00.003-06:00

http://vevo.ly/vWlLiZ

Tah-Dah!

2011-12-12T08:29:00.000-06:00

"I cannot do all the good

that the world needs.

But the world needs

all the good that I can do."

- Jana Stanfield

Light bulb = ON.

What a wonderful message!

I wonder what Howard looked like...

2011-12-07T08:16:00.000-06:00

Howard Castle, York

March 2012

Let the adventure begin.

Happy Birthday Dear Dad

2011-12-06T07:05:00.001-06:00

just a man and his cake, 2011

just a girl and ~~his~~ her dad, 1976

Let the Record State - Movies & TV Edition

2011-12-02T13:25:00.003-06:00

Let the record state:

I am a VINTAGE Muppet Fan. This means I love the original movies. This means I've watched the real Muppet Show, in childhood and in college. This means that I may not like the new Muppet movie.
I ADORE the show Parks & Rec and if they cancel, I will be "occupying" myself in front of the NBC building.
Favorite line from last's night epi: “Leslie Knope: ‘Let the record state that I, Leslie Knope, love Ben Wyatt. I love him with all of my heart.’ Did you get that?’ Ethel Beavers: ‘Yes, I got it.'” Ben and Leslie kissed perfectly while Ethel piped up: 'Can I get a ride home? It's freezing.” ADORKABLE!!
I heart "New Girl". Jess: Believe it or not, that's not the first time someone's broken my feeling stick. I have a travel size. Nick: Did you just make up a theme song for yourself? Schmidt: And I don't want to hear Schmidt, Schmidt, you're using too much tarragon. Because I'm not.
Vampire Diaries doesn't start up again until January 5 and I don't know if I can live a normal life until then.
I need to see Breaking Dawn again. One more time. By myself. So no one else makes me laugh and I can enjoy the embarrassing parts with no judgment.
This looks like a super fun messy projects for me and kiddos. Nothing says Christmas like colored snow. Wait a minute... http://hurrayic.blogspot.com/2008/02/colored-glass-tutorial-for-kids.html

Favorite holiday movies:

The Family Stone (You have a freak flag. You just don't fly it.)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (Muppets!)
Home Alone (KEVIN!)
ELF (Buddy the Elf, what's your favorite color?)
The Family Man (my bell, she stole my bell!)
While You Were Sleeping (These potatoes are so creamy. Mary mashed them.)
Swiss Family Robinson (The world is full of nice, ordinary little people who live in nice, ordinary little houses on the ground. But didn't you ever dream of a house up on a tree top?

Kindred Spirits ... and their Kiddos

2011-11-30T09:41:00.001-06:00

Reunion 2011 :)

all from two little utah state roommates. <3

the whole shebang

beautiful reunion

julie always was freakishly strong ;)

"I guess what I learned from all that is that real friends,

the truest of friends, are really those
who know all about me

and like me anyway.
They are the people who no matter how

long it has been since I have talked to them or seen them,

I can call them no matter the time of day,

and just pick up where we left off.

Like no time has ever passed

since our last conversation.

People like that are the ones that you feel comfortable with,

otherwise you wouldn't be able to do it.

They're the people who are really there,

no matter what."

~unknown

Happy Kiddos, Happy Me

2011-11-29T10:29:00.001-06:00

Eva, 2 years old, going on 13

Benson, 7 months old.

Eva, contemplating the myriad of colors for her toes.

Uh... Eva, I was sucking on that Ipod earlier, it's mine. ~Benson

what the bathtub looks like when i go to take a shower

phase i put the toys away, proceed to shower

phase ii move the toys to the other side of the bathtub, proceed to shower

phase iii pick up the toys and play with them, fill up the bathtub instead of shower

amazing how true it can be... ;)

my roommate. i was only her roommate for about five minutes.

but i still had a good time.

smile & drool, repeat all day.

i dressed her.

my beautiful sister, who is a beautiful mother, inside & out

call the cheesy police, i just started spouting hallmark crap.

but i really mean it. love you em. xooox

what i did over thanskgiving: hold babies, eat super good food, sleep; repeat. add some insane shopping, temple, driving & playing.

Wanna see something amazing?

2011-11-28T17:14:00.002-06:00

well, look no further.

i present to you the magestic and beautiful Bountiful Temple.

plus, it was a reunion with some lovely kindred spirits.

i'm glad i got a taste for what heaven will be like.

that is, if i start being good anytime soon.

Only in Utah

2011-11-28T17:05:00.000-06:00

Found at Old Navy. Not kidding.

But here's a question... where was USU? Come on! Rep-re-sent!

There ya go. I feel much better now.

Thanksgiving is for Suckers

2011-11-22T13:51:00.000-06:00

Unless you are going to Utah to be with your BABIES!!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!

hAPPY tHANKSgIVINg. i AM very very GRATEFUL.

xooXOOXxxx

mmmm... pie.

break a .... dawn

2011-11-22T10:04:00.002-06:00

breaking dawn movie review

cons:
what.the.crap. was up with the wolves. every scene was laughable. especially when they are speaking telephatically. embarrassing. when you see that part come on, it's ok to run out for a bathroom break. trust me, you won't miss anything.

the stare, during the imprinting part. looking at a baby like that should be illegal.

the sex. i was under my jacket for half of it so i really can't comment. but it was uncomfortable.

the chess playing. really, how can anyone play the game more than once. what about yahtzee? or that game where you roll the pigs? heck even hungry hippos would be more interesting.

the graphic birth scene. at first i was like this isn't that gory, why is everyone talking about it. but on further reflection, it was sick. s.i.c.k. it was awful to see the CGI effects make bella look like an eating disorder was killing her. a little too close to home. and really, did he need to use his teeth to get the baby out? how about a knife. or a any.other.object.besides.his.teeth.

pros:
the resurrection scene of bella. i'm convinced that when we all get resurrected, it's gonna be just.like.that. awesome. pure awesome. i can't wait to see that again.

some of robert pattinson's facial expressions were downright hysterical.

i am fascinated with kristin stewart's eyebrows. they are perfect. mine look like this:

the random popping up of vampire heads in bella's window on her wedding night.

the scene where they are setting up for the wedding and everyone is casually picking up entire trees & massive benches.

for a great review, play by play, check out Alison's blog: http://www.alisoncanread.com/2011/11/movie-review-breaking-dawn-part-1.html.

To my darling brother in laws...

2011-11-21T13:06:00.001-06:00

Thank you for being good, strong, & kind men. Your daughters will be blessed because of who you are and what you do. Thank you for loving my sisters so much.

"How can a father raise a happy, well-adjusted daughter in today’s increasingly toxic world? The answer has been taught by the Lord’s prophets. It is a simple answer, and it is true—“The most important thing a father can do for his [daughter] is to love [her] mother.” By the way you love her mother, you will teach your daughter about tenderness, loyalty, respect, compassion, and devotion. She will learn from your example what to expect from young men and what qualities to seek in a future spouse. You can show your daughter by the way you love and honor your wife that she should never settle for less. Your example will teach your daughter to value womanhood. You are showing her that she is a daughter of our Heavenly Father, who loves her." (recent LDS conference talk)

A Family Quote book

2011-11-19T19:23:00.001-06:00

"Now look what you've done!"
"You're burning the deck!"
"She's what we call a live one."
"This tastes like lime air!"
"I am 63 years old. You can't tell me what to do anymore."
"What! Since when did all of you start using eye cream?! When was someone going to tell me about this?"
"This meat is so tender!"
It's feels like 8 p.m. ... "no it doesn't, it feels like PARTY TIME!"
"Did she take an ambien?"

Who said what? What's your guess? The prize is a Little Debbie Swiss Roll.

Here are names to choose from:

Emily
Eva
Sandra
Marla
Ritchie
Reva
Jana
Laura

(why little debbie? because it can bring world peace...)
http://thisorthat.com/which-little-debbie-snack-could-bring-world-peace

Beautiful Canal Park - Sisters (-1) trip 2011

2011-11-18T13:56:00.001-06:00

hi daddy - remember that 50 dollar sweatshirt that you bought jana one year on family vacation? she wants you to know she still has it. the s.s. william a. irving ship. ring any bells (pun intended)

the lovely & stunning aerial lift bridge. we heard honking in the early morning, but it isn't nearly as bad at the train in shakopee that HONKS HIS HORN OVER AND OVER AND OVER AT 5 A.M.

we started to walk across this bridge... but it was a bit nippy. :) so we turned back and went to some more gift shops.

favorite shops: the water's edge, any store in dewitt seitz building, the monkey store, and of course the fun candy store which ironically has a super weird name that i haven't noticed my whole. life. until this trip.

see? i told ya. it's weird.

the lovely light house, near rocks & water.

i sent my dad a text from here with this picture saying that 'i slipped' on the MN slip bridge.

sadly, he does not get picture texts on his phone.

this is from the amazing grace bakery in canal park. i researched breakfast places to make sure we got something really good. and good we got. it was amazing (no pun intended this time). i had pumpkin spice pancakes with sweet whipped cream. jana ordered the caramel roll french toast. reva got the omelet (she's so daring isn't she?!).

we had a lovely time up north. we missed our emily. next time -- you will be there. i'm saving my hotel rewards just for you.

Pure Delirium

2011-11-18T08:24:00.000-06:00

It's beginning to look a lot like ...

2011-11-17T09:16:00.000-06:00

"Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, He came forth from heaven to live on earth as mortal man and to establish the kingdom of God. During His earthly ministry, He taught men the higher law. His glorious gospel reshaped the thinking of the world. He blessed the sick. He caused the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear. He even raised the dead to life. To us He has said, 'Come, follow me.'

"As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others" (Thomas S. Monson, "In Search of the Christmas Spirit," Ensign, Dec 1987, 3).

Having a Moment? Go here.

2011-11-10T12:50:00.002-06:00

Every moment of doubt holds a lesson, a chance to gain a little more clarity, a little more insight into the forces that inspire us and the fears that hold us back. Doubt reminds us that we are finite, that we are human and that by our very nature, we do not have all the answers. Nor should we, because the human spirit withers in the face of absolute certainty and soars in the face of uncertain aspiration.

We need the creative tension between faith and doubt. We must dwell there, in this wild, tender place between knowing and not knowing. For this is how we dream, how we imagine a better world and take that first breathless leap toward creating it.

Entire article here:
http://daretodream.typepad.com/weblog/2011/11/robin-cangie-doubting-for-dreamers.html#comments

If the Muppets were a Nail Polish color, what color would they be?

2011-11-09T14:35:00.000-06:00

Any color

they

darn

well

please.

Cha!

"she's not a witch, she's my wife"

2011-11-08T10:55:00.002-06:00

isn't she darling. precious little eva. she could hardly pass for an evil witch. i love those soulful eyes.

i also love the movie from where the title of this post comes from.

some other interesting facts from imdb... a little obsession of mine whenever i watch an older movie.

During the filming of some scenes, the weather became markedly cold for Robin Wright. André the Giant helped her by placing one of his hands over her head; his hands were so large that one would entirely cover the top of her head, keeping her warm.

Iocaine powder is a fictional poison.

While rehearsing for the film, André the Giant's thick accent prevented many of his lines from being understood. To remedy this, actor Mandy Patinkin slapped André in the face to get him to concentrate harder.

Most of the movie was filmed on location in England. The castle used for the film dated back to 1065 and had original tapestries on the walls.

Mandy Patinkin claims that the only injury he sustained during the entire filming of this movie was a bruised rib due to stifling his laughter in his scenes with Billy Crystal.

There are no 'ordinary' people.

2011-11-04T08:23:00.000-05:00

It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.

-- C. S. Lewis, from "The Weight of Glory"

It's almost Christmas!!

2011-11-03T08:27:00.001-05:00

Just Kidding! But not really!

instructions here

Can't wait to make these. I' ve had a long,

tender love affair

with Buddy the Elf.

He's pretty much my hero.

Cheers!

Tom Cruise or Robert Pattinson?

2011-11-02T10:40:00.001-05:00

Went shopping for glass... in an actual store. I've ordered a bunch online and they are fine, but they don't fit as well and aren't great quality (shocker). But this week, I found two fun pairs (clearance! sale at Lenscrafters), one regular, and one pair of sunglasses.

I say to the girl when she shows me the Ray bans 'oh, these makes me think of that movie ...' and she goes 'Risky Business'? And I said 'no... Robert Pattinson likes to wear these'.

And then all of a sudden, I said 'pretend I didn't say that'. Because there I was, 30+ years old, talking about Twilight, in public.

I later found out that she was 24 years old. Not only that, she wasn't even born when Risky Business came out.

Role reversal much? This may be what you call a teenage midlife crisis. I'll act my age, I promise.

PS I haven't even seen Risky Business the whole way through.
PPS I was lying. I will never act my age.
PPPS I already have my tickets to Breaking Dawn.

Travels & Finds in Alexandria, Virginia

2011-11-01T15:35:00.000-05:00

speedy recap:
shake shacking, georgetown eating, washington's masonic memorial viewing, talking-laughing-make-uping, beeping & driving, temple exploring, haunted tour discovering, art crawl walking, cupcake ingesting, sleeping & relaxing, an all around wonderful time. :) Thanks Em -- love you.

Halloweenie

2011-11-01T14:51:00.001-05:00

Anyone read Hunger Games? Hardly.

I was Effie ... eccentric Effie.

sparkle is my signature color

the wig glows. in the dark.

fer reels.

May the Odds Be Ever in your Favor.

The After(Wig) Party hair.

silver. eyelashes.

glue is not good at your eyeballs.

This costume was more recognizable at the Shakopee CC 5K

on Saturday morning. We had to take a picture with Gumby.

He was very green. And friendly.

Jake, Chloe & Zayah. The Super Hero dream team.

Actual Halloween night - at Jana's house in St. Paul:

Knock Knock
Who's there
I'm 18 and I want candy and I didn't even bother to come in a costume. If you don't give me candy, I will slash your tires and spit on your windows.
Ok, here you go. Take the bowl.

Knock Knock
Who's there
25 kids at once who just stepped out of a van
Really? You are driving kids around to a targeted area and you show up in a sketchy St. Paul neighborhood ... on purpose?
No, really?

Jana & I had some success cooking. This is rare because we both don't like to read recipes or measure, and we are lacking in patience. However, the cooking gods must've been in our favor because the stuff turned out really good. It wasn't look too good at the beginning. Seeing Jana trying to cut a butternut squash with a steak knife was making me nervous.

http://www.nothingwavering.org/2011/10/25/32189-coming-clean.html
Butternut Squash Pasta
Two 9-oz pkgs of store-bought ravioli (Buitoni or similar brand), cooked according to package directions
*Jana and I used penne pasta
Half of a butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into ½-inch pieces
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbl fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 cup canned coconut milk (I like the Thai Kitchen brand)
2 cups spaghetti sauce, any flavor
grated Parmesan cheese

Saute the chopped squash in olive oil until tender and just starting to brown, about 8 mins. Add salt, sage, and garlic and sauté for 2 mins more. Add coconut milk and stir until mixture is boiling, about 30 seconds. Toss with cooked ravioli (or any pasta) and salt more if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Then for dessert (between bites of Halloween candy):
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/recipes/recipe/2011/10/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-cream-cheese-filling/557761/1

one word: amazing.

you must try them.

Grandma

2011-10-28T08:51:00.000-05:00

Grandmas can fix anything. They have super powers. They love, they cry, they hug. They never get tired of you. And if they do, they just put you down for a nap... or give you a cookie.

Grandma is in Utah now, with the Allen babies and they are soaking her up into in their hearts & skin & breath. We are lucky to have her with us.

A few of my favorite things

2011-10-27T08:27:00.001-05:00

a picture from my cube neighbor --

i got her some tweezers so this picture was her

thank you email to me (RANDOM!)

my new favorite perfume.

thank you tjmaxx. i am a maxxinista.

it's wednesday but i'm feeling like friday (it's named

"weekend" people, roll with me)

the most recent epsiode of parks & rec.

i laugh my head off with this show!!

treat yo self cookies... ok so i didn't try these, but i did eat

a super yummy sugar cookie today at macy's.

just a plain cookie with sprinkles. super. good.

ninja cookies

http://justjennrecipes.com/ninja-chocolate-cookies/2011/02/08/

i didn't try these yet, i'm just appreciating the look & design.

i stumbled upon this soda at ...

old navy. i know, weird. it was at the front

and i needed a drink after doing some heavy clearance shopping.

it's really good. like REALLY good. especially if you are

trying to go off diet coke. which i do sporatically.

think sheldon, big bang theory.

from LOL shirts. :)

and last night, my dad and emily made the best. dinner. ever.

my dad got a new food processor (go figure) and

he wanted to try it out. they made this and fresh coleslaw.

quite the little chefs. PLUS

they did this with two little ones interrupting them. :)

last but not least...

if you don't recognize the guy above,

i feel very.sorry.for.you.

How to Endear Yourself to a 3 Year Old

2011-10-26T08:52:00.000-05:00

two.words.

BUBBLE WRAP

works like a charm.

carpe.diem. fall 2011

2011-10-25T09:16:00.002-05:00

highlights:
throwing eva in a big pile of leaves and seeing her completely disappear.
seeing benson's face as he's looking at the crinkly things cramping his style.
convincing emily to get in the leave pile with me.

lowlights:
going to work with leaves in my hair, boots, underwear, etc.
having an engineer say 'i think you have cardboard in your hair'.
thinking about the possible germs and other disgusting stuff in the leaves.

neonlights:

you know, neon lights! what else were you expecting.

stoplights:
remembering that emily, eva & benson have to go home again.

My First Ultrasound

2011-10-24T14:20:00.002-05:00

email discussion on baby names:

From: Jana W
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 12:54 PM
To: James A. W
Subject: mar

gave us a new baby name....Wonder. Thoughts?
Jana N. W

From: James A. W
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2011 1:04 PM
To: Jana W
Subject: RE: mar

my first, second and third thoughts are NO, HECK NO, and something I can't type here.
James W

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
quotes from ultrasound appointment. (i may have changed some of the tech's words, but she really said those things with her tone and eyes)

marla: how can he be upside down? doesn't that hurt?
ultrasound tech: um... hi idiot, the baby is in water.

marla: hi, i'm jana's sister.
nurse: says nothing
marla: and nobody cares...

jana: how big is my baby?
ultrasound tech: um, yeah. we aren't looking at that right now. we are looking at the heart. try and keep up.

jana: i just had a talk with her.
marla: with the ultrasound lady? what did you say? that she's being an a$$?
jana: i meant my baby girl. i told her to be more cooperative so we could see better.

remember that friends episode? where rachel can't see the baby? i couldn't really see the baby either and i kept thinking of it and chuckling.

ps ... did i scare anyone into thinking that i had the ultrasound? it's jana. she's having a girl.

we we we so excited. :) (thank you rebecca black)

The Family in the Dells

2011-10-24T09:33:00.004-05:00

annoying:

kids running through the halls all.night.long.
a coke for three dollars
ordering domino's for dinner then realizing uno's chicago pizza was practically next door
thinking of all the things i should've brought
hotel shuttle with drunk people
being too busy (or wet) to grab the camera and taking all the pictures below before we left

priceless: (practically cancels out the annoying)

swimming outside in october and seeing & feeling the SUN
sharing a bed with a three year old
singing lollipop, old macdonald, bingo and itsy bitsy spider before bed
dunkin' donuts for breakfast
emily's text to jana
going on the lazy river with chloe
watching benson drain a bottle in 2.5 seconds in the middle of the night, then falling asleep (crashing on my shoulder) between pats on the back
laughing with emily in the car on the way home
getting an a&w rootbeer float and sharing it with eva and the entire back seat of dad's buick
seeing how happy the kids were in the water
watching the muppets take manhattan after jake requested it (soooo proud)
rolling down the hill and having races in the big field to kill some time while waiting for mom & emily to figure out how to arrive at the hotel

until next time kiddos!!

LaLa in Munchkin Land

2011-10-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

An important thing to teach a 3 year old...

how to make a big, fluffy mess with

cattails.

She did a great job!

Another important lesson.

You can't buy every toy that you see

in the store.

She did a great job. No screaming or tantrums

occurred.

A lesson for Eva in Minnesota...

sometimes when we go to the park, we need

to bundle up and wear things that don't fit us.

I think she sported half of my track suit very well thank you.

weeeeeeeeee weeeeeeeeeees

Smart A

2011-10-20T08:08:00.000-05:00

Marla: Dad, will you watch the babies while I take Emily to lunch at Eddington's?

Dad: How about you take the babies to Eddington's and I'll watch Emily.

(this coming from the man who gave Emily a dollar to babysit herself when she was 5 years old)

My Serendipity

2011-10-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

I first saw the frozen hot chocolate here... but I didn't know that's what they were eating.

Does this movie look familiar?

One Fine Day. Sigh... George Clooney & Michelle Pfieffer.

They should've really hooked up ... dang that Indiana Jones.

A close up.

The famous frozen hot chocolate.

Really, it's as good as it looks.

And then they had them in this movie ...

You know -- where they spent the

WHOLE FREAKING MOVIE running

around trying to find each other?

Yeah, that one.

I sat across from this table a few birthdays ago

in New York City.

This year it will be in Washington D.C.

Let's the chocolate games begin!

My Brady Bunch

2011-10-11T12:10:00.001-05:00

My New Favorite Cookie

2011-10-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

Click here for the recipe.

My other favorite easy receipe comes from Costco. Buy a box of the Ghiradelli cookie mix. Don't buy from Amazon because that's a ripoff (Amazon food just is) but I just wanted to show you what the box looks like. They come in a box of three for around 8 dollars at Costco. The secret is to add a bunch of cocoa to the mix and they come out with this dark chocolate chip cookie that is to die for. Don't let them bake too long. Then tell eveyone you made them from scratch. Except if you are dropping them off at your Bishop's house because he will be able to tell if you are lying (this is not from experience or anything).

Enjoy!

Why I Need My Sisters

2011-10-05T08:19:00.001-05:00

Emily: [grabs my hand and looks at my nails] Do you have a nail file?
Me: Yes
Emily: Then use it. [Throws my hand back in my lap]

Reva: Oh man. You're going to brush your teeth before you go out aren't you?
Me: ...
Reva: No really! You gotta brush them!

Jana: Marla! Look at this view. You have like a million grey hairs! Go get yourself dyed!
Me: ...
Me: Stop looking at my head.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I am the big sister which makes me the boss!" ~ Anonymous

"You can kid the world, but not your sister." ~ Charlotte Gray

"I smile because you are my sister, I laugh because there is nothing you can do about it!" ~ Author Unknown

"Sisters never quite forgive each other for what happened when they were five." ~ Pam Brown

"Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there." ~ Amy Li

it's play time!

2011-10-02T09:54:00.001-05:00

what i learned saturday night at edinborough park:

the slide is a bit of a surprise. didn't see that one coming. but reva did and she knew all.about.this. because when emily was here she went down the same slide. somehow you end up at the bottom of the slide flat on your back. and then you have people looking at you, pointing and laughing. it's great. really.

when you slide on your knees across the gym floor like your little three year old is doing, it may look easy, but it's really not. it is, however, a great way to roll your ankle.

be prepared to get stuck in a few places. if i had a picture of me trying to push myself through these big padded columns with my butt sticking out, i'd totally post it here (yeah, right).

enjoy being a kid. nobody is watching you (except when you come out of the sneaky slide). just embrace the fun in being silly and playing. nobody plays anymore -- especially when they are grown ups. we all need more play time. kids help us remember that the best.

until next time... but i have to recover first. ;)

recent quotes:
jake: look at my hamster!
marla: i think he needs a bath. how about we take him through the car wash? he can ride on the hood.
jake: i don't think the carwash has tear free soap...

chloe: can we paint your toenails?
marla: sure. and it doesn't have to be perfect, i'm aunt marla.
chloe to jake: jake! we get to paint marla's toenails! and it doesn't have to be perfect, she's just aunt marla!

What do YOU do at work?

2011-09-30T14:26:00.000-05:00

The secret's in the batter (pancake blaster).

Or at lease this guy swears by it...

No lutefisk were harmed in the making of this blog.

No lutefish were ingested either. (ewwwww)

We make and eat waffles.

Top that.

(why thank you very much, I will,

with whipped cream butter and syrup -

the bananas and blueberries

were on a hiatus)

F.A.M.I.L.Y.

2011-09-29T14:33:00.002-05:00

The lovely & talented A family.

A little bicycle kicker and a mischeivious biter.

The lovely & talented O family.

The happy-go-lucky one, blue eyes, & pint size trouble.

My favorite part of family pictures, however, is the OUTTAKES.

That's where the real story is told.

Please enjoy the following with my signature commentary...

I am going to lose my mind if you take one more picture of me!!! Take that -- yeah, that's right - you just got served with my crazy eyes!

What you talkin' bout Willis? I can make

WAYYYY more crazy eyes than you.

Top that.

Awww.... I feel SUPER LEFT OUT of the crazy eye pictures.

Never mind. Crazy eyes are overrated. I like to be civilized and cross my legs for photo shoots. I wanted to put a little cookie on my finger like in the tea commercial but I ate it.

Ha. Ha ha ha ha. He ate the cookie? Fer Reals?

Yes, he really did eat the cookie. And now the sugar monster in the middle will have to find other sources for her sweet tooth.

The End

Ps if you are looking for an amazing

sweet treat, go to Trader's Joes

and pick up a box of the dark chocolate

peanut butter cups. They will blow.your.mind.

Pps If you are wondering where the outtakes are from the

A family, this is the only one I could salvage.

It's Dan of course. With just a little

static cling. And some sleepy eyes.

My little brillo pad...

2011-09-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

interviewer: By the way, shaved head … nice look!
matt damon: Thanks! I’m a walking Brillo pad!

Contagion - boring.
Save your $10.50 for a few brillo pads.
Or better yet, a few Matt Damon posters.

My Two Favorite Things: Crossover Edition!

2011-09-15T08:09:00.001-05:00

Last night I was watching Season 5 of LOST. It's where they are looking at the old TVs in one of the hatches. I glance on the TV and see Ralph the Dog and my mouth hung open... so I rewound and watched it again. Sure enough, the dude in the hatch is watching The Muppet Show.

LOVE!!!

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Lost

Genius:

I'd just like to say - my obsession with LOST is the relationships. The people. The journey. It's not about polar bears and smoke monsters and plane crashes. It's about humanity. It's about the 'live together, die alone' theme. It's about how we are all lost on our virtual island and how we are trying to figure out what our purpose is. And it's about how we need each other. It's deep.

Also, the Muppets are now everywhere. This is the part where I say I LOVED THE MUPPETS BEFORE THEY WERE POPULAR.

XOOOOX,
marla muppets

30 day song challenge in one post. Because I can't help myself.

2011-09-14T15:47:00.001-05:00

Day 01 – Your favorite song - Seriously? How can anyone answer that.
Day 02 – Your least favorite song - That annoying hippo song they play at Christmas.
Day 03 – A song that makes you happy – Ain't no mountain high enough - Remember the Titans
Day 04 – A song that makes you sad - Possibility - New Moon Soundtrack - heartbreaking!
Day 05 – A song that reminds you of someone - Open arms – this kid in college, he thought the words were 'broken arms' and he didn't understand the song.
Day 06 – A song that reminds of you of somewhere - La Vie En Rose - Paris
Day 07 – A song that reminds you of a certain event - Raindrops keep falling on my head - makes me think of childhood. I think we had BJ Thomas' record. Makes me nostalgic for being a kid again.
Day 08 – A song that you know all the words to - None - I always mess up the words.
Day 09 – A song that makes you feel like dancing – Hey Micky YOU'RE SO FINE YOU BLOW MY MIND HEY MIKEY! HEY MICKEY!
Day 10 – A song that makes you fall asleep – General Conference (sorry God, but the voice of your prophets are so soothing)
Day 11 – A song from your favorite band - Keane, Hopes & Fears Somewhere Only We Know
Day 12 – A song from a band you hate – anything on 93X - hard crappy rock = icky
Day 13 – A song that is a guilty pleasure – Partay in the USA – Miley Cyrus
Day 14 – A song that no one would expect you to love – Bohemian Rapsody
Day 15 – A song that describes you – Far away - Ingrid Michaelson 'i will catch his warm stare'
Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate – Hey soul sister - Train
Day 17 – A song that you hear often on the radio – Hey soul sister - Train
Day 18 – A song that you wish you heard on the radio – anything from Rogue Valley
Day 19 – A song from your favorite album – My Eyes -- Travis
Day 20 – A song that you listen to when you’re angry – More than Just Ok - Switchfoot
Day 21 – A song that you listen to when you’re happy – Walking on Sunshine
Day 22 – A song that you listen to when you’re sad – Jars of Hearts, I'm going to go back there someday - Gonzo
Day 23 – A song that you want to play at your wedding – Longer than, Dan Fogelberg. Cheesy I know but how can you not love 'Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens, I've been in love with you ..." sWoOn.
Day 24 – A song that you want to play at your funeral – the Macarena, or the song Day-O (Banana Boat Song) from Beetlejuice.
Day 25 – A song that makes you laugh – Stacy’s mom, she's got it going on ... HA HA HA. <3
Day 26 – A song that you can play on an instrument – any, on da piano
Day 27 – A song that you wish you could play - James Taylor – Fire & Rain on guitar
Day 28 – A song that makes you feel guilty - ? Is there a song about eating too much cheesecake?
Day 29 – A song from your childhood - you are my sunshine, makes me think of my daddy, he used to sing it to us all the time and still does on occasion by belting it out randomly in random places like the front yard or the grocery store.
Day 30 – Your favorite theme song: THE MUPPET SHOW!

Be Alive

2011-09-12T09:48:00.000-05:00

"We can only be said to

be alive

in those moments

when our hearts

are conscious

of our treasures."

- Thornton Wilder

As If

2011-09-09T14:06:00.001-05:00

as if i needed another reason to be even more of a freak

about washing my hands and let's not even mention

my fear of public bathrooms....

whatever. i'm seeing it anyway.

it has matt damon in it for pete's sake.

i'm sure i'll get over it...

or maybe not...

First Day of Cool Part II

2011-09-09T09:40:00.000-05:00

Chloe's back to school shoes. She's all glam and glitter. This gal is packed with smiles and rainbows and butterflies.

My dad took me shopping for shoes once. He somehow convinced me to pick up these really super ugly grey shoes. They have zero color but they were probably durable and decently priced. We got home and I showed my mom the shoes. Later I cried about them so my dad got my colored laces. That fixed everything. (I think Mom bought me new shoes when my dad wasn't looking).

Chloe, age 5. Returning from Kindergarten for the first time ever.

The next day when Reva woke her up she said ... "aww... school again?!"

We're in for a long haul folks.

Where did you sit when you were a kid? The middle or the front?

Or the back where all the gum is stuck on the seats?

No first day of school would be complete

without a Justin Bieber advertisement...

I mean backpack.

Until next year.

Pretty soon, "big stuff" will

be getting on the bus, not even looking

back to wave. But that's ok Rev, we'll grab him

and smush him and pinch his cheeks when he comes home.

First day of ... Cool. ;)

2011-09-06T13:48:00.005-05:00

Sparkly Hello Kitty shoes

Justin Beiber backpack

Justin Beiber shirt
=

Fabulous Chloe (age 5)

I want fabulous,

That is my simple request,

All things fabulous,

Bigger and better and best,

I need something inspiring to help me get along,

I need a little fabulous is that so wrong? ~HSM2

Maybe Big Lots Doesn't Always save you money...

2011-09-02T06:53:00.001-05:00

It's no surpise I love a good deal. I learned it from my Aunt Loda -- who has an everlasting radar for bargains. She has a knack for finding the good stuff and ends up with the BEST deals ever. My Aunt Karen also loves Big Lots. She lovingly calls it Big Lots of Crap.

I was introduced to Big Lots by aforementioned Auntie and pretty much became one of those people who buy things like 'Glass House' and 'Weekend at Bernie's' for people's birthdays. I usually end up getting these gifts back, so it's really a win/win situation every time.

For some reason, the orange sticker (which is on everything by the way) speaks to me and I pick up stuff that normally I wouldn't glance twice at. I ended up today with some crazy candy, a bottle of ketchup, ginger snaps, & a lovely and refreshing diet coke. I had my stuff in my little basket (carts are never a good idea at places like that) and went on my merry way until this:

These.are.yummy. I like them a whole bunch. So I reach down to grab some and hear 'excuse me miss, do you have 90 cents'? To which for some reason I reply 'point nine zero?'. He says 'well... I might want a soda too, so how about two dollars?'.

There was this lady in the aisle, eying this man with judgment. Probably something I would've done too had I seen a similar interaction. Seeing that look on her face and identifying with it made me want to provide a different reaction. I didn't want to be one of "those" people. I rarely give money when people approach me, but this time something told me to do it. In that moment, I just wanted to make things right in the world. I opened my wallet to find a five dollar bill that was lying right on top. It practically begged me to pass it over to him. He took it, said thank you and I didn't see him again.

Technically, if time is money, I didn't really save anything that day.

Interestingly enough, I still had enough cash to pay for my stuff. Enough is all we need, right?
And that, my friends, is what I call a miracle.

seminary and bears and my daddy

2011-09-01T14:45:00.001-05:00

This was my rose from the seminary graduation in June.

It lasted forever. I peeked into the window during the seminary

kickoff last Sunday and got some smiles from the kids.

I will miss them. I do miss them.

Remember when I bought a huge bear at Costco

for a certain little munchkin named Eva?

Yep, this is him. He's still sitting in my parent's basement

awaiting Eva's return. We'll dust him off first, don't worry.

Here's my dad at Keys Cafe, home of pancakes the size of manhole covers.

For some reason, my dad likes to wear bow ties.

I'm pretty sure he got this idea from Kirk Sherman (Captain Kirk).

Kuch

2011-08-26T08:36:00.002-05:00

They called him Kuch. Short for Kucera. The guys at the Police station that is. It stuck. I guess they figured it was better than Richard, or Sergeant, or heaven forbid - Dick.

My dad fixes stuff. He's very handy. Yesterday he fixed my garage, my shower, my cabinets, my closet. He can pretty much do anything. Before I got home, he took a walk to Canterbury to 'check it out' and he found a plant with some sort of bean on it, so he picked it up and put it in his pocket. He wanted to go to Culver's for dinner. We get up to the counter to order and he says 'can I get a sandwich with this bean on it?'. Not. Kidding. And the beautiful Spanish woman replies 'sure, I'll go back and wash that for you' without missing a beat.

After I got done slapping him in the face, we dined on butter burgers and the best rootbeer ever (Culver's brand - not kidding, the best. what are you still doing here - go try it already).

Jana & I have compiled a list of things that set my dad really loves:

discovering an 1/2 full can of pop on the counter
opening the fridge door for more than 1.5 seconds
finding the lights or the tv left on
using more than 1 square of toilet paper
making fun of him or laughing at him when he talks about varieties of rocks & trees
the phrase 'we're going shopping', even the word 'shop' makes him scowl
lots of lint in the dryer vent
anything sticky - honey, syrup, jam
reading a blog that is making fun of him

Love you Dad! We enjoy teasing you so.very.much.

Mary Poppins has nothing on us...

2011-08-25T15:55:00.000-05:00

She was a natural!

It was pretty bright.

The finished product.

Jake is a very intent little colorer.

Yes, kites kept getting tangled up with other kites but it

was pretty funny.

Such a happy little girl.

Super fun event. They do it every year. I think we'll be back.

We had a great time.

Chloe: Mala, can we go to the gas station now and get candy and slurpees?

10 Ways to Guarantee a RBSMT (warning: this is a snarky/tongue.in.cheek post)

2011-08-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

A Really Boring Sacrament Meeting Talk involves the following:

1 Reading tons of quotes
(OMG, was that the entire chapter of the miracle of forgiveness? yes, i think it was!)
2 Reading your entire talk verbatim
(at the most pivotal part in the story you hear... "wait, i lost my place, bear with me brothers and sisters" shuffle, shuffle, shuffle)
3 Reading your entire talk verbatim...without looking up at. all.
(why is that person up there pretending he can't see us?)
4 Looking up the subject of your talk in the dictionary and sharing the definition
(using the dictionary is so 1998)
5 Not sharing any personal experiences
(come on, i know you have a story about how your sister's grandmother's aunt once blessed a sick buffalo and it got up and started walking again while on the trek to the great salt lake)
6 Trying to use random and ineffective analogies
(let's compare the Gospel to a three ring circus, you are the elephant, God is the circus master... NO NO NO)
7 Opening by telling everyone you didn't spend more than 10 minutes preparing
(watch at least 15 heads go down, it's not the wave, it's your audience playing solitaire)
8 Spending the first five minutes telling everyone how nervous you are and how fast your heart is beating
(come on, a seven year old just got up to bear his testimony)
9 Telling the story about how the member of the Bishopbric called you or cornered you in the hall and yada yada yada
(no.body. cares.)
10 Not even mentioning your topic, the. whole. time. and just talking about whatever you feel like
(we have no idea what your talk is about. no really... zero idea.)

After writing down all the "dont's", I found this article from the Liahona. I love the principles in it -- very simple and yet effective.

Scripture, personal story or anecdote and testimony. SPT. Makes me think of spit. :)

Hey, whatever works. Good luck on your next Sacrament meeting talk. Whatever you do, don't be boring.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

2011-08-17T13:26:00.001-05:00

Marla: [glancing at picture next to Chloe's bed] That picture is disturbing.

*Chloe: [rolls eyes] Mala! That's Justin Beiber you know.

Marla: Ugh.

Chloe: [random question while in the bathtub] Ma-la, when are you going to born some children?

Marla: Um, are you asking me when I'm going to have babies?

Chloe: Yes.

Marla: Uh... here's how it goes. Husband first, then babies. Ok? Ok.

*Jake: [getting out of bed again] Marla -- is this a mosquito bite on my face?

Marla: Jake, is the house on fire?

Jake: No, why are you asking that? [getting alarmed]

Marla: Because the only way you should be getting out of bed is if the house is on fire.

Jake: But I was really worried about this mosquito bite.

[on a walk to the park, we see a half eaten mouse]

Marla: Oh gross. That mouse has no head.

Kids: Ewwwwwww

[on the way back from the park]

Chloe: I wanna see that mouse with no head again!

*Chloe age 5; Jake age 7

Love the Journey

2011-08-16T09:54:00.000-05:00

"We are all fixing what is broken.

It is the task of a lifetime."

— Abraham Verghese, Cutting From Stone

Something Grand, Something Infinite

2011-08-11T08:52:00.001-05:00

If one feels the need of something grand, something infinite, something that makes one feel aware of God, one need not go far to find it. I think that I see something deeper, more infinite, more eternal than the ocean, in the expression of the eyes of a little baby when it wakes in the morning and coos or laughs because it sees the sun shining on its cradle.

~Vincent Van Gogh

i'm beginning to think this guy is onto something ...

2011-08-10T12:43:00.001-05:00

this is a good example of

what office work

makes you want to do.

Brilliant!

2011-08-09T10:09:00.000-05:00

http://shop.thefancy.com/product/magnetic-switch-cover