Never find a blog like this....

The other night I spent literally hours trying to figure out a fancy-schmancy way to post my pictures from Jill's visit. I was wading through web page after web page of HTML instruction without a clue and without success. Forget it! Blogging cannot take up so much of my time! Kids were fighting around me, Andrew was laying on my lap whining for some attention, and there I was trying just one more thing. I am going to simply write, in list form, the highlights (and some low lights) of the visit. I will include a picture or two, and you will just have to trust me that I have 100's (yes, 100's) more photos that are really good. (I LOVE digital photography!!! )


While Jill and Jenna were here we:

• admired Jenna's even personality. She handled the noise of 7 older cousins pretty well. She didn't mind when Porter got in her face or when the older girls circled her and tried their darndest to get her to laugh. Even when she didn't feel good, she still kept it together pretty well.



• took lots and lots of pictures of Jenna. She is a beautiful baby. I could take pictures of her all day. And some days I did!

• went to Ci Ci's pizza. The story goes that when Jill bought her plane ticket to come out here, Jake's fist comment was "Oh man, you get to go to Ci Ci's!!" I know it is not gourmet cuisine, but you can't beat the amount of food you get for the price. Plus, the kids love it. For me, the best part are those amazing cinnamon rolls. I wish Jill had been able to take a box back to Jake. He probably does too.



• took the kids ages 6 and under to Bay Nature Center. Always good to have a free, warm place to go in the winter. Plus, as we were walking out, a lady was holding a possum that Macey suggested they name Crystal. I was especially impressed by the muscular tail.

• had pizza and movie night at the Chatty's.

• found some amazing deals at Old Navy. They had racks and racks of clearance items that ended up being 75% off. You just can't beat that. My favorite find? Cool slippers for the girls for only $3.50!!



• had a girl's lunch at a cool place in Lakewood called Melt. The menu is full of different types of grilled cheese sandwiches. Yum!

• watched a huge snow storm hit just a few hours before Jill and Jenna had to leave for the airport. Fun to watch through the living room window, not so much fun to drive in. At least everyone was safe, and Jenna got to see snow for the first time!

• compared notes and offered support to each other as mothers in different stages. There was one day when all three of us had to deal with a difficult, age-appropriate situation with our kids. No matter what stage you're in, that one is the hardest.

• got to snuggle Jenna. She got a little sick near the end of the week and had trouble settling down to sleep. It was really hard for me to rock her to sleep and then hold a sleeping baby on my chest. Boy, as an aunt you can have the patience you always wanted as a young mother but always seemed just out of your grasp. I was able to truly enjoy these little bits of time with Jenna.




• were just so grateful that J & J were able to visit us! The girls look up to their aunt, and it was so much fun to have a baby around the house again! (Sorry, Porter, you're almost 2.)

I am glad it won't be too much longer until I get to see them again...Melissa and I decided to take our not-quite-annual girl's trip to California this time. We will be heading out next month, and my kids are a little put out that they don't get to come with me. They will just have to look forward to their own reunions in the future. Thanks to Jill for the sacrifice and hassle of coming out by herself with a baby! Hope it was worth it!

A friendly game of tag....

It has happened--I've been tagged. I am kind of nervous; the only kind of Tag I've ever liked was Carol Hathaway's fiance in season 1 of ER. More nerve-wracking than the actual 7 things about me that I have to come up with are 7 other people to tag. What you may not know is that I have been a blog stalker for a couple months now, and I know that many of you who may happen to read my blog have already been tagged. And I don't want to tag someone who is not even aware I have them bookmarked! So I will list 7 things about me, but I may come up short in sharing the love.

1. I blow my nose like an elephant. I cannot help it, and I have been teased mercilessly about it. When I was younger, my allergies were much worse than they are now, which lead to frequent nose-blowing, which lead to the teasing. Just call me Dumbo.

2. When I was at BYU I took a theater class and was required to see all the mainstage productions that semester. One of them was the musical "Chess," and I fell in love with it. I cannot understand why it didn't do well here in the states. It was a major part of the soundtrack to my college years. If I were in college now, "Wicked" would be my soundtrack, because I am Elphaba. I love musicals that inspire me (as opposed to Glenn, who just wants to laugh and be entertained).

3. In high school I discovered a man by the name of Harry Connick Jr. I was so impressed by his piano playing abilities and became a huge fan. (This has also been a source of much teasing.) His music was another big part of my college soundtrack, and he was the reason I added "plays piano" to the list of qualities I wanted in a husband. (See #4) I have gotten to see him in concert twice, and still love his music and voice.

4. I married someone who fulfilled all but 2 of the qualities on my husband list. Glenn doesn't play the piano, but he was a band-o for 4 years, so that is something. He is musical and does love music, which I am grateful for, even if our tastes sometimes clash. He also never got his Eagle Scout, but what are ya gonna do? He is funny, he served a mission, he loves kids, and he loves to play with my hair. I am so lucky to have someone who meets my wants and needs!

5. I really really want to travel. There are so many places I want to visit. I love planning for trips and vacations. Maybe I should be a travel agent when I grow up--does it come with any perks?

6. I love to bake. A lot. But I don't do it much because I know I will eat it all. Not good for an already struggling waistline. I especially love muffins, quick breads, and cookies. Anything with pumpkin, zucchini, or banana is divine. Add a mini chocolate chip in there and I am in heaven. Maybe I'll open a bakery when I grow up. A traveling bakery, perhaps?

7. I am somewhat of a traditionalist. I love traditions. The first year I was home for Christmas during college, the family just kind of wandered out to the living room on Christmas morning. This would not do for me. I made everyone go back into their rooms and start over again--the right way. Again, more teasing, but traditions give a family a sense of security which is very important for a college freshman! I am always looking for more traditions to start with my own kids.

I can only come up with 3 people to tag, so my apologies to Melissa, Jen, and Tara. The rules, should you choose to accept this tag and follow them, are as follows:

Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
• Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog, as we all want to know them.
• Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
• Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So there you have it. Feel like you know me better now?

Behind every good man...

....is an equally amazing woman!

After reading Melissa's post today (to which I wholeheartedly say AMEN), I felt inspired to write about my dad's other half. Because, as anyone who knows them can attest, the two go hand in hand. My mom and dad go together. This is the first thing I love about them....they have been the best example of a united team, an equal partnership, a supportive, loving, and eternal marriage that I could have ever had. Never once in my entire life have I ever doubted the solidity of my parent's marriage or their love for each other. That has been and remains a constant for me. It is definitely something to aspire to.

So, my mom...has taught me how to stand up for myself, to be honest, to not put so much pressure on myself as a mother, to cook and keep a clean house (or at least a strong desire to have one in my heart), to be more patient with the kids, to find a good bargain, to appreciate good haircuts, to have adventures and enjoy planning trips and traveling, to accept and faithfully serve in church callings, to be a decent Boggle player, to not worry about the fat grams in egg nog, and that diaper bags have many uses. Of course, I could keep going. It's just a sampling of lessons I have learned from her.

As a grandma, she's better than I could have imagined. She cares about each of her grandkids individually and tries to give them each personal attention and one-on-one time with her and Grandpa. She treats the kids with respect and talks to them as the important people they are. She always has presents in her suitcase when she comes, and the kids love it when she opens it up and hands them out. This year for Christmas we suggested that instead of lugging gifts out here she take the kids shopping (something the kids LOVED!!). She was remarking how hard it was to not buy stuff for them when she would go shopping. But she still managed to have little goodies for them to keep the excitement alive. It was fun to see Emma, Leah, and Sydney reading the "Stories From Oz" book together during the cousin sleep over.

During her visits, you can always find her doing puzzles with the kids, encouraging "poker faces" (I still don't really know what that's all about, but the kids love it), reading to someone, having huddled meetings with the kids, playing "Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?" and other games, and having "formal night" (another tradition she started but that we didn't get to do this time!).

She is quick to help with the dishes, but doesn't butt in on parenting issues (we wish she would more!!!). She has helped with every birth, but isn't afraid of the rowdy teenagers she works with. She loves a lot of the same TV shows I do, but don't ask her to remember a movie. She hated the idea of me coming out to Ohio, but now entertains the thought of coming out here herself. She has faced many challenges and trials in her life, but has never lost hold of her faith. She has been not only a wonderful mother, but is now a great friend.

Super Saturday

It was nice to have a day with not much going on. Glenn and the kids spent some time at the church this morning watching and coaching basketball. I got my hair cut and went grocery shopping. After chores, lunch, and a quick nap (by me), it was time for the haircutting marathon. All the kids needed trims, even the ones (Emma) who were resistant to any scissors getting close to their heads. This may be the last time I play the part of Nick Arrojo, because I had a tough time with the girls' hair. Luckily there is a little curl in their hair, so I don't have to be perfect. This is after showers--I hope it doesn't look this uneven in the morning! We may be headed for Best Cuts!The chair of torture--and the aftermath.

Glenn also helped Brooke and Andrew rearrange their rooms. I think they look great and much bigger! It is always nice to have a change.

And finally, the kids ended the night with tacos for dinner, always a favorite.

They are sleeping in their own beds tonight, by themselves, and will be in bed by 7:00. So that means I need to finish this post and get upstairs for prayers!!!

THIS is American Idol!

Oh how I love to hear Ryan Seacrest utter those words. I have been a fan from those long ago Kelly Clarkson days right up to Jordin Sparks. I have had my favorites, and when I feel strongly enough, I will sit on the couch with the phone in my hand pressing the redial button for hours, seeing how many times I can get through. When I was Young Women's president, watching the finale was our midweek activity. I actually agree with Simon most of the time, and I love how Ryan interacts with the auditioners. And in less than 2 weeks, it will start all over again.

Needless to say, my love of the show has carried over to the kids. We start recording the show for them once they get to Hollywood (by that time there is less bleeping and tactfully placed star graphics). Glenn and I watch the show the night it is on and the next morning we love to tease the kids that "We know who got voted off American Idol!" (We love to say Ace Young--he was so bad that they brought him back to vote him off again.) The kids get into it as much as we do! Bringing the family together through reality television--what could be better.

So when we were in California this summer, my brother introduced us to the world of American Idol Karaoke for PS2. He had borrowed it from a friend and it was the best! At first the only songs the kids would sing were "Unwritten" and "Breakaway." I cannot tell you how many times in a row we heard those songs! But when we got back to Ohio, we decided to get the game to share with the Chattertons. We have all had fun with it (and it has let Jill get in touch with her inner rock star). We broke it out today and we were happy that the older kids tried some new and challenging songs. They may not have gotten the perfect score and kind comments from Simon, but we were happy to hear some Pat Benetar and Heart,with a little Queen thrown in too. Our kids may never make it to Hollywood, but I would press redial for them anyday!

Happy New Year!

I am not going to write anything about New Year's Eve, because Melissa already blogged the highlights. You'll just have to read hers. It's better written than I would have done anyway. So here we are on the 2nd day of the year, and we started off with Brooke and my mom getting sick last night. Brooke is fine, but Mom is still trying to recover. Was it the burritos I made last night? Was it the egg in the jello pretzel salad (it was Mom's recipe!)? Was it watching 48 Hours Mystery and trying to decide if the pretty blonde was really a battered wife? Those crime scene reenactments were enough to make anyone toss their cookies. Anyway, we finally got the kids out of the house, so hopefully she can rest in peace. Wait a minute, that's not what I meant.There was a nice snow storm yesterday, so the kids piled on the snow gear and tromped around in the snow for a while. Porter even ventured out and trying to push his little lawn mower around. He was done when he fell in the snow with ungloved hands. The older kids stayed out for a while, covering the tree trunks with snow, laying down, finding frozen acorns, fighting, and pouting. Sounds like fun, huh. They are now in the house with bellies full of mac and cheese and hot chocolate. One more afternoon of trying to keep them occupied and then they are back to school. I think I am ready.