How Yellow Was He?



He was pretty darn sick. Because of the Power of Prayer, the Priesthood and a really good Doc (who we found because of the power of Prayer and the Priesthood), our Daddy will recover. Thank you to all of you who have prayed and continue to pray for him. We so love and appreciate you! Boy, are we grateful for Jesus Christ and the Atonement.

A Work in Progress

As you can see, I'm messing around, trying to update the look and format of the Blog. This is so I can be as cool as all of you out there with your fancy-nancy-customized-also-cleans-your-floors Blogs.

I'm hoping I can get it to where I like it. This will take time--especially since I am notorious for leaving the blog for weeks (months?) at a time without any changes.

Meanwhile, apparently some of my family members don't want me to be able to access their blogs, so I didn't put links to them on here, since it won't do any good. If you are one of those family members, and it turns out you forgot to invite me (but love me anyway), invite me and I'll add you to the blog-roll. :)

For the 2 or 3 people out there

who wouldn't be able to guess what our middle child would choose to do, given the opportunity to share a talent with her 4th grade class:

This is pretty much what you'd call "Classic" for this child.

Remember

how annoying it is when you go to label a file and the program restricts you to 8 letters?
(those who use a Mac now may not remember this, but go along with me anyway)

Um, I am now not completely sure about having too much leniency the other way.

Case in point:

The photo:
The file name:
amilia and beansie together with scotty in the background even though he is not supposed to be there, also mom was fixing this so that we could use it for our picture frame that we are going to put in our locker.jpg

Yeah, I just happened to run across this as I was organizing some files on my computer.

I guess it IS nice that not only can a person describe exactly what is going on (thus making it impossible to get mixed up with another file), but said person can also issue a "to do" reminder for the party responsible for doing something with it.

Still, do we really need that many characters?

Overheard...

today as I was using my "avoidance strategy" (ie. staying in bed all morning in hopes that all of life's problems will just go away):

Boy (yelling to his sister in the bathroom): S, don't go in the kitchen for a minute, or even look in there!
S (yelling back): Why?
Boy (again, yelling): Because I just spilled my bowl of cereal all over the floor and I need to go talk to mom about it!

Sigh.

This actually made me laugh. Why would he not want S to see what had happened, but then tell her about it?

The ensuing conversations:
Boy (running into my room): Mommy! I just spilled my whole bowl of cereal all over the red rug.
Me (from the bed): O.K. just a minute.
Boy runs out of the room.
Me (from the bed): S! Come here.
S: What, Mommy?
Me: Will you help your brother by rolling up the rug carefully? Then put it in the laundry room. Use a wet rag to wipe up anything else.
S (slumping over): O.K.
S slowly walks out of the room.

And, thus I was able to continue my strategy (that obviously wasn't working).

Later...

Coming from the shower:

Boy: Someone took all the hot! Someone took all the hot!
R (running to the bathroom and then yelling through the door): What's wrong?
Boy: Someone took all the hot!
R: It was S. She is taking a bath.
Boy: Well, she took all the hot. Tell her she can take the cold, but not the hot!

Our Colorful Daddy

Our daddy is currently yellow-orange. We hope he gets well soon.

Above: demonstrating the yellow-ness, which even reflects onto his daughter's face.
Below: posing as the grinch.

The Bread

Since we are currently going through some of life's turbulence (blah), I am working on the "cheerfulness and patience" thing it talks about in Mosiah 24.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

16 And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.

I have found that I'm not always very good at the "cheerful" or "patient" thing during trials. I am pretty good at "panic" and "despair," however. Alas, this isn't part of the scripture in Mosiah.

So...focusing on submitting cheerfully...

This was made easier one day this week with the following discovery:
If you can't tell, there is a piece of bread in the manger where Jesus usually is. This left us to ponder on the meaning of it all. Was someone trying to remind us of the significance of the Savior being "the bread of life?" Or, was someone thinking that we needed to feed the animals?

The boy admitted to putting it there. "Why?" We asked, extremely curious. "Because I wanted to," was the reply. That was all he said. I didn't press the issue until later in the week. "Son, why did you really put the bread in the manger?" Realizing I needed more of an explanation, he spelled it out for me. "Well, I was in the front room, eating a plain piece of bread, and I decided to put some of it in the manger." That was it. I looked at him. "Well then," I replied, "why don't you go in there and take the bread out of the manger and put baby Jesus back in?" He did so.

This got me thinking about funny things little children do with nativity sets. I took my beautiful olive wood set to Primary one Sunday, and had each of the children bring up a piece as we read the story of Jesus' birth. Doing this reminded me of something else: I LOVE the way children put together the scene. All small children seem to do it the same way (with the exception of 2-year olds, who just take off with the baby Jesus to places unknown--we are still missing a baby Jesus from one of our sets).

Anyway, when small children put together the scene, you end up with EVERYBODY right around Jesus and the manger. I mean, the animals are there, up against the manger, breathing right on Him. The wise men and shepherds are not behind, or off to the sides of, Mary and Joseph, but right by the manger as well, as if He were their own child.

In fact, little children don't think about the fact that you are trying to make a display for people to look at, so they will form the pieces into a circle around baby Jesus. None of the pieces are holding back, they are all smashed together, trying to get in as close as possible to see this little baby.

By the time the children are finished, the onlooker can't even see the baby Jesus--just the backs of the figures looking at Him. Children don't put the faces of the figures outward so that people can see them--they know that the people involved wouldn't be looking out at an audience, they would be staring at the baby.

This arrangement forces the onlooker to have to come close, and look down into the circle, to see baby Jesus.

Contrast the little children's method with the way I put together a scene: the pieces are all spread out, so that onlookers can see and admire each piece in its beauty. I have the number of pieces "balanced" so that similar numbers are on each side of the little family. Not all of the pieces are focused completely on the little family. Some are "cheeked out" so that onlookers can see their faces. Putting the scene together this way, leaves the finished scene pleasing to the eye and looking "right."

Really, though. Which method really looks "right?" Any child will tell you (and any adult who thinks about it) that the children's method is right.

Wouldn't everyone be trying to get close to baby Jesus?

Little children think about it logically. If THEY had the opportunity to see baby Jesus in his manger, they would be right up there, trying to see and even touch the new baby and would realize how important this event was. Children would assume that EVERYONE (including the animals) would feel the exact same way, and want to get as close to Him as possible.

Are the pieces of the nativity, and where we place them in relation to the Savior symbolic of us?

Little children. They are the ones the Lord has told us to be like. They are the ones closest to Him. They keep their nativity pieces close to, around, and focused on the Savior.

Why, as we get older, do we move our pieces farther away, and focus more on the "beauty" of the "stuff" that the nativity is made of, rather than what it represents?

Why do we feel like we have to please the onlookers in our lives, rather than our Lord? I'm pretty sure He would have us come close to Him, rather than out posing for others to admire us.

The more I think about it, the more I like the little children's way best.

Isn't it interesting how once children have their pieces in place, you must come close to the nativity in order to see what all of the pieces are looking at?

You are compelled to look at what is most important--the baby Jesus.

And isn't it interesting how the 2-year-olds choose, out of all the pieces, to keep the baby Jesus with them as they go off on their adventures?

Seems to me like that might be a good game plan for all of us.

Merry Christmas!

Part-time Politician wanted me to post our Christmas Card this year. If you didn't get one, it is because we don't have your address, or we don't know you, but it is not because we hate you.


You'll probably have to click on the image to read the letter portion:

Caught in the Act!

The evidence:

The culprit (and more evidence):

"It wasn't me, I swear!
Look at my cute, innocent puppy face.
Does it look like I would kill a bird?"

The victim:

Thankfully (yet still extremely annoyingly), it wasn't a bird. It was one of my lovely feather trees.

Aside from a helpless, maimed bird and a dead bird, Chewy has yet to catch a real bird. Don't worry, we made him drop the maimed bird--luckily, he had just learned the "drop it" command at puppy school. In the case of the dead bird, I saw him rolling and rubbing his body all over something (dogs like to roll and rub themselves all over stinky things--it's like perfume for dogs). Sure enough, dead bird. I asked our good friend, "Leaf" to remove the bird with a shovel, and I gave Chewy a bath...when I had enough gumption to touch him.

The problem is, he really thinks he is a bird dog, and the scent of feathers is too much for him. This isn't the first feather tree he has attacked, although I usually catch him before he does so much damage.

4 Years today ago I learned
The True Meaning of Bittersweet

Happy birthday, son. We miss you, but know we'll see you again.

Funny-ness

Help Mommy Out

Our fridge door is smooth so that we can write on it with white-board markers. I like to put the kids jobs, schedule, etc. on there. Rebekah took it upon herself to put an inspiring "weekly scripture" (Genesis 40:12) on it as well as the menu for the week. She also put some other "ideas" up for the kids. The best part is where it says:

"Help Mommy out--let's SWAT her dead."

If I didn't happen to know that SWAT around here means Service Without A Trace (doing a kind deed without the person knowing), I would have to assume that the kids have finally realized my pitiful situation, and assessed that the best way to help me would be to swat me dead.

The Big Screen

Today I had the opportunity to go to my son's 1st grade class and teach about Stan and Jan Berenstain and read some of the all time great books written about the Berenstain Bears.

I love first graders. They are hilarious and full of information not pertaining to what they are supposed to be focusing on at the time.

Case in point--after I had read the last book (and fought through all sorts of random comments), the teacher was trying to have the children tell me "thanks for coming, etc.", but there was this one little boy with his hand in the air so high and leaning toward me so far (about to fall off his chair), that I knew I'd better "call on him" and avert disaster:

Me: Did you have something you wanted to ask me?
Him: Yes. I saw you in a movie once, but you were wearing different clothes.
Me (taken aback): Really?
Him: yep.
Me (trying to discern whether I should be flattered or not): Which movie was it?
Him: I don't remember.
Me: Ahhh.
Teacher: O.K. everyone, let's tell Mrs. Cutler "thank you" one more time...

Halloween 2008

For some unknown reason, over the years, Halloween (which was really never that big of a deal to me) has become a highly celebrated holiday around our house...meaning celebrated over many days.

Actually we know the reason: Brent.

Paul's friend started a yearly Halloween party seven years ago (costumes required). He sold his house two years (or so) in. The party migrated here. We now host the annual "Monster Mash" for all sorts of people--friends & people we don't know. People could be coming in off the street and we wouldn't know the difference. This year we had 40.

The Monster Mash's winning jack-o-lantern.
Sadly, we don't have photos of Paul or me in our costumes: McCain and Pallin. I had one person tell me I should do impersonations of Sarah Pallin. Not because I look like Sarah Pallin, mind you, but because, apparently, I "look like the girl who does the impersonations of Sarah Pallin." I found out that that would be Tina Fey. Hmmmm. Tina Fey.

Paul was made Elder's Quorum President three years ago. Now we have an annual "Monster Mash" for the Elder's Quorum the night before the real "Monster Mash." (Reason: as long as we are going to all the work for the "Monster Mash," why not go to MORE work?)

The kids think that if the adults are going to have all this fun on a holiday that is meant for kids, they should have a "Monster Mash" too. This year we had a kids "Monster Mash" at my parents' house. My sister and I tried out this cute treat. Note, don't try it with real caramel...we did. It doesn't work. Do try it with all sorts of candy chips.

Thanks for a great time, Mom and Dad!

Then the real Halloween rolls around and we have to celebrate that, right?

(I know, I know...many of the original C-family are saying, "no you don't--we did not allow our children to trick or treat, and look how great they turned out?" I say, yeah, they turned out great--except for the emotional scarring that they are now dealing with. How do I know they are dealing with emotional scarring? One of those former non-trick or treating children lived here in the complex with his wife and two kids. Believe me, I have heard about it and heard about it. Luckily, he married a pagan wife who said she intends to fix things so their children don't have the same problems.)

(I also live with one of the original C-fam who was not allowed to trick or treat. He snuck out once and trick-or-treated, and did not end up in prison, thank goodness. His emotional scarring is mainly centered around the severe guilt he feels when he allows his children to trick or treat.)

Anyway, we celebrate the real Halloween around here. We went to my sister's and made these very cute mummy hot dogs, that actually taste even better than hot dogs do when in a bun. We had a delicious dinner and then the fun Seattle Aunt and Uncle, along with the fun Kaysville Uncle, took the kids trick or treating. AAAAHHHH! The guilt, the guilt! No matter. This just adds to the scary-ness of Halloween for Paul.

The cast of characters:

Elpheba

Indian Princess and Bat

Rapunzel

Indiana Jones

No, no, silly Seattle Uncle, that isn't your costume...

"Yeah, Daddy! That is MY costume!"

"O.K. I'll put on my Karate suit."

"See? Look how much cuter I am than you in this costume? Even though I'm a little too long for it so it makes me mad when I try and stretch out."

We're still not sure what this get-up is.

Sweet Pea and Karate Mom

Nacho Libre. No, not Nacho Libre.
Who is that? Clues, anyone?
The hair is too poofy to fit.

Ohhhh. It is cute curly-haired Spiderman with the other Indiana Jones. Believe it or not, our two "Indy's" weren't the only ones out there. The neighborhood was full of them.

Speaking of scary, one of our children, the middle one, loves to decorate for each and every holiday. The more decorations the better. This year, she felt like I didn't have enough, and took it upon herself to "create" some.

O.K. This isn't a decoration...it is a dog, completely unaware of the gore around him.

In case you can't tell, the first photo is of an unsuspecting office vampire, whose head has been sawed off, blood everywhere. He has been there a long time. There is a spiderweb coming out of his mouth. The second photo is of a sleeping, mangled witch.
Here is a close up of the vampire.

A tad morbid, don't you think? If this child wasn't a cute, well-rounded, kind, caring individual, I'd be very worried. Imagine my surprise one day as I went into her room to put something away and I found various "body parts" all over. A head here, a torso and foot there. It was a little un-nerving. The parts did come together well, though, I guess.

Before we went to my sister's house for Halloween night, the cousins came here and played in our many leaves. There are few things better than a good leaf pile.

The Pile

The People

No. 1's take-off...
and landing!

No. 2!

No 3!
Nice entry...only a leg is left.

No. 4, trying something original
Ahhh!

No. 5 jumped so high, the camera missed her head.

No. 6!

No. 7--not going to jump. Doesn't even LIKE leaves.

Leaves, YAY leaves!!!!

love this one.