Listening Skills

Me: Peter, what should I write about for tomorrow?

Peter: I want you to know that truth is good. Write that.

Me: Wow. Okay. What about truth is good?

Peter: That juice is good.

Me: Wait, juice or truth?

Peter: I said juice.

Me: I thought you said truth.

Peter: No, juice.

Maybe I should get my hearing checked...

The Art of Sharing

Funny things happen when I give Peter goldfish crackers and then walk out of the room for two minutes.



The cracker throwing lasted just long enough for me to document it. Shortly after I took the video Cooper climbed into the plastic drawer (it had his toys in it when I put it in his bed) containing the goldfish and started stepping on them.

Awesome.

It's nice that Peter wants to share with Cooper. It would be nicer if it didn't involve food flying through the air.

In the Beginning

Here is our first harvest from our little garden. Actually. the zucchinis came from a generous friend, but we grew the rest.


Something of interest: we didn't plant purple potatoes, but we appear to be growing them. Hmm...

Hitched

We're home. Did you know we were gone? I don't like to talk about our vacations before we take them, just in case some crazy person finds my blogs, deduces where we live, and decides that our absence is the perfect chance to rob our house. Paranoid much?

Anyway, we're back from a two week trip to my hometown in San Diego county. It was only supposed to be a one week jaunt, but our car insisted that it needed to spend some time in the shop and we relented. Luckily Bryan was able to work remotely from my parent's house.

I'll talk about our trip another day, but I will show you why we went down there in the first place.
This is my brother Jordan and his wife Allison, just after they were married in the San Diego Temple. Allison was stunning and Jordan's smile was so big I thought his face was going to break.

Congratulations you guys. Welcome to the family Allison!

What Happens When Mommy Makes Us Stay in the Stoller For Too Long

Harry Potter and the Indecisive Review

Whenever Bryan and I see movies, we spend time afterward discussing them, talking about their strengths and weaknesses. Last night we debated the newest Harry Potter film. I think I need to see it again to really solidify my opinion of it. I won't say much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I will tell you this though: when I told my dad that I didn't want to give anything away he said, "We've read the book. Did they change the ending?"

Yes, yes they did.

Some major events are still in place, others are not. I'm so conflicted. There were scenes and line deliveries that I loved. ("Sir!") And there were parts that made me squirm. (Could someone please tell Emma Watson to think ON the lines and not between the lines? You could drive a bus through some of those pauses.)

I want to like it. No, I do like it. I want to love it. I want to recommend it to all my friends and tell them that they'll love it. But I'm not sure I can. This is how I felt after the fourth movie. I had to see that one a second time before I decided that I did in fact like it.

Here's my theory: the books that I like the most are the movies that I have the hardest time with. Books four and six are my favorites, books three and five are okay. Movies three and five, however, are tied for the coveted top-spot of favorite Harry Potter film. If I use this measure, I should LOVE the last two movies based on the seventh book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or, as Bryan calls it, Harry Potter Goes Camping.

Has anybody else seen this? What are your thoughts?

Math Problem

Just something to think about...

Cousin Pictures: A Valiant Attempt

At least we tried...

The Standard

I love the Ensign, did you know? I'm almost giddy when I discover a new one in my mailbox. It is full of spiritual nourishment that I need during the month.

I didn't always feel this way about it. I remember watching my freshman year roommate read her newly acquired copy of the Ensign and wondering how she could get through all of those grown-up articles. It wasn't the reading itself that tripped me up (I'd been reading at a college level since I was eleven), it was the seemingly heavy, dry subject matter. I preferred the New Era; I could polish off one of those babies in two or three sittings.

The change was gradual, but by the time I got married I knew that I wanted us to have that monthly bundle of inspiration in our home. I became more engaged by the articles, I discovered that many of them were written by normal members of the church that had gained a specific scriptural insight or had a special spiritual experience they wanted to share.

Recently I started wondering if the editors are clairvoyant. At the beginning of each month I flip through the articles to see what I've got to look forward to. For the last year or so it seems that each time I do this there are a number of articles just for me. Last month it was the gardening section and the wonderful articles about the family. This month it's the article on modesty and the beautiful artwork about the Saints in Ghana.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go read.

Goodie Roster

This is what we went with:

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake, aka Texas Sheet Cake



Four in One Cookies, aka Cowboy Cookies

We weren't trying for western themed treats, but that's what we ended up with. These won't be needed until tonight, so I might add a third item. Or I might not. It depends on whether or not I get a nap today.

How about Cyclone Swirl Fruit Tarts? Or maybe Longhorn Baklava?

I really need that nap.