i ♥ you.

My little sister, Katelyn, took the picture below on Memorial Day, and I just had to post it. Tanner is sporting lickerlips. No, I didn't misspell that, it's a word. At least in our family.

It's in Tanner's genes to lick his lips. His mommy did it as well as all of his aunts and uncles on the Crandall side. We licked our lips till they bled, growing up. I don't know if it's because we rarely used chapstick, we were always in the 'elements' having adventures outside, or because we just liked the taste of sweat on our upper lips...I can't tell you, because I don't do it anymore. I disliked lickerlips. They hurt. Especially when Grandma Crandall would lovingly hold us down and smother our faces with baby lotion...exactly what I do to my kids.

i ♥ u, Tanner. You are so silly. In many ways you remind me of myself, yet I'm sure some of your antics come from your father's side. You're the most rambunctious, yet most forgiving little boy a mama could ever ask for. i ♥ your lickerlips. i ♥ your smile. i ♥ your hugs. i ♥ you.

{defeated}

This morning I had in my head a little plan to get out and exercise...especially after throwing out three bags of clothes before going to work (yes, I still have a few to wear, but I figured I was done wearing things I had in high school, my fat clothes for after giving birth, and my skinny clothes without any hope of ever fitting back into them...).

As soon as dinner was done, complete with Ryan doing the dishes (I know, you're all jealous), I changed my clothes into some workout attire. After getting the kids wiped up and strapped in the jogging stroller we purchased last summer but we've never jogged with, I took off to the local community park, where there is a paved track. Simple enough of a plan, right?

*I alternately jogged, pulled Ryan's shorts up, walked, pulled my shirt down (you know how those things ride...), jogged, reprimanded the kids for fighting, walked, etc, etc, etc. After that single mile, we FINALLY reached our destination. Now the real fun could begin...running.

For anybody who claims they know me, knows how much I LOATHE running. I HATE it with a passion. I swam competitively for 12 years, so I feel most comfortable layered in three swimsuits, my head shrink wrapped in latex and my eyes bugging out in goggles. Besides, it's just sexier not watching all the blubber wiggle with every bounce on land...water is much more forgiving, and you feel lighter!

I wish I would have known if anybody had a lame-o Memorial Day weekend, because then I could have invited you to watch the show my boys and I put on at the park. It was hilarious! and free. And it would probably make anybody feel better about themselves after watching me try to exercise.

It was a continuation of the previous "alternating jog, pulling my pants up, walking, pulling my shirt down, jogging, reprimanding the kids for fighting, walking, etc, etc, etc" and my kids screaming for three laps, topped by a 70-ish year old woman speed walking faster than my poor attempt to run.

I was humiliated, so I gave up and took the kids to the playground area where we played on the swings for a good 45 minutes. (I'll conveniently skip the fiasco Tanner and I had on the soccer field...I'm surprised Child Services wasn't in the parking lot by the time I reached the playground. Okay, I'll tell: Tanner wanted to walk, so I let him out. I was apparently going 'the wrong way' to the playground and Tanner wanted to go the 'other' way (backtracking) so I left him on the field where he threw a 10 minute tantrum, jumping at least 8 inches off the ground and purposely throwing his body all over, screaming, "Come back! Moooooooom!" and "bwahhhhhhhh.") Regardless, they loved it, I loved it....once again, those Simple Pleasures topped the cake!

So now I'm a little sore, my hips are achy and the growing wart on the ball of my left foot is throbbing, but I got to show off my fake-baked legs to a lot of concerned community members, making sure I didn't hurt myself (or my children, for that matter!).

Oh, the sweet smell of {defeat}!

And as a side note, for any of you who have the June issue of the church magazines, the Ensign has a fabulous article about better aligning the day and not feeling overwhelmed as a mother...Something I really needed...It's in the Questions & Answers section, pages 12 through17 (apparently it needed a five-page spread). Here's the link to the church website if you read it online: June 2009 Ensign**

*Don't worry, there are no pictures for your viewing pleasure to accompany this post.
**Okay, they don't publish it online until June, but you could get to it from the link above.

{Our Little Graduate}

Tonight our little guy graduated from preschool. They put on a fun little program, and as you can see in the short clip, Tanner really knew his part...

...okay, so he didn't know it as well as the other kids, but in our defense, he only goes to this 'preschool' twice a week, for two hours. All the other kids are there all day, every day...

♥

I thought their little hats were kinda' cute...and we got to keep the tassel...I KNEW there was a reason for that hefty sign-up fee! :)

♥

I loved the sheepish grin on his face...such a cutie! He did surprisingly well, and got a bunch of giggles out of me...I love my little boy!

♥

This picture was actually captured right after we sat down...They occupied their seats for an entire minute, and then Ryan was a good sport and sat at the back of the auditorium with Taylor so I could take pictures. Nevertheless, Tanner has a strong support system: a loving family.

♥

Afterwards Tanner got a popsicle...it was pretty tasty!!! Don't worry, I didn't bawl my eyes out at Tanner's graduation, but I am as I'm making this post. I can't believe how fast he's growing up, and I'm missing it...

♥♥♥

{Facebook}

the root of all {evil}. the root of {hoots}.
the root of {sighs}. the root of {laughs}.

comics.com

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I hope you all had as wonderful of a day as I did:

• Work went well...got everything done that I needed to do, and then some.
  
• My kids and husband attacked me with kisses when I got home.
• Dinner went together nicely, and we got to share it with our neighbors.
• Scouts went well, too. We got a few things accomplished. ;)
• I got to visit with a dear friend after scouts, which I think we both needed.
• My kids are in bed (not asleep, but in bed (which is an improvement upon LAST NIGHT, when one was found running around in the dark, in his pjs. I promise, Ryan and I are trying to be good parents! Please don't turn us in to CPS. We thought he was asleep.)
• An early bed time looks promising.

...ahhhh. Simple Pleasures.

H1N1

So I work at our county's extension office. I'm quite suprized we haven't recieved ANY calls about this Swine Flu thing...but I'm not suprized.

However, this morning I realized how this all happened...




And we all know where HE got it.

{I don't know how good I got it}

What a weekend! After I got over my very own pity party, I realized I have so many things to be thankful for...take that back. I have so many PEOPLE to be thankful for. Things are just that. Things. I suppose I take the people I'm closest to for granted, all too much.

My sweet mother (and father) gave me a book for Mother's Day titled "In Praise of Stay-At-Home-Moms" by Dr. Laura Schlessinger...you know, Dr. Laura. Honestly, my first thought was, "Geesh, Thanks Mom, are you trying to send 'subliminal' messages?" But that thought lasted only a moment when my husband asked if there was a sequel titled "In Praise of Stay-At-Home-Dad's". I was rolling on the floor laughing uncontrollably. I'm so grateful for my mother, and her willingness to put her family first. I can hardly wait to get back into my growth-zone, of being a Stay-At-Home-Mom, and LOVING it!

I've devoured this book, and it has brought me back to Earth. If you need a pick-me-up, I encourage you to read this book. Dr. Laura in NO WAY puts down mothers who work, for whatever reason, but instead, she shares wonderful stories of those who have been there, done that, and ultimately are doing what I so badly want to be doing right now.

Okay, diverted train back on track, I am SO thankful for my loving husband this weekend. It was a rough and stressful weekend in our household (thanks, Stevie, for putting up with us), but together we made it through.

Just a few highlights:

• I taught my first class on eating on a budget, "Eating Healthy on the Cheap" and really, what I had to say could have been said in 5 minutes or less. However, I had to kick a dead horse for 40 minutes. That said, I think it went relatively well. (Why do we women have a tendancy to beat ourselves up?)
  
• We had plans to go visit my family for Mother's Day, but at the last minute decided we needed to show some tender loving care to a family member who so desperately needed to know she was loved.
• We had plans to go visit my family for Mother's Day, but at the last minute, felt prompted to stay for our own personal church meetings, not knowing exactly why (Ryan's calling is flexible, and mine is Scouts on Tuesdays...so why not go to church with my family or Ryan's?) ...We are SO glad that we heeded those promptings and were able to be at church to help out a friend who had a family emergency. We are also grateful that her Mother's Day wasn't totally ruined by a visit to the ER and that her daughter is doing well. (thanks, mom and dad, for being understanding.)
  
• Ryan's mom's kitchen is FINALLY in the FINISHING stages of remodeling. Let's just pause with that one, and take a big, deep breath.
• I was able to listen in on my little brother's phone call from Cambodia. What I mean is, I called my dad's cell phone, and he put it on speaker, next to the family phone, so my brother and I could talk, thousands of miles apart. He is one of my many heroes. We are all so thrilled and excited (He's never met our sister-in-law or our son, Taylor) to be able to see him return honorably from his 2-year LDS mission. I cried as he bore his testimony to us in Kamae, the Cambodian language which has been a struggle for him to learn. I'm like a proud mama...or sister. :)
  
• I have the most beautiful boys (husband included) in the WORLD! My darling, sweet, considerate, handsome, worthy, understanding, gentle, thoughtful, caring husband and father of our children, and our rambunctious sons. Man, I must'ive been doing SOMETHING right in May of 2003 to meet that man. ♥♥♥
• Our Children. Oh, how I miss them, and think of them in every meeting, during every class, and with every phone call I'm on. It's a wonder I get anything done at work. Despite the fact that I like my job (really, if I were forced to provide for our family, THIS is what I would do), I miss my children and husband terribly. I am looking forward to the day that my 'job' is done, and I can return to do the work that goes unnoticed, the work that is sometimes dreaded, and the work that only a mother can do...Love her children, no matter what.

A brother in our ward said it best on Sunday, when he said something like this, "Happy Mother's Day to all the Mother's who have borne children, who are raising children, who have raised children and can enjoy their grandchildren, and especially those who cannot have children, but serve in Motherly roles as Sisters, Aunts, and Friends."

I love you, MOM!

__________

...in case you were wondering, once again, I made a hasty call, and I'm NOT going to go private at this time...thank you to all who showed support in the matter...you're on my 'list' should I make that decision again. :)

{untitled}

I just need to vent for a second. Feel free to exit now, because really, I just need a moment.

__________

I thought I wanted to go private, but now I don't know. I figured out how to delete the random comments...I'm still thinking about it...and I'll probably never get around to it.

__________

Ryan decided to sell THE camera. The one we've invested $$ in. I'm upset about it. I really like HIS camera, in fact, I've adopted it as my own. I don't know how to work the thing, but the the automatic features have worked well for me. I was going to say that ALL I am left with is my 'diaper bag camera', but I realized, some people don't even have a camera. He's had SIX calls on it already today. Farewell, good friend.

My diaper bag camera is nice, takes great pictures, but it's just not the same.

__________

I'm feeling guilty for not attending Relief Society last night. Instead, we went to Deseret Industries to find Ryan some 'things' to be a pirate for tonight. He volunteers at our local museum with a friend once a month at "Night at the Museum" for Youth. This month's theme is "Pirates of the Caribbean"...His costume looks pretty sweet, but all I got when I shot his photo was the palm of his hand. Oh well.

__________

We were going to celebrate Mother's Day with my mom, in addition to some other plans in the area, but yesterday, I decided that I was just too stressed out and too overwhelmed to do anything.

We love you, MOM!

__________

Okay, I'm going to publish this post, turn off the computer, and start cleaning. Ryan is gone for the night, and hopefully I can have a somewhat house when he get's home in the morning.

There is {beauty} all around

I should have gone to bed hours ago, when Tanner mentioned that my bed was calling me...such a silly boy, but oh, how precious!

My {heart} is full. Tonight we were going to go and plant our garden, but it was pretty chilly outside, and since I had to make room in my freezer for more meat earlier this week (thanks, mom and dad) I took out a loaf of homemade bread from last fall and a bag of hot dog buns from last summer and we went to the Green Belt, across the river from the Idaho Falls Temple to feed the {lucky ducks}.

How did {we} get so lucky? We had an enjoyable evening complete with duck poop, the giant flapping wings of geese, and stale bread to top off the evening.

The boys {love} feeding the ducks, and these moments reminded me of a good deal of blessings. My health, my family, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the blessings of the temple.

As I was snapping photos, I couldn't help but see the temple in the background and think of all that it represents. Ryan and I had the opportunity to attend a session at the Boise Temple last weekend, and it's so calming, peaceful, and refreshing. I'm so glad that we can be recipients of the blessings of the temple!

Oh, how my {heart} is full. Family Home Evening is such a wonderful way to build an Eternal Family...but it's only part. Only part. We have a long way to go as a family, but we sure are trying!


In a time when there is so much turmoil and uncertainty, I find GREAT peace knowing that our Father in Heaven has a plan for us...and although we may not see the big picture right away, or may not understand how, or why, or when things happen, He knows. He is mindful of our circumstances, He knows our hearts, and He knows what is best for us.

These thoughts came to mind as we watched four mother geese herd their 2 dozen goslings towards the river. The embankment was steep, rocky, and at times had tufts of grass that stuck up in wild places and obscured the path of these fuzzy and darling goslings. However, their mothers guided them towards the water so they could escape the dangers that awaited them, should they choose not to follow. Granted, we were on the other side of this small stream, and didn't appear as a threat to the goslings, but their mothers knew better. They knew that two little boys would have LOVED to chase and squeeze and cuddle their precious babies!

I know that if we put our trust in the Lord, and follow His directions, he will lead and guide us to where we need to be.

My {heart} is full. The love of my Father in Heaven is made manifest in many ways, but looking around, there is {Beauty} everywhere. What a gentle reminder. What a loving Father.

And MORE Congratulations!!!

So I'm a LAME-O sister-in-law and am just now getting around to Congratulating my sweet sister-in-law (Keith's Wife), Tricia, on her outstanding accomplishments.



On May 1st, she graduated at the top of her class from Utah Valley University in Dental Hygiene. What is even more impressive, is that she missed the first day of the semester at BYU to graduate from UVU. She'll be done with her Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from BYU this fall.



We are SO proud of you Tricia. We're also overjoyed to call you our sister! ♥ So, without further ado, Congratulations on Graduating!!!



I stole this picture from Steph's facebook. :) My cute little brother (who is almost a foot taller than me) and his darling wife at HER graduation.

Congratulations are in order:

Nothing new in our neck of the woods except our good friend and neighbor through the wall had her baby!!! I won't spill the details, as I'm sure she'll have a post up on her blog as soon as she can, but we are EXCITED that their little baby girl is here!

(Can't wait to go and see them tomorrow afternoon. I simply cannot wait until they come home.)

CONGRATULATIONS, NICK & STEVIE!!!
{and big brother, Landon}