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Glanvillia, Saint John, Dominica
i am a mom/wife/textile designer gone haywire. I love to sing(music/arts AA degree), craft, exercise, and be goofy. Just living life outside the norm. And the norm thanks me for it. Oh yeah, and I like me some haikus. . . . . . . . . . What are we up to currently? Aaron recently started medical school at Ross University on the island of Dominica in the Caribbean, and the kids and I are along for the crazy ride :)

A silly quiz....

Thursday, May 29, 2008

1. Do you like email quizzes? It depends on the questions. If I can answer pretty much every one in a funny way, then I like them.
2. How do you feel about olives? I LOVE olives... my husband hates them. What a wierdo
3. What is the worst food in the world? hmmm miracle whip? no.... I don't know exactly what it was, but my dad took me on a date when I was in HS and we went for Thai food. they brought out something that looked and smelled like a pile of dry vomit. I gagged and went into the bathroom and threw up (now that I think about it, I can't remember if I actually threw up or if I just dry heaved over the toilet) Anyway, they had an excellent pineapple icecream afterward.
4. What is your worst pet peev? Hmm.... when my son says the same thing over and over and doesn't listen to me
EXAMPLE
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "Okay, I'ts toasting right now, Matthew"
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "I know, it's in the toaster right now"
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "Matthew, go out of the kitchen..."
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "............"
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: ".................................."
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "ACK!"
MATT:"I want buttered toast"
ME: "Here's your buttered toast, now leave me alone!"

5. What is your guilty pleasure? (only one please) My blog. I spend WAY too much time on it and you can't even tell. Usually I just open it and then leave it in the background so I can listen to the playlist as I do other things on the internet. (I'm listening to it right now, as a matter of fact) I can even start singing the next song before it comes on... it's my very own mix tape :o)
6. How do you feel about sushi? ummm that's a good question, me, thanks for asking. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. I liked it a lot when I went with my sisters in UT before Katie got married, but I only ate tempura-ed (fried) things. I went again for my birthday this year and didn't like it as much, but it was still okay.
7. Tell me what you think of the election so far? I agree with Courtney, right now I'm just hoping for the lesser of the three evils.....
8. If you could LIVE, not visit, anywhere, where would it be and why? WOW, I don't know... I really like the idea of the east coast even though I've never been there.... I really like Nova Scotia, but it's not the US and it's too cold, but beautiful and the people are nice (assuming all Canadians are the same). I think of the places I've been, either southern CA or the Oregon coast.
9. How often do you actually get around to exercising? I've been exercising every day with wii fit! Hula Hoopers Unite!
10. Have you ever had surgery? tell us about it: yes, two csections.
11. Major injuries? What were you doing at the time? Oh man... here we go..
My sister dropped me on my head when I was an infant and I fractured my skull (LOL, no jokes, please),
I sprained my ankle on a friends trampoline when I was 12, but when I was at school the next day, Jimmy Griffin stepped on it on purpose and it broke in two places.
When I was 13 We went to a family reunion at Camp Kenyon in northern AZ. Right after we got there, my brother found a tire and we made an awesome tire swing that swung over a rocky hill over a valley. Well, when I was on it at the highest point, the rope broke and I fell about 15 feet onto my back and got a compression fracture in four of my vertebrae.
When I was 14 I was at my aunt's house in Riverton, Ut the day before EFY was supposed to start. My cousin, Donald, and I were climbing their tree in the back yard and I told a joke to Janell who was below me on the ground. Well, I apparently thought it was hilarious and started to laugh and lost my balance. I knew I'd fall onto a branch about 5 feet below and hurt myself, so I just jumped so I'd miss it. I landed on my feet, fell to my knees, and then onto my arm and I got a nice clean fracture in my arm. I had to fly home and not go to EFY I was so sad.
When I was 15 my friend Allison Campbell kicked me in the rear end and broke my tail bone.
When I was 16 I was on swim team and my friend Shanon Calahan and I were right by the starting blocks just talking and this guy didn't see us there and did a backstroke start right onto our heads. She was fine, but I knocked half of my front tooth out. yuck.
12. Most embarrassing moment? Most...... ok, I was at box canyon with the YSA's in our stake who were rappelling and swimming. I walked down with my friend to swim- she had her suit on under her clothes, but I didn't so I went into a grove of trees, being sure to look around in all directions before undressing.... you can tell where this is going, can't you? Anyway, I decided that while my clothes were off I'd go to the bathroom..... then I heard a whistle like "wooo woooooo!" I looked UP (slap the forehead) and the cliff the YSA's were rappelling off of had a clear view of me. yeah. top that.
13. What do you do that bugs other people? I suck my spit into the sides of my mouth. I don't know where or when I picked that one up, but Aaron hates it. it's like an inverted sh sound, like sheeeeeee. It actually bugs me too.
14. Are you allergic to anything? Walnuts, pineapple, cantaloupe. They make my mouth feel like it's cut up.
15. Why do you send people email quizzes? do you want to see what they'll write or do you want to show them what you wrote? Both.
16. Rate this quiz on a scale from 1-10 (1 being the worst quiz you've ever taken, 10 being not the worst quiz you've ever taken) it's a 100 whoever made it should be a professional quiz writer.

DENTAL SCHOOL HERE WE COME! (again)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Dr Teeth, I mean Aaron, just filled out his application for dental school fall 2009 and here are the 10 places he's applying to:
ASDOH in Gilbert/Mesa, AZ
Midwestern in Glendale, AZ
Creighton University in Omaha NE,
Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina

Oregon Health and Science University in Portland Oregon
University of Alabama at Birmingham in Birmingham Alabama
University of Nevada, in Las Vegas Nevada
University of Puerto Rico (11 campuses spread throughout PR)
and University of the Pacific in San Fransisco, CA

It might change a little in the next few days... it's already changed once since I started writing this. We're just waiting on our stimulus check from Uncle Sam to hit send! I can't think of a better use for that check...well, maybe food storage or paying off debt, but other than those two, this is the best thing we could be using it on! By the way, I'm pushing for Dalhousie and Aaron's pushing for ASDOH....

Carrot, anyone?

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

A few months ago the Ward Young Women came and planted carrots and peas in our backyard for one of the girl's value project. The peas are long gone and were VERY sweet and yummy. Any time we went outside, we got a few pods to chomp on while talking with neighbors. Well, the greens of the carrots were getting tall so I picked one to see how big they are right now.... not very. -and they're bitter. I guess we can be patient and wait for them to get big and yummy.

Farewell Tanners!!!

Our good friends, the Tanners, just moved to Atlanta last weekend. We're sad to see them go, but are so excited for them to experience a new and therefore exciting life! We love you guys!

Bentley and Gracie got to spend the night when Jon was out of town for work and Courtney was house hunting in GA! What fun!

Here's Matthew and Jon sharing pizza the last time Jon came over to hang out..
Jon- you need to email me the pics of all of us at the party Saturday, cause I don't have any of your wife to post on here!

Our Philly Visitors

At the beginning of the month we had two very special visitors: Julie and Allyson Page (Aaron's sister and her daughter)! Val flew them here for Karen's birthday and so that Julie could go with family and Karen when she went through the temple for the first time.

Here's Ally in my favorite pjs ever :o)

Ally LOVES to draw!
And Megan loves Ally!

And Julie!

A few pictures of Allyson and Karen with the dog... Courtney and Jessie didn't get to come, so they wanted to make sure that Julie took pictures of Jack, the dog. Well, Jack got to be in a lot of pics!
And of course here's one with the cat... she's the black fuzz in the middle of the picture :o)

Liahona


We had a great lesson in Family Home Evening last night! We wore the kitchen towels on our heads like Lehi's family would've done and ate trail mix as a snack. Aaron made this great tent and read stories from the friend to them.
I gave a lesson on the Liahona and how we can have guidance(HG) in our lives, too, through being obedient and being nice to eachother. The kids loved it!



I read this quote:

"Cultivate a spirit of gladness in your homes. Subdue and overcome all elements of anger, impatience and unbecoming talk one to another. Let the light of the gospel shine in your faces in wherever you go and whatever you do." -Gordon B Hinckley


To do that, we are trying to obey these rules this week:

1) Do not mention anything negative or that seems wrong this week. Work hard to think before speaking out.
2) Think of two different things each day that has made you happy or you are grateful for and share it with someone in the family. Record those two things in your journal before bed.
3) Look around you and be thankful for all that you have. Do not think "If only I had....I would be happy".....instead think "Because I have......I am happy."
4) Show a happy, positive, cheerful attitude in wherever you go and whatever you do.
5) Give thanks to your Heavenly Father each day for your many blessings.





I tried to take a picture with the kids in the tent... this is the best one we could get because it's the most tame Megan was (Her tongue is out in this one, but it beats the other pics that were taken..)

What a kooky kid!
A little side note about the head dress... I think they are quite stylish and they'll make a full multicultural comeback in the next five years. Just wait and see. All the celebrities will be wearing them and I'll be a famed fashion pioneer...



















































New Calling

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Well, I thought I'd post a little ditty about the new calling I got today(sustained today). I'm the new Young Women's president. Holy shlamoly says I.

Eggplant

Friday, May 2, 2008


The kids were eating some grapes this morning while I worked on making hair bows for their newest cousin who hasn't been born yet (soon, hopefully! We're all praying for you Renee!!) Megan took one of the bottoms of a silk flower that I had pulled off and put it on top of a grape and said, "Look, mom! An eggplant!" It actually DID look like an eggplant, so I had to take pictures and post it on the ol' blog! Enjoy the workings of the creative five year old mind.....

Sit by me!


Matthew has been wanting us to do things with him lately. He'll sit down to watch a movie and pat the seat by him and say "sit wit me, mommy. Watch da moogie wit me!" Well, on this specific morning, he sat down for breakfast and said "Daddy! Sit by me Daddy!" So Aaron plopped right down on the little bench and they enjoyed breakfast together. What a great dad!This looks like a compelling conversation
Thumbs up, mom!


My little guitar hero.....

Yup, this is Megan learning how to play guitar hero III She did pretty well. She's never played a song, just the tutorial. Like the boots? Megan loves to wear them with this outfit. I think she did a pretty good job of coordinating.
If you look at the plant you'll notice her stuffed animal nest she made. She cracks me up!

CAMPING!!

We went camping with our neighbor friends on April 18th to Flowing Springs Campsite just 5 minutes out of Payson on the 87.

Here are the camo shirts that I got for the kids. They love 'em!

Of course I had to make Meg some camo bows.....

Here are various pictures of us sitting around the campsite- of course none of us brought our cameras when we went down to the river to catch crawdads. C’est la vie!

Look at this great tree that Sasha, Clayton, and Maia are under.....

Jeremy did really well.... he was the warmest of everyone on Friday night...snoring away while the rest of us were shivering in our sleeping bags.........

Will and Chaydin hangin out.....

Skyla "appleface" Nicholson.....

Evan "squishyface" Rains


Cake, Cheezits, baby's bottle... so many things to eat, so little time. Matthew was eating the entire time we were camping.
Happy Birthday, Will!
I love this picture....
Aaron: This is a pretty nifty hatchet...
Jason: Uhh... *scratch*scratch* ...maybe you should put that thing down....

Yay mountain men! we'd freeze without you! Here's a shout out to Clayton, the unpictured mountain man......

Grammy's Birthday!

We visited Grammy (Aaron's Grandma Mac) for her birthday. Megan talked her ear off over the chocolate cake that Grammy was good enough to share with everyone. We love you Grammy!

Kites!!

We had a bunch of windy days lately and the kids have loved flying the $1 kites that they got for easter! Matthew's favorite thing is to let go of the string and laugh as I book it down the street barefoot trying to catch it. The little devil. He's not allowed to fly the kite anymore without someone holding onto the string with him.




The quickest month yet, APRIL


Where did April go??? I have a camera full of April pictures that I just barely got down to uploading onto the computer, so I'll just go through chronologically.....