Fall Break

It was Fall Break around these parts, which means, we head to California.    

The place we stay has pin ball.  Dentist Husband and I both love pin ball.  Thus, my kids love pin ball.

Playing ping pong with Toothsome #4 gave me a great work out in that she missed on average 4/5 balls.  :)

Every night, we went to our favorite Chipotle (on Balboa) for dinner.  It was warm enough two of the nights to eat outside.  After long days at beach, sitting outside with my family eating burritos and people watching was wonderful.  

We also ate at Rubys at the end of the pier on Balboa.   

Sea Lions, people catching fish and general people watching.

After dinner, even though they were fully clothed and it was cold and rainy, my kids all got in the water.  It was awesome.

 At the beach . . .

 Making a raft out of drift wood and using his scout lashing skills.  

 These are somewhat hard to see (because the water was cold and I was a wimp and didn't get close enough) but Toothsome #4 was on Dentist Husband's back.  She would stand in the water and wait for him to come close on the boogie board.  She would then jump on his back and finish the ride with him.  It was so fun to watch.  

One of our best trips yet.

Basketball

I have never been a big fan of basketball.  I can watch football longer than most of my friends who are girls, but a basketball game has never done much for me.  And, it hasn't been from lack of trying.  I was raised going to a lot of University of Colorado basketball games.  Basketball was on TV at my house a lot.  I have a brother, sister and dad who love March because of college basketball.  But for whatever reason, I could never get into it.

Also, my husband and I are short--really short, short enough that people notice that we are short people.  I have never wanted either of my boys or girls to want to play basketball because I know they will never be tall and I don't want them to love playing a game that they will have no ability to compete in once everyone goes through puberty and my kids are left many inches shorter than their friends.

So, basketball has never been on my or my husband's radar until recently.   While volunteering at my kids school, I noticed how much of recess is spent playing basketball.  In talking with my 6th grade son, I learned that basketball in its various forms (HORSE, Twenty One, Lightening, Around the World, etc.) was THE game to play at recess.  And while watching a few times during recess,  I noticed that in spite of his shortness, he is good.  My eight year old son is starting to want to learn more about basketball too.

So, this week, my husband and I bought a basketball standard.

Guess what?  I am interacting with my kids way more.  My 12 year old son and I have fun playing HORSE together.  We have intense family games of Lightening.  Our neighbor taught us "7 on the Line."  I am a pretty good shot (especially since we have it at its lowest setting at seven and 1/2 feet).  My 12 year old son is impressed with my shooting skills (all learned playing junior high and church basketball).  I can still do a decent lay up and my boys notice and care.  My girls join in and I hear them say, "I made one with 'nothing but net.'"  We laugh; we trash talk; we grab at each other; we come inside hot and sweaty.

So, no, my boys or girls are not going to be playing on any "big" teams.  And, likely, not even a junior high school team, but that is not the reason for this basketball standard.  This is about something way more important.

Let's Talk About the Vacation 'Stache

Dentist husband comes from a family of nine kids.  Every three years, we take a trip to Newport Beach, CA and have a glorious week of family togetherness and beach fun.  Honestly, I love my husband's family.

About 10 years ago, instead of going to the beach, my father-in-law took us on a cruise.  On the cruise, Dentist husband invented the "cruise 'stache."  It was awful and I was almost embarrassed to be with him but since we were traveling with two kids and I was 7 months pregnant (yes, you read that right), I had no choice.  

Ever since then, on family vacations, Dentist husband and his brothers and brothers-in-laws grow a "vacation 'stache."  This year was a banner year for vacation 'staches and many of the men grew them ahead of time.  Dentist husband got a late start because I didn't let him have one at my 20 year reunion, which was just the weekend before.  

The whole crew, including my father-in-law.  He was a first time participant.  

Dentist husband with the "Ray Byes" which was a man in his church growing up.  His brothers and sisters saw him and all said, "Hey, you are growing a Ray Byes!"  Little does this man know, his mustache is famous.  

 Sibling #7's husband.  

Sibling #8's husband's chin beard.  This doesn't do it justice in that it was very creepy in real life.  

Sibling #5 husband

Sibling #1.  He started growing his weeks before the reunion.  

Sibling #9

My father in law

Sibling #6 husband

I forgot to take one of two people, Sibling #2 and Sibling husband #4.  But, I found this hilarious picture taken at the Luau a few days before.  The man holding the baby in the back is Sibling Husband #4 and the one next to my husband is sibling #2 and he is a surgeon.  I know.  Hard to believe. (Actually, they were doing hilarious poses for everyone during a photo shoot of all of the men.  These two are HILARIOUS together.)  

Anyway, it was a great trip.  We love Newport.

This is a picture of me and my father.  This weekend, I was able to attend with him his mission reunion.  My father was one of the first missionaries to go to the "Central America" mission for the LDS church.  (It was created from the "Mexico mission").   This was during the Korean War and only one missionary per stake was allowed to go.  Two men were eligible before my father, but they didn't go and my father was called.  

In November of 1953, he got a bus with a man who would later become his best friend and traveled down to New Mexico.  He and Elder P. were in a bus station in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Thanksgiving Day and ordered a Thanksgiving meal.  He said they were both so homesick, they just pushed the food around on their plates.  Later, they took a bus into Mexico, where they were met by President Romney's (their mission president) daughter, who helped get them passage to Mexico City.  From there, they "puddle jumped" in a small airplane and flew from city to city until they arrived in Guatemala City, Guatemala.  There was no one there to meet them.  After waiting three hours, they went to a taxi driver, (neither of them speaking a word of Spanish) and showed him an address.  He indicated he could take them there.  (They later learned the address was a post office box number).  A few blocks from the airport, a blue car pulled up behind the taxi, honking, and waving, indicating they needed to stop and pull over.  In the car was their mission president, and the first thing he said to them was, "Why didn't you damn fools wait for me?"

Thus began three of of the most marvelous years of my father's life.  His first month, he was in Guatemala City and studied the language in the morning and then went out tracking with two sister missionaries in the evening.  My father later served in Weiweitenango, Guatemala, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Quetzaltenango, Guatemala and a short time in Manaua, Nicaragua.  (He was only in Nicaragua for six weeks and said it was the hottest most miserable six weeks of his mission.)  I've also heard him mention San Pedro Sula (which I think is in Honduras).  

During his time on his mission, he played for the Honduras National basketball team, even traveling by burro (across rock slides, and a river) into Mexico to play in some Pan/American basketball tournament.  He was later asked to extend his mission (thus the three years instead of the 2 1/2 he was originally called for ) to travel with his mission president, President Wagner at the time and tour the mission.  Even in his old age, my father speaks excellent Spanish.  (He once told me, he has kept it up by praying in Spanish).  At 19, my father was not only teaching missionary discussions (he had purchased something called the "Anderson" plan in SLC and translated that, as there was no formal discussions organized yet) but also was the area president, solving church problems, and interpersonal issues among members of the church.  He told me, "I was a 19 year old kid, helping couples with marital issues."  My dad still tells people he is Guatemalan.  He LOVED his mission and it was his example that made me want to serve one myself.  

So, this past weekend, I was able to go with my father and meet and watch him reminisce with other missionaries from his time about their time in Central America.  I honestly stood in awe of these men.  These are the pioneer missionaries in Central America.  They are now gray haired, shorter with age but their faces came alive as they told stories and reconnected.  There is a big push for them to record their stories and as my father's daughter, he has no choice.  When I go home later this month, I am going to sit there with a recorder and record his stories.  I will them type them up for him to edit.  I will make sure his story and the amazing history of the LDS church in Central America is recorded.

"Every time a person dies, a library burns."

New Family Photo

This was the year for a new professional family photo.  My goal is to try and do it every other year.

This is not "the photo" but my 2nd favorite.  "The photo" will be our Christmas card photo this year and I will post later in December.

                                        

But, I also really liked this one too.  

Thank you Mike Olsen from Scott Breen Photography.  Once again, you did amazing work.

Photos Stills from our Family Film Festival movie

For an upcoming family reunion, we were all asked to make a short film.  We will use this same film for Dentist husband's Family Film Festival later this year.  We take these things very seriously.  Filming took all day Friday and editing all day Saturday.  It is now "in the can" and I think, one of our best efforts.  Fun had by all.  

Dessert--Bars Cut Up

Everyone knows when you marry into a family, you each bring "family" things into the marriage. One of my favorite Dentist husband contributions to our marriage is "Bars Cut Up"

The story goes that my mother-in-law had two candy bars but many children (there are nine total but I don't know how many were in the family when she started this). Anyway, she cut up the two candy bars, up them on a plate and served them as dessert. Wala!

I can't tell you how much fun Bars Cut Up can be. Sometimes I let the kids each pick a candy bar and sometimes I just buy whatever is on sale. I honestly think there is some beauty in seeing the various types of candy bars cut so you can see the various strata of chocolate, caramel, nuts, etc. We all sample the various types. It is so fun and so easy. Try this in your house. I promise, you'll do it once and then decide to do it many times after.

Happy Birthday Dentist Husband

38 Reasons Why I Love Him:

1. He is a devoted father.

2. He does my girl's hair more than I do.

3. Has never missed work because he was sick.

4. Devoted to his patients at his dental practice, often going in on weekends and holidays to get them out of pain.

5. Has a killer sense of humor.

6. Is the most beautiful water skier/air chair rider I have ever seen.

7. Is very rational particularly when I am being irrational.

8. Never likes to sit around, so we are often "going some where fun" with him.

9. Plays nightly with my kids and makes up different games with them regularly.

10. Often will dance with my girls while they are in their ballet costumes.

11. Writes silly songs that we all end up singing together. (Where is the chin? Where is the chin? It's on the face. It's on the face. CHIN.)

12. Is a way better cook than I am but still eats the food I put on the table.

13. Looks at the world with clear lenses and often sees past the nonsense to see the reality of situations.

14. Is a horrible speller, which makes me better at him in just that one area.

15. Sacrificed a ton of fun in his life to get through dental school, so he could be such an amazing provider.

16. Doesn't complain when we eat out a lot.

17. Has no problem with the amount of Diet Coke I drink.

18. Has a beautiful smile and teeth.

19. Whenever I get invited on a girl's weekend, he always says, "Go!"

20. Makes people laugh regularly.

21. Dutifully brushes and flosses my kids teeth nightly.

22. Has a beautiful tenor voice.

23. Is the instigator for our Family Home Evenings every Monday night.

24. Loves the beach and always makes our trips there very fun.

25. Loves clean kids and often is the one to wash the kids.

26. He gets a five o clock shadow by 10 in the morning.

27. Never wears cologne. (I am not a fan.)

28. Is just as conservative as I am.

29. Prefers we do things together as a family regardless of the activity and will help me wrestle our youngest in the process. (Bowling, movies, eating out, ice skating, swimming, sledding etc.)

30. I love that he loves cars and has educated me on them.

31. He is a naturally happy person.

32. Can fall asleep easily (while I am often awake stewing about something.)

33. I love that he calls me regularly during the day, so we can stay connected.

34. He often will decide he wants to learn how to make a certain recipe and then spend all day researching and then making it.

35. Love that he take the kids out individually on "adventures."

36. Is devoted to our church's beliefs and lives a very Christ centered life.

37. Is an excellent problem solver.

38. Is an excellent husband.

Happy 38 years.

Film Festival

Every year, we have a film festival with my husband's siblings. In past years, we have done it later in January but because so many came into town for Christmas this year, we did it New Year's Day. We always host and Dentist husband always makes or buys sushi for the event.

The basic rules of the film festival are that the movies have to be in DVD format, they should be no longer than eight minutes long and if you live out of state (yes, family members out of state make movies and mail them to us and we refer to them as foreign films), we have a deadline when the need to be at our house.

This year, my three kids wanted to make individual movies. Here is toothsome #2 introducing her movie. After each movie is shown, we have a question and answer session afterwards.

Dentist husband talking about his movie.

My father in law always makes this "Oscar" out of money and awards it to one person's film who thinks is the best. This year toothsome #2 won. (She did a funny movie based on the Geico money TV commercials.)

Later in the month, my sister in law compiles them all onto one DVD and mails all of us copies. It keeps all of connected (even the out of staters) and we always have fun.

Christmas Card Rejects

Last year, we paid a professional photographer to take our family Christmas card photo. The photo is spectacular and it has been used in all of my husband's dental ads for the last year. (The photo is the one with us in the sweaters on the left.)

Well, it was decided we would wait to do another professional family photo until the Spring and then we will use those photos for my husband's ads and our Christmas card picture next (2010) year. So, my sister-in-law generously offered to take some family pictures for us, so we wouldn't have to do the self timer and try and run into every photo. There is one that is really quite good but I thought for fun, I would post some of the rejects. Enjoy.

I don't like my hair in this picture and my boys aren't smiling.

No bad but there was a better one. Also, that is toothsome #3 current smile for posed pictures and it doesn't really look like him.

We are all too squinty in this photo but we ended up using a photo that is similar to this one for the Christmas card picture.

Weekend "Away"

This past Thursday, Dentist husband and I both realized that he had Monday off. He rarely doesn't work and I always forget that he takes President's Day off. So, Thursday night, we decided that we should "go away" somewhere. We already had plans with family and friends until Saturday night, so our options were limited. After looking up various places on-line, we decided that our weekend "away" would be a hotel about 20 minutes from our house--the Hampton Inn at Thanksgiving Pointe. Yes, Paige, we were 10 minutes from your house. It was brand new, had a nice in-door swimming pool and was close to several places that our kids like to go. So, Saturday evening, off we went.
As a surprise to me, Dentist husband purchased for me this WONDERFUL Arc'terytx jacket. I love the Arc'terytx stuff but it is very pricey. He promised me he found this on clearance and I LOVE it. It fits like a glove.
Here we are at the hotel getting ready to go swimming.
The kids at the local Dinosaur museum. That is the Utahraptor behind them.
The sand pit area at the Dinosaur Museum.
The kids in their 3-D glasses getting ready to watch "Dinosaur's Alive". I didn't get pictures of the kids at the Cabella's laser shooting range, at the movie theatre watching, "National Treasure 2" , the various places we ate out or the monthly family dinner we went to since we were so close. It was a PERFECT get away. We knew how to get everywhere, it was close enough we could run home and feed the fish and someone else made the beds, cleaned up after us and cooked. So fun!

Family Movie Night

Tonight is Family Movie Night. Once a month, I rent a movie everyone will like, make a kids favorite dinner (tonight is "Chip Dinner"--homemade beans, homemade guacamole, salsa and baby carrots), pop some popcorn and then we all sit down and enjoy a movie together. Tonight we are watching "Night At the Museum."
We do this regularly (almost religiously) and the kids love it and look forward to it. The hardest part for me and my husband is finding a movie we are willing to sit through as well as the kids. Here are some titles that have worked for both Mom and Dad and kids. (Keep in mind, this is for ages 8 and younger.)

1. The Stewart Little Movies (I and II)
2. High School Musical
3. Jump In
4. Read it and Weep
5. The Herbie Movies (including the old Classics)
6. Shrek (I and II)
7. Monsters Inc.

I am sure there are tons more but as I mentioned in the previous post, toothsome #3 is needing my attention in the bathroom.

Congratulations Oldest Nephew

Congratulations Oldest Nephew who just got called to the Russia Rostav mission!