An R & R Rebus

(Do you know what a rebus is?  It’s a piece of writing where some words are represented by pictures.  They were my favorite part of the Friend growing up.  Yours,too?  Well, here’s the post for you:)

  are going on a trip WITHOUT

!!!

  is coming to stay with them for the whole week.  Isn’t a saint?

 

We are  going to to see .

Our trip starts in Connecticut to see Ryan’s sister,  (and Carter and Jake, too).  Then we are going to Boston, to walk the and eat LOTS of food (because in my solicitation of advice for Boston, mostly people just talked about the food.)  I get to meet

(blog here) for dinner!  Then we are going to .  My cousin lives there.  The thing I’m most excited about is this: , on Broadway!  After , we are driving to .  (We’ll be in a rental car, not a horse and buggy.)  That night we’re being hosted by (see her blog here.)  Then back to CT, to hang out a little more with.

Did I mention it’s just ? 

All by our little lonesome?

Excited, much?

Jessica sends me (Ryan) email like this all the time ...

Subject: How I am keeping Faith happy ...



Body:

Talk about Well Done

(I’m getting ready for a big trip, so I’ve been ignoring my blog.  Or I’ve been leaving my lovely family pictures up, in hopes that you’ll shower me with more compliments.  You decide.)

But I couldn’t not acknowledge this.

My brother Sam gets home from his mission tomorrow.  And I really cannot put into words how in awe of him I am.  But since it’s me, I’ll give it the old college try.

He was the craziest kid in the world.  It’s truly no exaggeration.  There are some pretty fun stories to tell about Sam from the ages of 2 until 15. 

And then it got kind of sad.  He struggled with some things.  He kept trying and did a lot of good things during those years, but sometimes it was sad and frustrating to watch.

But he always, ALWAYS, wanted to go on a mission.  I know it was because of the example of his dad, and two older brothers, and a testimony that was rooted deep in his heart.

He had great parents, great bishops and friends and, when he was ready, he did the work and was worthy to serve a mission.  (See this short post, when he left.)

And then he just ROCKED his mission.  He was unbelievably focused (that ADHD hyper-focusing can really come in handy sometimes), completely committed and unwaveringly obedient.  He loved his mission—we’re trying to remind what there is to love about coming home!  His emails exuded love for his companions, the families he served and the Lord.  I don’t know if I heard him say one negative thing during the whole two years.

He has been such an example to me and my family.  I rave and rave about him, whenever people ask.  I have rarely been this proud of anyone in my life. 

“And if it so be that ye should labor all your days…and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father.”  (D&C 18:15)

How great shall be your joy.

The Summary since School Started

(So this is how I show off my amazing family pictures.  You need to have Randi --click on her name to go to her site--take your pictures if you live here.  She’s the best.  She also travels a ton and takes pictures on the road, so if you are in Southern California, Utah or Seattle…chances are you could have pictures this cute, too.)

Let’s just start with me:  I am so on top of my game. 

   

Is that obnoxious to say?  After being pregnant, and adding a kid to our family, and having 5 children running wild all summer, and having a husband out of a job for a few weeks…I feel like I’ve earned it. 

The mornings are crazy, but once the big kids are out the door, I put Faith down and Seth watches a movie AND I ACTUALLY CHECK STUFF OFF OF MY TO-DO LIST!  I’m enjoying the kids, losing weight, reading my scriptures, and straightening the house once in a while(okay, just the bottom floor).  I feel more in control of my life than I have in 2 years, and while I know it’s a phase, I’m relishing it.

Ryan’s loving his job. 

   

Frankly, the longer he’s there, the more of a miracle it seems to me.   That he found a job down the street, in this economy, where he’s valued and making a contribution, is amazing and such a blessing.  He works a ton, plus started his MBA program (why stop going to school?  Ever?) and is still doing the city council thing, but Ryan’s best when he’s wearing himself out. 

Emma is loving her teacher and doing well at school. 

She’s taking violin at the middle school.  Apparently actually having the instrument is optional, since it’s not made it to the lesson a few times.  She has some good friends (though at a recent party, she was worried about fitting in with some girls that “are more popular than me”) and is entering our area’s “Reflections” contest, after being highly praised by her summer art teacher.

Continuing the theme, Gabe seems to be happy in school. 

His teacher is fun, his cousin Mallory sits next to him in class, his broken toe healed and he’s reading like a champ.  He keeps begging me to put him on swim team, but I’m wondering if we can handle another thing.  He continues to be my kid who does a job fast, no procrastinating homework or chores (which is nice) but not necessarily thoroughly.  We’ll take what we can get.

Jane, while enjoying first grade, seems to forget that school starts at 9:00 am EVERY DAY

--the wailing “It’s not my fault!!!  I’m not ready!!! Wait for me!!!” starts at about 8:45.  She also seems a little fuzzy on the homework concept as well.  The reading gets done, but not recorded.  The homework is completed, but sitting, week after week, at the bottom of the closet.  Luckily, she continues to just exude fun.  I listened to her conversation with Ryan at bedtime last week and the whole thing was peppered with: “Isn’t that fun!” or “I love…” or “Ha ha! That’s so funny!”

Seth is the funnest age ever: 4. 

It’s like Heavenly Father makes them especially easy, hilarious and companionable, right before they leave you for kindergarten.  He talks ALL THE TIME.  Really, ALL THE TIME is no exaggeration.  His preschool teacher, at pick up time last week, said to me: “You were right.  He is one fun kid.”  My friend Calie, who is 21, commented the other day, when we ran into her at the mall: “I want Seth to be my life coach.  I’ve never seen him not happy.”

Faith never stops moving. 

Sacrament meeting is a complete workout: up, down, hit your head on the pew, crawl to the next pew, mess up their church bag, come back, eat string cheese, spit it out, yell at the baby behind you, lunge for Ryan, lunge for mom, take your shoes off, etc. etc. etc.  She has a fifth tooth, which has been making her crabby.  And she’s been pretty insistent when she needs attention—which, let’s face it, is necessary in this family.

We’ve enjoyed fall

 

—heading up to the apple festival at Greenbluff, baking a ton of treats, hanging out as much as possible with the cousins (and Grandma Nut, who’s here right now), and soaking up the end of the nice weather. 

It’s good right now.  Once in a while…it can be really good.

Hacked off

 

While I would hope that if we knew each other well enough that you were a Contact in my Inbox, this would go without saying…I thought I should clarify:

• I am NOT trying to sell you diet pills “of which quality are good.”  Or the most fashionable shoes. Or more autumn clothes.
• I don’t have an online store.
• I would never solicit you via mass email (except maybe for compliments on pictures of my kids via the blog).
• And I would certainly NEVER, EVER, IN A THOUSAND MILLION YEARS, send you an email with grammar and spelling like what follows:

Welcome vist our company homepage:<http:www.I’mabigfatjerkyhacker.net>Supply you the most fashionable shoes,bags,shirts,sunglasses,watches,and so on we can offer you the most reasonable discount to make you get more profits.we are expecting for your business.Looking forward to your contact and long cooperation with us!

Best Regards :)

• EVER. NEVER EVER EVER.  NEVER.
• INFINITY EVER.

So, apparently some lame hacker, with the grammar skills of a first grader and the hacking skills of a post-grad, has gotten into my email account and is sending emails, every few days, from my account.  I think he’s moved onto to random strangers, though, because the addresses that I get back from Postmaster Undeliverable are now unrecognizable. 

My questions are these:

1.  Does this actually make money for these people?  Do people actually click on the link and go buy awesome diet pills from them, or what?

2.  What can I do?  I have had the same email address for as long as I’ve had email.  I love my email address.  It’s SUCH A PAIN to change it because it is on every website and school form that I have filled out in the last 12 years.  Any ideas?

I forward look to yur comments of a nature informational.  Best regards.  :)

Luck be a lady

 

Last night we played Yahtzee.  It was Jane’s first time.

On her first roll, she rolled a Yahtzee, with sixes.

Two rolls later, she rolled ANOTHER Yahtzee, with sixes.

And, no lie, 4 rolls later, she rolled another Yahtzee, with sixes.

(here’s Jane, showing off her 3rd Yahtzee.  She said, “It’s cause I’m 6, I think.”)

If that’s not Blogworthy, I don’t know what is.

Since this is the only baby book Faith will ever have…

During the month of September, when she was 10 months, these are some things we don’t want to forget about Faith:

 

Her ONE huge top tooth AND making this silly, silly face:

Crawling up the stairs:

Loving to watch her siblings out the window:

 

 

Words--  dada, mama, ah-done, si-iy (silly), yay, hi, and  ba-ba (bye bye) with a wave:

 

Her first pedicure:

Taking lots of advantage of her newfound exploratory freedom:

 

Yanking her bow out at every opportunity:

Her attempts at standing (no picture yet…)

How feisty she gets, when she doesn’t get what she wants:

This Halloween outfit: