Don’t Tell Me Stars Hollow Doesn’t Really Exist

Tip #1:  If you weren’t a fan when the series was running, start watching the 7 seasons of “Gilmore Girls.”  I was introduced about 2 years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed the quick banter, quirky characters (Michel, Paris, Kirk), and smart humor.  It’s kind of a girl show, but my brother Nate and awesome husband are fans. 

Tip #2:  You could rent them from Netflix, Blockbuster, or the library.  But if you want to be as smart as me try this:  Go onto Ebay, buy the first season, then sell it back on Ebay, and buy the next one. When I did this, I could usually almost re-coup my initial payment.  It was fun to have all the discs available and I felt so savvy when I would sell my season back for more than I paid!

Tip #3:  Find a friend to watch it with you, because nothing is more annoying than finishing THE WHOLE THING and having NO ONE who cares.  You know when something really good happens on “Lost” and you and your friend can all discuss?  Well, I was left high and dry.  No one knew the sadness inside of me as I came to terms with the finale.   (Which, while nothing spectacular, just felt right.  If you’ve watched, PLEASE feel free to discuss it with me via comments or email.)

Tip #4:  Deal with your Gilmore Girls withdrawals by getting a haircut exactly like one of the main characters.  Or maybe that’s just me.

  Alexis Bledel/Rory Gilmore

Jessica Romney

(I was REALLY irritated when I left the salon and somehow still looked 35.  After scouring the Internet for millions of pictures to show my stylist and getting Rory’s 20 year old look stuck in my head, I was confused at the wrinkly face that peered back at me from Rory’s hairdo.)

Who needs a reunion show?  I look in the mirror, and I have Gilmore Girls every day.

Oh, and about the contest.

The answers are:

J: Pavarotti wrestling an alligator in Seattle

R: Elvis, giving birth (is that not the most hilarious picture) in the space shuttle.

It was a little hard to figure out who was eligible but I went with LeeElle, Karajayne, Ilene and Nancy. I used one of those random winner pickers on the web and (drum roll)

KARA JAYNE:

is my winner!

I have your address, so your prize will be on it's way, tomorrow!

Homework, on the first day of school

I’ve made it easy, by filling in the answers for you.  Except the last one…it changes hourly.

1) I had one baby, then another, then another and then another:

1+1+1+1=4 kids at home all day.

 

2) Then one left me,finally, for the whole day, to go to first grade:

4-1=3 kids at home all day

3) Then one more left me, with his big sister, for the whole day, to go to first grade:

4-2=2 kids at home all day

4) Then I had another baby.

4-2+1=3 kids at home all day

5) Then, today, the third baby left, with her older siblings, to go to first grade:

 

5-3= 2 kids home all day

6) The children at home < the children at school.

7) How ________________ for me!

Pick the word the best describes Jessica’s feelings:

a. weird

b. sad

c. fun

d. all of the above

Let’s play a game

We played the MOST FUN game with a bunch of friends the other night.  It’s called Who?What?Where? and we laughed our heads off.  It was perfect for a big group and it would work with kids 8ish and up, as well as adults.  Go buy it here.

Now, you need to guess

1. Who…as in: What is the name of the person in the picture?

2. What…as in: What, specifically, is this person doing?

3.  Where…as in: Where is it happening (can be Proper Noun or generic place)?

for these two pictures.

My artistry:

Ryan’s artistry:

(we’ll close the contest on Tuesday, September 9th and announce the winner of the prize the next day!)

When you have a birthday …

it’s good to have a mom and a dad.

1.Moms make sure you have your favorite meals

 

2.Moms talk your dad into spending money on a bike and lunch out, even before “The New Job" is official

3.Moms make you awesome (Peanut Butter Cake cake found here):

and slightly less awesome (it’s a wagon wheel, alright?!):

birthday cakes.

4. Moms keep around the 4 boxes of dress up clothes so that when you have a “Pioneer Party” (his idea, not ours), you and your siblings have plenty of clothes for period dress.

 

1. Dads have the sibling that is the mother of the oh-so-fun Daines cousins that are integral to each birthday celebration

(Emma’s party….didn’t take one for Gabe)

2.  Dads know Mom tends to over-do parties and so decides to take over

3. Dads provides Pioneer games such as Watermelon Spit:

 

Jump the Snake:

Drop the Cowboy:

Musical Wagons

and Make Your Own Paper Bag Cowboy Vest:

4.  Dads remove earrings stuck in your ears, in hopes that your 4 year old will provide better comprehension than your 3 year old year did.

 

What a team, right?

The hardest part

So, two things that happened tonight:

First:  I was laying in bed and realized that I had hardly any Faith-time today.  I had a big list of To-Dos and we had friends over and I just didn’t do anything with her besides feed her and transfer her.  I didn’t look in her eyes or chase her around the floor or eat on her fingers (why are babies SO insistent on getting their fingers in your mouth while nursing?).  And I was contemplating, seriously, going in her room and looking at her.  MAYBE EVEN WAKING HER, just to be with her a little longer.  Because that bad baby is closing in on a year and I missed one whole day with her today. 

Second:  I was reading a friend’s (here’s her public/non-family blog) post, where she simply described her last few weeks.  In her last few weeks, she’s sent her last child to school for the whole day.  She talked about runs, and lunches with her husband, and starting her whole day at 9am, in which NO KIDS WILL STOP HER MID-PLAN AND DEMAND ATTENTION.  She is going to Institute and running errands and volunteering and crafting, in whatever quiet, undisturbed order she wants.  I left a comment about being green with envy.

And then I remembered my first thought.

Why is motherhood SUCH a contradiction?  Leave Me Alone/Like Me More Than Anything Else.  Please Be Quiet/Is There Anything Cuter Than What He Just Said.  How Embarrassing!/How Did I Get Such Awesome Kids.  Please Grow Up/Please Stay Little.

My chest feels all tight and hurt-y right now as I try to want what I have, but not so much that I can’t let it go when it’s time.

 

Hardest job in the world, right?

Finally!

After MONTHS of “is my buh-day after this day?” or “Mom, is my buh-day in three days?” or “is my buh-day after Cal-i-fohnia?” or “after your buh-day, Mom, is it my buh-day?”…

We are BEYOND pleased to announce:

TODAY IS SETH’S BIRTHDAY.

We walked into the house after our run and this is what greeted us:

“Hey Mom.  Now, I’m Four today, you know!”

Today He gave (by Ryan)

The Old Testament prophet Job said:

"... the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

Today I signed an offer to work for a very strong company. I have had this verse on my mind a lot because the more I experience life the more I know that the seemingly "good" blessings and the seemingly "bad" setbacks that we encounter in life are all ultimately blessings to us that flow from a loving God.

This job offer is a blessing because:

• My brother Grant's offer to be his "personal assistant" is no longer a necessary option.
• I will get to see my newly planted fruit trees and berry bushes grow and produce.
• My kids got to see another example of how prayers are answered.

The previous job loss was a blessing because:

• I got to enjoy the kindness of good friends and neighbors. (Thank you)
• It gave me pause to evaluate where I am and plan for where I want to be.

I am still working on not fearing the setbacks. But in the safe light of today's blessings I am able to see a little bit better where Job was coming from.

What Gabe would like you to know on the occasion of his 9th birthday

1. I have a great family.
2. I've had a fun birthday--


crepes, swimming, lunch at Olive Garden (pictured) and I don't know what to say because we haven't done the rest.
3. I'm looking forward to having a wonderful dessert and having my cousins sleepover.
4. This year I know how to do the breast stroke.
5. When I'm 9, I plan to learn more things in school and scouts.
6. I have a broken toe on my birthday.
7. I have nothing funny to say Mom. Goodbye.

-- Post From My iPhone

Because they all can’t be lovey-dovey anniversary posts

 

Following are amusing anecdotes from the almost daily fights discussions we’ve been having regarding the change in our financial status:

1.  Ryan Romney’s Eyes 

Jessica:  “You don’t even give me credit for the things I have cut back on.  You see this hair color?  I hate it! But I cancelled my hair appointment for Saturday.”

Ryan:  “And I told you thank you.”

Jessica:  “Did you do it with your eyes looking like that?  Because those are not very sincerely thanking eyes.”

2.  Cutting off her Coupon to Spite Her Face

Jessica:  “And of course now, I’m realizing that when you suggested dinner on Saturday, you were thinking Quiznos and I suggested Ding How (local sit-down establishment) and you were probably so irritated at my over-spending appetite.

Ryan:  no answer

later…

  Jessica, thinking to herself: “Forget it.  I’m throwing away this 2 for 1 coupon for this restaurant I like downtown, because he’ll never want to do it.  That’ll show him.”

later…

Ryan:  “Hey Jess.  Where is that coupon?  I was thinking we could do that on Saturday for our date.”

Jessica, sheepishly:  “Um.  I threw it away.  Because I was mad and tired of looking at it and thinking you would never go for it.”

Ryan:  “Well, that was a little immature, don’t you think?”

later…

Jessica, digging through the trash:  “Where is that stupid coupon!”

3.  How much is that paint remover going to cost?

Jessica:  “Here!  Here’s the grocery list.  Cross everything off you think we don’t need!  And Here!  Here’s the cash budget!  I will just come to you and ask for every single expenditure and then I don’t have to wonder if it’s okay.”

later…

Ryan:  “I don’t want to do the budget.  I don’t like how we eat when I’m in charge of the budget.  I’ve been sitting here, thinking how I’ve painted myself into a corner and I don’t want to make all those daily decisions.”

Jessica:  “Too bad.”

 4.  Especially Elder Hales

Jessica, relating the situation to her sister in law:  “And the thing is, cutting back is JUST SO RIGHTEOUS.  Like, while we’re arguing, I can see the 12 Apostles lining up behind Ryan, nodding their heads:  ‘Yes, Jessica, why don’t you cancel your California vacation.  We definitely agree with Ryan, here.”

 

So.  Who’s side are you on?

Cousins who couldn’t be cooler

 

 (Landon, Gabe, Austin, Garrett, with Dawson laying on their laps)

Maybe this is normal.  Maybe this is how families are.  Maybe I shouldn’t be so charmed and surprised and overjoyed.

But I think it’s a little bit special, what goes on with Gabe and his much older cousins.

Austin and Landon live by us.  Dawson lives in Utah.  They are between 2 and 5 years older than Gabe.  Austin and Landon include Gabe in so much.  They invite him over for sleepovers and night games.  They come over when he wants to play board games or go for bike rides.  They never act annoyed or bugged and they are such GOOD boys, GREAT examples, that I am thrilled.

And when we are all together, like in the picture above, and there are more older cousins, they continue to include Gabe in everything.  He loves to be with them and they never leave him out.

Here’s to amazing cousins, obviously GREAT parenting by aunts and uncles and breathing easy because my son has role models and friends that are cool and kind.

For Twelve Years…

 

This

is my safest place.