No mashed potatoes, but we're having a baby!

Six years ago today was Thanksgiving Day. We were planning to have dinner at Cherie's, we were in charge of the mashed potatoes.

I was excruciatingly pregnant, two weeks shy of my due date and on bed rest attempting to avoid a uterine rupture (a common risk after three c-sections).

Long story short...I awoke in the wee hours of the morning in an unusual amount of pain, and rushed to the hospital (due to the aforementioned risks of this pregnancy). I was hooked up to monitors and given a massive dose of morphine for the pain. When it was discovered that I was in full blown labor (huge problem due to aforementioned risks of this pregnancy) everyone moved in double time to get me prepped and ready for the OR. The doctors, nurses, my husband, and parents (who had just arrived at the hospital) were extremely concerned and their sober faces hinted at their obvious unease. I was the only one untouched by the gravity of the situation because I was lounging on a beach somewhere south of the border, occasionally floating just above the surface of the earth in a delightful, cozy sort of way. I was in a narcotic daze (aka ten mgs of morphine) that kept me content and untroubled through a hurried transfer to the operating room, a spinal block, and a quick c-section that recovered my baby just in time as a two inch tear was discovered in my uterus.

Luke was born at seven o'clock in the morning. Our fourth child and first boy. What a treasure he was from the moment he entered this world. I fell madly in love with my little guy the second I saw him, and continue to be enraptured by him today.



He is funny, animated, loving, stubborn, emotional, and incredibly handsome. He is polite, well behaved and extremely intelligent. He loves Legos and sports, riding bikes and watching Star Wars. He adores his sisters though he is a master at torture and teasing.

I love watching him grow and change, though I wish the transition would slow and each divine childhood stage would linger...just a bit longer...




I love that Luke's birthday correlates so conveniently with Thanksgiving each year, because he is certainly one of my greatest blessings and I am absolutely, unconditionally, overwhelmingly grateful for him!

Am I a dork or just a true fan?

Friday, November 21, 2008.

At approximately 4:00pm a group of individuals dressed in black, faces translucently pale, lips a dark ebony, practically pounced on the automatic doors at Jordan Commons. It was the forever-anticipated opening day of Twilight, and this band of dark shady looking gals were heading straight for the theater. Could it be the elusive Cullen clan coming to preview their paramount debut on the big screen? Perhaps a covey of villainous creatures seeking revenge on the unusual but freakishly beautiful family that have the entire female population in a frenzy over their illustrious frontman Edward.

"Who wants popcorn?!?"

Nope! It's just my girls and me so caught up in the crazy madness that is Twilight we just couldn't attend the movie that has occupied our every waking thought and conversation for the past several weeks dressed simply as...mortals...

The movie began amidst screams, squeals and manic applause. Near combustible energy exploded in shrieks, and declarations of love for Edward filled every inch of the theater.

That energy continued as the complicated love affair between Edward and Bella unfolded brilliantly on the screen, reaching it's peak at their first kiss ("I want to try something...hold very still...") (!!!!!!!!) and carried the captivated audience through til the intense and vicious ending.

Twilight was a cinematic experience unlike any other. My enthusiasm was matched only by that of my girls whose high pitched screams at the first sight of Jacob left them trembling and unable to speak for close to an hour...

As the movie came to an end we remained glued in our seats, gazing at the screen, scouring every credit until the lights came up. Our gothic looks were lost in the fascination of the show, and it wasn't until we wandered out of the theater to sideways glances and nods of understanding that we remembered our painted faces and drab attire.

The experience just wouldn't have been complete without the look. We were in "vampire mode." I will make no excuses or apologies, but... next time...we might try going for a normal, blend in with the crowd, don't bring any attention to ourselves, (aka boring) look!

My Christmas Wish

Yesterday I was wandering the interior of Southtowne Mall, content and unrushed, humming along to Christmas music wafting from unseen, muffled speakers. Dollops of red, green, silver and gold caught my eye as I recognized and embraced that exhilarating, giddy feeling that marks the beginning of the holiday season.

I was in a happy mood, happy enough to pause at the kiosk peddling fuzzy little magically moving worms and mention to the dark eyed, pony tailed vendor that I had actually bought some illusion inducing novelties identical to those displayed on his cart in Las Vegas last year. In a suspiciously heavy accented voice he attempted to convince me of the upgraded version which he was willing to sell--to me only--for a mere five dollars a piece. I ambled away with a slight shake of head and a bit of a smirk in response to the four times he referred to me as beautiful...I know...anything to make a sale, but it still made me smile (just a little).

After a stop at Hollister (where the lighting is so dim I ended up buying a hoodie and sweats that were two different shades of blue...) I started up the stairs with only a sideways glance toward PretzelTime (no excess carbohydrates for me...) when I saw him...bright red pants suspended around a full middle, snowy white beard, spectacles resting precariously on the bridge of his nose...

"Oh!" I exclaimed looking around. "It's SAN...ta..." My excitement abated as I realized there was no one around to share this first magical sighting. No baby snuggling in a stroller, no sticky-fingered toddler grasping my pocket, no preschooler begging for a stop at the pretzel shop I so deftly avoided. A faint but noticeable aching feeling tugged at my heart as I realized I was traipsing through the mall unaccompanied, which is convenient and welcome on most days, but not on the day I spotted Santa Claus setting up to welcome eager, excited holiday guests...

A delightful rendition of Grown Up Christmas List caught my attention just as I caught the eye of Santa bustling a few steps below me. He smiled as I stared and focused on the words of one of my favorite holiday tunes which detail the difference between a child's wishes for Christmas and an adult's. How appropriate.

I thought about how life has changed. I remember when our days were not broken up by school time, only nap time. The closest we got to homework was reading aloud Dr. Suess and A Bad Case of Stripes. I remember going for days without leaving the house...it was easier that way. Things were simple then. I could snuggle and smooch my little ones without embarrassment (theirs not mine). I wasn't confiscating cell phones at dinner time and arguing about weekend curfews. I didn't worry about team tryouts and good grades. Timeout was a form of punishment not "me time."

When I arrived home, bags and packages carefully hidden away from curious eyes, I welcomed my kids home from school and told of my Santa sighting.

"Did you talk to him?"

"What did he look like?

"What was he doing?"

After promises were made to return to the mall, young ones in tow, we went about our daily after school activities--homework, practicing, lessons...

Life has changed, but the changes are good. I have fun with my kids. I love that we can all go to the movies and truly enjoy the same show. We play games together, we laugh, a lot. We can ride the same rides at Disneyland and Lagoon, and go to restaurants that don't provide high chairs or even kid menus.

If I have the chance to talk with Santa this year, I will ask him for a very special gift...My Christmas wish is to enjoy each stage of my life. No wishing away limitations that come with having a young family, no longing for more freedom and time to myself. That time will come, sooner than I really want it to. I wish to build memories, and then cherish them forever through the continual changing tides of childhood and life. I wish to always look back with a gleam and a giggle knowing that I made the most out of every single moment and experience.

I know I will spot Santa a time or two this season as I maneuver my way through holiday shopping at the mall. I will make a special effort to take my kids at least once, even the older ones, to visit together, which we can still do, and enjoy. I might even splurge on an expensive (in my opinion) professional photo. That way I'll have a stronghold on the memory--Christmas 2008, suspended in time, just as they are, this fabulous stage of life, appreciated and treasured forever.

There's a new girl in town

...and she's got a delightful little blog labeled Forever Strong.

Roo is creator and contributor to this online glimpse into life as a sensational tween. On this site she reveals her likes (friends, cell phone, Twilight, friends, tennis, cousins, sweets, friends, TV, Orlando Bloom, Jonas Brothers, and friends) and her dislikes (just vegetables, paying tithing and mean, annoying people).

Pictures, polls and games, all the little quirky additions blogger makes available to those of us who rely on internet service and dependable keyboards to draft our thoughts and activities, are front and center on Kelsey's blog. It's quite an enjoyable little site, about a darling little (actually not so) girl!

I am very proud of her.

(I know you want to go to Roo's blog...just click on her name over in my side bar)

Elf task force

Today I clipped a little snippet from the Draper Paper touting Santa's Helper who could arrange for the big guy to entertain at holiday parties, etc. I will be hosting our extensive extended family festivities at a Christmas gala and a pop in from Kris Kringle would definitely be a holiday hit.

The little crumpled piece of newspaper was spotted instantly by Jaycee as she wandered into the kitchen after school.

"What's this?" she inquired.

"Oh, just a little Christmas ad." I answered nonchalantly.

"It says: call Santa's little helper, call early, times book up fast."
"Is that Santa's number? Can we call him? Why does it say to call early?"

(I know that the magical wonder of belief is fading as each year passes into the unrelenting reality of growing up. I protect the cherished secrets of Christmas for as long as I possibly can...and as it stands now, I am half and half with two who are in on the splendid ruse, and two who remain firm in their notions of flying reindeer and colorful, pointy-eared elves)

Thinking quickly I explained that the number Jaycee had discovered was not Santa's number, but, as it stated, was the contact information for Santa's helper.

"Parents can call this number and set up special surveillance for their kids by Santa's elves."

Jaycee gazed at me with a hint of disbelief, but not enough to call my bluff.

"Why do you have to call? You always tell us that Santa's elves come out right after Halloween (used to be Thanksgiving, but the threat is far too effective to utilize for only one short month) and they watch everyone, checking in and then reporting back to Santa."

"Well, this year I am especially concerned about all the fighting that goes on in our home. You guys are having a heck of a time getting along, and I thought an elf-task-force would help to keep you in line and to make Santa extra aware of how you are behaving."

"So there will be special elves watching us this year?"

"Yep, they are rigorously trained to watch certain children twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. They are especially sensitive to arguing, name calling and tattling...NOTHING gets by these guys."

"...and why do you have to call early?" The question barely audible coming out as a squeak.

"There aren't very many elves qualified for this important role, so you have to get your name in quickly to receive an assignment."

"Hmmm."

(later that evening)

Jaycee: "Luke, guess what's wierd? Mom hired army elves to watch us this year! They're going to be everywhere, all the time. We have to be REALLY good or we're going to have a REALLY bad Christmas!"

Ohhhh..."I'm Dreaming of a White (lie) Christmas" this year!

Luke's Post (erior)

The bare facts are these...Luke is very dedicated to his schoolwork, doing all he can to keep from falling behind. He studies diligently so as to keep ahead of the crack, I mean pack, and would be devastated to slip to the rear of his class. Bottom line is this...(without sounding too cheeky) it would be such a bummer if he didn't get a least a B (as in buttock).

Where the good things are

(Cue catchy tune in your head)...Good things Utah, good things Utah, good things Utah, where the good things are...

Now rewind back a few days...before Walmart's intercom system was leaking faint renditions of O Little Town of Bethlehem and Target's tinsel topped trees were on display...It was Halloween, and the girls and I spent the morning in the audience of the local chat-fest/cooking/craft/television show, Good Things Utah!

Watching closely you could see each of us waving and clapping in our Halloween attire from the sidelines. The girls loved seeing themselves on the in-studio monitor and imagining the television sets that were transmitting their images into hundreds of homes! We all loved meeting the hosts (who are even more stunning in person) and watching the backstage action where several cameras, microphones teleprompters, props and a moving stage worked around each other in perfect symphony to pull off the live, fast moving, sometimes improvised show.



No adventure of ours would be complete without our best friends...Jennie (who scored our audience seats) captured quite the cameo dressed as a darling fifties gal and was displayed on camera along with a snip of music from Grease! Jessica was actually given a microphone and asked about her fabulous Cindy Lou Who up do! "There's a cup in my hair..." was the best line of the entire show! Rachelle (looking lovely, dressed as her favorite nurse) spotted herself on camera and searched everywhere for the source of the recording ("which camera is mine?")! The rest of the girls grinned, gleamed and giggled, naturals at playing into the unseen lens!



Good things...all around!