Cats (not the musical)

I was going to wait to write about our cats until they actually have names, but I'm not sure when that's going to happen. One day a few days before Insane Week began I was watching my kids play with our friends' cats and I commented quite innocently that someday we'd have to get a cat. And later that day Felicity said that she wanted a pet. A horse, really, but any pet would do, even a Zhu Zhu Pet. Which made me laugh and I thought about how we had promised our kids gold fish after the April Fools Day joke a couple years ago. And I thought, yeah, we'll get a pet someday, just not today. Yes, I was just tempting fate. That night Farris called from work asking if we needed anything from the store, he was going to stop on his way home. No, we're doing good. Then he got home with a super serious face. And asked me to come out to the car. I was pretty sure he hadn't been in a car accident, but I was a little nervous. But peeking out of a cat carrier was two kittens, a girl that's gray with a white belly and legs, and a black with white belly, feet, and nose boy. The kids, of course, immediately fell in love, and I have to admit that I love cats, and I've missed having any around. The cats took a little more time getting used to the kids, and found lots of high places they could hide. Once the kids were asleep that first night, the two kitties ran around exploring, climbing and sometimes snatching a bite of our toes. Now that they're settled in they still do all of that, only with more toe-snatching. They are wiggly, playful little guys (err, girl and guy). The black one still has zero patience with the kids, Seth comes up several times a day pointing to his hand saying "Cat! Bite!" but the gray one just hangs limp and lets the kids do all kinds of extraordinary things to her. No dressing up yet, but I'm sure that will follow. As for names, the black cat we were going to name Chimney Sweep (he climbed our fireplace almost to the ceiling that first night), and the gray one we're thinking DC for Darn Cat or Mazie (which I'm voting for). Now I'm thinking we should name the black one DC, because he's the one who always gets into trouble (I could easily call him SC for Stupid Cat) and then Mazie for the gray one. One of my friends laughed and told me that we didn't have this much trouble naming our kids, which is true, although we wanted to name the kids before we left the hospital, and almost didn't get it done twice (It took a bit of persuasion for Caleb to become Caleb and both of us were stumped on Seth's middle name which turned out to be Gavid). But we'll eventually name them, just like I will eventually get pictures of them on this blog. Now if I knew any of the words from Cats, I'd sing them, but sorry, we sang along with Starlight Express, Phantom, or Les Mis more.

A few of my favorite things

This week has been awful, mostly gross and busy, I guess. I've had several crying jags and all that. It could be worse (much, much worse, nothing permanent has happened and it will all be over in the next couple weeks, so it's not that big of a deal), but whenever I tell anybody about it, they all say "Oh,no!" or "I'm so sorry" or "That's really bad timing!" so I know it's not only me being dramatic (maybe a little dramatic). But nevertheless, to keep things in perspective, I'm going to write a quick "few of my favorite things" list and then get back to cleaning and laundry. And food planning/making. And more laundry.

1. How Caleb and Joseph both call gorillas magrillas.
2. How Seth can say basketball now (it comes out ball-ket-ball).
3. Finding Felicity in her chair devouring a book.
4. That first moment when Farris comes in the door every night.
5. How my family (and that includes Farris' family, too) has been so great this week, even my sisters calling from Yosemite (oh, and this will have to include that they haven't been eaten by bears as a favorite thing, too). They've all been, well, A Family!
6. Prayer, prayer and more sobbing while praying. It works.
7. But the biggest thing that is a favorite thing right now is that Felicity is going to be baptized into the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tomorrow. (great, here comes that sobbing thing again). I'm so thankful for my Savior! I'm thankful for His wonderful church!

Now, nobody think that anything too crazy is going on, no one is dying or seriously ill, no car accidents, Farris still has a good job (busy, but that's ok) just LIFE hitting all at once and right before Felicity's baptism. Or maybe that Guy Downstairs as our YW pres. Nikki says. We'll make it! We're fine!

Now, where's that chocolate...

Felicity's birthday (getting it in before it's September)

August has been a little crazy. But I'm going to get Felicity's birthday post in before September! It's kind of like waiting until the last day of the month before you go visiting teaching.


It's tough being the oldest. With three little brothers. Three busy, crazy, like-to-get-in-your- stuff little brothers. But Felicity does a great job. She turned eight (yes, EIGHT!) on August 10th, and was unbearably excited. She had her birthday party (Pony party, she loves all things horse right now), started going to Activity Day and will be baptized this week. She's done a lot of growing this year, you can see it in her face and how she does things. She conquered her bike, and is so happy to zoom around the neighborhood, training wheel-less. She spent about a quarter of the last year reading, everything from Nancy Drew to Pony Pals to Misty and Stormy to the Friend magazine. Really, anything she can get her hands on. It's hard to get her to stop most of the time. She's been drawing a lot, too, and is making a House Notebook where she's creating different kinds of houses. She has some made of rainbows, clocks, flowers, crayons, shoes, books, taffy, sun and rain, and even eyeglasses. Animals are favorites, too. Besides horses, she loves rabbits, cats, dogs, hamsters, dolphins, and anything else (almost, anyway, snakes aren't a great favorite). She loves our new cats (more on that later) and has taken over the feeding of them, and let me tell you, they are not going to go hungry. She loves being around people and is always asking to play with friends, and she has some wonderful ones.
Our little Joy is growing up and it's great fun to watch her do it.

Felicity with her cousin Rylee

Silliness coming out while she's helping make cookies

Beautiful princess (my girly-girl!)

She wanted a crown made of balloons at the harvest festival last year, cute!

We love you our Lissy-lis!

Quick Joseph story

I just had an interesting conversation with Joseph, and I have to share.
Me: (turning off my loud blow dryer that has been on for a few minutes)
Joseph: (walking in the door) Did you just hear a noise?
Me: No, was there one?
Joseph: You didn't hear a noise?
Me: No...
Joseph: I'm going now, mom.
Me: Uhhh, where are you going?
Joseph: I'm just going.
Me: Where are you going?
Joseph: (doing his best I'm-so-innocent voice) Oh, I'm just going into the kitchen to see if there's a mess.

Don't you love how he never quite answers a question? Very Calvin and Hobbes-ish.

(epilogue: As bad as it sounded, I followed him into the kitchen to see if there was a mess, too. It was just a bunch of alphabet magnets that had been thrown on the floor, and he quickly cleaned them up. I'm wondering how this conversation would have gone if the mess was worse.)

Not much time to post, but have to show these!

Our lovely friend, Christy, took baptism pictures of Felicity. Felicity loves being the center of attention and has this "whole head cocked to the side, hip stuck out, fake princess smile" that makes me laugh whenever a camera is pointed at her. But Christy got her to relax and got some adorable shots. Then she worked her phototshop magic and did all the B&W, sepia, color added, washed out, and framed beautiful pictures that I could ever want. She even made some baptism invites that are so...FELICITY! So here's a link to the pictures:

http://cheapshotsllc.blogspot.com/2010/08/spanish-fork-photography-baptism.html

and everybody in this area seriously needs to call Cheapshots! for their family pictures and every other picture taking thing you need (yes, she does weddings), because I need to pay her back in babysitting, so she has to go somewhere. OH, and because, of course, she does a fantastic job.

my new favorite

{This link is having a problem, and I haven't figured it out. It works and then doesn't. Blah! So if it's not working, try this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9KMgg7T_sg

Everything I need to know I learned at Girl's Camp

--Scaring girls who were chasing deer is fun, but catching it on video is priceless -- Chasing deer is fun, but tellicommunicating with them isn't really believable. Sorry, Pocahontas -- Being a Responsible Leader does not include building a mattress ramp down the stairs and then sliding down it on sleeping bags. (Ahem) Moving on. -- While mice can in fact open starburst wrappers, bats are not scared of the said starbursts. Or of shoes. Or of toilet paper rolls. (Does anyone know what bats are scared of? That might come in handy for next year) -- Portable confessionals are the wave of the future -- Your cabin isn't pretty enough? Try glitter! All over the deck--Phase Ten really isn't very fun. It REALLY isn't (sorry, bitter here) -- Beehives get blamed for everything, but only do about half of it. The YCL's do the rest (hee-hee) -- The leaders aren't a bunch of old ladies. And Brandee will prove it -- Snipes really aren't attracted to toothpaste (and don't get it in your eyes) -- Back to the starburts, they are super good roasted. If you need help with the wrapper...well, don't tell Tami what you did -- Camping is so much better with a cook. Named Kathy. And her paparazzi errr Bishop Husband. And lots of camping gizmos. Can we all say Sunday Dinner? --

But seriously:

There is nothing like a mountain for showing you God's handiwork -- We can all do it, because He will help us all -- Tearing someone else down only hurts you, but how wonderful it is to build them up! -- Every girl is your sister, treat them like one (i.e. Love Them!) -- Life is hard, but it helps to share and cry with each other -- "For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee" (and, yeah, that's Isaiah 41:13) -- The youth today are amazing -- Live like you believe!

And finally:

Peanut Butter and Jelly is great for your skin. Oh wait, this isn't Girl's Camp, I better go catch a kid...




One more for the girls...
{This one is having problems, too; Try:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5G8pnLETaM