Temporarily Out of Commission

Since you've all be just dying to know what we have been up to over here, I'll indulge you with a few details:

a) we're moving in two weeks. {yes, we finally bought a house!} Photos forthcoming...

b) Way behind in the packing department.

c) I'm supposed to be training for my 2nd sprint triathlon in Tempe next week.

d) I seem to be plagued with a cough/phlegm issue for the past couple of weeks that has precluded my work out habits. Probably swine flu. Most likely due to global warming.

e) doing triathlon with both my sisters this year.

f) who will likely both kick my rear handily.

g) Here, for example, is a lovely photo of sis Susan at around mile 14. Not even winded.

Self-portrait.

I do so adore high-speed things involving the cool wind in my face.

On a beautiful cool spring day in the desert.

Liberation.

The road rash I risked getting this shot would not have been worth it.

On a completely unrelated topic, my pal JSchomaker (remember her?) just shot these beauts of my fluffy little easter chicks. Jenny photographs for Kaiya Eve, and the girls got to participate in her photo shoot for the new spring line.

We all know who had lots of fun posing in front of the camera.
[the little fireball with the alabaster skin in the turquoise fluff].

Conversely, Puffy Sue just frolicked around in the sunshine with her puffy hair wisping in the breeze with nary a care in the world. Her tongue hanging out mostly [luckily not in this one].

See ya in our next zip code!

One Day Apart

One day {and three years} apart.

Bamboozlry, Inc.

I do April Fools Day about every third year. Apathetic otherwise.

It's that third year.

I'm already plotting my revenge for Jackson and Caroline strategically placing ketchup packets under my toilet seat that exploded like fireworks. Good one kids. Watch your backs.

McDesnudo fumed about not having any funny underwear in his drawer upon exiting shower (becuz I hid it). He replies "Is that the best you can come up with?"

Nope.

But the raisin in the toothpaste was the best I could come up with. (or that my cousin Liz came up with last year) Cheers, Lizzy.

But dad blast it all to heck if he didn't use my toothpaste instead. And Caroline looked in her toothpaste and was instantly suspicious of the dark blob. Foiled again. How, oh how, I would have loved to have seen their faces as a brown unidentifiable object popped out of the toothpaste tube and onto their toothbrushes.

I elected to pass on the ol' tired-yet-still-panic-inducing "I'm pregnant" oldie-but-goody that I used in 2001, 04, and 07. No beating that dead horse this year. No sireebob.

Tangerines in the kids' favorite sweetened cereal boxes in lieu of beloved Trix?

Slightly satisfying but still a little weak.

Whole raw mushrooms in Caroline's Happy Meal instead of McNuggets?

Mediocre.

Jackson looking over my shoulder as I write this right now just told me:

"that's just mean, not funny."

My SIL Ashley pulled this gem on her kids this year:

I'll say this much--it involves a diaper and Dinty Moore beef stew. And licking

said Dinty Moore beef stew out of diaper without her kids knowing that

it is indeed just Dinty Moore beef stew. I guess I just told you the entire gig.

I always remember April Fool's Day for a couple of other reasons:

It's my friend Rachelle Szymanski's birthday from the Texas days.

Happy birthday, pal.

And it's also Grandma Dorothy Meyer's birthday, Marc's grandma who I never

had the pleasure of meeting because she passed away over 35 years ago.

Charlotte Louise x 2

I have a cousin named Charlotte Louise. My baby's name also happens to be Charlotte Louise (I honestly didn't know my cousin's middle name was Louise). This very same cousin Charlotte, her husband Chris, and their baby Charlie were in an extremely serious accident last week in Texas. Charlotte and the baby are bruised and sore, but Chris has yet to regain consciousness. He also fractured his neck, back, and pelvis. He is in the ICU in Houston. My prayers and [obsessive] thoughts are with this little family. We love you Larsons.

Many of you have also asked what has become of my cousin Liz's brother, Christian Nielson, and his wife, Stephanie {NieNie}, after they were in that horrific plane crash last August. They are now living in Utah recovering slowly. Both Charlotte and Stephanie have remarkable faith and unshakable hope that is inspiring to me.

I have sympathy my fellow women and I read about their struggles with a heavy heart. Nothing like this has ever happened to anyone in my immediate circle. I often wonder how I would handle such situations. Would bitterness occupy my heart because I felt a little crispy fried by the "Refiner's Fire?" Would I have the same positive outlook as these women? Would trials cement my faith in the Plan of Happiness? Or would I question the existence of a such a higher power and start to rely on the wisdom of man alone? Bleak thought.

All religions (Buddism, Islam, Christianity, whatever) are predicated on FAITH, which is hope of things unseen. Even atheism/agnogsticism holds "faith" in the vicissitudes of worldly whims and the finite wisdom of man. I'd like to think that I would cling to my faith in God, as my cousin Charlotte has. Charlotte found solace in this by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, who lost his battle with cancer a few years ago and was an amazing example of enduring WELL until the end.

Oh the irony.

{Besotted}

I heart hearts.

Read This Book.

ICARUS AT THE EDGE OF TIME

Marc's mom gave this book to Jax (age 9) for Valentine's Day.

We've read it every night.

We can't get it off our minds during the day.

Photography from NASA/Hubble Telescope is breathtaking.

Highly recommend.