Twilight

So I don't think I've ever posted about this and it will probably be the last time, too. I read all the Twilight series and enjoyed them enough. They were good "traveling" books, you know-don't have to pay a lot of attention, or when you can't sleep at night, or when you're pretending to pay attention to your family or that 5 minutes when your child is actually entertaining himself on the plane, etc.

Unlike a lot of people: I actually liked the "freaky" Breaking Dawn and thought it was more interesting than the other 2000 pages of Bella going on and on about how she will die without Edward and how Jacob is "just a friend". gag me. But what do you expect when you read this type of novel, huh?

Anyway, a bunch of us went out for girls' night out last Saturday and saw the movie. I LIKED IT, OK! The only things I didn't like were: The actress playing Rosalie, Edward's sparkle and Edward and Bella staring at each other on the grass for hours on end. I loved the baseball game and the characters the friends became. I warmed up to the actors playing Bella and Edward and thought her dad was an excellent pic. I really liked James, Victoria and Laurent. And after they toned down the makeup on Carlisle, I liked him too! And yes, I did a lot of laughing--as did most of the audience, but I don't think it was so much "ha ha, she's so funny" but rather nervous laughter breaking up stress/awkward/nervous moments in the movie.

IDK, maybe I'm stupid and have no taste, or maybe I just didn't have any expectations and I was pleasantly surprised. Either way, I'm happy I saw it and I won't be reading the books again any time soon.

Jesus

There is a print of this picture at our Chapel. Today as we were walking in the foyer I asked James, "Who is that a picture of?"

James: Jesus!

Me: Who are the other people in the picture?

James: It's the band.

I was laughing so hard I didn't feel very reverent.

Earlier this week, James kept saying, "I need Jesus." At first I thought it was a little odd, but then I just thought he was being sweet.

As the morning progressed, James repeated "I need Jesus" and I would hug him and tell him that was sweet.

Later that day we watched a bit of TV and a Cheez-it commercial came on. James started jumping up and down saying, "I need CHEEZ-ITS!"

Ok, so he wasn't saying Jesus. My bad.

I'm soooo cute.

Have a laugh at my expense:

I came out of the bathroom Saturday night with white goo spread all over my girly mustache. James took one look at me and said, "oh mama, that's sooooooo cute!"

Too bad he won't always be that sweet. Or funny.

We have a problem on alternate days: Some mornings James wakes up, wants to be Elmo again and is so sad that we can't go trick or treating anymore. On the other mornings he asks if it's Christmas yet, if he has presents (Specifically ball and train) and if Santa is here. Good heavens. If it weren't for the stores decking the halls, I wouldn't even tell him about Christmas until December 24th. There's nothing I can do to dissuade him from Halloween activities since he experienced it this year.

Inspiring Quote

Yeah, I found it thanks to DanaLee :)

It's from C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity (page 205 in the version I found it in).

I find I must borrow yet another parable from George MacDonald. Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently, He starts knocking the house about in such a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of -- throwing out a new wing here, putting an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.

help...

A friend has asked me to help her find a story, but I can barely recall any details about it and I've exhausted my resources...

It's a fictional story about God tearing down the walls and windows and whatever else you have built and you tell Him that it is really hurting you but He says something like "you were building a house, but I am building a mansion..."

Does anyboday remember that story and do you know where to find it?

Sheep and Cows

If you gross out easily, you might want to skip this one:

When I lived in Ephraim, some of my bestest friends and neighbors had a sheep ranch or farm or whatever you call it. The first spring I lived there, they told me that they were going to be very busy during the upcoming months while all the lambs were being born (“lambing”) and then “docking” (cutting off the tail and castrating the males.) During the course of the conversation I became aware of something that horrified me: the men castrated the sheep with their teeth.

Yeah, see, you read that right and I’m not even joking. I didn’t believe them for a while and then one of my students came running into class the next week telling me how they had seen a man castrate a lamb with his teeth. I believed them then. I was telling one of my brothers about it and he said that it was impossible and that they were pulling my leg. What’s a sister to do? I sent my camera with the guys and they filled up a roll of film doing the deed. I processed it at Walmart, nearly fainted when I looked at the photos, told myself I would never kiss a man who had done that, and tucked the photos into an Easter card for my brother.

Muah ha ha ha ha. They believed me then!

A few months ago some of the Young Women at church were asking me about this because one of them had heard me talking about it with someone else and they wanted to know “the truth”. I was calmly and matter of factly telling them about it when out walks the whole Bishopric. Despite my best judgment I continued telling them about it and when all was said and done, the Bishop says, “I don’t believe it. There’s no way people do that.” Counselor #1 looks over and says, “Yeah they do, I’ve done it.” Girls scream, I laugh hysterically and the Bishop found out a few new things.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike Rowe showcased this little event on “Dirty Jobs”. I couldn’t even stand to watch it, ugh.

The University here has quite a few agriculture programs—and there are many animals surrounding one side of campus. I kept thinking that the cows in this one particular field looked funny—with big rings/circles on their sides. I kept driving past them wondering what the heck that was about and I finally asked this same Bishopric member who had done the teeth castrating. He told me that these cows (LIVING BREATHING COWS) were cut open and they have this circle/ring/rubber things put into their side so that students can REACH INTO THE LIVE COW to feel their stomachs digesting. Great. Several of the Young Women piped up saying that they had felt inside the live cows on field trips. Super great. Now I can’t drive home without passing the grazing cows with holes in them and wanting to puke.

I can’t think of any good reason why I should continue to eat meat when these things gross me out so much, but I just can’t not eat meat.

Pumpkin patch and farm, take two

I got some pics of him this time because we had a good handful of mamas go who helped to control and corral all the kids. It was an awesome day and James is still asking to go back to the farm and to go trick or treating again. He keeps saying, "I want to try one more door." He cracks me up :)

Racing his farmer duck with a manual pump
Getting into mischief with Cooper at the water fountain

Being fearless; sliding down the giant slides again and again and not letting anyone go with him!

Cookie Drama

I think most of you have heard me rave about our Albertsons store. At least one person from every department knows us by name and everyone is super friendly and helpful. (One thing that sticks out in my memory is when they got James unstuck from the cart for me :) ) Anyway, James usually loves going to Albertsons because he gets a free cookie.

Today when I took him over to the bakery, one of the employees came over to give him a cookie. I asked him to say "please" and he wouldn't. I asked her not to give him the cookie, and once again asked him to say "please." He yelled, "NO!!!" and started wailing at the top of his lungs. The employee said, "Oh, poor baby, here's a cookie because you're sad." I looked at her and said, "I'm sorry that you came over here to give him a cookie, but now he's throwing a fit and not getting one until he can ask nicely." The woman looked at me as if I should be turned in for child abuse.

I walked away and casually looked at my ad while James wailed and wailed in the middle of the produce. Yeah, I got lots of unpleasant looks from some college students and lots of understanding looks from the grannies. Anyway, he stopped crying ABRUPTLY and said, "I ready to be nice now." I asked him if he was ready to say "please" and he agreed.

We walked back over to the bakery and the same lady was there. James said, "I please have a cookie now?" She gave me a totally crusty look and before I could stop her said, "Here baby, have 2 cookies because you're such a good boy."

I'm betting good money she doesn't have children, and if she does, heaven help 'em.

Mormon Monday

Short and sweet: Some of you might be surprised to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) does not endorse candidates for any elections. The Church does not endorse political parties. The church will not tell you how to vote; They only recommend that you should study it out and vote! The LDS faith encourages its members to be politically active and to participate in government as they see fit.

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This election has been so interesting for the obvious reasons, but also because I've never seen a presidential election where I have so many friends with such differing opinions. I am on PINS AND NEEDLES waiting and wanting to see what happens tomorrow. I fear that it will turn into another 3 month ordeal or that it will get ugly. Either way, I think it is going to be soooooo very close... Ben and I voted early!

The public schools are closed on election day so I have the day off! I'm going back to the corn maze with James and friends :)

Happy Halloween!

Before all things Halloween: Tonight James brought his drawing board over and said, "Look, mommy, it's Target!" That kid cracks me up! (And impresses me, too :) )


Pre-Halloween pose in our great and spacious kitchen:

Last night was all that a Halloween should be: good friends, good food, good costumes, and great candy. Our congregation had a chili cook off (which we didn't win-and don't feel bad about that. We tried out a new white chili recipe that after all was said and done, I didn't even like or eat at the party. Good thing other people ate it or I'd be eating it for dinner, yuck!)

Anyway, after the chili cook off, we handed out candy al estilo trunk-or-treat. Needless to say, the kid loved it.

Doesn't this next pic look like we dropped the kid on a dark, deserted road somewhere to trick or treat by himself? Ben snapped this in the middle of all the trunk or treat action!

After we left the ward party, we took James trick or treating for a while around family campus housing. Everybody thought he was the cutest kid ever! This one lady asked if she could take a picture of him. It was crazy. For the most part he was polite and remembered to say thanks, but it went like this:

James: Trick or treat

Candy giver: Oh you're so cute, blah blah blah (gives candy)

James: ThanksIwannatryanotherdooroverthere. (points and walks away)

Me: Um, bye, and thanks!

This was us at the end of the evening:

After we got James into bed, Ben and I experienced a new parental duty: raid, oh I mean, sort James' candy haul. We threw out all the Mexican candy (don't need any lead in our child's brain) took out all the gum, jawbreakers, now and laters, and anything else that would choke him, made sure that there were none of the now infamous chinese chocolate coins, ate a few here and there and put the rest in a stash for bribes or whatever. Who knows what we're going to do with all of it.

Who can resist this cutie face?