The Rawhouser Family

To everything there is a season…

2011-10-11T17:00:00.008-05:00

Oh October, how I love thee. It truly is a gorgeous month. I feel that October is the start of the new fall season. The temperature is still pleasant and apples, raspberries, pumpkins and other yummy squashes are ripe and ready to harvest. The leaves on the trees are exchanging their faithful green color for something with more of a pop, like yellow, pink, red, orange and fuchsia. I love the change in seasons and the beauty that comes with it.

As I am en route to pick up kids from school or shuttle them to chess club or soccer, I often see many of my friends at the playground with their smaller children, talking to other mothers and having a serene time playing leisurely with their kids. Sigh. I think back on those times in my life. They were good times.

My reminiscing is sweetly overshadowed by my daughter, Amelia, singing the Colors Song, in Spanish. Almost as soon as she stops, Conrad tells me of his latest wildlife adventure he is planning and Riley asks with an eager look, “Can I come? I’ll be your sidekick right?”

“Me too!” Amelia chimes in.

“Me!” Quinn says with his hand in the air.

Conrad’s eyes brighten and he says with much intensity, “Oh ya, we’ll need everybody!”

I smile and know that this is a good season of my life too.

In October 2008, Pres. Monson stated, “Let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family. One day each of us will run out of tomorrows.”

I think the tendency for most of us is to worry about or eagerly anticipate the future or long for the pleasantries of the past. My children are especially excited for the future. Amelia has taken to drawing fabulously bright pictures of the big house we will live in one day, Conrad has his hobby farm planned out in our future back yard and Riley can’t wait for an official Star Wars themed room. I will admit that it is fun to “dream of my mansion above,” but shouldn’t the majority of our time be spent enjoying the present?

At the most recent General Relief Society Meeting, Pres. Uchtdorf told us to “forget not to be happy now.” He goes on to say, “The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy.”

Just as this glorious summer has changed to beautiful fall, so do our lives change from one stage of life to the next. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 is reads, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” It is my hope for myself, my family and all of you my friends, that we will remember that each season of our lives has meaning. That we will look around at what is going on right now and be happy in these moments and thank God that we can be alive to experience them.

Conrad's in love with those Girl Scouts

2011-04-13T17:06:00.008-05:00

Cookies, that is. His favorite flavor is the Samoa kind. (you know with coconut, chocolate & caramel) Sadly we won't be seeing the Girl Scouts or their cookies until next year. sigh.

It was Conrad's turn to make the treat for Family Home Evening and so he wanted to make Samoas. We went on the internet and found a copycat recipe that wasn't impossible to follow, tasted fantastic and looked slightly more decadent than those in the box.
Conrad has been wanting to dabble more and more in the culinary arts and this was a perfectly delicious way to get him started.

I found the recipe here

This is Conrad's "Dr. Cinnamon Fruitcake" impression

My Refrigerator, Cleaned with Love

2011-04-01T18:12:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, my kids gave me the best gift. No, a shopping spree! Not a 7 day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands! No, not that sparkly blue Mini Cooper with checker top and racer stripe! Oh, it was something even better than that. They gave me the gift of service and washed the refrigerator and of course they used LOVE and Simple Green to make it sparkle.

I also like to use Simple Green all purpose cleaner, for cleaning the refrigerator. It should be diluted 1:30 with hot water in your kitchen sink or bucket.

1. Turn the refrigerator and freezer temperature off

2. Take everything out the refrigerator, including the stuff on the shelves on the door and throw away expired, moldy, spoiled foods.

3. Take out the glass shelves and drawers.

4. With a clean sponge or cloth, wash the shelves and drawers in the sink with the Simple Green. Making sure to get them as see-through as the first day you saw them.

5. Rinse with hot water and dry with a dry clean cloth or paper towel. Set aside.

Now we’re ready for the inside of the refrigerator.

6. Make sure to remove all food, crumbs and all other “leftovers” from the bottom.

7. Take your sponge and the Simple Green and start at the top and scrub until you reach the bottom and don’t forget the doors.

*While doing this, be sure to frequently rewet your sponge and ring it out to keep it clean.

8. Repeat step 7, except use clean hot water to rinse.

9. Repeat step 6-8 when cleaning the freezer and the outside of the refrigerator.

10. Replace the shelves, drawers and food and don’t forget to turn the temperature back on!

Keeping your fridge clean should be done quarterly and the outside should be wiped down monthly. (This should be done more often, depending on the holiday.) And it would a good idea to get rid of the no-longer-edible-leftovers, regularly.

Your Floors are so Fabuloso!

2011-03-30T18:15:00.002-05:00

Sweeping and moping are my favorite chores because they don’t take much time and I like to walk on a floor that isn’t sticky or laced with crumbs. This job is simple yet important because it reduces the visitation/invasion of unwanted guests like mice, ants and cockroaches and makes it easier to slide around and practice those sweet dance moves you learned.

The kitchen and bathroom floors should be cleaned weekly, and even daily, depending on your lifestyle. The key to effective and efficient floor cleaning is meticulous preparation.

Preparation

1. Move as much off the floor as possible. This includes: garbage cans, rugs, chairs, even your table if you can.

2. Sweep the floor thoroughly with a broom. If you don’t sweep, mopping will just make those crumbs from yesterday’s peanut butter and jelly sandwich soggy. Start in the far corner of the floor and work back out. Don’t forget to sweep behind the door, under the heating element, and in the corners. Sweep debris into the dust pan and discard.

3. Prepare a cleaning mixture. For most mopping, I use ¼ cup of Fabuloso Multi-Use Cleaner (I like the name and its smell) in one gallon of hot water.

Mopping

3. Spot clean the corners and extra grimy areas with a little cleaner and cleaning brush or sponge.

4. Get the mop wet with the cleaning mixture and ring it out. (This will be done frequently to keep the mop clean.) Then thoroughly clean the whole floor in the same pattern as you swept.

5. After a few minutes mopping, rinse out the mop in the sink or tub (if you don’t do this, you begin to spread the dirty mop water solution across the whole floor).

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have covered the whole floor twice.

Note: The tile on our bathroom floor has very deep grout lines that get quite dirty and discolored.

Periodically I use ¼ cup of bleach per gallon of water. I do the same routine, but I don’t ring out the mop before passing it over the floor. This leaves the floor quite wet. I let the bleach water sit on the floor for an hour (or more), and then I finish the mopping as usual.

Get some work done on those cabinets

2011-03-21T18:20:00.004-05:00

Call me superficial, but I dare say the way a cabinet looks on the outside is just as important as what’s on the inside. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a little work done on those cabinets. But this work will be a lot cheaper and easier than an episode of “Extreme Makeover”.

I like to use Simple Green all purpose cleaner because it’s nontoxic, biodegradable, and smells nice in either original or lemon scent. Simple Green works wonders on all sorts of kitchen, bathroom, and household items. For cabinets, Simple Green should be diluted 1:20 with hot water in a spray bottle or bucket.

Take everything out of the cabinet including the shelves.
Wipe down the cabinet with a dry cloth, to get dust and debris out of the way, so you can focus on more important things like grease and gunk.
Start at the top and evenly cover with Simple Green. Let it set for a couple of minutes.
With a clean hot wet sponge, cloth or brush start at the top and work those arm muscles and scrub the cabinet. If you’re worried it’s not clean enough, there is no harm in scrubbing it again.
With a different hot clean damp cloth, wipe down the cabinet with water.
Then using a clean dry cloth or paper towel, wipe down the freshly cleaned cabinet.
Use steps 2-6 on the shelves before putting them back into your beautifully clean cabinet.

Want to know if you need to do a little more work on those cabinets. You’ll know by just feeling them. Run your hand over them.(if they’re sticky, that’s a bad thing.) Unlike plastic surgery, (think Joan Rivers) it’s unlikely that you will go overboard with the work you have done on your cabinets. If you frequently fry your freakin’ food, have fondue food fights, or have kids that climb on the counters to get bowls with their honey-covered hands, you might want to clean more often.

Shower Power

2011-03-16T17:03:00.002-05:00

With daily maintenance, and periodic cleaning, your shower and tub can be clean enough that, if needed, your medical resident neighbor could perform emergency surgery in your tub.

Daily Maintenance

Just like flossing daily prevents more painful dental problems, two daily practices after bathing will prevent you from having to work as hard to avoid mold and mildew, which grow in warm and damp locations. First, wipe down water on the shower walls with a squeegee, the top of the tub, and the shower curtain. Second, keep the door open to the bathroom and leave the over head fan on for 30 minutes.

Weekly/Monthly tub and shower cleaning

1. Wipe down the shower walls and tub with hot water.

2. Generously spray all the grout (the lines in between the tiles) with a good cleanser. I use Lysol Mold & Mildew remover (or Tilex) with bleach.

3. Sprinkle Comet disinfectant powder (with bleach - you can use liquid as well) evenly over the tub.

4. Wait at least 30 minutes (let the cleanser do the work while you fill out your NCAA bracket).

5. Use a wet sponge to clean off the cleanser from the wall.

5. With a scouring pad or cleaning brush, start at the top of the tube and work your way down to the drain and scrub that tub hard. I often enjoy this part because I look at this as an arm muscle building exercise. Think of (the original) Karate Kid; “Wax on. Wax off.”

4. Rinse off with hot water and admire the sparkle.

Note: The bleach really kills the germs, but avoid breathing the vapors. Make sure to keep the bathroom door open and the fan on to keep sufficient ventilation.

Don't you dare

2011-02-28T11:46:00.007-06:00

Conrad has an eye for finding things. His code name is "Eagle Eye" because of his ability to find anything anywhere. Here's a prime example, while in Guadalajara at a huge outdoor market/swap meet, Conrad was looking around and found a carat and a half diamond. (a perfect cubic zirconia, still not too shabby.) He then in the US found another one. Crazy right? What an eye. He's also been the hero of many lost keys, earring, cell phones, etc. His most recent discovery was an unopened jar of Nutella. All I can say is lucky.

Conrad has this jar under lock and key times 3.

His diamonds are in a safe with only one lock.

He trusts no one in the house. Only Conrad holds the 3 keys. Thus the shackled jar of Nutella sits exposed high on a shelf taunting the passersby.

Fake 'tilll you Make it

2011-02-18T21:24:00.009-06:00

So I was recently asked by the activities organizer for our student housing community to write a weekly article with cleaning tips for the other residents. She said that someone from our community reported that I was the person to talk to about cleaning. I almost laughed out loud (LOL). I really did think she was joking. Then I thought that someone else must be pulling a trick by recommending me. Apparently the source was quite serious about her recommendation.

After I got over the initial, and then residual surprise, I thought, "Why not? I can do field research, and get paid to write about it!" So I discussed it with Hans and then accepted when he said that he'd help make it fun. I started with what I knew, which I learned here in MN. Here is the premier 250-word article.

I’ve lived at CSCC for almost 5 years. I will be writing short articles on cleaning so that your mother-in-law will be impressed when she comes over, or more importantly, so that you can get your full deposit back when you eventually bid farewell to CSCC. So let’s get cleaning!

Lovin’ Your Oven

I never cared much about the inside of my oven. Don’t get me wrong, I love to bake and cook with a vengeance, but when things would splatter in the oven, like Rex-Kwon-Do, I would just close the door and walk away. I'd occasionally think, "I should clean that oven, it looks like I've coated it with lava rock.” But it was always hot when I thought of it, and I didn't want to burn myself.

Then one day I went over to a neighbor's house. She opened her oven, and it gleamed. She said she cleaned it once per month and that she would just:

1) liberally spray the inside of the cooled oven (not hot) with oven cleaner (fume-free Easy-Off is my fave),

2) let it sit overnight (or at least two hours),

3) leave a note as a reminder to finish the job, and

4) effortlessly (but thoroughly) wipe it clean with an old, warm and damp rag, sponge, or paper towel in the morning.

I love it when something (or someone) else does the work for me, so I tried it and BAM it works, every time. Now my oven sparkles (almost) every month, with minimal work. But don’t forget to write yourself a note! More than once I’ve turned on the oven, only to remember that I forgot step 4. Don’t forget step 4. That stinks! Really!

By the way, which color do you like best? I'm torn between orange and periwinkle and Hans prefers the cherry red.

The writing on the wall

2011-01-27T09:02:00.010-06:00

Amelia loves to color and draw and ever since she learned her letters in preschool, she wants to have us spell EVERYTHING so she can write it down. Recently she has been drawing her family and animals, My Little Pony, actually. You know: Rainbow Dash, Pink Pie, Scooter Lou...
Well one night while I was upstairs getting the boys to bed, Amelia was downstairs with Hans at work drawing and writing. Apparently she asked Hans for the glue and because Hans was busy at the computer, he handed her a bottle of glue, no questions asked.
As you can see on the picture Amelia wanted the paper to really stick to the wall, logically she covered a quarter of the paper with glue. By the time I came down stairs, the glue was on its way to drying and those papers are still plastered there to this day.

The picture reads, Rainbow Dash and Pinky Pie are my favorite. Amelia.

Tag Me

2010-11-29T08:34:00.004-06:00

When I grew up, professional wrestling was not what it is today. There didn’t seem to be so much money involved, and the wrestlers were not quite so impressive physically, especially in their speedos and wrestling shoes. Even their names seemed a bit more benign. I remember “Rowdy Roddy” Piper, “The British Bulldog” and “The Bushwackers,” a comical pair of brothers from Australia (shown in the photo).

I liked the tag-team competitions. They seemed to have the most interesting combinations of wrestlers, and it seemed like the matches were more often between two good teams, rather than involving a clear winner and another wrestler with cheap costumes, bad hair, and flabby physiques (although there was plenty of that in tag teams). The rule for tag team was that only one wrestler for each team could be on the mat at one time. The one not on the mat had to wait in his respective corner until the one on the mat “tagged” his teammate so that he could come back in.

Often I think I take on the part of the spectator or fan, wincing at the pain of “my wrestler”, hoping and praying that “my wrestler” will win, and even cheering him on. Recently I’ve had a few experiences that have caused me to question my assumptions. First, I’ve felt like I’ve been being beat up in the ring, thinking that I must be a bad wrestler, only to realize that it would have helped to have a team. More worryingly, I’ve been on the other side of the rope and suddenly realized that I’m not only authorized to help, but that wrestler in the ring is my team mate, and may not actually know how to tag me. Rather than wait passively in the corner for my teammate to come all the way to me, I need to stretch as far as I can, and sometimes even jump into the ring to help.

There are so many reasons to feel that we are in the audience, and not actually on the team slated for the mat. The legitimate reasons to not go to the mat are many. First, we don’t want to make our wrestler feel like he is doing a bad job. Second, we want him to learn and to grow for himself because helping too much may make him weak. Third, these wrestling matches are going on all around us, and it’s just physically impossible to “get involved” with the difficulties of everyone for whom we care. But there are also reasons that are more about us than about the wrestler in the ring. For example, reaching in to help can be observed by others. Our attempt to help may be misinterpreted, not just by Ricky, but also by others. Thus, we open ourselves to criticism. We can more easily protect ourselves, not only from the battle within the ring, but the judgment of the crowd outside of the ring, if we are cautious. Finally, it simply takes time and we have a lot of other things to do.

Not every struggle is like a tag team match. On the other hand, not every struggle is an individual match either. Some situations are clearer than others. Knowing the difference on the margin requires judgment, and I guess I’m developing that (slowly). But I think that I’ve made the resolution that I think I’d rather be the type of person that errs on the side of jumping in to tag my teammate too often, than the kind that errs on waiting outside the ring too often. I think that more of us are the "least of these" (Matt 25:40) than we may think.

Meet your Meat twice

2010-11-06T16:13:00.000-05:00

1. As the kids and I were driving home from chess club on Thursday night, a semi zoomed passed us leaving a cloud of white feathers in its wake. Conrad (being the animal rights activist that he is) said, “Feathers!?! That truck has chickens in it! Drive up next to it, quick!”

He sounded like his brain had already hatched a plan, of what I’m not quite sure, but I was willing to play along. I put my pedal to the metal and soon we were neck and neck with the feather spewing semi. As we got close the truck wasn’t full of chicken, but TURKEYS!

Conrad, without missing a beat said, “They’re going to their doom! Mom, it’s the whole Meet your Meat thing, right now.”

2. While at Gap, Conrad spied a fur lined trapper hat. He was livid!
Conrad: Mom is this real fur?
Me: How much is it?
Conrad: Yup it is real, it's $16.
Me: (trying not to laugh) No it's not.
Conrad: I've got a sample and I'm taking it back to my lab to examine it.
Conrad: You better ask someone. (at the counter) If this is real rabbit fur, you can never shop here again, got it? (Mind you he's totally serious)
Me: (ready to plug my nose in case I snort) This isn't real fur is it?
The lady: No we haven't sold clothing with real fur in years. Unless it states it on the label.
Conrad: What do you mean? (he's about ready to pounce)
Me: Like a leather jacket. Your dad has a leather jacket. I have leather gloves.
Conrad: they are rabbit fur lined. Don't you feel bad?
Me: No they are soft and warm.
Conrad: humm. That's just wrong. (rolling his eyes and crossing his arm.)

One would think Conrad would embrace the week day veg menu I’m pushing on him. Go figure?

5

2010-10-12T21:59:00.009-05:00

Happy Birthday Amelia! You sweet little girl! As we were off to school this morning, I looked at you and was amazed at how tall you've grown. When you told a passer by that today was your birthday, some how the fact that you turned 5 makes you officially out a little girl and no longer a toddler.
You are kind, obedient, funny, loving, happy, affectionate, thoughtful, and sincere.

At a time share in New Port Beach, during our Call's in Cali 2010 family reunion. She is just so angelic.

This picture is blurry, but her expression is just perfect.

Amelia with her Grandma Cynthia, wearing Great Grandma Call's 2 1/2 inch mules running up and down the hall so they can hear them clip clop.

A little rosier cheeked then normal. This was taken in August, during a hike down a steep "road" in Hans' Grandma's ranch in the Black Hills of Wyoming.

She learned the bunny ears from her 2 older brothers.

1880's Store in Keystone, South Dakota has more than just hidden treasures. It also has floor vent. (Amelia is a more modest Marilyn Monroe. Notice her dress is still below the knees.)

This is a classic Amelia picture face!

Confession: part II

2010-09-20T09:21:00.005-05:00

(This picture was taken in the airport on the last day of our Call's in Cali family reunion. Quinn wasn't sure if he qualified as a carry-on or personal item.)

My friend Stacy Miller inspired me to finish this degree, sooner than later. She was in a similar situation with school: a husband getting his PhD, three kids, a busy life not looking like it would be slowing down. But she started back (and just finished this Spring), and I decided I could too.

Right after Quinn was born; (about a year ago) I decided to go back to school. I thought I might be able to do two classes per semester and I’d find out about those credits in Guadalajara (UAG). Hans was supportive and excited. I registered and paid for the classes, hoping that I might get financial aid later, purchased my books and got ready for my online classes. I had planned pretty well in taking classes when we were first married, so all of my required psychology classes were done. History of Psychology and Anthropology 101 were my classes of choice and requirement. They were just what I needed. My anthropology online lectures were hilarious. Dr. Jankoviak was one of those teachers who was trying to be funny, but was failing miserably at being funny and that made him even funnier. He also liked to say An-TRO-pology instead of An-Thro-pology. Good ol’ Dr. Jankoviak.

With a bit of momentum, I decided to revisit navigating UAG (in English) to figure out where my credits were and how they could be transferred. I called and tried to talk to the first person. I didn’t mince any words, “Hi, do you speak English?” So I got transferred a few times before I spoke to the right person. She was nice and knew what I was talking about and told me she would air mail them to UNLV ASAP.

And so I waited. I would call UNLV weekly to see if the papers had arrived, but they had nothing for a month. I emailed my UAG friend, thinking that they might be toying with their “Spanish-immersed”ex-student who only wanted to speak in English. Finally, on the day I found out that I would get financial aid, my counselor Valerie called and told me she had my UAG credits and that they would be transferring 8 credits. I think I screamed in her ear and was totally choked up. It was a miracle. That little event made the word graduation suddenly run away from the words ‘if” and “some day” to the welcomed words “when” and “this year”.

This past summer Quinn and I flew to Vegas to take the only class that required I attend in person (a lab) at UNLV. I also took two other classes. It was an intense month, but I got 2 A’s and a B, which was fine by me.

I am now in my last semester and I am set for graduation on December 14. Valerie said that I have exactly enough credits to graduate and not a “penny more.”

I’ve learned through this experience how much we depend on those around us to give us an idea of what we can do. I think that I probably would have graduated eventually, but I know that I gained confidence sooner because of the example of my friend Stacy. Part of achieving our goals comes from choosing with whom we spend our time. I also learned how I can fit a few more important things into our lives at the expense of some of the fun, but unnecessary things like “Lost,” “House,” “The Office” and other shows.

Confession: part 1

2010-09-13T19:09:00.005-05:00

(My Grandma Call has exquisite taste. This is a lamp that has hung in the girls' room forever)

I have been dreading this post. Okay… deep breath… here I go…I have not finished my psychology degree that I started back in 1997, (what is that 13 years?) I have been totally unmotivated to complete it and yet I felt guilty that I wasn’t at least making some progress towards its finale.

It is ALWAYS embarrassing for me when people ask, “Now what did you get your degree in?” (Most of these people are super nice and have at least a Masters in something way more impressive than psychology.) I stammer and say something to the affect of, “I haven’t finished my psychology degree, I would get cracking on it after Hans got his PhD, and that I wished I’d picked something different, yada yada yada.” The general response would be, “We’ll you’ve been busy with 4 kids, and traveling and supporting Hans with his endeavors, etc.” and we’d quickly move the conversation to something less awkward.

Hans had brought up this subject millions of times prior, with such gentle and encouraging words like, “Hey maybe you could sign up for a class this semester…” or “You have some great friends here, I bet they’d watch the kids for a couple hours if you wanted to take a class..” I’d get upset because I knew he was right. I SHOULD take a class; I should ask for help, I should want to want to finish my degree. I’d tell a couple of close friends that my unfinished degree was like the pocket of fat the clung to my thighs or a dark rain cloud that followed me and kept me from doing everything I wanted to do.

More guilt piled on me as I thought about how little I had left to finish. (It was about 10-12 classes.) Then I’d remember how I took a couple of Spanish Language classes, back when we lived in Mexico. I never followed up with getting any credits transferred to UNLV. Frankly, I was afraid to call the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara (UAG) because my Spanish was/is not good and my understanding is about the same. So being the avoider that I am, I just didn’t do it. It made me sick to think about all that wasted money and time. It made me feel even sicker to think that Hans felt sick about all that wasted money and time.

You talkin' to me?

2010-08-25T22:38:00.004-05:00

I came out to go to school a few weeks ago, and unlocked my bike, only to turn and see a two-foot high red-tail hawk about five feet from me, perched on top of a nearby bike. He just sat there looking at me, sizing me up. No fear there. I think he was thinking, "You got a problem?"
Conrad had raised his hand in one of our building meetings when suggestions were solicited for how to use the building funds. He suggested buying an owl to get rid of the many squirrels here (and he was willing to host the owl in his room). So I knew that he and Riley would want to see this, so I slipped upstairs and woke them up, and the boys and Monica came down. The hawk was still there. The boys came out and came within about four feet of him. After about 30 seconds, he effortlessly lifted off and landed on a nearby tree, where a squirrel scurried higher up the tree. The hawk remained there for quite a while, waiting patiently for a chance at the squirrel. Enjoy the photos that Monica took!

Pink

2010-08-13T16:42:00.001-05:00

I bet you’re thinking this post will be about Amelia or that I’m with child. Nope. This pink post is all about Riley! Yes, he is so obsessed about pink these days and he can’t wait to wear the color swimming because that means he passed the deep water swim test at the YMCA. He now proudly sports a pink wristband every time he goes to the pool. And I think he’s more eager than ever to go swimming because he has all access to every stitch of the pool.

Riley is a timid and cautious lad. He actually didn’t want to take the swimming test for fear of failing. So on Monday I went with him and to take his test. 30 seconds treading water, 10 seconds floating face down and 10 seconds treading water. I don’t think a kid has ever put so much energy into 50 seconds of their life before.

When the instructor strapped on his pink wristband, Riley’s excited energy beamed out of his eyes and toothy grin. If he were a rocket, he would have gone to the moon and back with all of the happiness gushing from his soul.

Way to go, Riley, wearer of the pink waterproof bangle. I knew you could do it! I am so proud of you!

Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego?...er...Monica?

2010-08-03T14:56:00.009-05:00

I have felt beyond guilty at not posting since.....(let me look at my last post) APRIL!?!

I feel even guiltier for sneaking peaks at other peoples blogs and not commenting and saying hello. (I know, I'm a blog stalker.) I have been busy with life and such (in Minnesota they say "life and whatnot.") and blogging would have been a perfectly wonderful way of keeping track of all of mine and my families goings on. Alas I did not, so I can either boo and hoo about the past or start anew and be like George Soros and moveon.org. I'm going with door #2.

So I'm back rejuvenated and excited to start blogging again! Yay!

I recently had an intense last week. (I should have blogged about it. Wait, no more should'ves or guilt.) And I had the chance to write an article for my wards Relief Society newsletter. I'm attaching it below.

"We have but to ask"

This past summer has been wonderfully busy. Quinn and I have been away visiting family and friends in Las Vegas and I have had the chance to complete three summer classes. Hans stayed in Minnesota and peacefully worked on his dissertation, while my three oldest visited their aunt and grandma in Arizona.

The five weeks of classes were intense and productive and by the fifth week I was very excited to finish summer school and see my kids. For me, this vacation was rejuvenating, but I missed Conrad, Riley and Amelia’s company. I decided that the Friday of my last final, I would take my test bright and early, drive down to Peoria, Arizona, pick them up and drive back. There were a few hairy details involved with this plan that I couldn’t quite figure out.

1. I had my one year old (still nursing) Quinn, who couldn’t be left all day, so I would therefore have to take him on the four hour plus drive.

2. I had Quinn and a four hour plus drive was going to be…a very long four hours to and fro.

3. My car wasn’t big enough to comfortably accommodate myself and four children.

4. I still had to study/finish my final papers and tests.

I decided that putting my energy into my school work would be the most important thing for me to do and my subconscious would work the kinks out of my travel plans. By Wednesday, another paper was thrown on top of the rest of my finals and I became worried about finishing by Friday morning. That night I prayed to God and told him my situation and simply asked him to help me figure out the best plan for getting my kids from Arizona.

Thursday, I took my first final and almost as soon as I left the classroom, my Aunt Cherida called me. She asked me what city in Arizona were my children vacationing. She then told me that she and her husband were traveling through Peoria and that they could pick up my little brood for me.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing; Aunt Cherida and Uncle Steve just solved my complicated problem. I’m sure I thanked them twenty times before the conversation ended. I then remembered my prayer the night before; I had asked for help, not prayed for my children to appear out of thin air. It was a miracle. I was walking through the campus and said a silent prayer of thanksgiving and then my thoughts remembered one of the talks I had read to my grandmother days before and a line from Bishop Keith McMullin’s talk kept flashing in my mind, “Our Father knoweth what things we have need of, before we ask Him.”

The spirit bore witness that God knew the things I stood in need of and was waiting for me to ask, so that He could bless me. Also that the things that are spoken of in General Conference were true and pertained to me in my life and that the speakers are inspired of God.

This experience, although not grand on a worldly scale, has been quite significant to me and my testimony of God our Eternal Father. I know that God is aware of our needs and wants and that He loves each of us individually. If we are keeping His commandments, are willing to be guided by the Holy Ghost and are sincere in our prayers, we have but to ask and “God will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Quinn- 9 months

2010-04-01T17:41:00.006-05:00

I remember Conrad, Riley & Amelia teething, but I don't remember them gnawing on the furniture. Quinn is the puppy Conrad can't have. Quinn crawls, slobbers, eats anything and everything, loves to play and bites on furniture. What more could a kid want?

Conrad wants an all American Girl

2010-03-15T10:02:00.009-05:00

There's a new girl in town and Conrad is smitten. She has curly blond hair, hazel eyes and she loves to be outside in the sunshine, she even owns a bunny, (they already have so much in common.) "Lanie is an energetic girl who discovers the world in her own backyard."
Lanie is the 2010 Girl of the Year for American Girl and Conrad wants her. Actually he wants her so he can give her to Amelia for her birthday. Every year American Girl holds a contest to win their doll of the year. "Many children (mostly girls) will enter, few will win." This year they have to write an essay (1000 words or less) on "I'm inspired by nature when..." and take pictures of nature. The winner is randomly selected, so I figure Conrad has as good a shot as any and he thought so too.
Such a sweet brother, right? Okay he's entering the contest to win the doll for Amelia and the grand prize loot he's going to sell and keep the money. I had to convince him that he had to give the doll to Amelia, otherwise he was just being greedy.
I wanted to share the essay he wrote. It is truly from a boy and it is truly Conrad and if the essays were being judged, I know that the people in charge would find his words amusing and refreshing.

My name is Conrad Nikolas Rawhouser and I’m 10 years old. I am entering this contest so I can win Lanie for my little Sister Amelia Jane.

I am inspired by nature when I climb trees. The higher I go the more wind I can catch. Up there, I can spy on people and animals. I also collect pine cones and leaves up in the trees. When I climb down, the branches are like a ladder and I can swing, hang and balance on them. (My mom does not like the balancing part.)

I’m inspired by nature when I take my bunny, Lizzy on walks outside. I like to watch her hop around in the snow, on piles of leaves, grass, and rain, but sometimes she doesn’t really like getting wet, so I hold her. Lizzy full name is Elizabeth and she is an orange lion head rabbit.

In the summer when there is mud, I take the hose and put lots of water in the mud and that makes a perfect mud bath. The mud and cold water feel great in between my toes and I like to squish it in my hands. At the end of the day I’m covered in mud and I have to hose off before I can go inside to take a bath.

I think butterflies and dragonflies are very pretty. I am really skilled at catching them with my fingers or my net. I pinned a Monarch and Mourning Cloak. They are two different species of butterflies. Last Summer I caught ten butterflies and one dragonfly, but my mom would only let me keep two. I am inspired when I see a butterfly because I want to catch more and more every year.

I made my very own bows and arrows out of leather, bird feathers and sticks from trees that I found outside. I have a lot of fun chasing rabbits and squirrels.

I love animals and I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up. I have saved eight baby rabbits, three baby squirrels, and one baby robin and it made me feel happy to see them grow up and have babies of their own.

I want my family to be inspired by nature as much as I am.

Thank you Conrad for keeping it real and for your willingness to put yourself out there for your little sister. She will love you forever if you win. Now if you lose...

Let the tournament begin...

2010-02-28T20:51:00.003-06:00

So Riley has taken to chess. He loves playing, and I really don’t know he learned all of the moves, but he does really well. A few weekends ago, he had a chess tournament. Since we ended up not being able to get close enough to actually see the match, I was more of a people watcher. I found a pretty mixed batch of about 150 kids.

Almost all of Riley’s team is from Mexico, and several of them have faux-hawks, so he kind of stood out. There was a group of inner-city kids, with a jolly African American coach reassuring them when they came to report their wins and losses after each game. There was the Indian kid who looked like he’s biding time until the next spelling bee. There were several white boys, with hair that is a bit longer (kind of like the mean kid on “Searching for Bobby Fischer”). Riley’s first opponent (who I think eventually won his age group) looked like he was born to play. His hair was kind of long, a little wavy. His skin was pasty white, kind of like he hadn’t been out in the sun much, or if he had, he was always carefully bundled up in some Land’s End parka. There were a few other kids who had the same look. Not nerdy, just eccentric, at age 8. One shaggy, blonde-haired boy played with his hood over his head, while sucking on it’s draw strings.

But most interesting was a man who I noticed and had the thought, “This guy must be a chief in the tribe of chess.” He looked distinguished, with a button-up shirt, buttoned all the way up. And he wore the most interesting, round, thick-rimmed glasses that seemed to be made out of wood. I’ve never seen any quite like it. I quickly gathered that he was a coach, as he would go out between games and sit with a student with just a few pieces on the board and have them do a focused practice. Later, I watched as students after each game would come up to him and say, “I won.” “I won.” “I won.” …. “I won.” “I won.” “I lost.” I won.” I heard almost all, “I won.”

It seemed almost like a ceremony. No high-fives, no fist-bumps, no “way to go tiger”. He would just take out his book and record the result. When they were sad at losing (which was pretty rare), he would just say a few sentences calmly, and then they would walk away.

Later in the day, I got close enough to hear him talk to them, and realized that he was either Polish or Russian. They called him Mr. K. I asked him how I should encourage Riley. As I came away from the day, I was again reminded how much I love to see people brought together in the search for excellence.

Happy Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-13T23:59:00.002-06:00

Check out our family Valentine, with our family photos at www.rawhouser.org

Empathy on the side of the road

2010-02-10T12:13:00.004-06:00

My sister and Mom moved down to Arizona, so we were able to come down and visit them, as well as friends and family in Las Vegas. Going a southern route through OK, TX, KS, and MO was fun. However, we had major car troubles in Phoenix. Hoping to make it to Las Vegas to have them fixed, and knowing that a good friend (Chuck Mennig) from Las Vegas would come to give us a tow if necessary, we attempted the 280 mile trip. After about 100 miles, we heard an ominous and continuous tapping. Climbing a bunch of hills didn’t help much. We prayed that we wouldn’t get stuck where we couldn’t get cell phone coverage (parts of Arizona are pretty desolate, especially this highway).

Our prayers were answered, although not exactly as we hoped. The engine stopped, and I said, “I guess we’re pulling over here.” We ended up just shy of Wikieup, AZ, on a short pullout area with double the normal shoulder. I think we all learned a lesson in empathy. Lucky for us, we waited with sufficient food, water, and clothing, knowing a very competent friend would come to our rescue. But no one else knew this. Picture our mini-van covered with a nice coat of Minnesota winter road splatter, on the side of the road, in the desert. We’ve just attended church and are trying to make it to Las Vegas to celebrate the rest of Conrad’s 10th birthday. I’m in a white shirt and tie, the boys in their Sunday shirts. I had just cut all of our hair before our trip, so if I do say so myself, we look pretty clean and tidy. Riley and I walk up to the ridge to get cell phone coverage (no, I can’t hear you now, Verizon). So who stops in our modern day road from Jerusalem to Jericho? It’s uncanny, but it seems like everyone that stopped was a smoker. I swear that the Good Samaritan was a smoker, or whatever the equivalent of that time was. The first is a short bald guy and his wife in a Lincoln Towncar. They are very nice and want to help before we reassure them and they go on their way.

The second is an old white cargo van with a sign advertising handyman service from “Batmon”. Out bounds a tall lady with sparkling eyes, probably my age, who seriously looked like she would have been a supermodel if she did not grow up in a trailer without much self-confidence (these are just my guesses). She says I can talk to her husband who might be able to help with the car. I go up to talk to him. The guy looks to be in his 50’s, has a two-day old beard, a baseball cap, tinted sunglasses, several missing teeth, and is holding a black and white kitten by the steering wheel. I explain that I know what the problem is and that someone is coming, and they drive off. A bit later, as I try my cell phone further up the ridge, a dark green Ford Explorer comes down the highway and does a U-turn. This guy is probably in his 50’s and offers to take me into Wikieup to call. He says he dropped of his girls “to go pee” at the first big gas station in Wikieup. Not thinking that this is really hitch-hiking, Riley and I jump into his front seat, with a pack of Pall Mall’s in the cupholder, and make the two-mile jaunt into Wikieup. We chat pleasantly. As soon as we get there, I get a hold of Chuck on my cell, and he is already on his way. The Pall Mall guy’s daughters come out from the convenience store because his 5 year-old daughter wanted to see the little boy (Riley). The guy offers to give us a ride back, so we take it (again bunched in the front seat).

Now that we know Chuck is on the way and he knows exactly where to find us, we wait, patiently. We try not to make it look like we need help. But, at different times, Monica and I are walking around outside the car with Quinn so that he won’t cry. At other times, Riley and I are playing chess on the side of the road. So we weren’t totally hidden. Again, a modern day Samaritan stops – this time in a black Corvette. Riley loves Corvettes, and they seem to purr like a large undomesticated cat. Out climb an older couple. He has a white ponytail, an untucked denim shirt over a tee shirt and jeans, and a pair of Adidas tennis shoes, with the toe of the shoe not connected to the sole. She’s wearing black jeans, a black long-sleeved tee shirt, and a denim shirt over it, as well as what looked like a belt, including an understated (if that is possible when it is around your neck) belt buckle, around her neck. Again, the Corvette couple are smokers. They say they stopped because they’ve broken down a lot of times on the side of the road, especially on their old Harley Davidson. Again we bid them farewell with appreciation.

The wait is fairly pleasant, although Conrad reminds us that it is his birthday. I respond that we couldn’t buy memories like these. I mean, he’ll never forget where he was on his 10th birthday, or what he ate. The birthday spread included feta cheese with Wheat thins as an appetizer. The main course was beef jerky accompanied by a 2009 Costco bottled water (recommended, to bring out the flavor of the beef jerky). We finished the fete with a course of delicate granola bars.

As we wait, we try to amuse ourselves. Riley and I play chess. We finish our reading of the Book of Mormon (this had been in process two years, so that was NOT a small accomplishment, and could not have been planned in advance). Conrad does some reading in the Great Brain. I tell a good continuation of the Adventures of Conrad, Riley, Amelia and Quinn (the CRAQ team). I don’t want to ruin it for you, but the movie summary would be something like: “Quinn languishes in a hospital bed with pinky-toe cancer. Can Conrad, Riley and Amelia find the cure that Dr. Multi-level from Southern Utah says he found in a meteorite on his mission in Papua New Guinea? See whether the Conrad, Riley and Amelia can find Danny and Donny, the glow-in-the-dark donkeys who are the only known survivors from the atomic testing at Area 51 of the Nevada Test Site and hold the key to finding the miracle cure.”

Despite the pain of knowing that an expensive repair was imminent, it was quite enjoyable. And soon Chuck came, loaded our car up, and we were on our way. As we passed a rolled over truck and later a scorched RV, I felt much less worried about the lost time and money and more interested in what I learned.

I don’t think Conrad, or the rest of us, will forget this birthday. In our wait of about 3.5 hours (traffic was bad), we probably saw over 400 cars drive by us. For some reason, four of them stopped. So if this were an empathy test, the people from these four cars would be measured as the top 1 % on that day. Others surely had empathy, but they didn’t score quite as well on this measure. What explains these high performers? None of them were too rich, and I think all of them were smokers. Maybe the incorrect conclusion to draw from our small sample of Good Samaritans would be that smoking makes people more empathetic. Instead, I think it was what the Corvette Couple mentioned that matters. These people had experienced similar situations, and they stopped, maybe against the many murmurs of better judgment that crossed their minds like, “Oh, they have a cell phone” or “They don’t look like they are asking for help.”

Our few hours on the side of the road illustrate a problem that I have been concerned with before. I believe that we should do everything that we can to provide for ourselves and avoid difficulties like having cars that don’t run. This requires saving to buy another car once a car becomes unreliable, as well as proper maintenance, etc. (which is harder when you spend money on cigarettes). This becomes a lot easier when we have more money. But this strength can become a weakness in empathy. Not only are we more likely (not always of course) to judge others, but we are less able to even understand how it feels, which hinders us from serving others.

Quinn loves Conrad, Riley & Amelia

2010-02-02T15:43:00.002-06:00

Quinn is almost 8 mths. and he is on the move. For the past couple of weeks he's been doing the inch worm around the house. Meaning he gets up on all fours, looks like he's going to craw and then slides his arms forward as his knees buckle. This new movement has enabled him to pick up everything from Legos, pennies, Magnetixs, doll shoes, M&Ms, paper, beads, and electrical cords. (I guess it's time to "baby proof" our home. Yikes!)

The other night he was surrounded by Conrad, Riley & Amelia. They were tickling, poking, hugging, kissing and slobber kissing him and he LOVED every second. It was late and soon they stopped all the doting and went up stairs to get ready for bed. Quinn looked at me and then inched his way to the stairs. He looked at the stairs, looked at me and then looked up the stairs again and yelled. It was sort of in the tone of, "Hey, I'm still down here! Wait for me." (It was so cute.)
I picked him up and walked him up the stairs and set him down. He was so excited as he inched his way to Conrad & Riley's room. They kissed and loved on him some more. It was priceless.

He loves them so much and they love him just as dearly and I love it. Love love love it! (Can you tell I'm revving up for Valentine's Day?)

Amelia put these bunny ears of Quinn and he was happy to oblige.

So I was at Costco the other day...

2010-01-14T09:48:00.003-06:00

This holiday season was ridiculously crazy. There were so many ups & downs, Hans & I were sure there was a hidden video camera somewhere in our car with a reality show host just waiting to pop out. But there wasn't and so instead of watching our chaotic lives on television, will be blogging about it instead. (nope to being a celebrity. dang.) Until we get around to focusing our chi, (ie: getting our suitcases out of our living room) I wanted to share something small, but sweet.
On Tuesday, I took all 4 kids to Costco because we had nothing but a small assortments of granola bars and Capri Suns in our fridge. (3 weeks of vacation, what can one expect?)
As we were being checked out to leave, one of the older men with the marker by the door drew a smiley face on the back of the receipt. (like they always do when kids are there). Before he gave the receipt to Conrad, he leaned in and said to all the kids, "Promise me that you will all share with each other and love each other all of your lives." He then looked at each child and asked them, "Do you promise?" All except Quinn said yes.
I hope they keep that promise.

Trying not to miss the opportunity to make Christmas memories

2009-12-06T21:58:00.005-06:00

Christ: The Real Gift of Christmasgreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

Amelia is 4!

2009-11-23T10:05:00.008-06:00

My little girl is growing up. She has always been beautiful, but her personality is even more radiant. She is helpful, obedient, caring, and thoughtful. I love Amelia.

I am surrounded by talent of all ages here in Minnesota and our babysitter Katie Rundall, took Amelia on a photo shoot for her 9th grad photography class. She captured Amelia beauty and sweetness. I love her thick, long and dark eyelashes. (Sometimes I can't resist putting mascara on them, just because.) And her long, golden hair, that she let's me brush, braid and curl, but never cut, "Just a trim" is her phrase.

For her 4th birthday, (which was on October 12th.) She invited all of her girl friends for a Fancy Nancy/Pinkalicious tea party. The girls had crepes/pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream and maple syrup, hot chocolate & apple juice. (those were the "tea-ish" drinks.)

We read books, made fancy bracelets, and when it was time to go home instead of a swag bag they took home a "fabulous" tutu. (They were super duper easy to make and cost about $2-3 dollars each.) Notice in the picture, (Amelia's the one on the right.) that she doesn't have to be the center of attention. She was so happy to be surrounded by friends and that is how she truly is, humble and loving.

Okay and for the finally, my amazingly talented friends Sarah Smith & Christa Ogden made this OUT OF THIS WORLD cupcakes

Amelia also lets me play photo shoot with her. It was raining and I wanted to work on my shutter speed. She looked so adorable in PINK, and 5 different necklaces, 3 bracelets and a Hello Kitty watch that actually tells time. Her facial expression is hilarious. I love you Amelia.

Trick or Treat

2009-11-05T10:06:00.009-06:00

My kids totally crack me up! They were crazy this Halloween or should I say fierce?

Conrad originally wanted to be a mad scientist again, but then he remembered that he had an authentic Arab head dress, from Saudi Arabia, (a friend of ours went to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.) so with a little shoe polish and sunglasses he became a Saudi. (I think he looks like my brother Mason.)

No Arab would be complete without a white sheet and camouflage Birkenstocks.

My friend Stacy Miller (Noah's mom) painted all four of the army guys faces. She said while she was painting each of their faces, they had their game faces on. (see above) When she finished, they ran to the mirror, admired their reflections with an "Awesome!" and told her that she was their official camouflage expert. (now that's awesome.)

Riley originally wanted to be Concussion on the movie Zoom, but we couldn't find red, burgundy or maroon sweats anywhere. (go figure we live in maroon and gold U of M country.)
He remembered that some of his friends were going as army guys and since he had every piece of clothing in camouflage, he decided to work it. (even his Converse and socks are camouflage.)

These are the very serious army guys with their camo and Nerf guns:
Riley, Noah, Marvin, & Emil.

Amelia was going to be a butterfly and I had visions of her being a magnificent monarch with huge hand painted wings. I almost had her convinced until she wanted to be Fancy Nancy to go along with her birthday party. For a split second she wanted to be a princess, but Fancy Nancy was going strong and then on Halloween day she wanted to be a butterfly again. I had no amazing wings or black and orange tutu, but she knew what she wanted and what a butterfly ought to look like. She found her pink butterfly headband, (no she didn't want antennas), pink fuzzy wings, pink tutu, pink galoshes and some pink hair spray. Of course no butterfly would be complete without tons of glitter and a black velvet unitard. It was a little chilly that night, so of course she donned her denim jacket and toted her gold trim purple leopard print treat bag. (She rocked it like the fashionista I knew she could be.)

Quinn has admirer of all ages. A friend from church gave him this oh-so-adorable pumpkin sleeper complete with beanie.

He stayed home with me and slept all of Halloween, while I passed out candy.

The Mighty Quinn

2009-10-22T16:46:00.014-05:00

The Mighty Quinn is growing like a weed. He smiles all the time, (except for pictures) he giggles when tickled and has a whole new batch of nick names. Amelia calls him "Little Quinners" and tells me that "Baby Cakes is cryin'!" Riley calls him "Jiggly Puff" & "Magmortar" after 2 of his prized Pokemon cards. And Hans (in a high pitched voice) calls him "Quinny Quinny!"

I must admit I was worried that the Conrad & Riley would be ambivalent about Quinn's arrival and that Amelia would be jealous, but they are all madly in love with their littlest brother. So much so that when they come home with their friends they say to them, "Come look at Quinn. Isn't he so cute? Do you want to hold him. You can kiss him if you like." It warms my heart that they adore him as much as Hans & I do.

Quinn at 3 months giving peace a chance

Conrad wearing Quinn (3 1/2 months) in our zebra sling

Conrad [fake sleeping (his idea) for the picture] and Quinn (4 months and real sleeping)

Sickos....

2009-10-20T21:12:00.008-05:00

This week, our little family has fallen prey to the back-to-school-&-change-of-season sick monster.

(Note: This is not related to the change of season or back to school)
Riley had another seizure (#2) on Tuesday morning on the bus to school. Conrad caught it. He told the bus driver, counted how long the seizure lasted and then called me from a friend's cell phone and while we were talking, the ambulance came. Fortunately, the seizure only lasted 57 sec. (according to Conrad) Riley was able to go to school 2 hours later with no problem. I was hoping that he we wouldn't have any more. Maybe he won't.

Conrad said this experience humbled him and made him realize that he needs to be nicer to Riley. He looked at Riley later that night and said, "You have to sit by me on the bus from now on and Mom I need a watch so that I can time his seizures more accurately." Conrad is feeling the mantel of being the oldest sibling. I'm glad. He stayed calm under pressure. That's a good thing.

But that's not all...

This last week, Amelia had a nasty night time cough that crept into her throat around 2 a.m. every night.
Hans started having a sore throat on Friday and by Sunday he went to the clinic and sure enough it was flat-on-your-back-with-the-fever- Strep. That Sunday night around 11:30 Conrad started puking until he couldn't puke any more. (Poor little guy. There's nothing more exhausting than watching your child dry heave at 3:50 in the morning.)

Fortunately Quinn and I are healthy. (knock on wood.)

Sweet Amelia was playing Florence Nightingale by bringing Hans water, covering him up with her blankets (notice the pink?) and patting him on head.

*I was going to end the post, but as I reread it and looked at Amelia's smiling face next to Hans' sick face, I realized that my kids are good kids and they love our family and want to help each other because... well they love each other. It's nice to have a realization of that from time to time.

You've got to be kidding me...

2009-10-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

Snow?

squeamish

2009-10-04T09:01:00.002-05:00

Fall has hit Minneapolis with all the usual gusto of turning leaves, cooler temperatures, windy nights and illness. Our family seems to have a stuffy, drippy, sneezing sort of illness. We've tried to guard against the cold, flu and the ever popular H1N1 swine flu, but last night poor Conrad suddenly came home with an upset stomach, cold sweats and then minutes later, massive puking.
My first thought was, "Oh great. Time to pull out the Clorox disinfecting wipes. "
Conrad took a bath and I began the questioning, "what did you eat? You haven't been sick earlier today, so what happened?"
Come to find out that he and his friend, Crystal, (a fellow bunny enthusiast) had been playing, running skipping, laughing and then she accidentally stepped on the tip of a shovel. It was like the cartoons, with the whole "shovel handle to the face" gag. Apparently, the handle hit her mouth so hard that it knocked one of her adult teeth loose, with blood and bruising to go with it. Conrad came home soon after taking Crystal to her parents and the nausea started as he was coming home.
I had to laugh a little that my fearless, carefree, 9 year-old future veterinarian became a little squeamish at the sight of blood. Come to think of it, he did look a little green when he came home. Poor guy.

13 going on 31

2009-09-22T12:59:00.007-05:00

Yes, that was me 18 years ago. I know. Yikes. The crazy, curly, poofy hair, the clothes, the beaded necklaces, wait.... that would still be me. (even the ice cream part.)

My aunt LaVona sent me this picture. It was taken in Thrify's, back in the day when there were Thrifty's Drug Stores and Thrifty's ice cream. Instead of hand scooping the ice cream with a traditional scooper they used a cylindrical shaped one. It was very cool (no pun intended) because it was so novel and what was even cooler (lol) was that the frozen flavors were super cheap.

My parents were out of town and Mason & I were staying with my Uncle Barry and Aunt La Vona. They took us to get some ice cream at Thrifty's. This was a rather normal event and all then of the sudden, LaVona put the candle on my double scoop cone, (I think it was mint chocolate chip and chocolate malt crunch) lit it and then sang Happy Birthday to me in the store. It was great to ring in my teens and one of those fun memories that always puts a smile on my face. Thanks Uncle Barry & Aunt La Vona.

Newsletter article for September

2009-09-09T22:01:00.008-05:00

A lesson I keep learning on Tithing

Hans and I recently paid tithing. Then within a few days after I gave the tithing envelope to the Bishop a car repair bill came due, a bill for a conference that Hans attended, a doctor bill and student loans seem to flood our mail box. Hans and I (him more than I) try to be frugal and stay on top of things, but it seemed that I had not kept track of all the bills, and I was worried. I had the thought, “Maybe I can call the Bishop back.”

My thoughts raced with doubt. “We only have enough money for another month and then that’s it. How are we going to make it another month? I have to pay rent next month and buy groceries and gas and etc. I can’t ask my family or Hans’ family for money, they don’t have much extra either. I should have waited to pay tithing until after Hans received his next stipend. When does he receive his next stipend? We aren’t going to be able to do it.”

My anxiety level was making me sick to the point of tears. I then cried a quiet prayer, “How are we going to do this Heavenly Father?” As I my heart started pounding harder and faster, my thoughts then turned to my patriarchal blessing and scriptures. Malachi 3:10 kept repeating in my mind “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse… and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

My next thought was, “Call Hans and ask when the stipend will come.” After talking with Hans, my heart rate went back to normal speed; we would have enough for our needs, just like God had promised in the scriptures (even if I never balance the checkbook).

I know that God will bless us for paying a full tithing because I have seen His helping hand in my life when I have kept this commandment. I have a testimony of tithing because I do it. In John 7:16-17, “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.”

We can only gain a testimony of tithing by paying a full tithe. And with that testimony, our troubled hearts will be calmed and God will do as he says and pour out His blessings to all of us.

The scariest thing I've ever seen

2009-09-07T21:09:00.002-05:00

10 days ago, Riley had a Benign Rolandic Epileptic Seizure. No, seizures don't run in our family, he didn't have a fever, he wasn't hit on the head and the day was anything but traumatic. We joke the Riley has a bladder the size of a walnut because when we travel he has to "go" more often than anyone else. Also to insure a "dry night", Hans or I take him to the bathroom around 11 every night. Riley is also a very deep sleeper and when we take him to the can, he never wakes up and doesn't remember anything about his nightly bathroom run the next day. We've been to the pediatrician and Riley checks out as a pretty normal kid when it comes to small bladders & deep sleeping. We are waiting anxiously for everything to mature and have just made this part of our nightly ritual.

I tell you this not to embarrass my sweet son, but because of this habit, Thursday night around 11:50, Hans took Riley to the bathroom and noticed he was drooling a lot. Hans woke me up to check it out and I noticed white foam accompanied the drooling and instead of a sleepy Riley with mumbling with half opened eyes, his eyes were wide open and unresponsive. Maybe a minute later his right hand and head started twitching rhythmically. I remember looking at Hans and his face expressed what I was thinking, "Oh no, this cannot be happening. He's having a seizure."

I then took Riley off the toilet (pulled up his underwear) and laid him on his side. I was screaming his name pleading with him to wake up. I looked up again and Hans was on the phone. He then scooped Riley up and told me he was taking him to the street so the paramedics could get too him sooner. Riley's body become more tense and he was still twitching.

I ran after Hans and almost the moment he got to the sidewalk, a police car drove up and within a minute later, the paramedics came. They took Riley into the ambulance and in a couple of minutes they closed the door. The ambulance then drove off and we followed them in the police man's car.

By the time we got to the hospital, they paramedics told us that Riley had calmed down and also told us that he had vomited and stopped breathing for 2 minutes. I'm thinking, "What does that mean? Is he going to be okay?"

In the emergency room at Hennepin County Medical Center (it's a learning hospital), Riley was the only patient, but there were at least 6 medical personal ranging from nurses, fellows, & residents. By then, Riley was asleep, but crying as they put in IV's, drew blood and stuck heart monitors all over his chest. He then calmed in to a deep sleep and they were able to run tests on him without him moving.

After Riley was transported to the Pediatric ICU, he woke up around 2 a.m. drowsy but normal. (I even quizzed him on his times tables and he was alright in the head.) Hans, with the help of Bishop Matthews, gave him a blessing and then he went to the bathroom, answered a few more routine questions from the nurse and fell back asleep.

Thankfully all of the results from the MRI, CT scan & EEG came back normal. The Neurologist was kind but confident that he would be fine and even went so far as to say he should get a check up in December, before she discharged him at 7 p.m. that same day.

We were told that he may or may not have another seizure and if he does and it last over 3 minutes we give him a Valium suppository. (no kidding, that should be fun, bleck!) If it goes longer than 15 minutes then we call 911. (I know, 15 minutes?) He will most likely out grow them when he hits his teen years and until then he must ride his bike with a helmet (oops), he can only take showers (no more relaxing baths), and he has to be watched when swimming.(thank heavens for lifeguards.)

I am so grateful he's alright. The whole time he was seizing and up until he woke up I was praying silently and verbally that God would help him to be okay and he is just fine. My sweet little Riley.

I am just so grateful.

Mason on a mission

2009-09-03T18:35:00.004-05:00

I just got this picture today of my little brother Mason, who just arrived in San Antonio, Texas. He will be serving his Spanish speaking mission there for 22 month.
He definitely looks the part.
Way to go bro!

So I was in Costco...

2009-08-25T14:03:00.002-05:00

Once again I am blown away (no pun intended) at how erratic Minnesota weather can be in the course of one week. What's even more amazing are the natives and how they never even flutter an eyelash when 5 feet of snow falls, or it rains for 3 days strait or doesn't rain for a month. They just keep on with their lives and their "Minnesota niceness".

Wednesday was just the same, it had been raining pretty hard all day and when it let up a bit I hauled my 4 children to Costco for a change of scenery, free samples, and some groceries. As we were inside the store, the tornado sirens went off, no one ran for the tornado shelter or started frantically stockpiling water bottles and raisins. People's paces were unchanged and even the old ladies serving samples, didn't miss a beat cutting chicken nuggets into bite size pieces. So of course my thought is, "When in Rome, do as the Romans," and finished up my shopping.

After we checked out, I noticed there was a huge line to leave and then all of the sudden the Exit and Entry doors slammed shut. The manager told us that it was his professional opinion that we stay in the store until the tornado passed. LOL. So the kids and I bought a couple of churros and waited out the near death experience.

We were only delayed for 10 minutes and then once the door were opened we went safely home.
I laughed inwardly at the people who were upset that they had to stay in Costco because of "the weather." May I be in Costco every time there is a tornado or when any sort of inclement weather passes my way.

Riley is 7

2009-08-18T19:47:00.005-05:00

I love Riley. Right from day one he has been such a gem. His labor and delivery were only 3 1/2 hours and I was so excited, I didn't sleep all day. I just looked at him asleep in our bed. He was 9 lbs. 11 oz., 21 inches long and pink.
Riley is without guile and always honest. He is willing to follow or lead and bend with other peoples wants. He is loyal to his family and friends and will fight to the death if someone messes with them. He is sensitive and wants to do the right thing. Riley is kind and when someone is hurt or sad, he doesn't just wait and watch, he gets down to that person's level and helps and comforts them.

It is so neat to have a child like Riley.

He's growing up and almost as tall as Conrad. His favorite things are Star Wars, Legos, Star Wars Legos, Pokemon, riding his bike, the color blue, math and reading, soccer, archery, Converse shoes, sports cars, computer games, ice cream, Chicken Parmesan, cereal, and baby Quinn.

Riley generally doesn't like his pictures taken. He hates the whole process: the time it takes to get ready, the itchy church clothes, the crazy person doing the shoot. This year I promised it would take less than an hour and it would just be me and him. We were outside on the State fair grounds and he got to pick out his outfit. Notice the Star Wars tee shirt, jeans & Converse? Yep, it was smooth sailing this time.

I realized that to get a good picture out of Riley, I had to let him pull a few funny faces.

Riley is rather picky about what he wears. He doesn't like polo or button up shirts, unless they are "cool". (whatever that means.)

Riley is losing his teeth and I adore his toothy grin and his sweet dimple on his left cheek.

I love you Riley!

Eggcelent

2009-08-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

Riley posed this question while he was eating his breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast:

"Why don't eggs taste like chicken?"

I've seen better days....

2009-07-31T14:14:00.002-05:00

I'm excited that Quinn is 6 weeks. It's a marker that tells me normalcy can begin. I've already cleaned our carpets, baked bread, and done many other mundane projects like vacuuming and grocery shopping without Hans. I've noticed that it's been almost thrilling to accomplish these daily tasks because it helps me to feel like I'm getting back into my groove. (Ah, the daily adventures of an at home mother.)
I've been thinking of ways to get back into shape and I've set a goal to run another 5k in September.
I found a partner and started jogging a couple of weeks ago to prepare myself for the grueling 3.1 miles. As I was going up a hill the other day I couldn't help quoting Joseph Conrad's, Heart of Darkness, "The horror! The horror!"

On a less painful note here are pictures of Hans & Quinn. I really love seeing my family dressed up on Sundays.

Hans looks especially handsome in a white shirt

Oh Quinn.

Quote of the Day

2009-07-29T14:55:00.010-05:00

Indian Summer 2009 You never know if or when it may happen. So in a way it's a gift. Only better.

Bugs are gone. Autumn with its still in-between air sits in the wings while you savor the warmth of summer as it comes back for another bow.

I like it because of its unpredictability. With the straining effort aided by new technology of society to capture and predict, I appreciate the freedom and the surprise. -Robert Redford

Bees, butterflies & birds

2009-07-23T14:19:00.011-05:00

Summer has been lovely this year. I've seen Cardinals, Blue Jays and Golden finches. When I first saw a gold finch, I thought someone's pet bird had escaped from it's cage, but then I noticed they were all over the place and that these oh-so-stunning birds were God's gift for us Minnesotans to enjoy.

Conrad loves nature a lot more than me and he has become quite excited about the butterflies that visit our community. So far he has caught a 2 Mourning Cloaks and 2 Monarchs. He begged and pleaded to pin and frame them and so we framed one of each. He's hoping to catch a Swallowtail next. Apparently they are gorgeous.

Amelia is such a sweet little lady. Whenever she sees flowers she wants to pick them for me. (She learned from her brothers.) Sometimes its a dandelion, but her most recent pick was this puff of hydrangea.
Funny thing happened yesterday, while she was handing me an extremely large freshly picked dandelion, I looked and noticed their was a fat and fuzzy bumble bee still pollinating the flower. Amelia dropped the flower and alas I did not get anymore flowers that day.

What the....?

2009-07-17T15:55:00.007-05:00

How did it happen? Somehow Quinn is over a month now. My sweet little honey is weighing in at nearly 12 lbs and has traded his spindly arms and legs for chubby rolls, has filled out his cheeks to make them more kissable and now has a double chin with a little neck fat to pooch it out. It's all adorable, naturally. His eyes still cross at times and he spits up on all my clean shirts, but he's sweet and has started smiling now and again when I talk to him. Conrad says I "baby him, but that's okay." an interesting choice of words, don't you think? Some things I've noticed about him are that he has Conrad's cowlick and Riley's dimple on his chin and his right cheek. And I'm afraid my baby is part werewolf because he has this extra long hair on the tips of his ears. I'm trying to capture it on film, but this werewolf trait has been most illusive due to the blondness of his ear hair and can only be seen by the naked eye.

I know I have quite the obsession with his hands, it goes back to day 1.

I have decided not to buy Quinn shoes or sock until it gets cold because I think his little feet are so just delicious.

Life keeps moving on...

2009-07-14T16:56:00.009-05:00

In my life, when something major happens, like having a baby, it seems that time stands still waiting for me to recuperate. But it doesn't, and my friends and family continue to live and change. So as I have been trying to hold on to the last glimpses of Quinn's birth, my children have said and done some very funny things.

Our community is all a blur with boys (including my two) between the ages of 5 - 11 zipping around on their bikes. They generally ride in a group, (I won't call it a bike gang) with my lovely Amelia trailing behind them. These are good boys and they are not trying to get away from her, rather she just can't keep up. But Amelia is a smart little girl and not easily daunted, so she finds short cuts and back ways so as to be with them as much as possible.

Amelia: I want you to take the training wheels off my bike.

Me: Oh really, do you want to go faster like the boys?

Amelia: No.

Me: Hmmm. (slightly perplexed) Then why?

Amelia: Because then Kinzie won't be able to ride it anymore.

Let me explain. Kinzie and her family just came from Egypt to live in our community and they are all very nice, but Kinzie only speaks Arabic. Ergo it is impossible to explain to her that Amelia has had a new brother come into her life and, although she doesn't know it, she is feeling displaced and needs normalcy in her life until she adjusts. AND she doesn't want to share her bike because it's her new toy AND she loves it AND if you keep taking it away from her, she's already made plans to push you off of it etc., etc.

Conrad's dream is to live on a deserted island and live off the land (definitely not my dream). And for a while he was not a big fan of Cub Scouts, but as more adventures are happening and outdoors skills are being learned he is discovering that Scouting will be his ticket to surviving on the island in LOST. This is his 2nd year of Cub Scouts and this past activity they went fishing. Well Conrad was happy to report that he was the first one to catch a fish and that it only took him 1 minute and it was a "Delicious Bass." (Actually it was about 6 inches long and he didn't eat it. I just wanted to quote Napoleon Dynamite.)

Hans & I have been busying Riley and Conrad with summer school, soccer and archery. Wednesdays are pretty long for everyone because of school, soccer and cub scouts, but Riley being the peacemaker and a cup half full sort of guy takes it all in stride.

Me: Sorry this has been such a long day.
Riley: That's okay. I like long days.
Me: Really, why's that?
Riley: Because that means I'm doing lots of fun things.

Isn't he sweet?

Happy Birthday Hans, Mason & Riley!

2009-07-07T17:42:00.001-05:00

Where did the month of June go? I know I had a baby, but I wasn't asleep for the last 3 weeks.

While I was baby-mooning, (get it? instead of honeymooning.) Hans had his 33 birthday and Father's day on the same day. It was so sad, Hans wanted some new running shoes and while we were out on a random shopping trip, he picked out the ones he wanted and I said "Happy Birthday/Father's Day." No spontaneity, excitement or pizazz, just running shoes. :(

I did sort of make it up to him the next week, while my brother was in town. Mason's birthday is on the 26th, so on his birthday we had Hans' favorite meal: steak and potatoes and homemade mint ice cream cake (Mason's favorite.)

Mason came up to visit and help out a couple of weeks ago, just before he left for his mission to San Antonio, Texas. (Spanish speaking.) My kids were in heaven. He took them all swimming almost everyday, played chess with Riley, held Quinn, entertained Amelia and talked about scouting & out door adventure stuff with Conrad.

Mason was determined to get the 1st extended family picture with Quinn.
I think to make our mom jealous.)

Quinn is such an angel. Mason wrapped him up and I snapped a photo of my little sweetheart.

Riley's birthday landed on a Sunday and he wanted to do the friend thing on Monday, so his birthday was fairly low key. But the kids did go out and play with sparklers and I got to play with my camera's shutter speed. (These pictures are all taken with a 10 second shutter speed.) Below are pictures of them all writing their names, err, backwards. ( I need learn how to invert pictures.)

Conrad

Riley
(his is actually the most legible.)

Amelia (with the help of Hans)

I think Hans might legally change his name to this symbol, just like Prince.
(You know Prince is from Minnesota.)

12 days

2009-06-24T10:11:00.009-05:00

Quinn is doing well. He's a good sleeper, which means I'm a good sleeper (& Hans too) and he's a good eater, which means I'm preoccupied, but not engorged and not as sore when he latches on. (too much information?)

The name Quinn is sticking and Hans & I are quite happy with our choice. (The boys wanted to vote on the name, but I reminded them that this family was not a democracy. What then does that make our family?) His name has already being morphed into nick names like "Quinners" and "Quinny" and my brother is excited to call him "Q".

I find myself wondering if his features have changed since birth. I look at him all the time, but when I remember, I try to look closer.
When the midwife put Quinn my chest, the first thing I noticed about him were his long fingernails. They were jagged, long and healthy. (It's funny what one remembers and consequently I didn't trim them for a long time so I could keep that first look and feeling in my mind.)

Conrad likes to snuggle and he has found out that Quinn likes to snuggle too.

Quinn is covered in soft downy hair and he has these long paper thin eye lashes that I have to look at every time I hold him.

I starting to wonder if Amelia thinks Quinn is actually a moving doll. If you notice in the picture the quilt covering him is Amelia's doll quilt.

7 days

2009-06-19T11:34:00.018-05:00

Today was the due date I was telling everyone for 9 months. The official due date was June 23rd, but I knew I'd go early, obviously my math is slightly flawed.

Going for 3 to 4 children has been much less of an adjustment then going from 2 to 3. Quinn has been nicely assimilated into our family and my recovery has been amazing. I feel great, well except for looking like Wonder Woman and not feeling much like wearing the armored bustier. (milk production is in full force.)

The kids cannot handle Quinn's cuteness. They pretty much have to be within 5 inches of his face and either touching his hands and feet or kissing his head every second they are home.

It takes me time to process an experience as intense as childbirth, so I will add my thoughts as they come. Moments of insight into my own experience come to me when I'm in the shower, nursing Quinn, talking with Hans and friends, emailing. At times they come as flashes, and sometimes the memory lingers. Today I told Hans, "I don't think I was in my right mind when I asked for an epidural." I'd gone drug free with the last 3 children and I remember each time wanting to give up and go to the hospital and make the pain go away. But I've pulled or should I say pushed through.

This process of remembering in small bursts is similar to my actual labor process. During labor I kept my eyes closed tightly, waiting for the next contraction, recovering from it, focusing on how I'd handle and position myself for the next one, resting. When I'd open my eyes, there was Hans, well-kept and smiling with calm and encouraging words, while I was sweaty, tired, and bedraggled. It was comforting to just have him close. In a way, he looked like he was glowing, in contrast to the darkness of my tightly closed eyes. Having Hans there helped to provide brief periods of clarity as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And an understanding of the full journey has been unwrapped in my mind, through small memories.

Newly arrived - Quinn Amos Rawhouser

2009-06-14T22:18:00.013-05:00

Quinn Amos Rawhouser
born at 3:54 pm
on Friday June 12th, 2009.
He weighed 8lb 8.8 oz, and was 22" long.

I'd like to tell a bit of the story; Monica can add her perspective later. I hope that this record will help him to always honor his mother, who chose to endure again the child birth process for him.

I returned from a run and Monica wondered aloud whether her water had broken. She decided to make sure by going to the nearby clinic to be checked. She called at 9:00 am, and got an appointment for 9:40 am. As she realized that this was the beginning of a very uncertain, painful, and scary process, she began to cry a bit. With each child, we have passed through this wave of realization. As Monica was at her checkup, several scenarios ran through my mind. I thought of the very real and enduring pain that I had seen others experience: loss of the baby, loss of Monica, enduring health problems for the baby. As I dressed, my eyes watered as I imagined life, with one of these trials. Each time that we have a baby, we open our lives to so much joy. Yet, we also open our lives to pain. These two feelings, in opposition to each other, come packaged together in a new life. I think birth is one of those moments that the two - pain and joy - are temporally condensed into a burst of experience and memory.

So this was to be our first hospital birth. We had chosen home birth before for several reasons (but that would be another post, better suited for a guest blogging post during Monica's vacation time). It's enough to say that, despite the thoughts of the multiple unknowns, Monica and I are uneasy about voluntarily entering a place that uncomfortably constrains behavior for reasons that are only loosely connected to safety, often only by the term "protocol". So it is with these concerns, that when Monica announced her water breaking, I set to having the boys dress, clean their rooms, eat and then go out to play with their friends. Then I worked at cleaning the kitchen (it's so nice to come home to a clean kitchen), posted updates to Facebook and Twitter, and Monica and I signed up the boys for a day camp for the coming week, dropped the kids off to our neighbors, the Rundall's, and headed toward the hospital. Finally, we filled up the gas tank and bought a "Very Berry Smoothie" at the Costco near the hospital. We wanted to arrive at the hospital ready to have a baby.

With all this busyness, there is something about walking through the beginning phases of labor in the presence of others - both friends and strangers. It's like we are leaving the village, for a long hike up a mountain. The path, the conditions, and the pitfalls to come are unknown, even unknowable. Yet it gives comfort to walk those first steps with others. Whether it's the little cheer from Katie Rundall, as we walked towards the car, or the understanding response of the lady who called about a response to a Craigslist ad when she hears that Monica is in labor, it is comforting. Even walking through the teeming crowds of bulk-buying Minnesotans, with the secret that Monica is beginning labor, tends to lift our steps, knowing that others would smile and wish us well, if they only knew.

Having waited long enough (contractions were beginning to be more painful), we calmly entered the hospital a little after 1:00 pm. We quickly got settled, and met our nurse and midwife (Monica's certified nurse-midwife was at another clinic, so she was unable to attend). The next three hours gradually crescendoed in both pace and intensity. Monica's contractions slowed some. She was checked, and the midwife found that somewhere near the top of the water bag had broken (for this reason it had not gushed out, but slowly leaked). With Monica's tentative (knowing that this would bring both the beginning and end of greater pain sooner) approval, the midwife broke the water. Then, we walked around the maternity ward a bit, as Monica's contractions began to get stronger.

Shortly after walking the maternity ward, Monica could no longer walk through the contractions. She had to lean on me or the wall until they subsided. The nurses and other people smiled as they passed. But soon, Monica could no longer smile or conceal her pain during contractions. It was time to go to our room. While previously, others' presence is encouraging, at this point the presence of others is increasingly less appealing. This is when others can no longer walk the path with us. It's hard to face others in pain. So we returned to her room, and Monica began heavy labor.

She tried to kneel, but comfort became increasingly difficult to find. For some reason, she finds comfort in letting out the pain with moans that she sustains for several seconds, starting at a low pitch, and ever-so-gradually increasing in pitch. Of course I cannot understand how she felt, but I recognized that I have done somewhat similarly when I've had severe stomach cramps. As she moaned, she sought comfort from me, yet mostly I felt unable to provide it. At times she would ask me to push on her back, and she would punctuate her moan with the words, "higher", "lower," or "stop". In the end, she just asked me to be close to her. As the contractions intensified, and she began to cry, I felt increasingly helpless. She said, "Hans, I don't want to do this," and later, "I want it to stop." I recognized these as signs that she was nearing transition. Yet, estimating timing is so difficult. All I could say is, "You're really close Monica."

As the midwife checked her and reported that she was dilated to 8 centimeters, Monica asked if she could have an epidural. But the midwife said that she was close, and that she would probably deliver before she could even get one. As Monica labored through a few more contractions, the midwife suited up, and gave me a gown to wear (our original nurse reminded her that I wanted to catch the baby). Then, when she was ready, she checked Monica and told her that she could push if she felt the need to push. She said, "You're complete." We were not familiar with that term, and it took a couple of times for Monica to realize that this meant that she was dilated at 10 centimeters. I think Monica was more used to a midwife that she had a relationship with who was constantly talking her through the process. But this realization brought greater certainty and confidence.

With newfound strength, Monica began to push. And unlike with Conrad, where pushing lasted what seemed like forever, in a few pushes, the baby's head crowned. Then in the next push, the midwife helped to pull, as I caught and held the baby. Monica couldn't believe that it was done so quickly, as I helped lay the baby on Monica, who opened her eyes to a beautiful baby boy. In a rush, the anxiety and feelings of discouragement and pain were replaced by joy and peace, with simultaneous residues of disbelief.

And then the energy of the room slowly subsided, as I cut the cord, and the baby was weighed and measured. In a short time, the baby, Monica, and I were alone again (except for the steady stream of nurses coming in and out checking Monica and the baby - even during the middle of the night). We had a few hours before the Rundall's (our lifesavers, whom we will always remember for sharing this moment by watching our children) brought over the kids to see their new baby brother.

And now life is back to a sufficient level of normalcy. Monica has recovered well so far. The punctuated period of pain and uncertainty mingled with excitement has been replaced with consistent doses of joy as we look at this beautiful boy (who we didn't name until yesterday morning, having left the hospital a day previously). While we walked that path without others (but not without prayer) for a short time, we are again comforted by involving others in this new life. Yet while it was fun to begin labor in secret, we feel excited to let everyone know now. Welcome to our world Quinn!

Tent Caterpillars

2009-06-10T12:52:00.002-05:00

As I look out the window, I can see so many signs of Spring. Not only is it warmer and my allergies are flaring up, but the trees and flowers are in beautiful bloom and all of the animals and insects have come out of hibernation. There are massive amounts of tent caterpillars. I don't have a picture of these little sweethearts because they make me want to vomit. The boys (including Hans) enjoy stepping on them and Conrad especially likes to step on one end and watch their guts splirt out the other. It is so gross.

This year these caterpillars are so prolific that they fall from the sky onto unsuspecting mothers and they lazily crawl up ones shoe and just keep going up the leg. Eewww. They eat the leaves on our beautiful trees and poop all over the sidewalk and in people's hair. Many a picnic has been ruined because of ill placed tables. It is so gross.

Apparently I once called them jerks and a few of my friends and husband thought that was funny. Tent caterpillars are jerks; pooping on someone's food or hair and touch others who don't want to be touched, is pretty jerky in my opinion.

My boys and several of their cohorts have taken to filling buckets full of them and filling those buckets with water, in hopes of drowning them. Unfortunately they are pretty hardy and they just crawl out of the bucket which is disgusting or I think the adjective I've been using is gross.

One morning Hans and I were watching videos posted on Facebook and came across a Christian comedian/singer, Tim Hawkins. He sang a song entitled "Fire ants" That rings all too true to our boys and their "wonders" with nature.

Botanica Magnifica

2009-06-09T10:05:00.003-05:00

Taking a photography class is so enlightening and humbling at the same time. Many of the students presented amazing pictures the last day and reminded me that if I want to produce beautiful photographs I will have to practice.
I saw this on Kim Kamando and I was inspired by Jonathan Singer, a podiatrist turned photographer. This guy is brilliant.

I've attached the interview. Botanica Magnifica

Shared via AddThis

Quote of the Day

2009-06-01T19:40:00.002-05:00

"Conrad, you are not to eat any more caterpillars. Do you understand?"

The Rose Garden?

2009-05-31T16:31:00.007-05:00

For our SLR 2 field trip we went to a rose garden, but sadly the roses we not in bloom, but there were beautiful water fountains and a lot of other flowers that were ready to be shot by eager students.

Dandilions are one of the most annoying flowers out there, but so very sweet at the same time.

This fountain was perfect to practice long and short shutter speed.

Hans has a thing for Lilacs. I'm not sure if it's the look or the nostalgic smell, but I was thinking of him when I shot this.

I am excited to report that this photo didn't need any photoshopping.

This too is real thing.

One of our assignments was to work on using foreground

Being born in the desert has deprived me of plants that I'm sure are common place in most other parts of the world. These little beauties are called bleeding hearts.

There was a sculpture garden and this statue had a bunch of these oragami birds stuffed in it.

Minneapolis at night

2009-05-23T21:08:00.008-05:00

My digital SLR 2 class promised to be more hands on than SLR1. Last week our instructor took us to a slightly sketchy but amazing location to get pictures of Minneapolis at night. The bridge in the pictures is the historical Stone Arch Bridge. It was built in 1883 to allow trains to cross the Mississippi River, but is now a pedestrian/bicycle bridge.

Minneapolis was once called "Flour Milling Capital of the World." It was and is in many cases, home to such companies as Pillsbury, General Mills and Gold Medal Flour. (If you look to the far left you can almost read the GOLD MEDAL FLOUR neon sign.)

While the class was shooting, at least 20 Canadian Geese families with there goslings swam through the bridge. The city and the bridge from the right side.

Conrad's 1st piano recital

2009-05-23T14:28:00.006-05:00

There's a man in our ward by the name of Drew Thomas (he's a pediatrican), who plays the organ for our church service on Sundays. He does a great job with the hymns, but his postlude is what is amazing. One day after, the Sacrament meeting he played Widor's Toccata - 5th Organ Symphony Opus 42 No1. Hans, Conrad & I just sat there, hypnotized by the beautiful music. After he finished, Conrad turned to me,

Conrad:"I want to play the organ like that."
Me: "It took Drew a year to learn that song and he's been playing the organ for years."
Conrad (with resolve): "Okay, I'll do it."
Me: "You'd have to learn to play the piano first."
Conrad: "Okay."
Me: "You'll have to practice everyday."
Conrad (with even more resolve): "Okay, I'll do it."
Me: "Okay."

So, this past Thursday (May 21, 2009) Conrad played in his 1st piano recital.

I've noticed with Conrad that when he has to perform, whether it be dance, music, or a speech, he gets his game face on (see picture above) and acts very serious and self assured. I asked him if he was nervous and if he felt ready, he coolly answered, "No I'm not nervous at all and yes, of course I'm ready."
I felt like quoting Willie Wonka and saying "You do seem confident, and confidence is key..."
That night he played 3 songs, Old McDonald had a Song, Wind in the Trees and All the Stars are Shining. After he played, looking rather satisfied, he took a bow and sat down. His recital went well and I'm hoping this will be a jumping off point for him and he will excel and want to push himself to play Widor's Toccata.

Digital SLR 1

2009-05-12T10:02:00.002-05:00

I bought a fancy Nikon D80 last Thanksgiving and had been keeping it on the automatic settings ever since. I felt pretty lame not knowing how to use the manual part of my camera, but afraid of the "unknown." (I know how silly to be afraid of a camera.) I was rightfully chastened by a couple of my swanky photographer friends for using this sweet camera as a glorified point and shoot. Hans was encouraging as well, "Buy a book, study online, take a class. Let's get our moneys worth out of this camera and learn how to use it."
I took their comments to heart and I am currently enrolled in the community ed Digital SLR 1 & 2 class. The first session just ended and I am a changed lady. The instructor was fantastic. He not only helped me get comfortable with "the other side" of my camera, but gave helpful and practical tips for maintenance, accessories, editing, printing and extras.
Below are a couple of my final products of Digital SLR 1.

This picture was taken using a small depth of field. (just the hand and shells are in focus.) The comments from the instructor were to not put the object in the center (to make it more interesting) and to use a softened flash to help the object pop. I must admit, I've been anti-flash for a long time because of how it washes everything out, but with a filtered flash, it's like a whole new world.

This was taken at Lake Como using a large depth of field (everything is in focus). Again I have an issue with putting everything in the center.

Smaller depth of field. (the background isn't totally in focus.) The instructor liked Conrad's positioning in the picture, but again suggested using a filtered flash, so that he would stand out more from the background.
I love Conrad's quizzical brow in this shot. He was actually slightly annoyed with me because we were at the lake taking pictures, not having fun. He also got a fair amount of mosquito bites that night, poor guy.

Conrad and his bow

2009-05-11T18:40:00.006-05:00

All year long, Conrad, Riley & Amelia spend a lot of time outside. The boys busy themselves by building forts, trenches, weapons of mass destruction, traps, etc. from things they find around our community. For the past 9 months Conrad has been sharpening his bow and arrow making skills and practicing his aim.
Hans and I have tossed around the idea of purchasing a "real" bow and arrow for Conrad, but our friend Brian told us not to because it would spoil the creative juices that are flowing through him all the time. So being good parents and not wanting to ruin our oldest child, we haven't bought him one. I think one can say Conrad is craftier and our community and the small animals that live near us, are safer because of our restraint.

"She's Crafty"

2009-04-27T14:46:00.017-05:00

I was talking with Jill, a friend of mine in Vegas, and she noted that I hadn't mentioned my pregnancy since the ultrasound that let us know I was carrying a boy. Yes, I'm still pregnant and feeling severely normal besides the obscene amount of weight gain on every part of my body. (thus no pictures of me.)
I've been busying myself by reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, learning to crochet (not an easy feat since I'm a lefty), sewing a dress for Amelia and I'm currently taking a photography class. I am feeling so darn crafty these days. I heard a quote the other day that made me feel even more accomplished.

"I'm so crafty, I make people."

Amelia told me yesterday that Eva Creer was her very best friend.

Although I am taking a photography class, I did not take any of these lovely pictures of Amelia. Stacey, Eva's mother, did.

But I did crochet the hat

adorable

P.s.
The pattern of the hat is for Beginners and comes with infant to adult size instructions. I'd love to post the pattern, but sadly it's copyrighted by the artist and she seems pretty serious about her copyright. That being said, she does sell the pattern for a small price at her Etsy shop:
Nutella Dreams late Night Crafts By thnkdfrent .

Oh Sugar Honey Ice Tea

2009-04-20T09:29:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken in January not April. (Yes, Spring has finally come to Minnesota.)
You may be asking, "Who is that masked man?" Don't let the hand-made scarf, camouflage gloves and orange reflective ankle straps (you'll notice that this was his pre-helmet period) fool you.
No, Hans isn't climbing Mt. Everest or preparing to brave the arctic tundra in search of lost baby sea lions. He is fearlessly dressed to ride his bike 3 miles for another grueling day (or so he says) of dissertation writing.
Hans prides himself on riding his bike every school day of the year come rain or shine, Hell or high water, extreme heat or obscene cold; he's like the United States Post Office. This winter he set a person record for biking in -21 degree (we took this photograph to document the occasion), technically with windchill it was -35. He has yet to lose a nose or finger or any other appendage. There have been a few close calls, but those stories cannot be publicly posted.

It's cold here, but at least we have our health

2009-04-09T08:27:00.003-05:00

Drum roll, please........ and in 2008, the Healthiest State in the Nation is....... Minnesota!!!
I thought so, what with all the people riding their bikes, running around at least 1 of the 10,000 lakes (for exercise), and buying their vegetables at farmer's markets. They or should I say we, are pretty healthy people. Check out how your state ranks.

This ranking came from the CQ Press: An Independent Publisher, and they used 21 factors to determine the health of each state. Below are the factors.

Negative Factors
1. Births of Low Birthweight as a Percent of All Births
2. Teenage Birth Rate
3. Percent of Mothers Receiving Late or No Prenatal Care
4. Age-Adjusted Death Rate
5. Infant Mortality Rate
6. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Malignant Neoplasms
7. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Suicide
8. Average Annual Family Coverage Health Insurance Premium
9. Percent of Population Not Covered by Health Insurance
10. Percent of Children Not Covered by Health Insurance
11. Estimated Rate of New Cancer Cases
12. AIDS Rate
13. Sexually Transmitted Disease Rate
14. Percent of Population Lacking Access to Primary Care
15. Percent of Adults Who Are Binge Drinkers
16. Percent of Adults Who Smoke
17. Percent of Adults Obese
18. Percent of Adults Who Do Not Exercise
Positive Factors
19. Beds in Community Hospitals per 100,000 Population
20. Percent of Children Aged 19-35 Months Immunized
21. Safety Belt Usage Rate

"I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike."

2009-04-01T21:31:00.008-05:00

Hans has been riding a bike to school ever since 1999. And in all that time he has never worn a helmet until last week. He could just never find the right one and he thought people who wore them "looked pretty dorky." (I admit that I think fashion does play a part when it comes to accessorizing a bike or any sport, but I was surprised when Hans agreed with me.)
What brought about the change of heart in Hans? The concern of his running buddies Mark & Scott and Mark's sweet wife Stacey.
Hans spent a whole day looking for the right one, (luckily bike helmet fashion has come along way since 1999.) and found this little sweetheart. It's a Giro Flak and this one so happens to be called "Red Creep." One of his students told him that his helmet was "Pretty B$%&@#in''!"

Hints from up above

2009-03-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

Hans & I joke that I should write a parenting book called Chaos Parenting like this blog. I am notorious for not being the perfect mother and my parenting skills are becoming legend or rather infamous.
My habits are not widely known, but I have noticed that when I am screaming at the top of my lungs people seem to be around to take notice.

Example #1:
Our typical Sunday routine consists of me flying solo, (Hans has a church calling before church even starts,) with 3 children to get breakfast down their throats, teeth & hair brushed, pressed and dressed for church, not to mention out the door in plenty of time to get to church punctually. This generally happens without too much of a fight, but now and again I have a doddler named Riley, who just won't be pushed, pulled or persuaded to move at MY pace. When I'm slightly stressed and running 2+ minutes late I start to FREAK OUT, just a little and my voice raises and I usually yell to him "COME ON RILEY! HURRY UP!"
Well, on one of these "freak outs" our neighbor, Brian happened to be right behind us going to church as well. While I was loudly scolding Riley for his snail like movements, I looked up to see Brian 3 steps behind us. I felt rather sheepish and out of control and apologized to him and Riley for my elevated voice and we all went on our merry way to church.
Two weeks later it was a rerun and again Riley was dragging his feet and again I yelled at him and again Brian was right behind us. I knew that he knew that my yelling was not a one time deal, I felt mortified that I could not keep my composure outside of my home. I tried to laugh it off by saying to Brian, "Now you know the truth, I yell at my children on Sundays and probably on other days of the week too." He was kind, like he always is and said that he has 4 kids and knows about Sundays, but I knew that God was trying to send me a message and Brian was his messenger.

Example #2:
Every month the boys have a day off from school other than holidays and weekends. My groove is completely thrown off and because the boys are not doing their regular school routine their idleness becomes the devil's playground in my home. It is all starts very innocently, the boys are playing and then it turns into wrestling and then Conrad goes from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde in .25 seconds. The amateur wrestling is now a WWF smack down and either Riley starts to bleed or Amelia gets in between the two of them and she gets hurt and I lose it. And on this particular day, I lost it pretty loudly and then there was a knock at the door.

My 1st thought: "Whoever it is, they have been standing there long enough to here me rant & rave and didn't knock until after I had finished yelling."
My 2nd thought: "I know the person behind the door is of some importance like the missionaries, or one of my friends who has the patience of a saint, or someone without kids who won't understand why I can't control myself or my children and wonders why I'm having a #4 if my life is so out of control."

So I opened the door and it was the JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES bearing a message of PEACE. Oh yeah... Generally, when they come to my door, I tell them I'm happy with my church and no I don't want any of their magazines or pamphlets and that's it, but I knew that, they knew, that I knew that they had heard me yelling at me kids 30 seconds earlier and I took their Message of Peace pamphlet, thanked them and closed the door with utter humiliation.
Does that sound like a loud enough hint from God?
God knows that imposing HUMILITY works really well with me and I know what He's trying to tell me, "Plan better. Get up earlier. Keep your temper. Have more patience. Don't micro manage. & Find joy in the journey."

Wintry mix?

2009-03-10T15:31:00.010-05:00

It's snowing again today and apparently there's supposed to be a blizzard or "White Out!" (That's one I haven't heard before.) Weather.com stated, which I check as obsessively as my email, that today there would be a "wintry mix." What's a wintry mix? To me it sounds almost like a sweet party food covered in white chocolate. (can you tell I'm pregnant?)
Being a desert dweller most of my life, I have only known of a few basic adjectives used to describe precipitation. They are: snow, rain, hail, flash flood and humidity. In Las Vegas, that's all that ever happened.
But here in Minnesota it's a whole new world full of words used to describe what comes out the sky and Hans and I wonder and laugh at how there can be so many possibilities. For example: Flurry (no not the milk shake at Mc Donalds), iced rain (no not hail), sleet, blizzard, snow shower, lake-effect snow, snow pellets, soft hail, thundersnow, rimed snow, graupel, fog, and of course wintry mix.
Who knew?

Update: 3/11/09
Today I took the boys to school and the temperature was -4. Just getting into my van was an adventure.
#1 The doors were almost sealed shut because just 2 days ago it was 36, meaning it started melting all the snow, but that night it snowed and went below freezing causing all the water to, well, freeze.
#2 Because it was -4 and I hadn't started my van for a couple of days, it almost didn't start. I did tell the boys if the van didn't start we would all just go back to bed and sleep all day. Too bad for them and me.
#3 The windows were of course covered in frost and snow. As usual I started scraping them, but there was a third layer of icy film that made scraping almost impossible and it appeared that the inside of the window was also filmed over. I etched a 12 x 12 inch square on my side of the van and off we went. Luckily 10 minutes into the drive, the car warmed up and the defroster kicked in, leaving my view crystal clear.

Minnesota weather is so frustrating!

2009-02-28T14:45:00.005-06:00

Last week our whole house was feeling pretty plucky because old man Winter had started turning it's stubborn head towards Springtime; the highs here in Minneapolis were in the 40's. The children & I wore our lighter coats, put away our thermal underwear and played outside all day. It was lovely.
I must have forgotten how schizophrenic Minnesota weather is and became outraged on Thursday when it snowed 8 inches. And right now it's brazenly sunshiny, but a total of 17 degrees.

Luckily, Amelia doesn't mind bundling up to play outside

Which comes first, the sex talk or the Santa talk?

2009-02-10T09:22:00.007-06:00

This morning I received a phone call from a concerned mother of one of Conrad's classmates. She told me, (very nicely) that her son said, that on the bus, during a field trip, I had told him there was no Santa Claus. WOW! I didn't expect that one, especially in February. I tried to remember if we had even spoken about Santa Claus. I seriously couldn't remember, but I did know my Santa Clause mantra, when children ask me if he is real. I generally parrot, "It's a mystery, It's a mystery..."
I told Hans that I felt a little bad knowing that my oldest might have spilled to beans about ol' St. Nick. But this got Hans (who told the kids about the Tooth Fairy when Conrad lost his 1st tooth) in a tirade. He reminded me that this boy was in the 3rd grade and then he asked "When does one decide to tell a child about Santa? how old does one have to be?"
We discussed some heuristics to answer this question: "Should one be told at 8, the age of accountablility? or 18, legal age?" Then we got thinking about other topics and appropirate ages for discussion and realized that it's been over a year since we watch the mandated Cub Scout film about sexual abuse. (Which we watched with both Conrad & Riley.)
Hans' conclusion was that "If they are old enough to know about sex, they are old enough to know about Santa." In fact, we even gave Conrad the complete "2for" (Conrad had his suspicions about both topics) back in November.
What do you think?

Danielle

2009-02-08T15:46:00.005-06:00

Having the responsibility to write an article in our Relief Society newsletter for February, is a little harry. Of course the lesson of the month should be on love, but what type? I went back and forth on relationship with spouses, children, extended family, God's love for us and our love for him. And finally I remembered the 1st time I felt Christ like love for someone else. I'm sure for most of you, this lesson of love came at a much earlier age and I wish it had for me, but the feelings and memories of this experience are priceless and my thoughts on love have been changed for the better.

Danielle

When we were living in Las Vegas, Hans was assigned to home teach the Carter family. Although the husband had served a mission and the wife was raised in the church, they had not been active for many years. Eric & Danielle lived comfortably in a lovely home. They were generally agreeable to us coming over to teach a lesson, even though we seemed to have little in common. Eric & Danielle were always very positive, but after every visit Hans & I were left with the feeling that we weren’t really doing any good.

Even though I still felt like Danielle and I had very little in common, I was the only one in Relief Society who knew her. So a few months later, I asked to be her visiting teacher. I would visit her and give a lesson at her home and then during other parts of the month we would go to lunch, or dinner, or shopping. This calling gave me a reason to be a friend, and I kept waiting for a “change” in this family or at least in Danielle: reactivation, a phone call, something, anything that would let me know that she was making spiritual progress. None of these happened. I prayed and wondered if I should continue visiting her and asked if it was worth it; she wasn’t changing and really didn’t feel that I was needed.

Much later I received my answer and to my surprise it was that I should stop waiting for something to happen and just love Danielle, the way Christ loves her. Being her visiting teacher and friend was not about seeing results after so many visits. I learned that I could be there for her without expecting anything in return; I was not to expect a gift, a phone call, a card or a personal witness that she was changing, I was to love her and that was enough.

To me this was a totally foreign way of thinking. My perception of friendship had always been the “give and take” sort, but God was trying to teach me Christ-like love and to be what Danielle needed: a friend who loved her unconditionally. I had the thought that I would teach Danielle to be different, but I realized that I too had a lesson to learn from the Master teacher.

I can’t say that Danielle and her family are now active in the church and that because I had a changed of heart, she changed. But I am so grateful for the experience. I know that if we follow our Savior’s example and heed his words, “As I have loved you, … love one another.” (John 13:34), He can change us and help us feel joy, even when those we love do not follow Him.

Ultra Sound Day!

2009-02-05T13:28:00.004-06:00

I must admit I always worry when I go to my 20 week ultra sound. Silly thoughts like, "Maybe I didn't take enough folic acid when we conceived", or "Am I breathing deeply enough so the baby gets the right amount of oxygen?" or "What about all the French cheese and sushi I've consumed?" Will these things affect my baby? The idea of missing my appointment and never knowing about my baby crosses my mind several times. But not today, with Amelia & Hans ready to see the show, there was no sleeping in or getting lost to miss our baby's 1st photo op.
And the result of 20 weeks ultrasound conclude that we are having a BOY!

Amelia just asked "Where is the little boy in your tummy?"

A new tradition

2009-01-25T17:24:00.005-06:00

Hans & I want to start new traditions that don't involve food. Not that there is anything wrong with making memories while eating at the same time. But traditions that leave us feeling healthier and focused are the ones Hans & I are trying to make and keep with our family as well as the Thanksgiving Turkey, birthday cake,St. Patrick's Corn beef and Cabbage, Valentine chocolates, and Christmas pies. Anyway... so for New Year's Day we went to Red Rock Canyon. We had hoped to get there as the sun was rising to make for a poetic watching the dawn of a new year, but it was new years day, so we got up a little later, because of the night before. but the view was fantastic!

I remember thinking as a teen, how ugly the mountains looked with out trees on them. (teenagers...)

Although Amelia was pretty sad about not being able to scale the rocks with her big brothers, she did enjoy her own personal photo shoot.

The boys (Hans included) climbed up the red rock too high for pregnant women or 3 year olds.

I can always count on Conrad to strike a sweet pose.

My boys are so fearless. It's a good and bad thing for a mother to watch.

I'm surprised that Riley wasn't wearing his light saber or rubber band gun.
(I think there might have been a law forbidding weapons.)

I finally bought a new camera and after this trip realized that I need to read up on lighting, focusing and the whole SLR thingy.

What is the world coming to?

2009-01-13T21:41:00.013-06:00

A shocking thing happened last night, my darling Amelia asked "Can I please have some cherries?" instead of "Can I sleez have some sherries?" Her endearing speech impediments are disappearing and being replaced by proper pronunciations and a broader vocabulary. My sweet daughter making yet another step towards being a girl and not a toddling baby. These little milestones cause me to ponder, "What next?" And then I panic, and imagine Amelia asking why she can text her BFF and how come I won't let her get her ears pierced. Which brings me to a question for any of you out there. What is your view on ear piercing? would you let your daughter get her ears pierced? and at what age? I would truly like my girls not to have their ears pierced. Not for religious, medical, or philosophical reasons, but because I think it looks very classy and un pierced earlobes harken back to a time of innocence. Not that innocence is lost once the needle perforates the lobe. if that were so I lost my "innocence" at age 6 and again at age 16 and 18.
When we lived in Guadalajara, Mexico, EVERY new baby girl had their ears pierced and because Amelia's ears weren't, most people asked, " Es Nina o Nino?" Translations, "Is your baby, (you know the one dressed in pink with the pink hat and flowered shoes) a girl or boy?"
I can see ear-piercing as a cultural tradition, but in the United States there is no set day, or year or milestone that every parent has agreed on, or is there? Why and when do parents get their baby girls ears pierced? I am curious and wonder if I am the only one who hopes my girls just won't care or notice this trendy fashion .

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T12:55:00.006-06:00

I have been out of the blogging loop for quite some time. I could say it was due to the busy holiday season, the super chilly weather, Amelia's potty training, my cold that would not quit or our sweet road trip we took to Las Vegas for 2 week. I must confess that although those things did consume my time, the ultimate reason for lack of communication or even movement outside of my home is because I am PREGNANT! Finally. My boys were very suspicious when I told them I was pregnant because I didn't look it. (thank heavens) but quickly told everyone and told them not to tell. I am due June 19th and feel back to my old self and ready to make new year's resolutions and strive to get my life in good order before this new addition to our home arrives.

Princess panties

2008-11-09T19:07:00.007-06:00

Now that Amelia is 3, she has decided to potty train. And I am pleased to announce that she is... trained. This has been my easiest potty trainer to date. (I'm sure it has nothing to do with the bunny stickers, candy, and princess & Hello Kitty panties.)

Amelia had a diamond in her hand and decided to put it in her belly button. It's was priceless.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-09T18:42:00.006-06:00

I've been on a picture taking hiatus, which to the photography world could be considered going AWOL.
My reason is sad, but true. For my birthday, I was given some extra money, Hans & I did some research and decided to make the jump to buy a sweet Nikon D80. I won a bid Ebay from a reputable seller and alas, to this day it never came. My guess is that it's at AREA 51, in a warehouse some where next to the Arch of the Covenant and a crystal alien skull. Don't worry, I am Paypal insured and have already filed a dispute, so I should be getting a full refund in the next couple of weeks and again I will attempt to buy a Nikon D80, probably not from Ebay, (you know how it goes, "Once bitten twice shy.")
So for Halloween I documented it with these 2 pictures.

Conrad the Mad Scientist, Riley, I mean Luke Skywalker (I made the cloak), & Amelia a bunny fufu (I made the tail out of a feather boa.) Hans & I wondered if her costume could be considered a little scandalous, but I think her little toddler tummy keeps it G rated.

So I need to buy a camera, where should I go, other than Ebay? I want a good deal and online is probably prefurable.

“For a Pleasant Journey, Pack Light”

2008-11-01T10:44:00.005-05:00

When writing my newsletter, I always have Hans edit it. In the past, after he had finished editing, I wondered if my name should still be on the article. I have matured and so has my writing and I'm noticing more and more of my words are still in the finished product. Thank you Hans for helping me and reminding me that "Brevity is the soul of wit."

“For a Pleasant Journey, Pack Light”

Monica Rawhouser

As always, this past General Conference was wonderful. I come away from the end of each session, renewed and rededicated to living the pure gospel of Jesus Christ. But more importantly, I feel a greater sense of hope that I can make it back to live with my Father in Heaven. I wanted to share with you some of the messages that I enjoyed.

In “Come what may & love it,” Elder Wirthlin suggested that “Adversity, if handled correctly, can be a blessing in our lives. We can learn to love it. And as we look for humor, seek for the eternal perspective, understand the principle of compensation, and draw near to our Heavenly Father, we can endure hardship and trial.”

In, “Finding Joy in the Journey” President Monson counseled us: may “we be found among those

who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father.” and “despite the changes which come into our lives and with gratitude in our hearts, may we fill our days—as much as we can—with those things which matter most. May we cherish those we hold dear and express our love to them in word and in deed.”

In “Let Him do it with Simplicity,” Elder Perry discussed the life of Thoreau and how he discovered that by simplifying life, a person needed 4 basic things to survive: food, clothing, shelter & fuel. He noted that by following the Word of Wisdom, found in D&C 89, our body & soul will be more receptive to the spirit. Regarding clothing he noted, “A simplified life that brings spiritual blessings requires the wearing of simple and modest clothing. Our dress and grooming send a message to others about who we are, and they also affect the way we act around others. When we are modestly dressed, we also invite the Spirit of the Lord to be a shield and a protection to us.” Regarding shelter, Elder Perry reminded, “Newspapers are filled with reports of the current housing crisis. We have been encouraged at almost every general conference of the Church not to live beyond our means. Our income should determine the kind of housing we can afford, not the neighbor’s big home across the street.” Finally when discussing fuel, he was most concerned about spiritually replenishing our souls. “We must acquire knowledge of God’s eternal plan and our role in it, and then by living righteously, surrendering our will to the will of the Lord, we receive the promised blessings.”

I think that these principles are well-illustrated in my experience traveling. A lot of times when we travel, we are in such a hurry to get to our destinations, but when we look back, we realize that it was experiencing the journey, with all of the surprises and difficulties, rather than actually arriving that was most memorable. The well-traveled take joy in the journey. The well-traveled also prepare well, but pack light so that they are not burdened by extra weight and can adjust to the unexpected. So it can be with our lives’ journeys.

Our achievement-oriented society would have us lose sight of a simplified life in which we find joy in the journey and love whatever comes by focusing on achievement (i.e. degrees, money, “that” job). Let us not wait until we “arrive” to live. If we do, we will find that when we do arrive at our destination, it will be sorely anticlimactic. More importantly, we will miss seeing the people who are traveling at our side. In truth the view on top of a mountain is so beautiful partly because of the difficulty of the journey and the people who shared our path.

I had no clue....

2008-10-27T20:44:00.007-05:00

During these past couple of year living in student housing, I have learned so much, for example: baking beautiful whole wheat bread, sewing a zipper, taking a better picture, cleaning my oven more effectively, running up a hill both ways, and feeling frostbite. But this past month I have truly been awe struck, one of our friends here, is a fellow in cardio-thoracic surgery and wow the life saving stories he tells. It blows the mind at how doctors save peoples lives everyday and to them "It's all in a days work." Hans & I have listened to Brian for hours, talk about blood and guts and how he feels it's his calling and duty to save people's lives. It's so amazing!
On his latest story he told us of a procedure called Deep Hypothermic Circulatory Arrest or Aortic Arch Replacement. Wikipedia explains it best.

A surgical procedure that involves cooling the body of the patient and stopping blood circulation. It is used to repair brain aneurysms and aortic arch defects.
The procedure requires keeping the patient in a state of hibernation at 15 degrees Celsius with no breathing, heartbeat, or brain activity for up to one hour. Blood is drained from the body to eliminate blood pressure. The patient is considered clinically dead during the operation.

Apparently this operation can be done on 2 month old babies to the very elderly.

Who knew?

Do you have anything nonalcoholic?

2008-10-27T13:21:00.002-05:00

As a child and later active practicing Mormon, I always ordered a Shirley Temple (lemon lime soda w/ cherry syrup). But now that I'm getting on in years I wanted to try something more sophisticated, but that I could drink all night. Well I found it, at a country club. It was open bar, which really doesn't mean much to a stone cold sober Momron, but when the hostess recommended trying a bootless, open bar made me as happy as the next lush.
A bootless is basically, club soda, lemonade with chopped fresh mint. The picture to the right is glamorized to show the beauty of the mint and lemons, it actually looked a little like sparkling wheat grass juice, thus giving the allusion of something on an infomercial, presented by an overly tanned health nut, in his 60's, who always wears a jogging suit. But contrary to the true appearance, it tasted refreshingly awesome. I think I downed 6 in a 2 hour period and also got Hans & a friend to have a couple rounds as well.
I highly recommend it to anyone at an open bar party who's sick of ordering the juvenile 7up with cherries.
Oh and I know this will lower my "genius" readability on my blog, but Hans & I noticed that unlike many other flavorful food, the bootless burps are even better.
So finally my question to all of you, What is your open bar, non-alcoholic beverage of choice?

This is what I do in my spare time

2008-10-20T18:27:00.003-05:00

Ever since I was in the 7th grade I have loved to make jewelry using beads. Back then I wore these plastic hippy seed bead necklaces with my Greatful Dead tie dye tees. Those were the good ol' days of excess time and cheap supplies. I put this hobby away for a few years, bringing it out now and again to make a rainbow necklace for a goth friend or macrame-ing hemp bracelets for girls camp. But it pretty much stayed in a drawer until I was married and ready to move to France.
I wanted to make a gift for my close friends and family that would tide them over Christmas & birthdays, so I decided to knot pearl necklaces. With the help of Linda Burden and a few whole sale jewelry making catalogs, I loving finished all of the necklaces just before I left, only losing one to the post office box monster. (Sorry Hannah.) Upon returning to the US, I decided to start making jewelry again, primarily using precious metals, semi precious gem stones & vintage beads. Unlike some craft that take up a ton of room and are pretty spendy, I have found the opposite true with beading. (This makes Hans happy.) I have also been able to teach classes at my boys school & for church enrichment groups.

So I'm 30 ... Part 2

2008-10-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

Having a birthday is a very reflective time for me, especially when it's the closing of one decade of my life and the birth of a new. Hans & I have been in great discussion on this topic and I can safely say that I like who I am now a lot more than the person I was 10 years ago. As I was pondering this, people I have associated with kept popping into my mind. It is because of some wonderful friends that I like who I am, so in this post I wanted to thank at least 30 people who helped me be a better person.
*Many of the people who surround me here in Minneapolis have played a significant part in bettering my life, but I will not mention them at this time. I hope to show you my appreciation while we travel life's journey together.

(List is in alphabetical order by last name.)

1. Bishop Garth Abbott-Thank you for telling me "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" in regards to our marriage plans.

2. Jen Anderson- Thank you for teaching me life skills like washing dishes. I know that sounds lame, but every time I wash dishes I think of you.

3. Gary Boyd- Thank you for teaching me by example how to sincerely accept a compliment.

4. Jana Bundy- Thank you for helping me to go the extra mile and encouraging me to run a 5k.

5. Grandma & Grandpa Call- Thank you for always making me feel welcome in your home. Also because of your generosity I've been able to have a lot of life enriching experiences which would have been unavailable otherwise.

6. Kristin Chesnik- Thank you for showing me that "WILD" can be G rated.

7. Brother Steve Fotheringham- Thank you for teaching me the gospel & giving just the right amount of advice.

8. Danielle Garner- Thank you for teaching me Christ-like and sincere love.

9. Mr. Phil Haines- Thank you for teaching me that "to be early is to be on time" and for being consistent when my high school life was less than stable.

10. Danny Hastings- Thank you for being a beautiful example of a father; I am indeed envious of your girls.

11. Rex Hughes- Thank you for feeling comfortable enough with us to come over at 10 p.m. and just talk.

12. Cherida Jones- Thank you for being a spiritual beacon that I could look to throughout my life.

13. Krista Kader- Thank you for your never-ending dedication to our friendship; it has been a great constant in my life ever since the 6th grade.

14. Dr. Bob Kottell- Thank you for your zany psychology classes; you helped me work through a lot of things in my young mind.

15. Lane & Janina Lambert- Thank you for including me in your simple devotion to the pure gospel.

16. Jill Mennig- Thank you for understanding that I cannot always be the perfect friend and accepting me.

17 & 18. Summer Michaelson & Jeanette McEachran- Thank you for being my BC wife buddies at BC get-togethers, when the rest were KS-ing and Chaparral-ing.

19. Rebecca Miller- Thank you for being a refined, feminine, and compassionate friend, and for sharing our time in France.

20 & 21. My Midwives- Kaye Bullock & Mary Henderson- Thank you for delivering my babies with care and long-suffering.

22. Cynthia Roland (Mom)- Thank you for all the long nights you stayed up with me finishing projects, sewing costumes and rehearsing parts of plays and dance routines.

23. Patty Navaarro- Thank you for showing me balance, organization and understanding in the work place.

24. Terra Perry- Thank you for your never failing smile and infectious laugh.

25. Amber Pike- Thank you for teaching me by example to sincerely acknowledge another's thoughts and ideas in order to deeply communicate.

26. Hans Rawhouser (of course)- Thank you for loving me, for being my eyes when I couldn't see, for parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe, Thank you for loving me... But seriously, thank you for pushing me to be more than I thought possible and loving me in spite of me.

27. Mrs. Andre Reid- Thank you for treating me like an adult at 16 and expecting me to act like one at 6 a.m. in Chemistry 2 AP.

28. Robert & Marian Rodriguez- Thank you for your truth and passion about life.

29. Mark Roland (Dad)- Thank you for showing me that it's important to do your best and finish the job you've started.

30. Shaunna Sanders- Thank you for defining balance with your example- intelligence, talent, sincerity, sacrifice & pro activity.

31. Becky Sattler- Thank you for being spunky and excited about the gospel & motherhood.

32. Jack & Janette Schofield- Thank you for all those late night talks, your amazing artistic perspective and teaching me how to show love to the unloved.

33. Jean Smith- Thank you for helping me transition from 2 to 3 children and showing me that a little sparkle can make all the difference.

Potty Training quote

2008-10-09T22:42:00.002-05:00

So Amelia hasn't yet gone to bed because she wanted to see all the earrings that some of the ladies made in Monica's Relief Society small beading group. As the last ladies were leaving she said, "Daddy, I peed," while standing over a large puddle. We quickly cleaned it up and then wiped the floor with a soapy sponge, which left the floor wet. Then as we were leaving the kitchen Amelia said, "Daddy, don't slip on my peeeee!" So thoughtful.

lovey dovey paintings

2008-10-02T15:27:00.005-05:00

I do not claim to be a connoisseur of art, but I love to look and enjoy the beauty of it all. These 3 paintings are just gorgeous and the artists captured the moment so brilliantly, that I thought I would share them with you.

The Price's Choice
Thomas Reynolds Lamont

Garden of Eden
Briton Riviere

The Painter's Honeymoon
Frederic Leighton

The Painter's Honeymoon awoke my love for Renaissance art. I am utterly amazed at how life like her dress and his hands looks. That is truly a gift from God to be able to compose such a masterpiece.

So I'm 30... part 1

2008-09-21T22:33:00.006-05:00

Today is my birthday and I am officially the big 30! Honestly I'm not feeling it, I don't know why.
But seriously, it has been a fantastic weekend and my friends and Husband have made my transition from 29 to 30 AWESOME! Thank you all & you know who you are. I love you and I feel truly blessed to be associated with such remarkable people.
Since birthdays are like a New Year, Hans & I have decided to start some new healthy traditions and it started on the eve of my birthday. So, on Saturday morning Hans & I ran the 7th annual NROTC 5k/10k. (I ran the 5 & Hans ran the 10.) It was not easy, but we did it, Hans with his MP3 player & Ira from This American Life & I had my sweet friend Stacey Creer as my official motivational speaker and moral supporter. (I am now positive that she is the nicest person in the world, bar none.) Stacey, Thank you 100 times over for running with me, I seriously, I mean definitely could not have done it without you.

Funny thing. As we were driving to our race, I told Hans that it would be fitting for me to get 666 as my number. Notice I got 333. So what does that mean?

It was so rewarding to see the kids run towards us as we were finishing or 3.35 mile.
(Okay, I was told a 5k was 3.1, but the NROTC "let" us go 3.35 instead, yea I wanted to vomit & pass out that last 1/4 mile.)

Hans sprinted the last 1/4 mile of his 10k. He truly is the Bionic Man!

Hans was trying out different post race poses, and this one helped him look buff & strong in the pectorals and arms, yet still made him look taller, thinner and more ballerina-ish. (Yes, I think he was standing in 1st position.)

Our children had their own 1/4 mile race and sweet Amelia being the Amazon woman that she is, ran bare foot. (that's my girl.)

September Morn

2008-09-11T21:36:00.018-05:00

We had a fantastically busy summer and as of Sept. 2nd, my boys are finally back in school. They were not exactly excited to get back on a sleeping (7:45 p.m.) and waking (6 a.m.) schedule or having to do home or school work of any kind, but the free juice, doughnuts & espresso, (offered by our student housing community) Tuesday morning helped them to get energized at least for one day. (Please note that neither Conrad or Riley had a shot of espresso, that would have been pretty funny, but I'm sure their teachers would have thought otherwise.)

Riley & Conrad's First day of school wouldn't be complete without tie dye, jeans & new shoes.

Sunday after church is pretty lazy at our house, if we're not napping, we lying around reading or posing like supermodels ready for a candid.

Ever since Riley found out that he could get a dollar for a tooth, he has been diligently wiggling & yanking at his chompers & finally it "paid off." I pulled that puppy out just before they had to go to school.

My little Riley is growing up.

I had to take 10 pictures & most of them came out blurry because I was laughing at all of his silly faces. what a ham. I love you Riley!

Amelia wanted to get in on the picture taking action

Isn't she lovely?

"Information Please"

2008-09-07T14:38:00.007-05:00

In Relief Society, this past Sunday, I gave a lesson entitled "Who is our Neighbor?" The major focus of my message was the parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37. I discussed how we, as Latter Day Saints can love our neighbors as our selves; an overwhelming commandment to fulfill, but there are such beautiful blessings we can receive, if we accept the Challenge that Christ has given us. As I was trying to compile my notes, I came across Pres. Thomas S. Monson's article in the 2003 Ensign entitled, The Way of the Master. In it he related this story. I cry every time. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

“Information, Please”

Long years ago I was touched by a story which illustrated love of neighbor between a small boy named Paul and a telephone operator he had never met. These were the days many will remember with nostalgia but which a new generation will never experience.

Paul related the story: “When I was quite young, my father had one of the first telephones in our neighborhood. I remember that the shiny receiver hung on the side of the box. I was too little to reach the telephone, but I used to listen with fascination when Mother would talk to it. Then I discovered that somewhere inside the wonderful device lived an amazing person. Her name was ‘Information, Please,’ and there was nothing she did not know. ‘Information, Please’ could supply anybody’s number and the correct time.

“I learned that if I stood on a stool, I could reach the telephone. I called ‘Information, Please’ for all sorts of things. I asked her for help with my geography, and she told me where Philadelphia was. She helped me with my arithmetic, too.

“Then there was the time that Petey, our pet canary, died. I called ‘Information, Please’ and told her the sad story. She listened and then said the usual things grown-ups say to soothe a child. But I was unconsoled. ‘Why is it that birds should sing so beautifully and bring joy to all families, only to end up as a heap of feathers, feet up, on the bottom of the cage?’ I asked.

“She must have sensed my deep concern, for she said quietly, ‘Paul, always remember that there are other worlds in which to sing.’ Somehow I felt better.

“All this took place in a small town near Seattle. Then we moved across the country to Boston. I missed my friend very much. ‘Information, Please’ belonged to that old wooden box back home, and I somehow never thought of trying to call her. The memories of those childhood conversations never really left me; often in moments of doubt and perplexity I would recall the serene sense of security I had then. I appreciated now how patient, understanding, and kind she was to have spent her time on a little boy.

“Later, when I went west to college, my plane made a stop in Seattle,” Paul continued. “I called ‘Information, Please,’ and when, miraculously, I heard that familiar voice, I said to her, ‘I wonder if you have any idea how much you meant to me during that time?’

“ ‘I wonder,’ she said, ‘if you know how much your calls meant to me. I never had any children, and I used to look forward to your calls.’ I told her how often I had thought of her over the years, and I asked if I could call her again when I came back west.

“ ‘Please do,’ she said. ‘Just ask for Sally.’

“Only three months later I was back in Seattle. A different voice answered, ‘Information,’ and I asked for Sally. ‘Are you a friend?’ the woman asked.

“ ‘Yes, a very old friend,’ I replied.

“ ‘Then I’m sorry to have to tell you. Sally has only been working part-time the last few years because she was ill. She died five weeks ago.’ But before I could hang up, she said, ‘Wait a minute. Did you say your name was Paul?’

“ ‘Yes,’ I responded.

“ ‘Well, Sally left a message for you. She wrote it down. Here it is—I’ll read it. Tell him I still say there are other worlds in which to sing. He’ll know what I mean.’

“I thanked her and hung up,” said Paul. “I did know what Sally meant.”

Sally, the telephone operator, and Paul, the boy—the man—were in reality good Samaritans to each other.

Watery eyes

2008-09-01T22:22:00.007-05:00

So I think I'm allergic to the bunnies! I began breaking the news to the boys this morning.
Me:
"Boys, I think that I'm allergic to the bunnies, and we may have to get rid of them. I'm sneezing and my eyes are watering."

Conrad:
"Are you sure?"

Me:
"Yeah, I don't have this problem when I'm not home."

Riley (with really wide eyes to punctuate a new discovery):
"You know what Dad? I get watery eyes when I poop."

Me:
"Really?"

Tie dye

2008-08-27T09:58:00.008-05:00

My past has come back to haunt me. Let me explain... Throughout junior high & high school I was very much into the 60's revival; I listened to the Beatles, The Who & Janis Joplin and donned bell bottoms, colorful bead necklaces and tie dyed tees, I even went to a couple of Greatful Dead concerts before Jerry Garcia died. My senior year in high school, I got a job at Lerner New York and my 60's obsession was put into a memory box. This past year, Hans resurrected one of my Dead Head tee's for working out, it's a little tight, but still pretty cute. Now this summer, in our community, we had a tie dying activity and I was in full force. I made 17 shirts, none of which were for me. Conrad & Riley gave specific instructions on colors and Amelia was determined to help me with the permanent dying. (Not to worry, no fancy clothes were injured in this experiment.)
I must say that I had forgotten how quick and beautiful the end result is of tie dying. I recommend this to anyone who need a fun and cheap family activity or for all you closet hippies out there. Not to fret, even a novice can dye like a pro by just google-ing and with a little research anyone can get some wicked patterns and tips on how to make your very own Deadhead jersey.

I was tagged!

2008-08-24T16:54:00.007-05:00

Heavens, this is far too consuming, as if I needed to think about myself more than I already do.

3 joys
-Hearing my children sing the hymns in church
-Checking off everything on my to do list
-Seeing someone wear something that I've made for them

3 fears
-Completing a project that won't be exactly the way I had visualized it
-Having my car stolen again or getting in a car accident again or my car falling apart because the repairs weren't done correctly
-Becoming the person I least wish to become

3 goals
-Finishing my psychology degree
-Taking a picture of all 3 of my children that I will adore enough to put on my wall
-Becoming a vegetarian and enjoying every non-meat meal I cook

3 current obsessions
-Lost, I can't handle waiting for the next season, which doesn't start until January! aaahhhh!
-ebay, You can buy anything in this world with money
-The weather. I have to check it everyday and then worry if it's going to change and hope it will rain, so I don't have to water my garden and then check it again just to make sure. I think it's a Minnesota thing.

3 surprising facts
-I didn't learn how to cook until after I was married.
-I have had all 3 of my children at home, on purpose.
-In high school, I was Dolly in Hello Dolly, red hair and all.

Beijing Olympics Song

2008-08-22T09:07:00.006-05:00

We would love to have attended the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics, but we feel a little closer because our truly awesome friends Lane & Jenina Lambert, (who currently live in China) sent us the "official" Beijing Olympics Song Music Video. Although we only recognized Jacky Chan among the many popular Chinese celebrities, I must admit I get goose bumps every time I listen to it and our family loves watching the music video over and over, we even attempt to sing along with it. (You know how we love the challenge of a new language.)
The childlike sincerity of the song is so touching and the pictures of China, make me want to hop on an airplane and fly to that lovely country, maybe next year.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this little taste of Beijing as much as we did.

(Click below to see the video)
Beijing Olympics Song

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What is truly Important

2008-08-11T17:31:00.014-05:00

Because I'm in the Relief Society presidency in my ward, every 3 month I write an article for the newsletter. The topic can be on anything I chose, (that ties into the gospel of course.) The only catch is that I must get it submitted before the end of the month. Now, one would think, I'd get it done early to avoid last minute procrastinations, but unfortunately I have yet to write that article... maybe next time. :)

I am grateful for this opportunity to express myself spiritually on paper. It's a very reflective process and time for me and I do feel my testimony grow as I contemplate what I really believe.
I'd like to thank Hans, my sweet husband, for his willingness to edit all of my articles with such ease and humor, you're the best.

New Brighton Ward Relief Society Newsletter
What is Truly Important
Monica Rawhouser

After our family van was recently stolen but never recovered, we purchased a newer minivan in great condition. Unfortunately four days later, a Semi truck spilled several 3’x 3’ sheets of steel on to our new ride. I was so angry at the driver. Our new van was not drivable and I was fuming. I walked over to the man I thought was the driver and as he was picking up the sheets of steel, I tried to yell over the passing traffic, “Your stuff hit my car!” The man looked at me, apparently not hearing my accusation and asked if I was all right.

I went back to my wrecked van and soon the police and driver came over, both asking if Conrad & I were all right. Of course we were all right; the metal hit my car not us. Then, while I was filling out paperwork the police officer noted that we were lucky to be alive and then I realized that it was a blessing that we were spared and that only our car was damaged. I had been so wrapped up in my van I didn’t even think how bad it could have been.

I suppose one could say I was being “stuff-ocated.” I was caught up in the many things I had acquired that I failed to remember what was most important, my family. It’s truly amazing that our car was the only thing damaged and that God had protected us from injury.

How can we, as members of the church, keep from being distracted? In 2007, Dallin H. Oaks discussed that we must prioritize our lives because there are many good and better things we can be focused on, but we must choose to put all of our energy into that which is best, first. Obviously that is easier said than done. How can we implement this counsel?

We recently traveled through Ohio, and I was moved by the simplicity of the lives of the Amish. They are a great example of this discipline. Their religion sets strict rules for everyone that limits all worldly aspirations. They must fill their time with work because they don’t automate their lives even though it would be easier. They are a simple and pure people, but their isolation also limits their influence on the outside world.

Our lives can be similarly directed, even in this modern world. In order to keep ourselves from focusing inwardly, we must avoid hoarding our time. The church gives us many ways to do this with callings. Because these are opportunities and not mandatory rules, we, individually must be proactive in setting personal goals. A great way of doing this is to write our goals down such as: stay for all 3 hours of church, attend the temple every month, and visit teach. Likewise we can avoid our tendency to amass “things” by paying a liberal fast offering and a full tithing.

In a recent talk by Pres. Monson, he quoted writer and philosopher C. S. Lewis who said: "If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

The former George Q. Cannon (First Counselor in the First Presidency), taught that “it requires
a very pure people to be as honest, virtuous, humble and upright when surrounded by luxury & wealth
as when they are in poor and destitute circumstances… Always remember that your lives, your ability,
the food you eat, the water you drink, the clothes you wear, the earth you tread, the air you breathe,
are all the Lord’s. . . You will look upon yourselves as stewards, and if you have a hundred dollars
in your hands, you will say, this is the Lord’s, and if He wants it, He can have it. If you have a
million dollars, you will feel the same. And where people have this feeling, riches cannot hurt them.
Latter-day Saints must have this kind of faith and feeling, or they cannot build up Zion and be the
people the Lord is desirous they should be."

I know from personal experience that this counsel is not easy, but becomes easier as we set goals and follow through. The Lord will bless us for our efforts and we will also be comforted in the knowledge that “where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also.”

I almost forgot to tell you about the sweetest thing...

2008-08-01T12:11:00.008-05:00

Girls can too
Laurie Hein

While we were on our Midwest trip, we stopped off at Mary Yoder's, an "Amish Style" restaurant. (The food wasn't anything to write in a blog about.) Our family scanned the menu, looking for something distinctly Amish and I always ask for a recommendations on what to order from the servers, so I thought I would ask one of the girls busing the tables that was really Amish. This was her response.

"Well, I have never actually eaten here, so I can't tell you what tastes good, but I can tell you what looks good. Hmmm. The cheeseburger, with lettuce and tomato, that looks good."

Maybe one would have to be there to understand that her response was the sweetest thing I'd heard in a long time. It was so sincere and honest, she wasn't trying to impress us at all and I'm sure the thought never even crossed her mind.

This girl wasn't the first person I've asked who hadn't eaten at the restaurant with which they worked, but her reaction was different from the others. Here are some examples of what Hans & I have heard while on our culinary journey:

"I've never actually tried anything here." long pause, crickets chirping, then they roll their eyes, and walk away.

Then their are the people that say:

"I've never actually eaten anything here." insert excuse.
-"I'm just doing this job for the summer."
-"I'm a vegetarian"
-"I don't really like ice cream, so what I like here is the bottled water."

and finally the one I dislike most:

"Well such n' such (which happens to the most expensive entree on the menu) is popular."

I wonder how I would have responded, I'm sure I would think,

"Yes, the cheeseburger looks good, but if I say that everyone will think I'm a dummy."

So I would respond,

"The organic, locally grown, free range, whole wheat, cage free, imported, fusion vegetarian tofu wrap looks awesome."
(Yea, I need to work on being a little sweeter & sincere.)

Charlotte & Elizabeth

2008-07-26T20:18:00.012-05:00

The Estrogen level just went up by 2 bodies this past weekend. We are so excited to announce the adoption of Charlotte & Elizabeth. They are 2 month old baby bunnies from Wisconsin. They are very sweet and after only 4 days, we can see their individual personalities shining through. Elizabeth is extremely calm; we hold her in all kinds of positions and she is just so "chill." Charlotte is very cautious and jumpy and not to sure if she likes her new child owner, Riley.
Charlotte is a mini rex & Elizabeth is a lion head.

Did I mention how adorable they are?