Hello From Utah

I'm itching to blog, but haven't downloaded my knock-out pictures yet. I can't believe what great shots I get from this new camera. Brett, older kids, and dog drive home today to California. I am staying until Friday with the two li'l ones. I am glad. I still have way too much to do here to leave today.

Which leads me to a quick

GRAMMAR NAZI!! segment:

The following is a brilliant sentence written by Stacey Kratz, who is a food reviewer for a local paper. I realize that writers, writers who get paid to write, must constantly be editing and nipping and tucking, until they arrange the words in just a way to create interest. Reading this sentence motivated me to look at how I write and try and do it more creatively from now on.

"The shank, gently seasoned, was cooked slowly until the meat made only the most desultory effort to cling to the bone, sloughing off silkily at the slightest touch."

Good right? She's got some alliteration going on. I don't know about you, but I want to find out where to get my hands on some of that meat shank. GET. ME. MEAT. SHANK.

Speaking of people who are great at their craft, look at this photo which my brother, Quinn, took of my niece, Elle. How beautiful is she, and how much did he just nail this photo? Good photography is all about light. That's why you should pay a professional, in my opinion, instead of just doing a family shot yourself or using someone who kind of likes photography, has a digital camera and is cheap. I am amazed, whenever I watch him, at how much he studies and measures the light and uses reflective screens to give that golden glow.

Oh one last thing. I went to a great place called Pat's Barbecue in downtown SLC with Quinn and my family yesterday after taking passport photos. It was a southern hoppin atmosphere with a live band playing as people ate ribs, which, by the way, made only the most desultory effort to cling to the bone, sloughing off silkily at the slightest touch. Anyway, the best part of this restaurant was the art scattered on every wall. Jerry Lee Lewis, Johhny Cash, Chuck Berry. I particularly like one artist and am itching to buy something of his to put by my piano. Check him out.

natepack.com

My Childhood Home

As we pulled up at my mom's house last night around 8:30p.m., I saw my mom, Quinn and his son Jake picking apricots. I was so happy to see them. Quinn looks so good. I hugged Jake about 8 times. Maybe more like 10. I had 4 apricots, so ripe they are almost red. I had to stop Jake as he was about to bite into the apricot like an apple. "No Jake, stop! You have to lightly separate the halves at the crease, take out the seed and then savor each half separately. Like this." Whew. I'm glad I stopped him in time.

Wow. It felt good to be here. I spent many a summer reading in a hammock under those apricot trees. I could read for hours at a time and make myself sick on apricots. I was a total introvert during the summers. I don't remember even playing with neighbor kids much. Mostly just my family. Reading, listening to ELO, Grease, Queen or the Pointer Sisters. I assigned a Pointer Sister to each of my sisters and made us all learn a routine to "We Are Family...I've Got All My Sisters and Me."

As we came inside, I was so grateful to mom for making her house so kid friendly. It has been a while since I have had a little one so I kind of forgot the magic this house is to a child. Kate was going crazy with delight.

My mom loves "whimsy." If there is something that lights up, or moves, she buys it. Can't get enough. There is a room in my mom's house, my old bedroom, that is full of toys and whimsy for her grandkids. Here is an example. These fish are moving and the other doodad thingamabob changes colors and is fun to touch. The see through phone on the right lights up when it rings.

This is just ONE NIGHTSTAND PEOPLE. The whole room is full of wonders like this....

My mom put a mini toy baby on the mirror on the wall. I'm telling you, the quirky touches in this room are endless.

My mom's house is full of food. Full of frozen donut holes and frozen gummy worms as well as cookies and always 2 or 3 homemade meals to choose from. She is always feeding us.

If food were the 6th love language, that would be hers. Well, that and words of affirmation. We always knew we were wonderful, good, etc. Never wondered how my mom felt about us.

My maiden name is Farley. I like this tile from Misty.

Here is a picture we took during the boy haircut phase for all 3 of us girls with our neighbor Karen.

She was like Lauren is to my family. She was always there for us. She picked us up one year and said, "Let's go take a fun picture for your mom for Mother's Day." My sisters wanted the fancy dresses, and I loved the girlish school one. Love Kelly's sash though in this pic. I wish I had a dress with a sash like that. My mom loved this picture then and still does now.

Her fridge is full of pictures of funky animals doing quirky things.

Why? Because grandkids like to look at it. She has had this sign on her fridge since I first got married. Each child either has a running tab of money owed, things borrowed or stuff she needs to talk to us about. Obviously Kelly needs to help mom move a heavy plant and mom owes Misty $22 for a theatre ticket.

Ah. The puzzle....

Always a puzzle out on her dining table for adults to take a moment at. (Since this photo was snapped earlier this morning, I've done about half of it.) I can't explain it, but I love sitting at the table for 1/2 hour and doing parts of a puzzle. My joke with mom is that I always say, "Hey mom, I'm helping you with the sky" or "I just did the kite section for you" as if I'm doing her a big favor. She always says, "Oh thank you!" just to humor me.

This is the piano I spent hours at playing and practicing.

Many a memory tied to this piano and many a memory tied to my enjoyment of accompanying people, playing with people, and teaching because of this little piano we were lucky to have.

My mom's house was built in 1955 and hasn't been updated hardly at all since. Raising 4 kids alone didn't leave money to fix anything. It's still not top on her priority list. Here is the carport that my sister's high school boyfriend painted for my mom once.

Looks like it needs it again. Here is the driveway that needs some serious help.

Oh look! Here is Brett working out to INSANITY outside so he won't wake anyone up at 6:30 a.m. He's not falling, he is lunging and pulsing his leg up for 20 counts. I promise :)

We slept with the fan blowing on us. All kids are sleeping at cousins or friends. It was just Brett, Kate and me sleeping at my childhood home, my good mom's. I love her so much. She raised us with such love and positive words that amidst circumstances which were tough sometimes, we never felt lacking. And we weren't. Thanks mom.

Goodbye for a bit. Going to Utah to play with family and friends there. I probably won't blog.

Weird moment of the day. We didn't get to go to Ingrid Michaelson in Hollywood, because Spencer wasn't back from Rodeo Drive in time to watch Kate.... Is it just me or is that kind of weird? Spence, hurry back from Beverly Hills, because we have to book it to Hollywood or we'll miss the concert! Well, we missed the concert. It's OK. Anything would be a let down after last night's spectacular concert. I'm still thinking about.

Have a great weekish or two... erin noelle

Oh My

Bad iphone pic of us at James Taylor/Carole King

The concert last night was amazing. It was one of those nights I knew would never happen again. In case you are like the following person, I will give you some background on Carole King and James Taylor.

Young girl in restroom during intermission talking loudly on her cell phone:

Hey! I'm at a concert.

Pause.

James Taylor and Carole King.

Pause.

James Taylor and Carole King!

I only know a couple of their songs, because they weren't really my time, ya know?

Pause.

They sing, um, 'You've Got a Friend.'

Pause.

No, Not 'You've Got a Friend In Me.' That's someone else.

Pause.

James Taylor and Carole King?

Pause.

OK. I'll call you back later.

wow.

Carole King was only 18 years old when she wrote "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" which has been covered many many times. When she sang that song with James, oh my. Favorite song of the night probably. She married really young in life, and together, they wrote hit after hit for artist after artist including "Go Away Little Girl," and "The Loco-Motion" as well as "Some Kind of Wonderful."

James Taylor was also a young guy writing prolifically. When they worked together finally, James said he was surprised that most of the songs he thought - wow. That's a great song-were written by King. She wrote songs that he went on to record like "You've Got a Friend," which a lot of people think he wrote.

It was cool, because they are both late 60s, I think around 68, 69. They rocked it last night. I've seen James Taylor I think 3 other times and his music has been filling more people's homes over the last 40 years. Carole, however, caught me off guard. She sang hit after hit with such a strong voice and with such enthusiasm that the audience gave her a standing ovation after almost every one of her songs. "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman" and "I Feel the Earth Move Under my Feet" were awesome.

This concert was special, because they won't sing together again like this. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear these two song masters sing their stuff and sing it together. I especially loved when they just sat by each other on stools and sang together. Carole just invaded his space to the point I thought she would climb right on his lap like a little girl if she could. I'm sure he wanted to stop mid song and say, "Carole, uh, can you scoot over a tad? I can't breathe."

This concert I saw was also the last one of their tour, so they were especially sentimental with Carole crying after they sang "You Can Close Your Eyes" knowing she wouldn't be singing with him again like this. I cried. I would go see them again tonight if I could.

Also, one other cool thing. My friends the Busks never buy tickets to anything. They always go the night of and have always been able to get tickets at either face value or less. So, I decided to try it. We went last night without a ticket. I ended up getting the tickets for $25 each. I was way happy. Also, in order to go, Brett had to leave work at 5. It took him 1 hour to get home. We left here at 6:15 and arrived at the concert a half an hour late at 8p.m. It took us 1/2 hour in stand still traffic just going the last few blocks to the Honda Center in Anaheim. It was awful. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate missing even one song. I finally hopped out of the car on the street and walked the rest of the way, because at least I wasn't sitting in the car. I got the tickets and went in and heard 2 songs before Brett even got to the door. He is a way good sport. He was in the car a total of 3 hours there and 1 hour back. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!! Right Brett ? :)

Can I Just Get Some Things Out in the Open?

Is it weird that I remember all of the songs I listened to on our drive to California?

I am loving this town more and more. When I get back from our Utah trip, I'll have to take you on a photo tour of some of my favorite houses.

I was watching Inception with Heidi yesterday, and I swear, the rows of the theatre started exploding one by one and my popcorn flew up and smashed against the wall.

Makeup is overrated.

Having a baby in the home is not overrated.

How many shows about cakes does society need on tv at a given time? Really?

Don't you ever wish that you could eat, like, 20 donuts in a sitting and have no adverse consequences? Eat donuts until you are completely full of donuts?

I saw Jim Henson's corporate headquarters a few days ago. It is a Dickens-like village with a huge Kermit atop an iron archway which states "The Jim Henson Company." It looked Disneylandish in there. I want to peek in.

Half of my back molar fell out during Inception. I am hoping it is just a dream.

James Taylor and Carole King in Anaheim tonight with Brett. Ingrid Michaelson and Travis playing together tomorrrow night at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood with the girls.

The internet rocks.

The internet is a time waster. Ask any parent of teenagers.

Don't you love creme brulee? The crispy, carmelized top and the creamy texture underneath?

Don't you wish you could buy, like, 20 new outfits and have no adverse consequences? Outfit after outfit at any price until you just don't want another thing?

Why can't I go barefoot and have the bottom of my feet still be smooth and soft?

Don't you think whoever invented cereal is a complete genius?

I get to go to the Bountiful temple next week! I want to go many times.

Do you ever wonder if Erin has too much time on her hands in California?

I want to wake up Spencer and ask him how the Dodger's game was last night. How long should I let him sleep?

Have you ever had a Balboa Bar or frozen banana? We met Mark and Julianne for one last night.

Don't you wish you could buy a beach house for your family to vacation at often, with no adverse consequences to your finances?

Aren't you grateful for the gift of life and the ability to live surrounded by people you love? It doesn't matter what you do, earn, where you live, what obstacles you run into--living is enough!

Thanks for letting me get those things out. Have a good one. e

HOLLYWOOD

We have had a pretty great weekend. The pictures below are with the Morrison family. Spencer has been friends with two of the Morrison girls through high school. Even though I had met their mom, Amy, once or twice, I had never done anything with them. Funny how things happen. They were vacationing in the area, came to see Spencer and the girls, and we spent the whole day swimming and cruising around Hollywood. I think that even though we won't see friends and family as much, we will get good quality time when we do.
It was a sweet day.

Lunch then swimming
Chicken Fight with Hannah, which Syd and Spencer won. Why is it underlining?Then to Hollywood. In front of Capitol Records.Sweet building

At the Grove in Hollywood. Very cool shopping place with fountains, trolleys, bands, farmer's market and obviously, the American Girl Doll store and museum.

The 5 beautiful Morrison sisters.

Blakes + the Morrisons + Stephen + Berkley. We probably stood out just a little bit.

Then today, I go to church, and my friend Heidi, daughters Calli and Tara and son Chase walk in. It was so great! Movie tomorrow at 10 a.m. I don't know if I will ever finish unpacking..

Spence and Madeline.

Air Conditioning Unit to ERIN:

Look. I want to work for you. Really. But it is 100 degrees outside and I was put in this house in the 60s. I'm super old. I was embarrassed to show myself to the repair guy you called over here. I am old, but I was offended when he took one look at me and said he wouldn't fix me and he's never seen anything so decrepit. Come on guy. That's a little dramatic don't you think? You're no Mr. Suave either, but I kept quiet.

I know the guy you lease from lives in India and probably won't OK you replacing me. After all, I'm the unit for the 2nd house and maybe he never used that house for teenage daughters. Perhaps he likes the heat. Why would he want to spend $6000 to replace me? (not that we elderly are replaceable by any means.) I'm sorry you will probably have to fight him on this..on whether it is a breach of contract if you don't disclose that the air conditioning uh doesn't WORK. So, good luck with that one.

I'm also sorry I manifested my age and inability to work properly in the same week your air conditioning went out in your car and your stove broke. We can't control when these things happen. Kind of like hot flashes, to put it in a feminine light. No better time to enjoy your cool pool right?

I wish Spencer, Stephen, Maddie and Berkley the best of luck in sleeping and keeping themselves hydrated until you decide what to do with me and with your landlord who is not responding to you. I could hear them laughing into the wee hours of the morning, so I think they must be OK. I don't think they even care, which is good for you. I would not recommend telling Stephen's mother of his circumstances, though, so she doesn't worry or get a hot flash of her own.

Again, my apologies.

Rufus McFuddy

The kids last night at the pier.

Update from super cool California :)

Ali came home happy from Young Women. Lots of people were there. The tortilla soup her leaders made was good. I couldn't believe it was the same girl I had "dropped off" a few hours before.

Stephen arrived last night. I picked him up with Spence in Brett's new car which was such a nice ride, especially after riding in the suburban all day. Stephen texted Spence as soon as he got off the plane. We were about 5 minutes away, and Spence gets a text from him that says, "Hopped off the plane at LAX.." Teens will get that. It's a song.

Anyway, Stephen kept yelling, "I love this! I can't believe I'm here! I can't believe you live here! How cool!" He was like an excited little puppy dog. He brought a bunch of cookies from Si. I think I'll go have one right now for breakfast. The kids' new friend, Kate, is taking them surfing this morning followed by Santa Monica Pier tonight.

I am going to see about the dang suburban while they are gone.

I thought about deleting yesterday's post, but I think it's probably better to let it slide and just let everyone know it's a new day. The friends are here. Hallelujah. Hopefully the virtual countertops come in today for my new "house." :) Maybe my new chapter in the book I'm reading is on JOY. e

I'm reading a book right now which is really, really good. It is not something I would normally pick out or buy. However, reading this book has been a gift to me.

I have been reading the comments from people on my past posts, and for some reason, I am leading people to believe we are living this charmed life in the sun. Blakes are just moving on, doing all of these great things. Sunshine and daffodils.

I guess I am a bit caught off guard by these comments. Honestly, I really feel like we are grieving. I didn't fully realize it until I read a paragraph in this book, My Grandfather's Blessings.

"Grieving is not about forgetting. Grieving allows us to heal, to remember with love rather than pain. It is a sorting process. One by one you let go of the things that are gone and you mourn for them. One by one you take hold of the things that have become a part of who you are and build again."

That paragraph hit me. That is what I am desperately trying to do. Build again. I feel like I bear the responsibility of 5 kids and their grieving process on my shoulders as well. I am not to the point where I "remember with love rather than pain." I wish I were at that point. My kids definitely aren't. They don't think I understand either. They don't realize that I am going through the exact same feelings, desperation sometimes, but don't share it.

So, in this post, I won't talk about the hike to the Hollywood sign, which they loved. I am going to do a segment called:

Keepin' it Real People

1-As we were beginning the 1-hour drive to pick up Berkley in the 93 degree heat, my air conditioner went out in the suburban. By the time we picked her up, we were WAY grumpy and sweating buckets.

2-Due to the flight being late and the traffic windows you must observe here or be sorry, we found a pretty scary beach which we got to stay at for approximately 30 minutes before the 1 hour drive home. With no air conditioning. I'm sure Berkley was thinking-why did I come here and how far away do the Blakes live from the Long Beach airport anyway?

3-How am I going to fix the air conditioning if I take in the suburban tomorrow? I am going to have to rent a stinkin cargo van or a school bus to fit 9 people. Seriously, this should be good.

4-I dropped off my daughter to mutual tonight bawling and begging me not to make her go. Since the party she went to 2 weeks ago, she has done nothing with anyone here her age. She has just played with Maddie and Spencer. So, all of a sudden, she has to go to young women's and I can't even explain the scene in front of her leader's home where I pretty much kicked her out of the car saying, "You CAN do this. I am making you go, because I love you.! Now get out!" You can imagine what she said back to me. She is in a really sad place right now. I don't think this trip to Utah will help. She will be worse leaving than the 1st time.

5-I am lucky if I see Brett before 8 p.m. at night. A good morning is him leaving at 7:30. Bad, before I even wake up. I don't think I will ever get used to this.

6-Our pool must be 50 degrees. I got in yesterday for the first time. It took all of my willpower and courage and about 15 minutes before I could plunge in. I think because our lot is so shaded and because we haven't had hot weather (until today), ours will be a little chilly. So if you come anytime to visit other than summer, we probably won't be swimming in the pool.

7-Having Spencer leave to college will be harder on the girls than even on me. I had never thought about it, but his positive attitude this summer is helping every day not be like today for his sisters. He makes such a difference in their lives. Speaking of college, he signs up for his classes at exactly 11p.m. tonight. It is SO confusing. Way worse than when I signed up for classes there, and that was confusing then. Now, he can't sign up until upper classmen do and then he gets a date (July 13) that he can begin the process. He has heard through friends that all of the PE classes are full, or all of the good religion teachers are gone already. He doesn't know what to sign up for and really, neither do I.

8-Do you really want me to go on?

I could focus on these negatives all day long if I let myself. I guess we all can if we choose to look at everything negative in our lives. This book helped me see again that I am building a new "house" if you will, with my little family. I wish it could go faster, but you know how sometimes the electrician is slow or perhaps you ordered the wrong carpet and the granite countertops are on back order? Maybe the "creamy white" for the moldings is more like "so gray we ain't kiddin." Building a new life is kind of like that I suppose. It's going to take some time. In the meantime, most of my posts and most of my thoughts will be of the things that can make us happy here. New places to see. New people to meet. Warm weather year round. A good job that Brett likes. Having great schools and a great new ward. Getting to go to great museums, concerts and restaurants. Becoming BFFs with lots of celebrities, both national and international. I crack myself up sometimes.

So when I post about all of our adventures, be happy for us, but know that we are grieving and building and we love you. e

JULY 12

Today should be a good day. It is the day before Spencer's brother and bff Stephen Foster comes for a week. (Still waiting on Ben) It is also the day before one of Maddie's bffs comes for the same week. I am so excited! I can't wait to gear our week around playing with them.

Maddie and Spencer are hiking to the Hollywood sign with a friend today. I wish I could go.

We are all starting the 5-Day Inferno Plan with a workout and diet every day through Turbo Fire. We decided we want to look like the people in the "after" pictures.

I just officially finished the little girls' room. I just put little stars all over their ceiling so that when dark hits tonight and Kate wakes up.....voila! A starry sky of wonders for her to look at. I want to move my bed in there. (btw, Kate is now sleeping through the night again. yeah! It took two nights of crying and super Brett, and we're good again. Just in time to go to Utah and port-a-crib it. Great.

Today is the day after I got to enjoy Tara Bingham, husband Colton and Chase Bingham here for dinner. Honestly, it made me so happy to have those faces from home at my dinner table. I made Si's Challah braided bread which is always so good and Laurie Cutler's chicken white chili which is kind of getting to be our Sunday dinner more often than not. Easy and good. Finally, we had a peach pecan salad and watermelon. We laughed as we talked about our new home, California. We were talking about which freeways are faster. It sounded something ( I emphasize something for those of you who actually know these freeways) like this:

I just take the 101 to the 134 to the 2.

Yeah, the 134 to the 405 is a bottleneck

Yeah I avoid that.

Did you know you can get off on blah blah and then side street it to blah blah and save 10 minutes?

So, what if you did the 210 to the 2 to the 5 to the 110?

The 110?! I never do that. Way too congested.

Actually, the 10 is more congested than the 110, especially at LaBrea.

Hm. True. It's because of Century City people getting off.

Yeah.

Oh and here was the funniest part of the conversation.

Chase: If you like ice cream, we need to take you to the best ice cream place ever.

Brett: Where is it?

Chase: Right in L.A.

Tara: Yeah, it is SO good.

Colton: I got a nutmeg almond and it was the best ice cream I've ever had.

Brett: We went to the scariest place with my sister Darcy. It was in this scary part of town and when we got there, there was only one flavor left. The whole place was ravaged but one little flavor. It was on this street with tattoo shops, biker shops. We thought we were going to get mugged. It's called SCOOPS.

Chase: Yeah, that's it! That's a block away from my house.

Brett: Well, it wasn't THAT scary. Maybe it was just late at night, uh uh..

Chase knows everything about everything no one else has a clue about. Really. I can't even begin to write what he is up to. Let's just say it involves Fried Chicken and trucks and Twitter and DJing and celebrities. Colton's about to graduate from the Art Center in Pasadena which is about ten minutes from our house. Every Saturday they have classes for high schoolers called Saturday High. We are getting Maddie involved in that. How cool will that be for her? Finally, Tara is two months away from having their first baby, Heidi's first grandchild. I'm so glad we are by them.

I love hearing things from home and I hate hearing things from home. I can't explain it really. Sometimes when I am doing well, which is most of the time, I just think-oh that sounds fun! I miss everyone. Sometimes, though, usually at night, I hear of something I missed and it makes me really really sad. I just want to go to bed after that.

Well, Ali just called me on my cell phone from her cell phone out in the guest house, or the girls' apartment, or the casita, or the teenage hang out pad, and wants me to go hang pictures in her room. I'm tackling that house today.

Brett got his car last weekend. I am so jealous, mostly because the surround sound in that car ROCKS. It's not fair. He bought a James Taylor in concert DVD which is recorded in surround sound and there are speakers by your ears and when the car is in park, it plays the DVD so we can watch James play. When the car is driving, you just hear this amazing sound all around you. It's making me very excited for his concert next week in Anaheim.

Oh, today will be good as well, because Crowded House's new CD comes out. I'm going to go to Penny Lane records in Pasadena to buy it. Finally, I am swimming in our pool today. I haven't even been in it yet. Today I am baby! Crowded House, Hollywood Sign, swim, finish girls' house. That's pretty much it. Have a good one, e.

We were all way scared going in.
The Curious Case of Brett Button. He is seriously anti-aging.

Well, we all passed. We were only there from 12:30 until 4p.m. It was "that fast" apparently, because we had made an appointment. wow.

Now I'm not competitive in nature at all, so I really don't want to share this next part, BUT some of my readers might like to know that I missed 3, Brett missed 4 and Maddie missed 5. Tons of people failed. It seemed like everyone around us failed.

Questions I missed:

When is it legal to smoke in your vehicle with someone under 18 years of age?

1-When they are your child

2-Never

3-I can't remember.

Anyway, I put 1. The answer was 2.

I totally guessed on the alcohol level that is legal. Choices were

1-.08%

2-.05%

3-.10%

I can't I believe I got it right. .08% I really think I had some heavenly help with that one, so I could beat, I mean score, 1 better than Brett. How am I supposed to know?

Also, I didn't know that dogs canNOT ride in the back of trucks unless they are secured, which I guess means in a kennel. Wow. I'm certainly not in Montana where even babies can ride unsecured in the back of pick up trucks. Finally, everyone here in all car seat positions must wear a seatbelt at all times and the only time you can talk on a cell phone without getting a major ticket is if it a 911 emergency or if you have a hands free device. No one breaks this rule.

Anyway, that was LONG. Oh and here was an actual conversation which took place just before the written test.

Erin: Brett, I'm scared about this. I only had time to read half the manual.

Brett: Just think logically.

pause pause

Brett: Oh, well that might not work for you.

Erin: laugh laugh because he is totally right. I wouldn't describe me as 'logical.'

Brett: Maddie will do fine though.

Erin: Thanks a lot.

Wait, did I mention that I missed 3, Brett missed 4 and Maddie missed 5? I can't remember if I told you that.

Random Musing: I hate to admit this, but why do I have such a soft spot for WHAM and George Michael?

Oh Hey, What's Up?

Oh hey. Sorry I can't talk to you right now. I am taking a drivers test today along with Brett and Maddie to get our California licenses. What? Yeah, you DID hear me right. We all have to take the written test again. Everyone tells us it's a beast. We get fined every day we drive without a Ca. license. I think Maddie has to take the driving test too, because she's under 18. Horror story after horror story have been so graciously shared with us about the Ca. DMV. So, I have to get back to studying, which is so enjoyable for me this morning. Kate is going to love having me study this morning and then gets to wait for me while I stand in line and take the test. She loves stuff like that.

Then I get to look through every box in the garage that is labeled "OFFICE." You see, the kids' immunization records are in one of them and I need them in order to register the girls for school. The fun thing is, since we don't have an office here, those boxes were stacked one of top of the other almost up to the ceiling of the garage mixed with boxes labeled "GARAGE STUFF" and "FOOD STORAGE."

No pressure though. The woman at the district just told me that I had better get Sydney registered ASAP, because she can't guarantee Sydney will go to the neighborhood school due to such high demand of kids trying to transfer into her school. Every day matters I guess. Oh and Maddie and Ali's ability to take the classes they would like is determined by finding that immunization folder as well.

So, hey, I'll catch you later.

Kate is Great

This is Kate. She means everything to me. She means everything to all of us. She has been struggling at night since we moved here and she moved into her new room. She reverted back to waking up 4 times a night. At least. She will be a year old in a week and I am trying to wean her from nursing to a bottle. She is having none of it. NONE of it. She won't drink cold milk, warm milk, milk from a bottle, from a sippy cup. Won't have it. SO, since I have reverted back to having no remembrance of how to do anything baby, I have been asking all young moms around me. How do you wean a baby from nursing who won't drink milk? Especially one who is waking up every hour now expecting to get in my nice warm comfy bed and nurse to peaceful slumber? Tricky question for sure.

Pause: A word about being a mother for all of you young readers. There is nothing better than being a mom. It amazes me each time I have had a baby the sacredness of this gift. It amazes me that I have been able to sustain another human life for a full year through the workings of my own body. The intricacies of the human body in relation to childbirth and the whole milk factory gig it has going on, only point to one thing. There is a Creator of all things who has made a way for the human race to sustain itself and be sustained through families. I am so grateful for this. I am so grateful and a little sad as I wean Kate that I will never have the experience of nursing a baby again. Sacred moments that only a mother can understand.

SO....this leads me to last night. I had been weaning her down to 3 feedings a day instead of 4. And I told Brett that the only way I could see the night waking prob being solved was if he got up with her, but did not let her see me or our bed. She could wake up, but there was nothin' great happening at 2 in the morning. He agreed and I told him I'd be up supporting him awake anyway, just under my covers. Brett's a way good sport even though he knew it could be a long night. We knew from past experience that when she wakes up and we decide to let her cry, she can cry for a LONG time. It is supremely hard not to go in and get her, but have learned that it doesn't matter. She will cry until mom (me), feeds her.

This morning I woke at 4:26. She hadn't woken up. 4:52, wow I can't believe it. 5:20 where is she? From 5:20 on, I laid* awake. This is an experience which* every mother has had happen to her. Exactly like this. From 5:20 until 6:45 when she did finally awake, I went through scenario after scenario of walking in and finding she had died. What would I do? How would we live? Picturing the kids' reactions. Picturing life without her...her funeral. Did she have too many blankets? Could I have prevented it? Realizing that I love her so much that I couldn't enjoy the ONE night she slept through! I willed myself not to go in there, thinking that perhaps I would be less crazy if I waited it out. Finally at 6:43 I heard her little peep. I rushed in there. She was standing with her arms on the top of the side just smiling at me in her polka dot sleeper. There was nothing better than holding her this morning! I did nurse her, but not in my bed. No more in my bed :( I'll let you know how it goes.

Further Kate News: July 5th. The day Kate walked. She is walking. A week or so before b-day #1. Brett said, " I don't remember this at all with our other kids. Did they learn to walk?" That was funny.

*Grammar Nazi: laid is the past tense of both lay and lie.

*Grammar Nazi:I used 'which' instead of 'that', because I had already used 'this' at the beginning of the sentence.

*(Hi. This is Grammar Nazi. You've missed me huh?)

I'm SO Californiated

So it was about 45 minutes ago.

I was in my burb in park with the car running.

I had just dropped off Maddie and Ali's girls' camp forms.

Their leader wasn't home, so I was thanking her husband and little dog instead.

All of a sudden, my car started rocking.

It felt like someone was back at the bumper pushing it up and down.

I thought- am I out of gas? Check, no.

Wow, this car has something wrong with it. I hope it makes it home.

I thank Norm (that's his name), pet Boise (that's the dog's name) and head home.

When I get home, I find out that I was in another California EARTHQUAKE!!!!! AUUGGHGHH!

Seriously, that's two for me and I've only been here a very short while.

I am SO California now.

Like fur shur.

The best going away neighborhood party ever. Thank you Kimi and Bob. It was the perfect weather, perfect house, and my band played. It was the night before the move got pretty serious, stressful and sad. Perfect perfect perfect. I won't forget it.

The Johnston girls.Tom Newman. So glad they moved in.
Whoever booked this band? They were so brilliant. I wish they could have played all night.
The greatest mother daughter team. Good cook, seamstress, gospel scholar, nurturer, and her daughter who I taught and love

"And thus the new health care program will affect the tax code by..."
Love Maddie's no good friends
The Wainsgards with super buff son.
Love my nieces
Like this picture

Our "Japanese" friends, the Fowers.

Best "all around girl," Sarah just LOVING the music I'm sure
My singing partner for 6 ish? years
Is this so Nick Cash? Always looking out for the little ones. Also, is this so Sydney or what?

One of my fav teens Jacob.

Og and Maddie made my night by coming up from Provo just for the party.Love them.
"Should I marry him? Holding hands already."
"ooo or maybe him. An older man.."
Two of the cutest boys in the whole world.

Ms. Heidi Bingham ladies and gentlemen...

Hostess with the mostest, Kimi.Whitney, Gretchen and Melanie. Pretty much glowing.
Inseparable...until Emilee gets married in a few weeks.
I miss these people. A lot. But I have to say, it's a good miss, not a depressing miss. That's good. I can't wait to see them in a few weeks.