Need Prayers!

The Supreme Court of the State of California decided they have a right to determine the constitutionality of a constitutional amendment. Specifically Proposition 8, which passed this last election season. The proposition supported the proper definition of marriage.

This Thursday is when the court hears the case and begins determining if and how they will or can strike down that proposition or if they will sustain it.

I believe they need our prayers.

Additionally, I encourage anyone who currently supports the massive government involvement of our current administration to prayerfully examine section 134 of the Doctrine & Covenants and the quotes of the Brethren on government involvement and welfare. We are laying the foundation for the fiscal destruction of our children. That's what I call "change", but I sure didn't "hope" for it. I half expect my children to have to recite the following in four years: I pledge allegiance to the flag, of the socialist welfare state of America and to the republic for which it once stood, one nation, but don't mention God, completely divisible, with corruption and wickedness nearly forced upon all...

I believe they need our prayers.

I Should Use Coupons More Often

Our shopping was very basic because of all our plans this week. I often forget to look through our coupon stash but today I had time. So I pulled out the backpack from under the bed and emptied it out. I don't really have THAT many but I tossed the file folder of clipped coupons in there a few weeks ago when I was in a hurry to get David and shop together as a family.

Now, flashback to our Valentine's night out. As we looked at the camera in the store, I hesitated. David noticed and said he wouldn't be grumpy even if we end up finding the old camera.

I took him up on that. For at the bottom of the backpack, I found a silver shiny thing...the camera. It got tossed in the open coupon bag either from on the bed or as we unloaded the car. Then I replaced the coupon bag under the bed and didn't think to check it when the camera went missing.

All is well. #1 and #2 are excited to use the old camera.

If the camera had been gone forever, we would have missed these fun shots:


#1 and I checking out the turkeys


Play-dough and school work


Why do I love pictures of sleeping children so much?


Bass on the easy level. One song attention span.


Pay no attention to the child falling off the couch in the background. That's normal.

Maybe I should pass the blame more often...

In our nearly seven years of marriage, I can count the number of times David has lost something on one hand. It just doesn't happen. So imagine my surprise when I could not find the camera a few days after giving it to him while out at a farm with the children. He is positive that he placed it on the corner of the bed upon returning home, but since I do not remember getting it from that point on, I razzed him for a couple days about losing the camera. (#3 probably just hid it somewhere and we'll find it in a few months/years). Oh and in a strange twist, seven years ago this month was when I lost David's first camera...

Anyway, David went out and got me a replacement, the Canon PowerShot SD1100. It is sweet! It has face finder (and can locate multiple faces), image stabilization, 8.0 megapixel, and the card he got can hold between 500 and 2400 photos. Man! I have got to blame him when *I* lose stuff more often. This new one sure beats the seven-year-old, 1.2 megapixel, hope-it-turns-out-in-focus (it did us so well for a long time) camera. Man technology sure improves quickly. Unfortunately, the yellow in these photos is due to having the Macro setting on.

So we've been sick this week, David finally had it and made his sinus-buster noodles today. It was an old recipe he used to use as a missionary in Wisconsin to clear sinuses enough to breathe when they're clogged.

Boil two Roman noodle packs, trash the included seasoning. After boiling, drain the water, and add dried onions, significant sriracha hot sauce, ginger, 1/8 cup soy sauce, and 1/8 cup oil. Stir fry, and have Kleenex nearby. Here are some pictures with the new camera of the children enjoying the noodles. #2 is on his 4th serving and, yes, #1 is putting them on a saltine... Because.

Overheard at the dinner table.

"We watched a scary movie (commercial) with zom-dees in it while you were at school." (#2)
"What are zom-dees?" (#1)
"They are the un-dead." (Melissa)
"Except that zombies are like unicorns, there is no such thing." (David)
"Except that unicorns are real daddy." (#1)
"..." (David closing his eyes and chewing slow to make sure he does not choke from laughing)
"[#1] did you know that there is no such thing as unicorns in real life." (Melissa)
"Mom, you're such a kidder, that was a funny joke." (#1)
"[hacking sounds]" (David choking as his shoulders bounced like a gymnast on a trampoline)
"Um, actually, I am not joking, Unicorns are make believe." (Melissa)
"Like zom-dees. Please pass the soil sauce." (#2 asking for the soy sauce for his sushi.)

Fangs

#3 now has her lower K9s, just in time for us to watch the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, a perennial favorite for the family. This year, David enjoyed the Miniature Bull Terrier, Melissa enjoyed the Fox Hound. Yea for dogs.

Make the world a better place: swerve at cats.

Learning and Laughing

#3 has come with her own sense of funny. I was quizzing her on her facial parts:
--Where are your eyes? Close enough.
--Where are your ears? Right on.
--Where is your nose? Finger up it is definitely right on. :-)
--Where is your mouth? She opened wide and put her thumb in and began to suck on it.
--Where is your thumb? She grabbed my thumb and stuck it in her mouth. Then she just laughed.

Return to Sender

One would expect that a play room 18 by 18 feet would be sufficient to handle the usual smell and adventures of childhood.

Sorry about the potty humor, butt...

#2 ripped off a check-flapping explosion of lower-intestinal flatulence causing the division of the time-space continuum and singeing through two layers of heavy-duty clothing that would've made grandpa and a certain uncle proud. Serious one for the books. He outdid Dad!

After about 14 seconds of permeation, (or is that fermentation?), he cried out in agony: "Oh no! We need to put the fart back in!"

Melissa and I, (resisting laughter and inhalation) simultaneously asked him each a different question. I'm sure a shrink would analyze what the differences between the questions are... but we open it up to your interpretation in the comment section of this post:

Melissa: "How would you want to do that?"
David: "Why would you want to do that?"

Inchon

Inchon:

1 - The title of a very impressive piece of music I had the opportunity to listen to this weekend in California at my sister's concert. She made all Northern Honor Band and the concert was a treat.

If you want to see an inferior version of the Inchon piece, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryeUYZuNfyM&feature=related


2 - The lengthy feeling you get when traveling back from California the second time in a month. If you travel deep into the night, amazing things happen... bats nearly fly into your windshield, teenagers have a snowball fight with your car, and when it gets deep into the evening, the hallucinations begin... marker posts start creeping across the road, hitchhikers look like giant chickens...

And it's all worth it to hear a bro's talk before leaving on a mission and getting another burger...