'Tis the Season

ONE week long wilderness first-aid training for Todd (out-of-town)

ONE new calling (RS activity coordinator)

ONE midnight call to the doctor/breathing treatment

TWO kids with fevers

THREE days of missed school

FOUR croupy coughs

FIVE new prescriptions

SIX quilts that need to be quilted

SEVEN long days for a "single" mom

{THIRTEEN pound turkey thawing in fridge and THIRTY TWO days 'til Christmas}

SIX hours between Motrin

FIVE dropped calls on a dying cell phone

FOUR hours between Tylenol and ear drops

THREE trips to the clinic

TWO times a day antibiotics

ONE ear infection

ONE sinus infection

ONE HUNDRED TEN ladies to feed at the upcoming RS dinner

I was up for several hours with a sick baby last night, and Todd let me sleep in today. He got one kid off to school, and did his first phone call from home. I got up just after he left for work, and found the following:

A candy bar on my nightstand, empty garbage cans (today's garbage day), and milk in the fridge (we were out).

He also made dinner tonight.

I am THANKFUL that Todd is home.

You make me smile

Today is our 12th anniversary. We aren't doing anything extraordinary since we have a newborn, and because we got a week and a half together in Cedar before Justin was born, but I put a few pictures together that show what a great guy I married...

Love you, Todd. Thank you for being you.

You're cooler than the flip-side of my pillow...

To keep myself sane list

When Todd was finishing his thesis, he took the biggest whiteboard we had and made a list of everything he needed to do to finish up...just so he could keep it all straight in his head.

With our basement project needing to be finished by April 1st, we've decided it's time for another "sane list". How convenient that blogger lets me put a list on the side of my blog where everyone in the world can see if I don't stay on task.

I'm sure Todd will add to it when he gets home, but for now I listed everything I can think of, and I'm going to start by opening a new box of girl scout cookies, and folding the mound of laundry on my couch.

Shoot. I forgot to add that to the list.

Happy Birthday Todd!

Todd's birthday was yesterday, and I'm not gonna mince words. It was a flop. Luckily, he took it like a man.

Since we didn't take any pictures, I'm including this picture that shows what a fun Dad he is.

Our day started by discovering that there was a crack across the ENTIRE windshield of Todd's truck. After that, we discovered that Swimmy (one of Caleb's fish) passed on. Oh, and did I mention that there was no school? The poor guy didn't even get to enjoy some peace and quiet on his day off.

We spent the entire day mudding and taping sheetrock, and then when we realized we would need more corner tape and the local hardware store wouldn't get any in until Thursday, I made a "quick" trip to Home Depot (an hour away) to get more.

Todd and the boys stayed home, since Todd's friend was going to come help him tile around the stove, but we think he forgot because he didn't show up. I got home in time to throw some frozen Taquito's in the oven and open a can of applesauce for dinner. Wal-Mart only had carrot cakes left, which wouldn't do for Todd, so he didn't even get a cake. I DID manage to give him a cake MIX, but it's not quite the same.

Thank heavens our Netflix arrived, so after the kids went to bed we watched three episodes of Smallville, which turned out to be the highlight of the day.

Did I mention that it was also my brother's birthday? Happy Birthday Ben! I heard that his wife made him homemade stuffed shells, and triple chocolate cake with chocolate chips. I think we'll have to spend Todd's next birthday in CA with them...

Todd, I promise I'll make it up to you. You deserve it. Thank you for all the work you've done on our basement. It means so much to our family. Thank you for stepping up and doing the housework and laundry while I've been sick, and sleeping with 42 pillows on our bed. Thank you for playing monopoly with the boys yesterday, and for teaching them important things like how to light fires, and what it means to "pull your finger". They adore you...and so do I.

Like father, like son

Look at my cute boys!

(I'm partial to the red hair and freckles)

My friend Vanessa took this picture of Dillon. You can't tell, but he's holding a ring pillow for a tutorial she's doing next week (I cropped it out so as not to ruin the surprise). Anyway, it reminded me of this picture of Todd from first grade, so I lined 'em up together. I love how their opposite eyes are squinting the same way.

People always ask where our boys get their red hair, and we tell them "from every side". I need to scan some of my old pictures so you can see that my hair was once quite red as well. (maybe my mom would want to do that in her spare time...hint, hint)

the one with the flowered shirt

With all the bathroom finishing we've been doing, I haven't been able to do laundry for a little over a week. (today's gonna be a fun day, let me tell you...)

Todd went back to work yesterday wearing a shirt that he used to wear in Logan. Back in those days, he, and the other guys he worked with, were all about hawaiian shirts, khaki's, and in the summer he was even known to do therapy in sandals (closed toe, of course).

Everything went fine, yesterday, until lunchtime, when one of the teenage girls on his team stood up and said:

"Attention lunchroom! I would like direct your attention [to the center ring] to Todd, who is wearing FLOWERS and BUTTERFLIES on his shirt."

It wasn't entirely true...there are NO butterflies on this shirt...but it does fit into the hawaiian category in my opinion.

It was officially the last day for "the shirt".

So, this morning he got up and dressed *right*...in his boots, buckle, and snap shirt with western pockets.

Did I mention that my sister dressed her son like THIS for halloween?

Lucky to be in love...with my best friend

Today is Todd's birthday. Happy 35th!

My brother Ben, whose b-day is today as well, pointed out this weekend that the government was cutting their special day short by an hour, but I think Todd has just about gotten over it.

After Dillon's "horse party" last week, I asked Todd what kind of party he wanted for today (you know how men love a good themed party). He sarcastically gave me his answer, and unfortunately it was not appropriate for the children, so we went with his second choice, a nap party.

Activities included taking nice long nap after church. It wasn't the boys' favorite party ever, but Todd and I liked it just fine.

I am one lucky girl to be married to this wonderful man. He honors his priesthood, is a great dad, a hard worker, is fiercly loyal, and quick-witted. I love the nights when we actually have enough energy to stay up laughing and talking. He is so, so good to me.

I love you, Todd. Thank you for you, and Happy Birthday.

If you think your weekend was bad...

Poor Todd. He returned last night from a 3 day 2 night trailride with his team of troubled teenage girls, and some co-workers.

They went to the middle of nowhere. In January. Where it rained. Where they didn't sleep in tents, but in bedrolls under a tarp.

Doesn't sound so bad to you?

Now add in the fact that he ended up catching the "bug" that our boys had, and spent a good chunk of the time (no pun intended) throwing up.

Now I don't know about you, but when I imagine crawling out of a sleeping bag (that you're sewn into with a tarp and cords) several times a night, into 10 degree weather, to barf on the frozen ground while surrounded by a group of teenage girls (two of whom also got sick) and your co-workers...it just doesn't get much worse.

I guess Todd deserves the award.

I think I'll go make him some soup.

Letter of recommendation

I was going through some old files, when I came across this (fake) letter of recommendation that Todd's boss wrote for him when he was applying to the MFT program at Utah State. I thought you might enjoy it. I'm so grateful for a husband who has a sense of humor :o)

Todd has been affiliated with our agency since May 2000, first as a practicum student and then as an employee. He has worked in a variety of roles: as a co-facilitator of a children's group, as a receptionist, and as a co-presenter of a parenting group.

I have been impressed with Todd's professional progress, since he had so far to go to meet minimum standards as a human being. He has consistently been able to set his goals low and meet most of them. His colleagues agree that Todd excels at mediocrity, except for those times when he lapses.

The ****** Institute has a rigidly enforced substance abuse policy and, in spite of occasional relapses, Todd continues to attend his meetings. To my knowledge, he has never been caught selling drugs or alcohol to minors, though there is some suspicion that he supplements his income by dealing with adults.

Now to address some of Todd's personal liabilities. While clients do not state that they dislike Todd, he has had to change numerous slashed tires on his car following groups he has led. He has shown a remarkable ability in such circumstances to contain his crying and tantrum behavior to the sidewalk.

Todd has proven to be well-accepted in staff social circles, especially for the variety of revealing costumes he wears to such gatherings. The only time this caused any serious problem was when he inadvertently came to a staff meeting when, in fact, the meeting was with a grieving family that had recently lost several loved ones in a tragic car accident. The rumors that Todd had anything to do with that accident have proven false so far.

I'm sure that if you accepted Todd into your program you would have an interesting time trying to understand him. However, if you actually managed to do so, I think you'd find a warm, compassionate, caring person beneath that veneer to hostility and anger. At least I hope you would; we have had no such luck in that area.

To let you know how far Todd has come :o), last night he came home with a certificate signed by the corporate president of his company, and a letter commending him for his excellent customer service, along with a check for $100 for being such a great employee. I'm sure proud of him because he has worked his butt off for the past three months, taking care of all the emotional needs of 15 unstable teenage girls and their parents. Last week, they finally hired another therapist, so his team size is now down to a more manageable 10.

*oops, I spoke too soon. When I told Todd about this post, he told me he's already gotten two new girls this week, so his team size is up to 12. Sigh.

Your...STYLE???

Last night Todd had to work late (I think he got home just before 1:00 AM), so I put the kids to bed and decided to do something crafty. I've had this centerpiece in mind for awhile. It's still not finished...I think it needs a battery operated candle, some dried lemons/oranges, a rusty jingle bell, maybe some berries or pinecones, a mini wooden spoon and rolling pin, etc.

Anyway, I was pretty happy with my progress until Todd saw it this morning. Our conversation went something like this:

Todd: Where did this come from?

Me: (overflowing with exuberance 'cause I love how the gingerbread's turned out when I sprayed them with glitter) It has only cost $3 so far!!! Can you believe it? I got the wooden box at a yard sale for $1, I bought a wreath at the dollar store and made the pine bough's out of it, and I bought the candy canes for $1 and wrapped them with fabric from my stash. Then I made the gingerbread men.

Todd: Choking. You MADE the gingerbread men?

Me: (thinking he was proud) Don't you love the glitter?

Todd: (speaking at the same time as me) I thought it came from DI that way...it looks like an enrichment night gone bad.

Silence.

Me: (wondering what Todd's head would look like if it were sprayed down with glitter) You don't like them?

Todd: (smiling) Shwee...I don't think making gingerbreads is a good hobby for you. (my nickname is shwee, by the way) I'm still traumatized from the last time you tried to make them...remember those giant chicken nuggets with arms?

I guess they're just not my style.

Me: (wide eyes) Your...STYLE? (laughing) Your style is MY style!!! Look around this room? Have you even tried to decorate anything? Oh wait, the fire alarm next to the welcome sign...yeah, I guess that's your contribution...and I'm sorry, but it has to go.

(at this point Todd put his tail between his legs, bowed his head, and retreated to the bedroom...with a smile, because honestly...he's happy when I'm happy)

Thanks dear, for keeping your opinions to yourself most of the time. However, upon gaining some confidence (and reassurance) from Vanessa, the gingerbreads are staying.

Now what else can I spray with glitter...

Quirks

My friend, Trina, tagged me to write 7 or so quirks about myself. Since I already did that (here) I decided to write down a few of TODD'S quirks...with his permission of course :o)

1. He likes peeps, and he likes them a few days after the package has been opened (if they last that long). I think they are perfectly wretched.

2. Todd only reads non-fiction books. He likes therapy journals, textbooks, and doctrine. He says that fiction is a waste of his time. I thought this was just since he was in school for so long, but yesterday he was telling the boys about the books he read and re-read as a child (both of them) and they were about Squanto, and Helen Keller. So, I guess he's been a fan of non-fiction all his life.

3. He cuts his toenails with scissors. It's been over 10 years that we've been married, and I still don't see the benefits from this, but whatever.

4. Todd does not like day old bread. If he ever has to take a sack lunch anywhere, he'll make his sandwich on frozen bread, so that by the time he eats it, it will have thawed and will be as fresh as possible.

5. He hates pants and socks. After work, he wears shorts and has bare feet 365 days of the year. The funny thing is, the first time he asked me out, he was wearing new white socks (with his shirt un-tucked...something you NEVER saw...my roommates used to ask him if he had any "play clothes" because he was never casual) and to this day I still tell him how much I liked him in socks that night :o)

6. Todd has a spot on his back, that works just like the reflex in your knee. If I touch it while giving him a hug, he'll jerk back (completely involuntary). It's kind of fun...

7. He doesn't leave the house without Blistex. If he forgets it, he'll stop at the store and buy some. We even have it in his 72 hour kit.

8. Todd thinks of himself as a "fungus". He says he "has to grow on people". I disagree. I thought he was pretty nice from the first time I met him.

9. He knows what a bias binding is (although he's embarrassed about it). The other day, I bought an apron pattern that called for almost twice as much fabric for the ties, as it needed for the main part of the apron. I could not figure it out, and Todd suggested that the ties/trim must be cut on the bias...he was right. :o)

Therapy minded

Lots of times, as Todd is leaving for work in the morning, I'll kiss him goodbye and tell him to go out and "slay the dragon". I just want him to feel like he's my "knight in shining armor", and know that I appreciate all he does for our family.

This morning, when I repeated the usual phrase, he looked at me and said, "You know...I'm not really about slaying the dragon. I'm more about helping him overcome his anger issues so that we can all live in peace."

Somehow I don't think it would make a very good movie, but whatever. Go out and tame the dragon, Dear.

It's the little things...

On Saturday night, I went to the sink to wash a spatula so I could use it to frost Brayden's birthday cake, and noticed that Todd had re-filled our soap dispenser that had run out of dish soap. So I thanked him.

He looked at me funny, and then said:

Today I ran power to the bathroom downstairs, hooked up an outlet and three light switches, installed two light fixtures, installed a new faucet in the bathroom upstairs, and made icing for Brayden's birthday cake....and you're thanking me for re-filling the soap dispenser?

But see, the thing that he doesn't get, is that re-filling the soap dispenser saved me a few minutes when I was tired, and I was grateful. I probably would've thanked him for changing the toilet paper roll too....but that didn't happen :o).

I am ALSO grateful that he did all that other stuff, because we are well on our way to a second bathroom.

Thank you Todd! I am so grateful for all you do for us, but especially the little things, like scraping the frost off the van window in the morning, getting up early to light the fire so our house is warm when we get up, and throwing in loads of laundry, or remembering to rotate it when I forget.

You are my "happy thought" and I love you for...you.

As if I have time for this...

I have a million things to do today, but when Todd fell asleep on the couch in his hooded sweatshirt, I HAD to run and get the "unabomber glasses" that we found in our basement when we moved in, and take a picture. He woke up as I was trying to "set up", but I managed to get a quick shot anyway. This is the closest you will ever come to seeing Todd in a costume. Unless, like me, you consider the cowboy boots and belt buckle that he wears to work every day a costume...


Todd's been away at a conference for a couple days, so we are glad to have him home. Even if he's just sleeping on the couch :o) Oh, and I have to clarify something from a previous post. I mentioned that Todd had been at work getting sworn at...it's not by his superiors, mind you; it's by the ungrateful teenagers that he's trying to "fix". He works in a very difficult environment, but I believe it is a noble job. I'm grateful for all he does for our family.

Todd is not a brown noser anymore!

Ever since Todd was two years old, he's had a mole on the end of his nose. He's always hated it...being called brown-noser, or "the north star" by mean kids on the playground. So you can imagine his joy, when he recently went to have his teeth cleaned, and both the dentist AND the hygienist recommended that he have it checked.

Four days before his scheduled appointment, our dermatologist and most of his staff were tragically killed in an airplane crash. Todd was quick to call the office and leave a message saying, "Don't worry about me...you've got bigger things to worry about." But I know he was disappointed to keep "the north star" around for longer.

After a bit of searching, we discovered that there was a dermatologist that comes to Gunnison from Provo, so Todd met him there (a little over an hour away). The dermatologist didn't think it looked so bad, but he could tell that Todd really wanted it gone, so he said, "lets do a biopsy..." (probably so he could bill it to our insurance) and then he cut the whole thing off :o).

Todd goes running any time I try to get near him with the camera (I can't imagine why??) so I had to do a little photoshop-ing so you could see what he looks like now :o)

A blast from the past

I thought I'd better post something funny, after all the whining I did in my last post.

This is a picture of Todd's (girl) friends from high-school.
If you look closely, you'll see that they're spelling TODD! with their bodies.

What you can't hear, is their chant:

"T" - "O" - "double D",

"that's the way we spell SE-XY"

Sorry gals...he's mine.

Family campout

Todd had two days off in the middle of last week, so we decided to go on a little family campout.

We forgot the oil for the pancakes, and Dillon arrived with only flip flops, but we managed to enjoy ourselves anyway.

As we were planning this little event, I imagined leaving our stresses behind, sitting in a camp chair, and enjoying nature while the kids entertained themselves with dirt and rocks.

The kids did a pretty good job of entertaining themselves, but for me and Todd it was really all just a big whirlwind of packing, setting up camp, fixing dinner, geocaching, fishing, s'mores, using the plop-drop, hanging on for dear life so as to not fall off the air mattress when someone else moved, not sleeping, making breakfast, taking down camp, fishing again, stopping for shakes, and un-packing.

**note to self: next time leave more than 24 hours for the event if I want to enjoy nature.

The boys had a great time walking on this "balance beam".

"Look, mom, I can do a twick!"

Our chair got attacked by a wild and ferocious animal during the night...

Oh, wait. It was just our dog. Heaven forbid we should take a family outing without the dog.

Oh, and we also played "Black Magic" and the boys were introduced to "The Great Tod-dah!" They were amazed at how Dad could read their minds.

This was taken in the spot where we found the geocache. We camped on a mountain that overlooks Capitol Reef. Usually the air is very clear, but it's hazy in the picture because of the fires in California.

Memories tag

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

(Go ahead and leave a memory for Todd AND/OR Felicia)

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Sock Update

Todd would like you all to know that on the 36th try, his sock touched the hamper.

"It would have gone in, except there were clothes hanging over the edge"


My apologies to Char, Erin, and Tyler for giving your spouses the idea.

** he chose the theme music

Three kids? or four?

I just walked into my bedroom, only to find my husband throwing his dirty sock at the spinning ceiling fan, in the hopes that it would land in the hamper.

It didn't.

And then he tried again.

And it still didn't work.

And then he asked me how much I'd pay him if it worked.

Not much.

I think there's too much testosterone in this house.

The saddest part, is that now 90% of the men who read this post are going to try it themselves.