Packing day

Today the packers are here in record numbers... eight, at least! Wow... talk about a bit overwhelming at 0730am... at any rate, they are knocking this place out quickly! It's bittersweet to be doing this again... love that we're moving back to Texas, but sad to leave our new home and the great friends we have here in Ohio. And it's also just a bit unnerving to move only four months after our last move.

Anyway, this will be the last post for awhile -- it'll be a couple of weeks before I see my computer and have access to the internet. It's been fun!

Happy Halloween!

I didn't see much of Todd tonight -- he was working his last shift at King's Island and Madi and I were gone to our "old neighborhood" to trick-or-treat with our old neighbor's and dear friends Connie Langlois and her daughter, Valerie.

And I didn't get any pics during the trick-or-treating festivities, but here are a couple of before and after's of Madison. We walked and walked and walked, just like pioneer children. Unlike pioneer children, though, we collected candy along the way! It was a slightly chilly but otherwise awesome evening and we had a great time.

Here are Todd's "Special" Pics...

These pictures are Todd... they capture the very heart of who he is... jokester, funny, silly, thoughtful, infuriating Todd. Enjoy!



Todd's "Stephen Colbert" pose with Madi along for the ride



Todd's "Captain Morgan" pose



Todd's "The Thinker" pose



Todd's "Oh" pose (stated in girly falsetto)

My super cute kids and a really fun photo shoot

I decided not to partake in the annual "School Photo Op Day" aka. "man-these-are-bad-pictures-and-I-KNOW-I'm-way-cuter-than-that" session offered by the local school. I find those pics are typically not that attractive and rarely do they capture the essence and "sparkle" that are Todd and Madi. So I took the kids to a cheap (aka. reasonably priced) local photographer, recommended by several different friends, and we had a photo shoot. We took TONS of pics and laughed (comedy provided by Todd) the entire time. Todd even had the photographer in stitches. We had a great time and captured the specialness that is my children in nearly every shot. Frankly, some of the pics are more "special" than others and by that I mean "eye rolling funny" Todd -- I will definately have to post his very "special pics". Although I am totally biased, I think these pics are way more fabulous than any school picture I've ever seen. Don't you agree?!

WE.ARE.MOVING.AGAIN!!!

Can you EVEN believe it?

On one hand, it feels a bit overwhelming -- we're still tying up loose ends from our most recent move WAAAAAAAYYYY back in June 2009. We just got here -- back to the Cincinnati area; to a home, friends, and ward we love. The kids are settling into school and making friends. I feel badly for them.

Things changed with Kendon's company and so, we are being relocated. Back to Texas. WE LOVE TEXAS. A lot! So we'll suck it up and take the short term pain for long term gain.

We won't EVER have to deal with the snow, ice and cold because I'm never, ever, ever moving again. We can sell the snow thrower (by the way, anyone looking for a sweet snow thrower??)

We'll be back in a place we loved with people we love. Kinda like Cinci, only warmer. There are miles of bike trails, lots of golf courses, lakes, and awesome TexMex food. (Pappasito's here we come!)

Kendon will be back in the field working with "his people", which he LOVES... Corporate HQ is NOT his favorite thing. That reality hit with this most recent move. This is his second stint at Corporate HQ and frankly, the first time he didn't know any better. After four years at HQ, often working 16 - 20 hour days, he got transferred to a "field" position. We moved to Texas and he worked out of a home office. Even though he was working, he was home. Madi grew up having him around. When he wasn't travelling, he was home and she could walk by his office and wave at him, blow him a kiss, share a quick hug or tell him a story about her day. She has really missed that since we moved back to Cinci. It's been three months and she still asks "Where's dad?"

I'll go back to work, too. And the kids will be back in familiar surroundings. Who knows, depending on where we find a home, we may even be in the same schools and ward as we were before. We're looking forward, anticipating our return to a place we love. We're ready.

House is on the market and it looks great! Anyone out there wanna buy it?

Top Chef Funny

Our family likes to watch "Top Chef". It's features a cooking themed show filled with several talented chefs from all over the place -- one by one they are eliminated based on their culinary creativity (usually a lack therof) or food quality compared with the other chefs. At any rate, during each episode there is a "quick fire challenge" where the chefs have 30 minutes to prepare something, anything with assigned ingredients. They have to think fast, prepare gourmet type food and plate it in an esthetic way all in a very short time. Based on the results of the quick fire, one chef is given "immunity" which means he / she cannot be sent home that episode, no matter the outcome of the rest of the challenges.

I missed the last episode and asked the family to give me an update. Madison proudly explained that Jen had won "COMMUNITY" and would be safe for another episode.

Madison is STILL perfect

Just wanted to throw that out there... it's been two days since her baptism and she is STILL perfect! How awesome that this is such a big deal to her. Mind you, we all (Madi included) realize she'll trip up sometime but that's what the Atonement is all about, right?

We had a nice turn out at her baptism. Our only family members present (besides Ken, Todd and me) were Marcia, Scott, and Charlie Johnson (my sister and her family). Madi was pretty sad that neither of her grandparents could make it, but she had several new friends from her primary class who came, and several local family friends. Our old neighbors and very close friends, Connie and Val Langlois also came. Why that is worth mentioning is because they do not share our religion but understood that this was a big deal to Madison so wanted to be there to share the special event with her.

I talked to Connie after the baptism and she thought it was awesome -- said she cried several different times she was so touched. She is a very spiritual person, thoroughly committed to her religion. We have always had frank open discussions about Mormonism vs. Catholicism. So afterwards, when I asked her what she thought, she told me. She didn't think it was weird. She didn't think we were strange. She thought it was a very spiritual and a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I love that we can talk openly about religion, despite the differences between the two.

Madison is getting baptized!

Yup, it's true. And it's happening tomorrow evening at 6pm. She is so excited. She's been planning it for months -- she has the "perfect" pretty white dress, wants her hair in a french braid so it won't fly around her face and possibly out of the water. I think she's a bit nervous about "not doing it right the first time". But I have tried to reassure her that it doesn't matter if she has to be immersed more than once -- no big deal. To her it is and she is determined to do it "right".

She outlined her program in great detail, including who she wanted to give talks, what songs she wanted to sing, etc. And so, I have been working on programs, writing a talk, editing pics, making cookies and holding my breath just a little. Tomorrow is a big day. A milestone for Madison. I'm excited for her and just a tiny bit sad that she is growing up so fast.

A rather introspective look into the heart of a "top 10" photographer...

It never fails to amaze me that we all struggle, no matter how much we have accomplished, no matter how many lives we have touched, no matter who we are or what we do. I "borrowed" this clip from a friends blog because it really made me think. Not just about photography, but about life and about the things that matter. Zack Arias is a "top 10" photographer located in Atlanta and his work is pretty darn A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

A lot left to do

It is summer, obviously. We have moved from one State to another and gotten mostly unpacked and organized (by "unpacked and organized" I mean that we've unpacked enough boxes to find enough of our stuff to function well enough to ignore the remaining boxes). I look around the house at the furniture that is sitting exactly where the movers put it and I shake my head knowing I still have a lot to do.

Add the "a lot left to do" items to the rest of my to do list and it's verges on overwhelming. I know I'm no different than anyone else -- we're all busy, but when I write it down, there really just aren't enough hours in the day. Here's a partial list: (I'm not going to write down the obvious -- get up, shower, brush teeth, make bed, etc. things but those are also being done)

1. I'm really trying to spend a lot of QUALITY time with the kids -- at the parks, the pool, walking, rollerblading, biking, playdates, etc. Quality time means not bossing, cussing, or yelling at said children... that's hard sometimes cause these awesome kids of mine just need to be yelled at and bossed around. And I have to cuss now and then so I can add money to the cuss jar -- Madi knows that is her ticket to Disney World...

2. Then we have grocery shopping (you know, the thing I hate nearly as much as ironing -- no Peapod Grocery delivery here!) Its bad enough doing this alone, but add two kids and our shopping experience sounds something like "hey mom, let's get this", "aw, mom, you never let us get...", "will you buy me _________ (insert anything and everything here", and I could go on but I digress.

3. Before I shop, I have to make my weekly menu. I have realized quite recently (this morning in the shower, actually) that I really need to include all three meals of the day to feel completely on top of the food experience in the Richards household. To date, I've only been including dinner. So I'll be tweaking the menu-writing task just a bit to include all three daily meals. This process involves flipping through recipes, balancing the food groups and organizing the "meals of the week" so we don't have chicken two days in a row. I actually like this part of the process. It helps me stay organized, helps me focus on what I need to get at the store since I only buy what I need to make the menu items each week, and it save me bucks since I'm cooking and not buying pre-packaged prepared food or other items we don't need.

4. Cleaning: bathrooms, floors, carpets, dishes, laundry, sticky finger marks off the walls, doors, light switches MADI (read *yell* since my sweet princess is the sticky fingered wall toucher in our home. Did I say that sticky messes really, REALLY get to me?)

5. Bill paying, letter writing, claims filing, etc -- all the fun and wonderful things we get to do just by virtue of the fact that we are adults who own a home. Add to the "normal" things, the other moving-related things I've been doing this past month and this takes it up a notch. The weeks following the move have been filled with service people installing this or fixing that. I'm still waiting for the plumber who is coming "today" (since it's 6pm on Friday, I've reconciled that he's not really coming today) to install the battery backup for the sump pump... don't want the basement to flood now, do we? And other fun service-related things like that.

Now I know there are many more things than these few that fill the day and frankly, I could go on writing and writing and writing.... but there's not time. I'm going to post this and get back to my "to do" list. Au revoir!

It's been a LONG time

I just wanted to stop in, write a little update, then get back to all the fun stuff I've been doing the past few weeks: unpacking, organizing, cleaning, swimming, filing claims forms, updating work documents, job hunting, and doing all the other fun things associated with a move. I'm thrilled to be back in Ohio. The kids are doing well and having fun with old friends and new ones. Kendon is slowly getting used to life back in Corporate office (as opposed to life in a home office).

We're doing well. We're getting settled. And we're ready for company... well, maybe in a few weeks, we'll be ready for company.

MY father, the pineapple

I want to give a shout out to my dad, one of the meanest, crustiest, but most loving guys I know. My dad is like a pineapple -- tough and a little prickly on the outside; soft, sweet, and "golden" on the inside. OK, now, no eye rolling here... I'm serious! Harlan = pineapple.

Think about it. He has kind of a tough, gruff exterior -- to some, he's unapproachable and kind of scary. But get to know him, and you'll see a very different kind of person. It's those who really know him, who get a glimpse of the "real" guy, who have no doubt that he's a softie -- not in a pushover kind of way or anything, but in a way that affirms that if you are in trouble or need something, he'll be there for you no matter what. He's got a heart of gold. His TRUE friends -- and they know who they are -- know the goodness and kindness of that man.

So I'm going to backtrack a little -- like back to high school. My dad was the crankiest, toughest, meanest dad around. He had a super-spy network comparable to none. He always knew where we were, who we were with, how many times we'd cruised main and with whom we cruised. He knew if we were holding hands with a boy or cutting class and tanning on the football field with friends. It was uncanny! And a little spooky. People (and by people, I mean my friends / boyfriends) feared him. I remember thinking on more than one occasion that he was just unhappy and out to make the rest of us equally so. But then I caught a glimpse of the "gold" one evening, one of many I was grounded, when dad spent the evening hanging out with me playing on the piano / organ and talking with me. Frankly, at the time, I'd have much rather been with my friends and didn't think hanging out with dad was a good alternative, but in hindsight, that time was a gift to me. He could have been doing anything, but he spent his evening with me. And then when a brother called to see if he could move the party to our house, dad agreed and told me I could join in on the fun.

I didn't really understand my dad when I lived at home but I was a teenager then and like many teenagers, I may have been a bit narcissistic (I said I MAY have been a BIT narcissistic, just a little, the other kids were WAAAAAYYY worse). I knew dad was tough -- when he said be home at 10pm, he meant it. I learned that lesson the hard way, more than once -- 5 minutes late meant "you are grounded young lady" and I just thought that was tough, tight, unfair, whatever. He said what he meant and he meant what he said -- we knew the rules and knew that breaking them had consequences. Now that I'm an adult with my own teen, I understand the need for structure and rules and I understand from where he was coming. It wasn't from a place of meanness or anger or "I'm out to ruin your life", but a place of love and concern and maybe even fear.

I knew he was a hard working man who felt it was important to provide for his family (extended and friends included). And I knew that babies and animals adored him (well, except for skunks and muskrats) and he adored them (again, not the skunks and muskrats). He was very passionate about his interests and wanted to get us involved in the things he enjoyed. He was always determined and driven with goals. He loved to tell jokes and had a quirky, quick sense of humor. Those things were obvious albeit not always appreciated or acknowledged. HELLO! I said I was a teenager at the time!

It wasn't until I had my own kids that I really started to understand the parent who was my dad. He always loved me. He was my dad. He didn't have a choice -- he had to love me. But just how much, I couldn't even have guessed until I had my own kids. As a parent, I began to experience the weight of responsibility and fear associated with parenting all mixed together with immeasurable love and pride and happiness. It's a bit overwhelming at times, I must say.

You have this child and suddenly a piece of your heart is walking around. They're talking, growing up and all you want to do is provide, teach, shelter, protect and help that little person who is part of you grow up happy and successful. So much of life is out of my control. And it's scary, almost paralyzing sometimes, especially when you see that little person -- your little heart -- making silly choices or dangerous decisions.

My dad made it through life with six kids -- six TEENS! We all survived and so did my dad. He's a good man. He's a funny man. He's a loving, kind man. I've always considered myself a good judge of character and for what it's worth, I'll tell you, my dad is a pineapple through and through. I love you dad. Happy Father's Day!

Dear Government of the United States of America...

**This letter was sent to Glenn Beck by an American woman from Arizona named Janet Contreras -- just a concerned Patriot like so many of us -- and he read it on the air yesterday, and will read it to the TV audience tonight. This woman has summed up my fears and concerns related to government in general. She rocks! And I'm planning on forwarding this letter to everyone I know, so get ready, it's coming your way.

Janet Says:

I'm a home grown American citizen, 53, registered Democrat all my life. Before the last presidential election I registered as a Republican because I no longer felt the Democratic Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. Now I no longer feel the Republican Party represents my views or works to pursue issues important to me. The fact is I no longer feel any political party or representative in Washington represents my views or works to pursue the issues important to me. There must be someone. Please tell me who you are. Please stand up and tell me that you are there and that you're willing to fight for our Constitution as it was written. Please stand up now. You might ask yourself what my views and issues are that I would horribly feel so disenfranchised by both major political parties. What kind of nut job am I? Will you please tell me?

Well, these are briefly my views and issues for which I seek representation:

One, illegal immigration. I want you to stop coddling illegal immigrants and secure our borders. Close the underground tunnels. Stop the violence and the trafficking in drugs and people. No amnesty, not again. Been there, done that, no resolution. P.S., I'm not a racist. This isn't to be confused with legal immigration.

Two, the TARP bill, I want it repealed and I want no further funding supplied to it. We told you no, but you did it anyway. I want the remaining unfunded 95% repealed. Freeze, repeal.

Three: Czars, I want the circumvention of our checks and balances stopped immediately. Fire the czars. No more czars. Government officials answer to the process, not to the president. Stop trampling on our Constitution and honor it.

Four, cap and trade. The debate on global warming is not over. There is more to say.

Five, universal healthcare. I will not be rushed into another expensive decision. Don't you dare try to pass this in the middle of the night and then go on break. Slow down!

Six, growing government control. I want states rights and sovereignty fully restored. I want less government in my life, not more. Shrink it down. Mind your own business. You have enough to take care of with your real obligations. Why don't you start there.

Seven, ACORN. I do not want ACORN and its affiliates in charge of our 2010 census. I want them investigated. I also do not want mandatory escrow fees contributed to them every time on every real estate deal that closes. Stop the funding to ACORN and its affiliates pending impartial audits and investigations. I do not trust them with taking the census over with our taxpayer money. I don't trust them with our taxpayer money. Face up to the allegations against them and get it resolved before taxpayers get any more involved with them. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, hello. Stop protecting your political buddies. You work for us, the people. Investigate.

Eight, redistribution of wealth. No, no, no. I work for my money. It is mine. I have always worked for people with more money than I have because they gave me jobs. That is the only redistribution of wealth that I will support. I never got a job from a poor person. Why do you want me to hate my employers? Why? What do you have against shareholders making a profit?

Nine, charitable contributions. Although I never got a job from a poor person, I have helped many in need. Charity belongs in our local communities, where we know our needs best and can use our local talent and our local resources. Butt out, please. We want to do it ourselves.

Ten, corporate bailouts. Knock it off. Sink or swim like the rest of us. If there are hard times ahead, we'll be better off just getting into it and letting the strong survive. Quick and painful. Have you ever ripped off a Band-Aid? We will pull together. Great things happen in America under great hardship. Give us the chance to innovate. We cannot disappoint you more than you have disappointed us.

Eleven, transparency and accountability. How about it? No, really, how about it? Let's have it. Let's say we give the buzzwords a rest and have some straight honest talk. Please try. Please stop manipulating and trying to appease me with clever wording. I am not the idiot you obviously take me for. Stop sneaking around and meeting in back rooms making deals with your friends. It will only be a prelude to your criminal investigation. Stop hiding things from me.

Twelve, unprecedented quick spending. Stop it now.

Take a breath. Listen to the people. Let's just slow down and get some input from some nonpoliticians on the subject. Stop making everything an emergency. Stop speed reading our bills into law. I am not an activist. I am not a community organizer. Nor am I a terrorist, a militant or a violent person. I am a parent and a grandparent. I work. I'm busy. I'm busy. I am busy, and I am tired. I thought we elected competent people to take care of the business of government so that we could work, raise our families, pay our bills, have a little recreation, complain about taxes, endure our hardships, pursue our personal goals, cut our lawn, wash our cars on the weekends and be responsible contributing members of society and teach our children to be the same all while living in the home of the free and land of the brave.

I entrusted you with upholding the Constitution. I believed in the checks and balances to keep from getting far off course. What happened? You are very far off course. Do you really think I find humor in the hiring of a speed reader to unintelligently ramble all through a bill that you signed into law without knowing what it contained? I do not. It is a mockery of the responsibility I have entrusted to you. It is a slap in the face. I am not laughing at your arrogance. Why is it that I feel as if you would not trust me to make a single decision about my own life and how I would live it but you should expect that I should trust you with the debt that you have laid on all of us and our children. We did not want the TARP bill. We said no. We would repeal it if we could. I am sure that we still cannot. There is such urgency and recklessness in all of the recent spending.

From my perspective, it seems that all of you have gone insane. I also know that I am far from alone in these feelings. Do you honestly feel that your current pursuits have merit to patriotic Americans? We want it to stop. We want to put the brakes on everything that is being rushed by us and forced upon us. We want our voice back. You have forced us to put our lives on hold to straighten out the mess that you are making. We will have to give up our vacations, our time spent with our children, any relaxation time we may have had and money we cannot afford to spend on you to bring our concerns to Washington. Our president often knows all the right buzzword is unsustainable. Well, no kidding. How many tens of thousands of dollars did the focus group cost to come up with that word? We don't want your overpriced words. Stop treating us like we're morons.

We want all of you to stop focusing on your reelection and do the job we want done, not the job you want done or the job your party wants done. You work for us and at this rate I guarantee you not for long because we are coming. We will be heard and we will be represented. You think we're so busy with our lives that we will never come for you? We are the formerly silent majority, all of us who quietly work , pay taxes, obey the law, vote, save money, keep our noses to the grindstone and we are now looking up at you. You have awakened us, the patriotic spirit so strong and so powerful that it had been sleeping too long. You have pushed us too far. Our numbers are great. They may surprise you. For every one of us who will be there, there will be hundreds more that could not come. Unlike you, we have their trust. We will represent them honestly, rest assured. They will be at the polls on voting day to usher you out of office. We have cancelled vacations. We will use our last few dollars saved. We will find the representation among us and a grassroots campaign will flourish. We didn't ask for this fight. But the gloves are coming off. We do not come in violence, but we are angry. You will represent us or you will be replaced with someone who will. There are candidates among us when he will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes that you have made of our constitution.

Democrat, Republican, independent, libertarian. Understand this. We don't care. Political parties are meaningless to us. Patriotic Americans are willing to do right by us and our Constitution and that is all that matters to us now. We are going to fire all of you who abuse power and seek more. It is not your power. It is ours and we want it back. We entrusted you with it and you abused it. You are dishonorable. You are dishonest. As Americans we are ashamed of you. You have brought shame to us. If you are not representing the wants and needs of your constituency loudly and consistently, in spite of the objections of your party, you will be fired. Did you hear? We no longer care about your political parties. You need to be loyal to us, not to them. Because we will get you fired and they will not save you. If you do or can represent me, my issues, my views, please stand up. Make your identity known. You need to make some noise about it. Speak up. I need to know who you are. If you do not speak up, you will be herded out with the rest of the sheep and we will replace the whole damn congress if need be one by one. We are coming. Are we coming for you? Who do you represent? What do you represent? Listen. Because we are coming. We the people are coming.

Treasure the moments...

Kendon and I were talking last night about our kids -- the challenges, the funny things... just stuff in general. And for whatever reason, I started thinking about how important it is to make time for the little moments... time is fleeting.

Madi asks every night for me to snuggle her when I kiss her goodnight. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. She loves me to snuggle beside her and tickle her face and sing her the songs I used to when she was a baby. I don't know why, but that's what she loves. And then she makes fun of my singing. And we laugh... a lot.

Todd still likes for me to tuck him in -- literally. He'll lay on his bed with the covers by his feet and wait for me to cover him, kiss him goodnight and sit on the end of his bed and talk with him. We have an easy, open communication and I find that bedtime is Todd's favorite time to talk, tell me a funny story, share concerns, whatever... stall tactic, maybe (more like definately). Good opportunity for bonding, teaching, sharing -- most definately.

Those moments mean a lot to Todd and Madi and they mean a lot to me. So I'm going to make more time to "snuggle". And I'm going to make more time to "tuck in". It may be stalling, but it helps me build a strong relationship with my kids. And those few moments spent before bed tell them without words that I love and treasure them. They won't always want me to "snuggle" or "tuck in" so I'm going to do it now, while I can and enjoy these fleeting treasured moments with my kids.

On my mind

So now that we're into June, and the move is drawing closer, I feel like life is one big loose end. For instance, there is the end of the school year coming closer: final exams, assignments, projects, teacher gifts, bus driver gifts, notifying both schools that we're moving and so forth.

We also have a sweet girl having a special birthday (yup, she's turning eight!) with a simple request for a party with her friends before we move (can't say no to that).

Then there's work for both Kendon and me (yes, I went back to work), keeping THIS house showhome ready for endless showings that materialize into just that -- showings (without results, they're just a tease), and changing addresses and making sure final utility readings take place when they need to and setting up new utilites in Ohio.

Then we have the after school sports programs and working out religiously at the gym so the old friends don't see just how well the past 8 years has treated me ;)and finalizing building details for the house in Ohio, blah, blah, blah, etc. and I'm feeling just a bit crazy.

At any given moment, I'm feeling like I have a case of ADHD (Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder) because I don't finish THINKING a complete thought before moving on to the next, let alone EXPRESSING those thoughts. My family is patient and giving me a wide berth... what does that mean exactly? Am I being testy? A little impatient? Hmmmm.... just more to think about.

First Date and Prom

Well, Todd has a few more "firsts" behind him. He had his first date tonight AND also went to his first Prom. Jacquie Smith, a friend of Todd's, asked him to go with her to Prom, he said yes, and here we are. Not really much to say except that I hope he is a gentleman, I hope he remembers his good manners, and I hope they have a great time. Fortunately, Jacquie and Todd weren't camera shy and I was able to get some cute pics of them beforehand.

Our new home

Appropriate for mother's day!

I don't watch Family Guy, but came across this video on a friends blog and had to share it. It made me laugh out loud!!! Hope you enjoy it too.

Happy Mother's Day

I have been blessed with a great mom who is an amazing, talented woman and who can do anything she puts her mind to -- she can cook anything, she sings, she sews, does genealogy, she quilts, she is a tireless worker, she's funny but doesn't know she is and has a girl-like giggle when she laughs. And she has an unwavering testimony of the gospel and loves her Savior.

With six kids, now grown, our family get togethers are rowdy, obnoxious, and always hilarious and we cause mom a little stress as we ACTIVELY try to embarass her or relive stories from our "youth" -- leaking a few long-kept secrets as we relive them.

"Oops...you didn't know that? Huh. Imagine that."

We find it funny. She is often shocked and her facial expressions are priceless...

"You guys", she says as we get rowdier and raunchier -- mission accomplished.

She wears her emotions on her sleeve and you always know how my sweet mom is feeling by the look on her face. I love her face.

Anyway, now that I'm a mom, I find myself doing things or saying things that my mom did or said (things I vowed NEVER, EVER, EVER to do or say). It's funny, kind of, that I'm a little like her -- like I said, she is an awesome woman. So I'm blessed to be a little bit like her. I have her determination and will to do for myself. I zone out sometimes during card games and always fall asleep in the car, just like mom. If I hear a few notes of a song, it's stuck in my head the rest of the day.

And speaking of music, mom ruined a couple of church hymns for me (and I think the rest of the kids): "Let us Oft Speak Kind Words" and "Love at Home" because she would sing them to us whenever we fought or were being mean to each other -- so we really tired of them as they were WAY oversung at our house (kinda like the top 20). To this day, I cringe whenever I hear them.

At any rate, that's not the point. My point to this post is to let my mom know how much I love her, respect her, and want to be more like her. Mom, you are such a good person. There aren't words to let you know how much you matter to me. I love you. Happy Mother's day.

Todd's 16th

Well, it's been more than a day since his 16th birthday, but we had a great celebration and I think Todd had a great day and now I'm getting around to posting some pics.

Kendon and Todd went to a Red Sox game at Fenway the day before Todd's birthday to kick off the "party week". They had a good time at the game and enjoyed being at Fenway.

We spent Todd's birthday day hanging out together -- opened gifts, played with gifts, hung out, etc. Then we went bowling and out for dinner at a Teppanyaki restaurant, which is something Todd had wanted to do for a long time. We enjoyed the day together and I'm getting used to the idea that my baby is growing up. Next, the first date, drivers license... look out!!

My baby boy is 16...

It's hard to believe it. It's a huge milestone for him and it's excrutiating for me to realize he's more man than child... will be driving soon, dating, getting ready for a mission... it's a lot to take in.

I checked in on him tonight at 124am... that's the time he was born sixteen years ago. He was sleeping -- looked sweet and peaceful. Fortunately for both of us, he sleeps better now than he did as a baby.

Such a good kid. Such a good young man.

I'll post some pics tomorrow.

Then and Now

I made bread yesterday and again today... an "object" to go with Kendon's Home Teaching message... Today I made another batch of bread so it would be fresh for the rest of his HT families tonight.

Anyway, when my kids got home and smelled the fresh bread, their mouths literally started to water and they headed right over to get a few slices. As they moaned and chewed and sighed, I had to laugh -- they were enjoying it SOOOOO much. I used to make bread all the time, but I haven't been very good about making it lately. My family really enjoys it when I do, though. In fact, they BEG me to make it.

Now onto the then and now part of the story... I remember as a kid, my mom made bread every week, without fail. And it was good. She is an awesome breadmaker. But I also remember begging her, on occasion, NOT to make bread but instead let us eat STORE BOUGHT bread... what a treat for us! Whenever we got to have "boughten bread" I'd take the crust off and eat it, then I'd either flatten out the rest and nibble it, or I'd squish it into a round ball and eat it. Either way, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a treat for me.

Fast forward several years into the present. I shared this memory with my kids as they were inhaling piece after piece of fresh bread and they told my I must have been crazy. It's funny to me how a homemade piece of bread can make my kids eyes roll back in their heads when as a kid, all I wanted was store bought bread. Perspective is certainly shaped by what we have / do not have and what we consider "normal" versus "special".

Check this out! Pretty funny

Elder Moon, Man What Will You Do? (Show Me Your Virtue)

Our Master bedroom... looks pretty good
but we usually keep it pretty clean


Madison's room... looks really good. She's
worked hard to get it looking like this


Todd's room looks awesome... it's NEVER
looked this good! And he worked hard to
get it looking this great.

The craziness before more craziness

Well, this weekend is the last one before our house goes on the market. And I've been cleaning and organizing and purging like a maniac for weeks. But today, we got down to the surface stuff. Bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. My kids (and husband) are amazing.

Madi and I talked this morning about what she needed to do. Before I knew it, she had MADE A LIST, complete with tick boxes, and started in on her work. She is a girl after my own heart... a list, can you believe it??

And Todd...what can I say? He doesn't need a list. I told him what I needed him to do and he just went for it. I haven't seen his room so clean EVER!! And he dusted, vacuumed, cleaned his bathroom... then he and Kendon went outside for a little break where Todd thoroughly cleaned up on the BB court... the loser had to pick up dog poop. Suffice it to say, Todd was thrilled to see Kendon picking up after the dog.

Everyone has stepped up today and really taken on a lot of responsibility which has been so nice for me. I've been able to do what I need to do while they all do their chores. And the house is looking pretty dang good. By Monday, it'll look awesome... bring on the buyers!

People, WE are the People

I just don't understand what the Obama attraction is. The Love Fest continues. The "Slobbering Media Love Affair" is sickening. This man may well be the President of the United States, but he is the devil. He is pushing BIG GOVERNMENT, BIG TAXES, WORLD GOVERNMENT, SOCIALISM -- PEOPLE, DON'T YOU GET IT??? More government involvement on every level and Big Brother's nose in every aspect of everything we do, say, choose (well, if we keep going in the direction we're headed, we won't have to choose -- our choices will be made for us by OBAMA.

First he's firing a CEO of a PRIVATE corporation (yes, I realize GM sold themselves to the "Obama Devil" when they accepted $$) -- didn't realize Obama wanted to control the car industry from the White House, but why not? He's in the back pocket of the Union... But come on, what's next? Is he going to push regulation to tell me what food to buy or from whom? Oops...too late. There's already regulation proposed to shut down small Farmers: goodbye little roadside farm vendors and UPick fruit orchards. Or maybe he'll decide we need one religion for all people... you know, we need to unite. Where's the harm in that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. We have to stand up and take back control. The government is supposed to work for the PEOPLE, not the other way around.

People, we are the people. We have a voice. We need to stand up and be heard and let our new dear, inexperienced, clueless President know that we don't want him destroying this great country.

OK, I'm done for now. Just had to get that off my chest.

Holy Cr*p... I really need to stop doing stuff like this...

So I was stressing the other day with so much to do to get the house ready for the Home video tour taping (for listing it) and I decided I really needed a break just to chill for a few minutes. So, stupidly, I got on the computer and I got onto ebay and ubid and a few other auction sites, just to look. Now in the past, I have thrown a lowball bid in here and there never thinking I'd ever win the item -- whether or not I even wanted it wasn't important. It was the principle of the thing... winning something for a really low-ball bid is just kind of cool. And in the past, I've never won. Except for once. So I figured, hey, what the heck, I'm going to check out the laptops on ubid and see how cheap I might find one. MISTAKE #1...

Followed shortly after by MISTAKE #2... I threw a bid out there for a decent laptop totally refurbished with a warranty, big enough to hold all my now computerized recipe files and several other things... remember, I don't win with low-ball bids. Well, this time I won. And I bought myself a laptop. Ken is going to be mad at me when I get the courage to tell him.

And that leads me to MISTAKE #3... I haven't told him yet. So if you're reading this, honey, take a few deep breaths and count to 10 before you come looking for me. If family is reading this, don't ask Ken anything about said laptop. I'll tell him... soon. I just thought I'd get it off my chest here first... dumb, dumb, dumb, but still a little exciting.

Time flies!

Wow, it's been a long time since I've blogged. And there's been a lot going on in our world. Probably the biggest news is that we're moving to Ohio in June, once the kids are done school. We'll be listing the house the beginning of April and taking it from there. Not surprisingly, the kids took the move news well -- they're pretty flexible and willing to experience life's adventures along with us.

So I have a few weeks to get the house in tip-top shape -- the realtor will be having someone come in next Thursday to tape the video for the online video tour. And then they'll be doing the realtor luncheon the following week. I really don't have a lot of time and the kids are going to have to get and keep their rooms clean, beds made, etc. Then there's the cupboards to clean (inside and out), windows to wash, closets to declutter... holy cow! I have a lot to do so I'm going to go and get it done.

Just playing with digiscrappin...

I make lists

Ok, there it is. I am a list junkie. Using a list helps keep my organized. Making a list is just like making a plan or a blueprint. Lists make me happy. And crossing things off the list, well, that's better than therapy and THAT makes me happy too.

I'm not the kind of list maker who has to make a new list once the old one gets messy or has been marked up or with items crossed off. No way! I like to see my progress, whether it's household chores, a grocery list, or a list of errands to tackle. And if I don't have a list, you may notice a lost look on my face... I really NEED my "organizational tool".

So there you have it. My admission. I am not looking for a 12 step program, I just wanted to put it "on the table" that I LOVE lists!!

We made it at Lowe's

I love this pic... Madi looks like a little bug... such a CUTE little bug, though. It was taken at Lowe's Hardware during a kids workshop.

We were at Lowe's earlier this week and Madi saw a flyer for the Saturday Kids Workshop. Please, please, please can we do it? Sure, why not. It was free. And it was something we could do together.

So we did. And it was a lot of fun.

Madi thought it was cool that she got her own apron and safety goggles and even cooler that she was able to use the hammer on her own. I read the instructions and she did the rest. And she was so pleased with the end result: her new jewelry box!

Truly Grateful

Just a short little post today to let you know how grateful I am for my awesome husband, fabulous kids, and fantastic friends / family. I'm very blessed and truly grateful for the amazing people in my life who really make a difference every day.

January Sucks!

I've been reflecting on January, thrilled that it has come and gone. I think of all the months of the year, January is the worst. It's gray and cold. I don't like gray. I don't like cold. And this January was worse than others before.

My sweet Grandma Cahoon died on January 13th. She was such a good woman and she was my absolute favorite. She was my "go-to G'ma". For as long as I can remember, she was always the one I shared my secrets with. She was the one I went to when I needed to unload about ANYTHING or when I wanted to share an experience or when I had a question about who-knows-what. She was there and she would listen, love me, feed me, and talk with me. She never flinched at my questions, never told me I was silly or foolish.

She listened when, as a teen, I ranted about the unfair rules of my parents. She laughed as I shared college stories and experiences. She hugged me as I cried about the most recent "break up" and she'd offer advice, solicited or not. She'd tell me what life was like for her when she was my age -- whatever age that was at the time. We shared. And I loved her.

Funny and cute -- inside and out. Clever and witty. Spiritual and unwavering. Straight shooter. Prim and proper. Card shark. Fashion lover. A walking contradiction.

I'm sad that she's gone. Sad that I won't be able to hear her voice again. But I'm glad that she's reunited with Grandpa in Heaven. I know that's where she is. She lived her life loving God, building her testimony of Jesus Christ and she never wavered from the course that would take her back to Him. I'll see her again, but I'll miss her until then.

We're having fish...

The kids were excited to see me return from my quick trip to Canada. I sent them off to school this morning with hugs and kisses and all was well. After school, things were still peachy. We did the normal after school things -- emptying backpacks, looking through school papers, getting snacks, etc. I told Madison she could have a playdate if her friend was available. She was.

They played and had a fun time. There was a lot of peace, happiness, and NO WHINING in the Richards home. Then Madison's friend went home. And it started.

"What are we having for dinner?" Madison asked.
"You won't like it, but we're having fish. It has vegies and a yummy sauce on it and it's really good" (I'm not a fish lover myself, but I do like mild fish prepared with this recipe.)
"What? FISH? I'm not eating fish!" Madison complained.
"Well, actually, you are going to have a taste, then you can have leftovers" I said.
"No, I am NOT eating any fish," said my sweet, obedient daughter.

At this point in the conversation, it became "THE BATTLE OF WILLS" and I was determined not to let it go. I was going to win. And that is where I became the Wicked Witch, the worst mom, the control freak. I made an ultimatum: "You eat this tiny piece of fish (smaller than a dime) or you go to bed without eating".

She screamed, she cried. She screamed and cried. Surprisingly, (not) Madison is very stubborn. And once she makes up her mind about something she seldom changes it.

So guess what? She went to bed. At 7pm.

And apparently she is starving. Or so she says. Over and over and over again.

But I am mean and I am not giving in. She'll eat in the morning.

And it won't be fish.

A picture a day: the "365 Challenge"

So I've taken on a challenge this year that I think is awesome. It involves a camera, which can only mean good things, and scrapbooking, which is also excellent. The challenge is to take a picture a day (of course you can take more than one, but you need to take at least one picture EVERY day) and make a WEEKLY scrapbooking layout that includes your pics and some journaling. At the end of the year, what you'll end up with is a fabulous scrapbook that captures the little every day moments; the moments often overlooked or missed when trying to get that "poser" shot. This is about spontaneity and looking at the little things, then taking the time to make a few comments about those shots you capture that are meaningful to you. I dare you to give it a try.

"All in"

I don't know about you, but I've been of the opinion that a person doesn't need to go to church every Sunday to be a good Christian. Maybe that makes me a heathen, maybe not. Regardless of what you think of me, I do like to take a church break now and then; a "sick day" so to speak. "Moderation in all things" is something our church promotes and I freely apply it to most everything, including my church attendence. Taking a break keeps me sane. And I'm all for preserving my mental health as long as possible since I know, given my family history, that my mental health is a fleeting thing.

In mid-December I had a little guilt attack, realizing that my attitude about church attendence may start to impact my kids. I started giving some serious thought to how I felt about ALL things church related and realized that my attitude kinda sucked. And then I had this brilliant idea. The Richards needed a reality check. I decided that we should have a family vote: we would either quit going to church OR we would commit to be "all in".

The definition of "all in" was just that: we're in it, completely. We would commit to read our scriptures daily, have weekly FHE, say personal and family prayers, attend church weekly (or as often as possible given work schedules). Quite frankly, I really didn't care which way the vote went. On one hand, it'd be nice not to feel the pressure to go to church every week and experience guilt knowing there was so much more we could be doing to develop our spiritual selves. On the other hand, it'd be nice to have everyone's commitment and support to be "all in". We voted and it was unanimous... the result, "ALL IN".

It's been interesting to see and feel the changes that have been happening in our home over the past month. And it's been great to see the kids step up and remind Ken and me (mostly me) that we're "all in" and that it's time for prayers or scriptures. Though soooo very far from perfect, we have been doing really well with our commitment to be "all in" and are all taking baby steps towards doing the things that will help us build relationships with Heavenly Father and with each other. I think it's a good thing.