It is Oliver video clip time!

For the Grandma and Grandpa Coleman, who don't get to see Ollie very often. It is hard to get a good smiling picture of Oliver these days because he moves too quickly, so here is a video of him with his toy dust-buster, a few good smiles, and Gabe saying his favorite phrase these days - "Pop goes the weasel!"

Crazy stalker? Oh wait, that's me!

I've always been a big Orson Scott Card fan, and since I recently re-read Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead (which is really just a brilliant book), I have had him on my mind lately. Last week I was checking out his recent reviews on Hatrack.com and saw that he did a review on the live So You Think You Can Dance show in Charlotte, NC! I was there, and he was there!!

I wondered where he was sitting and thought I would scan through some of my pictures with the audience in them to see if I could spot him (as a side note, I actually spotted Melissa's husband in the audience while we were there and took a picture of him - just another stalkerish confession for ya). I thought to myself, Orson Scott Card has to have some kind of hook-ups, he probably had a good seat, so I looked towards the front and tried to spot someone who was sitting next to a woman and a teenager, since he went with his wife and daughter. In this picture and a few others....

....I spotted this gentleman.

Here is a fairly recent picture of Orson Scott Card, cropped to match the other one.
What do you think?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

Yep, I think I am crazy too.

Don't come a knockin', crazy stalker

Well, I know it's not the fashion for mommy bloggers to mention that their husbands are out of town until after they get back because it will give their crazy stalkers a chance to attack, but I am gonna just admit to myself and everyone that I don't have any crazy stalkers and get on with it. There.

My husband is out of town. He hasn't traveled for work in a couple of years, so it is a change for us. Today is his first day of a new job with the bank, and he got to spend it doing something he doesn't care for - flying. His boss, who also happens to be his friend, sent me an email with this picture of him at the airport and told me that "the crosswind on landing shook him up a little."

Now, I have flown with Chaddy many a time, and though it always makes him nervous, let me state for the record that he is always very manly about it. Very manly indeed.

***I've been a blogging machine lately, so don't forget to scroll down. I know, you aren't used to it, huh?***

***Oh, and ladies - his boss/friend is single. Single with a BMW. Yep.***

Guesstures

This game was a family favorite when I was growing up. Each of the cards you see has something you have to act out (like charades) and as time ticks, the cards drop. You have to try to get everyone to guess correctly so you can grab each card before it drops. We spent so many hours laughing over this game - lots of fond memories.

I was just tickled when I was walking through Walmart the other day and I saw this:

They have brought it back!! How cool is that?!

Anyone else play Guesstures when they were kids?

Another Home

Last week we needed to go to the other side of Charlotte, so we stopped by our old home. We moved away from this house over two years ago, shortly before I started this blog, and though I am glad we moved out when we did, it is still bittersweet to see it. This was our first house and it holds many dear memories.

I was five months pregnant with Gabe when we bought this house. It was always be my "house of dreams" - the first real home that I brought a baby to.

I miss seeing spotting cardinals in the patch of woods behind the house, and waking up to chirping every morning in the spring.

I miss my garden, and I am afraid that most of the plants there have been greatly neglected.

I miss the cul-de-sac, where Colin rode his bike for hours and hours.

I miss the little sun-dappled dining room, where my boys first finger-painted.


I miss our sunny and warm bedroom, where Colin, Gabe and I used to take a nap together every single day (oh, heaven!).

When it comes down to it, I guess what I am really missing more than the house...

...is toddler Colin and baby Gabe.
Can you blame me?

Please excuse me, I need to go kiss two sleeping boys.

Thank You Kari!

Remember when I did my Pay it Forward post back in February? Yeah, I still haven't sent any gifts to the winners. I have a full year, remember? They can probably expect something from me in January. However, this what I got from my friend Kari in the mail this week for winning on her blog:

Kari made this necklace using a washer and craft paper!!! Looking at it, you would never guess. How cool is that? This, from someone who claims she isn't crafty.

Let me just mention that Kari is one of my dearest childhood friends- truly a kindred spirit. Slumber parties were full of "inside jokes" and soul confessing. We spent hours rambling through the woods at girl's camp together, naming favorite spots and streams, in the fashion of Anne and Diana. We both found our Gilbert Blythes and were married within a month of each other. Even though we haven't lived near each other for years, she is one of those people that I could always just pick up with right where we left off. Wish we could hang out Kari!

Dear Chad,

For your last day of work at your current job, I wanted to pick you a bouquet and have it sent to your office.

Somehow, I don't think it would have been appreciated. I will just keep it here for you (it's in the dumpster if you want it).

Hope you have had a great day Dew. I am excited for you to start your new job on Monday, even if it means you will be traveling now :o(

Yours,
Katie Lynn

Veteran's Day at Aloha Snow

I got to spend part of my Veteran's Day at Aloha Snow, which is owned by my sister-in-law Audra and my brother Levi. I had a sundae with peanut butter topping, hot fudge, marshmallow and whipped cream. My tummy thanked me.

How about you? Did you get to do anything fun yesterday?

Keepin' It Real Wednesday

Today, it is time for YOU to keep it real, and I mean it. I need your opinions. I was brushing my hair last night and as a joke, parted it far far over on the opposite side that I usually do, trying to look a little like Zac Ephron. After a few seconds of laughing over it, I thought to myself, Hmmm, I think I might actually like it a little. I stuck a little pomade on the ends and snapped these pictures. Please take in to account that I am wearing no makeup.

Even though I am daring enough to cut my own hair, please believe me when I say that I am not daring with my hairstyles. When I look in the mirror, I like to see something familiar, which is why when I finally chop my hair off each time, it is just a variation of one cut I have been doing for years. I am so unhip when it comes to my hair. So now I need you to tell me the truth. I won't be offended, I swear, unless you start telling me the truth about others things that I don't won't to know :o)

Does it look like I am sporting a comb-over?

Do I look like I belong in a boy band?

Does it make my cheeks look chubbier?

Do I look like I am trying too hard?

I need your help people. SPEAK UP!

Sabbath Morning Stroll

Guy Fawkes Night

Our friends the Lawals, who are from England, hosted a Guy Fawkes party last night. (As a side note, Joanne, I miss your blog.) If you haven't heard of Guy Fawkes Night (click to read more), it involves burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes, setting off fireworks, and eating good food. How could you go wrong? This party also included a performance by our ward's hippest band. What? Your first counselor doesn't have a band?! Hmmm, too bad for you. You should have seen the three year olds rockin' out in the front row.

(sorry I didn't get you in the picture Ashley, please keep reading my blog anyway :o)

My boys must have had fun because when Colin was talking about it on his way to bed last night, he sighed and declared,
"I wish we were from England!"

Keepin' It Real Wednesday

We decided to deal with the Halloween candy just a little differently than last year. To try and cut back on the amount of candy consumed, Chad declared that the kids could sell as much candy as they wanted to him for 5 cents each. All of Colin's cheapo gum, jawbreakers, and Smarties quickly became Chad's property. Gabe, who is not a chocolate fan, immediately sold all of his candy bars, much to Chad's delight.

Their buckets were still pretty full, so Chad egged them on, talking them through each piece one by one, asking if they really wanted it. Colin's capitalistic flame was fanned by his father, and he ended up earning $6.65 - enough to buy those handcuffs he had been eyeing at Walmart and three items at Dollar Tree. Gabe had enough for three items. They both had enough candy left to last them a 'til today.

And Chad? He ended up with a bag full of pretty quality candy to take to work and give away. None of us need that junk! We fist-bumped each other over our achievement. Our kids were eating far less candy than they normally would have, and we didn't take away any of the "magic" of Halloween or fight them on it.

Chad stashed the bag of candy on top of the fridge, out of the children's reach.

Unfortunately, not out of ours. All the chocolate was gone before the night was over.

Happy parents, not-so-healthy-habits.

Blame it on Dollar Tree

When I was a young girl and had a book I didn't want to put down to go to sleep, I would sneak my book into the bathroom with me (sounds like that one Seinfeld episode, doesn't it?) and curl up on the linoleum floor next to the tub. Here I could read in full light without waking my sisters, and though there was no lock on the door, I could open up one of the drawers to block the door from opening. Whenever my mom caught me, which was quite often, I would have time to shove my book in the cupboard before letting her in. I'm sure she knew exactly what was going on.

Thanks to a book light I found yesterday for a dollar, even though I was exhausted and ready to sleep at 9 last night, I read in bed 'til past 11, snuggled next to my sleeping baby. I felt like a sneaky twelve year old, staying up past my bedtime, unable to put my page-turner down. In the morning, when the boys woke up at 6 am (thanks a lot daylight savings), I again felt like a twelve year old. A grumpy, moody, immature twelve year old who didn't want to get up for school.

It's probably a good thing that I can count on my cheap book light to break within a few days.

Do any of you parents out there have a hard time not letting a book draw you in too much? Is it hard for you to put that book down to fulfill your parental responsibilities?

Some pictures that I love

Really, does it get any better than this for a mom?

Remember Colin and his friend from this post? I was snapping some pictures of them playing around in the front yard the other day and when I asked them to stand together to take a picture....

...this is what I got. This picture just makes me giggle. I am so glad that he has such a good friend.

Oliver has been a big "help" lately. I love that he is smacking Gabe in the head here, and Gabe is just smiling about it.

All of my boys look like their daddy, but Ollie does the most! What a cutie.

Empower Playgrounds

I am home sick today with a sick baby, but I found a nice way to pass some of the quiet hours 'til the big boys get home from church. During general conference, the program "A Turn for Ghana" ran on KBYU and I recorded it, thinking it looked interesting. I finally got around to watching it today, and I was right - It was fascinating.

It was about Empower Playgrounds, Inc, which builds electricity generating merry-go-rounds for schools in rural Ghana. These playgrounds power portable LED lanterns that the children take home to use in study groups at night. Since they are so close to equator, the sun usually sets around 6 pm, so this extended study time is invaluable to the students. You can read about it more at the website here - there are several video blurbs you can watch if you are interested.

I love this concept and I love the fact that it finds a very direct way to include the local children and adults in providing a solution for bettering the children's education.