*sounds of tape coming off the wall in the next room*
Lee: "Uh Rejie? Are you taking your potty chart off the wall?"
*sounds of poster being smoothed back onto the wall*
23 April 2009
Our Little Plot of Earth
I spent weeks trying to learn exactly what to do and when with my little plot of dirt at the community garden. I'm bound and determined to not only grow stuff, but grow them efficiently. Well, after all that research, I have settled on the Haphazard Gardening Method. For those of you unfamiliar with this form of gardening, it involves saying "forget it" to all the planning and just putting seeds in the dirt and putting water on it. I plan to continue watering it and see what happens.
The kids really enjoyed the walk to the garden and I even managed to get Rejeanne to listen to me! I actually got a two year old to understand "walk around, not on" the other people's gardens!! I consider that a minor miracle, especially since Rejeanne tends to not be particularly obedient when you really need her to be! Cyrus slept most of the time and then just chilled in the stroller babbling at us the rest of the time. He's a pretty mellow little guy. Lee's planting was less haphazard than mine, so we shall see who prevails!
While I'd love to enjoy the flowers and veggies and fruits we planted, I'll be impressed if the stuff will even put off a couple leaves. I'm not known for a green thumb, that much is certain!
22 April 2009
18 April 2009
One of my Favorite Things
I really love when they have the same look on their faces at the same time. Is that dorky? I think it is so sweet :)
Scott's Birthday BBQ
Since Scott had his birthday party the day before Easter, we had an impromptu Easter egg hunt at the park.
It's kinda shadowy, but I love this pic of Brenda and her girls. Hopefully she won't mind me splattering it on the internet!
We all had a great time! Nothing like enjoying Spring a month earlier than last year and enjoying it with friends!
It's kinda shadowy, but I love this pic of Brenda and her girls. Hopefully she won't mind me splattering it on the internet!
We all had a great time! Nothing like enjoying Spring a month earlier than last year and enjoying it with friends!
Crimzoni and the Bonkasaurus
I LOVE LOVE LOVE hanging out with Crimson and her friend Bianca! They are so hilarious when they are together. Not only that, but I learn something new about Bianca every time!
We went to the Pavilion in Sioux Falls to check out the science center they have for the kiddies up there. Here's what I learned about Bianca:
1. She can make a near perfect imitation of a semi-truck horn
2. She prefers grilled cheese to pizza.
3. She has to pee as often as I do.
4. She can make a rad dino face:
5. She takes great photos!
6. She's an awesome friend
I so miss that "best friends" comradery from the elementary school days. There just isn't time for all that when you're grown! It's just a different kind of thing once ya grow up I guess.
We went to the Pavilion in Sioux Falls to check out the science center they have for the kiddies up there. Here's what I learned about Bianca:
1. She can make a near perfect imitation of a semi-truck horn
2. She prefers grilled cheese to pizza.
3. She has to pee as often as I do.
4. She can make a rad dino face:
5. She takes great photos!
6. She's an awesome friend
I so miss that "best friends" comradery from the elementary school days. There just isn't time for all that when you're grown! It's just a different kind of thing once ya grow up I guess.
I Blame the Robins!
For some reason, the kids were up at 6:45AM yesterday. This is about two hours earlier than normal! Well, Rejeanne was supposed to see her speech therapist at 11AM. I took these pictures at about 10:59AM. Rejeanne sure knows how to get out of speech time!
Sleeping toddlers still look like babies :) It's sooo cute :)
Sleeping toddlers still look like babies :) It's sooo cute :)
Kinda in Shock Still!
So, when I applied for the U.Discover program and received an invite to interview, my first thought was "wow, I guess they didn't have many applicants". My faculty sponsor (also my Immigration professor) announced to our class that I received a spot in the U.Discover program. After class, a girl from my Child Welfare class last semester came up to me smiling and said "You know you beat out the very best of the Honors program to get that, don't you?" Hah! No, I sure didn't. Apparently, while I've been living under a rock, the U.Discover program is one of the most competitive undergrad programs on campus and is the sought-after feather in the hat of every Honors student at USD. Holy Hannah! The girl that talked to me about it said she got a spot two years ago and it has swung open many, many doors for her. *swoon*
I knew if I got an interview, I could hustle a spot but I really had NO CLUE that this was so competitive. No wonder the committee was cracking up when I answered the "how did you hear about this program?" with "I literally tripped over your sign in Old Main four days before the deadline and figured 'why not?' " Luckily for me, the committee chair had actually tripped on that same sign apparently so I didn't seem quite as klutzy as we all know that I am!
So, yeah, apparently I'm a better hustler than I thought! I guess I'll just have to work extra hard for all the underdogs who apply after me :) I'm seriously shocked that I beat out a bunch of Honors students! Just the regular students here are pretty competitive with a strong work ethic. The Honors students are serious business!
I knew if I got an interview, I could hustle a spot but I really had NO CLUE that this was so competitive. No wonder the committee was cracking up when I answered the "how did you hear about this program?" with "I literally tripped over your sign in Old Main four days before the deadline and figured 'why not?' " Luckily for me, the committee chair had actually tripped on that same sign apparently so I didn't seem quite as klutzy as we all know that I am!
So, yeah, apparently I'm a better hustler than I thought! I guess I'll just have to work extra hard for all the underdogs who apply after me :) I'm seriously shocked that I beat out a bunch of Honors students! Just the regular students here are pretty competitive with a strong work ethic. The Honors students are serious business!
Caution: Mopey Post Ahead
Do you ever find yourself completely frustrated with yourself? That's what I'm about today. I'm so sick of being in pain most of the time. Well, all of the time. I keep telling myself that I've certainly had worse pain in my life, but it just NEVER stops. I think it's that I never have "good" days anymore and when one part of me starts feeling better, another part starts feeling worse. My entire back has been spasming all night just because I'm stupid and lifted Cyrus' car seat out of the car tonight (with Cyrus in it). I hate feeling helpless. I can't stand having to ask people to help me with my own kids. I wonder if people think I'm a hypochondriac. I try really hard to hide the pain I'm in as much as possible. Let's face it, no one wants to be around someone who complains incessantly about things they cannot change or are unwilling to change. I'm sure a lot of my mom-friends here are going to think I'm nuts for this next part but... I REALLY MISS BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY CLEAN MY HOUSE!!!!!!!!! Not lifting the kids is the worst thing, but not being able to clean is the second worst! I can do a little here and there, but nothing with the floors, can't clean the tub, and the stuff I can do I can only do about 10 minutes at a time.
I know on the grand scale of helplessness goes, I'm not in that bad of a situation. Unfortunately, it appears my interstitial cystitis is coming back. I've been mostly rid of that miserable disease since I was 17 and it has always been my greatest fear that it would return. It's not curable, but I've had the longest remission of symptoms that I've been able to find. Most remissions are just a few months, not 15 years. I'm thankful that have experienced "normal" life but in some ways knowing that life makes the thought of going back to all the pain even worse. So far, the symptoms are mild. They have new drugs I can try. I suppose there is a little hope here but just the idea of going back to the stuff I used to have to deal with has just really got me down. I have to go to Sioux Falls for them to do a test on my bladder to see how bad the situation is after my finals are over. I guess it will be good to know what is really going on. I'm still hoping that if I can get the PTSD taken care of that all the physical pain will go with it. It is hard to ignore the studies that show that intense muscle pain, TMJ, IC, etc (all these diseases that seem to involve locking up the muscles too tight all the time)all tend to travel together and are much more prevalent in people with post-traumatic stress.
The thing with life is that no matter how bad things seem or how good things are, life just keeps on going. Sometimes, I just have to take a day to feel sorry for myself and then pick up and keep going, no matter what. It's that strength and independence that gets me through the bad stuff, but it's also what makes me feel so disconnected from people and wussy when I want to ask for help. It's almost like I'm so busy trying to hide the pain that I pull back from everyone and just focus on pushing myself as hard as I can in the ways that I am able.
The main reason I'm sharing my mopey self today is...well...I'm grumpy! I'm irritable. Kinda like an old, stiff dog. I don't mean to be snippy and oversensitive but that's where I'm at right now. I just hope my friends can survive it and try to keep in perspective that I'm either in pain or hungry when I get unpleasant. I still love you guys, I just don't want to be a whiner. Except on my blog, right? hahaha
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to!
I know on the grand scale of helplessness goes, I'm not in that bad of a situation. Unfortunately, it appears my interstitial cystitis is coming back. I've been mostly rid of that miserable disease since I was 17 and it has always been my greatest fear that it would return. It's not curable, but I've had the longest remission of symptoms that I've been able to find. Most remissions are just a few months, not 15 years. I'm thankful that have experienced "normal" life but in some ways knowing that life makes the thought of going back to all the pain even worse. So far, the symptoms are mild. They have new drugs I can try. I suppose there is a little hope here but just the idea of going back to the stuff I used to have to deal with has just really got me down. I have to go to Sioux Falls for them to do a test on my bladder to see how bad the situation is after my finals are over. I guess it will be good to know what is really going on. I'm still hoping that if I can get the PTSD taken care of that all the physical pain will go with it. It is hard to ignore the studies that show that intense muscle pain, TMJ, IC, etc (all these diseases that seem to involve locking up the muscles too tight all the time)all tend to travel together and are much more prevalent in people with post-traumatic stress.
The thing with life is that no matter how bad things seem or how good things are, life just keeps on going. Sometimes, I just have to take a day to feel sorry for myself and then pick up and keep going, no matter what. It's that strength and independence that gets me through the bad stuff, but it's also what makes me feel so disconnected from people and wussy when I want to ask for help. It's almost like I'm so busy trying to hide the pain that I pull back from everyone and just focus on pushing myself as hard as I can in the ways that I am able.
The main reason I'm sharing my mopey self today is...well...I'm grumpy! I'm irritable. Kinda like an old, stiff dog. I don't mean to be snippy and oversensitive but that's where I'm at right now. I just hope my friends can survive it and try to keep in perspective that I'm either in pain or hungry when I get unpleasant. I still love you guys, I just don't want to be a whiner. Except on my blog, right? hahaha
It's my blog and I'll cry if I want to!
12 April 2009
Easter!
We had quite the busy Easter today! We went to Sioux City for a regional broadcast and to meet with the patriarch for Lee's patriarchal blessing. I'm THRILLED to announce that we actually made it to the church EARLY!!! Apparently getting nearly everything organized the night before is going to work out for us.
Lee's blessing was amazing. I'm very lucky to be married to him. I'm very thankful to Sis. Wilkensen for watching kids she's never seen before on an Easter Sunday so that I could be there for his blessing. We also ran into Pres. Faldmo and got temple recommends too! The conference was over at 12pm and we didn't leave until about 1:45. Luckily, the kids held it together for Sis. Wilkensen right up to the end and only screamed for a couple minutes before we returned to retrieve them.
I usually don't say much on the spiritual front on my blog, but today I'm going to. I'm very thankful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that I don't have to wander the world looking for spiritual peace and all the answers to the mysteries of life. I have that in my life already. More than anything, I'm thankful for the atoning sacrifice of Christ and all that it means for me. Without it, there wouldn't be anything to hope for. I know that when we follow His commandments to the best of our abilities, He deeply blesses our lives and makes up the difference. I have a first-hand knowledge of the blessings to be obtained from obedience in my life. I've had a lot of obedience, and a lot of disobedience, and I am thankful that I am able to see the difference in my life. The doctrines of Christ provide sure footing in a random world and I am so thankful to have it. Since I was not raised Christian and my first associations with the Bible were mostly from a Mormon perspective, I am very thankful for the clarity that the Book of Mormon and modern revelation lends to the words of the Bible. Many years after becoming LDS, my former mother-in-law gave me a Bible from a Christian bookstore that had lots of annotations and revisions by the latest and greatest of Christian scholars. The thing that stood out to me was how much of these annotations essentially said "we have no idea what this part is referring to". These plain doctrines in the Bible didn't fit in with traditional Christian ideology and thus confounded even the most knowledgeable scholars. When I read the sections, the meanings were clear and simple to me because of my knowledge of Christian doctrines that are apparently unique to the LDS faith. I'm thankful that the clear path of Christ is available for all of us to follow and incorporate into our personal lives. Above all, I'm thankful for personal revelation, the ability to repent, and communication with the Lord through constant prayer.
We had a great time today full of candy and bunny stories, but it was also humbling for me to be present for the restored Priesthood in action through the patriarch. It is a bit overwhelming to consider all of the responsibilities we have in this world and all the blessings that are available if we just live in service to one another. Our service can bless others and come around again to bless us. To all my sister Vermillionaires, I love you all and I'm so thankful to have you ladies in my life. To everyone else, I love you guys too, but these girls out here are extra special and I just don't tell them that enough :) (Don't worry, I have enough love to go around!!)
Lee's blessing was amazing. I'm very lucky to be married to him. I'm very thankful to Sis. Wilkensen for watching kids she's never seen before on an Easter Sunday so that I could be there for his blessing. We also ran into Pres. Faldmo and got temple recommends too! The conference was over at 12pm and we didn't leave until about 1:45. Luckily, the kids held it together for Sis. Wilkensen right up to the end and only screamed for a couple minutes before we returned to retrieve them.
I usually don't say much on the spiritual front on my blog, but today I'm going to. I'm very thankful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm thankful that I don't have to wander the world looking for spiritual peace and all the answers to the mysteries of life. I have that in my life already. More than anything, I'm thankful for the atoning sacrifice of Christ and all that it means for me. Without it, there wouldn't be anything to hope for. I know that when we follow His commandments to the best of our abilities, He deeply blesses our lives and makes up the difference. I have a first-hand knowledge of the blessings to be obtained from obedience in my life. I've had a lot of obedience, and a lot of disobedience, and I am thankful that I am able to see the difference in my life. The doctrines of Christ provide sure footing in a random world and I am so thankful to have it. Since I was not raised Christian and my first associations with the Bible were mostly from a Mormon perspective, I am very thankful for the clarity that the Book of Mormon and modern revelation lends to the words of the Bible. Many years after becoming LDS, my former mother-in-law gave me a Bible from a Christian bookstore that had lots of annotations and revisions by the latest and greatest of Christian scholars. The thing that stood out to me was how much of these annotations essentially said "we have no idea what this part is referring to". These plain doctrines in the Bible didn't fit in with traditional Christian ideology and thus confounded even the most knowledgeable scholars. When I read the sections, the meanings were clear and simple to me because of my knowledge of Christian doctrines that are apparently unique to the LDS faith. I'm thankful that the clear path of Christ is available for all of us to follow and incorporate into our personal lives. Above all, I'm thankful for personal revelation, the ability to repent, and communication with the Lord through constant prayer.
We had a great time today full of candy and bunny stories, but it was also humbling for me to be present for the restored Priesthood in action through the patriarch. It is a bit overwhelming to consider all of the responsibilities we have in this world and all the blessings that are available if we just live in service to one another. Our service can bless others and come around again to bless us. To all my sister Vermillionaires, I love you all and I'm so thankful to have you ladies in my life. To everyone else, I love you guys too, but these girls out here are extra special and I just don't tell them that enough :) (Don't worry, I have enough love to go around!!)
11 April 2009
Crawling?
Cyrus crawled a few steps yesterday! I didn't get to see it though. I'm taking a video of him tonight doing the pre-crawl rocking thing before it vanishes forever. The whole crawling/walking thing is always a bittersweet moment. It's so fun to watch them learn and grow but part of me wishes he could be a little baby forever. *sigh*
10 April 2009
08 April 2009
Rejie Stix!
Rejeanne transformed her arms into sticks today. She discovered that you can't effectively get into mom's make-up with sticks for hands and it's kinda hard to get the dang things off, but she sure did have a lot of fun finding exciting uses for long, peg-style arms!
07 April 2009
Today's Interview
ROCKED IT!! My strategy of going last so I'm the first person on their minds was a good call. It turns out going last also let them turn a 15 minute interview into a 30 minute interview. That's a good thing, right? In any event, I had fun! I'm not sure if that is a statement on my lack of social life or just that a committee of academics is easier to deal with than a committee of lawyers.
Anyways, I'm supposed to hear by the 17th if I'm selected for the program or not. Let's hope I did as well as I think I did!!
Anyways, I'm supposed to hear by the 17th if I'm selected for the program or not. Let's hope I did as well as I think I did!!
03 April 2009
Rejista Artista
Rejeanne made this on the computer today. Lee wrote her name on it and helped her change tools, but the strokes are all Rejie :)
I'm picking Crimson up at the airport tomorrow. Hopefully we'll make it back to Vermillion before the blizzard hits. I have a feeling the weatherman isn't lying about this one! Last week's blizzard conditions failed to occur.
I'm picking Crimson up at the airport tomorrow. Hopefully we'll make it back to Vermillion before the blizzard hits. I have a feeling the weatherman isn't lying about this one! Last week's blizzard conditions failed to occur.
02 April 2009
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