Weekend Wisdom (whenever walking wear weathered....sneakers?)

Ah, the satisfying feeling of using alliteration. Never gets old. Anyway.

wisdom begotten:

It is possible to whip up 2 quarts of rice pudding from the milk that is going to expire today, and eat all of it yourself in about 48 hours. Rice pudding and I have been having quite the affair for years now. 

Prayer works. It just does. It works with the biggest and smallest (like your child really really needing to fall asleep) things.

Having your home up on Skype in the background for four hours is definitely not excessive, and can make you feel like you are actually hanging out with your family.

My affection for Star Trek has not let me down. May it live long and prosper. (too much?) Also, this is the cause of my next item.

Benedict Cumberbatch. He needs no explanation.

This beautiful weather and these green landscapes are stealing my heart. 

It has ARRIVED

Spring that is. It came! We spent a glorious weekend showing M what grass feels like on the toes, what pickles taste like, and how to spot birds way up in that finally blue sky.

It was so good. 

I mastered the art of walking by very lonely looking yard sales without making eye contact with the people trying to reel me in with their will power to buy their things. Unless you are selling that Sprite that I am having a hankering for, I don't need any of those things at present.

We got to help with a baptism at our church. I have never helped with one that wasn't family, so it was neat! It was two hispanic girls, so the program was bilingual. The speakers did a fantastic job of keeping everyone involved and understanding. It is a wonderful thing to feel the spirit even when you don't understand through language what is being said. It was neat. 

Speaking of church, I went alone for the first time up here. Husband was sick, and I could 't take M and teach my 5 year old primary class. It was an interesting time. My four little boys are..... a handful. Never still. I was wishing with fondness for the Sunday a few weeks back when one of them was kind enough to point out with much surprise and exclamation that I have hair on my arms. A lot apparently.  It seemed that would be easier than pulling them back from walking on all fours in front of all the children with their shoes on their hands. 

We had a lovely rain storm roll in while we were having a cook out with some friends. It smelled gorgeous, and felt gorgeous, and made me forget that I was up in arms about Mav not taking ANY afternoon nap AT ALL. Heathen. 

It really was SO good.

My Weekend Lessons

Minnesota weather is worse than Cache Valley. I never thought it possible. I hadn't completely decided until my one mile trip down the road an hour ago (weather gods, it is April 22. I am reminding you in case you had forgotten because you are too busy basking sunshine upon people in Phoenix and Atlanta) prompted the snow to start falling.

When you have people over for games and hearty laughter, you should probably have a veggie tray, or a juice cleanse available for everyone to wash out all of the sugary treats that they will bring along. Don't discourage them from bringing it all though because it means you will have goodies in the house for a few precious days.

The blue flavor in the rainbow twizlers is the best.

When snot pools up in a babies nostrils over night, it can turn into a forresty green air stopper. The babies don't like it when you remove it with the looped side of a bobby pin. They also don't like it when you pull the crust from their eyelashes even though you are telling them it will allow them to see. Don't worry, we've been to the doctor today. 

Speaking of the doctor, Doctor Who really never gets old. I must have re-watched some of the episodes five times, and I would watch them again. I walk around saying things like," Fez's are cool. It's completely SONIC!", and " Watch it SPACEMAN". I have not yet fallen to the level of buying my child plushy Daleks. We will focus on the positive.

Things Learned...

...after having our first visitors in Minnesota

1. Visitors RULE. Family seemed especially special because it felt like they brought home with them. 

2. When grandparents spoil your children it feels as though you are getting spoiled because you reap the benefits by default. I also learned that this does not mean that you are welcome to eat all of the animal crackers...

3. Sharing a Port-a-potty size bathroom with four grown people takes some juggling. It also takes a level of restraint in order to not ask who left that smell in there. Courtesy is also required when you already know who left that smell in there.

4. Duck Dynasty is truly a marvelous way to pass empty hours. That joy is expounded upon when your father-in-law laughs loudly and gleefully every minute or so. 

5. Plan a menu, (I thought I planned one, but when they got here I realized I hadn't...don't ask me how that happened.) otherwise you will have to take multiple unplanned trips to the insanely priced grocery store down the street. But, it may also mean that you accidentally make your mother-in-law's favorite dish.

6. When you dish ice cream for yourself, make sure you ask if anyone else wants some even if it is at naughty eating hours, or you may appear to be the most gluttonous and ungracious host.

7. Having amazing in-laws may not make or break who you choose to marry, but having them feel like your own family is rather nice. I sure hit the jack pot. Mine didn't even care that I walked around in leggings after church instead of being decent and putting on pants. Seriously. The greatest.

8. Old Navy has put out some stellar V-neck T-shirts this year. (Thanks Lisa!) I am probably going to have to go back and get one of each color and pattern. Then I don't have to ever wear anything else.

9. When you move across the country from your family and they come to visit, you get pretty homesick when they leave.

10. Cuddling with your husband while you both play with a cute child is a pretty okay way to curb the home sickness. You'll feel better after you go finish the guacamole from the fridge.

Once Upon a Weekend

Ches and I played the name game for about an hour. This is where you say the name of a famous person, i.e. Abraham Lincoln, and the next person has to answer it with another person whose first name starts with the same letter as the previous person's last name. i.e. Laura Ingalls. (I had to mightily defend Ms. Ingalls as a realy famous person) We ended with Krsiti Yamaguchi. I could only think of the name Yvonne, but no one famous to attach to it....google has prepared me for our next match. 

I wanted to start crying 15 minutes into my primary class with the five year olds. They were EVERYWHERE! I really do love children, but I do best with numbers fewer than three, and ages below twelve months. I said many silent prayers for patience, and was grateful for the tub of plato. Good thing those kids were fascinated with florescent orange tortillas and cookies....which TOTALLY had something to do with the lesson on baptism... Give me 36 teenagers anyday.

I noticed we were getting low on food, but became determined to make it until next saturday before we hit the grocery store. I apologized to Chesley in advance for the upcoming slam of pb&j and ramen heavy meals. Its only Monday and I have already made several laps around the apartment waiting for different and more food to appear magically. 

*Tuesday update. Enchiladas took a toll on our cheese supply. I just ate a bean burrito with NO CHEESE because I am trying to conserve it for the grilled cheese I have in mind for later in the week. 

Spent most of one day finishing The Paris Wife. It sucked me in, and made me very sad. The life that is portrayed in that time period and that mind set is a life I would not have been fit for. I am proud to be old too fashioned for the free way they seemed to live. If you like being sad, I highly recommend it. It is written in a lovely way. 

Went on our first explorational drive. The houses here are old and so NEAT! There are two houses that I would buy and live in for the rest of my life despite the fact they are in Minnesota. I only got a picture of one of them, and it doesn't even begin to portray its really loveliness.