What Kind Of Operation Are You Running Here?

The other day while watching Hells Kitchen on the internet Laney can by and asked

L: "Is that my other dad?'
M: "What?"
L: "Is that my dad?" Pointing to Gordon Ramsey on the computer.
M: "No. Your dad's at work."
L: "Is that my dad?" Still pointing to Gordon Ramsey on the computer.
M: "No. Your dad is at work."
L: ....silence....

Random Things That I Have Observed About Me And Our New Home...

• Since moving to Utah my skin has rebelled. All the sudden I am like a teenager. Not in the "I have no wrinkles, I look good in all clothes and I blush when boys look at me" kind of way. Nope. I am more of the "almost middle aged, have three kids, muffin topping it out of jeans that don't fit, I would be lucky if guys looked at me, I need to find that number for Proactive" kind of way. I have never had bad skin and now all of the sudden I do. I now have strong convictions that there should be a statute of limitations on zits.
• People in Utah are surprisingly slim. I should not be surprised by this small realization. There are people biking and running all over the place. Which just makes me feel lazy...or very non motivated I am not sure which one.
• Primping must be a past time for some. Don't get me wrong I am not passing judgement. I primp with the best of them but I also have days where I just don't care. I have seen more people wearing wedges or heels with shorts out at Walmart than I think I have in my entire life. They also all have beautifully manicured toes. Man...I need to up my game.
• I like shoes. I really like high heeled shoes (for church) I don't wear any other. In fact if my shoes are not the right height I tend to not wear them. I am a short girl and I can use all the height I can get. This is something that is foreign to most people but I tend to pride myself on the fact that I wear heels every Sunday and even when I am 9 months pregnant. I am die hard. In the couple weeks that we have been to our ward I have realized that I may not be alone in this. Dare I say that some people may have me beat.
• For the most part I am a home body. In Vegas there would be weeks that I would not hang out with anyone or go anywhere. I was OK with that. But since moving here it has bothered me that none of my friends are close. Dare I say depress me a little. What can I say? I at least like to have the option. Anyone want to move to Utah? I realize that you may be miserable here and I am OK with that. I am selfish like that.
• I am loving the temperature here right now. I don't feel like I am melting like the wicked witch of the west when we go outside.
• It really is a lovely state.
• Shopping makes me happy. There is just something to be said about a new shirt or a new pair of shoes. It may be doom and gloom but put on that new shirt and all of the sudden it is rainbows and show tunes. The fact that we can't spend money is making it hard to enjoy a little retail therapy. They say that no matter where you go that the gospel is the same. I think the same could be said of Target. (Yes I just made a gospel/Target reference.)
• There are random screws around this house and one of the cupboards opens backwards.
• No matter how much that cupboard bugs me and how many times I curse it...it still opens backwards and I forget every time. Hence the cursing.

The Music In Our House

Gavin's new favorite thing is the fan. It blows his lovely green blanket "hair."

If you listen carefully you can hear Canon join in.

A Daily Occurrence

One morning we ate donuts. I thought they would be quick. Yeah...I was wrong. Very wrong.If how much you loved food was based on how much you got on your face than Laney really loves food. No matter how much I tried to convince Laney that this outfit did not match she did not believe me.

"See it's purpul...match!"

Cheap Thrills

I ordered these hair barrettes for Laney.

I think she is going to be excited.

I won't lie...I am a little excited myself.

Fee Fy Fo Fum

"When I die I go up to heaven in the sky and see Jesus and see the giants."

-Laney Laney has been confused about this before.

He Needs To Polish Up On His Bargaining Skills.

Gavin and Laney both like to watch movies. I only let them watch them on occasion but with out fail they ask daily if they can watch one. The other day Gavin kept asking if he could watch a movie. I kept telling him no. Because this was not the answer that he wanted he tried a different approach.

G: Mom. Can I watch a movie?
M: No Gavin. I have already told you we are not watching a movie.
G: Please mom. I really want to watch one.
M: No.
G: I am going to hit you if you don't let me watch a movie.
M: Well...that is a choice you can make.
G: I am going to hit you if you don't let me watch a movie.
M: I heard you. That is a choice you can make.
About a minute went by......
G: I am being mean to you because you won't let me watch a movie.
M: That is a choice you can make.
G: Well I am being mean to you.
M: That is your decision.

After no response from me I think he figured that his negotiations weren't working.

(He didn't ask again if he could watch a movie.)

Side Show Act

Do you think this could earn us a little side money?

Trip To The Zoo In Pictures

A Round About Way To The Point

When we were younger we used to go on vacation every year to Banks Lake. We would swim, we would ski, we would eat food, and we would jump off of these cliffs. Mind you the one rock that we would jump off of was not too bad. It was tall but not too tall and it cropped out so you didn't have to worry about hitting the side on your way down. You would climb up to the top of the rock throw your life vest over, plug your nose, point your toes and jump. Every now and again you would forget to point your toes or you would tip back slightly and the water would smack your skin and it would hurt. But you were sure to remember for next time so you very rarely repeated the mistake. Even though we went to this lake every year, and even though we jumped off the rock many times during the trip it didn't stop the fear from coming. Looking at the rock from the boat you would think "No problem. I can totally do that." You would swim over, climb up and if you were smart you would run and jump. I can't tell you how many people fell victim to "the look over." If you looked over the edge before jumping you were guaranteed to be up there for awhile. Looking over puts the fear into you. If you looked over you were sure to spend the next 15 minutes stewing over "how to get down?", "what happens if you slap your back or legs?", "what if you hit a rock?", "what if I can't swim up fast enough, what if I drown...what if I died?" The longer you were on top of that rock the harder it got. Where once you were standing on a small rock now all of the sudden you are 90 miles up and going to die. The only way to get rid of the horrible daunting feeling it gives you was to count to three run and jump.

We have a problem at our house with Gavin eating his dinner. We normally can get him to eat one bite. Then he doesn't eat anything else and wolfs down cereal the next morning to get over his self inflicted fast. The other night I made lentil casserole. It is nothing scary and nothing that he hasn't eaten before. Rice and beans. We told him that he had eat some or else he couldn't get down from the table. We don't make him eat a lot just one bite. He wouldn't do it. He sat for an hour at the table and then we informed him that if he didn't want to have a bite for dinner that he would have to have a bite for breakfast prior to eating his cereal. Desperate times, desperate measures. Since breakfast is his favorite meal I figured this would be an easy win. He would take the bite of casserole. Win. Then he would get to eat his cereal. Win/win. I would just like to say that I under estimated his will power. Breakfast came and went and he would not eat. Lunch came and went and still nothing. He took a nap at the bench and still nothing. The serving size that he was suppose to eat was about the size of a small spoon full. Not much. But all I could keep thinking was he is going to eat it soon and this will all be over. He didn't play with any toys he didn't eat anything else. He just sat. I think that little serving of lentil casserole ended up being his rock to jump off. It had become too big in his eyes. So instead of making him jump, I backed down. Tail between my legs, "lets get some ice cream for dessert," submission.

1 point-Gavin. 0-Mom. Well played Gavin. Well played.

Lily and Laney BFF

"I am willy going to wike wiwy. Wiwy is my best friend.""She comed out of Wauwals tummy."

He Doesn't Seem To Mind

At Teri's house the other day Laney decided that since Canon couldn't join them in the swimming pool that she would let him play in the bubbles.

So she dumped them on his head.

It doesn't look like he cared all that much.

Bubble hair and all.

After This He Went Running Into The House

The 4th of July is like torture for Gavin. It involves all things he doesn't like. Noise and fire. Who could blame the kid? You go your entire life being told not to play with fire because "it is dangerous" and "it will burn you." Now all of the sudden we give you a wand of death to play with and it is OK. No wonder he was brought to tears.

Laney took over Gavin's sparkler and didn't seem to mind. It seems to be par for the course. She is a little more daring and she doesn't really like to obey so giving her the opportunity to do what we have always told her not to do...well, she jumped at the chance.

I Am Trying To Find A Reason To Buy This...

I can't really find a good reason to have a flower swim cap. Maybe I will start a synchronized swimming group.

Family Reunion in Beaver

First off I would just like to say...Who knew that Beaver Utah was such a hot bed of disease and infectious sickness? More of that later.

We had a Jones Family reunion in Beaver the week of the 4th of July. We played games, the men went shooting, the ladies made jewelry, it was an all around good time. There is something to be said about being around family. I think it is the genes. Everyone understands you and you can pass off your quirkiness as being hereditary. And lets face it...if you have snot hanging out your nose someone is going to point it out. Not only that but they most likely will make fun of you for it.

These are just the grand kids and not all of them at that.

Our cheap attempt at taking a picture of our children together. Laney is kinda smiling, Gavin looks like we are torturing him to smile and Canon looks like he just smelt something stinky. And this was the best one we got...you could imagine the worst. Rest assured there was crying involved by one or all children.They have in Beaver what is called Butch Cassidy Days. Cotton candy was about the extent of the fun. We stopped on the way home at Cove Fort. This is Maleah (my sisters little girl) and Laney. It was interesting to go and see the fort but I have to say that my favorite part was when one of the Senior missionaries called my sister to repentance. Only in Utah. We also got to go up horse back riding. Now don't act too surprised because I know that I look like a natural but this is my first time riding a horse. On the ride home the kids were full of joy. And really there is only one thing that will do that for them. Beauty and the Beast.

Boiled Hot Dogs

We are up and running again. Go and check it out and make some good grub for your family.

This week I am making food that has just a few ingredients so it should keep your grocery budget down.

Miss Me Much?

Well it has been a little over a week living here in Utah and to say that it has been smooth sailing would be a lie. It has been...well....hard. It has been hard on everyone. For the most part the kids have been good. With the exception of Gavin throwing more tantrums and Laney wetting her pants. It seems like all of the sudden we had a little puppy that would wet everywhere and we would have to clean it up. Lovely. We have moved in to a smaller place then where we lived before. Not that I am not grateful, because I am, it is just a lot smaller than our house. So with moving into a smaller place there has been some challenges. Like where to put our food storage, that I am pretty sure took up half of our moving boxes. There also has been boxes everywhere. Nothing is organized and well it was starting to make me a bit batty. For anyone that knows me well I am a self pronounced annal retentive person. Clutter and me are not friends.

As we were trying to organize our bedroom to make it more livable we had a casualty.

Sad. Blake is insistent that he can fix it. Pipe dreams I say. But he is insistent that he is going to try. I just hope that after he fixes it that one night while we are sleeping it doesn't fall apart and have us crashing to the floor.

Yesterday was our first day at our new ward. It is at 9 a.m. Not a bad time but it did mean I had to wake up extra early to get ready. As I was getting ready I realized that I had to go out to the car to get something. And to my delight our yellow car was sitting there with boots on. No...no fashion statements for the Squareback. The town homes where we live had put a boot on our car. Nothing says lets go and have a uplifting spiritual experience and meet new friends like a big orange sticker on your window and a boot on your car. Eighty dollars latter and a little more rule savvy we walked away the wiser and little more bitter. Grand.

I think I am starting to get sick...we don't have insurance. My tonsil is swollen and starting to get white. No fever. So I don't think it is strep. Fingers crossed.

I am off to make lemonade. Figuratively not literally.