In Honor of Mothers Day...A week of Reasons that I have the best Mom ever...

Reason Number 1:

My Mom is Silly. Often, when you ask my Mom a question or yell something from another room, she will yell some strange phrase back like she didn't understand you and is wondering why you are asking her if there is an elephant in the fridge. She has done this forever. In high school I would roll my eyes, but my friends thought it was hilarious. They were always telling me how funny my mom was and I was always thinking, "If only you knew." Ha ha. She is pretty funny, though. And she is the best person in the world to watch a slap-stick movie with. It took me a while to realize that I couldn't watch these movies by myself. Mom had to be there to laugh her head off to really make it worth watching. In Junior High, I lacerated my liver on a trampoline. I was confined to a hospital bed with strict orders to not move. Boredom hit, so my mom got a movie for us to watch, "The Gods Must Be Crazy." I was pretty sure I was going to die that day. My Mom couldn't stop laughing, which made me unable to stop laughing and that was definitely considered movement. Yeah, My Mom is silly and I love it.

Scripture Stories

In preparing for a Primary Activity Next Week, I stumbled across this PodCast sight and instantly fell in love. It is a series of Podcasts that combines Children's Primary Songs with the Scripture Stories that the LDS Church has published.

Why? My kids listen to music and/or stories when they go to bed at night. They listen to Christian Music that I remember from my youth (God Loves Fun), they listen to Kindergarten Songs that I have collected from school and teaching and just general use. They listen to music made specifically for them from my good friend Tara. They also listen to very special stories read and recorded by Grandma Beddes (Stories from every Holiday, Books, etc.). This helps them calm down and have something to listen to until they drift off into la-la land. NOW I have yet another addition to my night-time library...one that reiterates the stories that we read as a family...with music too! I love it!

These podcasts are free! I downloaded them into my ITunes Library and then burned them on to CD's. Maybe you might enjoy it too?

A conversation I overheard between Nikell and the Microwave

Microwave: Beep beep

Nikell: Beeep Beep! (looks intently at the microwave for 7 seconds before losing interest)

Microwave: Beep beep (no one has opened the door yet)

Nikell: Beep Beep. (again looks intently at the microwave for 7.3 seconds)

Microwave: Beep beep.

Nikell: No say beep beep!

Microwave: Beep beep.

Nikell: Aaaaggghhh!

Sunday Afternoon....

Wishing I was taking a nap...

Too bad it's not a possibility...

So...

We do the next best thing...

FOOT RUBS!

The oldest girls do the rubbin' and the 3 year old documents with the camera.

End result: 45 minutes of me laying on the floor with my feet being rubbed.

Thinking Back

I remember the first couple of years of my marriage. The "getting used to each other" phase. Although, I think Jason and I had a small advantage in this area--we're both logical and realistic. We put it all out there before we got married and fully understood what we were getting into. No pretending. Oh, we were love struck, for sure. But I think we fought more while being engaged then after we were married. Anyway, after Jason graduated and started working as a "real" person (ha ha), I would visit his work occasionally or meet people from his work. This started happening more often when we moved into the basement of one of his co-workers' house. And I started to notice an interesting phenomenon. When people would encounter me, they would get this look, and say something like, "Oh, you are Jason's wife. Wow. I've heard so many good things about you." When meeting one of Jason's friends, I asked him later what his reaction was and Jason said he asked if I had a sister. And then one day, I remember, one lady said, "Oh, your husband always speaks so highly of you. You must be amazing." Now, I tell you this, not because I am amazing, or even want you to think I am amazing, but because I realized that Jason was making me out to be amazing. I asked him about it and he told me something along the lines of, "I decided that I wasn't going to be one of those people that talked bad about my wife. I want people to know the good things about you." Honestly, this unsettled me a little because here were all these people thinking I was this crazy amazing person and I really wasn't. How was I supposed to act around them now? Best just to keep my mouth shut and not prove Jason wrong! Ha ha.

But, really, here is my point. Jason built me up from the beginning. He never tore me down in front of other people, and rarely even when we were alone. People thought I was amazing because he was amazing. Every time I met someone that Jason talked to on a regular basis, I could see by the look in their eyes that Jason had never demeaned me, never made fun of me, never gave anyone any reason to believe that I wasn't as incredible as he claimed I was. This is one way I knew he was truly devoted to me. He didn't use me to get a cheap laugh. He didn't contribute to "dumb wife" stories. It was if I was his great prize and it made me want to live up to that. I wanted to be as amazing as he said I was. I still do....want to be amazing. I think I've slowed down in that department. But, no matter, there is always tomorrow!

So, here is my thanks to Jason. Thanks for making me feel like being married to me was the best thing you ever did. Thanks for treating me like a queen every day. Thanks for never talking bad about me. Thanks for asking my opinion and acting like it matters. Thanks for putting me first, always. Thanks for coming home to be with me. Thanks for not letting anyone or anything getting in the way of our marriage. Thanks for lifting me up and making me feel amazing....every day.

Pointless, yet somehow fun, Games

Since the beginning of our marriage, Jason and I have played a few strange games. These games probably seem pointless to those outside of our marriage. Maybe they are even pointless to those of us inside our marriage (simply because I can't think of a good reason why we do it besides the fact that it's a game and so it must be played.)

Here a few of those games and the rules they entail.

1. "I love you." How is this a game? It is a game because when someone says "I love you" then someone else gets to say "I love you more" and then the other person gets to reply "I love you most" and then the game ends with the phrase that says it all..."I love you mostest." Whoever declares their love with the "mostest" wins.

2. " Train, I saw it first." This really is a strange game. If you see a train then you say, "Train, I saw it first." and you win. However, watch out for the sneaky side-kick to this game, "Train, I heard it first."

3. And the last example I will give you...and the reason for this post...The sleeping Game. When Jason and I read at night eventually someone will give in and turn off their light. Now, here's where it gets tricky because Jason and I played this game for 9 years and we apparently had DIFFERENT rules the whole time! I would say the rules were, "The first person to turn off their light, pretend to snore, and say 'I WIN' wins the game." Jason would say, "The first person to turn of their light, pretend to sleep (which OBVIOUSLY entails closing your eyes AND snoring), and say 'I WIN' wins." Can you imagine the argument we had one night when he tried to claim I didn't win because I didn't close my eyes? Well, it was a doosy. In the end he tried to take back all of my wins because I had been cheating for 9 years and I laughed for an hour because he had been closing his eyes for 9 years! Anyway, lately, Jason has been reading and I have been doing other stuff, or not reading, and NOT having my light on. And for the past couple of weeks he has been claiming wins when he turns off his light. Imagine our conversation...

"Ha, I win."
"You can't win if you are the only one playing."
"Yep, I win and you lose."
"I can't lose if I'm not participating."
"Yeah, you didn't even try..so I won."
"No you didn't, you ninny. Nobody is even playing with you!"
"Yeah, and I still won."
"Okay, fine, I hope you enjoyed winning your stupid game that you played all by yourself."
"Oh, you played, you just got a DNF."
"Did not finish? I didn't even start!"
"Okay, fine, you got a DNS."
"You are so dumb."
"I am not dumb just because you lost."
"Yes you are dumb and I didn't lose and you didn't win. There wasn't even a game."
"Yep, there was a game that YOU LOST!"
"Okay, new rule. Every time you claim a win when I am not even participating, you owe me a backrub."


Yeah, we have been seriously having this argument for several weeks now. I plan on claiming one of my backrubs tomorrow.

Calling All Movies

I am Craving a Movie Night....The quesition is, "What to Watch?" Ever find yourself staring at the RedBox Screen wondering what you will be bringing into your living room? Good? Bad? Totally uncalled for?

I would like to compile a list of "Must See" movies... Will you help me? What is your favorite all time movie? What are some good ones you have seen lately? Please spare me the Rated "R"s and even the "PG-13"'s that aren't worth seeing...it has to pass the kid-friendly test...

At the top are some of my favorites...and by favorite, I mean that I will watch them more than once, and may even own them (and that's saying a lot).

So, tell me, what else should I watch?