"Those Rocks Aren't Real"

What Eliza calmly told us when we first entered Arches Nat'l Park near Moab, UT.
The one family shot we got the entire trip. Here we are in view of Delicate Arch.

What Provo looked like when we left and why we couldn't drive thru Price Canyon until 7:30 (wish we'd known that before we left at 5:30- we ended up coming back home to wait)
Because of high winds and our late arrival plan, the first night we staying in luxury, a cabin with bunk beds, a queen bed, electricity, and heat. The next 2 nights were spent at Upper Big Bend (no water, electricity, or flushing toilets-much to Eliza's disappointment) This campground had lots of amenities including a really good playground, a huge checkers board, and my favorite: showers. The first day we drove all over Arches and did 2 hikes- this one to Skyline Arch, and the next to Landscape Arch.

Day 2 was really windy and cold- we spent it mainly in the car touring Dead Horse Point and Canyonland's Nat'l Park. The views were amazing, but our pictures didn't do it justice. At Canyonlands we hiked to Upheaval Point-just incredible (you'll have to go see it for yourself)

We climbed that evening at Big Bend Boulders- here's Israel packing the bouldering pad.

A star Trek Enterprise-ish rock at B B Boulders

Crossing a bridge over the Colorado River on that super cold and windy 2nd day.

Because of the weather we saved the Delicate Arch for our last day. We hiked the most popular hike on a Saturday with all the other Spring Break tourists. We were the only ones pushing a stroller:) It's hard to tell, but Israel, Eliza, and I are standing under the Arch.

My paleontologists seeing real dinosaur tracks during a quick stop on our way back home.

A good laugh

Very last minute I invited our friends over for a dinner of Crash Hot Potatoes, Baby Back Ribs, and green veggies. I knew we had more food than we needed, plus, I was comfortable enough with these friends to have them over even though we hadn't cleaned the house. It wasn't until 10:30 last night when I went to do my bathroom stuff that I discovered one of Stan's many therapy books in plain view on the bathroom shelf. I wonder what they were thinking about us last night.



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A first and some seriousness

On our way back from Delicate Arch, the symbol of Utah, we played "I Spy". For the first time in Eliza's history she didn't spy something pink.

On a more serious note, my good friend Katie is my new hero. I've admired her for a long time, she works really hard, deals with diseases and health problems like they are just a part of life (and she knows with hemaphelia and Crohns in her fam). Every time she has a baby she breaks her tailbone, and yet she's had three. You get the idea. She's amazing- a great friend, a lover of books, and a good cook too. Even more though, she's giving, and I'm not just talking about her time. This last week she donated her better functioning kidney to a brother in desparate need of one. Her youngest isn't even one yet. It's her husband's stressful last semester of BYU, they're still job hunting, but she did this amazing sacrifice, of time, of body, of possible detriment to her own health, knowing that she may never be able to have more children, she gave anyway. She's still in the hospital today. She'll have 6-8 weeks of recovery at home. I am in awe. I am also praying for her quick recovery and hoping that I can give her ample help in the coming weeks.
I've been thinking this weekend: could I do what Katie did? could you do what Katie did? If you think to remember Katie and her brother in your prayers. It wouldn't hurt and I'm confident it will help.

Such a good day

Easter at our house was just marvelous. It started with a carmel french toast breakfast (that Stan came home for after early AM meetings), then church- where both Eliza and Julia kept their bows in their hair the WHOLE time, to walking home and discovering the Easter bunny had visited, to reading the Ressurection story as a family, eating off of our china with Amanda and Bryce, multiple Easter Egg hunts (we used the same eggs over and over) to playing Wii (the EB brought MarioParty 8), visiting with Dana and Jason, eating cheesecake, and happily going to sleep. The weather was nice to us and light jackets were all we needed. The sunshine was great.

Girly Eliza

So, this week we were shopping for white shoes for Easter outfits. We're in Target and I tell the kids, now we just have to find the shoes. Without hesitating Eliza tells me, "Aunt Susan would know, we should ask her" What a cutie.

She's also the girl that when we're in the middle of nowhere on our way to go rock climbing (about 15 miles from dinky little Price, UT) we've been playing the spotting cars in the order of the rainbow game and Stan says let try looking for something else (the cars were getting scarce). Eliza excited "lets look for a store" We often joke how she's such a Hall girl since she didn't get her love of shopping from me:) I like to tell Stan she can do the shopping for us once she gets older, but I don't know if that would be such a good idea.

We got Easter Outfits at Gymboree for Eliza and Julia and Eliza refused to wear hers a cute belted green butterfly dress WITH SLEEVES (I was so happy to find) so we had to trade it for the same one I'd gotten Julia (that is a little more babyish). She didn't like the belt and buttons up the front. So much for my similar but not same Easter idea. She has a mind of her own, but then don't they all:)

Julia in the past week.

Falling asleep at lunch

Being my Easter Bunny

Happily crafting. Much to my joy Julia has already given up on the tasty habit of chewing crayons.

Laughing. Right before a diaper change. I would have to say that playing chase is Julia's favorite game. She loves to run away- as long as she's being actively chased. We have a pre-diaper change ritual that she runs away when I get out a new diaper and I open the diaper by hitting it onto my leg. Well this time the "magic fluff" inside exploded everywhere.

Bonding with the boys. Notice the Wii nunchuk she is holding. She often "plays" video games with Israel and Dad.

Being my sweet girl. And yes, her hair is often just like this.

Busy Easter Bunnies

Our Preschool Easter Party.

Notice Israel's super cool Bunny Hat. He was actually the only kid able to do the spoon on the egg race. But then he was the oldest kid there. **Note: We Mom's aren't totally foolish, the eggs were hard boiled

Here is Julia- she realized that eggs were food. She just pushed her nail right into this egg.

Eliza right before the egg hunt.Julia with her fluffy bunny basket. Stan bought it for her last week after she carried it all over Toys R Us. The littlest kids were given a head start. She did really well until one of her eggs opened. Once she realized there was candy inside she quit finding eggs and started happily munching.

The after picture. I don't know why, but after the Easter Egg Hunt and all that sugar we gave them cupcakes for a treat. We all had a really fun time- and Mom may or may not have been munching on Easter candy all day:)

I Get to Go to School?

Today I told Israel we were going to register him for kindergarten. He thought that he would get to start school today and was really excited. I felt bad explaining he still had to wait until next Fall. We rounded up all necessary documents (including a run by the Dr's office for his immunizations) and we were ready. The falling snow did little to deter our excited bunch. They recognized the playground we've often been to and liked all the bulletin boards in the hallway. Once in the library the kids were super easy while I filled out all the "fun" paperwork, explained to the nurse that Israel's left eye is more dilated than his right, met Mrs. Bigalow who was highly recommended to me for Israel- we'll see if we get her or not- and tromped back to the car.

Many of you reading this post might think it's weird that I registered Israel. You realize, just like I do that we might not even be in Utah in the fall, much less in Rock Canyon's School district. Crazy Mom me wanted to register him anyway, just in case, to get first preferences if we are still here in the Fall. When life is as up in the air as ours is I have to do things that keep me sane. Worrying about Israel's school has been a concern as mine for basically forever- will in be an all day program? maybe I should home school? charter? private? will bullies pick on him? we he be labeled the "problem" child? will he transition between tasks or sulk? How can I make sure he's getting the best of everything? The whole big bad world is out there, am I ready for my oldest to experience it? I have a suspicion that I worry about Israel's schooling in part because it distracts me from worrying about where/when we'll get a job. If Stan will be able to get his dissertation done in time, etc.

We do have some good news, as of Mar. 31st Stan became a Licenced Marriage and Family Therapist. That means a nice raise for Stan for doing the same thing he's been doing for 5 years now. As Stan will tell you the licensing process is painful, frustrating, and intentionally difficult to achieve. More good news: BYU just changed graduate guidelines and Stan now has until Jul 10th to finish his dissertation (instead of May 17) to be able to graduate in August. Yippie!

Life is good, all and all- even if I I had 4 more cavities at the dentist yesterday. Babies have totally destroyed my teeth. Only 1 cavity ever before Israel was born. Now I take even better care of my teeth, use prescription strength toothpaste, floss diligently; and still the cavities keep coming. The sacrifices we make for our children:)

JAMAICA KINGSTON REUNION

It will have been 10 years since I returned from my mission this July 9. We're having a reunion in Centerville and I'm excited. I checked out all the blogs on the mission reunion web page http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fjkmreunion.blogspot.com%2F&h=fa579db067de58b03cc5fa3af4daf296. Julia was sitting on my lap looking at all the pictures and half asleep. You can tell all the blogs are being kept up by the beautiful wives of these RMs, because there is no way the guys are doing it. Most of the guys look fatter, and most have several kids. Julia started rocking out when she heard Bob Marley's song on Waldrum's blog http://tanalicious.blogspot.com/ It definitly has the most quality photographs too. Oveson won for the funnest pictures. Weeks had some romantic pictures up of their Valentine's day (a little too romantic). Most of the pictures are of the kids and that's all good. I don't know why I want to see all the guys from the mission, maybe just to prove that it really happened. That I really did spend two years on a remote Caribbean island when I turned 19 years old. It seems so long ago, that maybe I just convinced myself it happened. I think about it everyday, and just last week someone was asking why I speak with a lilt almost like an Irish person. Cha mon me know no. Mi guess tings dem a go so. mi wan see all the peoper dem fi tell dem mi miss dem bad mon. Mi a go haf a go by de Jerk Shack (162 West Center Street, Orem) fi mek mi see if it a mek fee' betta mon, an' git me some jerk chikin over dede so, and see if da peoper der-so a still chat de Patois, an' if de is anyone de-so mi a know. mi still tink say me a one yardie.

I guess I need to take all my mission pictures and scan them so I can post them. I went before they had digital cameras you know!

B. M. and A. M.

I realized recently that I have my life mentally divided into Before Marriage (BM) and After Marriage (AM). (BM isn't a great abbreviation, so I considered BS and AS (before and after Stan) and decided to stick with BM and AM). So what happened when Robin became a Hall?

Today I'm starting a list of things I never did BM, besides the obvious of course:)
In no particular order here are a few off the top of my head:

• cook scrambled eggs in the microwave
• use napkins at the table
• wear an apron
• get awakened my someone elbowing my head
• wear pink or purple
• eat English muffins
• drive a convertable
• say Yes, M'am and No, Sir
• be a Mom
• ride a go-cart
• enjoyed Shanandoah's Crossing (an out of the way time-share Stan's parents own)
• own a sports car (our Dodge Grand Caravan)
• write thank you cards
• ride in a limo
• buy kleenex- (TP always worked just fine)
• play video games

So I'm curious- what things do you do now that you didn't before being married?

"Rice Day"

Each week Eliza and Israel come home from preschool with little "craft" projects. This morning we learned about musical instruments and made that great tambourine - 2 plates stapled together with rice in the middle. These ones even had holes punched in them so we could "sew" them together with yarn.

The only problem was the rice just wouldn't stay in. So, I added more staples, when the rice was still flying, I added tape all along the outside (and it took a while too). Still it kept spilling. How was this possible? And then I discovered the hubris, the character flaw- all those punched holes. Rice couldn't help but escape. So, instead of cleaning the floor yet again, I let the kids have at it. Rice flew everywhere, they wanted it to come out faster, so I removed some tape. Israel got some scissors. Julia was in heaven. I took some pictures and let the kids wreak havoc- telling them we'd clean it up in a little while. He he he, some free Mom time.

They tore their tambourines, Eliza exclaiming it awe, "Mom, it's a plate. I made a plate out of paper!"

Surprising me Israel came to find me after about 10 minutes with a stacking cup filled with rice. "I'm cleaning up Mom, isn't this a good thing?" So we made piles, filled cups with rice and poured the rice into the biggest stacking cup. We played cleanup for quite a while. I-"we're doing a good thing for Jesus," "didn't I have a good idea?" and "aren't we being so good" were often spoken. He even thought of calling today "Rice Day"

I wonder if it was subconscious that we had rice with dinner?

(Eliza made these in the younger preschool as well on Tues. and the first thing she said when I picked her up was "Mom, don't shake it." Right before I'd come some dried bean had escaped, so the Mom was busy adding stables)

A Daddy Discourse

I have never posted on this blog to my memory but Robin said that since it says "Daddy Discourse" that I should. I post most my lectures on my other blog. There I post very very very politically incorrect statements that offend pretty much everyone who doesn't know me. I voted Constitution Pary for Ron Paul this last election and for the local ones except where there wasn't a Constitution party representative. Then I voted Libertarian, and if there wasn't one of those, then I voted Republican. You will never hear anything good from my mouth about Obama. So anyways, as a father I believe my time is best spent playing! I love to play, I try to play with my kids during the day and I try to spend individual time with each of them. I don't think kids can ever get enough of their dad. My dad spent so much time with me but it was never enough! I always wanted more. My memories with my dad are soft and warm to me and they make me feel safe and comfortable like a warm blanket. My dad was the best dad I could ever ask for and I would never want another. So I hope my kids grow up with a similar feeling about me. These last couple of days I've spent quite a lot of time holding Julia and comforting her, and she has really become my buddy. She fell asleep on my lap with her head on my desk last night while I was doing some work. Her sweet little body was like an angel. I remember when TigerLilly (our cat) used to sleep on me and how nice that was. My Eliza is always glad to see me and usually runs to give me a hug even if she just saw me a few minutes ago. Israel reminds me so much of Travis that it makes me sad. I miss my brother and sometimes seeing Israel so often makes me miss him. If I think too much about it I start crying (like right now), and I usually end up calling Israel by the name of Travis on accident. I think if most dads are like me, then they probably usually feel inadequate compared to their son's talents. Israel is a star, he shines everywhere he goes and is kind to his sisters (most of the time) and treats others all the same (with lots of love). I'm trying to teach him that just because he's bigger than others doesn't mean he can bully them. I think I bullied Travis too much when we were little, but as I got older and was bullied myself I think I quit that almost completely and swore I'd never make anyone feel like I did. Unfortunately, my memories of bullies are all too fresh in my mind and I've tried to work through these disturbing memories using my counseling skills. I can only remember being pushed once or twice, and I was never hit or kicked or even yelled at by my bullies. My bullies were all psychological bullies. That was what they resorted to in a society where physical bullying is not permitted. Teachers have no training in psychological bullying and don't know how to respond to it, most of them can't even recognize it and think that the bullied child is just too sensitive. Having studied the subject at depth I've learned that whether one is affected by psychological bullying has nothing to do with being sensitive, except that bullies might see this as a vulnerability upon which they can prey. Studies show that no one is immune from psychological bullyings affects, whether they are rich - poor, strong - weak, abuse - non-abused, educated - non-educated, or otherwise; the only predictor is that women are more likely to be abused. If you're a parent, be sensitive to your kids. If they're not comfortable, find out why. Listen to them and don't tell them they're wrong if they're uncomfortable. Sometimes they really are being abused, but if you're not listening then you won't know.

Is that a dog barking?

Early Sat. morning as Stan and I were waking up we heard a barking noise. Our neighbors had gotten and dog 2 weeks previous and we wondered if we wer finally hearing little Rosie. But, as we continued to listen we realized it was definately coming from our kids bedroom. You may have already guessed it. Julia has croup.

Other sillies. Today while preparing a casserole dinner and waiting for the chicken to cook I had a brilliant plan. I decided to make cookies. We always make a full batch and put about half in the freezer for later. Amazing me I used to microwave to defrost the molasses cookie dough (so I could cook the cookies in my preheated oven before the casserole needed to go in). Unfortunately I put the bag in the microwave, pressed defrost, then 1, and immediately forgot that I had anything in the microwave. I specifically remember thinking why am I in the kitchen, checking the chicken, and then coming back to the computer. 3 minutes later I heard a beep- oh uh, I had a "burn-my-hand" partially cooked cookie mess. I tried to massage the ziplock bag but it was too hot. After cooling in the fridge I was finally able to handle the dough. The texture had changed and the butter partially seperated, but I pressed on. The cookies are still edible-my family happily gobbled them up, but they're not nearly as good as the first time around. So much for my brilliant plan.

Triassic Bouldering Family Adventure

Me working a V4 on the Hammerhead boulder at the Petrogliph area.

Julia had a great time climbing and being independant. It helped that we packed lots of goodies. She eventually ended up without her clothes because of the heat. We slathered on the sunscreen and thankfully she didn't burn.

We had so much fun together climbing rocks, playing in the dirt, enjoying the surprising heat, and conquering some fun problems. We're going again next weekend. I think we're getting addicted to bouldering.
Israel was our good helper