Miner Place

Yes, Finally a 2010 Update!

2010-08-04T22:17:00.000-07:00

A Confession and a Problem: Where do I begin?

I guess by admitting the obvious: I am a lazy blogger. I'm sure there is a 12 step program somewhere to help me admit I am a lazy blogger, make amends for lazy blogging and then having a spiritual awakening. Instead, good old fashioned guilt is helping me admit "I am Chris, and I blog lazily."

January--a Sealing to Remember!

So January started off with a bang since we got to seal Will to us and bless him. Angie's parents and my Mom came down as well as Angie's sister Julie and her husband Steve and their kids. It was an amazing experience in the Temple. We were joined by so many friends and Will was so alert and intensely looking at each person as they hugged us.

At the Temple with a few of the friends that joined us:

Family shots:

Chris' Mom and Chandler:

February--Revenge of the Dad...I mean Christopher!

Can I just mention how much I don't enjoy the pinewood derby? It is supposedly about the boys except that the Dads all make the cars and then turn the testosterone up to 11 on race day. There is a lot of trash talking and even a few tears. Of course, my being "above" the pinewood derby comes from me....er....Christopher winning the derby this year! I can't give out any secrets but I did spend a lot of time and money researching and building it. This is because there were tears last year in the Miner household over some wobbly wheels, poor performance and hearing a little too much trash talking. I plotted for a year but I...er...Christopher avenged his performance last year!

Christopher did have a cute design, an ice cream sandwich pinewood derby car:

Angie was happy to point out the good news: I get to make one more car next year with Christopher and then two again in 7 years with Will! I wonder if I can recycle this same car three years?

March--It came in like Lion

Jackson and “The tree that blew down and sucked a day of our life chopping into tiny bits and hauling to the dump and also did I mention the workers of questionable documentation I hired from a neighbor to help me chainsaw said tree into bits.”

Random photos of Will being cute:

April--Fathers and Sons came early this year

Jackson and his best friend Andrew at Fathers and Sons campout:

Is it just me or does the dog tied up in the background look like a dog that should not be out camping? It looks like a sacrifice to the Mighty Kong.

The boys spent a LONG TIME throwing rocks into a river. I have to admit that the "adult" boys enjoyed it too. If we had a fire at the same time we would have been diverted for a couple of more hours just putting sticks in the fire. River and fire = hours of boys' fun!

This used to be boys camping, a tent in the living room (I miss it!):

Chandler almost got himself thrown into the river. We call this particular life lesson “Don't cross Jeff and Shane by splashing them with river water from large rocks you throw near them and expect them to do nothing--also don't expect Dad to intervene to save you, he will be taking pictures.” I admit the title of this life lesson is a bit wordy but it is very descriptive.

Speaking of Chandler, he joined the track team at school. We were so proud of him! (and happy he had something to do after school every day besides beg to play video games). He did the 100 and 200 meter sprints as well as the long jump and hurdles. He got to compete at a couple of meets and appears to have joined because he actually likes it, not as a way to meet girls. I guess that was just his Dad's motivation for sports back in the day.

One thing I have always been impressed about Chandler is that he is always smiling-even when he is running hurdles!

April and May--Baseball takes our every waking moment

Baseball came in the spring and felt like it sucked up our lives for months. Jackson and Christopher both played. Jackson played outfield and second base and enjoyed a great season. Christopher played all outfield but his team won the championship for his division! I was able to help coach his team and we had a great time.

Last year I paid them for each hit and Jackson and Christopher hit so much that they were paid like small banana republic dictators. Baseball essentially turned into a massive wealth transfer system from Chris and Angie to Jackson and Christopher. I think the tax system collected fewer dollars than Jackson and Christopher. We tried a modified pay-for-play system this year. They still got some money this year but I started skipping games that were "paid" games and paid them much less per hit. Luckily we didn't have a labor dispute or a strike!

June--A surprise trip to New York and Washington DC

The family joined me for a business trip to New York and then we drove to DC.

Here we are in Times Square:

We got lucky with Will--he slept good and was the least grouchy boy. The other boys took turns having meltdowns and fighting with each other. That said, they were actually great kids to travel with. I think we're wearing them down!

Here are Chris excited to be on Wall street, 3 boys who just want to know where the nearest McDonalds is and one boy asleep in his stroller:

At the natural history museum I offered Jackson a dollar if he would ask a security guard where they kept the dinosaur that came alive at night like in the movie Night at the Museum. Of course, this being Jackson (he who fleeces his classmates out of their lunches through stockbroker-like trading), he asked 3 guards and then demanded I pay him three dollars, one for each time he asked! Angie was horrified at both of us but really mostly at me...

We got to see our old friends, Shane and Chyayn Fillmore. They are the best! They have 4 girls that are similar in ages to our boys and we are crossing our fingers that we can get them all to go along with the pre-arranged marriage contracts we cooked up years ago. The kids played kickball in the backyard, we roasted marshmellows in their outdoor fireplace and we made them pose for an updated group (engagement) photo.

Before we left New York for Arizona (2004):

Visiting New York (2010):

Jackson was so excited that Shane is a drummer in a real live band (Highbench-they are awesome!). He got Shane's autograph and had us listen to Shane's CD from New York to DC.

We loved visiting DC!--"Lot's of 11 year olds get lost in the Subway"

The boys had a surprisingly great time at the library of congress but they LOVED the Bureau of Printing and Engraving. Something about watching millions of dollars being printed spoke to them!

Jackson and Chandler with $1 million:

The three musketeers at the Smithsonian:

Angie in reflection at the Vietnam memorial:

PDA at the Washington Monument:

We only had one hiccup in Washington DC: we lost Jackson in the subway. I know what you're thinking, no big deal, right? Wrong! As the metro car pulled up, Jackson got on and the doors suddenly closed while the rest of us were on the platform. I was at the doors and saw the horror on his face as he realized he was trapped on the metro by himself. It was scary. As the subway car pulled away, I yelled at him to get off at the next stop. He nodded and began to well up. The car pulled out and was gone. Angie was right behind me. I tried to play it cool. "Lot's of 11 year olds get lost in the Subway". That did not seem to calm her for some reason. It seemed like forever before the next metro came. We got on it, each of us praying to ourselves that Jackson had gotten off at the next stop and was ok waiting for us. Angie was trying to keep it together but that is a lot to ask of a mom! As we pulled into the next station, Jackson was standing on the platform with a very nice family that had seen the whole thing and got off to be with him. There were lots of hugs and a few tears. Thank you random family that helped us with Jackson!

Angie’s 40th Birthday--the pressure was on!

For Angie's birthday in June, I had to do something big. It was her big 4-0 (don't tell her I told you). I surprised her with front row tickets to the Yankee/Diamondbacks game where we sat literally on the Yankee dugout so she could politely nod at me while I talked and she stared at Derek Jeeter. We had such a fun time together it was easy to remember why I love her so much!! Lucky for me Derek had other plans after the game.

Later that weekend, a couple of Angie's girlfriends kidnapped her for an overnight at a resort (shopping, movies, etc) and the next night we threw a surprise birthday party for Angie.

My favorite moments:

->seeing Angie get embarrassed as the 15-person stretch Hummer limo pulled up

->taking the neighborhood kids for a quick ride in the limo and hearing Logan Wicke yell out the window "Ha Ha. I'm rich!"

->Seeing our friends in matching Manchester United t-shirts for Angie

->Melissa's amazing cake with Angie's favorite things: the New York Yankees, Manchester United, and a Kindle [with an edible typed story about us!]

->the drunk Englishman at the English pub dropping 15 f-bombs when he saw the aforementioned Manchester United shirts [he was a Liverpool fan, it figures]

->talking Angie into getting a fake tattoo

Melissa's amazing cake!

July--Will has a birthday and won’t blow out the candle

William had his first birthday and wouldn't blow the candle out. Instead he just smacked it with his hand to put it out. That's what I like, a doer! Will aged big time around his birthday. He started walking behind a little walker he pushed around the house and won't stop eating (just like his old man).

Yes, that’s all!

That is about it for 2010 so far. I am a recovering lazy blogger and will get on the updates. In our next edition, Steve and Julie move into our house from Las Vegas [that's 8 boys in the house!] and buy a house in our neighborhood (yeah!), school is about to start (bigger yeah!) and Will appears to have little interest in walking on his own (boo!).

End of 2009

2009-12-29T22:27:00.001-08:00

Where do I start to catch up 2009? Here we go in order from our last post:

Will was a Zebra for Halloween. He was happy, as always, but obviously is too young for candy. That didn't stop his brothers from collecting candy for him--they just didn't share it :)

As holidays approached, Angie made the cutest gingerbread houses with the kids. She even had some of our friends over. She is amazing!!

In early December Chandler ran his first Triathlon with Chris (Chris' second). Chandler was second in the pool, top 10 on the run and did awesome!! He wants to keep doing them with Chris.

On Christmas Eve we have our own weird traditions: big dinner, talent show, nativity, singing carols and of course, desert! We used to mix in bowling and a movie but we've had to spread Christmas Eve over a couple of days. It was too exhausting as it was. Angie's talent this year was making jam for people (last year she compiled a Christmas caroling song book). Jackson and Chandler baked (cake and cookies, respectively), while Chris and Christopher both did stand up routines. There were jokes ranging from knock knock jokes (Christopher) and material about "Mrs. Claus is so lazy" (Chris). Jackson enjoying some dinner:

Will got to be baby Jesus for the Nativity. Chandler was Joseph, Jackson was a wise man and Christopher was a shepherd.

Christmas day brought wonderful presents for all. They all loved opening presents!

This week Will's adoption was finalized in Utah. Here we are with the Judge that approved and finalized the adoption. We are so grateful! It was more of a hearing than either of us knew. We testified, the adoption agency testified and the Judge asked a few questions. In the end we both got a little misty-eyed when the adoption agency and the Judge both said they found it was in Will's best interest to be with us. Here we are with the Judge after the hearing:

Finally the boys got to enjoy playing in the Utah snow. Here is Chandler sledding with a cousin (Hinckley):

Here is Jackson taking a nasty spill:

Here is a link to a youtube video of Christopher taking a big jump:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nIKtrqVh_U

See you all in 2010!

Our Beach Vacation

2009-10-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great beach vacation for fall break. It was one of the first times I was sad to come home. It was such a relaxing week. The boys spent 4 days boogie boarding and playing in the sand, Will spent 4 days sleeping on the beach and I spent 4 days reading on the beach. We also spent some time at Sea World and caught the BYU and San Diego State football game. It was a fantastic vacation!!!

Our Month of August

2009-09-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

August was such a fun month for the Miners. It started with the boys going back to school. That is always a good thing for Mom:). Chandler is in 7th, Jackson is in 5th and Christopher is in 4th. Will and I are spending lots of quality time together.

Chris participated in his first triathlon up in Show Low. He swam 25 laps, biked 12 miles and ran a 5k. I think he did great. We loved watching the race. Me and the boys sat on a hill by our hotel and watched him bike up this huge hill.

Chandler is loving 7th grade. He said it's really easy (luckily his grades are all A's). In his math class he has only missed one point so far. He also got his reading level tested. No surprise- he is reading at a 12th grader in his 9th month of school. I don't know where he gets his love of reading.

Jackson is loving 5th grade. His teacher is great and he is being really diligent in his homework. He also earned his Webelos badge this month. He worked really hard over the summer and earned almost all of the Activity badges. He only has 3 left.

Christopher is doing great in 4th grade. He is really getting older. He has also finally got the reading bug. He has been finishing a book a week since school started. I am so happy. I love our house full of readers.

Will is such a great baby. He was 14 lbs 1 oz at his two month check-up. He is also sleeping great. He is usually sleeping through the night which has been great for his "older" parents who were having a rough time with the multiple nighttime feedings. He is so cute and really talking up a storm now. The boys are amazing with him. We are very blessed that he is in our family.

Now that August is over- the craziness begins. Soccer every night and on Saturdays. I hope we are up for it :)!

The End of Summer

2009-08-10T18:58:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over. Chandler started Jr. High today and Jackson and Christopher start on Wednesday. We had a great end of Summer! Chandler experienced his first summer scout camp. I got the call that every parent dreads getting. "Hi, Chandler was in an accident and they are taking him to the hospital"--my heart droped and I started hyperventilating. Chris then finished his sentence"he cut his hand and they think he may need stitches." My heart started beating again and I thought- no big deal only stitches. He ended up with 5 stitches.

Jackson has been trying a new sport this summer. He has started fencing. He has been begging us for 2 years to try it so we finally found a fencing club for him. He has really enjoyed the new sport and is really starting to get into it.

William has become the center of our family. The boys run into his room as soon as they wake up and most of the family fights now revolve around who gets to hold Will. He has 3 great big brothers who are very helpful.

Will loves to sit in his new high chair while we eat dinner.

Christopher holding Will so Mom can have a little break.

Will and his favorite look. He has started smiling and talking to people.

Jackson loves holding Will.

Will is getting bigger and bigger. He is now 6 weeks old and weighs about 12 pounds. He loves to eat!!!

It has been an amazing summer and we feel very grateful for everything that has happened. I am also very happy that the boys get to experience a new year in school :)

What A Month

2009-07-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick recap of the last 4 weeks in the Miner family. My Grandmother passed away on June 15th. I think she was very happy to go. The timing led to a tricky situation. We had a scheduled vacation at the end of June and so I decided to drive up to Utah and stay an extra week. Chris was able to fly back and forth so he didn't have to miss too much work. It was wonderful seeing all of the family at the funeral. My Grandma had 56 grandchildren and 53 were able to attend. It was quite a sight. After our time in Idaho we headed back to my parents home for a quite week before our vacation started.

On Wednesday, June 24th, I got a call around 5:00pm. It was the adoption agency that we have been working with. They had a baby being born the next day. Was there any way we could come to Utah for the baby? Everyone was a little shocked to learn that we were already in Utah. The birth mother was induced at 7:oo am and William Hand Miner was born at 1:35pm. He weighed 7 pounds 1 oz and was 21 inches long. We signed the paper work on the 26th and brought him home(to my parents house) on the 26th. While we waited for all the legal stuff to happen, we went ahead with our vacation. A week at Aspen Grove. This was heaven! The boys had activities planned for them for the whole week, there was a great cafeteria, Chris got to play lots of sports and I got to play with Will for a week. It was the perfect way to spend our first week together.

After Aspen Grove finished on the 3rd we found out that all of our paperwork had either been finished or was not going to be necessary so we could leave as planned on the 5th of July.

So after 2 1/2 weeks in Utah we attended a funeral, had a baby, spent a great week on vacation and spent time with 6 of my siblings and all 3 of Chris' siblings. It was an action packed trip!

Trip with the girls

2009-04-20T16:51:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick update of my trip to England. Most people who know me know that England is my favorite place on earth. I certainly enjoyed this trip. I got to drive on really narrow roads, see Stonehenge, eat digestives, eat English sausage, see lots of castles and old buildings, travel to Paris and see Wicked.

Stonehenge

Roman Baths in Bath

Abby in Bath

Notre Dame

Eiffel Tower

Parliment in London

Yeomen at Tower of London

Angie is in England!!

2009-03-30T13:25:00.001-07:00

Angie is touring around England this week with some friends and I am attempting to manage the boys by myself. If you are a wife and giggling at the thought of your husband trying to do it all you may be on to something.

I am beginning to suspect that there is a lot more that goes on at home than I am aware of. Apparently there is no a meal fairy that cooks meals, or dishwasher fairy that emptys the dishwasher or homework fairy that tutors the boys through their homework. I think Angie may do some of that stuff!?!?!?

Little things have already stopped working right. Angie was gone less than one hour when I looked up at church and noticed our oldest passing the sacrament with white ankle socks underneath his suit pants. Clearly something that someone (Angie) would have noticed and fixed under normal circumstances!

This morning was our first school morning on our own. I had to make executive decisions about after school activities (yes), book reports (next week when your mother is back) and whether or not batting practice in the backyard could take the place of piano practice this week (yes again--sorry Angie!).

Luckily for me, I have low expectations of myself this week. I will consider the week a success if we can make it through the week with the boys wearing clean clothes to school every day and without starving one of the pets (goldfish or Shaggy the dog). I am going to give myself bonus points for anything else that gets done such as laundry, boys making it to scouts on time, boys playing less than 2 hours of Guitar Hero per day or us eating out no more than once per day.

So if you see my boys wearing the same clothes this week, you will know I have failed miserably and there is a good chance that one or more pets at our house needs to be replaced.

Thank you in advance for your prayers!!

-Chris

A Busy Month

2009-03-09T19:37:00.000-07:00

First I apologize for the lack of pictures. My laptop is broken and I am too lazy to transfer the pictures to my desktop.

We started the month off with a fun trip to Las Vegas for my nephews blessing. The boys loved playing with the Shaw boys and I loved holding baby Jacob. He is a beautiful baby.

Jackson turned 10 and had a fun birthday. For his party he wanted to have a nerf war. So we got some boxes and duct tape. The boys made forts and played steal the flag using their nerf guns. It was a fun but easy way to entertain the boys for a couple of hours.

We also finished up our basketball season. Christopher and Jackson both had a good time playing and Christopher was very happy to beat his scoring record from last year.

Chandler turned 12. I don't know how I feel about this but there was nothing I could do about it. He was very excited to turn 12, receive the priesthood, go camping with the scouts, and have his mormitzvah.

My parents came to Arizona for Chandlers big day. We were very happy to have them and keep trying to convince them that Arizona is a great place to retire. I was very happy to have them here. During their visit they got to see they boys pinewood derby, 2 basketball games, 2 baseball practices, Chandler's mormitzvah, a day of church and a nice Sunday dinner.

Chandler's mormitzvah is a fun little tradition that we have started. When a child turns 12 we have a little party and call it a mormitzvah. He had to do some fun things: feats of strength, a blind taste test, shave a balloon, recite 5 generations of his lineage, recite a Hebrew phrase and sing a song in German. He did great!!! We are really proud of who he is and the decisions he has made in his life.

February was exhausting and I am hoping that March will be a little calmer.

I miss summer....(vacations)

2009-02-18T13:12:00.001-08:00

I ran across this picture of Christopher on our computer and it made me really antsy to be done with winter. I love how fun and carefree Christopher looks. It's hard to look like that in winter!

I know that Arizona has pretty mild winters and it is 1,000 degrees (Farhenheit, only 600 degrees celcius) in July, but summer has vacations and sneaky three day weekends that involve getting out of town.

That was all I had. Oh, and I took Chandler to the Suns game the other night and he got to high five Shaq, Nash, Amare and all the players. He was very excited.

I was a little surprised they handed out packs of cards to us when we walked in. I thought it would be normal playing cards but they were Suns Dancers cards! Can you believe they handed these out?

I had to get 3 packs just to make sure they are all the same inappropriate cards.

Just a little update

2009-02-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

I know- it's about time. It has been a month since our last update-but it seems like it was just a couple of weeks. I can't believe it is already February. Things are a little busy around here- but as always we cope. Jackson and Christopher are in the middle of basketball. Both are doing great. Christopher has improved about 1000%. He has some great coaches and they are very supportive.

Jackson always has to be doing something. This week he met with the principal of his school to try and start a new school club. He wants to start a "Green" club. He created the hand-out and he and his friend met with the principal to present their ideas for the after school club. I was very proud of his ingenuity.

Chandler is counting down the days until he turns 12. He is going on his last 11 year old camp out next week and he is very excited. He is preparing for his birthday and is really excited to receive the priesthood.

I am just trying to keep my planner updated and make sure I don't miss anything.

Angie is throwing up and we visit a hospital!

2009-01-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

So Angie woke up feeling sick yesterday. Around 1 pm she began throwing up and did that several times an hour until 8 pm when I threw her in the car and we went to my new favorite hospital, Gilbert Hospital.

Before I go on, I know what you are all thinking: "What? Chris, the FedEx BCS National Championship football game was going on and you stopped watching to take care of Angie? You are a Saint!"

I appreciate your kind thoughts, I really do, but nothing is too good for my Angie! Plus she was puking a lot! I knew our good old friend, Dehydration, would be coming for a visit soon.

The people at Gilbert Hospital could not have been nicer! They gave me a nice chair, they put the football game on a nice small flatscreen in the room for us to watch and they have a soda fountain right there in the ER! Free Diet Cokes all night long! And as an added bonus, they took really good care of Angie.

We were there for a total of 5 1/2 hours with all kinds of tests, IVs, doctors, nurses, etc. The long and short of it is that she was really dehydrated, had a nasty virus and has to stay in bed on various drugs for a couple of days.

The only sketchy part of the whole evening was near the middle of our stay in the hospital when she was dehydrated and starting to go in and out of being lucid. I knew she was totally out of it when she turned to me at halftime of the game and said "If I die, you can remarry."

This was not what I was expecting to hear from my poor sick wife. She wasn't THAT sick, but she felt like dying. I copy the exchange below. Now all you women with perfect husbands can cast the first stone. If not, don't pretend your husband isn't the same!

Angie: If I die, you can remarry.

Chris: Don't worry, I wouldn't remarry.

Angie: Seriously, it's ok and I know you--you can't be alone.

Chris: I didn't say I would be alone, I just said I wouldn't get remarried.

Suddenly it was like a flash of white hot energy went through her entire body. She had a heaven-sent source of adrenaline! It was a hospital miracle! She was going to live!

When the doctors pulled her off me she was still screaming "I am beating you on behalf of all women" over and over. Luckily the drugs kicked in soon after and she was able to rest.

If she asks me about it today I will tell her she was dreaming and that the entire night was a blur of pain, drugs and football.

Jackson the Day Trader and Future Wall Street Baron

2009-01-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

A quick one while Angie recuperates:

I usually make the boys school lunches (unless they get hot lunch but they are all so picky and for some reason the school doesn't offer pizza every day). This morning Jackson made his own lunch before I got up.

Christopher, sensing an opportunity, immediately alerted me that Jackson had not made a "normal" lunch. Here is the exchange:

Chris: Jackson, what did you pack in your lunch?

Jackson [confused by the question]: Nothing.

Christopher [running up to me]: He only packed cookies! He only packed cookies, He only packed cookies!

Chris [turning to Jackson]: What? How many cookies?

Jackson: 8.

Chris: [only sputtering noises came out of my mouth]

Jackson [very defensively]: What? Do you know what I can trade those for? I can have the best lunch in the school.

Sensing he was correct, I let it go. I admire his business acumen. Plus Angie was asleep so I couldn't get in trouble for letting him leave the house with a lunch consisting solely of 8 Oreo cookies.

I'm sure somewhere a mother or two or three lovingly packed some nice lunches that were all eaten by my son Jackson. It's not all a loss, though, as your son(s) and/or daughter(s) probably got a couple of Oreos out of the deal.

The street value of this pile of Oreos can only be calculated in an elementary school lunchroom:

Jackson's future employment:

Village Inn ripped me off!! (but it might be my fault)

2008-12-30T21:57:00.000-08:00

OK, so Angie and I went out shopping last night and stopped by Village Inn to pick up some pie to eat at home. We have never really gotten pie from Village Inn but the Cheesecake Factory was 15 minutes further away.

It went wrong from the very start.

There was a nice young woman behind the counter. Here is the exchange; you tell me where it went off the tracks:

Village Inn Girl: "Can I help you?"

Chris: "She would like a slice of Cherry pie and I would like a slice of Chocolate Peanut Butter."

Village Inn Girl: "That will be $6.50."**
**take note that my slice of pie cost $3.80

I swiped my debit card and the machine instantly asked me if I wanted to tip 15% or 20%. We have now been in the building 3 minutes. I saw Village Inn Girl move out of my line of vision as she headed to the back to get our pie, so I turned my head slightly to Angie behind me and out of the corner of my mouth uttered:

Chris: "Tip? 15% tip? 20% tip? How about zero?"

It is at this moment I realizeed much to my horror that my superhero-like spidey-senses have detected Village Inn Girl right behind me. She whispered in my ear:

Village Inn Girl: "If you want zero just hit zero. That's fine."

I was mortified; Angie was mortified but it was too late. Village Inn Girl gave us our pie and I slinked out.

When we got to the car I opened the pie container to make sure she hadn't spit in my food. What I found was almost as bad: I had received the smallest piece of pie I have ever seen at a restaurant. And I had paid $3.80! Here is a dramatic recreation using Village Inn's website (click to enlarge):

In the interest of social studies, I went to my friend Kimball's house and "talked him" (ie, had to pay him in pie) into going to Village Inn to order pie as well. This time he was ready to tip big. He ordered, he got a bigger slice.

Angie and I want to make the world a better place. Friends and followers of this blog know that we both want to teach others our valuable life lessons.

Here is what Chris learned: Drive the extra 15 minutes to the Cheesecake Factory if you can. It is so loud there that they won't hear you announcing you won't be tipping.

Here is what Angie learned: stop going out in public with her husband.

A Little Culture

2008-12-15T22:18:00.000-08:00

Last week we took the boys to the Hale theater to see "A Christmas Carol". I didn't actually tell the boys where we were going until right before we left for the play. To say that they were not happy would be an understatement. Chandler sulked up until the play started, Jackson just wanted to know what candy he could buy and Christopher ran around outside throwing rocks. I was afraid it was going to be a huge disaster.

We have taken the boys to see musicals before. They have seen "The Lion King" and "Wicked" and they loved both. So I was a little surprised at their reaction to this play. It was almost magical to see how they all softened during the play. It was a great show!! The music and actors were really good. During intermission Jackson asked if we could sit in the balcony next time we come and see a play. Chandler thought it would be cool if we could get season tickets and Christopher decided he wanted to be an actor.

I was surprised that the boys didn't know the story of Scrooge- I guess I have been slacking in my parental duties--but they really got the point and loved the play. I loved the play and think we are going to make it a new Christmas tradition. So at this Christmas time I say "God bless us, every one."

The End of an Era

2008-12-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

Alert- If you are 12 or younger or think Santa is the most amazing person ever please don't read this post.

Tonight when I was bringing Chandler home from scouts we had an interesting conversation. Here is how it went:
Me: How was scouts?
Chandler: fine.
Me: What did you do?
Chandler: We went to the High school and played football.
Me: Sounds like fun. So how was school?
Chandler: Fine.
Me: So- What do you and your friends talk about at school?
Chandler: Nothing really.
Me: Are you excited about Christmas?
Chandler: Of course
(good thing I learned how to ask find out questions on my mission or this would have been a very short conversation).
Me: What do you think Santa is going bring you?
He kind-of gave me a funny look.
I repeated the question- again the funny look.
Me:Chandler- do you and your friends talk about Santa?
Chandler: sometimes
Me: what do you talk about?
Chandler: we mostly talk about if he is real.

Now I know that Chandler is almost 12 and we probably should have had this conversation a couple of years ago- but I was hoping to hold off one more year.

Me: Do you think Santa is real?
Chandler: well I don't think he can be real. I mean who believes in Santa. Of course he is easier to believe in then the Easter bunny. I mean really, who would believe that a huge bunny hops around the world delivering candy.
I sat in stunned silence.
Me: so you don't believe in Santa? (I asked it like it was unbelievable that this could be true)
Chandler: well kind-of
Me : what do you mean kind-of?
Chandler: I kind-of hope he's real.

The rest of the ride home was quiet. I have to admit that I was a little teary to see my baby begin to see the world as a teenager. How I have enjoyed the innocence of youth. How I have enjoyed watching them as they look at things through eyes that think anything is possible. It makes me sad to see a little bit of that belief lost to the reality of the world. I wish I could keep them young forever and that they would have the absolute belief in all things good.

Bobby Flay Loves Me

2008-12-02T19:28:00.000-08:00

OK, so my post about being in New York and meeting Bobby Flay really starts with trying to explain a monumental injustice in the world (not monumental like children starving in Africa or testicular cancer but still...).

A couple of years ago, we got together with the Wickes and the Richins to recreate the TV show the Iron Chef. Have you seen Iron Chef? Famous Chefs are given 1 hour to create meals using a secret ingredient revealed to them only moments before the 1 hour starts. The girls picked a secret ingredient (sour cream) and Kimball, Thomas and I had to create a main dish and a dessert in 90 minutes. We had to shop, gather supplies, and cook in the same kitchen in those 90 minutes. We called it Iron Chef Mesa.

Long story short, we made the mistake of having Thomas' brothers be the judges. There was a controversy involving a simple shake with a sprig of parsley being declared a winner over stuffed crepes, yada yada yada, Thomas wins the desert portion, splits the votes and leaves Kimball as Iron Chef Mesa.

Fast forward 3 years later: Chris is in New York City trying to put the ugly memories of Iron Chef Mesa behind him while drowning his sorrows in Diet Cokes. I was walkiing up 5th Avenue near Central Park and who do I see coming my way? None other than famous Iron Chef Bobby Flay:
I quickly explained the facts of Iron Chef Mesa to him. His eyes grew large in disbelief as I regaled him with the ins and outs of the culinary horror that robbed the world of Iron Chef Miner. I could have sworn that I saw one lonely tear roll down his face. In our minds, we hugged goodbye, one Iron Chef to another. Both being germaphobes, however, we kept our goodbyes to a nod of the head and a picture taken by a passing old man.

Once I knew Bobby was on my side, my day perked up. I put down the Diet Coke and saw the city in a whole new light. The grass was greener, leaves were goldnener and the taxi drivers swore less.

Here are some pictures I took in Central Park:

Pretty, eh?

In the end, the trip was good since the conference I was in New York for was excellent and I was able to get some new purses for the girls through some tough haggling with Nigerians selling counterfeits on the streets late at night. Plus I will always have Bobby...

Braveheart

2008-11-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have my own Scottish Highlander. You know how I love Scotland. My brave highlander actually walked the streets of Mesa on Halloween night. I am sure he was there to protect me and the boys. What a brave soul he is.

A Little Obsessed

2008-11-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

I have become a little obsessed with canning. About a month ago I went a little overboard canning peaches and pears. I bottled 36 quarts of pears and 36 quarts of peaches-no one in my family likes peaches. Last week I canned apples. This was the first time I have ever worked with apples. I ended up bottling 24 quarts of apples and 24 pints of applesauce. It was a lot of work-but it ended up being a lot of fun because I did it with a good friend. Chris is now worried that I am going to fill every closet with fruit.

Artistic Pumpkins

2008-11-04T20:32:00.000-08:00

Carving pumpkins was so much fun this year. The boys were very creative, their level of pumpkin carving is getting very high. Even Chris created a great pumpkin. Guess who he carved?

Here are the before, during and after pictures.

Christopher hated cleaning out the pumpkin- I thought he was going to throw-up. It was so funny watching him clean it out.

Jackson tried a very difficult pattern which didn't work. He adapted well and changed his pumpkin to a spider/throw-up design. I think the inspiration came after he ate some raw pumpkin.Chandler chose to carve a skull. I didn't think it turned out very well until it was outside and lit. It was amazing!

Chris worked very hard on his pumpkin. We are very proud of his pumpkin carving skills. Of course he couldn't help himself- he had to do the throw-up joke. That really caught on with the boys--thanks Chris. Can you tell who he carved? That is my cute little bat in the background.

Piano Recital

2008-11-04T20:20:00.001-08:00

So I have been quite a slacker when it comes to our blog- so here comes some updates.

The Boys had a piano recital a few weeks ago. I am always so proud of the boys and how hard they work to memorize their music.

Christopher is always a hoot. Everyone watches to see what funny thing he does. He is always soooo serious.
Jackson played so well. He worked very hard this year and I am glad I won't have to hear the song "The Train" any more. The train whistle was very loud at 6:30am in the morning.Chandler always takes his recital so serious. He practices hard and is very responsible. He didn't really want his picture taken and rushed out of the room so the picture is not great.

NBA is FANtastic!

2008-10-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

So last week a former (law) partner of mine gave me 4 center court tickets to a Phoenix Suns game. Of course since there are 5 of us in the family we had a major decision to make. Should I leave a boy home? Should I stay home and Angie go? Should we give away the tickets since we can't all go?

We decided to settle it the old fashioned way: Angie and I arm-wrestled for the right to take the boys to the game.

Here is the first picture of the night that the winner took. Can you guess who took it?

What can I say? I love dancing. Just kidding. Long story short, Angie let me go even though I lost the arm wrestle. Plus she had book club that night. Now in most marriages it would be no sacrifice for a wife to skip sports and go do girl-talk with appetizers. In our marriage however, Angie is a HUGE sports fan and although I love sports, I am also happy to spend an evening yacking it up and eating finger foods.

Thanks for sacrificing Angie. The boys and I had a great time.

The tickets included passes to all the clubs at the Arena and the area underneath the stadium between the floor and the locker room. At half-time and after the game we gave the players high fives as they ran into the locker room.

After the game we talked Amare Stoudemire into stopping and signing autographs for the boys. They were so excited!

All in all it was quite a lot of fun and hopefully the boys remember the good time we all had with Amare, Shaq, Nash. And the Suns dancers. OK, I don't want them (or Angie) to remember that part.

-Chris

Camping = Fun!!

2008-09-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

So Chandler and I went on our first 11 year old Scout campout this past weekend. Fate, sickness and vacation schedules had conspired to keep us from going on earlier scout campouts.

Needless to say, Chandler was so excited to play with friends in dirt and lake water. How could I deny him?

We went to a place north of here called Apache Lake:

It was a bit of a drive to get to the lake but on the way we stopped when the scout leader spotted a rattlesnake laying on the road. Like any good scout leader, this one got out and bothered the otherwise comfortable snake until he started to rattle. The leader wanted the boys to hear what a rattlesnake sounds like when it is ticked off and rattling so that the boys could be warned and on the lookout. This makes perfect sense to me as a carrier of male chromosomes. Angie, of course, was horrified at this retelling. Her reaction went something like this:

Me: "Wasn't that a good idea?"

Angie: "What? Are you fully retarded or just slow?"

Me: "I'm all man, baby!"

Angie: "I will take that as fully retarded."

If that wasn't cool enough, later on the drive we saw a tarantula. A huge tarantula in fact. So huge that we had to pick it up and let it walk on us. First the boys petted it (yes it was that big) but then they got brave and let it walk on them.
You can all imagine what Angie's reaction was when I told her about this part. It won't surprise you that she has asked my employer if there is a special "short bus" that can take me to work since she doesn't think I should be allowed to drive.

Once we got to the lake Chandler was good about helping me get the tent up, dinner, etc. Luckily the 11 years old scouts are still 11 and were oblivious of the girls in bikinis in the next campsite over. Just to be safe I decided to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't wander into our campsite and frighten the young boys. You're welcome, Angie. Chandler was safe!

Of course Chandler wanted to get up at 6 am and fish which was fun except for the really smelly bait. We didn't catch any fish but we saw a couple steal the bait.

All in all it was a fun campout and we can't wait to do it again. In case you were wondering-don't worry, the bikini-clad temptresses were not out early Saturday morning. I checked several times just to be safe.

-Chris

Anarchy in the UK

2008-09-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

So poor Angie had to deal with us driving all day last Sunday back from vacation in California just in time for me to get on an afternoon flight to London. I was gone an entire week for business. It was tough leaving Angie and the boys right after vacation (not that it's easy to leave any time!).

I spent the first couple of days just outside of London. I realized as soon as I landed that I had accidentally left my jacket in hot Phoenix and it was rainy every day in London. A cab driver and I shopped a thrift shop and I found a nice wind breaker for 5 pounds (about 10 bucks). It had a little school insignia on the jacket but I didn't worry about it until I got back to the office and looked up the name of the school and realized it was a school for teenage boys with emotional and behavioral problems! How fitting, some of you are thinking! I just hope that people who saw me walking around with it thought that I was a teacher and not a student :)

I did get into London for some meetings but I also had a nice dinner with my friend Adam who lives in London. He and I started at the same law firm in New York many years ago. Later when Angie and I were in Frankfurt, Adam's future wife, Karen, was dating him in London on the weekends and working in Frankfurt during the week, where we met her also. Anyway Adam and Karen now have a cute house in London and a cuter new baby and it was wonderful to catch up. It was also fun to walk the London streets again and see the tourist sites: parliament, Westminster, Big Ben, etc. Mostly I missed touring with Angie!

Later in the week I went North for several days. I did get to play hooky on a Friday afternoon and trained to York, a beautiful old city. Here is the York minster, the largest Gothic cathedral in Europe outside of Italy:

Here is a medieval street in York called the "Shambles". Notice the rain and the crooked buildings down the street:

On the train I met a man from Zimbabwe, where the inflation is so bad because they just keep printing money. You have to spend money as soon as you get it because prices double every day. He gave me a 50 billion dollar note, currently worth about 50 pence (or $1):

On Saturday I went to a football/soccer game in Newcastle. The Newcastle fans were in a near riot with protests and chanting because the coach had just quit and fans blame the owner so it was a lot of fun and quite a scene! Here I am with my new football friends (notice the Newcastle team Jersey and school jacket):

The home team lost 2-1, but I did get to see Michael Owen play. He is a fantastic player for both Newcastle and the English National team. He is also very popular with the girls. Angie is a fan of his soccer skills!

I am so excited to be back home and have the best wife for putting up with trips like this. Traveling just isn't as fun without her and I can't to get back to England with her!!

Relaxing in Cali

2008-09-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

According to our kids, we finally went away for a "proper" vacation. We took a few days and headed to California for a quick trip to Disney Land, a day at the beach and a MLS soccer game. I don't usually let the boys miss school for vacations- but I would say this was worth it. There were no lines! We basically walked up to every ride. On Splash Mountain they let us keep riding-we didn't have to get off-it was great. The boys had a great time and we discovered we have an daredevil-Chandler. He loved all the scary rides. We also had a great time at the beach. It was a perfect day. The boys spent the day boogie boarding and I spent the afternoon reading/sleeping under the umbrella.
We capped off our vacation with a LA Galaxy game. It was fun-we were a little sad that Beckham was in England- but we enjoyed the game even without him.

Mom and Dad

2008-08-26T09:24:00.000-07:00

My mom and dad were able to spend a week with us this summer. This was amazing because we don't get to see them as much as we would like. It was so much fun for me and the boys to hang out with them. They were also a big help- six boys can really take it out of you. My mom and dad were very brave- can you imagine the level of noise that 6 boys can make. Here are some of the more memorable pictures.

Mom and dad enjoying a nice cool (only 95 degree) morning by the pool.

Dad going down the water slide in our pool

Mom playing Guitar Hero with the boys.
It was a great week- but I think they were very ready to go home. Thanks for coming- we love you!!!

Christopher's big day

2008-08-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

I finally have my computer back so I can post some of our summer pictures. The highlight of our summer was Christopher's baptism. He was able to go to Las Vegas to see his cousin Matthew baptized, and then all the boys came to our house, along with Grandma and Grandpa and Julie and Steve, for Christopher's baptism.

Matthew and Christopher in Las Vegas

Chris and Christopher at his baptism

Christopher and Grandpa and Grandma PrattWhat a great day that was for Christopher and our family. We are very proud of Christopher and all the work he did to get ready for his baptism!

The Greatest Day

2008-08-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Warning-this is a sappy post. 15 years ago Chris and I were married. I am so blessed to be able to have him in my life. If you can think of all the good attributes a person has-Chris has them all. He cooks, cleans bathrooms, does laundry, makes me laugh, lets me read all I want and works very hard to provide for us. He is the most unselfish man I know. I am so grateful for what he does for me and my boys. He is amazing!!! So thank you for a great 15 years. I wouldn't have changed anything (well except for our only 2 mistakes- our dog and our house guest). I have loved our life together. You are the best!!!

No Sleep :(

2008-08-15T12:57:00.000-07:00

Okay- the Olympics is ruining my life. I admit it- I'm addicted. I start at 7:00pm and watch until 12 or 1 am. I don't think I have been to bed before 1:30 all week. I have bags under my eyes and my temper is a little short all because I had to see if the US women win in gymnastics or if Michael Phelps wins another gold. I think I might be dead by the end. Last night I spent 20 minutes on the computer playing Olympic trivia after watching for 4 hours. I think I might need an intervention!

ps--I have loads of pictures from the end of summer, but I had to take my laptop in to get fixed so they will have to wait until next week--sorry.

Highland Games

2008-07-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we were in Flagstaff watching Cam play baseball. While we were there, Flagstaff was having their Highland Games. We had the best time! We ate lots of food- scones and sausage rolls, we watched men throw telephone poles, bought the boys swords, and bought Chris a Kilt. Good times were had by all.

It's great to be 8

2008-07-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby is eight. I can't believe he is so old. He has had a great week of a birthday. On Monday he refused to do any jobs and picked where we ate dinner. On Tuesday it continued until the end of his birthday party. This Sunday he complained that he never got to pick out Sunday desert- so today he got to pick out Sunday desert. He certainly knows how to work it to his advantage. Here are a few pictures of his great day.

Christopher picked out his own cake- of course baseball.

Christopher loved eating his cake and pizza.

Jackson created an interesting look with his ice cream.

Summer Update

2008-07-15T13:11:00.001-07:00

Because of a small illness (pneumonia) our summer has been a little less than expected. Our dance lessons have been postponed until I am feeling a little better. We have seen a lot of movies, watched a lot of t.v., and gone to a lot of baseball games (way to go Andrew and Cam). We have also done some home improvement project-that may have possibly added to the length of my recovery time:).

Here are our new floors (luckily we did not install these) and the baseboards that Chris, Kimball, Thomas and myself installed. They did the office and I did the rest of the house (just joking they helped a ton.)

I am super excited about the floors and very grateful that we are almost done. We finished the baseboards last night (my saw broke in the middle and I was crying in sadness and Chris was crying in happiness) and now we just have to finish the finish work.

I've Been Tagged

2008-06-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

Okay- sister-in-law Michaele tagged me-so now you will all know how old I am.

What was I doing 20 yrs ago--1988?
--Graduating from high school-go tigers
--Starting classes at BYU--go Cougs
--Began my career in accounting

What was I doing 15 yrs ago--1993?
--Coming home from mission in England
--Married Chris.
--Started teaching at MTC.
--Changed my major from Accounting to History.

What was I doing 10 yrs ago-1998?
--Pregnant with Jackson
--Taking care of Chandler
--Working for the Church as an Accountant.
--Counting down the days until Chris finished Law School.

What was I doing 5 yrs ago-2003?
--Just move back from Germany.
--Loved living in NY
--Mom of Chandler, Jackson, and Christopher.
--Hanging out with the Christensens, Fillmores, and Judsons.
--Playing Catan 3 times a week.

What was I doing one year ago-2007?
--Getting ready for our trip to Scotland.
--Having Richins Kitchen Summer School with the boys and the Richins and Wickes.
--Deciding to go back to school.
--Spending a lot of time by the pool.

What was I doing yesterday?
--Spent the morning watching Euro 2008-go Spain.
--Taught Christopher's primary class.
--Watched Chris bake 9 dozen cookies- they were very good.
--Had a lovely Sunday dinner and went to bed at 8:45pm.

What did I do Today?
--Finished taking off the baseboards in our house.
--Sat in the kitchen studying while two men ripped up all of the carpet in our house.
--Went to Cameron's baseball game.

What am I going to do tomorrow?
--Summer movies with the boys and friends
--Watching our new floors get installed.
--Try and clean my house.

What am I going to do next year?
--Finish my class and hopefully 2 more.
--Enjoy time with my husband and boys
--Enjoy time with our amazing friends.

I guess I will tag-Kyle, Amy and Ruth.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-06-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband gave me a great birthday present. He gave me (us) ballroom dancing lessons. It has always been a dream of mine to take lessons together-but Chris has never wanted to. This year he decided to give me the dream and signed us up for lessons starting on Wednesday. I am so excite-he not so much. I think it was the best present. I know he is not very excited about it but he will endure for me. So thank you Chris for the best birthday present ever!!! I will of course report on how our lessons progress.:)

Life Without a Cell Phone

2008-06-04T08:56:00.000-07:00

So Chris started his new job on Monday (he is the General Council for a large company in Tempe). On Monday morning his old cell phone was turned off and his new blackberry is still on order. That means that he has gone 2 days without a cell phone. Now I know that I talk to my husband a little more than most wives (about 10 times a day) but it helps us stay in touch with each others day. Anyway, this has been a new experience. We only talked like 2 times on both days. I don't think Chris knows what to do without the cell phone and blackberry. He said he felt weird driving without a cell phone. I think it is now like a radio or seat belt. No driving allowed without it. We were laughing about this and remembering back to our college days and when we bought our first cell phone. Now they are an important part of our lives. If I forget mine-I always go back home to pick it up. Heaven forbid I should go a couple hours without contact. Anyway-last night we resurrected an old phone for Chris to take with him. He won't have a blackberry but at least he will be able to talk on the phone. All things are right in the world again.

The End of an Era

2008-05-30T20:46:00.000-07:00

Today was Chris' last day as a lawyer at a law firm. I can't believe it's over. This will be the first weekend in about 9 years that a Blackberry will not be glued to his side. He will be able to sit through a baseball game without having to send an email. He will be able to make it all 3 hours of church without having to be on a conference call. He will be home at 5:30 every night (maybe). I will have to start cooking dinner. I will have to clean the house earlier in the day. I will not be able to sit on the couch all night reading. He will be able to help the boys with homework. We will get to spend time together. Besides the cooking dinner part I am really excited to see what a 9-5 job is like. I am really happy that he will be able to work a little less. He works so hard it makes me feel like a slacker. I am proud of him and all that he has accomplished in the 14 1/2 yrs we have been married. He is a great guy!!!

The End of a Season

2008-05-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

We ended our baseball season tonight. It was a great night of baseball. Christopher finished an amazing season-but he is glad to be done.

Jackson had an interesting two night tournament. On Monday night, he got beaned by the ball (he gets hit about once a game). This one was really bad. Here is a little picture.

On Tuesday, last game of the season, Kimball decided to give me a heart attack and have Jackson pitch. He has never pitched before. He threw his first pitch in his warm up. He did an amazing job. He got 2 outs and they didn't score any runs from his pitches. They came from behind and won the game. Jackson got hit twice tonight-but they weren't very bad. He played fantastic!!!

We have had a great season, great weather, good company, and great results this season. What a year.

Summer Reading

2008-05-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have started my summer reading program. I have a small list of books that I am going to try and get through. Yesterday I read Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. It was a fairly easy read and it was short so that was a plus. It was a book about a man looking for enlightenment. It is based in India and is an interesting and thought provoking book.

Coming up next: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Best Ribs Ever

2008-05-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I am not a ribs person. I don't really like to chew meat off the bone, but our friend Kimball has found the best ribs recipe. Chris made them for our Memorial day lunch and I loved them. Here is the recipe. The sauce takes a little time, but they just fall off the bone and they are soooooo good.

Ingredients
1½ cups water
1 cup white vinegar
½ cup tomato paste
1 tbsp yellow mustard
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tspn hickory flavoring liquid smoke
1 ½ tspn salt
½ tspn onion powder
¼ tspn garlic powder
¼ tspn paprika

Preparation & Cooking Instructions
Make the barbecue sauce by combining all of the ingredients for the sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat When it comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer sauce, stirring often, for 45 to 60 minutes or until sauce is thick.
When you're ready to make the ribs, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Brush sauce over the entire surface of each rack of ribs.
Wrap each rack tightly in aluminum foil and arrange the packets on a baking sheet with the seam of the foil facing up.
Bake for 2 to 2½ hours or until the meat on the ribs has pulled back from the cut ends of the bones by about ½".
When the ribs are just about done, preheat your barbecue grill to medium heat.
Remove the ribs from the foil (careful not to burn yourself- the liquid inside will be hot!) and grill them on the barbecue for 4 to 8 minutes per side or until the surface of the ribs is beginning to char.
Brush sauce on both sides of the ribs a few minutes before you remove them from the grill. Just be sure not to brush on the sauce too soon or it could burn. Serve the ribs with extra sauce on the side and lots of napkins.

Last Week of School

2008-05-21T14:05:00.000-07:00

I am so happy that school is almost over. It has been a busy week and I will be glad when we can sleep in and do nothing. Here is a little review of our week.

Chandler received one of the six character awards for the fifth grade.

Christopher receiving an honor roll medallion. He was on first honor roll for the whole year.

Jackson presenting his report on Stonewall Jackson (all of his school reports have the word Jackson in them).

Chandler on his 5th grade picnic.

Father's and Sons

2008-05-03T18:16:00.000-07:00

This was a special weekend for me. It was the annual Father's and Son's camp out. This is kind-of a big deal because that means I have an evening all to myself. I look forward to this weekend just as much as my boys. So the planning had begun-what were we going to do. My friends and I were planning dinner, a good chick flick and some good girl chat. So Thursday afternoon I started feeling a little sick-I kept telling myself I would not be sick. This was my weekend! Then I convinced myself it was just an upset stomach no big deal (Jackson spent last week home with the stomach flu) I did not have the stomach flu. About 5pm I quickly came to terms that maybe I was a little sick. It kind-of gets a little hazy from there on out. I think my husband took my boys camping. I know my friends called to check on me. I hope I told them I was okay. I know I spent some time sleeping on the bathroom floor (the tile is nice and cool). Next thing I know Chris and the boys are home from camping, my weekend alone is over and I lost 5 pounds. I hope I had a good time.

Thank you Mr. Wicke!!

2008-04-25T14:11:00.000-07:00

So April 1 (April Fools Day) was very exciting for us. I was working the cell phone and email at home trying to close an acquisition for a client when our home phone began ringing off the hook at 8 am.

What was so exciting? Each caller had that breathless expectation in their voice as if they were trying to beat all other callers. I answered the first call just before 8 am:

Chris: [sounding busy and annoyed] "Hello"?

Caller: [sounding in a rush like she is calling a radio contest and hoping to the be 36th caller] "I'm calling about the ad!"

Chris: [still sounding annoyed but now also sounding confused] "What ad?"

Caller: "Your Craigslist ad. Is the Spider Monkey still available?"

Chris: "What? You must have the wrong number."

Caller: "Is this Chris?"

Chris: "Yes"

Caller: "You're the one with the Spider Monkey"

I am not always super quick on the uptake, but I began to suspect that something was amiss. We received 40+ calls that day. Who knew that Spider Monkeys were so popular?

It took a while to find, but below is the Craigslist ad. My hats off to you, Senior Wicke (http://wickeworld.blogspot.com/), for pulling off this great April Fools Day prank. You are next!!

---------------------------

house trained spider monkey needs new home

Reply to: see below
Date: 2008-04-01, 8:36AM MST

Fun and friendly spider monkey is house trained and great with children. We are moving out of country and cannot take "George" with us. Please call and ask for Chris, 480-[xxx-xxxx]. Please leave a message if we are not around -leave name, number and describe your ability to care for this type of pet.

· Location: Mesa

· it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 626333021

Weekend Away

2008-04-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

My sweet husband surprised me (although the way I was surprised is a story all by itself) with a weekend away. This was no ordinary weekend away. He had managed to get tickets to the biggest game in English football. That's right we were on our way to England. It was really a crazy trip- We flew-went to the football game-and flew home. It was a blast and I got to see my favorite team play. For those of you who don't know we are huge soccer fans and I love the English team Manchester United. So we were off for a weekend in Manchester. A huge thanks to the Richins for watching our kids. Here are the picts. Thank you Chris- I love you!!!

We Finished Alma!!!

2008-04-09T09:45:00.000-07:00

Every morning before the boys leave for school we try to read a little from the Book of Mormon. Well, it seems as if we have been reading from the book of Alma for about 100 years. We are happy to say that we finally finished and have moved on to Helaman. Things seem to be moving at a much faster rate now that we don't have to read 63 verse chapters. The boys liked the battles but we are glad to be done!

Busy Weekend

2008-04-01T14:39:00.000-07:00

What a fun weekend we had. On Friday, the boys had their annual piano recital. The boys did really well- a lot of practice the week of. We did have a piano recital miracle. Jackson did not have his songs memorized as of Wednesday but managed to pull it off at the last minute (why do I think this is a foreshadowing of things to come?) I am really proud of them. It is hard for them to practice and they manage to do an okay job of it.

On Saturday we had opening day of Baseball. Christopher did excellent. He had 4 hits and a great defensive stop. He was the MVP of his game. He was very excited.

Jackson had a very exciting game. They won 8-5- it was very tense. He also did great. He had 2 walks and a very exciting steal to home. Chris is also one of the coaches on the team- he did a great job coaching.:)

The Greatest Time of My Life

2008-03-31T18:49:00.000-07:00

A little over 15 years ago I came home from the most amazing 18 months of my life. For 18 months I was able to talk 24/7 about the Savior and how he has changed my life. It was amazing to see the change that came over people as they chose to accept him. It didn't hurt that I got to do this in England (my favorite country besides the US).

This is me and Sister Smith knocking on doors.

This week I received a letter from someone I taught on my mission. I haven't spoken to her in 15 years but what sweet memories I have of that time. She was one of the last people that I saw baptized as a missionary. I am so grateful for those experiences and how it has helped make me the person that I am. It will always be remembered as one of the greatest times of my life.

Margaret's baptism

Sorry about the sappy post, but I feeling a little nostalgic.

Skiing in Utah

2008-03-20T14:38:00.000-07:00

Okay- so I am watching basketball and feeling a little guilty for wasting the day. So I figured I would blog a little. On our vacation we spent Tuesday skiing. Chandler, Jackson and Christopher took lessons in the morning and then spent the afternoon skiing with Chris. We were lucky and spent the day with the Shaws, Mom, and Laura. The boys loved skiing and I loved watching them. I only had a little frostbite by the end of the day.

Christopher was ready to ski!

This is Chandler's first run down the hill.

Jackson hated the lessons- he knew how to ski as soon as he put them on.

Chandler and Michael had a good time together.

My talented husband can now email and ski at the same time.

March Madness

2008-03-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

So we just got back from a great vacation in Utah. But today is the beginning of March Madness--my favorite time of the year. So, the blogs about the vacation will have to wait until I get my fill of basketball. 32 games in 48 hours- I think I am in heaven.

Worlds are Colliding!

2008-03-13T13:56:00.001-07:00

So one of my best clients (we'll call him "George" since that is his name) reads Angie's blog. In a random twist of fate, one of his best friends is now one of our associates (we'll call him "Associate #9" because he was the 9th associate to join and because I wanted to make a snarky reference to the Spitzer debacle). It also turns out I have been assigned by the firm to be Associate #9's mentor.

So in the legal world's pecking order, it goes something like this:

George
|
Chris
|
Associate #9 <-> George [best friends and roommates]
|
Chris again [since Associate #9 expects me to mentor him]

Basically, George gets after me for work, I get after George's friend for work and then George's friend gets after me for worrying too much about work and not mentoring him.

In honor of George pointing our my weakness as a mentor, here is today's random list of things I am good and bad at:

I am good at telling jokes and being the life of the party.
I am bad at knowing when to not tell a joke and stop being the life of the party.
I am good at being fun Dad who gives the boys what they want.
I am good at sports.
I am bad at crafts.
I am a master of the DVR.
I am still bad working with a VCR.
I am good with numbers.
I am bad with a personal budget.
I love working in the yard but I am bad at it :(
I hate housework but I am good at it :(
I am all man but I love picking out purses and shoes for Angie.
Obviously, I am great at long, boring blog posts!

*Don't worry George, no billable hours were harmed in the making of this post.

Spring

2008-03-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

Okay- I just have to say that I love spring. I feel like I need to be outside all of the time. Today, I made my kids go to the park. I even told Jackson he could finish his homework after dinner because I had to get outside. I know that soon we will be turning on our air conditioners, but for now I am enjoying the weather.

Best Friends

2008-03-03T13:05:00.000-08:00

Christopher had decided that our friend Cameron is his best friend. There is a 4 year age gap between the two, but Christopher loves hanging out with Cameron. It's actually a very cute friendship. Cameron is very nice to Christopher and lets him talk all he wants(which is a lot). The other night we went to watch Cameron play baseball. In between games, Christopher pulled Cameron aside and offered a few tips (Cameron is an all-star sure to play in the majors). He kindly thanked Christopher for the tip and said he would try it out. It is so funny watching Christopher, in all seriousness, offer these tips to Cameron. Cam has been a great sport and always makes Christopher feel included and one of the boys. I think Christopher has done a great job picking his best friend.

I am freaking out!

2008-02-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

Okay- so Jackson went to play with a friend today. When the boys leave the house a lot of times I will send our extra cell phone with them. So Jackson was at a friend's house and I get a text message. Guess who the text was from?

So my 9 year old had sent me a text message. How did he figure this out? I don't think I am ready for him to be this computer savy.

The Science Fair

2008-02-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

Well, the Science Fair was this week. Chandler received a ribbon of "Excellence" for his project. He was very excited about that until he found out that the boy who won the science fair had his exact same project. The only difference was they made their rockets out of wood. On the way home my son was complaining "I told dad we should make the rockets." Way to go Chris. I think he has recovered and is now proudly displaying his ribbon. (BTW, Chris did a great job creating Chandler's rockets.)

Making Jam

2008-02-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

There was a great sale on Strawberries this week- so you know what that means? Strawberry freezer jam. It was good timing. I was down to my last couple containers of jam. I had a couple of great helpers and a new food processor that helped make the jam in half the time. It is very tasty. (Don't worry Chris, I had the boys wash their hands.)

Chandler's 11th Birthday

2008-02-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

Chandler turned 11 yesterday. I think I might cry. It seems only like yesterday he was a tiny little baby. I can't believe it has been 11 years. He had a very low key birthday. He invited a few friends, watched a movie and ate pizza. It was very laid back. Happy Birthday!!!!

Chandler and his science project

2008-02-21T20:42:00.000-08:00

Chandler just finished his science project. He decided that he was going to launch rockets. He and his dad created 3 different types of rockets and then launched them to see which one would fly higher. He did a great job and was chosen to go to the school science fair. Here are some pictures of him lauching his rockets.

Holy Mud!!!!

2008-02-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Chris took the boys and went with some friends into desert. They had a great time riding a go-cart, shooting bb-guns, and just running around the desert. They also went geocaching. Wayne Pomeroy then led everyone over the river and through the mud. Take a look at my boys in the mud.

The Week of Cub Scouts

2008-02-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

My February has been dominated by my calling in Cub Scouts. Tonight was the first of 3 activities-the Blue and Gold Banquet. We planned a dinner for about 150 people. It was a lot of work, but I think it turned out pretty well. Here are some pictures of the decorations. Our theme this year was Chinese New Year. I am glad it's over. We have our Pinewood Derby weigh-in tomorrow and the actual Derby on Saturday. It is almost over.

Pinewood Derby Time

2008-02-17T21:06:00.001-08:00

I always enjoy Pinewood Derby time in our home. It is so much fun to watch the men in my home get all manly. Chris gets out the tools(the ones we only use once a year at Derby time), he and Kimball act very engeenerish, and they create cars. I love watching the "boys" create the cars. Let the trash talking begin!

Jackson's Birthday Party

2008-02-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday was Jackson's Birthday party. We decided to go bowling so that we wouldn't have to do anything. It turned out great! He had eight friends and his brothers. The first half was "Cosmic Bowling" and the last half was normal. The boys seemed to have a great time. I enjoyed the fact that I didn't have to worry if they were loud and crazy. They seemed to enjoy the fact that they could through heavy objects at the pins and try and knock things down. What a perfect activity for boys!

I love my kids

2008-02-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Tonight for family home evening we talked about personal prayer and what we need to pray for. We started making a list. They shared some experiences and the problems they are having with personal prayer. Christopher said his problem was that he didn't know what to pray about. We decided to make a list. Here is our list we created.
Good night sleep
No bad dreams
Stop fighting with my brothers
Do well on a test
Have a good day at school
Pray for the Holy Spirit
Pray for repentance
Help Chris to get home safe
Help mom to be happy- I think they pray for this a lot.

Well the list goes on and on. It is amazing how much kids understand. Sometimes I think that they understand so much more than me.

Jackson Turns 9

2008-02-08T15:09:00.000-08:00

Jackson turned finally turned 9. He has been an anxiously waiting for his birthday. I don't think it was because he was excited to turn 9, I think it was because he wanted a certain birthday present. The only thing Jackson wanted for his birthday was Brownie Trifle and Speed Stackers. His friend Andrew got them 2 weeks ago for his birthday and it just about killed Jackson.

Well, his birthday came and he got his
Brownie Trifle and his speed Stacks. Now I hear the thumping of cups being stacked about 20 hours a day.

Happy Birthday Jackson!!!

What am I doing?

2008-01-31T16:50:00.000-08:00

I think I must be pretty dumb. It is 4:45 and I just dropped my kids off at a primary activity. So what am I doing? Am I reading or taking a nap? No, I am studying for a test. Why would I think that at the age of 37 it was a good idea to go back to school? I am remebering all those late night cram sessions, the papers, and the boring lectures. Why am I doing it all over again? I guess I am just a glutton for punishment. Wish me well.

Basketball--Yeah!!!

2008-01-28T11:16:00.001-08:00

Basketball has begun. I love watching the games. The boys are so much better this year. Christopher scored in his first game- which is much better than last year. He loves playing and is doing great. He is lucky and has some great coaches who are so good with him. They are amazing!!! He is amazing at defense-unfortunately he never looks at the ball only the person he is guarding. Oh well, something to work on.

Jackson is also playing basketball and has a great team. The game on Saturday was a bit stressfull. They started very flat 2-10. But they came back in the end and won. Jackson grabbed a great rebound and got fouled pretty hard. He hit the floor really hard and was shaken up a bit, but he was soon back on the floor. He is starting to play agressive which makes me so proud!

Chandler was the unfortunate the victim of a poorly run program and did not get put on a team. As a result he has taken up golf. He and Chris spent Saturday morning at the golf course taking his first lesson. Hopefully we will have some pictures soon. He is really excited about playing golf and very protective of his new golf clubs.

Old Photos

2008-01-14T17:12:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this great picture I found on the internet. This is my Great-great Grandmother and Grandfather. It was a great find. I have loved studying this family in my class I am taking. It has been an amazing experience learning about my ancestors.

I can't believe what you can find on the internet.

These are a few of my favorite things...

2008-01-14T17:04:00.000-08:00

I am starting a count down to one of my favorite things--March Madness. It is just 8 short weeks away. I love this time of the year, basketball all the time. Basketball is my favorite sport, and now is the season. The boys started playing basketball this week-very exciting games. There are also a lot of professional and college games. So, get ready for an 8 week count down to the "big dance".

Family Search Indexing

2008-01-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that I am a genealogy nut. I love working on family lines and solving problems. I have recently started a new project that has been equally enjoyable. I have started indexing for the church in their familysearch program. It is sooooo easy. You do not have to know anything about genealogy at all. You have to have access to the Internet and have about 30 minutes to spare. They train you- they tell you exactly what to do. The church is extracting records from lots of different sources and they need help putting them in a searchable database. I have been indexing from the 1900 Federal Census. I just wanted to give this a little plug in case someone has some spare time and wanted to work on Family history. If you're interested here is the link: http://www.familysearchindexing.org/en/index.jsp

Just take the tutorial- they teach you everything you need to know.

Happy indexing!!

Sleeping Angel

2007-12-27T15:05:00.001-08:00

Poor Jackson was so tired on Sunday that he fell asleep during church. He was very creative using his scriptures as a pillow. I think this is so cute.

The 5 Days of Christmas

2007-12-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

Wow... I can't believe Christmas is over. We have tried our best to make sure it lasts as long as possible. We have, with our friends, created the best Christmas activities. On the Friday before Christmas we arranged an impromto canned food drive for the food bank. The boys had so much fun running from house to house. We gathered 88 lbs of food. Not bad if I do say so myself.

Saturday was a cold day (yes we have those in AZ), we spent a couple of hours watching Cam play baseball- way to go Cam, we had great lunch, a badmitton tournament, and then a great evening eating pizza and watching the BYU football game (Rise and Shout!!!).

Sunday we spent a nice night strolling around the AZ temple. It was beautiful.

Monday was our Christmas Eve event. We saw National Treasure: Book of Secret, ate at Cafe Rio, and then had an amazing dinner. Our evening was capped off by a great talent show.

Tuesday was a very laid back day. We didn't open presents until 7:00am. Nothing like sleeping in on Christmas. I think we surprised the boys by giving them a Wii. They had all their money saved and they were going to buy one after Christmas. We did absolutely nothing--it was nice. We ended our 5 days of Christmas by playing one of the games we received for Christmas. I won the game by lapping up water like a cat for 30 seconds--not one of my better moments.

Anyway-Christmas was wonderful this year. It was full of friends and family. I only wish we could have had everyone we love with us. We missed you all!

Christmas Joys

2007-12-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

The last couple of nights we have been out in the neighborhood delivering Christmas treats to our friends. This has involved Chris driving (and sending emails from his black-berry), me frantically putting bows on the bottles and giving Chris directions, the boys carefully (except for Jackson who was swinging the bottles around) carrying bottles of Martinellis up to doors. There was also the usual arguments over who got to do which door. There was also a lot of "fine, I'm not delivering anymore." I was wondering to myself, as I sat in the middle of two boys yelling at each other, whether this was really worth it. About this time, the boys stopped fighting and one of them reached over and gave me a hug. He said, "Mom, thanks for getting all these ready so we can deliver them. It's a great Christmas." I guess somewhere between the arguing, the the bows falling all over the car, and Chris complaining about my directions--A little Christmas spirit worked it's way into our lives.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

New York by Blackberry

2007-12-07T20:38:00.001-08:00

Business travel for me means late nights, early mornings and conference rooms in between. Not much, if any, sight seeing. When we lived in Europe I would buy a little disposable camera each trip and take whatever pictures I could hanging out a cab window on my way to said conference room. I would call the photos "London by Cab" or "Zurich by Cab". Now that my BlackBerry (Angie's arch-nemesis in our relationship) has a camera, I took a bunch of pictures in New York this week I call "New York by BlackBerry". Here are a couple.

-Chris

Christmas Cards

2007-12-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

I love everything about Christmas. I love decorating, the music, the food (I am trying to be good), the gift giving, and even the dreaded Christmas Cards. I know some people don't like them, but I love getting a letter with the cards. I love reading what has happened to my friends and family over the past year. I do hate trying to come up with an original idea every year. Last year we took our picture out by some cacti in the desert. I thought it was pretty cute. Friday is the big day for us to take our picture. I am a little nervous because we have not planned very well (Chris has been in NY the whole week). But tomorrow is the day. Wish us luck!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

The other night at dinner we were talking about all the places that won't use the words "Merry Christmas". Now usually I am a little liberal in opinion on personal rights, but this is one time where I say-Merry Christmas! For me Christmas symbolizes so much- not just presents or a holiday. It symbolizes Christ- the core of my faith. I love the what Christ taught- Love one another. How can that be wrong? No matter your beliefs, it should be human nature to be kind to one another. So as I go through this Christmas season I will say it loud and proud Merry Christmas.

Knock Knock Jokes = Criminality

2007-11-28T12:59:00.000-08:00

So our oldest son, the 10 year old, recently brought home his mid-term grades. He typically is on the Honor Roll. As I read his mid-term grades, they each looked stellar as I went down the list, 95% or more in Math and Science, an 81 in Writing, a 96 in Social Studies. Whoa!! Hold the phone--is that an 81? The last time I saw an 81 on a report card I was trying to explain to my Mother why I was not cut out for metals shop (two words--"grinder accident"). I started leafing through said 10 year old's writing assignments. There it was, right in the middle of an essay on the planet Venus. We pick up the action 2/3 of the way through:

"...a planet known for its interesting atmosphere. Knock, knock, who's there? I don't know. Venus' surface has been mapped in detail..."

Did you catch that? A knock, knock joke in the middle of an essay? Are you kidding me? Personally I don't know where my sons get their penchant for class-clowning but I am investigating Angie's family tree in search of the bad genetic influence.

Like the Father of the Year I am, I confront the 10 year old. Note the empathetic dialogue and tactics I employed:

"What were you thinking?"
"Of course she hated your writing"
"At least you could have told a good joke, like 'a lawyer, a doctor and the Pope walk into a bar'..."

Ok, I didn't add that last part. But his response to my careful and sensitive questioning? He turned away from me, used his most pathetic martyrdom voice and sobbed "Quit treating me like a criminal!!"

Score another point for the children of America. No longer will they sit idly by and let haters of knock, knock jokes drag them down! The revolution will begin at dawn.

Scotland

2007-11-21T17:58:00.001-08:00

Chandler's Arrow of Light

2007-11-21T16:47:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to give a little shout out to our son Chandler. Last night he received his Arrow of Light. This is the last award he will receive as a Cub Scout. He also received his 20 patch, which means he earned every possible award in Webelos. He did a great job and worked really hard. We are very proud of him.

(Sorry about the dark picture. We had all the lights out so we could use our electric fire for the ceremony.)

He got an real arrow and was able to walk across the bridge to boy scouts. He was very excited. (He is behind the flag.)

"It was good. I hated it."

2007-11-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

These words escaped Angie's lips after we saw the movie "Dan in Real Life". Angie can't stand dramatic tension, such as when a character is about to bumble through something important or get caught doing he shouldn't, like kissing his brother's ex-girlfriend. Hence her ambiguity regarding Dan in Real Life. She squirmed in her seat and kept asking if we could leave during the scenes involving the proverbial dropping of the other shoe, but she soldiered on and took one for the team by finishing the movie. George Bush would say she didn't let the terrorists win, but I just enjoyed seeing her sweat it out.

-Chris

2nd Grade Musical

2007-11-16T21:46:00.000-08:00

Minutes before the concert we had to leave to get a parking spot: 45

Minutes we had to wait before the concert started:30

Minutes we had to sit during the concert: 30

Watching Christopher sing Thanksgiving Boogie: priceless

Yummy Rolls

2007-11-14T17:50:00.000-08:00

My kids were reading the Friend on Sunday and found a crescent roll recipie they wanted to try. It actually turned out really good.

1 scant tablespoon yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/3 cup warm water

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 c. warm milk

5 cups flour ( I actually used closer to 6)

1/2 cup butter, melted

In a small bowl, mix yeast, 1 tablespoon of sugar and warm water. Set aside so the yeast can activate.

Mix together the salt, oil, and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in the yeast mixture. Add the eggs and the warm milk. Slowly add in the flour. You may add up to 1 cup extra if the dough is too sticky or won't form a ball.

Cover and let rise for 3 hours.

Divide dough into two balls. Roll each ball into a circle-about 1/4 inch thick. Brush the dough with the melted butter. Cut the circle into 12 pieces--like a pizza. Roll the wedge from the wide side to the narrow point (the boys loved doing this part). Put on a cookie sheet with the point tucked under. Repeat with last ball of dough. Let rise for 2 hours.

Brush the rolls with butter and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

They tasted very good with some butter and homemade jam. Enjoy!!!

Our Trip to Scotland

2007-11-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, Chris and I went on our first vacation without boys. We flew into Manchester, England and drove up to Scotland. We spent 8 amazing days exploring castles, driving all over Scotland, and having interesting discussions about food. I really did love Scotland, but I have to say that my heart belongs in England.

We visited a village where Chris' ancestors came from, Loch Ness, the Highlands, Culloden, Stirling and Edinburgh. On our last day in England I got to visit Old Trafford- the stadium where Manchester United plays.

I was very excited until we realized that they were locking the doors as were trying to start shopping. I think I actually started crying.

We had a great time together and it made us realize that the two of us need to take more vacations.

Our Day of Soccer

2007-11-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

For the past 3 months we have spent a good portion of our Saturdays at soccer games. Today was our 2nd to last week-thank heavens!!

Christopher's game was great. They won 7-1. Christopher took two to the face. He was very brave. Unfortunately, he cut his eye after the 2nd ball to the face.

Chandler played his best friend Cameron's team. They lost 3-1, but played amazing. I learned that Chandler's nick name on the team is "skinny cheese". Here is a picture of Chandler and Cameron talking during the game.

Jackson's team lost 4-2. The team they played was a little mean. Jackson played great.

Only one more week and we are done!

Here We Go

2007-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Miner family blog. We are excited to share our life with family and friends. Hope you enjoy!