Mendonsa Madness

Just in case you've been wondering where we've been...

2012-02-07T23:03:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and Family, 12/20/11
This has been a fun-filled and rewarding year. We got together as a family and came up with the “Top Twelve for 2011.”
1. Matt and Heather took a cruise to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean with some friends. We enjoyed snorkeling, kayaking, and eating. We also fed hundreds of fish with dog biscuits. The kids stayed with their cousins and didn’t miss us.
2. Winter basketball is huge Matthew, Scotty, and Dallin all enjoyed playing. . Since Sierra doesn’t play basketball she focused on piano and earned a trophy for getting three perfect scores over three years in a national piano festival.
3. Scouting is also big in our house. Matt teaches the 11-year olds, Heather was a unit commissioner (stake primary president) so she got to participate in an overnight scout event at a nearby church campground, complete with cabins. It was fun to be up there with Matt, Heather, and Matthew. Scott is now a Bear, and Dallin just started and is a Bobcat. Matthew is working on his Star and is hopes to get his eagle in the next two years.
4. The Easter bunny played a trick on the kids this year. They claim to have stayed up all night, but could not find their baskets anywhere. That clever bunny hid all the baskets in Matt and Heather’s room! They also went on an Easter egg hunt in the back yard. Some of the eggs had money, and others had balloons and candy. Scotty cleaned up and found $15, and poor Matthew only found 1 penny.
5. We took an early camping trip to Goblin Valley. We spent three days hiking through Wild Horse Canyon, exploring the park, and shooting guns. Sierra and Matthew climbed through seemingly impossible holes in caves.
6. Matt bought a red 2009 Yamaha V*1100. It only had 650 miles and came with a spiffy black leather jacket with a glow in the dark skull on the back. We had many rides into the canyon, enjoying the changes of each season.
7. In July our cousins, the Wolfenbargers, spent a couple of weeks at our house. We enjoyed many activities and spent a few days up in Bear Lake at Grandma and Grandpa Conder’s cabin. While there, we took a hike to an abandoned mine where we were almost eaten alive by ravenous mosquitoes.
8. August was our big family vacation to California. Matt and Heather attended their 20 year class reunion. Matt and Matthew both thought the highlight of the trip was surfing together. Lucky Matthew managed to stand up on his very first wave! Heather enjoyed a tour through her house she grew up in and exploring the tide pools at Natural Bridges. Sierra, Scotty, Dallin and Nicole liked the Beach Boardwalk. We also loved visiting old friends and family (although we missed a few) and are grateful to the Branson families for their help and hospitality.
9. Our car broke down in Frisco, Colorado, We bought a new car. Two months later, while at Nicole’s soccer game, Scotty played with the gears in the car and rolled it down a hill. The car took out a cemetery fence. This is on the top twelve because it is the first time since potty training that Scotty has done something naughty. He won’t do that again.
10. Grandma Holly and Grandpa Randall came out to visit in October. We had an early Thanksgiving dinner with the entire family and a perilous hike across an icy trail and bridges to explore the Grotto. We enjoyed having time to visit with them, and especially liked the fact that they had the 18 hour drive and we didn’t!
11. Nicole started kindergarten this year. She goes half day and spends the other half helping Heather teach preschool. She is growing up quickly and is a fun, silly, tomboyish girlie-girl who runs around with a tutu while picking up bugs and examining them with a magnifying glass.
12. Dallin was baptized by Matt in November. We are proud of him for being such a good boy. Heather had a bit of a shock at his interview when she was called to be the ward relief society president (serving the women in church).
As this year comes to a close, we recognize that we have truly been blessed. We are grateful to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
Have a wonderful Christmas holiday and a happy new year!
Love the Mendonsa Family:
Matt, Heather, Sierra (14), Matthew (12), Scotty (9), Dallin (8), Nicole (5), Sox the cat, and our three foster dogs: Tinkerbell, Bitsy, and Candy

Dallin's take on the Book of Mormon

2009-05-11T17:16:00.002-07:00

Dallin gave me a very informative account today of how Lehi and his family went to Venus. After about five minutes of discussion, I asked him where Venus was. He said it (with a duh, you're so stupid look) that it's right by the water! He continued on, irritated at my interruption, and continued with his description of Venus.

So, for those of you who don't know, Venus does not have a lot of food. You have to use a bow and arrow to hunt, and it's really hard to find the animals. You have to sleep in a tent because they don't build houses in Venus. Some of the people who live there are really mean and like to beat up their little brothers. Their dads get mad at them and tell them that's not nice and they have to say they are sorry. The nice brothers get really strong and have special powers (still not clear exactly what those powers are). People who go to Venus get lost a lot so they have to pray for directions.

After this wonderful version of Lehi's family journey in the WILDERNESS, I asked him if he meant to say wilderness, and he said, "Oh, yeah. That's what it was. But where's Venus? I want to go there on vacation."

I LOVE five year olds and their perspective!

Nicole's latest words and observations

2009-05-07T14:05:00.002-07:00

Nicole is at the fun age where she is learning how to communicate, but doesn't always quite get the words right. Here are some of her newest comments and phrases.

"I like it when Sissy (Sierra) babysitters me."
"Mom, why is your tummy so high?" (Pointing to my chest)
"I just flurped." What's a flurp? "I don't know. I think I burped, but if might have been a fart."
"A froggy is a ball with the hiccups."

April sneezes lead to wheezes

2009-04-23T20:09:00.003-07:00

It's April, and everybody has allergies. We're not sure what the culprit is, but it's something in our back yard and every body is sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and eyes are watering. Other than the minor health issues, we've enjoyed the few spring days that have come so far this year.

Here is our latest news:

Thanks to my sister (thanks, Becky) we are now the proud owners of a trampoline. All five children have spent hours every day this week jumping. I love the fact they are outside, and REALLY like the way their appetites have magically risen. Dallin might actually pass Nicole in weight if he keeps eating like this!
Sierra turned twelve this month. She had a "Twilight" themed birthday party complete with black and red decorations. I watched her friends with a twinge of sadness. My little girl has been replaced with a tall, thin, and very likeable young woman. Her "toys" now consist of Webkinz, so she can get online and build custom rooms for her pets. Her toys are steadily finding their way into Nicole's toy baskets. She loves going to Young Womens, and has lots of friends in our ward and neighborhood. She finished memorizing the Articles of Faith and will get her Faith in God in church in two weeks. We're proud of her hard work.
Matthew is the fastest runner in his class and will be competing in a school wide track meet. He is very excited, and practices running after school. He's under the mistaken impression I'm still faster than him. I don't want to admit he'd beat me in any race, under any condition. It's fun to listen to Matthew talk about his life plans. At this point, he wants to be a professional athlete. He's leaning toward basketball, but knows he'll be really good in football, too (he's never played on a team). The thought of going to college and majoring in anything besides sports is horrifying to him.
Scotty is slowly making friends, and is amazing in his ability to remember people's names. He is also talented at continuing to memorize all the basketball stats. He gave me a very detailed, persuasive argument about why the Lakers and the Cavaliers are going to the finals, and the Cavaliers are going to win. Not bad for a six-year old!
Dallin is reading, and sounds out all the words he can find. That's fine, unless it's a naughty word on the wall! He told me yesterday that he has a secret to waking up. He blinks his eyes eleven times, and then his eyes don't want to close anymore. We just might try that tomorrow.
Nicole loves preschool, and is a social butterfly. When she's not being social, she is a monster, so we're not sure if she's going to be popular or the school outcast. Maybe '4' will determine that. She does everything by herself, tortures her brothers by hitting them with any available object, charms her way into sleeping with her sister at night, and gives us her opinion on any and every subject.
Matt is busy with the yard. He has plans made up that will take years to accomplish, but will someday be beautiful. He's currently getting ready to start our garden, which means he comes home with loads of dirt, compost, and other "necessary" ingredients for a garden. He's also enjoying lots of real estate activity. Hopefully, he'll have some closings soon.
I've been busy with preschool. Next month I have three field trips, a graduation, and four class parties planned. Then, I have one weekend to finish preparing the next four weeks of teaching eight summer school sessions. To top it all off (as if that's not enough) I'm taking a CERT (community emergency response team) class through the city on Tuesday nights.

We've been blessed with a wonderful home, neighborhood, and a peaceful chapter in our hectic lives. The past year has flown by, school's almost out, and we're ready to plan our summer adventures.

More next month...

Spring time

2009-03-18T18:46:00.002-07:00

It's that wonderful time of year when everything wakes up and shakes off the winter stupor that has been around for so long.

Our back yard is now level and ready to start a garden. The big question these days is what and how much to plant. Our camper is cleaned and ready for its first outing of the year (Moab, this weekend). The grass may actually turn green this week and the trees are definitely getting some buds. our doors and windows are open all afternoon to catch the breezez. I'm so glad we have screen to keep the recently revived flies out!

We spent Saturday afternoon playing at the park, trying to get a sunburn (it didn't work). I suddenly have dusty footprints instead of muddy. The number of friends calling to play has jumped exponentially.

Spring is my favorite time of year!

Basketball Memories

2009-02-15T13:45:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I dragged all our children to Matthew's basketball game so we could be a supportive family (Ok, that's not quite true. I wanted see his game, and Sierra was gone so I couldn't leave Nicole).

Matt helped ref the game because Matthew's regular coach was gone for the long weekend. He found time, somehow, to leave work mid-day and be there. I don't think he's ever missed a game, and he works every Saturday!

I filmed the game for about 5 minutes before the battery died. Oops! The last 10 seconds showed Matthew making his first two points (out of 10) for the game! Someday, I'll take the five minutes needed to learn how to download that onto this blog.

As I sat on the bleachers I felt miserable because I have a kidney infection. Nicole and Dallin jumped all over me because brutalizing my body seems to be more fun than running, coloring, or anything else they can do in a gym. I watched Matt coaching the team from the sidelines as my sweet Matthew showed a lot of potential in his future basketball career. He is FAST, and he is short enough the other teams mistakenly overlook him. He uses that to his advantage. He can steal a ball and be well on his way to the basket before anyone knows what happened. He also has a lot of stamina. They play straight through with only a four minute break at half time. He rarely sits out.

Suddenly, a wave of reality hit me. I realized suddenly that Matthew is no longer a little boy. My adorable baby, and the monstrous 3-6 year old I thought would not live to seven is now a 10 year old boy who is growing up faster than I ever wanted him to. I see him every day, so I'm not sure how I've missed this, but I found myself crying in the middle of the game as I realized he will suddenly be leaving the house to go on a two-year mission. I need to prepare myself a little for that! It was a little embarrassing to have to wipe away the runaway tears in the middle of the basketball game, but absolutely necessary.

We have five children, but they are all still little in my eyes (except Sierra, who is only 1/4 inch shorter than me). They are growing up faster than I ever thought possible. And with every naughty deed, and every mess, I have two good memories of how sweet, innocent, and loving my children are. We joke about Life When Our Children Are Grown, but it has always seemed so far away I never thought about what it will really be like. No messes? Cooking for two? A quiet, clean house? I don't think, after eleven years of complaining, that I'm ready for that yet. I love Sierra's artistic endeavors placed all over the house, the smell, sound, and occasional destruction of boys and basketballs running back and forth through the house (that's a rule they consistently ignore!) and Nicole's constant chattering. Those five have given me so much more than they take, and I love each of them. They have truly made our lives complete.

So, I guess I'll have to maintain control of my emotions, get over my kidney infection quickly, and head outside to play basketball while I'm still tall enough to get the ball!

Fashion Show

2009-01-24T00:18:00.006-07:00

Sierra took these. The dress was made out of a scarf, and it was tied with a hair clip. She's quite the designer! Nicole, naturally, posed while Sierra took about 20 pictures. Note the different designs of the "dress!"

Mystery solved

2009-01-10T16:19:00.002-07:00

I've noticed this past week that my cans of soda seem to disappear rather quickly. I thought I needed to pay more attention and not drink them so fast. This morning, the mystery was solved.

I opened a new (and the last) can, took a sip, and set it on the countertop. Nicole immediately picked up the can, guzzled the ENTIRE can, belched loudly, and set it back onto the countertop. She looked at me very calmly and said, "That was really good, Mom." AND WALKED AWAY!

It's hard to get mad when you're laughing.

Real life

2009-01-09T17:49:00.003-07:00

Sometimes I look around and think, "This is about as real as life gets." Good or bad, happy or sad, it's my life.

I taught school for 4 hours this morning, and I am SORE! We talked about opposites. I had three classes standing, sitting, jumping in/out, etc. My poor legs are jello-y.

So after preschool, I stood carefully in the kitchen to do the dishes and try to bend as little as possible. Nicole (not surprisingly) managed to take off all her clothes. She ran in circles, held an apple, and yelled indiscriminate sentences. Dallin, meanwhile, sat at the table drawing yet another picture of the Hulk while he sang a 4-year old version of Jingle Bells. You know the one, "Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..." He sang quite exuberantly until I finally asked him to stop.

Sierra began practicing her latest piano piece as I was about halfway through the dishes. It sounded great, but added to the general noise. She eventually stopped, came into the kitchen, and asked if 1) she could make some pancakes, 2) if I could take her to the store to buy a Webkinz and 3) if I could show her how to play a new Solitaire game.

Matthew eventually joined in by bouncing a ball down the hallway (strictly forbidden) to find out when I could take him to his friend's house for a sleepover. He also needed help untying a knot in his basketball shoes. I reminded him he needed to take a shower and CHANGE HIS PANTS. He has a favorite pair he would wear every day if I didn't keep on top of him.
Matthew reappeared 15 minutes later, clean, but still wearing those darn pants. I sent him upstairs to re-dress.

Scotty kind of meandered in and out of the kitchen. He wanted a snack, then a cough drop, and then told me about Paul Milsap's latest statistics (a Jazz player, in case you don't know). He also asked if he could have a turn on the computer and happily disappeared to check the latest sports statistics (his favorite website).

With the dishes almost finished, Sierra announced that the pancakes were ready. She made about two dozen, so the kids all sat and ate an early dinner. Yippee ! I didn't have to cook! They happily pulled heaps of pancakes onto their plates and smothered them with pancakes. More dishes. Sigh.

Matt called during the chaos and said traffic was stopped and he was going to be late making it home. The good news? He wants to take me out to dinner and to see a movie.

And so the night has continued. I'm writing this holding a now sleeping Nicole who is wearing adorable pink penguin pajamas. Sierra and Matt went to the store for her new Webkinz, and Matthew keeps checking the clock to see how late it is because he wants to leave. Scotty and Dallin are playing/arguing over a computer game.

The kitchen now has a sinkful of sticky pancakes dishes, which are realistically going to sit there until tomorrow morning.

These days are busy, tiresome, and will end all too soon.

Have I ever mentioned that I love having children? That I love watching tv while I do the dishes, or that Sierra makes the best pancakes I've ever eaten? And the best part - I get to spend the entire evening, alone, with Matt.

Yes, life is good.

Preschool Program

2009-01-04T02:27:00.006-07:00

As many of you know, I am now teaching preschool. These are some pictures of the program (thanks, Michelle!) we held last month. The program was held in the cultural hall of a nearby church. I thought putting up 150 chairs was overkill, but over 200 people showed up! I had a moment of panic as I realized I had to talk to these people, and if something went horribly wrong, it was being recorded by several dozen people! The fear was quickly replaced with an overwhelming feeling of awe. One year ago I told Matt I wanted to start a preschool and get back into teaching. Preschool was launched with the goal of having two classes, and it has now mushroomed to four! As I looked through the packed room, and at my sweet little kids, I realized this is truly a dream come true. Here are three from myoldest class, waiting for the program to start. They were so excited!

The podium made for some interesting moments as we stood to say our parts. We were fortunate enough to not have anyone fall off!

Two of the classes had speaking parts. They recited "The Night Before Christmas." This is Jessica, who decided to give me a hug as she said her part. What a sweetie!

We sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". These two (Aeryn and Krystal) posed with their reindeer antlers on.

Here we are singing the 5 days of Christmas. That's a silly song I made up about what their teacher gave to them. We stopped at five because, well, I couldn't think of ways to make up words for the rest of the song. They wouldn't remember it, anyway!

Here's Nicole saying her part: "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there."

So now you all know why we had so much trouble getting the Christmas cards out this year!

Our sweet little girl

2008-12-11T23:30:00.002-07:00

Nicole sat upstairs crying for a while this afternoon. She often does that when she's completely worn out, so I didn't pay much attention at first. Finally, I realized the wailing was only intensifying, so I walked upstairs to investigate.

Nicole was sitting on the floor with wet pants. She was sobbing at that point, so I asked her what was wrong.

Between wails, she said, "I made my pants wet and now my Mommy be so sad!"

What can you do but pick up those sweet little children, wet pants and all, and give them hugs and kisses after such a sad comment as that?

Tooth Fairies and Tooth Elves

2008-12-09T22:45:00.002-07:00

I don't know how a lost tooth is handled in other homes, but in our house it is a rite of passage and a BIG deal. Scotty lost his first tooth this afternoon. He put his beautiful, white tooth under his pillow. Sometime between now and tomorrow his tooth fairy (or tooth elf) will show up and give him money. They always leave a note behind to introduce themselves. Sierra's was a tooth fairy named Lucinda. Matthew's was a tooth elf named Gelf. Who will visit Scotty? We'll let you know tomorrow! I'll post a picture as soon as I find the cord to the camera. grrrr.

Thoughts on Facebook and High School

2008-12-03T23:29:00.003-07:00

I signed up for Facebook yesterday, at the request of a friend. In 24 hours I have reconnected with nearly 50 people! It's amazing how much technology helps us along.

But here's the thing: The more I read about how people from high school are doing, the more I remember how HARD it was growing up out in California. I always felt like I had friends, but I didn't fit in. Now I realize that was EXACTLY right. My best friends were the ones I knew as a young girl, not the people I met in Jr. High and Highschool.

My values and lifestyle are so different from most of my old classmates. It makes me feel so grateful to be where I am, and to have the friends I do now. So, if you're reading this, give yourself a hug from me and big THANK YOU. It means you've made my life happier, just by being a friend.

Oh, and one more thing: Isn't it nice that we only have to be Freshmen once?

Nothing like Facebook to bring life into perspective.

Thanksgiving thoughts

2008-11-30T17:15:00.004-07:00

This year's Thanksgiving weekend was one of the best I remember.

We started off by CLEANING. The hardest part of teaching preschool is that I don't put the amount of time into cleaning that I should, and we were behind.

On Thursday, we had 30 people here for dinner, dessert, and lots of entertainment. I love to see my family, laugh with my siblings, laugh at the funny things our children say, and hold the sweet babies. I love sitting with my mom and discussing scrapbooking retreats, talking to Dave about politics, and reminiscing with my family about the many, many memories we share. Our dinner was the best ever. WOW, have we come a long way with our culinary expertise. we finished the evening tired, overstuffed, and full of new stories.

Friday was a down day. Once in a while, it's nice to have no plans. We slept through black Friday, had a late breakfast, and wondered if our stomachs were going to survive the gluttony from the day before. I planned December's preschool curriculum, caught up on laundry, and played games with Matt. We set up our Christmas tree and put out our decorations for the holidays while watching The Polar Express on tv. Each time we move, I suddenly look around and our house feels like home. As I admired my angel tree and placed our breakable ornaments high above the kitchen cabinets, I realized we are now home.

Saturday was another cleaning day. I can finally say that our house is clean! We had some old friends we grew up with in California over for pizza and dessert. For four hours, we caught up on our lives and let our children run and play together. Friendship runs deep, and it's hard to believe some of us hadn't seen each other in ten years!

So today I'm finishing up my preschool plans, went to church and taught 6 adorable 5 year olds, and went to choir. We're preparing for a Christmas presentation, which is my favorite part of the year. Matt informed me I could take a nap (which I did) before he crashed. The kids have been sitting at the table for over an hour going through each page of the Sunday paper putting initials by everything they want. Sierra and Matthew are making lists of all the songs they like with the optimistic hope they will receive MP3s, Ipods, and/or a new stereo for Christmas. Oh, the optimism of children. Someday they'll learn what a budget is.

So, with these happy thoughts fresh in my mind, I'll put the computer away and make dinner, bathe my children, and clean what little mess is on the floor. Real life starts tomorrow, so my goal is to keep the momentum of the weekend and sail through the Christmas season with joy and happiness.

I'm thankful for my family and friends who have brought so much joy into our lives. I'm thankful for the traditions and memories we share as a family now. I'm thankful for the gospel and knowledge of who Christ is and what a huge part he plays in my perspective of life and eternity. Everything else somehow fades in the background, and I realize the best things in life are never bought - they're experienced - and that's what makes my life worth living.

Priceless Moments

2008-11-23T18:53:00.004-07:00

Sierra and I decided to make some brownies one night. The problem was, we couldn't agree what kind to make. We compromised. Sierra made the traditional brownies, and I made deluxe fudge and walnut. My sister took this picture, and I'm so glad. These are the memories I want to keep.

2008-11-23T18:35:00.002-07:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Our new house

2008-11-23T12:32:00.003-07:00

My favorite room is the kitchen. Our old kitchen was galley style, which made multiple cooks difficult. The sink faces the tv. Washing dishes is now much easier because I can watch tv while cleaning.

This is our family room. We liked the niche for our tv because it wasjust high enough to keep Nicole out of the dvd and vcr. At least, that was our plan. It took her exactly two days to push our kitchen chair over and make a mess.

We opted to take the formal dining out and have room for our piano. This is our front living room. Note the white walls. Matt still remembers touching up our house in Orem, so I'm having to wait for his amnesia to kick in before I mention putting up some colored accents.

This is our master bedroom. Note the big windows. We are SO HAPPY to have a bedroom that's not in the basement.

Moving is always exhausting. Here's just one room in our house after we moved the boxes in. We unpacked clothes, food, and beds the first night. Sleeping on a mattress was a must.

Sorry I'm not posting pictures of the front. I don't want pictures with our address posted here. We'd love visitors, though, so call me and I'll give you our info.

Thoughts on Potty Training

2008-09-26T23:38:00.003-07:00

We decided two weeks ago to potty train Nicole because she's two and a half (almost to the day).

Although she's #5 and I should have this down to a fine art, my experiences with my boys were so bad I did some more research, asked a lot of friends' advice who had more success and fewer horror stories, and decided to take a deep breath and plunge right in.

Our first two days were great. Nicole loved her doll that goes pee, although it wasn't quite as successful as we'd like because she wanted to drink out of the doll's bottle instead of the doll! We have a pretty pink potty chair because she's the youngest and I'm no longer gender neutral. I felt so warm and fuzzy that I was being a good, responsible, loving mother. Since Nicole ate about 2 pounds of suckers the first day, she was very conscientious about going as often as possible. Then, disaster struck.

We ALL got the flu! Do you have any idea how disgusting this whole process is when the kids have diarrhea? Speaking from LOTS of stories and experiences on this subject (my mother being the recipient of most of the horrified calls during Scotty's training days - thanks for keeping most of your laughs quiet) I immediately put her back into her pull-ups. It saved a few screams and tantrums on my end.

After 10 days of passing this miserable bug around in circles, it finally ended, but the result is a happy, although stubborn, fair weather potty-goer.
Nicole has decided that she will go to the bathroom under two conditions: 1. We're in preschool and somebody else needs to use the bathroom. Result: two unfortunate "accidents" in preschool, one bruised head (Nicole's, as a boy pushed her off the toilet), and several near misses
2. We have a REALLY yummy dessert that she wants. Suckies, as she calls them, are no longer good enough. Now she wants "big sips" of "Diet Pipsi or Diet Dr. Papper" and big cookies or cake. Too bad we don't have the desserts around a whole lot, and I don't like to share my drinks.

One of the hardest things about this entire process is the complete lack of modesty on the young child's part. Since I'm musing over my long, painful history of potty training, I thought I'd write a few of my favorite memories. Most relate directly to this lack of modesty issue.

1. Nicole had a successful session in the bathroom during preschool, and threw out her pull up instead of putting it back on. While I was reading a story, she decided to do some pirouettes on the edge of my chair (any idea where this is heading?). Since that's a normal thing for her, I ignored it, until I noticed all the heads were turned toward Nicole. She was doing pirouettes all right, and giving the class a full moon in the process!
2. Last week we heard screams outside, so we ran out. Nicole was chasing two of the neighbor boys, completely naked, down the street. I had to grab an angry, slippery, and very strong little girl and march her into the house to get dressed. Half an hour later (no joke) she stopped screaming and resumed life as a dressed person.
3. Matthew preferred to put underwear on his head instead of on his body.
4. Scotty was known to come to the table without his pants on more than once.
5. A nephew of mine was once over when Dallin decided to take off his clothes. This particular nephew is VERY modest. He suddenly started gagging, pointed to the middle of the room and said, "Dallin's (gag) naked! (gag) Please get him dressed! (gag) (gag)"

So, as we head carefully into the weekend, my supposed time to really focus on getting the process mastered, I know deep down it's just not going to happen. We're too busy and I don't have the time needed to get this one finished.

Nicole's the caboose, and I'm looking forward to getting off this train and catching another. It's called - terrible twos, threes, and fours. But that's an entry for another day.

Just what I needed

2008-09-20T21:47:00.003-07:00

The other night I was feeling CRANKY. I'd spent too much time working on preschool stuff so the house was a mess, the kids needed baths, dinner was late, and I had a UFO (unidentifiable foul odor) coming from somewhere in the back of the basement.

As I sat on the couch and sulked at my unfortunate evening (although I knew it was really my fault) Matt suddenly walked in and announced in a cheerful voice that I had four minutes to get my shoes on and meet him in the front yard.

I debated for about thirty seconds whether I was going to listen to him or not, because we all know misery loves company and he was too happy. I finally decided I'd follow him out and complain about the activity if I didn't like it. I made it outside with about 15 seconds to spare.

Matt had two bikes waiting and ready to go. He simply handed me mine and said, "Let's go." We rode straight into the darkness and headed for a trail that runs along the river near our home.

Have you ever ridden a bike at night under the trees? It's a GREAT experience. We narrowly missed some late-night walkers, but other than that we did ok. The moonlight hit us full force every time we came out of the trees. After the darkness, it was blinding! We listened to the crickets, ran over a few unfortunate grasshoppers, and followed the quiet whisper of the river as we slowly wound from one end of the trail to the other.

By the time we returned home and headed for the hot tub to soak and watch the stars, I realized my bad mood was gone, and I was able to fall asleep with a smile.

Thanks, Matt! It was just what I needed.

Settling in

2008-06-23T23:24:00.003-07:00

We've been in our new home for over 3 weeks now, and it already feels like home. It took me a good six months in our last house to feel like we were really living there. The ward is very welcoming. I found out that I am NOT the oldest person on the entire street, and I'm enjoying the social aspect of having excuses to go out and meet new people. It's one of my favorite things to do; I love to meet somebody and have a name and a face to match to a previously unnoticed home.

Matt managed to wait a week before he planted a garden (It's 30'X20') It seems to be doing well. He also used a neighbor's tractor to pull out some brush, level the back, and get ready for the landscaping we will someday do. Watching his grin as he hauls dirt reminds me of the boys while they play on the Wii. It's sheer delight.

Life hasn't slowed down for us, but the activity is pleasant and exciting. Matt, his brother Mike, and a man named Travis are finishing the basement. They hope to be finished early next month. It's going quickly, and I love to walk down when they are finished for the night and try to figure out exactly what was added in.

The thought of teaching preschool is a dream come true for me. I've missed teaching for so long. I have one class completely filled, and the other two are very quickly getting filled up. The thought of teaching a preschool and having two of my own in the room is so exciting. Dallin is so smart, and I worry that right now he is so unmotivated. He will blossom this next year, and spending time with Mom who is not sidetracked on the endless phone calls that come from Real Estate will be a huge change. We are preparing for the changes by revamping our schedules and working on regular chores, homework, and having the family work together and do meaningful activities.

We have a 15 year old girl named Beth who comes and spends lots of time with our family. She is here most Mondays, and occasionally comes to spend the night. We have enjoyed our time iwth her, and discovered today that she loves fishing. It was 100 degrees outside, but we trecked to the trail by the river that flows 2 blocks from our house. We fished under a bridge that had complete shade and a slight breeze. No fish were caught, but we had a lot of time to relax and play.

Matt has been swamped with all his projects. While he is still working at Reams, he bails me out when I get overwhelmed with Real Estate and takes the files over once we near closing. I don't know how it would work if he didn't take th e stressful situations and make them work out. I prefer to work on the computer behind the scenes, show homes, and write up the offers. It's a great partnership; one that I never believed would work so well. He 's also doing the basement, tyring to work with the investment company he and a friend started two years ago, start the yard, increase our garden size, play with the kids, and still give me a break when I've had enough craziness for the day. I don't know what I would do without him. He's the Sunshine behind the raincloud that always comes through. As a result, he is my best friend and my favorite person on earth.

The kids are adjusting slowly. THe lack of established friends has been hard, but they are quickly adjusting. As soon as Sierra is in activity days and Matthew is in Scouts, I think they'll do better. Scotty, Dallin, and Nicole have children on teh street to play with, but still prefer to stay home.

All in all, I am feeling so blessed to be here. I love our house, our yard, our quiet street, our neighbors and ward, the peace the permeates throughout the neighborhood, the safety we feel as we go walking, the trail that is so close by, and the fact we have a three car garage that will eventually be used for both cars. Most of all, I'm at peace. More than I've felt in many, many years.

We are almost finished unpacking the basement boxes, and my two biggest projects are to put up blinds and finish setting up the preschool. I'm excited about having worthwhile, fun things to do with Dallin and Nicole next year so they aren't bored.

Please come visit. We're ready adn look forward to sharing our room with neighbors, family, and friends.

Love,

Heather

Moving Daze

2008-05-25T17:27:00.003-07:00

Well, it's really going to happen. We finally found a family to rent our house in Orem, which means we are going to qualify for our loan and move to Spanish Fork. I had myself convinced it wasn't going to happen, so I stopped packing for a few weeks. We suddenly have 4 days left to pack, and then we'll be moving in.

I'm having a hard time believing we're about to make such a change. Sure, the house is covered in boxes and I've accidentally packed WAY too many items I shouldn't have; but I still do the same dishes in the same sink and make the same beds. It's all so familiar and routine. The fact we're counting down the days is not sinking in.

We coming up with the "Oh! I guess we have to . . . " statements. Simple things, like calling to have our mail forwarded, realizing we have to actually finish painting in the back bathroom, and I can no longer postpone cleaning out behind and under the refrigerator and oven. Oh! I guess I have to clean the oven this week. See? It doesn't end.

We haven't made a change like this in so long, I'm wondering what our new neighborhood will be like as I'm realizing I have so many friends here to say goodbye to. The goodbyes seem fake, because my brain isn't processing the fact that we won't be bumping into our neighbors in Orem anymore, and we won't see them on Sundays. We'll have a few weeks of fuzzy memories of new names we're supposed to remember, but can't. It will all be a blur.

I know we'll have a few weeks of confusion as we unpack, but we will suddenly find ourselves settled in. I'm wondering if that's when the Moving Daze ends. I'll find myself standing at my new sink, but I'll be washing the same dishes.

Who knows? But until then, I need to get packing. I just realized I haven't started my food storage room, and hope I have enough boxes. Dried apricots, anyone?

Our trip to Moab, April, 2008

2008-05-11T20:06:00.001-07:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-11T14:10:00.005-07:00

I once had a daughter who acted so sweet
She charmed every stranger she happened to meet.
With smiles and curls and dimples so dear
She brightened the day of all those who were near.

But then on her birthday she finally turned two And started to act out and throw tantrums, too. She knew what she wanted and let everyone know
I was shocked at how long her tantrums could go.

But today at church she took the cake and won a new award
Five minutes into nursery she decided she was bored.
The nursery leader tried to hold her and keep her in her place
And sweet Nicole then turned - and slapped her in the face.

The leader was astonished - Matt and I were, too.
When Nicole was brought to me with "I think she wants just you.
Please hold her for a bit so the leader can calm down
Then I'm sure she'll be welcome back - the leader'll come around."

So, Mothers, this poem's for you, when your children misbehave
No matter when or where, even on Mother's Day.
Remember who's in charge, and know that it's not you
It's going to be the darling one who recently turned two.

Written by a loving mother, me (Heather Mendonsa) 5/11/08

Happy Mother's Day

Unfortunately, this poem was inspired by actual events. It was not based on a true story, it is a true story.

Ice Cream Boy

2008-05-08T22:40:00.004-07:00

Matt brought home about 12 gallons (yes, gallons) of ice cream from work that had ice on the outside so they couldn't sell it. My grandfather would be so proud. Needless to say, we have ice cream every night for dessert because, well, it's there and we love it. Last night, Dallin burst into tears. WHen I calmed him down enough to find out why he was crying, he said Scotty had eaten his ice cream! We looked at the bowl, and sure enough, it was empty. Since Scotty had chosen Cookies and Cream and Dallin had chocolate, the ring around Scotty's mouth and chin confirmed it. I was dumbfounded. Scotty never does stuff like that! So, we asked him why he did it. He said, "I wanted it. I said I was sorry!" Hmmm. I think we need to work on apologizing. Somehow, I think our children have missed the part that they need to mean it.

Building at the speed of light.

2008-04-24T22:21:00.002-07:00

We checked our house on Monday, and the foundation was poured. We came again on Friday, and the house was completely framed! I'm posting pictures that were taken only four days apart! The bottom picture is Nicole climbing out the basement window.

Sierra's birthday

2008-04-24T22:10:00.004-07:00

Sierra turned eleven this month! She had a slumber party with several friends and mom. Our rule is, if they want to have a slumber party they have to allow me to stay with them the entire time or forget it! I heard more jokes and funny stories than I have in years, and Sierra and her friends had fun painting toenails, making key chains, bead necklaces, and EATING. The family room was covered with sleeping bags, and it was lots of fun. It's hard to believe how fast these little guys grow up.

Matt is 35!

2008-03-22T21:54:00.002-07:00

Today is Matt's 35th birthday. We surprised him at work by stopping by to say hello. What he didn't know was that we decided to "decorate" his car. I was called a turkey as he attempted to drive away and his car was covered with crepe paper and blue writing in each window.

The decorating backfired, however. We had reservations to eat at Ruth's Chris Restaurant in Salt Lake shortly after he got home. We had no time to take off the writing before driving away. I realized my mistake as we drove up to the valet parking. The attendants were decked out with red (seriously) jackets and all the trimmings. We were surrounded by Mercedes, a beautiful Porsche I'm still trying not to covet, and other exotic, beautiful cars. We pulled up in a silver Intrepid with phrases like "Over the Hill" and "Old Fart" printed on the windows in blue. Oh, well. Maybe we'll gain some dignity and poise after 40.

By the way, Ruth's is VERY expensive, but I can truly say it's the best cut of steak I have ever eaten! Happy Birthday, Matt! You deserve the best!

Dirty faces

2008-03-22T21:51:00.004-07:00

I was looking through all the old pictures and posts and realized almost all the pictures of our children show dirty faces! Occasionally, they really are clean. I guess the most priceless pictures for a mom are the happy, dirty faces that show how much fun these little guys have.

Our Baby is 2

2008-03-21T15:02:00.004-07:00

Nicole turned two this month, which is hard to believe. She speaks in full sentences, throws tantrums like a champ, refuses to give up her bottle, challenges us at bedtime by walking out REPEATEDLY, gives the nicest hugs, says the cutest things, and has the entire family wrapped around her perfect, chubby little finger.

Our New Home

2008-03-21T14:36:00.002-07:00

We signed papers to build a new home in Spanish Fork about two months ago. As the days quickly flew by, my belief it was going to actually turn into reality dissolved. I finally convinced myself last week that something terrible was going to happen, the deal was going to fall through, and I was wasting time trying to clean out cupboards and pack.

The builders broke ground on Monday, put in the footings on Tuesday, and put laid the foundation today. We drove out twice to see what's happening and enjoy our newest adventure.

It's hard to describe my feelings as we walked around the perimeter of our property and explored all the unknown nooks and crannies of the yard. Seeing the forms ready to be poured with cement is so exciting, but my strongest emotions came as I stood in the culdesac and looked around.

When I was a little girl we lived on top of a mountain and down a small dirt road. I remember swinging and singing songs while my neck was craned back as far as I could manage so I could look up at the blue sky above me. The feeling then were feeling of freedom and peace. I felt the same as I looked at our future home. The recent drizzle brought out the scent of freshly cut wood (one of my favorite smells). The sky above was so blue, and the air was so clean. We have no traffic in this area, and we are surrounded by empty alfalfa fields and houses. The streets are extra wide and invite moms to go walking or jogging and feel safe. We saw dozens of children playing in the streets and riding bikes, not worried about passing cars because there aren't any.

One of our new neighbors poked his head over the fence (I told him I'll probably call him Wilson, but his real name is Tony). Another came over to discuss plans for future fences, property lines, and fishing. Matt's going to like him!

Overall, it was a peaceful, surreal afternoon that I know I won't soon forget. Changes like this are so big, and knowing we are moving to such a peaceful, happy neighborhood is so exciting. We lasted 5 years in Orem, but my soul's ready for a smaller town.

I'm posting pictures of the finished house, and will probably post many, many more pictures before we are ready to move.

Winter time

2008-01-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

This winter we've had more snow than I remember. It seems we have a new storm every three or four days. I spend a lot of time staring out the windows at the beautiful flakes. We also enjoy sitting in the hot tub and watching the cloudy sky through our snow-covered trees. I know it's cold, but wintertime is so magical! I can honestly say I love the snow.

My boys, however, are so tired of being cooped in the house. The continuous snow is beautiful, but it makes outdoor recreation difficult. This week, they learned how to do cross country races in our family room. Scotty, Dallin, and Matthew run tirelessly in circles, counting laps as they speed around the loveseat. Nicole joins them, but she seems to spend an awful lot of time on the floor being trampled. I wish I had half their energy!

Sierra "inherited" a full ream of paper from a friend, and she is working very hard to use it all. She has created an entire town with buildings, people, trees, etc. Each piece is drawn, colored, and then cut out. She occasionally enlists here brothers help, which is delightful. It makes a momma happy to see all five children sitting together drawing, cutting, and creating while they each discuss the characteristics of whatever they are working on. (Sigh). Sometimes I wish they could stay this age forever.

PS Can I just say how much I love having a 4 wheel drive in all this snow?

Heather's deep though for the day

2008-01-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

Moving is a lot like pregnancy. You spend the first few weeks wondering if it will really happen. You spend the next bit getting organized, cleaning, and preparing for the change. But by the end, no matter what anybody says, you just want it to BE OVER WITH. It's a necessary evil, and one with a short memory span because we all seem to do it again and again.

We're Moving!!!!

2008-01-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's official. We are moving to Spanish Fork in late May/early June. We are building a home on a .41 acre lot, which is almost double the size we have to play in now. The house is a two story, and we're finishing the basement so I can teach preschool. I'm getting very stir crazy being shut up in the house with nothing to stimulate my overactive imagination and teaching itch. The preschool will (hopefully) cure both. The hardest part of the move will be saying goodbye to our friends in the ward and neighborhood. It's interesting how you sometimes don't know how attached you've become until it's time to say goodbye. I'm glad we still have four months to pack. (See blog above for my deep thought on packing)

I'll post pictures as soon as we have some. They should break ground within 6 weeks.

NO! NO! NO! NO!

2008-01-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Nicole will be two in March. Her favorite words are 'night night' and 'no'. The kids have been working hard to teach her how to say yes, but they haven't yet been successful. On Monday, I had a piece of candy I offered Nicole. She immediately said no, so I started putting it away. Naturally, she fussed because she really wanted it.

I said, "You have to say 'yes' if you want to eat the candy."

Nicole scrunched her face, twisted her mouth like she'd eaten a lemon, and said in a pained voice, "JJJJhhhhheeeeeesssss." And reached for the candy.

The things we do to teach our little ones to be positive!

Christmas 2007 Part Two

2007-12-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post this separately from the rest of our Christmas adventures.

Half an hour after the family left, Matthew decided to jump off his bed, over a hurdle, and onto the floor. He hit the hurdle, turned to see what hit his foot, landed on his arm, and the rest is history.

We ran into the bedroom after hearing him scream, "I broke my arm!" Sure enough, it was obviously broken.

Three hours later, we returned from the ER with a splint and an unset arm. Matthew slept on a rollaway bed in the family room, and I slept by him on the couch.

We returned to the hospital this morning to have an orthopedic surgeon set his arm. He is now parked on the couch, sipping rootbeer floats, and watching movies I normally can't stand. He'll have his fill of Yu-Gi-Oh today, but we figure it's the least we can do for him.

He was a brave little soldier, and said that he knows why I tell them to not jump on the bed. A hard lesson learned, I guess, but he'll be okay.

It was interesting to ponder my thoughts while waiting in the ER. I sat in the waiting room and by Matthew's side, listened to him moan, and felt complete peace. Although he was injured, I knew he would be okay. Although the trips to the hospital racked up yet another medical bill, I wasn't worried because we have good insurance. I listened to the crying, coughing, and chaos surrounding us, and was happy to know we'd be returning to our home soon. We have a happy home, full of love, and that's all that matters.

Holding Matthew's hand as he fell asleep and seeing my wonderful 9 year old son reminded me of a Christmas morning nine years ago when he was born. The gifts under the tree remained unopened as we held our new son and reveled in the miracle of life. Santa Clause was completely forgotten, and we focused instead on the birth of our savior. I can honestly say that Christmas, 1998 was the best Christmas I have ever had. This year, as I reflected on how fortunate we really are, I again felt grateful for the blessing we have. Injuries are only small hiccups on the road of life, but sometimes they remind of us of what's really important.

Christmas 2007 Part One

2007-12-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a wonderful, relaxing day for us. We managed to hold the little guys at bay until 8:30, and then we dug into the presents. Some of our favorite moments:

Nicole received a dolly stroller. She immediately threw a teddy bear into the stroller, buckled it up, and proceeded to run/slide back and forth down the halls. When we opened a sleeper for her, she ran/slid into the living room, grabbed the sleeper, threw it over the teddy bear, and peeled out into the hall again, running full speed toward her bedroom.

Scotty was "Santa" this year and handed out the presents. He knows how to read, so he spent lots of time searching for his own gifts under the tree! His favorite gift - Anakin and Count Dooku Star Wars figures and a Jedi fighter.

Matthew is the proud new owner of Heelies (aka bone breakers) and a skateboard. While he was acclimating to his new shoes, he repeatedly forgot that if he leaned back, the wheels kicked into gear. It was quite funny to watch him while was talking. One moment he stood beside us, and the next his voice came from somewhere on the floor. It was Matthew's ninth birthday, as well. Although he celebrated it last October, it is still hard to believe our baby Matthew is getting so old.

Sierra spent most of the day playing with her new epet German Shepherd. She enjoyed walking him, feeding him, and teaching him tricks. We enjoyed the fact that her pet is hairless, voiceless, and only requires batteries to keep him alive. She also added substantially to her Littlest Pet Shop collection.

Dallin ate his weight in candy today, and asked repeatedly to have his chocolatey hands washed. He happily bounced from one set of toys to the next. His standard expression was, "Oh, wow!" He enjoyed opening his presents as much as playing with them. His favorite game was Cooties, and he liked his new Spiderman action figures.

Matt and I simply enjoyed the season, and happily traded off taking naps throughout the afternoon.

We had a big ham dinner with my family. All in all, it was a great day.

November/December update

2007-12-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

I sent this out via email, but decided to post it here, as well.

The most recent news is that Matt finally had surgery to correct severe sleep apnea. He had his tonsils out, and the doctor cauterized / removed his adenoids, uvula, and the back of his tongue. Matt has not slept much in two days, but we're optimistic that someday he will be happy to be alive again and this pain will all be worth it.

I felt myself growing restless these past few months, so I am in the middle of writing a children's book (I'm thinking of actually trying to publish it - I've heard rejection is good for the soul), singing in our stake Christmas choir, and I just finished repainting the girls' rooms. NIcole is now situated upstairs, away from our bedroom.

Sierra is having a great year of school. She entered the reflections contest and WON! We collected her trophy and Target card this week, and her entry will go to the district level. She is so excited to have a real trophy on her bookcase, and we're proud of her for writing such a creative story.

Matthew, when we actually see him, is also enjoying school. He brought home his best report card ever. Matt rewarded Matthew and Sierra by taking each of them and a friend of their choice ice skating. I was sure they'd come home with somebody in a cast, but they all survived with minor injuries. Matthew has decided that reading is lots of fun and came home with a five pound Harry Potter book a few weeks ago.

Scotty is adjusting to school five days a week. He prefers to stay home with me. I had no idea how hard it's been for him to leave until he burst into tears on Monday and said he doesn't want to leave the house, he wants to stay with me. Lucky for him he was sick with the flu and I let him. We spent some quality time decorating our Christmas tree and reading.

Dallin. Hmmm. He's four, and he's definitely Matthew's little brother. He let's us know what he wants, when he wants it, and in what color dish. Dallin is learning his letters and writes random words across papers, then wants to know what it says. He gives me presents daily of wrapped up pieces of cut up paper (shavings are always strewn across the floor) with pictures of happy people. I love this age - he is still happy cuddled up in my lap, but is quickly learning that we live in a big, exciting world and he wants to be a part of it.

Nicole is growing WAY too fast. She comes up with new words daily. Her first sentence came last week. She said, "No, Matthew. Stop it!" We were so proud, and Matthew deserved the reprimand so he laughed. She calls the bird "Baby". When it's time for bed she trucks off to her big girl toddler bed and says "Night, Night" in a very high voice. Sometimes she disappears in the morning and we have to find her. She seems to prefer sleeping in Matthew's bed, so as soon as he vacates it, she fills his spot with a big grin on her face. And oh, the messes! She's in the running for the most destructive child yet, and we thought that race was over a long time ago.

Last night I took Sierra, Matthew, and my brother Jim to a Jazz game (Matt politely declined coming). Scotty quickly found the score board and gave me minute - to - minute updates on the score. Every time the Jazz made a basket, he cheered. I glanced at him halfway through the game, and would have cried if nobody was around. My cute little five year old was curled up on his seat with a huge gallon size bucket of popcorn, a drink, wearing his new Jazz T-shirt. Matt let him wear his Jazz hat. He was the picture of a very happy, content child. Sierra sat on the other side of me, happily examining her tooth, which came out midway through the second quarter. She ate ice cream till her stomach hurt, and chose the game over a friend's birthday slumber party. I love the fact that our children all love sports. I never dreamed I'd be taking two of our kids to a game, without Matt, and love every minute of it! We also appreciated Jimmy coming so I didn't have to walk from the car to the Delta center in the dark and snow with two children. He didn't seem to mind!

Well, I guess the next update will be in about six weeks when/if I finish the family Christmas newsletter!

Bye for now!

Heather

The Perils of Technology

2007-12-18T21:39:00.001-07:00

Please look below this post at the picture of Dallin on the computer. I had no idea how accurate "Destroying" really was! Last weekend, we lost both our cell phones AND the computer - within 48 hours. We lost pictures, all our word documents, and any software we didn't have backed up. Long story short - - - we are very happy to have our pictures saved on Wal-Mart.com, hope the new phones will last longer than the old ones, and will consider letting Dallin on the computer again - in about three years! Grrr.

Heather is a Yellow Crayon.

2007-11-27T17:13:00.000-07:00

***You Are a Yellow Crayon***
Your world is colored with happy, warm, fun colors.You have a thoughtful and wise way about you. Some people might even consider you a genius.Charming and eloquent, you are able to get people to do things your way.While you seem spontaneous and free wheeling, you are calculating to the extreme.
Your color wheel opposite is purple. You both are charismatic leaders, but purple people act like you have no depth.
What Color Crayon Are You?http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorcrayonareyouquiz/

2007-11-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

do you ever ask your children, "What did you do today?" They usually answer by saying, "I don't know." We decided to post pictures of some of our favorite things to do. The one above is Sierra holding her bunny.

Matthew, Scotty, and Dallin enjoying a late year

swim (taken in mid-September)

Dallin is often seen playing (destroying) the

computer

Matthew's imagination is still alive

and well. This is a picture of him

being a cowboy - just because.

Scott is one tough five year old

2007-11-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Scotty fell and broke his arm while playing with friends at Sierra's soccer game. He had to start school with a bright blue cast. He is such a brave boy. He hardly cried, and never complained about having to wear a cast. He learned quickly that a cast makes a great sword, and he never lost! He (luckily) was able to swim with the cast on, so it didn't get dirty or itchy. We were happy to have his arm back after 4 weeks.

This picture was taken before his first day of kindergarten.

Halloween 2007

2007-11-07T15:44:00.000-07:00

Halloween is such a fun holiday! At our family Halloween party, Sierra and NIcole dressed up as pirates, Matthew was the Grim Reaper, Scotty was a vampire, and Dallin was Superman. By Halloween night, they changed their minds and Nicole became a tiger and Dallin was the Incredible Hulk. I'll post pictures as soon as my camera is charged.

Father / Son "Sleep out"

2007-08-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Matt and Matthew had a special father / son campout on the tramp in our back yard. They set up a tv and watched Indiana Jones. I took this picture about 30 minutes into the movie. Like father, like son. They both fall asleep during action films!

Matthew was so excited to have some alone time with Dad. His smile says it all.

CRUISIN'

2007-08-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

This is Matt and I on the first formal night.

Here is the reason you take off the WET bathing trunks BEFORE putting on your shorts.

Heather, Matt, Karl, and Marlise on the way to Trunk Bay.

Heather and Marlise modeling an isalnd staple on Dominica, the breadfruit.

Matt and Heather in front of the the pack on our dune buggies in Barbados.

Matt's gone rasta! Check out the dreadlocks and hairy chest.

Some local kids in Dominica. They loved seeing their picture on the camera.

Our last supper with Nadia, our server. Eating was the highlight of each evening.

In front of Trafalgar Falls in Dominica.

We spent the last day on this beach in Antigua. It was a perfect way to end the cruise.

Matt and Heather heading out to St. Johns to snorkel.

Scotty's 5th Birthday

2007-08-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

Scotty is 5! It's hard to believe he is already so old. We had a Space theme for his birthday.

The boys all had flashlights to scare away the aliens and made spae helmets. Here they are practicing with their flashlights.

Scotty is waiting for takeoff in the space ship. Don't worry - they all wore their seatbelts.

Disneyland

2007-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

The week after school was out we took the kids and my mom to Disneyland. Nicole stayed in Utah with my sister, Becky. We had a long, uneventful trip out there and arrived late Saturday.

The "deluxe" accomodations were so exaggerated it was humorous, but it was reasonably close to Disneyland and we took the cool shuttles to and from the park. The kids, especially, Dallin, liked to take the bus.

Some highlights of our 4 day disney experience:

Sierra loved the roller coasters, but didn't care for the Tower of Terror. She was able to ride everything. At night when the crowds lessened, Matt or I took the older kids on all the rides. One night, we did Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad (very fun when it's dark out), Indiana Jones, and I don't know how many times in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. One day, we attended a workshop on drawing Disney characters. Sierra's came out very good! Sierra said, "This is the life, Mom. I don't want to ever go back home." Sierra slept in a room with Grandma, which she loved. Although we told the kids we were packing light, she managed to smuggle several books, stuffed animals, and her pillow.

Matthew managed to get lost temporarily only 4 times. Twice he grabbed a stranger's stroller and walked off with another family. His expression when he realized he was not with me was quite comical. Matthew loved the California section. He enjoyed the Tower of Terror quite a bit as well as a ropes course and zip line. Matthew managed to climb on anything and everything. Sometimes when we were waiting in line for an attraction he disappeared, only to reappear on the walls, at the top of a ladder, or on a railing. He managed to entertain himself quite well and was cheerful the whole trip, except for the drive there and back. Instead of sleeping on a cot, Matthew opted to make a bed in the huge closet in our room and spend the extra money on an extra souviner. He now has a Pirates of the Caribbean poster and watch.

Scotty was his usual, quiet and perceptive self. He loved Pirates of the Caribbean, Buzz Lightyear, the Bug's Life Adventure, and the ship in Frontierland. He didn't like Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and Space Mountain. When we took the boys into Toon Town, Scotty and Dallin went nuts and ran from one house to the next. I had the two of them and couldn't keep up! They ran through the entire section, laughing, in about 10 minutes. When I finally caught up to them, Scotty said, "Let's do that again!" So we did.

Dallin LOVED driving the cars in Autopia. I pushed the pedals, and he drove. Since he has no idea how the steering wheel works, we drove like a drunken maniac. Every time we hit the metal bar that keeps us on track, Dallin laughed hysterically. I think that was my favorite ride the entire trip. It was the sheer joy of childhood. Dallin also loved the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and Buzz Lightyear. He was so funny on Buzz - as soon as we were seated, he started shooting his laser gun at the people in front of him, behind him, and occasionally toward the targets. He didn't smile much, and didn't talk much because he was working so hard on his "work."

My mom rented a wheel chair the third and fourth days. We enjoyed wheeling her up to the front of the lines and skipping hours and hours of waiting! The kids liked to help her push, but it was sometimes hard uphill.

2007-05-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Scotty is doing very well with preschool. His teacher said that his vision has improved to the point he will qualify to be in regular education next year. His glasses improved his vision to 20/70, but he is a smart boy and he does very well. He is becoming more and more social and is learning how to be assertive with other children his own age. That is a great relief. He once had a friend come over to play. He became tired of entertaining, so he climbed on his bed and started reading. When his friend asked what he was doing, Scotty informed him matter of factly that he was finished playing and he (the friend) could go home now.

2007-05-05T22:29:00.000-07:00

Nicole is now 1. She is learning to run and lurches across the floor, looking like she will fall at any given moment. She knows how to take CDs out of our computer, stereo, and she can remove / replace DVDs. She knows how to turn on my cell phone and likes to "help" empty the dishwasher. I'm not sure what's going on with kids these days. I guess the world of technology is being programmed into their little brains at a much earlier age.

An explanation of the pictures: Top left: Nicole at 3 months middle: Christmas with Santa right: Nicole helping me put away groceries (that WAS a full bag of baby wipes) bottom left: playing on the beach in Mexico right: A sleepy Nicole eating her birthday cake

Nicole's favorite word is "ha ha", and her first sentence was "Hi, Dad!" I put these pictures on because she is growing so fast it seems like every day she has yet another outfit that is too small. Babies really do grow up too fast.

Upcoming Events

2007-05-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

We have lots to look forward to this summer:

May: Last month of school / Heather and Scotty's birthday / Swimming lessons? / Warmer weather?

June: Soccer camp for Sierra, Matthew, and Scotty / sleeping in / Disneyland / Grandma Ehler's birthday party

July: 4th celebration / campout with Conder family / campout with Goold Family

Mendonsa News

2007-05-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

Dallin is finally getting potty trained! He's doing very well, and we should be finished in a day or two. That means we only have one more and WE'RE FINISHED! To some, this isn't a big deal. What people don't know is that we have

been changing diapers for 10 years, 3 weeks, and a day. That means we've probably changed about 8500 diapers!

But how can we be upset with him? See how sweet he is when he's sleeping?