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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Places, everyone, places

Ali needed to go potty one last time before enduring an hour and 15 minutes of sitting still and reverent. Ashling needed to go with her because she follows her sister everywhere. Cameron carried Annika inside and I went downstairs to get my primary singing time lesson ready. I thought a little about our place. We sit on the same pew each week in church. I think our name has slowly been engraven upon this spot and I would be a little put out if someone sat there before we arrived. No worries though because we sit near the front. Usually visitors will sit near the back. It takes a gutsy visitor to walk up and sit in down right in front.

In our little branch we all sit in the same place every week. I found it rather comical today as I was thinking about our places and put everyone in the right place in my mind while nursing Annika. The Branch President's family sits on the second pew right in front of President who they wish they could be sitting next to. No one ever sits on the front row.... never! I think the front row has only been sat in once or twice in the whole time I have lived in the branch. The back row used to be reserved for the S family. They sat there all together... grandma, mom and dad, 2 kids, 2 spouses, and then more kids for years. But lately they have moved. I am not sure what caused the momentous event but something causes them to move places at church. Now two new families claim the back center row.

We sit on the 4th row.... I like to sit up front but not too close. I think the kids behave better without having lots of bad examples in front of them to look at. About half the time the older Brown's sit with us and sometimes they sit with their friends the V's. (I think sometimes they would rather listen to the talks as opposed to coloring and entertaining grandchildren.

There is a disadvantage to sitting in the front. Each Sunday I predict who will be there and who won't. I wonder if we have any visitors and if we will be singing the "hello" song while pleading for no "jellos" or "fellows" or other rhymns that we don't need. I try to carefully look to the side (at my delightful children) while really glancing back to see if the H family or the B family is there. I look quickly and try not to be noticed. I wonder if the teachers for primary will be there and I glance over praying that my piano player is here. I need to know all this information by the end of the opening song but sitting near the front requires me to play undercover spy and you can imagine that I am not so good at it.

I know that each ward or branch has many members that sit in the same place each week but I never thought I would be one of them... yet I do not plan on sitting in another place next week. If you visit please don't take my place!

Where do you sit in your church? Please leave comments...

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Sunday afternoon nap

Beach day

Cameron's impression of Temple Crag (the mountain he climbed a week ago.)
We went to the beach on Saturday with our friends, the Holmes. As always the beach was wonderful. Annika lounged in her play pen and we lounged in the sun. Annika enjoyed a nice nap with Barbara under the umbrella. Cameron and I braved the fridgid waters and did a little boogie boarding. The low tides made it hard to catch a good wave but I caught 3 great waves before I was numb with cold. I don't know why the water was so cold. We ended the day with burgers and fries from In and Out. They always make the best burgers!



Sunday, July 19, 2009

free chicken...

read my sister Stacey's post about free chicken... it is funny and it involves me. (cow picture is included.)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Annika is 6 months old!





Annika is now 6 months old! How time does fly. She is getting so big and learning so much. Her favorite thing to do is roll around on the floor and go from one end of the living room to the other and then roll back. She also likes to scoot on her back if she can't get where she wants by rolling. She likes to play with all her toys and puts anything in her mouth.

Annika likes to smile at everyone and she is starting to wave hi when she feels like it. She likes Daddy to lay on the floor by her and laughs at him. (he is pretty funny looking.) She is starting to like to participate with her sisters in their activities and loves to look at what they are doing.

Her all time favorite game is peek a boo. She will get part of her dress or a blanket and put it over her face and then peek out. She loves it when you say the words for her. She loves to sleep on her tummy now that she can roll. She is so cute rolled on her tummy and sleeping. So much for sleep on her back! Happy 1/2 Birthday Annika!

Thursday, July 16, 2009

She's Growing up

Last night I went on a bike ride. And not just any bike ride but a ride with a child. My child. And I realized that it was fun for me. Not just fun because seeing your kids do anything is fun but because I had a great time with her fun. I pedled myself up the steep hills and rode fast down them. I raced my daughter down the hills and pushed past her as we climbed up. I didn't have to stop and wait and slow myself down to her level. Instead she was already at my level or at least close enough to be fun. We stopped and rested and listened to ourselves breathe. She told me all about butterflies, lizards and fun places to ride bikes.

Today we went shopping and it was fun too. She looked at things and discussed them with me. We talked about what we wanted and how we would spend the 200, 000 dollars some casino was promising we would win if we played. She would buy me a Kayak and I would buy her a doll house. We even got smoothies and although they were small we both couldn't finish them. She evaluated things, looked for deals, counted her money and made her her own purchases and I made mine.

I never thought that would happen so soon. My baby girl has turned into a interesting, engaging person that I like to hang out with as a friend too. How could this happen and how can she be growing up so quickly? I don't know but today I think I really like it.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

In search of.... cold water

I like to write about new and different experiences and this one was really different. Cameron went on a trip to the Sierras to climb and I decided to go see my sister again. (No this is not the new experience as I have been there twice this year.) I love her house and her pool and the fact that there are more adults than kids in her house no matter how many kids I bring. I love the help that Grandma, Auntie and Uncle Tony bring to the picture and I still loved all of that this time.

I was amazed to discover that in Phoenix they have no COLD WATER! When I got there I put one of the many gallons of water I bought in their fridge and left it. A few hours later we decided to go swimming with Stacey on her break. I jumped in the pool expecting to be refreshed. But seriously the pool was about 98 degrees! When I came inside I went to get water out of the fridge but it wasn't cold yet. Later that night I tried to take a cold shower to cool off after the pool. The water coming out of the shower seemed warmer than the pool water and it was on as cold as it gets. Another day I tried another shower but this shower too produced only warm water (no cold.) Ashling even complained that the coldest water was too hot. Sorry babe I can't seem to get it any colder. We thought it would be fun to visit the water park. But again the water was not cold or even cool. It was warm water everywhere! And warm water does not cool you off!

I can not imagine how the pioneers who settled Phoenix survived. They did not have air conditioning and I think I might have died with out it. On the way home I stopped at a gas station to get gas. I pulled under the shaded structure and started to fill my car up. Even in the shade the blacktop heat seared my legs. I was worried about leaving the kids in the car while getting gas even in the artificial shade. Finally at home I turned on the faucet and was relieved to discover that our water was still cold!