"Sweet" Memories, Reminiscing With My Dad

Talking with my dad last night was good.  We reminisced about how time flies by.  He was remembering this time of year when it was our first Halloween in the "new house" in North Orem (the house he still lives in that's now 25 years old, give or take a year).  Jacob would have been a baby, so this was before April was born, and all 4 kids were under the age of 5.  Dad's job was to hand out candy while my mom would take us kids around the neighborhood trick-or-treating.

Dad expected maybe 30 trick-or-treaters to show up, judging from his past candy-giving experiences in California and South Orem.  He had his small bowl of candy ready, and the doorbell started to ring.  Well, as my dad soon found out, the new neighborhood was FULL of children and young families.  As he puts it, 30 kids came by in the first 15 minutes, completely cleaning out his candy bowl.  At this point many candy-givers would turn their lights off and pretend no one was home... but not my dad.  When he realized that he wouldn't have enough candy, he put his gifted hands to work and scrambled to produce sweet treats.  He started baking cookies.  He can whip up cookie dough from scratch relying entirely on his number-oriented memory in mere minutes.  And he baked, baked, and baked what he estimates about 9 dozen cookies.  All the while he was stuffing them in plastic wrap and tucking in a slip of paper with his name and phone number on it so the kids would be allowed to eat it.  On top of that, he had to field the constant stream of ghosts and goblins at his front door.  As we (his kids) came home from trick-or-treating, he confiscated our candy too and began to hand it out, obviously teaching us the art of re-gifting at an early age.  I can imagine we were not all too happy about coming home that Halloween.  First we come into the warmth of our home to the smell of freshly baked cookies and we were told we couldn't have even one of them.  Then Dad takes our candy and gives it away!  He sure knows how to torture his kids on Halloween!  To his credit, he claims that he left us the few pieces that we most wanted.  By the time the last trick-or-treater came around, dad guesstimates he saw around 300 kids.  Wow.

Although I don't remember that particular Halloween with as much clarity as my dad, I do remember that every Halloween the streets were always full of kids when we'd go trick-or-treating.  And I remember that when we'd come home, dad would always automatically get to take some of our candy for himself.  I never thought it was fair that he got a portion of our hard earned sugar when all he did was sit at home, watch TV, and answer the door.  It was the unfair dad-tax that we were all subject to.  Did anyone else's dad do that?
Confession time.  Steve and I are parents.  We've adopted the unfair dad-tax.  Sorry, kids.  But look on the bright side, one day, you'll get to be an unfair parent too!

My parents fed the entire neighborhood on several occasions... and sometimes they even found out about it.  Well, after hearing this story about my dad and his efforts to feed the begging children, I think he earned every bit of the candy he got from us.  I love you dad!

Sisterly Love

 I remember longing for the day when Amara would be old enough to play along with Lily and I thought the day might never come.  But I guess it just sort of happened little by little and now they play together everyday.   They know how to play together, they know how to fight together, and they even know how to serve the other, just like all siblings should.  I truly love being able to watch Amara pretend to be Lily's puppy, or Lily and Amara being cowgirls or princesses.  It warms my heart when Lily will race to turn the light on in the bathroom when Amara announces that she needs to go, or when Amara just HAS to give Lily a huge bear-hug before she starts her day at Kindergarten (even if Lily is late), and Lily embracing her back.  Their sisterly ways are so sweet.  I super-duper love our girls!

Lily's Kindergarten Shots (back in June 2010)

I've meant to blog about Lily's Kindergarten shots (K-shots) ever since she got them a few months ago.  I don't remember how Lily found out that she had to get shots before she went to Kindergarten, but somehow she knew.  "Mom, I don't want to go to school if I have to get shots"  she would tell me.  We talked about her kindergarten shots weeks before she had to get them.  I'd try to make her feel better about getting them.  I told her of when I had to get my shots.  "Back when I got shots, I had to get 5 of them right on my bum.  I was afraid, but after it was over I realized it wasn't too bad.  Plus, I got a sucker when I was done."  My stories seemed to calm her nerves a bit, at least for a few days.  Then, "Mom, are they going to give me shots in my bum?"  she would ask.  I would tell her I wasn't sure where they were giving shots these days, but that she would be fine.

Well, the day arrived and it was time for K-shots.  We got ready to go, and Lily wanted to wear a dress so she wouldn't have to pull pants over a fresh wound.  Steve and I tried to make her happy and a little more calm.  I gave her our digital camera to take pictures to make into a scrapbook.  She liked that idea and it was a wonderful distraction.  If you're interested in looking at the photos she took, I finally compiled them for your amusement:

This photo album made with Smilebox

When it was time for shots, Lily's bravery ran low and we had to break out some of our best bribes to get her to quit her thrashing and kicking on the doctor's table.  I bribed with stickers and movies, Steve promised she could go to a buffet and eat as many desserts as she wanted.  Lily eventually held still enough for the nurse to poke the 4 shots in (the nurse held her legs down and I held her arms).  She let everyone know of her pain and frustration by channeling all her energy into her scream.  Amara looked on with concern and then told her dad, "Is Lily freaking out?"  Ha ha ha!  To say the least.

Slideshow of Jake and Kelli's Wedding

It's about time I post something about my youngest brother getting married.  Jake and Kelli got married August 21, 2010 and it was a beautiful wedding with lots of family and a great luncheon and reception.  We're so happy to add Kelli to our family.  She is an absolutely adorable and genuinely kind person.  Here's the slideshow:

Free slideshow customized with Smilebox

...AND to exercise your smile muscles, here's Jake's engagement story revisited (from his blog).  It's worth a thousand reads.
"I'm engaged.
Now, for 25 whole years I have lived a life full of fun, full of memories, and now I'll have a new one, of a girl, a girl, that's right, a girl. 

I met this girl one day at a classroom where I work. As she entered in, her hair blew like a model in a magazine, her eyes fluttered like butterfly wings, and she looked at me, and "eye" at her. She didn't smile, but I did. Then she returned it. And I was happy. A year and a half past by where we were friends, words were exchanged on facebook, hangouts were arranged and implemented, and much to my surprise she still didn't like me. She left to London and she took her heart with her, she didn't leave me a piece. I would find her on facebook and ask her how her day was. She would respond. And I was satisfied. The time came when she would return to BYU and therefore be in the valley of Jake Lauret. We set a date to go "hangout." I wanted to surprise her, but she surprised me also by writing her name, full name, in the dirt on my car. She imprinted a name which will never be forgotten in the life and memory of Jake Lauret. I didn't regret it. But she did. A semester past and we did things every once in a while. And I would leave her windshield wipers up on her car every time I was in the area. The time came when she needed a job and I had one in the same classroom as me, where she had volunteered at in the past, where I met her.

I hooked her up with the job. Once again, she walked in through the door, wind blowing through her hair, eyes a-flutter, and this time her smile was at me, instead of the other way around. And at that moment I knew, something was going to be different. 

During this time, I had arranged to move out of my parent's house and move into her ward. By so doing, we were in the same FHE group. I knew that I would be having a lot of face time with her and I knew that that was the key to her heart, because seriously, who wouldn't absolutely adore a face like mine? And then, um. Things just got really crazy from there. . 

Um. She held my hand first. I held it back. We cuddled, never kissed, but there was much embrace. My stomach was filled with butterflies (figuratively speaking). My knee was shaking up and down like a piston in a car. I was sweating like a weak WWE wrestler before his match. After the meshing of hands, we parted ways and I went to bed with a smile on my face. A couple days later, it was late, we were hanging out, and we were in her car, and we decided that we liked each other. THE END!

j/k. We dated, we did homework, we laughed, we cried, we argued about bugs, and other little things like that. And after dating a couple months, I decided that it was time to move on with my life. I decided, I wanted this girl in my life. Therefore, I came up with a plan to engage myself to this woman to whom I would want to be wed to. I shopped for rings, I planned activities, and I even planned a day to ask for her hand and ring finger in marriage. 

The day was April 24, 2010. I decided that I would propose at high noon. So, I texted her at 9 in the morning asking her if she would be willing to go on a picnic. She texted back saying, "Ask me in an hour." I then said, "ok." And then, I called the person to whom I would pick up my engagement ring. I told him I was to propose at high noon that day. He said, he would not be available to do that and that I would not be able to pick up my ring. He continued, that I could pick it up at 3:00. My plans were foiled to propose at high noon. A new plan was devised to go shooting across Utah Lake to pass time. The time past, the jeweler called, the ring was ready and I could pick it up. We finished shooting and I arranged for the picnic. I chose to have the picnic at Utah Lake. One special reason was because we exchanged valentines gifts there. As for the picnic food, I made sandwiches, we had a pineapple, carrots, and drinks. I tried to act as normal as possible as to not deter her mind that she would be proposed to that day, that hour, and that moment. We walked up and down the pier of Utah Lake. We came back to the spot of the origin of the picnic, and there we danced to music coming out of my car. And as we were dancing, it was then that I told her how much that I loved her, and I got on one knee, specifically my right knee, and I asked after reaching into my pocket and pulling out the ring, if she would marry me. She then teared up, paused, like they do on TV before they reveal their answer, and I knelt there until she answered. And she said yes. And then, we were officially engaged in eachother forever until we get married, which is August 21, 2010. There is no reason behind this date besides that it is the most convenient. THE REAL END."

Amara celebrates her 3rd Birthday!

My baby turned 3.  She's officially what the parenting magazines refer to as a "preschooler."  That's just crazy.  

I decided to interview my very talkative Amara, and here are some of her responses.

Favorites:

Color- pink

food- Japanese food

thing- an animal

animal- giraffe

dinosaur- long neck

book- dinosaur sticker book (thanks Aunt Doralee!)

Tell me a joke:

Knock knock.

Whos there?

Ummm, Japanese food.

Japanese food who?

Japanese food in a flower.

Dislikes:

food- onion

~interview ends as she runs off to play.

Amara is an absolute joy to have in our family!  She gives us so many reasons to smile.  She's still a thumb-sucker and she is very attached to her ratty old blue blanky she's embraced since birth.  Steve noticed how big Amara's "sucked-on" thumb is compared to her other one.  Instead of discouraging her from thumb-sucking, he encourages her to suck the other thumb.  Amara's birthday fell on a Sunday this year.  She had a little celebration here at home and one later when we visited family in Utah Valley.  She is so very loved.  

Below is a smilebox collage I made of her on her birthday.

This free photo collage made with Smilebox

Don't grow up.

Tonight as I was kissing my darling daughters goodnight I told them, "Now, whatever you do, don't grow up anymore."

Amara says, "You mean no more birthdays?"

I said, "No more birthdays.  Just stay the way you are now."

Lily quickly responded, "Don't you want to see my precious babies?"

I answered, "Of course I do!  I would love to see them!"

Lily demandingly replies, "Then let me grow up!"

My girls are so cute and fun and I cherish them so much.   After their second trip to the bathroom (it never fails that Amara "feels it" the moment we turn off the light and say goodnight, so Lily helps her go to the bathroom one last time before bed, even though we have them go potty right before we put them down),  I hurried them off to bed saying, "I love you Lily and Amara!  Now it's time to go to bed.  It's past your bedtime and your dreams are starting without you."

Reunion Time! Starvation Reservoir- July 21-25, 2010

Over the pioneer day weekend, we camped out on the beach at Starvation Reservoir.  We had a great time, got lots of sand, lots of wind, lots of sunblock, and lots of memories.

We love being together!