Swimming with the Fishes

I grew up in Southern California. Swimming was a part of life there. I remember fondly the afternoons spent at the beach as a little girl with my mom, sister, Mrs K and Robynn. My last summer spent in California I had just turned 16 and could drive. We would head down to the beach and spend a few hours. Stop at Kerri's (thanks for moving to the beach) to shower and get ready for work and then make it to work by 5pm. We lived an hour away from the beach but it was worth the drive. I miss the beach.

The pool is the next best thing to the beach. And I've passed onto my children my love for water and the sun. The girls had a Swim Meet this morning. They have been learning so much being on Swim Team. They aren't the fastest swimmers, but they don't give up. Even when it was freezing those first two weeks of June they never complained about going, they did request Hot Chocolate afterwards but they didn't complain.

Here is Jessica on her final lap for her 50 meter freestyle. She was sneaking in a longer breath!

And Ashley finishing her 25 m backstroke. She bonked her wrist pretty good at the end.

Now you would think after being at the pool for 2 hours this morning they would be done being wet. But they were all excited when I suggested we go back when the Scera Pool opened in the afternoon. I bought a punch pass this summer and we have been going at least once a week. If only they had a season pass where you could get in unlimited!

John is the one that has surprised me this summer. He has always been pretty hesitant when it came to the pool. But he has really enjoyed it this year. He started swim lessons yesterday and I'm amazed. He had no fear when we went back this afternoon. Look at his form as he gets ready to show me how he can swim. He is going all the way under the water and when he remembers to kick he actually moves! I'll probably regret this by the end of the week when we end up at the Doctor because of an ear infection.

So we spent another 3 1/2 hours at the pool and it was wonderful. My sister is here from Arizona so we brought her two oldest with us. They are the two without tans (go figure??). I'm loving it because I actually get to rest and read by the side of the pool for most of the time this summer, yea! Though I do think my back may have gotten burnt today, every time I go to scratch it hurts, oops.

Miami Dinner

Saturday night was our turn to host Miami Dinner. For those who think we flew to Miami for the night let me give you the history behind these fun dinners. In January of 2002 Mark and I went to Miami thanks to a trip I earned with my Pampered Chef business. There was only one other couple going on this trip that we knew, Allyson & Jeremy. We had several wonderful days in Miami, but unfortunately Allyson & Jeremy were at another hotel so we didn't get to do much with them. The last night we were in Miami Pampered Chef had a big dinner for all the achievers and their guests. Allyson & Jeremy had found another couple from Utah, Jeanne & Kurt, that joined us at our table along with another couple. We had so much fun laughing and talking we were some of the last to leave the dinner that night. We discovered the other Utah couple lived just a few blocks from us. (She was under a different Director so we had never had any meetings together) So we decided to get together when we got home to continue the fun. At the time there were 6 kids between the 3 couples.


Fast forward six years and there are now 12 children between the 3 couples. But we still get together about every other month to visit, eat and have fun. We take turns hosting and we all bring food for whatever theme we pick that month. Saturday was Allyson's Birthday but it was the only day we could all get together so she requested we do Chinese. Allyson brought Baked Potstickers. I made Ginger Chicken, Ham Fried Rice and Terriyaki Meatballs. And Jeanne was in charge of dessert. She brought poke cakes which are SOOOO good. She made a chocolate cake and when it cooled she poked holes all over the cake. Then poured a can of Sweetened Condensed Milk over the cake. Then poured carmel sauce over the cake. Covered it with Cool Whip and topped it with chopped Heath Bar. It is heaven. She also made a white poke cake with red & blue jello. But I'm all for the chocolate!

Okay, I digressed, sorry I was wishing for more cake. We have so much fun getting together with these friends. It is loud and crazy with all the kids, but we always find time to visit as adults. Thanks for another great Miami Dinner! And Happy Birthday Allyson!

S'More, more, mores

Friday night was our Ward campout. Now those who know us know campout and us don't go together in the same sentence. But our plan was to go up for dinner and camp fire Friday night and then return home. It was just 15 minutes up Provo Canyon so we were even considering returning Saturday morning for breakfast and visiting. But unfortunately the whole campout got cancelled Friday morning when the campsites were all taken. We felt so bad for those in the ward that had spent time and effort planning and preparing for the campout. I'm sure we didn't feel as bad as they felt, but we were sad.

The kids were most sad about missing out on S'Mores around the campfire. We have been known to toast marshmallows over the gas BBQ grill, over the gas cooktop and also over candles. So we tried to recreate them. But we were out of big marshmallows and chocolate bars. So we toasted under the broiler graham crackers with mini marshmallows and chocolate chips. The first row on the right I started making designs with the marshmallows, but after realizing the kids would just scarf them down I changed my tactics and plopped them all on.

As you can see from the pictures below the children enjoyed them! And we look forward to the rescheduling of the Ward campout.

Happy Anniversary to ME!

Who would have thunk it?? But 10 years ago on June 25, 1998 The Pampered Chef accepted my contract to become a Pampered Chef Consultant. Okay, so I'm writing this on June 26, but I just remembered to look at the date. I knew it was sometime this week, but I wasn't positive on the actual date. My first show wasn't until July, so I always think of July as my real anniversary.



When I started my business I really was only doing it to get the starter kit at a discount and get some more cooking tools in my kitchen. I thought it would be great if I could make a little money on the side, but I wasn't counting on it. Had you told me then I would still be selling 10 years later I would have laughed. I just did show #658 on Tuesday night and I've sold over $250,000 in tools. WOW! Here is a picture of me in 2004 when I took a tour of the home office and found my name on the Career Sales Wall! Pampered Chef has helped me not be so shy and has taught me so much about leadership and organization.



Pampered Chef has filled my kitchen with tools, paid off a lot of bills, sent me on vacations I would have never taken otherwise but the best benefit I've received and never expected was all the wonderful women that would come into my life and become my best friends. We get to attend Conferences twice a year for training and I always love traveling and being with these amazing women! Cynthia and I are PC Sisters (we are both under the same Director) and started our businesses just a few months apart. And we are Sisters in the Gospel and we kindred sisters! And many new consultants have been known to confuse us (huge compliment to me, sorry Cynthia they think you are me). I have definitely missed her since she moved to Atlanta.


We leave in two weeks to head to Chicago for our annual National Conference. I love these trips and I love Chicago. All the adventures we have on the "El" train, breakfasts at The Corner Bakery, cheese popcorn at Garretts, staying at the Palmer House with two bathrooms, seeing Wicked (I promise I won't go again this year hunny), shopping on the Magnificent Mile and State Street. I always return from these Conference exhausted but full of information to implement into my business. And the women I room with are just darn Awesome! Tonya, Allyson and Christy make life exciting. And what happens at Conference stays at Conference, my fellow Queens.
There are so many other women I admire and love that I get to work with in Pampered Chef. And I always look forward to seeing you all. If I start naming the rest this will go on forever. So let me just say Thanks for 10 great years and here is to the next 10!

Help, my kitchen turned pink!

Okay, I woke up on this beautiful Saturday morning to my nice taupe kitchen. By this afternoon it had turned pink all on its own. The things you don't think about during home repair. This weekend we decided to restain the front and back decks along with the picnic table. Basically because sitting at the picnic table with shorts on was risking the life of your legs. Something had to be done. I know you are all asking yourself if the home repairs will ever stop, trust me we stopped asking that long ago when we realized the answer was NO!

Friday we spent power sanding the main surfaces. I also spent a little time with the power saw (you know the one I make fun of my husband for buying) attacking the bottom of the pine tree. Amazing how using a few power tools will make you feel better. The kids were much better than the day before. Not sure if the saw had anything to do with it!

Saturday Mark opened the 5 gallon bucket of what we thought was stain that was left by the last owner. I'm sure it was stain at one time in its life, but not anymore. So off to Home Depot for our first trip of the day. It always takes us two to four trips to Home Depot per project. Good thing we live just up the street! He took a board with him to match the color and they did a great job. So we began the LONG process of applying the stain on the wood, cement and everywhere else it wasn't supposed to be. The front was a piece of cake because it is under the porch and never gets the sun. The back took twice as much stain as planned (hence the multiple trips) and much longer. Several hours later we came into the house to discover our lovely PINK kitchen. The stain had faded so much on the back we had never noticed it before. But with our new coat of redwood stain the sun reflects off it and casts a lovely pink hue into the kitchen. I guess in a few years it will fade again and we will be back to our original kitchen color. I'd show you a picture of our lovely deck, but I don't have it in me to find the camera!

And We Were Counted Among the Foolish

Today has been one of those days. By the time the kids and I walked out the door for Swim Team and Day Camp at 9:30 am I was ready to strangle them. Why does yes mean no and no mean yes to them? Do they think they are playing Password and needing to answer with the opposite? Must they argue with each other about EVERYTHING! Once I dropped everyone off at their respective activities it was definitely a Diet Coke morning. And I was so thankful for a two hour break. But the fact I turned into a screaming lunatic made me feel even worse knowing Mark and I were planning on going to the Temple this evening.

Things seemed to calm down after everyones activities. And I had a few minutes to do Boxing on my mom's Wii. The kids were even impressed with my KO (knock out). Though the afternoon did get away from me and by the time Mark got home and my mom stopped to pick up the kids I still wasn't dressed and ready to go. So I rushed to get ready and out the door we headed. Yea, we were going to make it! I should have known better.


After a nice drive to the Temple we even got a close parking spot. I was worried it would be really busy since the Temple had been closed for three weeks. So at the recommend desk the nice man smiled and made a joke with me about my recommend holder being old. It is my original holder that had a bar code on the holder. If you don't know what I'm talking about you are TOO young! So once I'm through I turn around and realize Mark is now questioning the man at the desk. OH MY GOSH, this isn't happening to US!!! How could Mark's recommend have been expired and mine not? So they rescan mine and yep, I'm expired too! They had expired three weeks ago!!!!! I've been a Temple Recommend holder for 18 years and never let it expire before.

Knowing I was let through with it being expired made me feel not AS foolish. I guess because when they reissued recommends with the new bar code system it felt like we had gotten a new one neither Mark nor I even considered looking at the date to see when we needed to renew them. Of course by now there is a group of people waiting to go through and we have to

turn around and walk back through the group with heads hung low. It was all I could do not to burst into tears immediately. I felt like I had walked up to the pearly gates and been told "so sorry, try again next time." It really felt like we were part of the five virgins with no oil in our lamps. I felt terrible. Mark did his best to make me feel better. I'm so glad we weren't there for someone's wedding and realizing we had messed up. But someone did not get there work done tonight because we were not prepared, ugh.

I guess we'll be visiting the Bishopric and Stake Presidency sooner rather than later.

In an attempt to redeem the night we headed to dinner instead. I think we got behind every slow driver there was in American Fork. Mark wanted to go to Chilis, but I would not let him because we had a gift certificate sitting at home for Chilis (I promise Cynthia we are going to use it soon). So we landed at Applebees. Dinner was good, but was a little downer when a patron fell and broke her hip outside the restaurant. After picking up the children from Mom's house Mark asked what that thing was laying in the driveway, surprise! He just ran over his own suit coat which just got back from the dry cleaners. Please help brush off the tire marks when you see him on Sunday.

Here is hoping tomorrow is better!

Happy Birthday John

In honor of John turning 5 years old today I thought I'd share a few pictures and stories of him over the years. He has been our most unpredictable child from before he was born. With both his older sisters we did not find out what sex they were until they were born. But with John I decided I was older, more tired, and more busy, so I wanted to be prepared. The doctor did two ultrasounds and both times told us it was a girl. So I bought a cute butterfly outfit to come home from the hospital in. SURPRISE to all of us when out came a BOY! He was born in the evening and my mom had the girls and Mark's parents were not planning to come up that night. But once the news got out there was no stopping Grandpa Jim from coming. That was after he convinced Grandma Neva he was telling the truth.


Lucky for him we upgraded to the world of digital photography a few months after he was born. Here he is just a week after he was born. That first year and a half was really tough. He came home from the hospital with jaundice and had to sleep in the blue suitcase for at least a week. Thanks to Chris W she showed us the joy of sugar water with a newborn. I'm not sure we would have made it that first night without it. I let Mark have the fun of taking him to the hospital daily to get his foot pricked to find out the levels in his blood.

I think it took a few weeks, but we finally realized the painful way he was allergic to milk. The first 2 days in the hospital he had been a wonderful baby and slept all the time. Then the last day we were there while I was in the shower he started crying while at the nursery. And the crying didn't seem to stop for years (or has it stopped?) We tried all the colicky suggestions and nothing seemed to help. Then I decided to brave it and stop eating chocolate because I'd heard that could be a problem. To compensate for not eating chocolate I enjoyed some root beer floats. I think after the 2nd or 3rd night of doing this I realized the connection of his misery and my treat. So I stopped eating milk products and things improved greatly.

But there still seemed to be some problems. Our kids had always slept good and John was definitely NOT a good sleeper. Someone suggested I try putting him on Prevacid to see if he had acid reflux. This is after numerous times of having him throw up in the middle of nursing all over me and him where we both had to shower and change afterwards. So our doctor was nice enough to let us try it and it was amazing the difference.

This picture is just before his first birthday. He was getting ready for his first swim at a hotel we were staying at. That face is so full of excitement and fun. Hard to believe we were just beginning the Ear Infection stage. More sleepless nights for the next year and finally tubes in his ears.

Thanks to my Pampered Chef business he got to go to DisneyWorld right after his 2nd birthday in 2005. Not so good for us since we had to buy a plane ticket. But it was a trip we will always remember.

Here is the three year old John getting ready to go swimming once again. I guess that is what happens when your birthday is in the summer. In fact we are heading to Scera Pool for his birthday today too!
And the four year old John getting bigger and bigger. He is in Grandma Pat's backyard by the ditch. He looks like he is ready to conquer the world.

And if you want to see him at 5, just scroll down to see the last several posts. John is turning into such a cute adorable smart kid. He says some of the most prophetic things at times. We sure love him and am so glad he is part of our family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Father's Day

We have had a great Father's Day today. And in honor of the best Father in our family I thought I would share a few pictures of Mark.


Here he is as a cute baby and as a handsome Payson High School Graduate.

A few weeks ago in Activity Days I helped the girls make "Charm Pop" Boutonnières for their Dads. Mark not only had two daughters at the activity, but John participates as well since I'm the leader. So Mark wore two to church and let John wear the other one to church.

Then after church we headed down to Santaquin to be with Mark's Dad and family. John decided he would make an Alden Boutonnière Club. And all the men in his life with the name Alden got a Boutonnière. So here is the picture of Grandpa Alden James, John Alden and Mark Alden sporting their Boutonnières.

I just have to say I am so lucky to have these three men in my life. Since marrying Mark it has been wonderful having a Father around in my life again. And Mark is a wonderful example of what a Father should be. In church they talked about Fatherhood and how a man should provide, protect and partner. Mark does all these so well. And John is just my little man that is so cute and brings joy to our lives.

Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there!

Let The Fun Continue

Happy Birthday Big John! John turns 5 on Monday, June 16, so we had his first friends party on Saturday to celebrate the big event. He was so excited for weeks before to be able to go to Costco and tell them exactly what he wanted on HIS cake. So even though most of the party was a Spiderman party, he picked a Golf cake. It was finally warm enough that we did a water party and pulled the slip and slide out and let the kids loose with water guns. They had a blast and John felt important for the day.
But the day did not end there. Orem City knows how to do a parade right -- it starts at 7pm. We discovered last year that the floats line up near my mom's house which was a great spot to sit because of all the grass near by. So we were on 800 East and 500 South. The parade doesn't begin until 400 South, but we walked down and saw the few floats we missed.

We crashed the Rasmussen clan, or did they crash our spot, I'm not quite sure what. But it was fun sitting with my cousins. Eden had already nailed the little shade from the tree, but shared her beautiful umbrella with me until the sun went down.

And my mom was famous! She is the white hat driving the VW Bug Convertible for the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival.

Then after the parade and hanging out at Mom's for awhile we found our perfect hidden spot for the fireworks - The playground at the kid's school. Last year when we thought of this place there were a couple of other families that did the same thing. But this year we were the only family there. It is a great spot, just off State Street on 400 South, so only 4 blocks away from the action. The kids hung out on the swing set while we set up our chairs and enjoyed the 15 minutes of fabulous fireworks. Needless to say we brought home 3 very sleepy children way past their bed time, but it was a great day!

Summer is HERE!!!

Today was the first day the weather finally made it feel like Summer, and it is the middle of June!!! We had the heater on just a few days ago. But today was gorgeous, beautiful and warm. And on top of that it is Orem Summerfest this weekend. Sometime in the last few years it has become a family tradition to go to Summerfest. When the kids see it on the calendar they get so excited.

Because of our crazy schedule this weekend we decided to ditch Dad and make a go of it just the kids and I. It started at 2pm on Friday and we were there by 2:30 and we still had to park two blocks away. The kids love seeing the Fire Engine and Ambulance. (Side note: notice John's hat. We got it at Walmart in Florida and it has become his "lucky" hat. It is hard to get it off of him) Orem City does such a great job of the carnival. For $15 we got 20 tickets for rides and all the small rides were only 1 ticket and the big rides were 2 tickets. The kids were then responsible for anything on top of the tickets Mom bought for them.

The girls rode all the "big kid" rides together. The loved the Sizzler so much that they even bought more tickets with their own money so they could ride it again. I do not participate in any of the carnival rides because they all have the same theme, a circle. And my stomach cannot handle going round and round and round. I'd blame it on the Jesperson side of the family (Eden), but my Dad had worse motion sickness than my Mom.

It is amazing what a year can do. All the rides John got scared on last year he conquered on his own this year. No one had to go up the Fun House to help him through, yea! And he was even brave enough to climb to the top of the Fun Slide by himself and come down. He did say he wanted to throw up at one time, but he did it!

We missed having Dad with us, but I enjoyed no lines and getting home in time to relax. And tomorrow after Team Meeting in the morning, John's B-day party in the afternoon then we'll have the whole family together for the Parade at 7pm and the Fireworks at 10!