Hurricane Fun

For just $2 you can experience a hurricane in El Paso.  Step into a telephone booth sized capsule and the "winds" whip up to 70 miles per hour. Our kiddos wanted to try it out, so all 8 of the cousins filed in and we shut the door.  I was ready with my camera to capture the fun. You can judge from the height of Marielle's hair and Rex's expressions the speed of the wind in each picture.

I felt pretty rotten for snapping pictures of their distress, but in my defense, I didn't know the door could open and let them out early.  You can see in this last pic, the hand of rescue coming to free the youngest three kids.  I think if Rex could talk he might say, "I want my $2 back!"

Train Them Up Young

Did you hear Nursery started a new Duty to God program for toddlers? Rex recently passed off the first requirement of setting up a row of little chairs.

Stake Conference 2023, Rex will be ready for you! (And here's hoping he gets the rows a little straighter by then too. )

Getting the Lines Crossed

I think all couples have their little inside jokes or sentimental "asides" that make us smile and wink at each other.  For Ryan and I, we like to say "Soften Coffin" to each other.  It hearkens back to one of my first visits to El Paso.  We found an old VHS of one Ryan's high school quiz bowl meets.  One of the categories of questions had to be answered with two rhyming words. I can't recall the question, but it was something like,
Question:"Way to ease the journey into the next life?" 
Answer: "Soften Coffin"
As we watched the video, I shouted out the answer just seconds before HS Ryan stole the question from the opposing team.  Ever since, whenever we are feeling "soul-mate-ish" we grin and say our morbid code words.
Last week I packed Ryan a lunch and decided to go the extra mile and include a note.  None of you really want to know what I wrote, but you can make some guesses based on the last story I just told you. When Ryan opened his lunch he sent me this text,

haha, I just opened my lunch. You planning my interment is so romantic.





Except he didn't actually send it to me.  He sent it to a 17 year old he had been texting earlier that day about a Scout Meeting. I hate to relish the akward situations of others, but the following exchange is pretty classic.

17 year old's response to the misdirected text: Umm ok.


Ryan quickly addressing error: Haha, wrong person. I need to be more careful   with my texts. 

17 year old (and this is my favorite part) : Ok i'll just forget that last text then! If I can!  

I heard about the whole exchange after the fact and had a good laugh.  Especially since I may, or may not, have sent Ryan Polland a few misdirected texts myself.  (If I have, he is always a good sport about it.)

That night awkwardness reigned in our home that evening when the aforementioned 17 year old came over to get his scout papers signed.  Please tell me this has happened to you too.  Are we the only texting crazies who misdirect love notes? 

More Disney Trivia

This one is easier than the last one, I promise.

Sleeping Beauty or Rapunzel?

25 Days of Simple Service

My kids love Christmas for many reasons, but one of the grand Christmas perks is candy before breakfast.  First thing on our kid's agenda is to pull open a numbered door from our wooden advent house and devour the chocolate.  This year I thought it would be good to add some meaning to our tradition by doing simple acts of service each day.  Now we eat chocolate AND pull out a slip of paper that tells us something we can give others today.  This morning the slip read, "Share your testimony." My day has almost gone and I haven't shared my feelings on Christmas with anyone, so if you have a moment dear reader, may I share with you?

I know gift giving gets a bad wrap at Christmas because of all the commercialization, but I don't mind it. I like getting the chance to think about friends and family and really consider, what would make them happy. I think maybe Christ thinks a lot about that too. "What would make my child happy?"  His plan for his children is much more consistent and enduring, but the essence is the same. I have seen his hand in my life and know that the gifts he has given me really have made me happy.

 I love Christmas music, the decorations, the food, all because they bring out a tangible feeling of goodness and hope.  Feelings that I know Jesus Christ wants me to find within myself and share with others.  It's hard to know who exactly reads this blog, but to all of you my friends and family near or far  -- I'm so grateful to know you! My life has been richly blessed with the association of so many, many wonderful people.  Merry Christmas!