thanks jocelyn

jocelyn has tagged me! that means i get to list 3 each of joys, fears, goals, current obsessions, and random surprises. then i get to tag others...

Joys
1: trying new things and finding out that i like them or am good at them
2: family, just having one, need i explain further?
3: friends, i don't think i've lived in a ward where i have had so many friends and been able to do so much with them. so thanks girls!

Fears
1: dying by fire! Yikes!
2: not being a good enough example for my boys
3: growing old alone

Goals:
goals, schmoals! really, let's see...
1: getting up early enough during the school year to read scriptures and have family prayer as a family before school and work
2: short term, read Emma before book club in September (i guess that's an easy one since i love jane austen)
3: take a photography class

Current Obsessions
nothing new here...
1: reading
2: games
3: movies

Surprises
this is hard, not much going on to surprise anyone with...
1: sometimes i eat ice cream for breakfast
2: sometimes i even let my kids eat ice cream for breakfast
3: i really want some ice cream right now!

okay, now the best part of getting tagged, I tag Amber, Heather, Cindy

which one are you?

Which Little House on the Prairie character are you? Your Result: Charles Ingalls You are a strong and important person. Kind and loving with an answer for everything, but also firm and stubborn. You help anyone you can and bring home the bacon.
Laura Ingalls
Almanzo Wilder
Caroline Ingalls
Carrie Ingalls
Mary Ingalls
Mr. Edwards
Which Little House on the Prairie character are you? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

i had fun taking this little quiz. i guess i just loved watching these shows when i was younger and the books are so wonderful! take the quiz yourself & let me know who you are...

whirlwind

Mom, Joanna & Me! we are ready to go on our first morning of classes. when did i get the double chin and relief society arms? oh well...
i went to education week at BYU last week! it was so wonderful. i got to see my utah family and my mom, and aunt, my sister Joanna, and my sister in law lisa all went too! we had a great time. i went to classes about parenting, marriage, nutrition, music, communication and more. i love education week and i say it everytime i go, that i want to go every year. of course, i don't always get to go, but when i do i always come back spiritually fed and happy. so, that is why there are no posts from last week and this week i have had company and been playing catch up from last week. i'll try to update over the next few days to get caught up to speed. not because the 3 or 4 readers i have care, but because i want to remember!

rice christmas trees!

at our house rice crispy treats are a favorite. eli calls them rice christmas trees! we recently made these and everyone inhaled them. ethan and eli invented a new way to eat them. i tried it and it really helps. now i can eat them without the sticky finger evidence!

twinkle

each of my boys has their special thing that they sleep with. nobody else is allowed to touch or especially not allowed to play with this special thing.
for benson it is a blanket. he is actually on his 2nd blankie, the first one is in shreds, but safely tucked away in nana's hopechest.
ethan has a teddy. his name is teddy b. beary. teddy takes care of ethan and talks to him, helping him be good.
eli has 2 things, maybe because he is the youngest. he has a blankie and a doll named twinkle. i got these stuffed people at the disney store a while ago. eli immediately latched on to twinkle. he sleeps with her, takes her to church or the store, chews on her, etc.. i am well aware that twinkle is pink and purple and sparkly. i know that these things usually equal girl toys, but it doesn't matter to eli, so it doesn't matter to me!
i have carefully documented each of my sons toys and attachments so i can use them to show future girlfriends and their own children. i sometimes wonder what they will think in the future, but for now heaven forbid we lose them...

can this possibly be comfortable?

so the other night i tucked the boys in bed with all the usual things. i then plopped down on the couch to read a good book. sometime later i went down the hall and this is how i found eli:

can this even be remotely comfortable? he apparently got his sleeping bag out of his closet and retucked himself in. kids?! as an adult i have this 'ultimate comfort' zone. if i'm not in that zone, i can't be happy, i can't sleep and everyone around me will know there is a problem. for instance, i am a nose breather. at night during allergy season i sometimes get all stuffed up and can't breath thru my nose. it is torture. i am constantly blowing my nose or sniffing trying to reach that comfort zone. i will not sleep until i'm there, i just can't. weird but true. also, if i get too hot or too cold or if i'm camping and the ground is too hard or the air matress is too mushy... i am starting to sound like a whiner. but i've never seen myself that way. maybe i am and i just didn't know it. is anyone else like me? or am i psychotic and do i need professional help? because if the rest of the world can sleep like my eli, then i guess i have problems.

another new addition to the fam

once again, this is not, i repeat, NOT a pregnancy announcement. this is however, a post of good tidings! one of great joy! hannah has had her baby! yeah! i got a phone call tuesday asking me to come pick up rebecca. so i left my shopping cart full at the store and hustled right over for my adorable neice. (it is fun to have neice, when i get to help take care of her it is almost like a have a little girl of my own, almost...) a few short hours later i got another phone call announcing this little guy:

the next morning rebecca and i went to the hospital so she could meet her new brother! she was instantly in love with him. i think she is going to be quite a handful for a little while, trying to help and love little spencer. but, she'll settle into the routine and turn out to be a real help, i'm sure.

spencer matthew robinson
10lbs., 3 oz.
23 inches tall
congratulations hannah, matt & rebecca!

a day at the beach

you can't live within 2 hours of the beach, no matter what beach, and not go at least once a year. we would go much more than that, but this year has been filled with building our house. i love the beach. i love the sun and the sand, the breeze that always blows from the ocean, i love the waves and the treasures you find. i love the wet sand between my toes. i love the dizzy feeling you get from standing next to the waves rolling in. i love the sinking feeling when the waves rush back out, pulling the sand out from under your feet.

this past thursday we went with some friends to the beach. here are some pictures, i don't think i need to say more...

okay, so this last one might need some explaining, but i really don't know what to say. Eli just kept pushing sand around with his head and seemed to think it was funny. i guess i thought it was pretty funny too, i just don't understand.

new family editions

our family is growing! no, this is not a pregnancy announcement. we have adopted two wonderful dogs! Dory is a mostly white whippet/russell mix. she is gentle and loves to give kisses, though i must admit that i don't care for the kisses on my face. Bean is a full blooded brittany spaniel. he is beautiful and loves to cuddle and have attention from the boys. he also gulps down any food in sight so we are learning to not leave things laying around. these dogs have mostly been indoor dogs for most of their life so there is a little adjustment going on while they learn to be in their kennel while in the house. but they have been doing wonderfully!

we took them to the land with us this weekend and they LOVED it! they ran around like they were in heaven and the boys followed them around. Ethan says, "it's a lot more fun with dogs!". and we all agree.

me, me, me, this post is all about me!

okay, so I am copying this from Brianne's blog, but she said we could, so...

What time did you get up this morning? 7:00, early for me, I really like to sleep and it usually takes me about 20 minutes to transition to being awake. I don't know what I'm going to do when school starts. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds for special times, pearls for everyday. Not like I own a lot of either. Maybe this should be gold or silver? In that case I would have to say silver. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Shrek the Third. I took the boys to a reshowing of this film just yesterday. From current movies the most recent I have seen is 'Made of Honor'. What is your favorite TV show? It used to be Grey's Anatomy (I know, bad, so I'm giving it up.) Now I will have to wait for new seasons to start. I really like Samantha Who? What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal. Nice and simple and one less meal to cook. My favorite breakfast though is waffles with fresh fruit. What is your middle name? I actually don't have a maiden name. With 11 kids in our family I don't know if Mom and Dad just ran out of names or what. It does make it easy now though, I just use Gifford (my maiden name) as my middle name. What food do you dislike? I have never liked oatmeal, I think it comes from having to eat so much of it when I was growing up. It just makes me gag. Your favorite CD at the moment? I don't even know what it's called. But it is an acoustic arrangement of some of my favorite hymns. It calms me down and makes me feel good. What kind of car do you drive? A black Volvo, XC70. I got it in February and love it! Favorite sandwich? Probably peanut butter banana. It just tastes good. What characteristic do you despise? Judgemental, Narcissistic Favorite item of clothing? Sandals, they keep my feet cool and are easy to slip on quickly.
If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Italy, my cousin Oscar lives there and I'm itching to visit. Plus I love to see the world. Are you an organized person? I like to pretend to be. Where would you retire to? In a house in the woods, tucked away from the world, wait, that's where we are building now. What was your most recent memorable birthday? This past February. I turned 30 and Karen and Hannah threw a birthday party for me. Lots of you came and we had a great time. It was fun to feel like a kid again and have a party! What are you going to do when you finish this? Put the kids to bed so I can have a quiet evening. When is your birthday? February 8. Would you like to know the year? 1978. That's right, 30 years old. I am not sure why I used to think 30 was so old, it sure doesn't feel like it. What is your shoe size? 7 1/2 Pets? Not yet, but soon. Any new and exciting news? I get to go to BYU Education week Aug. 18-23. That also means I will see lots of family! I love it, travel, learning and family all wrapped up into a special getaway for Mom!
What did you want to be when you were little? An interior decorator. I love to make spaces feel comfortable and beautiful. But I always knew I would be a Mom as #1 priority. How are you today? Happy and tired. We went to the beach (I'll blog about that tomorrow), so I am red and sleepy, but in a very good way. What is your favorite flower? For now I think zinnias. They are just so happy looking. What are you listening to right now? The boys playing in the background. Ethan and Eli are pretending to be kitty cats. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? September 4th. I think this is the day my girlfriend Cindy comes to visit (FINALLY!). What was the last thing you ate? A creamscicle (that's the orange sherbet and vanilla swirl) ice cream cone. Oh how I love ice cream! Do you wish on stars? I haven't in a long time, but I used to. Maybe it's time to try again. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Pink, it just seems like such a happy color. How is the weather right now? Partly cloudy and a little humid. It has been rainy here today, luckily not at the beach. Last person you spoke to on the phone? Jenn Baird. We are hoping to get together for Ethan and Natalie to play at Stanley Park tomorrow morning. Favorite soft drink? I like both cream soda and root beer. Favorite Restaurant? Just about anywhere, I happen to like not being the one to cook or clean up. Hair color? Dirty blond. It's getting darker with age, right now it is pretty nondescript. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Mom made me a great homemade cabbage patch kid doll one year for Christmas. I loved it! Other than that I would say my bike. We used to ride our bikes all the time. So fun, it makes me want another one. Summer or Winter? Neither, but if I really have to pick I would say summer. I would rather swim and play in water to cool off than be paralyzed by the cold. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! Coffee or tea? How bout hot chocolate (see above!) When was the last time you cried? Hmm? I know it couldn't have been that long ago, but I don't remember. What is under your bed? Shoes. I love shoes and have too many, especially since I tend to wear the same 5 pairs. That doesn't stop me from getting more though. What did you do last night? I read and ate blueberry cheesecake. We also had the missionaries over for dinner. (blueberry pancakes) What are you afraid of? Dying in a fire. Can you imagine how painful. Salty or sweet? Again, see the above chocolate answer. I love sweets, especially chocolate. How many keys on your key ring? 3. One for my house, one for my car and one for Andy's car. Of course then you add the remote locks and the flashlight and it is still pretty bulky. How many years at your current job? 9. Benson is 9, so I have been a Mom for 9 years. Eli is 3, I guess that means I have about 20 years to go until 'retirement'. Favorite day of the week? This always changes, but probably Saturday or Sunday. Andy isn't at work so we get to spend time together and time as a family. Do you make friends easily? I used to be more outgoing than I am now, although I am still very social. I like to make friends, so I guess it depends on the other person.

I hope some of you got to learn something about me. I also hope it wasn't a boring post for you. I would love to hear some of your answers!

blueberries

blueberries are so yummy! we have been busy picking and picking berries. about 2-3 times per week since they have been in season we have picked. we have made muffins and pies and pancakes and frozen the rest so we can make more yummy things when the berries aren't in season. Andy's favorite way to eat them is frozen. he actually fills a bowl with frozen blueberries and eats them like candy. he says they are better than popsicles! Eli has taken to eating them that way too and gets so excited to eat frozen berries for an afternoon snack.
in this picture you can see thousands of berries drying before being put in the freezer!
yummy!

nightly ritual

i have posted before about how much Eli likes to read. well, the other night i took a picture of him sleeping with his books. this is an almost nightly occurrence at our house. i will tuck Ethan and Eli in, read them a book, say prayers, sometimes a song. then i will go out and close the door. they can read as long as they stay in bed. it usually only takes about 10 minutes for them to be asleep and i go back in and turn off the light. this is how i find Eli....

isn't he adorable?

fireworks in august

yesterday we went to the park in Westfield where they were putting on our 4th of July fireworks display. there was some weather in July and a lot of confused and disappointed people when they not only delayed the fireworks, but decided to wait until Aug. 3rd. Weird. but, it turned out they were worth waiting for. the city must have spent a fortune, they let off one after another of some really beautiful fireworks. there were the waterfall kind and the bursting kind and the ones you don't think are doing anything until there are 100 sizzling balls in the sky. there were some that were stars and some that were circles and hearts and according to Benson, there was even one that looked like an alien head! i think me favorite were the ones that look like fast action dandelions growing and turning fuzzy and finally being blown away. so cool! the boys were super excited for the event. we got there nice and early. of course there was plenty to do for the boys who think Stanley Park is the greatest place on earth! we sat nice and close to the playground, although the gate to get into the playground was on the opposite side from where we sat. But, that didn't seem to slow down the kids, they just climbed up the fence and jumped over... Eli also decided to come play duck, duck, goose with the grown ups! Yippee for us. It was really fun to watch him have such a blast running around us or trying not to get caught while ran back to his seat. Anytime it was someone elses turn to circle, calling duck, duck, goose, Eli would say, "Do goose in me!" He loved it.

Eli was also the highlight of the fireworks for me. when they started shooting them off, Eli was totally amazed. He just stared and started giggling. His eyes were all sparkly and he would say something like, "Whoa," or "Wow" each time. that is each time until he noticed we were all watching him and laughing, then he switched gears and was showing off, (nice! i guess he is his mothers child).

anyway, it was a very nice night. Eli fell asleep on the way home, even though he said he was hungry and couldn't go to sleep until his belly was full. Ethan also finally managed to nod off. it turned out to be the easiest bedtime we have had in quite a while. HOORAY for FIREWORKS!!

breaking dawn

i am anxious to read this new book by Stphanie Meyer. so many of you have already blogged about it and many of you have already read it. i am waiting my turn for a copy from Karen. She is busy working and reading when she can, then i will be lost for a day or two. today i am busy doing all the house things that i can. especially laundry, so that i won't feel as guilty when i ignore it all (yes, even the kids) to read.

now, i didn't ask permission to tell you the following story so i won't mention any names. but some of you will know who i'm talking about. a good friend got her book in the middle of the night on Friday. she took the book to work with her that next morning. after work she didn't even make it out of the parking lot, she had to read right there in her car. she finally pulled together enough self control to go run her errands, but didn't make it real far. she ended up reading in the parking lot! i'm not real sure what the thought process was after that but if it was me i think i would be thinking about how much more comfortable i would be reading at home. so she started home. apparently the book was so gripping at this point that she pulled over about half way home and read some more! now that sounds like a good book. i can't wait to read it, feel free to post whether i know you or not and without giving anything away, let me know what you think of the book. or tell me your funny little story about reading it.