husband tag!

thanks to kelli for the fun tag.

1. Full name: Andrew Zepherin West
2. How long have you been married?: 10 years
3. How long did we date? just shy of 3 months!
4. Who eats the sweets? shocker, I do! not that andy is above sugar, he just has more refined taste than i do. mostly i don't care what ice cream or chocolate i have, i'll eat it. but andy prefers Hagen Daaz ice cream and good, european chocolate.
5. Who said I love you first? I actually can't remember! Sad, but true, sshh-don't tell andy!
6. Who is taller? andy. he is 6' even and i am 5'7".
7. Who sings better? i think we're pretty equal. i haven't had a lot of practice for years, but i used to be pretty good. not great, nothing to brag about, but decent. andy does have a decent voice as well, he just doesn't use it a lot.
8. Who is smarter? who knows. andy reads a lot and knows tons about everything. i have a lot of common sense but i guess with book smarts i'd have to give props to andy!
9. Who does the laundry? need you even ask? me, me, me. andy does pitch in when i need him to, but i prefer to have my close fit when they are clean!
10. Who pays the bills? andy. he likes knowing it all and i like not having to deal with it!
11. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? i guess that depends on how you look at the bed... but what it really comes down to is that i am always right so i must be the one who sleeps on the right side!
12. Who mows the lawn? andy. i like the traditional roles. although mowing is kind of fun so occasionally i can step in, kind of like the laundry question...
13. Who drives? usually andy. for years it was only andy. if i had to pick him up on the side of the road i would still get out and have him drive. it goes back to when we were first married. he would tell me how to drive, so one day i pulled the car over and said that he could drive forever, because he obviously knew how to do it better than me! (stubborn me?!)
14. Who admits they are wrong? refer to the last question... stubborn me!
15. Who kissed who first? i'm pretty sure it just happened. besides, doesn't it take 2 to kiss? yep!
16. Who asked out who first? andy asked me out. of course if you know andy then this might surprise you. i had no idea he was so quiet for many weeks!
17. Who wears the pants? i guess andy does. though, if i don't get my way he's in for a good depantsing!

that was fun and so now i pass along the fun to Jacob & Leahona, Amber, Jenn Gifford. enjoy!

i'm the luckiest girl in the world

i just wanted to let you all know that andy is amazing! i know, i'm bragging about my husband, but what's a girl to do? i have the greatest husband in the world! lately he has been running around like crazy working all day, and then going out to our new house and working late to finish building it! i don't know how his has this kind of energy or stamina. on top of it all he takes time with the boys, includes them in his projects and supports me in all my craziness. it doesn't get any better than that. a righteous, supportive, hardworking talented husband and father... i love you andy!

what do you think?

we are getting very close to being in our house. we will move in with all the basics done, but not having finished everything, like the decorating and finishing work. some say we are crazy because once we move in the rest won't get finished. i used to think this myself. but we have one major thing ensuring the house gets all those finishing touches. the boys don't get to build their garage/workshop until the house is 100%! so, i am pretty confident that things will get done. plus, we are coming up on winter, there is plenty of 'down time' in winter to finish projects. i had grand dreams of moving into a beautiful house, ready to fully place all of our things just where they should go. the walls painted lovely shades and the built ins ready for storage. i guess a girl can't have it all. at least we will be in.

i have had months to envision how i would decorate things. i have cut out magazine clippings of ideas and hunted online for the perfect look. the reality is that my home will never look like a pottery barn add. but, i can make it mine, with my touch, my feel. now the issue comes in when husbands can't let go. andy has always been good about letting me do the decorating and liking the outcome. this time it is more difficult for him. i guess the house is a little like his baby. he thought he could let go and be done when the building is complete. but we are finding this a little hard for him. i found out this weekend that he has plans of putting a space mural in the boys room. okay, this could be cool, but it wasn't what i was envisioning. then as i have gotten closer to finalizing my thoughts for the bedroom, i learn that he thinks it won't be comfortable for him. i think he forgets that he has doubted my vision before, but what always happens in the end? he loves it! it may be time for a sit down talk about how he built the house and now i get to finish my part. that is what i can do for this house. i may not be able to climb on the roof wielding my tool belt, complete with 20 pounds of tools and nails, but i have a love for decorating. (with or without the budget i may hope for).

so, this is where you come in. i know that i'll get about 4 responses from those of you kind enough to care about my life enough to follow my blog. but i want to know which way you vote for my bedroom. i am including 2 pictures that give the overall feel of my idea vs. andy's idea. which do you like? keep in mind that obviously the actual room will turn out different than the pictures i could find, but just go with me on this one. what do you think?

one difference in the above picture is that the walls would be a robins egg blue color!

fallen off the face of the earth...

i have heard from several people wondering if i have fallen off the face of the earth. well, no. i am alive and well. we are extremely busy right now. we expect to be into our new house within the next couple of weeks so my days have been full of taking kids to school and working at the house. mainly i have been doing a ton of sanding. i really enjoy the sanding, as weird as that may seem. i guess it is just something that i don't have to think much about so i can let my mind wander. it's almost therapeutic. picture this: children running around in the background with mom sanding away on the floor, oblivious to said children because of the hum and drum of the sander drowning out all but her own thoughts. very nice!

raising a secure child

sometimes i wonder what my children will turn out like. will they be competent, mature adults who know how to take care of themselves and others. or, will they be social outcasts, banned to a life of obscurity? wandering in the lone and dreary world, with no one to be their friend because they have become social leeches, draining the life out of anyone who dares try to reach out to them? motherhood is full of phobias. this is just one on my list of many, many things to worry about on an almost daily basis. this one stems from the following photo:

why on earth is eli sleeping on the back doorstep with the door open? well, let me explain. i try to get out with my girls every once in a while. actually, sometimes we go out once a week, that combined with enrichment night and primary presidency meeting, etc... can some weeks lead to a couple of nights that i leave the children at home and go out. this was one of those weeks. eli had had enough. it didn't matter to him that i always come back, or that i played blocks with him for an hour that day. enough is enough right? so when i left, andy was faced with a sobbing, out of control three year old who refused to be consoled. solution? ignore him and he will stop. yes, it worked, he stopped after crying himself to sleep on the doorstep waiting for me to come home! pile on the guilt please!... but, sometimes a girl has got to do what a girl's gotta do. anyone up for a girls night?

Dr. Phil's Test

i got this test in an email from my sister Amber. i thought it was kind of neat and instead of emailing all of you i decided to post it on my blog. make sure you leave a comment with your score. it is always fun to try these things, at least i think so. and i want to analyze each of you, so take the test and leave your score...

also, don't cheat by looking ahead, just answer the questions one at a time and then score yourself. i got a 41 which when i read the results was fun and hopefully true.

Dr. Phil's Test: Here you go. Try this!

Below is Dr. Phil's test.

(Dr. Phil scored 55, he did this test on Oprah

and she got a 38.) Some folks pay a lot of

money to find this stuff out!

Read on, this is very interesting!

Don't be overly sensitive!

The following is pretty accurate and it

only takes a few minutes.

Take this test for yourself and send it on to your friends.

Don't peek, but begin the test as you

scroll down and answer.

Answers are for who you are now and not who

you were in the past. Have pen or pencil

and paper ready.

This is a real test given by the Human Relations Dept.
at many of the major corporations today. It helps them get better insight concerning their employees and in their prospective employees.

It's only 10 Simple questions, so grab a pencil and paper, keeping track of your letter answers to each question.

Make sure to change the subject of the email to read YOUR total.

When you are finished, forward this to friends, family, and also send it to the person who sent this to you.

Make sure to put 'YOUR' score in the subject box.

Ready?

Begin.

1. When do you feel your best...

A) in the morning
B) during the afternoon and early evening
C) late at night

2. You usually walk...

A) fairly fast, with long steps
B) fairly fast, with little steps
C) less fast head up, looking the world in the face
D) less fast, head down
E) very slowly

3. When talking to people you...

A) stand with your arms folded
B) have your hands clasped
C) have one or both your hands on your hips
D) touch or push the person to whom you are talking
E) ;play with your ear, touch your chin, o r smooth th your hair

4. When relaxing, you sit with...

A) your knees bent with your legs neatly side by side
B) your legs crossed
C) your legs stretched out or straight
D) one leg curled under you

5. When something really amuses you, you react with...

A) big appreciated laugh
B) a laugh, but not a loud one
C) a quiet chuckle
D) a sheepish smile

6. When you go to a party or social gathering you...

A) make a loud entrance so everyone notices you
B) make a quiet entrance, looking around for someone you know
C) make the quietest entrance, trying to stay unnoticed

7. You're working very hard, concentrating hard, and you're interrupted...

A) welcome the break
B) feel extremely irritated
C) vary between these two extremes

8. Which of the following colors do you like most...

A) Red or orange
B) black
C) yellow or light blue
D) green
E) dark blue or purple
F) white
G) brown or gray

9. When you are in bed at night, in those last few moments before going to sleep you are...

A) stretched out on your back
B) stretched out face down on your stomach
C) on your side, slightly curled
D) with your head on one arm
E) with your head under the covers

10. You often dream that you are...

A) falling
B) fighting or struggling
C) searching for something or somebody
D) flying or floating
E) you usually have dreamless sleep
F) your dreams are always pleasant







POINTS:

1. (a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 6
2. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 7 (d) 2 (e) 1
3. (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 5 (d) 7 (e) 6
4. (a) 4 (b) 6 (c) 2 (d) 1
5. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 2
6. (a) 6 (b) 4 (c) 2
7. (a) 6 (b) 2 (c) 4
8. (a) 6 (b) 7 (c) 5 (d) 4 (e) 3 (f) 2 (g) 1
9. (a) 7 (b) 6 (c) 4 (d) 2 (e ) 1
10 (a) 4 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 (e) 6 (f) 1

Now add up the total number of points.

OVER 60 POINT: Others see you as someone they should 'handle with care'. You're seen as vain, self-centered, and who is extremely dominant. Others may admire you, wishing they could be more like you, but don't always trust you, hesitating to become too deeply involved with you.

51 TO 60 POINTS: Others see you as an exciting, highly volatile, rather impulsive personality, a natural leader, who's quick to make decisions, though not always the right ones. They see you as bold and adventuresome, someone who will try anything once, someone who takes chances and enjoys an adventure. They enjoy being in your company because of the excitement you radiate.

41 TO 50 POINTS: Others see you as fresh, lively, charming, amusing, practical, and always interesting, someone who's constantly in the center of attention, but sufficiently well balanced not to let it go to their head. They also see you as kind, considerate, and understanding, someone who'll always cheer them up and help them out.

31 TO 40 POINTS: Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest. Not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you, realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a long time to get over if that trust is ever broken.

21 TO 30 POINTS: Your friends see you as painstaking and fussy. They see you as very cautious, extremely careful, a slow and steady plodder. It would really surprise them if you ever did something impulsively

or on the spur of the moment, expecting you to examine everything carefully from every angle and then, usually decide against it. They think this reaction is caused partly by your careful nature.

UNDER 21 POINTS: People think you are shy, nervous, and indecisive, someone who needs looking after, who always wants someone else to make the decisions and who doesn't want to get involved with anyone or anything! They see you as a worrier who always sees problems that don't exist. Some people think you're boring. Only those who know you well, know that you aren't.

tagging can be fun

okay, sorry kelly that it took me forever and a day to respond to being tagged. but i must admit, i forgot. so thanks to jocelyn for reminding me and tagging me again. so, here it goes:

8 things i'm passionate about.

1: sleep!, i serioiusly sleep way too much, but it never seems like enough. is this some kind of disorder?
2: date night. hello, i either can't get enough of my husband, or i like to get away from the kids-you be the judge...
3: not getting too busy. i really believe that when we get too busy we lose the flexibility to follow the promptings of the spirit.
4: creating: it has been so long since i have had a place to set things up for my creative outlet, but i finally rearranged some things and made myself a spot to stamp, card make & scrapbook again. feel free to join me.
5: ? i honestly don't know. do i really have to be that passionate about 8 things? passionate is pretty strong.
6: family
7: good friends, oh so important.
8: um, seriously.

8 words or phrases i say often.

1: seriously
2: yuck
3: you stink (i have 3 boys...)
4: stop, i'm going crazy!
5: what's for dinner?
6: finish your homework
7: is anybody listening to me?
8: seriously!

8 things i want to do before i die.

1: finish our house
2: more travel
3: see my grandchildren (born to stable, caring parents)
4: shopping spree
5: sleep uninteruppted for as long as i want
6: go to disney world?
7: i don't know
8: are you sensing the frustration of coming up with 8 things over and over?!

8 things i currently want or need.

1: finish our house
2: move into our house tomorrow
3: move into our house today!
4: move into our house yesterday?
5: more sleep
6: a good book
7: a fun trip
8: craft supply $

8 people to tag.

do I know 8 people who even read my blog?
i think i'll skip this 8, it's been fun girls!

um, what?

a few weeks ago ethan & eli started doing tricks with their pj's. they think that it is so funny and i just hope that the pj's shrink back down to size in the wash. can this possibly be comfortable? i have e feeling that these pics will probably cause them pain when they are older, but for now they sure are funny. i am thankful to have goofy children who make me laugh!

boys are dogs?

okay, so my boys are probably pretty typical of their ages and genders. i am a proud mama, who thinks that her children are adorable and oh so fun. i realize that men are often referred to as dogs and whether you agree with that or not, at what age does this sentiment become more realized? i hope that these pictures aren't representative of their future...

time out

friday night was the beginning of Time Out for Woman in Springfield, MA. a friend of mine had bought tickets for both Friday and Saturday but ended up not being able to go on Friday. so, she gave me her ticket! i was not planning on going because i just went to education week and felt like i needed to help build the house on saturday. but i was thrilled with the chance to go on friday night. one of my long time favorite lds musicians was performing that night and it was awesome. Michael McLean is just the best. i have always been able to feel so good when listening to his music and friday night was no disappointment. he is just an amazing man. when you get a chance to hear him tell where his songs came from and listen to him you can really feel the spirit. he sang several of my favorite songs and some new ones that i haven't heard before. we also got to hear Kenneth Cope, which i enjoyed. he has some good songs, but will never be my favorite compared with the feeling i get from Michaels music (yes we are on a first name basis now!).

Some of us girls with the handsome & talented Kenneth Cope!

Before things got started that night one of the presenters by the name of Kim Nelson, came up to Allison Cowden, Sarah Hall and me. He introduced himself and chatted with us for a few minutes. He asked us to pray for him because he was so nervous to sing with Michael McLean. During the break he came to see if we had and to talk with us. He was a very dear and funny man. If you ever have the chance to hear him speak you should. He is a marriage and family therapist, a member of his stake presidency and a great guy. after the program was over he told us to stick around and he would introduce us to Michael and we could get our picture taken! I have been to several of Michael McLean's concerts before. Once in Provo I was even picked out of the audience to pick a song. he had me come up on stage where i sat with him while he sang the song and then he kissed me on the cheek! it was great, but for some reason getting a picture with him was awesome to me. i have never been a groupie before, but i guess things have changed. i wish so many of you could have been there with me, but since you couldn't just enjoy (& be jealous of) my picture and one of my favorite songs (just click the play button on the right to here it, it's beautiful & it might make you cry, but listen up!).

here is the great picture! Brother Nelson even snuck into the back!

i'm back!

okay, i'm back. i realize that this blog is mostly for my own entertainment, but for the few of you that do check it i know it has been a long time. i am home from my travels and all my visitors have left me. things are settling into a fine routine. so, that means i can blog again. i am thrilled with this because i use my blog in place of my journal. does that mean i should actually print out my entries and save them somewhere? for now i'll just have to be happy with having the time to blog...

okay, so to catch up. the boys started back to school on Sept. 2. I am traveling back and forth everyday to take them to the schools in the area we are building our house. i just didn't want them to have to readjust in two months to a new school, new friends, new teachers, etc... this was especially important to me this year because Benson started 5th grade and at his new school that means Middle School! yep, lockers, changing classes, band, sports and all that good stuff (including sex ed in health class. shocker!) Here are a few pictures of them on their first day of school.




my friend Cindy came to visit!

we have been friends since we were both newlyweds. we moved into the same ward the same week. it seemed only natural for Cindy and Mindy to be put together as visiting teaching partners and we became fast friends. even better was that our husbands became friends enabling us to do just about everything together. so a few short years later we moved to Cincinnati and when they were done with school a year later they moved to Arizona. we try to get together at least once a year and have managed to do at least that. but this is the first visit to Massachusetts for Cindy and the first time that all of our children were able to get together.

they all had so much fun, you would think they had known each other all along. we tried to do some fun things with everyone while we were together, but ended up with an even longer list of more to do the next time.

well, this has become the longest blog posting in history, maybe we could use this post for book club (even though it's not quiet Jane Austen). so, for today, this is enough. i'll post more soon.

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.