A day off

Saturday J gave me the whole day off. From everything. Child care, chores, cooking, etc. It was wonderful and I tried my best to do absolutely nothing productive.

First, I slept in until 10 am. Then I went on a run. All by myself. Then I made my debut solo movie going adventure and saw the show Australia. It was pretty good and I have to say that seeing it alone wasn't all that bad. I ate my In-N-Out and was perfectly happy. After the show I did a little shopping and then ended the day by reading magazines in the library for 2 hours. It was fabulous to have a break from responsibility and I think that a day off was one of my best Christmas presents ever! Thanks J, I owe you one.

Ridiculous

The other day I took the girls out for a walk and had on: a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, a sweatshirt, a down vest, gloves, a hat, pants, two pairs of socks and my running shoes.

The weather: overcast and 61 degrees.

Our baby is 1!

Ellie had her first birthday last Wednesday and we celebrated in style the weekend before with her grandparents, aunt, and uncle....(s) :) and on her actual birthday going to the park and riding the carousel. She loved opening her gifts (with a lot of help from Lauren) and devoured her birthday cake. I cannot even imagine our family without Ellie and am so grateful for the sweet, funny, patient, independent, and loving daughter that she is.

2nd annual polar bear plunge

We started a great tradition last Thanksgiving called the polar bear plunge where we jump in our unheated pool before Thanksgiving dinner. Last year I couldn't participate, being 9 months pregnant, but this year I took my turn off the board for the 2nd annual plunge and can attest that the water is more than a little bit nippy. It was FREEZING, but oh so fun. Thanks to Dad, Matt, Doug, and Jen for participating!

Stock up

Recent activities include:

planning, shopping for, and making Thanksgiving dinner

a 4 day visit from my fabulous in-laws

planning for Primary 2009

hosting a BYU football party

visit to Mesa

and making stockings to hang from our fireplace



I think they turned out great. And I have just enough matching fabric left to make 2.5 more!

Bailout?

I don't know all the ins and outs of the $700 billion dollar bailout plan, but the realist in me sees it as another way to stall the consequences of greed and selfishness. And now with the "Big 3" auto industries standing in line with their hands out it seems like a potential can of worms ready to explode as more and more failing businesses stand in line for help.

I am sorry we are in a deep recession (which sounds better than the actual depression that it is). I am sorry that businesses are failing. I am sorry the bottom fell out of the housing market. I am sorry banks are failing.

But I think individually and collectively we need to learn a hard financial lesson on how to manage money and the bailouts will only postpone the inevitable accountability that always accompanies choice.

Tom Turkey

So this Thanksgiving I will be making my first turkey. We're having J's family down for dinner and I am excited/nervous/apprehensive about cooking the dinner. I love a challenge and will give it a go, but also don't want it to turn out gross. My great mother-in-law will be there to help if I totally mess up, but as an approaching thirty-year-old I think it is time I learn to cook a turkey myself. I THINK I CAN...I THINK I CAN....I THINK I CAN....

Better late than never

I finally uploaded all of the picture CD's people have shared with me when, on the likely chance I forgot my camera, others were kind enough to snap photos. It was fun to relive these good memories.

Vote for Marriage, Part 2

My friend Bethany sent me this link to this prophetic 1978 BYU devotional address by Elder Neal A. Maxwell. If you have a minute, read it. If you don't have a minute, still read it. In light of the Proposition 8 outcome yesterday, I think this paragraph is particularly inspiring:

"Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel.

There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakening a slumbering majority out of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, til then, unconscious of itself."

Vote for Marriage

Recently the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have asked that Church members in California “do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment,” (Proposition 8) to ensure that only marriage between a man and a woman would be legally recognized. Members of the Church in Arizona and Florida will be voting on similar constitutional amendments (Newsroom, The Divine Institution of Marriage, August 13, 2008, available at: http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage).

Instead of asking what the Church is doing by engaging in support of these marriage amendments, members of the Church living in California, Arizona, and Florida, should ask why they are doing it. Why, at this time, on this issue, having rarely done it before are the brethren encouraging church members to take a stand and “do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment” to protect the traditional definition of marriage?

The gay rights movement is seeking, like the women’s rights movement and the civil rights movement to establish being gay or lesbian as a civil right, a right that no person or no organization can deny. The article previously cited explains it well.

Legalizing same-sex marriage will affect a wide spectrum of government activities and policies. Once a state government declares that same-sex unions are a civil right, those governments almost certainly will enforce a wide variety of other policies intended to ensure that there is no discrimination against same-sex couples. This may well place “church and state on a collision course” (The Divine Institution of Marriage).

Taken one step further, this could possibly mean that if a gay couple, who has a civil right to be married, is denied the ability to be married in the temple (discriminated against), the government will have the right to enforce the gay couple’s right to marriage or, when the Church will not allow it, stop the Church from performing any temple marriages at all.

This is in no way a partisan issue. The gay rights movement is not a liberal vs. conservative battle. It is not a tolerant vs. intolerant war. Rather, the gay rights movement is the most charged, subtle, conspiratorial, and targeted weapon that the Adversary has ever used to bring about his most desired objective- to prevent God from accomplishing His work and His glory- “to bring to pass the eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39).

So to those who live in a state where this constitutional amendment is on the table- think twice before you vote, because what you decide may not change your life or opportunities, but it could drastically alter the choices and opportunities of your children or your childrens' children for generations.

Happy Candy Day

My dad always says that one of the best things he did as a father was teaching his kids to love candy. I couldn't agree more and intend to do the same thing with my girls. Enjoy!

Trunk-or-Treat

I had never experienced one of these prior to moving here, but I definitely love it. Walking around a parking lot to cars filled with candy to give out...it doesn't get much better than that!

So long, old friend

My husband got an alarm clock for his 12th birthday that made it into the marriage and woke us up for grad school, work, and church for the last many years. But sadly, last week it died. Poor J has an attachment to inanimate objects that have been a part of his life for a long period of time, and several times tonight on his way to the trash can he mentioned how sad he is at its passing. It was a trusty friend to him and woke us up for many an important event. She lived a long life and will be missed. Goodbye yellow friend.

Creeps....

We have termites.

I am freaking out.

Freaking out.

I just read about them on Wikipedia and my skin is covered in goosebumps.

The chills are running up and down my spine.

Today I was in L's room, looked up at the ceiling and saw one of these

a termite tube.

So sick.

Could be so costly.

When our house was inspected one year ago, the termite man who came specifically to check for them said we were clear.

How did this happen???

Do you think I could make this???

This play house is made to fit over a card table and I think it is AWESOME! Seriously, what a good idea that would encourage some fun times in the playroom. You can buy them here, but I am wondering if I could make one instead....just for the thrill of the challenge. We'll see how much initiative I have left after making L's Halloween costume...which I have yet to start.

the Barf mobile

This weekend we visited my sister and her husband and enjoyed a nice time in wonderful weather. Unfortunately by the end of our visit, our girls contracted the flu and spent the next several days, at my sister's, while driving home, and in our house vomiting. Not fun. Needless to say, on our 6 hour drive home there were some vomiting incidents and our car still smells of the unfortunate occurrence. We plan to clean it out this weekend, but any tips on removing the foul odor would be appreciated.

This is what we do for fun

Unload the dishwasher.

Work our core doing Pilates.

Practice making pies with Daddy.



And push our baby sister, probably dangerously, but oh so excitingly, down the hall.

My creative kick

Every few months I get the itch to make something with my hands. I think it comes from watching my mom work on different projects and create things and I definitely love having a creative hobby. This month I got on a sewing kick and made a linen skirt for myself and used the scraps to make one for L, (E didn't get one only b/c I ran out of scraps), and I finally printed out some snapshots and made some picture boards to hang them on. I think my creative cup is filled for now, but I'm sure I'll get the itch again.

And here are my little shoppers, driving me around at the grocery store!

Baker, baker, peach pie maker

J is a wonder of a man! He is witty, he is athletic, he is smart, he is very good looking, and he can bake.
His specialties up to now have been cookies and pancakes, but yesterday he embarked on a pie making endeavor. And we were the beneficiaries. Look at the wonder of this peach pie. Made from scratch. With the lattice crust. With the perfect pie making tools given to us by his mom, the pie maker extraordinaire. So beautiful! So delicious! I am so lucky!

Home Warranty, a happy story

When we bought our home, our Realtor arranged for the seller to buy us a home warranty for the first year. The warranty covers many major appliances and the pool in case of break downs. I assume the warranty company prices their policies so that they come out on top, but this year we were definitely the winner.

We called the warranty company 7 times-

1. pool pump filter broke
2. pool vacuum speed broke
3. pool something else I don't understand broke

4. AC double motor broke
5. AC blower fan broke

6. Dishwasher wouldn't drain (a sticker was blocking the hose)

7. And this last Saturday, the 13th, our water heater died. Dead. Deader than a doornail.

It was 16 years old and rusted out at top and bottom.

Our warranty expires this Saturday, the 20th.

Had the water heater died next Saturday, we would have had to cover the $1,200 dollar replacement.

But providentially, it broke last week, when we were still covered, and we only had to pay a minimal fee for a permit and to have the old one hauled away.

What a blessing!

Pool troubles

J has learned a lot about pool maintenance in the last year of being a pool owner. He has learned how to manage and test the chlorine levels, shock the pool, clean out the filter, run the pump and set the timer for the vacuum, and backwash the pool. We've definitely had our share of pool troubles, with the vacuum breaking, the pump breaking, the water turning green with algae, etc., and our latest incident was no exception.

Every few weeks a pool needs to be back-washed- a process by which water that has gone through the pump and stored in the filter needs to be released through a hose down a special drain. So last Thursday night J and I back-washed the pool. Problem solved. However, the next morning as we were eating breakfast my two year old, who was looking out at the pool, says to me, "Mom, where's the water?" I look out the window and see this:



Yes, Lauren, where is all the water? Turns out that if you forget to close the back-wash spigot and your pool pump comes on and runs through the night, it will pump the contents of your pool down the drain. Darn.

So J received a frantic call from me, came home from work, and spent the next many hours refilling the pool, adding conditioner, soda ash, chlorine, and more DE to the filter. Lesson learned.

Now I cannot totally blame J for the incident, as at the time we back-washed the pool I was feeling sick and he took on all the night duties (kids to bed, dishes, etc.) in my place and really did just forget about the spigot. And L had the time of her life playing in, as she termed it, our "new kid pool" with no fear of drowning or going under!

Going to bed

I have an inability to go to bed at night without my husband. I don't know why I can't do it. I have always liked to go to bed at the same time, and if he is up watching a game or working, I usually just stay up too until we can go to sleep at the same time. I have no problem going to sleep when he is on a trip or we're not in the same place, but when I know that he is on the premises and not in the bedroom I just can't relax and go to sleep. On the other hand, if J is done with the day and tired, he can hop in bed and fall asleep almost immediately and I usually just try and keep up. Is it just me, or does anyone else have this problem???

So excited

If you haven't seen, the church has come out with a new NURSERY MANUAL and it is awesome! I can't wait to get my hands on one, and for only $5.50 it is a steal. It is recommend for anyone who works with small children at church and for parents/grandparents of small children. I know that even little ones can learn about Jesus and this manual will help explain the gospel to them in ways they can understand.

Much ado about hair

When I was in high school and for my first year of college I would get my hair done at the Bon Losee Academy of Hair Artistry- in layman's terms the beauty school. I went there because it was cheap and I was poor. However, I paid the price for my cheap haircuts and colors by having my hair unintentionally bleached blond, streaks and spots of color in noticeable places, uneven hair in front, back, on the sides, etc. Lets just say that I paid the price of being the guinea pig for the beauty school girls.

So one day my great freshman roomate came to the rescue and told me this very practical advice: Why spend good money on clothes you wear once a week/month, and cheap out on your hair that you wear EVERY DAY! It totally opened my eyes to the fact that having a good haircut can go a loooong way in making up for no makeup, old clothes, stains, etc.

Since that revelation I have had two wonderful hairdressers. The first one was a girl in Utah who was fabulous and who knew me, my hair, and what would work for me. My current girl is a mission friend who is just FABULOUS and takes care of all of my hair, color, and eyebrow waxing needs. She does live 25 miles away from me, which makes getting a haircut a little bit tricky, but she is totally worth it and the assurance of going to someone I trust, who I know will do a good job, completely pays off.

Olimpicos

I am a day behind on watching the games, but have so far seen every session on NBC. So far so great.

I do have a few questions though: Where do the judges come from? Do they know the intrigue they cause and mark people down on purpose? What happens to the Chinese athletes when they don't get gold? Are they sent to labor camps? Did anyone see Dara Torres' interview who, when asked straight up if she uses any performance enhancers, looked away from the camera and said no? Does that make anyone else think she is lying? Who is Phelps' dad? Did he pass away or did they divorce? Can May and Walsh ever lose? Should they retire while they're at the top of their game? Did anyone else find fencing hard to follow? Why are the sideline sports only given a few minutes of air time, while the prime time sports take up the whole show? Would you want to be an Olympian? Could you devote your whole life (hours of practice, limited social life, stress of competition, etc) to becoming a great athlete? Will they pay a price later in life for the the strain they put on their bodies to become Olympic material?

These, and I'm sure others I can't think of now are my burning Olympic questions.

And can I say that BMX racing is awesome and reminds me of an old school Nintendo game we played all the time as kids.

Olympic Fever

Like the thousand other Olympic loving bloggers out there, I just can't get enough of Beijing 2008!

I've watched every broadcast on NBC thus far, and intend to watch every episode through the closing ceremonies (thanks DVR!).

I love the Olympics, and especially the summer games, for many reasons: the team spirit, the will to win, amazing feats, broken world and Olympic records, beautiful facilities, and exhilarating moments of physical achievement. I love the feeling of patriotism I get watching team USA athletes compete. I love cheering for our guys (or girls) to win. I love watching sports that are not the norm on ESPN, etc. I love the inspirational/conspiratorial/informational videos that NBC puts together on different athletes, intrigues, and places. I love it all. I mean, seriously, how could you not fall in love with this:

And China has done an amazing job and creating inspiring venues and a never-to-be-beat opening ceremonies.

I could not believe the pageantry that went on during the ceremonies and the perfection of the performers. Hats off to China and team USA for a wonderful Olympics so far!

Soaring gas prices

[[NOTE TO THE READER]: Unfortunately I wasn’t able to spend the time on this project that I would have liked, so needless to say it is just a rough beginning. Why have gas prices increased so much? Because political, economical, and social factors combined to create the perfect storm. The value of the dollar is decreasing (so we can’t get as much crude oil for the same amount of money), world conflicts (Iran, unrest in Israel, Nigeria, Turkey), a pipeline disruption in the North Sea, peak oil (look it up), increased demand (China and India), decreased supply (OPEC nations using more petrol themselves), Wall Street bidding up prices, a Texas refinery fire, and on, and on, and on. Basically it looks like our days of .99 cent/gallon gas are over and done. Enjoy filling up for under $100 while you can!]

Soaring gas prices- A summary

Most consumers in today’s marketplace are floored by the rapidly rising prices of many consumer products, especially gasoline. Many Americans cringe while filling up their tanks with gas, hoping to at least stay under $100 for a full tank. Many people are considering other transportation options, changing travel plans, and just staying home to conserve this precious resource.

This brief seeks to find answers to some of the common questions asked by American gasoline consumers today: What is gasoline? Why are gasoline prices so high? Who sets the price of gasoline? What is OPEC? Who is making the profits? What government intervention is proposed? What are coming innovations in car design/alternative fuels to reduce our dependency on gas? What is in store for the future? Although the information presented here is just a small sample of the information and analysis available on the current fuel crisis, it should provide a base for understanding the reasons for rising fuel costs and an estimation of what is in store for the future.

[As you can see, I’ve only answered question #1, but never fear the rest is still to come.]

The Energy Information Administration

A main source for this paper is the Energy Information Administration, a division of the US Department of Energy. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) was created by Congress in 1977 and is a statistical agency of the U.S. Department of Energy. Their mission is to provide “policy-neutral data, forecasts, and analyses to promote sound policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding regarding energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment.” (EIA, 2008).

In their estimate, the EIA states that gasoline prices are so high because of the record high cost of crude oil. Their website states that the “cost of crude oil now accounts for about 73% of the gasoline pump price. World crude oil prices are at record highs due mainly to high worldwide oil demand relative to supply…political events, and conflicts in some major oil producing regions” (EIA, 2008).


In addition, they note that gasoline prices typically increase during spring and summer months due to “seasonal demand and the additional cost of producing summer-grade “reformulated” gasoline required to meet air quality standards in many urban areas” (EIA, 2008).

What is Gasoline?

In order to better understand how gasoline prices are calculated, it is helpful to know what gasoline is made of and where it comes from. Merriam-Webster defines gasoline as “a flammable liquid mixture made from petroleum and used especially as a motor fuel” (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary [1997], 314). “Gasoline” is the common name for petroleum fuel used in North America, while in other countries “gas” is called most commonly called “petrol” (Wikipedia, 2008).

In a pamphlet entitled “Where does my gasoline come from?” the EIA explains that in the United States,
…most gasoline is made from crude oil, which was formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. These remains were covered with layers of sediment over time. With extreme pressure and high temperatures over millions of years, these remains became the mix of liquid hydrocarbons (an organic chemical compound of hydrogen and carbon) that we call crude oil. Refineries break down these hydrocarbons into different products. These “refined products” include gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil, jet fuel, liquefied petroleum gases, residual fuel oil, and many other products. (Energy Information Administration 2008, 1).

The pamphlet states that in 2007 although the United States refineries produced “90 percent of the gasoline used in the United States,” less than “35 percent of the crude oil used by U.S. refineries was produced in the United States” indicating our dependence on foreign countries for oil imports. The majority of U.S. imports (48 percent) come from countries in the western hemisphere, 18 percent from Persian Gulf countries, 22 percent from African countries, and 12 percent from other regions (Energy Information Administration 2008, 1).

From crude oil to your local gas station pumps

After crude oil is imported and refined into gasoline, it is first shipped by pipeline to storage terminals in consumer areas where it is then loaded into trucks for delivery to gas stations (Energy Information Administration 2008, 2). The gasoline is sent through the pipelines in batches and the products of one refinery often mix with the products of another. At the terminals the gasoline is loaded into tanker trucks, which have several compartments for transporting different grades of gasoline. The pamphlet states that the “truck tank is where the special additive packages of gasoline retailers get blended into the gasoline to differentiate one blend from another,” and that these additives are often “splash blended” or mixed en route to the filling station (Energy Information Administration 2008, 2).

The EIA notes “the fact that you purchase gasoline from a given company does not necessarily mean that the gasoline was actually produced by that particular company’s refineries” because gasoline from several different refineries is often combined for shipment through pipeline (Energy Information Administration 2008, 3). Interestingly, the “only difference between the gasoline at station X versus the gasoline at station Y may be the small amount of additives that those companies add to the gasoline before it gets to the pump (Energy Information Administration 2008, 3).

Gasoline is a regional product however, with different emissions requirements and environmental programs regulating the type of gasoline that can be sold in an area. The EIA notes that “these distinct and area specific gasoline requirements mean that gasoline is not a homogenous product nationwide” and that “gasoline produced for sale in one area may not be suitable for use in another area that has a supply shortage” (Energy Information Administration 2008, 3). The difference in your state or local emissions requirements is a factor that accounts for your local gas price.


REFERENCE LIST

Energy Information Administration. 2008. “About Us,” EIA online. Available from http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/aboutEIA/aboutus.html; Internet. Accessed July 31, 2008.

Energy Information Administration. 2008. Where does my gasoline come from? April 2008. Available from http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasoline/printer_
friendly.pdf. Accessed July 31, 2008.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary [1997]. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Incorporated.

Wikipedia. 2008. “Gasoline,” Wikipedia online. Available from http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Petrol; Internet. Accessed July 31, 2008.

Random

I am kind of a bad blogger lately. I guess the initial rush of starting a blog has worn off or something and the blog has fallen to the wayside. Remember when I mentioned that I was going to do a write up about gas prices? Well I started a brief a few weeks ago and will give myself a public deadline to provide a link to it here on the blog by next Wednesday, August 6. At my old job we would often write policy briefs about different public policy topics and I really enjoyed researching and compiling the information into something manageable and informative. So expect the piece soon!

Potty training is going well when I remember to do it. So far Lauren hasn't had an accident and has done really well. I just don't always remember to take off her diaper when we're at home and I have yet to dare to venture into public diaperless. Today, in fact, is our first full home day and so far, so good. She is very motivated by a sticker chart which is filled with princess stickers. Picture to some soon.


Finally, every Friday we go to a playgroup with about 6 other friends. All of the kids are 2 and a half or nearly 3, and then 4 of the 6 have a little sibling around E's age. It is so fun! Well, this week was my turn and we were planning to go downtown to see a puppet show. But just as we were leaving the theatre called saying that their AC was out and not to come. Luckily I was able to call all of my friends and tell them not to go downtown. So instead, everyone came over to our house and we did our own puppet show of the three little pigs. The kids each decorated a paper bag puppet and then we told the story. They ended up loving it, we saved $ on gas and admission fees, and had a fun time. Above is a pic of L with the remnants of the show. Enjoy!

It begins

Our little girl is two and a half. She speaks well. She follows directions. She can sit still for periods of time. She likes her diaper changed quickly after she goes #2. Since it's summer, we're inside most of the time. She is ready to be potty trained.

But am I ready to do it? That is the question. Any advice, tips, condolences, or sympathy will be gladly accepted.

Vacation!

We just got back from our two week summer vacation to Utah and it was wonderful! We spent a week with J's family and then a week with my family, welcomed his brother home from a mission, attended my best friend's wedding and had many more adventures. Some of the highlights include:

Going to a movie
Having a hot dog/marshmellow roast up the canyon
Spending the day at 7-Peaks
Pedicures
Swimming
4th of July parade
Fireworks
Traditional BBQ at the village park
Having lunch with high school friends
Meeting Phoenix friends at the park and for a swim
Lunch with SLC friends
Visiting my old office and wonderful office staff
Attending an outdoor play
Seeing extended family- grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins
Free babysitting
Temple sealing of one of my very best friends to a great guy
Cafe Rio
Smoker dinner BBQ prepared by Christian and Matt
Hot homemade salsa
Staying up late visiting
Running outside
Highs of only 100 degrees
Cool nights!!!
Playing at the park with my girls
Grandma's new planter aka: Cinderella's castle
Commemorating the 25th anniversary of my Grandfather's death to cancer
Seeing my sister
Visiting with my brother and his wife
My great in laws- brothers in law, sisters in law, and cute nieces and nephew
Taking naps
Hardly making a meal or doing a dish
Grandma's toy room under the stairs
Lunch at Zupas...yum!
Chocolate covered cinnamon bears- thanks K!
Touring the new Hinckley building on BYU campus- beautiful memorial to a great man!
Walking around BYU- truly one of the best places on earth!
Attending a shower for my BFF and visiting with our BFF Fillie friends
Shade clothing store in the University mall
Uncle M's great homecoming talk
Hearing about Uncle M's mission- the ups and downs, and the people he loved
Having my Mom to take care of me and my girls when I had the flu
Going to the temple
And on, and on, and on.....

Here are a few of my favorite of our 211 pictures of the trip:

My girls on the car trip up....holding hands while sleeping!


Cousin friends.


Serious parade watchers.
The BCJJ cleaning crew.