Bits and Pieces

Just a little update today. Life is good but very busy. I feel completely worn out today! Alexis and Spencer have been sick this week--I hope the rest of us don't get it! The kids have been really great lately and I've found myself often thinking how grateful I am for them and for Jordan. By the way, Jordan finally got his promotion last week--HURRAY! He's a director now and still learning a ton and doing a great job in the real estate finance dept. at Wal-Mart.

Alexis started piano lessons a couple weeks ago. It's kind of been a struggle because it's not as easy for her as school has been so she actually has to work at it. She gets frustrated very quickly when she can't play a new song perfectly the first time or she doesn't understand something and then she wants to quit, at least for the moment. I hope it gets better because I really want her to learn to play and I'm not going to let her quit!

Spencer has been such a sweetheart lately, reminding me how glad I am that we made it through those tough couple of years with him. He was such a stinker sometimes--getting into everything he wasn't supposed to, drawing with black permanent marker on the white cabinets, deliberately defying me while I was looking right at him! He's not perfect, but he's soooo much better, and he's so sweet with Trista. I love to watch him play with her and help her and take care of her. He's such a good big brother! Spencer's funny quote of the week is, "Dad, can I get a credit card? I want a credit card. I reeeaaally need a credit card! I love credit cards!" (Does he even know what a credit card is?)

Dallin keeps me laughing, except when he makes me want to cry every night at dinner because it's such a struggle to get him to eat. He still hates "grown up" food and wants kids stuff (chicken nuggets, ramen noodles, hot dogs, etc.) for every meal. We have to monitor every bite of food and are always waiting for the very loud gagging sound he makes just before spitting his food back out half the time. Will this ever end? He does have a lot of redeeming qualities though. He's very righteous. He wants to say the blessing at every meal, and Jordan has been talking to the kids about praying every morning right when they get out of bed. The other morning at breakfast I asked the kids if they prayed when they woke up. Dallin burst into tears because he had forgotten. He was sobbing, totally distraught, and wouldn't believe me that he could go back to his room and pray and it would be just the same. Dallin's quote of the week is, "Well, when can I have a girl in my bed?" (In response to Trista sleeping in Alexis' bed instead of her crib one night.)

Finally we have Trista. Trista is so happy, fun, and good natured. Everywhere we go (the gym, the babysitter, the nursery at church) people are awed and amazed at how good and happy she is. I'd like to take credit and think that it's because I'm such an impeccable mother, but sadly I don't think that's the case. She's just been an impeccable baby (and toddler). She's finally starting to talk more. She says "tan to" (thank you), uh huh, Tih Ta (Trista), and our favorite "I do!" The whole family goes around asking question after question--"Who wants a drink?"

"I do!"

"Who's cute?"

"I do!"

"Who has a stinky bum?"

"I do!"

Sometimes you don't even have to ask a question. Lately she's been eating a TON (she must be having a growth spurt), so everytime I mention a meal or I'm in the kitchen getting something out of the cabinet she just pipes up--"I DO!" We love it! And we love her!

I'm still working and being Mom. I'm looking forward to my two trip this spring. In March I'm going to meet a friend in St. George for four days of "girl time." We're going to go to the spa, have some tennis lessons, go to a show, eat good food, shop, and whatever else we want to do--KID FREE! I'm actually really getting spoiled, because then in May I'm going down to see Angie in Costa Rica for about 10 days--by myself again! Speaking of all this girl time--I've been wanting to post this picture of Angie and I with some friends we got together with at Christmas. Aren't girlfriends (and sisters) the best?

Check out my Slide Show!

Christmas

We had so much fun with all of my family at Christmas!
All of my sisters and their families as well as Grandma and
Grandpa Salmon (and even my cousin Crystal with her hubby
and baby) were at Mom and Dad's house. So fun!

Booty and the Blessings

So here is a picture of my booty....

Sorry to disappoint, but I wasn't talking about that booty. I'm talking about my booty like a pirate's booty or loot! It seems like every day I come home to boxes at my front door from Maybelline. Usually they're filled with boring stuff like papers, coupons, free samples to pass out. But yesterday I opened up a box and found this stuff inside! It was like Christmas all over again! Nevermind the fact that a lot of it is in colors that I wouldn't choose or that won't match my skin tone (I'm thinking of making a trip to Wal-Mart for an exchange), I'm just excited to get free stuff!

While on the topic of Maybelling and my job, the second part of this blog is in regards to some blessings I received that I wanted to document (since this is as good as it gets in the journal department for me). Just before Thanksgiving I finally got a key to the Maybelline storage unit in Bentonville. It's just a small storage unit filled with boxes and fixtures and random stuff, but I'd been trying for a couple months to get the key from a very busy lady who works around here for Maybelline putting together the Wal-Mart Maybelline walls. Anyway, I got the key one morning in November and went to the unit to look for a few things, and had the hardest time with the lock! It was an old rusted padlock, and I could hardly get it open. It was even harder to get it shut! I struggled and struggled and finally put the small key down on the cement outside of the door to work on getting the padlock locked. Finally! it locked and I was on my way!
Fast forward to two weeks later, the beginning of December. I made a quick stop at the storage unit to pick up an eyeshadow tray I needed to replace in a store. I jumped out of the van and put the small key on my keychain into the padlock--or should I say "tried" to put it in. No matter which way I turned the key or how hard I wiggled the padlock the key wouldn't even fit into the hole! I was getting desparate when I finally remembered putting the small key on the cement the last time I was there while struggling to get the padlock locked. Had I remembered to pick it up? Was this key on my keychain even the right key? If not, what is this key on my keychain, and even more importantly, where is the key to this storage unit that I just got two weeks ago? YIKES! I got really worried for a minute, thinking of what an idiot I would look like calling the lady back and telling her that I'd already lost the key--after using it only once!
I got back in the car where Dallin and Trista were waiting for me and I said, "Dallin, we need to pray!" So we did. We prayed that I would be able to remember what I did with the key and that when I did I would be able to find it. As I finished praying I felt like I should start driving. So I slowly made a circle around all of the storage buildings, just to make sure I was even at the right unit, and ended up where I had been before, in front of the correct unit. But as I stopped the van, I looked out the window and my eyes went directly to a place in the gravel where a small gold key was barely poking out of the dirt and rocks. I jumped out and grabbed the key. I couldn't believe it! Well, I could believe it because I know the Lord answers our prayers, but I was so excited! Was this the key I had put down a few weeks ago while wrestling with the padlock?
I put the key into the old rusted padlock and, VOILA, it fit! And, DANG-IT, that was about it! I couldn't turn it at all, couldn't even get it to budge! I took the key out and tried it in the adjacent units' locks (just to see if it happened to be to another lock that wasn't mine) but it definately didn't fit in those. It had to be my key! So I tried again, to no avail. "Okay, that's it," I thought. "I need to pray again!" So once again I prayed, "Please, let me able to turn the key, let the lock open, let me get in! Please don't make me have to tell the other lady what an idiot I am!"
I tried the lock again. I put the key in, wiggled it a little bit and AAHHHH (picture the clouds opening up and angels descending with some really pretty background music)! The lock opened! I got in! I got what I needed, very carefully put the little gold key onto my keyring this time instead of on the ground, and was on my way. I am so blessed! I was/am so grateful that he helped me with something that in the long run is so trivial, but to me at that moment was so important.

ISN'T THE LORD AMAZING?