We're moving!

Today is moving day, and I'm packing the computer in about 15 seconds. Goodbye Salt Lake, hello Idaho Falls!

Friendship is the Best Gift

D&C 121:9 "Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands."

Pictured: Bradeigh, Nancy, Rachel, Me, Julie, Haley, Kristl, Becky, Michelle.
Not Pictured: Mandy, Shellie, Jenny, Maggie, Lindsay, Jeni, Jennifer, and Annette.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't name all the women from the University 1st Stake who have made my life better, but from our shared courtyard, I'll never forget Teresa, Tracey, Kimbur, and Lisa. You are all so great!



Pictured: Janelle, Me, Wendi, Jen, Debbie, Tina, Linda, Camille, and Kammie.
Not Pictured: Belinda, Erin, Kathy, and I'm sure I missed someone else, forgive me.

I've loved my bookclub for over 10 years now, and I'm pretty sure I'll come back at least once a year... a girls gotta read!

Naughty, Nice, Questioning, too Old, and the Real Story

Sophia and Jennie's last dance class of the year

Jennie loves "mikpgloss"

and then we correct her with, "It's lipgloss Jennie." and she says, "Uh, huh!"
She begs for it, will do anything to get it, got loads of it for her birthday, and eats every single tube.
These images are from her actual birthday, (recovered from the lost and now found camera!) pre-bang cut.

My eyes are broken

Uncle Lew

Lewis knocked on the door last night, and Jennie squealed, "Uncle Lew, it's Uncle Lew... Oh, I love him!"

We never know when to expect his visits, he teaches a ton, has art shows all the time and is busy with his own life, but when he pops into our little life, it's always made better. The kids adore him, and it's taken a few years, but I think he's grown accustomed to their kidness (dirty faces, loud voices and half dressedness) and I think he'll actually miss us when we move. Jennie will miss him the most, he has had her heart from the day she was born, their bond is just perfect.

Here he is reading to Jennie. Notice Jennie's bangs? Yeah, that's what Sophia did one quiet afternoon while I was baking Thanksgiving pies... so sad.

For Doug

In preparation for Idaho winters.

Idaho Falls

We put our final offer (4th I think?) on this house and I am hoping that by tomorrow, we know if we get it and when we can move in! It has the best kitchen of all the ones we've seen, a great master bedroom/bathroom with the deep tub, separate loo, walk-in closet and double sinks. The basement is not finished, so we'll do that a bit at a time, but it's a perfect fit for our family, and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! I've already talked to the bishop and he said that there are 6 families in our same cul-de-sac with 4 kids 14 and under. I just picture this being the safe haven I've been praying for.

Christmas has begun

We estimated my favorite huge red tree to have 30,000 lights on it, (if any of you know the truth, please let us know!) Guessing which country the life sized nativities were from was a hoot, but the bubbles on the reflection pool were the highlight by far. Christmas on Temple Square will always be a favorite.

Family History

Great Grandpa Nelson


Ogden Cemetery

Sophia's Big Girl Hair Cut

Long and scraggly...

meet scissors...

and a lovely bob is born.

Dedication

To all of you who forgot to pray for me today, I dedicate the living room, dining room and kitchen covered with a large container of low-fat vanilla yogurt with thawed blackberries. To all of you who think it might just be easy to be a single mom of 4 kids I dedicate the upstairs bathroom, 3 towells, 2 small leather sandals and 2 of my children covered in Jennie's poo. And to all of you who think sharing a room is such a lovely idea for children, I dedicate the 2nd set of clean sheets now drenched in water along with a baby, her fresh PJ's, and a laughing 3 year old an hour past bedtime.

Hawiian Dance

Jennie is 18 months old

She loves nursery, talks a ton, is my little "helper", can say a whole prayer, drinks from a cup, runs when you say "ready, set go!", tries to jump, knows the words to "I am a Child of God" but doesn't sing them all, loves her Dad, and favors Dalton, can stand up to anyone, but mostly her sister, and says "No Way" or "Nope" instead of "No". She also says "What the Heck?" and "I love you" really well. At her check-up she had been eating cereal, and asked for water. I gave her some in one of the little cups from the room, she took a drink, and right when Dr. VanDenBerghe walked in, she held the cup up, revealed her backwash, and proclaimed "Some puke!". So generous!

Spring!

I haven't blogged in forever, and I'm a little crazy. The combination manifests itself in this photo of a mother goat eating the placenta that, just minutes ago sustained the life of her two kid goats. I'm pretty sure that these two kids were so new that the farmers who tend to these animals weren't even aware that they had been born. Joe was disgusted, Dalton was relieved when I told him that human mothers don't do this, Sophia and I were enthralled. She asked and I was able to explain that the mother needs the nutrients from the placenta to make the best milk for her kids and to help her recover from delivery. Sophia also noticed that the mother goat only took two breaks from chewing and only to lick her kids clean. I explained that, this is how animal mothers show their love, it's like when I kiss her goodnight. We enjoyed the little lambs, piglets, chicks, calf's, and kids that were everywhere. Many of the mother animals were still pregnant, and I think that going in a few weeks will be the peak of baby animal season. Later that evening when I put Sophia to bed, she licked me lovingly. This might have been my favorite FHE lesson/activity ever.

When I'm a single mom...

I'll blog,
figure out how to use my camera,
figure out how to put music onto my mp3 player,
organize my files,
clean under the bed,
read,
and until then, I'm spending every last second I can with Doug before his 10 week internship. I'm missing him before he's even gone.

General Conference

It's time again, and I'm always looking for ways to get my children as excited for Conference as I am. Deseret Book has this great booklet ready for printing. I didn't actually print the whole booklet, just the pages that I knew my kids would use. Enjoy!

No Excuses

So I've been sick all year pretty much, and I'm almost out of the thick of sick for good. The tonsils are healing, but the scabs haven't fallen off yet, (which is when the pain officially hits the fan). I'm not yet bored with baby food peaches, chocolate pudding, or Jell-o but I've cried twice from frustration at not being able to communicate what I meant to, through pencil, grunt or otherwise. I do like that Joseph has to read everything he wants to hear from me, and I like looking at my scribbles of half conversation at the end of the day. I love how generous my friends and neighbors have been. I know that even amid the excitedness of having Grant Morgan Nelson (my brother's firstborn) join our family, my family has been able to extend their love to me as well. I can't talk but a few short words, but If you have a story to tell me, or are dying to just gab away, right now, I'm your girl. I'm high most of the time too, so if I do end up commenting on whatever you've just blessed my ears with, forgive the sloppy, confusing reply.

Firsts of 2009

I washed, dried, folded and put away 7 loads of laundry in one day.

I slept through Sophia painting the TV, kitchen counter, and bathroom floor with sparkly red nail polish.

She also was able to enjoy half of a can of frozen apple juice concentrate during my slumber.

I taught Jennie to say, "Obama" and on her own she uses it in the context of "O-crap". Side note: I wish success upon our New President, and I am proud to be an American.

I nearly developed carpal tunnel from making 240 or so crepes.

I learned that when the Killers ask, "Are we human, or are we dancer?" I'm dancer.

I McGuivered a diaper out of a pair of 3T underwear and a winged maxi-pad from our cars emergency kit in the dentists parking lot.

I ate almost an entire carrot cake, almost all by myself.

I had the 3rd or 4th installment of the SEX talk with Dalton, and the 2nd one with Joseph.

I broke my camera all the way.

I fed my family RAMEN for dinner. Maybe you're in the camp that says, "way to go Sherrie for being the sole food provider for over 10 years without serving the cheap deliciousness even once for dinner." Maybe you're in the camp that says, "shame on any homemaker disgracing her table with that cheap shameful load of MSG." Either way, it was a hit with the kids, and I'll not be ashamed to include $20 whole dollars worth of this pre-packaged dinner in our food storage.

I memorized all the words to "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Solid Gold!

I've tried to put music to this, and can't seem to figure it out. You must watch her dancing though, she'll make you smile, maybe laugh, and you'll have a better day I'm sure of it.

She's not in classes anymore, preschool 5 days a week is enough for any little girl. She misses it terribly though, and we'll put her back in when the time is right.

New Draper Temple

We went to the Draper Utah Temple open house the other day. We first watched a lovely video that helped explain the purpose and history of Temples. They then bussed us to the actual Temple. We walked through a maze of tents to the main entrance, and were immediately struck with the reverence of the building.

The tour was silent. My kids of course weren't silent. My favorite quote was from Joe, "Why doesn't Jesus have any toys in his house?" Good question I thought. Within the celestial room, and while looking at the enormous chandelier Dalton commented, "It just goes up forever." Sophia liked the sealing room mirrors the best, but that was toward the end of the tour, and she was about to turn the altar into a trampoline. Overall the font was the best part, with the oxen that Jennie kept saying, "mooooo" to. They had missionaries prepared at the exit to answer any questions, and refreshed us with cookies and tiny water bottles.

Doug and I both remembered attending the Las Vegas open house as youth. We waited in line for hours, put on booties, walked through, and were more concerned with our exhaustion than anything else. The Church has seriously streamlined the process, and I'd say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

Here's the sad part, my camera broke. It wasn't till later at home when I plugged it in that I realized that it just has a broken screen. So here's the only picture we have of us on the temple grounds.
>

Joseph spoke in primary this past Sunday, and for his talk drew the temple, so here's his version. Notice Moroni.

Here's his talk... he wrote it, I typed it, he delivered it at the pulpit with ease. I was so proud of my big boy.

Hi, I am Joseph Crawford. My family is going to the new Draper Temple tomorrow. We are all wearing our nicest clothing. I will be nice to my brother and sisters all day. I am practicing good words. I am listening to my Mom and Dad. I am doing all of these things to show respect for the House of the Lord, the new Draper Temple. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

I'm 32!

I like water, and cake, and public radio, and family, and socks, and citrus, and laughing, and down comforters, and fresh skunk scent, and freckles, and pedicures, and friends, and clean laundry, and good advertising, and being outdoors, and Scrabble, and pretty things, and bread, and avocados, and Jerusalem, and friends, and reading, and organizing, and flossing, and Bombay House, and smart people, and rubbing feet, and sunsets, and s'mores, and roller coasters, and dreaming, and swimming...

Two words

First came "Go Away!" and it doesn't sound like a baby is saying it at all, it's clear as day, (not a Salt Lake inversion day, more like a Cabo San Lucas day) and usually spoken/shouted while clinging to one of my legs with someone else on the other. This morning Jennie said it as I was doing her little fountain hair-do.

Second, she says while running, (fast-wide-legged-lomping) towards the door around 5:30pm "Hi Dad". Again it's super clear. Doug even thought it was Sophia once, but no my baby girl loves her daddy, and is learning to speak her mind just like all the other Crawford kids.

Help!

Okay, I've blogged what I'm going to blog in 2008... What's the best way to print it. I've heard of blurb, I've heard of photobucket, I've heard of my publisher, so, which one is the best (least expensive, highest quality)? Do tell!

The New Years/Anniversary/Christmas Cruise to Mexico!

Handed down to my mother (Abuella) was two mink stoles. Since mink isn't worn anymore, and she is always looking for ways to carry on the love from past generations to the next one, she had them made into teddy bears for her granddaughters. Sophia and Jennie both have one to cherish originally from Grammy Nelson, and Mrs. "D". Abuella also loves her grandsons!


Andy helped me with my kids the whole time, at meals, at sea, on the stairs, everywhere. Thank You Andy, you're a great uncle. Here's one of Sophias new favorite people on earth! She and Arianna hit it off! Thank goodness for family!


This incredible Pacific beach was refreshing, warm, salty, clear, and just perfect, can I say perfect again. Perfect.


Doug and I, but mostly Ocean, aahhhh, the Pacific Ocean! Dalton and Abby seemed inseparable on this trip. Hannah and Abraham were nearby most of the time too.


The cousins all buried Joseph. Aunt Yvonne buried Sophia. This sand was the perfect escape from the warm December sun of Cabo.




Jennie loved the perfectly granular nature of this Mexican sand. I loved the girls new Mexican sundresses!


The streets of Cabo,(the drummer is seriously no more than 6 years old). Doug and I with Cabo in back.


Carnival towel art. We loved all of their creations!


Um...is there an appropriate title for this one? The Crawfords in Ensanada. That's our ship in the background!


Thank you Mama and Papa for planning, sharing, giving, and loving all for us. This trip was beyond generous! We felt your love every moment! We made memories, fell in love with Mexico, and you raised the bar for my student poor kididdles! Thank you. Thank you! Thank YOU!