To Everything There is a Season

Slideshow of Salzburg

2011-09-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

The final session

2011-09-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Well, this wonderful experience has come to a close and I find myself back home again wondering if the last 6 weeks were just a dream. I honestly still can't believe that I had this opportunity! This experience has made a deep impact on me that will affect the rest of my career and journey in music. I will forever be grateful to dear Charlotte Shedd and the Austrian American Society of Wilmington, DE. I am also deeply grateful for all of my wonderful friends and family that either donated money or time to help me take care of my children while I was gone. With that said, I suppose I'd better give you an update!

Originally, I was signed up for Barbara Bonney's Masterclass. I didn't realize at the time of enrollment that she would only be available for one week of the last two week session. During the second session I received some valuable information that led me to change professors. I changed to Kurt Widmer's Masterclass and will forever be grateful for that decision! The things I learned from Prof. Widmer made such an impact on me in so many more ways than just my singing technique. He reminded me of the reason I do what I do! And that is to communicate with others and hopefully make a positive lasting impact. He taught me to give myself permission to get out of my head and tap into my heart. When working with him, I became free from the pursuit of perfection and was able to allow my soul to lead. Ironically, by just letting go it was amazing to see the difference in the quality of my sound. It was a magical experience that is really hard to describe unless you had been there. I literally witness miracles every day I went to class. I observed students from all ages and abilities completely blossom under his touch. It was quite moving actually. I'll never forget the tears coming down the cheeks of one of his students after one of my sessions. I felt the same watching him work with others. I've never seen a teacher of singing with such patience, gentleness, and genuine love and caring for people. He worked tirelessly to make sure each student had his fair share of time with him. A difficult feat with 24 students!

Kurt Widmer's approach is completely revolutionary! Besides his obvious love for his students and teaching, he has created an approach to teaching technique that gets to the very heart of what making music is all about. Rather than focusing on mistakes and correcting them, he provides an environment in which the student can allow the sound to come organically. He believes that if a student is too caught up in perfection, he/she will be too much in the head thus becoming more tense and not able to access the maximum beauty of sound. Since he spoke very little English, my German skills were put to the test and I had to work extra hard at listening and watching in order to understand his philosophy. If one were to come and observe a session without knowing anything about him, they would think his approach a bit silly at times. He will go through great lengths using various props and physical actions to keep the student flowing freely within his/her body. As I observed other students I began to see a pattern with the props he used and realized that he had this method down to a complete science. He knew just what each student needed in order to get them singing freely. I hope the pictures I've posted gives a bit of an idea of what I was doing.

There was one particular session that really made an impact on me. He had me singing Csardas with one leg sticking out behind me balancing on my right foot. With my left hand on the table for stability, he had me articulate the rhythms on the table with my right hand using a wide range of space on the table. I was sweating profusely as it was really difficult. Periodically he would push my leg up higher into the air with out warning. Obviously, I wouldn't be doing these crazy antics while I'm actually performing, but it forced me to be completely free in my whole body while adding the necessary energy. I was really amazed at how differently my body felt when singing this way. The sound was much more brilliant yet I could hardly feel a thing in my larynx/jaw/mouth. It was almost like an out of body experience where I was sitting across the room watching myself and marveling at the sounds coming out of me. I remember thinking to myself, "I didn't know you could do that!". At first I found myself fighting against him as I didn't trust that my voice would speak while doing all these crazy things. But as soon as I had the courage to let go and do something different, I experience a complete transformation. Little did he know that one of my biggest struggles in life was learning out to let go and let God. I can be a bit of a control freak and and inhibit myself in the process. When I say that his work with me touched me on many levels, I mean that I could apply what he was teaching me to how I approach my whole life. Again, it's a bit difficult to explain.

I was able to sing in another Academy concert on Monday night the 24th. I sang really well and felt that I was able to apply my work with Prof. Widmer. It as also fun to have a large crowd of friends in the audience cheering me on. Brian Stone, one of the judges of this year's competition, happened to be in Salzburg on a scholarship of his own from and Austrian American Society in New York. He was able to attend both concerts of mine this summer and attended several of my masterclasses. It was very nice to have someone from home for support. I also had several people that I had become friends with at the church in Salzburg come to my concerts.
For this last session, Prof. Widmer had given me a P which meant that he was recommending me for the final prize concert. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the concert. At first I was upset but in the end remembered that all things happen for a reason. Widmer made a point to pull me aside and told me I have perfect technique and am a beautiful singer but that my age may have been a problem. It was sweet of him to say. I mostly felt bad because I wanted to make the Society proud and bring an accomplishment home with me. What I have gained from this experience is far more valuable then singing on any prize concert or competition. I don't know what my future holds in the professional world, but I know that this experience has been instrumental in preparing me for whatever lies ahead.

I was able to continue my work with Giovanni Ceto. He was so generous with his time and did not charge me a penny for our work. He took me under his wing and completely transformed my Italian pronunciation. My work with him has definitely taken me to the next level. It was a blessing that I wasn't at all expecting. He will always be a dear friend and I was very sad to say goodbye to him.

Here are some final thoughts on my experience in Salzburg:
I love the food especially the chocolate, bread, and cheeses. I love the beauty and richness of culture and history in that little city. I love the legacy that Mozart left for the entire world that will last until the end of time. I'm amazed how one man could make such a lasting impact on the world. I want to be like that! I love all of the lovely people that I met and will hopefully remain friends with. I loved the exposure to so many cultures and languages under one roof. Image this, a Bulgarian Soprano talking to a Venezuelan in German, who would then translate the information into English for the Taiwanese Student at the piano! Totally amazing! I love the discoveries and changes I made in my voice and in my spirit. I come home to my family a new and improved version of myself. Forever changed for the better. I'm looking forward to seeing the members of the Austrian American Society again and performing the "Danke" concert this Fall. Stay tuned for a slide show of pictures!

Session 2-Mozarteum Summer Academy

2011-08-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I said goodbye to my husband who went home to relieve the grandparents. I moved into a new apartment and felt like I was starting all over again with this second session. These past two weeks I feel that I've undergone a transformation emotionally, spiritually, and physically. It's hard to describe how certain periods of your life can be both aggravating and enlightening at the same time. But I'm sure that many can understand what I mean. For it is through the struggles that we see the most growth in ourselves.

I have learned not to place expectations on anything that hasn't happened yet. I am learning to allow life to flow more freely rather than try to force or prod unnaturally. I have learned that sometimes when we approach life with too much force and intensity we can look beyond the mark and find ourselves far way from our target. It can go the other way as well. If we are too timid and live our lives in constant fear, we fall short of our target. Finding a balance is truly the key. I have found tremendous comfort in my relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. Living the single life these past weeks has given me time to reflect and nourish the relationship with them and myself. I have been blessed to witness small miracles these past two weeks. Not only in myself but with others. This has testified to me that there is a God in heaven that loves and is mindful of each and every one of us.

I am filled with gratitude that God has blessed me with the gift of song. It brings me so much joy and it never ceases to amaze me the sounds that the body is capable of producing. I have enjoyed the tremendous talent of those around me as well. I have made some wonderful friends that I hope to be in contact with in the future and perhaps collaborate with professionally. I have been so blessed to have worked with such wonderful talent and brilliant individuals such as Piernay and Anna Tomowa-Sintow. Anna is truly amazing as she still sings amazingly well for a woman in her 70's. She is extremely alert and incredibly knowledgeable. Her ability to vocally demonstrate difficult passages to illustrate what she wants a singer to do is really quite amazing. I found Piernay to be the same. Absolutely brilliant! Most singers their age no longer have any voice. I feel that my voice has gone up yet another level even since Prof. Piernay. I should tell people that I actually went to "finishing" school this summer. For that is how I truly feel! I feel that this experience is giving me the finishing touches that will prepare me to be successful in the professional world. When I approach the audition circuit this fall, I will feel completely ready and confident.

The first week of this second session was very rough. I found myself with a very bad attitude as the week progressed. I suppose Piernay left me spoiled with the amount of time he worked with me. Ms. Tomowa-Sintow auditioned us on Tuesday and didn't start class until Thursday. We only had 3 1/2 hrs per day with 14 singers to share that time. In the end I only got 4 lessons of about 20-25 min. each. It was difficult to communicate with her because her english is not good and my german and italian is even worse. I felt like I didn't connect with her as I did with Piernay or other teachers in the past because of the language barrier. So, I was very irritated the first week. It's not really like me to be so negative but it was really eating at me. And to make matters worse, I really don't appreciate diva behavior. It doesn't matter how famous a person is, it's not all about them! So, you get the picture that I had a really bad attitude! In spite of that, I made sure to be prepared and I sang well for her and really tried to apply what she was teaching me. I make it a regular habit to steer clear of negative thinking. So, I made a sincere effort to get off my high horse and really focus on the small amount of time I did have with her. When I changed my approach, my level of performance improved immensely when I became teachable. I'm so grateful I did because now I can walk away from this experience with no regrets. I owe it to myself and all those that made it possible for me to be here to make the most of this experience.
Part of the stress also came from me putting pressure on myself to get noticed while I am here. The past two sessions, I have felt somewhat overlooked since I was not considered for the academy concerts where they choose individuals to participate in the culminating competition that will happen at the end of August. I have been getting attention from many but it seemed that the person that makes the final decision, has not had an opportunity to hear me sing. I really want to get some positive exposure while I am here that can open some doors for me professionally. I eventually came to the conclusion that if I do my best, than what is meant to happen will happen. I've always felt that God had a purpose for my voice. He's ultimately in charge and I can't try to force things.
Although, I was very proud of myself because yesterday, I made some really good networking contacts. One particular individual has noticed me throughout the weeks and has some influence with the director of the summer academy. I basically asked her what I needed to do to be considered for the final concert/competition. She said that I was not on the prior concerts because they were aware that I was here on scholarship and could not be considered for the stipend prize that was being given away. She agreed that because of that, the Director of the Summer Academy had not had an opportunity to hear me as a result. She has agreed to speak with him and to find a way for me to sing for him. We also discussed other possibilites of working with each other in the future. I'm not typically very good at self promoting, but the opportunity presented itself and I was proud of myself for taking advantage of it!
I realize that all I can do is continue to work hard and sing well every time I have a chance to perform. And that's what I intend to do.

Now, for a few details on Anna Tomowa-Sintow's teaching style. Her main focus was for all of us to begin singing a Mozart piece. She says "Mozart is very eemportant for za pozition" in her lovely bulgarian accent. What she means is that Mozart helps the singer find the right alignment in the voice which then prepares them for the rest of the operatic repertoire. She really focused on getting every singer to keep the voice in line throughout the scale without changing vocal position. She taught mostly by demonstration and images. She was very efficient and really got incredible results in all of the singers in a very short period of time. She had a very intense diva energy about her that was a bit interesting. But her approach with the student was loving and encouraging yet strict. During our final class concert this evening, she was very mother-henish with everyone, which I find a bit intrusive at times.( But that's just me). She went around to everyone and gave them their pep talk. Then when each person sang, she was in the wings mouthing the words and making faces or commenting about the tempo being too slow or fast. Then afterwards, she had words of wisdom for each individual. I'm sure she said something nice to me because she was smiling, but it was in Italian and I didn't understand a word. I think she might have said something about contining with the freedom of sound. The only words I picked out were "continuomo" and "Libera". I really need to brush up on my language skills! Ah well,...perhaps that will be my next project.

Now I must tell you about my new friend Giovanni Ceto. He is this wonderful crazy Italian that kind of scared me at first. After my audition for this session, he made the point to congratulate me on my beautiful instrument. Then he proceeded to tell me that my Italian pronunciation stinks! I didn't quite know how to respond to that because no one has ever told me that! But of course coming from a native Italian, I'm sure it seems pretty bad. Anyway, I sort of forgot about him and went about my week. We'll one day, I am standing outside of the old Mozarteum building and here is this man hanging out the window flagging me down, motioning for me to come to him in his office. I went, apprehensively because he was kind of intense. I find out that he is actually a professor/teacher of Italian pronunciation who coaches singers and has studied with all kinds of famous people in the business. He asked me why I never came to him for lessons after he talked to me that day. I proceeded to tell him that I had no money to pay him for his services. He said that he came to me and would like to help me. He has been coaching me on the side out of the goodness of his heart. In the short time I have worked with him, my Italian pronunciation has improved immensely and it has really transformed my singing and my approach to learning music. In the past, I have been more prone to learn the notes and rhythms first then the words and then the translation. When you approach the music from the text first, it completely changes things. I almost feel silly that I didn't know this sooner! Better late than never I say!Although I have known him only a short while, I think I have found a friend for life as I will always be grateful for his gift and generosity.

I'm loving my Yoga class as well. I'm becoming very zen these days. I love the whole philosophy and it makes such a difference in my singing technique and my approach to the psychological aspect of performing. I'm seriously considering becoming certified in Yoga. I feel it would be a tremendous supplement to my performing.

So, all in all, I have had a lovely experience this second session. I have grown so much in many aspects. I'm starting to feel like a regular citizen now. I know the city well and still marvel at it's beauty. The food is absolutely marvelous! Especially the bread and cheese. There are quaint little cafe's and bakeries around every corner. I'm trying to stick to the groceries in my little refrigerator so that I don't come home bigger than when I left! the public transportation is extremely convenient and always on time. I also haven't been too homesick as I have seen how happy and well taken care of my children have been. My in-laws did an incredible job of taking care of them! I will be forever grateful to them! I'm so happy that my children had that bonding time with them. I found that my biggest fears of this experience have not been an issue at all. And I really owe that to my in-laws. My favorite words that I receive in a text message often is Palmer says, "skype Mommy!". That's when I know I have a skype date that evening. I have pictures but will not be able to post them until I get home because the memory card in my camera only fits my husband's computer. Perhaps I will do a slide show of my summer when I get home for all to see.

Well, on to the 3rd and last session! Stay tuned!

Salzburg Update

2011-07-31T08:45:00.001-07:00

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind and a total dream! I have enjoyed walking the streets of this beautiful city everyday to and from class. Music is in the air in every direction. And the diversity of people is fantastic! However, I really need to avoid the Backerei's on every corner!

My voice has essentially experienced a revolution. Thanks to Rudolf Piernay, I feel I have the final piece to the puzzle that I have been missing in my singing. This revolution has also opened up a plethora of repertoire that I never thought possible before. It has been so nice to work at such a high level. Prof. Piernay really focused intensely on every little detail. I feel that I can approach my music with a greater depth of understanding that I did not possess before. During the last two weeks, he has uncovered my true voice and has given me more understanding of the possibilities of the beauty of sound that my instrument is capable of. It's really quite exciting! It is kind of like carrying around a beautiful rock all your life only to discover that it's a diamond or a ruby! I feel so blessed and find so much joy in this discovery.

I should back up and explain a bit better what happens with these masterclasses. The first day of the two week session, all of the singers enrolled in the class audition for the teacher/professor. The Professor then decides who will be an active participant and who will not. At that point, a schedule is made where each student will get private lessons, coaching/rehearsal with the pianist, and masterclass performance time. Everyday is full of getting instruction, observing other students, and practicing. Most of the Vocal masterclasses are held in the old Mozarteum building which is right next to the famous Mirabell Garden where parts of The Sound of Music was filmed.

The students in the class were from all over the world including Romania, Russia, Korea, Switzerland, and Poland. It has been so interesting to see so many cultures in the same room trying to communicate about the universal language of music. In the end, we are all very much the same. We just speak different languages. I have enjoyed observing lessons in German and French as well as English. Although my German language speaking skills are very limited, I'm starting to understand more and more. The Austrian's speak German very differently than the Germans so they are harder to understand.

Along with the voice instruction, I had the opportunity to take an Alexander Technique class along with a few Yoga sessions. Both classes have made a tremendous difference in how I approach the act of singing. I have a completely different perspective of the way my body should be engaged physically while I am performing. I've learned how to be more efficient in my movements in order to make the optimum quality of sound possible. I also love how I feel as I am being encouraged to become more centered in both body and soul.

This last Monday evening, we were delighted to run into our dear friend Brian Stone who is also in Salzburg on a grant from another American Austrian society in New York. He conducted the orchestra for the recent Die Fledermaus I performed at UD this past Spring. It was really fun to see a familiar face!

We were also surprised by a brief visit from Bob Demers the president of The Austrian American Society of Wilmington, DE (the society that has granted me this opportunity). The just popped in to one of my classes one day. I wasn't at all expecting him to be in Austria! It was quite a surprise! He was here visiting his daughter. My husband and I were joking that he came to make sure I didn't take the money and run! (Just teasing Bob!)

I finished this first session by performing in the final Academy Concert that was on Friday evening. I sang Come Scoglio from Cosi fan Tutte by Mozart. I felt really good about the performance although I certainly didn't remember everything that Prof. Piernay taught me. In the end, I chose to commit to my character and connect with the audience. That is where the most fun is for me. After the concert, I was walking out the door and going over my performance in my head making a note of the all the things I didn't do properly. I am always my own worst critic! Anyway, a young girl and her mother stopped me and asked for my autograph. I didn't quite know how to respond to that but it certainly gave me a nice self esteem boost! I absolutely love performing but I get somewhat uncomfortable with the attention I receive afterwards. My greatest thrill is the magical connection between myself and the audience. I'm always happy to know they received something positive from my performance.

I will be saying goodbye to my husband in two short days and will begin another session. I will also be changing apartments so I feel like I'm starting all over again in a way. I am missing my children but have been happy to know they are having a blast with Grandparents back at home. How blessed I am to be having this experience! Who would have thought that a country bumpkin from Deer Park, WA and a mother of three would be granted a dream opportunity like this! Thank again to everyone that has helped make this possible!

Jet lag stinks!

2011-07-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

Since I have never been outside of the United States, I didn't really know what to expect when it comes to jet lag. I have to say that getting one's body on a new clock is kind of a weird experience. Anyone that knows me very well, knows that I don't handle no sleep. I had to force myself to stay awake yesterday and go to bed Austrian time. After spending the day getting to know the city, registering at the Mozarteum, and buying groceries, I could only make it to 7pm Austrian time before I hit the pillow hard. I woke up at 2am only to realize I should still be sleeping! Now if I can just get used to the new mattress, that will be great!

Also, when I realized that most everyone speaks mostly German it was a bit of a culture shock. I'm kind of regretting that I didn't find more time to study the language. It's really weird when you walk through a crowd saying "Excuse Me" in English and everyone looks at you with a totally blank stare. I'm sure I'll catch on to more of the basics as time goes on. I'm a person who thrives on connecting with people so this will be tough at first.

I feel a little better this evening (24hrs. later). We made sure to get out and about to see a few things before the real work begins on Monday. Today we hiked up to the Festung Hohensalzburg which is the big fortress on the hill above the city. It was quite a hike bu

t it felt good to get some exercise in. We also found a cute little cafe on the cliffs near the fortress called, Gasthaus Stadtalm. The food was delicious and very authentic. While I enjoyed some wonderful Weinerschnitzel, Rob tried not to get stung. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the bee on the rim of Rob's glass of water. It was getting too friendly with our food so I killed it with our Rick Steves' travel guide.(I'll have to clean off the guts before I return it to the library, oops!) I don't think Rick will mind as it was a cafe Rick Steves himself recommended.

We just discovered that there are practice rooms in the basement of our student housing complex. No piano, but a place to rehearse and vocalize nonetheless. I was co

ncerned that we wouldn't get to rehearse much before the Audition on Monday. We have to audition for the masterclass for the professor to decide whether we will be active participants or not. If we are deemed worthy to actively participate, then we are authorized to purchase practice room time in the Mozarteum facility.

I'm kind of anxious for Monday. I'm hoping all goes well

A new season begins

2011-07-13T13:08:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in the Dulles airport waiting for my plane to depart to Salzurg, Austria. I have no diapers or baby wipes in my bag. My carry on is not stuffed full of snacks, toys, and extra clothing for possible blow-outs or mishaps along the way. I keep looking around with the feeling I'm forgetting something then to realize that no, I'm not, everything is fine. I just had a fabulous meal at the Chipotle Mexican grill. I ate slowly, savoring every bite. For there were no mouths to feed except my own. The feelings I am experiencing are mixed. I have this strange sense of absolute freedom yet I'm not sure if I feel at home in that feeling. I fight back the tears as I remember how Palmer held me tight and long as I said goodbye to my little munchkin that will be turning two while I am gone. I know they are all in good hands with Grandma and Grandpa, but I will have the challenge of discovering my identity without my children.

A new season is beginning for me. The events that have led up to this day have been a whirlwind. I marvel as I contemplate on my life. I have seen the pieces of my puzzle slowly form to make this beautiful scene that is my life and my soul purpose.

I have never been one to go at life via traditional methods. I would classify my approach as unconventional to say the least. As unconventional as my path has seemed, I don't regret a bit. In fact I celebrate in how God has led me on my particular path for very specific reasons. I don't believe in accidents. And I truly believe that God's timing is the best timing.

I look forward to this new adventure and am grateful to see a life-long dream of studying music in Europe coming true. I will miss my three little boys terribly. But hopefully, I will come home to them with so much more to offer.

Palmer 8 days old pictures

2009-09-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

thanks Jeff and Maren for awesome pictures!

Palmer Joseph Brandt has arrived

2009-09-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's been over a week an high time I put it on my blog. My number 3 boy, Palmer Joseph Brandt, was born Friday August 28th at 7:59 am via scheduled c-section. He was 8 lbs. 20 inches long. This was by far the best experience of the 3. I was much healthier this pregnancy and was able to be very active throughout. In fact, the day before we had the inspector come so Rob and I were out nailing side rails and brackets onto our back steps that morning so they would pass inspection. I can confidently tell all those men in my ward that I knew what I was doing shoveling compost out of trucks at 5 and 6 months pregnant. My body just doesn't go into labor on it's own, period. I might pull a muscle or two, but not a single contraction will occur. Anyway, I was very relieved when Palmer first emerged and let out a healthy cry. My other two were promptly wisked away to special care for breathing problems and I didn't get to hold or feed them for several hours after. This time, I was able to hold him in my arms as they wheeled me out of surgery to recovery. What a blessing to have that experience for the first time. I also didn't throw up at all after surgery when I typically endure several hours of relentless vomiting. So I was perky as a peacock all that day! Of course when you start taking care of baby and nursing around the clock, you're not so perky and lack of sleep catches up to you. We had bit of a rough go at nursing in the beginning but are doing great now. He is such a precious little guy! His two brothers love him so much and can't get enough. Especially Adam. He'll just stare at him and say, "Ooooohh! He's sooooo cute!" I can't describe the feelings of love and gratitude I feel being a Mommy again. There's nothing quite as hard, nothing quite as special.

First lost tooth

2009-08-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Adam finally lost his first tooth a few days ago. All of his friends his age have been losing teeth left and right. He was beginning to feel pretty left out. He was very excited to have a visit from the tooth fairy. (Although the tooth fairy and his assistant had a bit of a disagreement on how much money to leave under the pillow. His assistant, thought a dollar would be more than generous. Mr. Fairy suggested five dollars with the argument of inflation! After his assistant choked a bit on her water, she reminded him that he would have to give 5 dollars every time he lost a tooth. The assistant won.) I overheard Adam saying this to his dad, " Dad, I believe the tooth fairy is real but you know it's not really real so you put the dollar under my pillow." He is such a smart kid. So imaginative yet such a realist. I remember pointing to the sky one time and saying, "look Adam! I see a bunny rabbit!" Adam's response, "Mom, that's a cloud." No use arguing. Seems like just yesterday that he was getting that very tooth in!

Birthday Boy!

2009-08-08T15:47:00.001-07:00

Today was Adam's birthday. I can't believe my baby is 6 years old! Time really has flown. I love this kid so much it hurts! Happy birthday Son! I'm so proud you're mine and I love you! Here are a few pictures of him opening his presents from us and Grandma and Grandpa Brandt.
P.S. Grandma and Grandpa Brandt, Adam has been playing Clue Jr. non-stop for the past 45 min. I guess it's a hit! Thanks so much for making his birthday special!

My Golfers

2009-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Stressed but still smiling

2009-07-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

things are pretty stressful around here these days. I'm 4 weeks out from having baby number 3. We're trying to buy the house we live in hoping that we have a place to live right after baby. Rob's trying to finish his dissertation so that he gets his pay raise in September. And many other things that I could list but it would take too long. Don't get me wrong, these are all wonderful things, just so much is hanging in the balance and it takes alot out of you to muster the faith that things will work out in the end. Remember, faith without works is dead, and we have been working really hard! Since I'm practically on the verge of a nervous breakdown every day, I've decided that I need to focus on the things that make me smile in order to relieve stress.

Things that made me smile today...

1. Adam said to Rob, "When Mom kisses me it's like she's giving me the stamp of love!"

2. Walking into the boys room and catching them lip singing and jammin' to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas CD.

3. Walking in the door from a late grocery trip to see that my husband had been a white tornado cleaning the house while I was gone.

Whatever happens, I know I'm blessed with a beautiful family that brings me joy beyond words!

Smart Mom

2009-07-27T19:21:00.001-07:00

A message Adam's primary teacher sent me today on facebook. Totally made my day! I sure love this kid!

"So in Primary today we were talking about how parents help teach their children about the gospel. We were asking the kids in general what their parents teach them and Adam said "My mom teaches me everything in the whole world!" Throughout the course of the lesson he and Elli were arguing about that even being possible and then Adam looked over at me really sad and said "Ellie doesnt believe that my mom taught me everything in the whole world!" It was SO cute! I told him "Well, its not really possible to know everything in the whole world, but Ill bet your mom teaches you everything she knows and that is a lot of stuff because she is pretty smart." He just looked at me and said "ok"... didn't seem overly convinced but at least wasn't still upset at Elli :)
It was really sweet tho that he was so upset that someone didn't believe that you knew everything in the whole world and taught it all to him. Just thought I would share :)"

I'm so glad Adam has such amazing teachers! Thanks Tiffany for being so patient with him!

Nesting

2009-07-06T16:53:00.001-07:00

Despite a nasty cold this weekend, I managed to sew the crib bedding for the baby room. I think my nesting instinct is stronger than my desire to lay down and sleep. Actually, I find that these types of creative outlets are meditative for me. I enjoy just zoning out and hearing the whir of the machine. Sometimes I'll listen to conference talks or something. Anyway, I enjoyed my weekend of therapy and thoroughly love the result! The subtle theme is turtles.

Help!

2009-05-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone! I need to take a poll. Hopefully this will help convince my husband to name our baby what I want! So, after hours and hours of scouring name lists, I finally got that special feeling. Are you ready? I want to name our new baby boy Palmer Allan Brandt. Rob is not a fan but I'm sure I can convince him if the rest of the world is on my side! I want honest opinions here. And if you don't like it, feel free to share your brilliant ideas! Because we are at a standstill!

Rotten

2009-05-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

When I was little I remember a motivation technique the was used often. Whoever was in charge would motivate us to be somewhere or do something by saying, "Last one to the car is a rotten egg!" or, "Last one to get ready for church is a rotten egg!". You get the picture. Anyway, I started using that one day with my boys because I was getting desperate to get them to listen. I thought I would make it fun but I think they got a little confused. You see, my boys LIKE to be rotten. I figured this out early on and instead of saying, "LAST one" I say "FIRST one to get dressed is a rotten egg!". When I say it that way, they both clamor to be the first one. Usually Adam wins because he's the oldest, biggest, and fastest of the two. He'll gain victory and shout, "I'm rotten!" Then Lincoln will droop his head and cry, "Oh man! I wanted to be rotten!" He gets really upset so I have to say ," the next one is rotten too!" This usually makes him happy and then he'll run and do whatever it was I asked of him. Well, today I was trying to get the boys to come down for dinner. They wouldn't come, and wouldn't come. So I yelled up the stairs, "First one to the table is a rotten egg!" Of course, Adam has to win so he comes bounding down the stairs. Lincoln on the other hand was not responding to my motivation technique this time. Because Adam is the oldest, he feels it's his job to make sure everyone else is doing what they are supposed to do. He was getting very frustrated that Lincoln would not come down. I overheard him yelling up to Lincoln, "Lincoln! Don't you WANT to be rotten?" No answer. I guess not!

A Tribute to My Mothers

2009-05-10T15:26:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed to have the most wonderful mothers in my life. I want to thank my own mother, who bore 13 children into this world, baked thousands upon thousands of loaves of bread, used old-fashioned cloth diapers for ALL 13 children, and did countless other things to care for her children, for always believing in me. Mom, you have always been my biggest fan in everything I've endeavored to accomplish. Thanks to you, I have inherited your love for music and hopefully can instill that in my children. Thanks to you, I pretty much believe I can do anything I put my mind to. Thanks to you, I am a better mother as I remember and utilize the things you taught me. Thanks to you, I have the gospel in my life and am sealed to you for all eternity. Thanks to you I truly have a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father's plan for us. I love you Mom!

I want to thank my wonderful Mother-in-law for so many things. I love you like I love my own mother. Thanks to you, I have the most amazing husband a girl could ask for who has given me two (almost 3) beautiful children. A man who takes his patriarchal role very seriously and treats me like a queen even when I'm not. Thanks to you, your son had the gospel in his life and was worthy to take me to the temple. Thanks for listening to the spirit all those years ago when investigating the church. Thanks to you, I know I'm always cared for. I don't know what I would do without you when I have my babies. Thanks to you, my boys have made many memories of playing endless hours of hide-and-go-seek, various make believe games, building forts, etc... I cherish our friendship and feel very fortunate to have you in my life!

Treasure boxes

2009-05-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had a visit from Rob's Great Aunt and Uncle Dorothy and Lyle Feisel. So they would be our boy's Great-great Aunt and Uncle. They live about 1 hr and 30 minutes south of us and it has been such a joy getting to know them. They have become so dear to us and we are so grateful to have such wonderful people in our family. Growing up, my dad always made a huge effort to help his children know the legacy and heritage that we came from. Even to the extent of a 16-18 hr. ride with 9 kids in the back of an S-10 Chevy pickup truck. We spent that trip playing with cousins, visiting gravestones and bonding with the generations that have gone before. I remember sitting at the feet of my Great uncle Paul as he told us stories about my Dad. And listening to my uncle Roger sing us silly songs while playing the guitar. I can't speak for my siblings, but the memories that I still have of those summer vacations/reunions are of the importance of knowing where you come from. Rather than the long miserable car rides throwing up from motion sickness and trying not to kill each other in the process. Since then, I am a sentimental fool when it comes to learning about my ancestors. I want my children to have a strong knowledge of the legacy that they have come from on both sides of the family. With that said, you can imagine my joy when Great Uncle Lyle shows up with the most special gift for my two boys. Lyle is an extremely gifted woodworker. He made a treasure box for each of my boys. In the inside of the box was this picture of Rob's Great Grandfather Clyde Feisel Holding Rob's dad Steve when he was a baby in about 1954. I cried when I read the story below the picture. Here's the story:
About 1935, Clyde Feisel and his family were renting a farm about three miles southwest of Tama, Iowa. It was the depth of the great depression and while farmers were well supplied with food from their own labors, there was no market for crops or livestock so there was no cash available to pay the rent. The farm was owned by the Meskwaki Indian nation and they were very happy to barter for the rent since no one else had any cash, either. They made a deal with Clyde that if he would cut down trees on the farm, have them milled into lumber in a nearby sawmill and then build a barn, they would accept that in lieu of rent. Clyde cut the local hardwoods-elm, ash, cottonwood and hickory-for the barn. At the same time, he cut and had sawn some walnut trees that he didn't use in the barn but instead stacked and dried for later use. As the five feisel boys grew up and went to high school, they all used this walnut lumber for shop projects. A small amount of this lumber still survives and Lyle now uses it for inlays in projects for the descendents of Clyde and Clara.
Clyde Feisel is Adam and Lincoln's Great Great Grandfather.

The diamond in the center of the lid is the remnant of walnut that is spoken of in the story.
Thank you Dorothy and Lyle for sharing this incredible gift with us! We love you guys!

How does your garden grow?

2009-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been a bit obsessed with self reliance. I'm the Enrichment counselor in the Relief Society presidency in our ward so have been trying to incorporate activities that will encourage the women to become more self reliant. My current baby is the beginning of a community garden. An awesome family in our ward donated a huge plot for us to use. It has been so exciting to see others buy into my vision of what this garden can do for the families in our ward. I don't have pictures of the garden, but here are some starter plants that my boys and I planted several weeks ago that will be transplanted into the community garden. It's sort of hard to see some of them. This is the first time I've tried to do starters , so we'll see how successful they are. At any rate, it's been fun for the boys to learn and help me watch and care for our "babies". In fact, Adam and I had an awesome conversion that began with an observation he had. He observed that Lincoln's flowers were growing faster than his at first, but then his caught up and seemed to be growing faster now. I mentioned briefly that people are kind of like that. In that we all grow at different speeds depending on our personalities, circumstances, talents, and abilities. Sometimes we forget to "feed" our bodies, minds, and spirits and it halts our growth for the time being and we can even begin to wilt and die. Adam thought for a moment then his eyes brightened. He said, "Yeah! Kind of like when the Lamanites and the Nephites took turns being wicked and righteous!" He understood. It prompted me to ponder about what I am doing to feed my mind, body, and spirit. How is my garden growing?

My own Dr. Seuss

2009-04-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

In homeschool we've been reading alot of poetry by Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. We found books that tell about the authors and how they became writers of children's books. We are also learning about how poetry works and how it has a musical rhythm to it. Anyway, Adam was inspired and wanted to write his own book of silly poems. Here they are! I can't help but giggle when I read through them.

Spooky Tales
A book of silly poems
By Adam Brandt

What Day Will I Be Flat?
What day will I be flat?
Maybe it might be Saturday or Friday.
Or maybe it might be on my birthday.
Maybe on Christmas.
When I get flat, I would like to play the piano.
But when I played the piano, I didn’t want to play it anymore.

I Would love to be a Ghost in the Attic
I would love to be a ghost in the attic.
If I were, I would climb down the stairs to the attic
And go haunt people.
Would you want to be a ghost in the attic?
What’s that you say? You say that today is the day
that I’m going to the attic?
Goodbye, I’m going to the attic.

I Cannot Go to Preschool Today
I cannot go to preschool today.
What? What’s that you say? You say today is Saturday?

Goodbye, I’m going out to play.

4 Men in What Tub?
What tub has 4 men?
Do you know what I like to do best?
Math. If you make a 4 into a 5, you might want to
Write in the word “blim-blim” as in “tub-tub”. Or
If you put a 4 to a 6 then it might end up as the word
“piano”. Did you know that pianos have hair?
That’s a very odd question you say, “why did they have hair?”
Because F, 5, and 4 make the words “pianos have hair”.

What Do Chickens Do at Night?
What do chickens do at night? I know what
Chickens do at night. What’s that you say? You say you want to
Know what chickens do at night? I’ll tell you. They make
words out of music notes or numbers. They might put a 4 and a middle C
to make the words “Lamps and pianos have hair”. Did you know
that computers and lamps and pianos eat cereal and oatmeal?
Well, that’s all of my story. Goodbye, I’m going out to play.

What is in that Spooky Cabin?
What is in that spooky cabin? Are there lamps or spooky ghosts?
I do not know. Go ask your dad. What is in that spooky cabin?
Is there a cat or lanterns? I do not know, go ask your pop.
Maybe there is a mysterious ghost. I do not know, go ask your mom.
Goodbye, I’m going out to play.

Our lovely blissfully happy lot in life!

2009-04-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it seems that our lot in life is destined to remain in the male variety. Yep! That's right! We found out today that we are having boy #3! We are so excited. Picking a name is going to be tricky though. Any ideas?

Mt. Puanana (Pooh-uh-nah-nah)

2009-04-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is our latest science project. Adam wanted to make a volcano diorama like his friend Connor. We got on Youtube and found instructions and went to work. At first he was disappointed that it would take several days to complete the project and he had to stop and "rest" a few times because he thought it was SO exhausting! Once it began to take shape though, he was very excited.

Phase 1-Newspaper tower

Phase 2-Plaster
Adam was not too thrilled about the flour and water slop we used to plaster the paper. He'll pick his nose then put his finger in his mouth but he doesn't like to touch flour and water. Go figure!
He thought it very important to go to the draw/erase board and "record" notes about how volcanoes work. A real scientist documents his work.

Phase 3-Painting

Phase 4-Eruption

It was a bit disappointing this first time, so I guess we'll have to practice.

So Proud!

2009-04-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to announce that my sweet husband finally passed all of his exams and sang his last recital in Indiana this past week. He is officially ABD (All but dissertation)! I am so proud of him! It has been very tough to be working a full-time faculty position and trying to finish a doctorate degree at the same time. I always appreciate how he keeps his priorities in order. I hope my boys remember that their dad always took the time to be with them and never studied on Sundays. I love you and am so proud of you hon!

An ongoing frustration

2009-04-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to wonder if this kid is going to be potty trained by the time this baby comes! All the cards seem to be in place for it to happen but Lincoln is just too darn busy having fun. He wants to wear "big boys" but doesn't want the trouble of going to the bathroom so usually opts for pullups. I remind him that wearing "big boys" mean that he needs to sit on the potty to practice periodically. When I tell him that he usually says, "Uh,..I'll wear pullups". We started this process several months ago and several times it seemed to be a go. We've tried several things. I even read a book about it which was totally unnecessary for Adam who essentially trained himself by the age of 3. I'm not going to push it but pray hard and cross my fingers that he's done by August!

It's a good thing you're so cute buddy!

Tee Ball

2009-04-05T05:45:00.001-07:00

We put Adam in Tee ball this year and he is very excited about it. He really loves baseball and we feel it will give him some good socialization and physical activity while homeschooling. It's been fun watching him do something that he is really quite good at and to see the pleasure he gets from it. It's so funny to watch the kids at this age. Adam always wants to be in the action, otherwise he starts to daydream and watch the dandelions grow. He got to play pitcher for an inning in his first game which made him very happy he did a little jig when he got to his position.

Moments to cherish

2009-04-05T05:33:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago, I gave the boys a few minutes to play before bedtime while I checked my email. After awhile I realized that the house was really quiet. This is what I found.

This is what I found that same night after they went to sleep. These are the moments I'll think about when things aren't going quite so smooth.

Homeschool

2009-03-22T14:54:00.000-07:00

Since we began homeschooling Adam, I feel that we have been on such an adventure. As overwhelmed as I was in the beginning, I have come to learn of how truly rewarding homeschool can be. Here are a few fun activities we have done recently.

The boys enjoy bringing out the paints and free painting. At times it is difficult to do school with Adam and keep Lincoln busy or interested. But this is an activity that definitely works. We've studied various painters like VanGogh, Monet, and Renoir.

Adam is obsessed with legos these days. Particulary Star Wars or Indiana Jones legos. Since we refuse to buy him the lego video games (I know, such mean parents!), we try to encourage as much building as we can. He's getting very good at following the instructions. And often likes to create other crafts of his own invention. And there is his loyal little sidekick right there beside him.

The boys helped me get the starters planted for our patio pot garden. We learned about what seeds need to grow and how to plant the seeds differently. Adam was very meticulous about putting the seeds in and did a fantastic job. Now let's just hope they grow! Adam was particularly proud of his gerber daisies he is pointing to in the picture. Lincoln is pointing to the flowers he planted. I have a little trouble getting Adam to smile normal for pictures sometimes.

News of the Week

2009-03-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

I suppose most of you know already by now, but I figured I'd make an official announcement on my blog for those that might not know yet. The Brandt's are having another baby! I find out in a couple of weeks what we are having. It's been a pretty rough pregnancy but I now am feeling much better and more myself. They actually have me on a small dose of Zoloft which has helped my moods tremendously. There is definitely a different mix of hormones going on with this pregnancy. So you can imagine we are very anxious to find out the sex. I will be having another c-section. They've scheduled me for the 28th of August for now. I'm a little sceptical about the date because it's a week before my due date. Both my boys had some breathing problems at birth so I worry that that will happen again. Anyway, we are very excited for this next little one. Adam originally wanted a baby sister but now that he realizes that she will probably want to watch princess movies, he's strongly opposed to a sister. He also thinks that the baby should be named "chimpzilla" if it's a boy. Sorry buddy!

Therapy

2009-03-12T16:02:00.001-07:00

This is my latest therapy project. The boys are now sharing a queen bed that needed a quilt. Thanks to my friend Aubrey, I've discovered the genius of Fleece backing. No batting required! I had fun designing the pattern. Thanks quilt for a great therapy session!

5 yrs old and rich

2009-03-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

Adam: "Mom, when can we go to London?"

Mom: "When we save up enough money to pay our way."

Adam: "Oh, don't worry mom. I've got lots of money in my piggy bank in my room. You can
have all of it."

(Someday he'll learn how very rich I am to be his Mommy!)

Adam's first chapter book

2008-12-09T11:29:00.000-08:00

As you know from a previous post, we've decided to homeschool Adam. It took a few weeks to get in a routine, but are now feeling settled. I am having a total blast. Yesterday we got a little off track from our schedule because we were very engrossed in writing a chapter book for Adam. Adam dictated everything. He really loves mysteries ever since Rob read the Egypt Game to him. He's also been very interested in writing his own stories.The other day, he was asking his dad how one makes a book. Rob explained the process of writing and sending to a publisher to get printed and so forth. So it was very important for Adam to have it in chapter book format. He still has to do the illustrations so we can send it to the "printers". But here is what he has so far:

Adam’s Jack-in-the-box
Written by Adam Brandt
Illustrated by Adam Brandt

Chapter 1
The missing Jack-in-the-box
When I was 23 years old I had a birthday. I got a present. When I opened it there wasn’t anything in it. I was sure that this would be a mystery. And then I went into my room and looked everywhere around my room. I couldn’t find the Jack-in-the-box anywhere. And then I went in my brother’s room and I looked around my brother’s room. Thirty days later my Mom died. Then I went with my Grandpa and Grandma to their house.

Chapter 2
The Terrible Cries
When I got to Grandma’s house, I looked around the room that I was going to sleep in. And I looked at the strange pictures and one of them was like an old man crying and smiling at the same time.

Chapter 3
The Secret Room
When I came out of the room I was going to sleep in, I found that one of the flashlights was knocked down from the shelf. And then, the door closed behind me and when I looked around, no one was standing there!

Chapter 4
The Ghostly Picture
When I passed the flashlights it was knocked down from the shelf. I found another flashlight. It was knocked down from the door. And then I looked at the door and I expected more flashlights to be on there but there were none but an old old flashlight. I heard a story that a ghost that lived in an old man’s house. And when I went to the room that I was going to sleep in, I slept for a long time. And when I woke up, there wasn’t any strange pictures there anymore. It was like somebody had cut them off. And then I saw that it was like that because it was on the floor. And I saw somebody standing by my bed. But when I looked back there wasn’t anybody there. Then I saw Grandma it seemed like it was floating. And when I thought that, there was a cry heard. But I didn’t know, and it seemed like Grandpa was crying. But it was nearer in Grandpa’s office and it was more far away in the house from my room. And then I walked out of my room. Then I saw my ghostly shadow turn over my door when somebody closed behind me. It seemed like somebody was trying to play a trick on me but it was a ghost. And I saw Grandpa but his face was scowling like he was really mad that I was here.

Chapter 5
The Ghostly Shadows
When I walked out of Grandpa’s office, I saw another strange door and heard a slam when I turned to walk to the other door. But when I saw it, it wasn’t closed. It was like it was slamming to eat someone. Then I ran away but I heard another slam from the same door. This time it was closed but again when I turned it was slammed. This time it was open and it shut, but a little shut and a little open. It was strange that this house was kind of haunted when I read another story of ghosts that I felt more familiar that this was haunted a long time ago. Then I woke up from my bed. Then Grandpa called me to go to his work. And when I got to his work, it seemed like there was nothing but the church thing. But, there was churches surrounding us. The only airplanes we could see is the airplane that Grandpa built. It wasn’t a real one it was a fake. But it was used for flying but it wasn’t used for people to fly it.

Chapter 6
The Mystery of Grandpa’s work

Grandpa told me that I could look around Grandpa’s huge office because he would find some clues where his Jack-in-box was but he had a Jack-in-the box but it wasn’t his. He said that somebody sent a package to him. When he opened the door there was noone there. It was a person that Grandpa thought was a boy who sent the package. But Grandma sent the package.

Chapter 7
A Fake and Real Tornado
When I was working on building a fake tornado, but suddenly there was a complete smash like there was a real tornado. But when I looked out the window there was no tornado. Then I went and searched around grandma and Grandpa’s house. And I came to the door of my room and I turned it and it was locked. And then I went to Grandpa’s office and the door was locked. And I tried all the doors upstairs and downstairs and they were all locked.

Chapter 8
The Beginning of One Mystery
When I had my second birthday, I had to do another mystery. But then I was the mystery that I was just going on. And I figured out that the picture was really floating. But it wasn’t real and it had nothing on it. Just a blank picture. Then I figured out that who was making the mystery happen was Grandpa and Grandma. They were the ones who locked the doors. They were the ones who made the fake airplane. And they were the ones who builded all of the churches to surround us as Grandpa’s work. But the only thing that I was not sure that my mystery wasn’t done, was where was my Jack-in-the-box? And I figured that my Jack-in-the-box was in Grandpa’s office. Grandpa was the one who kept the secret of him really selling the package. He wanted to get away from every thing that children have so that he could give children who didn’t have enough toys a lot of toys. Grandma was the one who locked my door. She was keeping a secret that she cut all my pictures. Because she wanted all the pictures to be in the neighbor’s house. And put the neighbor’s pictures in our house. But when I woke up, the pictures were hot wheels pictures in my room and there were airplanes in Grandpa’s room and houses in Grandma’s room.

THE END

I'm Thankful

2008-11-28T15:39:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for the small and simple things. This is a conversation that occured in the car on the way to thanksgiving dinner with Great Aunt Dorothy and Great Uncle Lyle.

Me: "Happy Thanksgiving boys! What are you thankful for Adam?"

Adam: "I'm thankful for the leaves that Heavenly Father gave us so the trees could be beautiful in the fall."

Me: "Me too! Lincoln, what are you thankful for?"

Lincoln: (without hesitation) "God."

A few minutes later...

Lincoln: (smiling big with his big dimple) "I Shining!"

These are the moments that make life worth living! I'm thankful that God gave me these incredible boys!

Mother for Sale

2008-11-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

Does anyone know of a good therapist for children? I'm pretty sure that they're going to need it for every time I've cut their hair. I'm not kidding! I seriously dread when the time comes to cut my children's hair. Some probably wonder why I let my kids get so shaggy. It's because I know that I'm going to have to deal with major trauma. Adam is the worst. Oh my goodness! To hear him carry on, you would think that the worst thing possible was happening to him. I try to coax and be soft. Then he carries on so that I find myself losing patience and it becomes a serious battle. He is so prone to be afraid of everything. You should have seen us trick or treating on Halloween. Whenever someone with a mask got anywhere near, he would start freaking out desperately clinging to my legs. I wouldn't say he was much of a risk-taker. By the time it's all over, I always vow that I will NEVER cut my children's hair again. But then I can never bring myself to paying someone else money to do what I can do. So, I guess it all comes down to the money. My children need therapy because I wanted to save a few bucks! Poor Lincoln spent the rest of his evening following after me with his "blanky" saying, "Mommy, I want you!" Evidently he was in need of some nurturing after his haircut. Some reassurance that his mother did in fact still love him. My poor children...I just may have to put myself on Ebay..."One Mother for sale, one mother for sale. One haircutting, head holding mother for sale...."

Life-changing decision

2008-11-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Rob and I finalized our decision this morning to pull Adam from public schools. We've been talking about it for a long time but at this fall decided to go ahead and give public schools a try. It was what Adam wanted to do anyway. Since school has started it has become increasingly evident that it was time to revisit the idea and to give it some serious thought and prayer. I went to parent/teacher conferences and left feeling that a huge change was impending and I wasn't sure if I was ready. Any parent would probably have come out of the that meeting feeling positive about the situation. The teacher is very happy with Adam's performance and that he behaves well in class. That's actually part of the problem. She describes a child to me that I didn't think existed. She told me that he's extremely quiet and rarely raises his hand to participate. However, he always knows the right answer when called on. This probably sounds like a dream child for any public school teacher that spends a good portion of the day keeping the peace. He comes home every day completely exhausted and expressing concern that school is "So Long". I've come to the opinion that after 2 short months of of public schools Adam is already tired and bored. They are in school 7 hours a day with only one 20 min. recess and a 30 minute lunch. I could go on and on about all the reasons why we are making the change but, I'm tired right now. I'm tired because I'm scared to death. I feel so much responsibility on my shoulders now and I'm not sure where to start. The answers to our prayers will be the driving force for me right now, in that I know that we are making the right decision. So, to all you homeschooling mothers out there, HELP!

Autumn pictures

2008-11-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

The boys and I had fun taking some Autumn pictures to capture the leaves in our backyard. As pretty as the leaves are this year, I can't help but think my family is more beautiful.

Halloween

2008-11-03T18:54:00.000-08:00

After dealing once again with a tempermental printer that doesn't like to download pictures when I ask it to, I was successful in producing these fun Halloween pics. Adam was obviously Harry Potter. He wanted to look exactly like him so we colored his hair dark. Lincoln was a rough and tough cowboy that went around the church party tipping his hat to the ladies and saying, "howdy partner". I wish I had a pic of myself dressed up at the party. It was pretty entertaining getting the response that I got. Typically, everyone at church never sees my without make-up and dressed nice. I pretty much had everyone thinking that I was a typical high maintenance chick. I came dressed as myself the way I look when I roll out of bed in the morning. One of my friends was so traumatized that she actually asked me to never go there again! It was pretty sweet! Anyway, feast your eyes on these little sweeties instead.

If you look closely you can see a sucker stick sticking out of Lincoln's mouth and it looks like a cigarette. Once we got in the car this tough cowboy had had enough!

It's official!

2008-10-23T05:46:00.001-07:00

My little Lincoln is officially growing up! For the first time he very adamantly told me, "I NOT like you Mom!" My baby is gone.....

New York, New York!

2008-10-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

After a year of living in the East coast, I finally made it to New York City for my first time. Rob was hosting a tour bus to go see the Metropolitan Opera debut of "Dr. Atomic" by John Adams.
It was an incredible day. The first picture was the first thing I saw when I got off the bus at the lincoln center. The Manhattan temple. It's amazing to see Moroni in the middle of New York City. Unfortunately the itinerary of the tour bus did not allow enough time to attend the temple (so sad!). The next picture is the Lincoln center. The building on the left is the New York City Opera. The middle is the Metropolitan Opera house, and the building on the right is the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Behind that building is Julliard School of Music. For a trained opera singer, it's pretty sad that this was my first trip to the Met!

The story of "Dr. Atomic" is about Dr. Oppenheimer and the making of the atomic bomb. The music was riveting as well as the dramatic content as the morals of what happened at Hiroshima are explored. A definite MUST SEE in my book. It was exciting because the composer John Adams was actually there in the audience. The tenor role was sung by a fellow BYU Alumni Thomas Glenn. He was fantastic. Gerald Finley is Rob's favorite baritone of all time and he sang the lead of Oppenheimer. I wasn't terribly impressed with the new mezzo-soprano who was making her Met debut. She seemed very young and somewhat non-committal dramatically. Beautiful voice though. Being in that historic place certainly got my blood going again to get back on stage. Oh, how I miss performing!

Oh, how the years fly by!

2008-10-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like just yesterday...

Milburn Orchards

2008-10-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning before conference, the boys and I went apple picking with some good friends or ours while Rob spent the day in New York leading a tour bus to the Metropolitan Opera. We had so much fun. However, I probably should have put a limit on how many apples they could pick because Adam picked a good 20 lbs. on his own! We also enjoyed feeding the goats and the Giant pig. Good times.

I Did It!

2008-10-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

My little lincoln has become obsessed with puzzles and the Memory game. The other day he totally beat Adam and his dad playing a Memory game that Rob brought back from Germany. Below are pictures of a puzzle that he just finished putting together 3 times in a row. Such a little smarty pants this one!

First day of school pictures

2008-10-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

I'm very excited to announce that I'm back in business with pictures! Yeah! I finally got the transfer to work. So here are Adam's first day of school pictures

Adam wanted to make sure I got a good shot of his cool Star Wars backpack and Scooby Doo Mystery Machine lunchbox. He was so excited.

I love this picture of Adam with brother. They sure love each other.

It gets even better!

2008-09-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

So, I looked at my receipt from yesterday's shopping trip and realized I had been overcharged almost $20! I went in and it turned out to be the wrong item but was falsely advertised. So since it was their mistake, they gave me 2 big container's of honey for $5 when they were originally $9.99 a piece! Sweet! So, actually, my shopping trip panned out at $180 worth of groceries for approx $71! Almost $110 worth of savings people! I figured out that with the time I spent clipping coupons, I paid myself about $55 an hour. Not bad for a homemaker! Stay tuned for future reports of fabulous savings!

My latest obsession

2008-09-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

As the state of the economy grows worse and worse all the time, with cost of living ever rising, I'm always searching for ways to be more efficient with my time and/or money. In my book, time is money and vice versa. I'm determined that any time I spend working for income to help the family will be time I get paid for over and over again versus by the hour. I'm also becoming obsessed with coupon clipping. My friend Stevi, who I met at the park at playgroup (not a part of our group), has been opening my eye's to the wonderful world of getting paid at the register when you go grocery shopping. This woman is incredible! She more often than not, walks away with hundreds of dollars of groceries for only a fraction of the cost. She was showing me some old receipts and one showed over $200 worth of groceries that she only paid $49 for. Crazy! So, I went dumpster diving this morning to get a couple copies of the sunday paper. With Stevi's help, and on my very first time, I walked away with $180 of groceries for $90! Not really to Stevi's level yet but not bad for my first time. I can't even tell you how excited I am! So, I'll keep you posted as I get better at this. I can't even tell you what a blessing this is going to be. I don't remember the last time I was so excited to look at my receipt at the end of a shopping trip!

First day of school and talk in primary

2008-09-21T16:43:00.001-07:00

I have SO much to catch up on that has happened in the last several weeks. I'm been kind of trying to wait until I could get pictures on the computer to help document the events. But alas, my camera is MIA and my printer is not transferring pictures well anyway. Anyway, I wanted to document Adam's first day of school and his very first talk in primary. I'll have to post the pics when I can get them later. So, I thought for sure I would be bauling like a baby on Adam's first day of school because I was really fighting back the tears during orientation a few days before. Just walking the halls I was hit with the realization that my first "baby" was growing up, and FAST! I took him into the building on his first day and decided to say goodbye at the end of the hall and just let him walk by himself to his classroom. As I'm trying to hug and kiss him, he's getting on this tiptoes looking past me saying, "MOM, I gotta go!". I said goodbye and he just marched right down to his class like he'd been doing it for years with his cute little Clone Wars backpack and his Scooby Doo Mystery Machine lunch box. It was at that moment that I was excited instead of sad and weepy that he could have something to call his own. He has been ready for independence from me since he could walk and communicate anything at all! So, I didn't cry actually. I was so proud of my boy in seeing his confidence in his own abilities that I was happy to see him go and "conquer". It probably helped that I moved us into our new house that same day so my mind was on other things.I often miss him during the day as does little brother who asks me all day, "Where's my brudder? Where's my brudder?" So we look forward to our afternoons when he can tell us all about his day. At his school they use a color code system to encourage good behavior from the students. Green is the best and the colors go to blue, purple, red, and yellow as behavioral problems escalate. He's so funny everyday as he announces, "Well, I got green again today mom! But, so-and-so got a color change, and so-and-so had to give the teacher time." He is very conscious of pleasing the teachers and always notices when someone is breaking the rules. I'm not sure if this is good or bad. Adam's sense of humor and theatrical side is more apparent as his fictional stories of himself and his friends are becoming more and more frequent. One afternoon he had me going for two hours, totally straight-faced, telling me that he was naughty and should have had a color change. He went on and on about he and his friend Isha and how they were wandering the halls without the teachers. When I finally realized that he was fibbing, his story had excalated into sort of a Sci-fi, twilight zone account of missing buildings, and alien abductions. Pretty imaginative, that one.

He also gave his first talk in primary a couple of weeks ago and did a fantastic job. He was so reverent as he spoke about prayer. His dad helped him with alot of it but he recited the 9th artical of faith by heart and told a sweet story about how his prayer was answered one time the car wouldn't start before church. It was fast sunday that week and Adam seemed particularly in tune with the spirit that day. That same morning of his talk, he expressed to his dad that he wanted to bring a Book of Mormon with him to church. These were his words, "Dad, I need a Book of Mormon! I'm going to take my Book of Mormon and we're going to go around and knock on doors and teach the gospel! We're going to do it!" He was devasted when we explained to him that our job as members was to be a good example and share with our friends and not to knock on doors. He so had his heart set on tracting. So sweet! I love his huge little spirit. I know I've been focusing on my Adam so one of these days I'll need to fill you in on the adventures of my little rascal the "Lincolnbot", as he calls himself.

Ode to a dishwasher

2008-09-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got internet today! I've been without it for almost 3 weeks and it has been driving me nuts! Anyway, alot to catch up on as in the last three weeks we've moved to our new home (love it!) and sent our first child off to kindergarten. But the most important event of my life as of late has been the beautiful joining of woman and dishwasher. Oh how I love this machine! I wish I could hunt down it's inventor and give him/her a big hug and kiss. But, then they would be very uncomfortable as my hug would linger on much too long. Anyway, I just can't even begin to describe the happiness that I have now that this wonderful thing is a part of my life. I'm pretty sure that at least 3 hours a day have become free to do anything I please. I just might have to find a hobby now that I have 3 extra hours a day and only 1 child at home. Hmm...any ideas?

What in the World!

2008-08-24T16:23:00.001-07:00

Now that Adam is 5, he has found it appropriate and very grown up to add new phrases to his vocabulary. My favorite is, "What in the world....!" He pretty much says that any time things don't go exactly as planned. It was pretty cute when I overheard this expression as he was trying to put a toy back together and it wasn't happening. He muttered under his breath, "what in the world is this thing doing to me!" He also likes to use the word "actually" alot. "Mom, it's actually......." He will proceed to fill in whatever he would like to say. One of these days I need to take a video of him talking with his hands. It's too cute. I was so proud of him the other day as I arrived home with the car full of boxes for our move. Adam marched right out and proceeded to be a little gentleman and essentially emptied the entire car by himself as I talked on my cell phone. When I got off the phone and realized what happened I thanked him and he said, "Mom, I like to give service to people to show them how much I love them. And I love you Mom." I pretty much melted right there. I find myself just gazing into his darling face just wishing he would stay this little forever. Can you tell I'm going to cry on his first day of Kindergarten? I found some old pictures that I just love because their just so sweet! See, I can look at the mess now and say, "Oh, wasn't he just sweet!" I guarantee I didn't say that then.

No Girls

2008-08-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Conversation with Adam in the car this morning;
M: When your last month of karate is over you can pick something new to try like gymnastics or something.
A: Well, I might want to try gymnastics. But I don't want to go to a dance class that has lots of girls like the one in Indiana.
M: What's wrong with being in a class with girls?
A: Well, I don't like to be friends with a bunch of girls. I just want to stick with boys.
M: Oh, but you like to play with Haley and she's a girl.
A: Yeah, but she's a girl I know and I'll just stick with her. I like Haley, but I don't want to be friends with a bunch of girls I don't know.
M: You'll probably have alot of girls in your kindergarten class.
A: Oh, well, I'll be friends with the girls in my kindergarten class. Just not the girls at the dance class in Indiana.
M. Oh...okay.

I still couldn't quite get out of him why exactly he doesn't like girls. Maybe he thought he had to wear a tutu if he went to a class with all girls. Or, maybe he just doesn't want to be the only boy. Anyway, this conversation happened on the way home from registering him in Kindergarten. I can't believe my little boy is going to school! This all seems to crazy! Time goes by too fast and I wish my little stinkers would stay little just a little longer.

God does love us!

2008-07-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hello it's me again. Back again from my regular hiatus. Usually, I become resistant to journaling when I have plenty to write about. In fact too much to actually sit down and document. I have so much to report and say that I usually get overwhelmed and quit for awhile. My guilt eventually gets the better of me as I contemplate the volumns upon volumns of journals that my father has painstakingly kept over his now 68 years of life. You'd think I could blog a consistent word here and there instead of post silly pictures of my face on different famous people. Anyway, I feel compelled to share a huge blessing and answer to prayer that will drastically improve our families' quality of life in the next year to 6 years. We have spent this last year crammed into a tiny 720 square foot home. We have been very grateful to have a roof over our heads that was affordable as the cost of living on the east coast came as quite a shock from the slow-paced mid-western state of Indiana. But this home was much less than ideal for our growing family. Now that we know that Rob has some long-term stability with his job, we have been praying for an opportunity to purchase a home that we could stay in for awhile. I think in our 7 years of marriage we have moved almost 7 times! I have gotten very good at moving but I'm ready to settle down. When we went about getting pre-approved to purchase, we quickly realized that until Rob received his first real pay increase at the professor level (it happens when he officialy has his doctorate degree in hand) we would not be able to afford anything suitable for our family. I was very discouraged and had resigned myself to the possibility that we would never grow up and have a home of our own. That we would always struggle month to month to make ends meet. Just when we had decided that we would just stay in this tiny house another year, I checked craigslist out of auto pilot habit and came across this ad that seemed too good to be true. There are many scams on craigslist, but when I saw the pictures I had the distinct feeling that I had found our home. As it turns out, we have found the perfect set up for our current situation. The couple had decided to rent for one year to someone that was interested in buying the same home at the end of that year. The market is terrible out here so this is really the ideal. To rent a home this size, location, and quality, you have to pay at least $1350-$1600 per month! Crazy hugh! They are renting to us much lower than the normal market value so we feel very fortunate to have just found it to rent for the time being even if we don't buy. We are 99% certain that it is exactly what we would want to buy for our first home, so we are planning to purchase the home which is currently listed at almost $10-15,000 under the current market value at the end of this next year. We found our home! We signed the lease tonight so it is official. I can't tell you how excited and blessed I feel! Today as I was cleaning my tiny corner of a kitchen and watching the ants march across my table that we have learned to coexist with, I smiled to myself because I could now have peace in knowing that we will be in a much better situation than we are now. I will no longer have nasty moldy caulking in my shower that I can't scrub clean no matter what powerful chemical I use. All the windows will actually lock! I won't have stray dogs and cats roaming into our yard and tearing through our garbage and pooping in my yard later to be transported into my house on the bottom of a little boy's shoe. I'll have a dishwasher! After 3 years without one, I will cherish every moment I spend filling that machine! I will have a place for everything! No more trecking out to the storage unit to retrieve everyday used items. My boys can play without falling all over each other in their tiny bedroom/playroom. Can you tell I'm excited? Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure so you can share in my excitement.

Before:

After:

Which one do you like?

2008-05-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I had a little too much fun today with a website where you can put your face in a celebrity hairstyle. This is what I came up with.

Brad Pitt with my hair Cindy Crawford

Oprah
Victoria Beckham (my favorite)

Bill Clinton
Some Actress I don't know
Jessica Simpson
Some girl from Grey's anatomy (I think) Hillary Clinton

Sweet Success

2008-05-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Taking just a moment to express gratitude for a little success we've experienced this week.

We had our very first FHE that didn't involve a significant amount of wailing and gnashing of teeth. Typically I feel like pulling out the WWF costumes and jumping into the ring with these two little roughians I have here. But this time, we had so much fun together. The boys have been obsessed with Abinadi and King Noah for several weeks now so we relived the story with them using gospel art kit pictures. Then we had to teach Lincoln the difference between the prophet Noah and King Noah because he was somewhat confused. He'd point to the picture of the prophet Noah and say, "Dat king Noah?", then to the Wicked King Noah, "Or dat King Noah?". Took awhile but I think he's got it now. Then we went to Dunkin Donuts for Dessert and stopped by the Little League Baseball games for an impromtu watch. All in all a delightful evening spent together as a family.

My headache is gone

2008-05-03T12:48:00.001-07:00

Many of you know that I've been working from home as an Independant Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay for two years now. All this time I felt like I had found the best solution for my desire to achieve financial freedom while staying home with my children. After all, with all due respect to my sweet hardworking husband, being married to a musician who teaches does not yeild high pay checks. Perhaps someday he'll really roll in the dough as a performer but for now, we really don't know what the future will bring. I want to be able to plan for the future but I also want him to pursue his passion because I know he will be happiest doing so. Unfortunately for him, he married an extremely ambitious human being who has grand plans and dreams that will never be realized when our basic needs are barely being met. Now, please do not get me wrong here. I am a huge advocate of living within your means and the knowledge that more money does not bring happiness. However, with a growing family (no not pregnant yet), and ever growing prices for basic living expenses, we are finding that no matter how hard we try to conserve, it seems we are always running short and digging a deeper hole. I agonize over the massive amount of student loan debt we have accrued that has begun looming over our heads as his schooling comes to an end. I wonder if we will ever be able to raise our children in a modest yet suitable home. I want them to have the best education I can give them. I struggle to see how things will work unless I can help in some way. So back to Mary Kay. I was convinced that there was not a better work-from-home opportunity available out there for women of small children. However, there were a few things that have grown bothersome to me about the business. I have begun to notice that having an inventory is somewhat of a headache. And just the "Details" aspect of the business was really becoming a stressful thing for me. I have started to observe more clearly how Mary Kay moms/women sort of run around like chickens with their heads cut off. At least the ones who are making money at it. Thus, defeating the purpose and false sense of "doing it all" and "keeping priorities in order". I found myself annoyed with all the hoopla and fluff that just isn't me. I longed to attend a meeting where the women were just real and gave me the facts and info I needed to be successful. In short I felt like I was spending too much time on things that didn't really matter and were not generating income. I have had an ongoing battle in my head fighting these concerns I had. I truly believe that Sister Beck's talk speaks absolute truth and I want to be a woman who knows. Not one who is running around struggling to supplement income and missing valuable opportunities to teach and nurture my children. I would like to share with all of you that I have found an opportunity that has not only resolved all my concerns that I've had in my Mary Kay business, but goes above and beyond the Mary Kay business plan that I thought was so perfect. Because of my business experience in Mary Kay, it was not difficult for me to see the simple, yet brilliant set-up this company has to offer. I attended a Melaleuca meeting today upon the recommendation of my brother and sister-in-law. Yes, it's Melalueca the Wellness company that I speak of. Some of you may have heard of it and may have preconceived notions of the nature of the business. Basically, they provide products that we all use everyday, are cost effective, and that have the best interest of our physical health and the good of the environment in mind. Most of the products come from the best of nature but are backed by intense scientific research. I actually grew up on the products and have been converting my home over since August of last year because of the problems we have with allergies in our home. The revenue generated from the sale of the products goes directly back to the consumer. This is totally starting to sound like a commercial. So I'll just cut to the chase. I want to share this company with everyone I possibly can. If you are interested in using products in your home that you invest in every month anyway, that are more cost effective, better for your health and the environment, that come to your doorstep every month then please email me asap at karabrndt@yahoo.com. For all of you clean freaks out there, you're going to love the Safer for Your Home cleaning product line. My personal favorite is the laundry detergent. You can check out the website and learn all you want to know at http://www.melaleuca.com/. I look forward to getting your response.

My First Race

2008-04-26T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am again blogging after a long break. I am still alive. In fact to prove it, I'm posting tonight about my very first 5K race that I ran this morning with my mother-in-law. She flew into town earlier this week and arranged for us to run this 5K together in Newark, DE. She's run several races in the past 6 months but this was my first. I had no idea what to expect and came out of it totally pumped for my next race. About a month and a half ago I was in the middle of training for a half marathon. I had to stop for a bit because I was having some pain in my left hip and both my knees. So, it felt good to be running again and now I'm excited for that half marathon one of these days. The course was actually quite difficult. It was a trail run which entailed steep hills with exposed roots and rocks. All in all I was proud of my time of 40:48. On the treadmill I can run a 5K in about a minute less so I was very happy about it. I must explain that I have NEVER been a runner. I was a good power athlete in high school back when I was buff and skinny (remember, skinny is relative! I was still bigger than many of my friends), but I never ran more than a mile without dying. Get me out on the volleyball court and I could slam the ball down your throat, but I didn't stand a chance with endurance. I've been slowly working up my endurance for the past 6 months. I ran 5 miles straight for the first time of my life on December 12th. I stopped the half marathon training at 6.5 miles. So, I obviously have a long way to go. But I have totally become hooked on running for the mere fact that it was something I never thought I could do. My favorite part of the race was passing a bunch of skinny people! Moral of the story: If a 200 lb amazon women can run a 5K so can you! I wish I looked cuter in the picture, but I guess you're not supposed to look cute when you're hot and sweaty without makeup. Wait a minute, what about all those other girls at the gym that start and end all decked out? Hmm.... Oh well, I guess I'll just have to settle for being cute when I hold perfectly still. You either have it or ya don't! I wonder if I'll be sore tomorrow...

Spring Break in Washington D.C.

2008-04-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful day in Washington D.C. this last week as Rob had his spring break. We enjoyed a morning at the temple where Rob did a session and I took the boys to the visitor's center and watched the Joseph Smith movie. We love the D.C. temple. It is such an amazing structure and as you can see from the picture. It's one of the largest temples I think. The boys love seeing the temple on the horizon as we approach D.C. It is becoming tradition for the boys to come into the visitor's center and sit in front of the Christus statue and listen to the message from the Savior. Then they like to climb on the statue much to our frustration at times. After the temple we took the boys to the Smithsonian Zoo. Washington D.C. is one of the greatest places to visit with your kids because so many amazing locations are free of charge and they are extremely high quality. All of the Smithsonian museums/locations are free of charge. The boy's favorite thing to see were the Panda bears and the Golden haired Tamarin monkeys. It was a pretty rainy day so we spent most of our time in the indoor attractions.

Calling All Mothers!

2008-04-03T17:40:00.000-07:00

Being somewhat of an old fashioned girl at heart and being raised in a generation of days gone by, I have been pondering things that I had growing up that I want my kids to have. I received a forwarded email that put in a nutshell my thoughts and desires.

"We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better. I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would. I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated. I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen. It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him. When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her. I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom. If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books. When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head. I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like. May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole. I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it.. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend. I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle. May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays. I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hannukah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand. These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life. Written with a pen. Sealed with a kiss. I'm here for you."

Although there are a few things in there that I don't really care to have my children experience, I do long for the good simple life. I want to be able to provide amazing memories for my children where they can learn the essentials to life. Memories that don't cost much, if anything at all, but will leave lasting imprints on the minds of my precious little boys. So, I ask you...all you amazing mothers out there, what do you do to create priceless (pun intended) memories for your little families. What little fun traditions have you started with your children that they love. What do you do to create special one-on-one experiences with each of your children. I know this isn't rocket science and we've done some fun things ourselves. But I would love to hear all of your ideas.

(Oh, and for the record. We are not disappointed about BYU at all. We truly are happy here. We just hope that someday we can be closer to grandparents. And we are planning to visit Indiana when Rob gets approved to come and do his written exams. Sometime this summer, I guess.)

News of the Week

2008-04-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Well, some of you know that Rob had applied to BYU Provo for a Voice Faculty position. We were hopeful so our kids could be closer to grandparents, but did not come out triumphant in the end. We found out today that he is no longer being considered for the position. We actually are relieved to know now where we will be for a few years. So, Delaware it is....at least for now. Rob is extremely happy at the University here and is well liked. We love the area, so we feel we will be really happy here longterm.

Easter Fun

2008-03-28T11:04:00.001-07:00

Lincoln tried to drink the food coloring but was a little surprised by the vinegar I think.

A tiny glimpse into this little personality!

2008-02-12T13:11:00.001-08:00

Cheese! This is his face everytime I tell him to say cheese.
Sporting his very cool hat, the bathtub toy basket. Posing very nicely for me.

A common occurance these days. The timeout corner! His favorite phrase right now is "No Way!" His new haircut just this morning! Isn't he sweet! I showed him in the mirror and he said, "Coot!"

Showing Grandpa Brandt his new Jet plane.

What a complete joy this little package of a boy!

Brothers, friends forever! At least I hope....

2008-02-12T12:38:00.000-08:00

I don't know how many times a day I say, "Adam! Leave your brother alone!" or, "Not so rough you guys!" or, "Stop, he doesn't like that!". I have 8 brothers, so you'd think I'd be used to how rough boys are with each other. Come to think of it, our home was a regular WWF fighting ring! I have been blessed with a gift that ought to feel natural for me to recieve considering my background. Two very physical "all boy" boys! It's not that they fight all the time. They are just extremely rough when they play so somebody usually gets hurt. I do love, however, that they are absolute buddies. They love each other so much and will play for hours on end together. I remember telling Adam in the hospital room when Lincoln was born that he'll be big enough to play with Adam before long. Boy has time flown by! I was somewhat concerned that their distance in age would mean they may have trouble being close, but time has proven otherwise. I love it when Adam just smiles from ear to ear when Lincoln does something funny or says something smart. He's always anxious to help him out in teaching him how to do many things. Sometimes he loves his brother so much that he just can't keep his hands off him! Now that Lincoln's big enough to fend for himself, he gives Adam a run for his money at times. The other day I captured on film a very funny scene played out by the boys. It is a duel between Harry Potter and the Lone Ranger. Yes, for all you "no gun" mothers out there, they were shooting and killing each other. Sigh! I've sort of given up on that one. Anyway, I love this first picture where they appear to be friends but Adam's got his hand on Lincoln's neck. The Standoff...
Harry Potter attacks as the Lone Ranger says, "Who me?"
Both lay dead in a heap. I guess violence doesn't pay in the end...
I just wish I had charged my video camera battery to capture the belly laughs and giggles as the boys played this little game for at least 30 minutes. Adam would shoot and Lincoln would roll his eyes back in his head and throw his body on the ground. It was hilarious. Life is never boring with these two around!

Hello from Adam

2008-01-31T12:37:00.000-08:00

Adam was really missing all his friends from Indiana. So, I'm letting him borrow my blog today so that he can say hello. The rest is a message from Adam.

Tyler, Isaac,Adam, and Alex Odell,

I miss you all and I love you. I'm coming to visit in a couple of months so I hope I can have a playdate at Isaac's with all of you. I have a couple friends in Maryland but I still really miss you guys. I'm a CTR 5 now in primary. I learned a new word called "Self-Control" in my karate class. Karate is really fun. I saw the "Spirit of St. Louis" airplane in Washington D.C. That was so cool I did that! I went on the Metro to go to the Space Museum. I liked how fast it went. I liked the tunnels it went through. I loved the art museum. I loved the painting of the Japanese bridge. I loved getting presents from Grandpa Palmer in Louisiana. I saw an Alligator ranch. I saw the turtles poke their heads out in the pond by Grandma and Grandpa's apartment. I'm having fun here, but I'll be glad to play with my friends again in Indiana.

Love,
Adam

2008-01-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

The last 10 days have been eventful between sick boys and trips to Washington D.C. and St. Michaels, Maryland. On Martin Luther King day, we ventured out to Washington D.C. as a family. We had such a blast, but no pictures to prove it. I was able to finally get to the temple. What a beautiful temple D.C. is! It's probably one of the most stunning in my opinion. I'm so grateful for temples and for eternal families. Spending time inside gave me the spiritual rejuvenation I needed.

After the temple, we drove to the Metro Station and road the Metro into Downtown D.C. The boys loved riding the train. One thing you ought to know if you're traveling with your family, all of the Smithsonian museums are free! It's an awesome city to visit with your whole family. We went first to the Aero and Space Museum, then to the Art Museum and then to the National archives. All of which were free. The space museum was cool because it had many famous aircraft such as, the space module that landed on the moon, The Spirit of St. Louis that Charles Limburgh flew, and the Wright Brothers first airplane that legitimately flew. It's a huge museum, well worth the exhorbant fee of $0's. We then when to the Smithsonian art museum where we saw several paintings that Adam was interested in seeing. He's sort of in an art history phase right now. He's becoming quite proficient specifically in recognizing works by Monet, VanGogh, and Renoir. We saw Monet's Japanese Footbridge, and several of VanGogh's including his selfportrait and Roses. Such a wonderful addition to our day! It was also kind of fun that at the museum, we ran into an old friend that was in our Married Student ward in Provo over 4 years ago. Crazy how you end up meeting up with people again!
(Monet's Japanese Footbridge)

The National Archives were a neat experience. Just to see the actual documents that this country is founded upon, was such a humbling experience. We saw the Constitution, Declaration of Independance, and the Bill of rights. There were other documents that are there inluding a letter that Abraham Lincoln wrote when the Amendment was made to abolish slavery. I'm so grateful to live in a free country. We will never truly understand the amount of sacrafice that went into making this country great. In a few weeks we hope to go to Philly where Independance hall is.

This last saturday, we went to visit Rob's Great Uncle Lyle and Great Aunt Dorothy Feisel whom he never remembers actually meeting. They live about 1 hr. 35 min. south in St. Michael's, Maryland. They were so great! We look forward to visiting again soon.

Here's a picture of my handsome boys back to church after two Sundays out from being sick. Adam kept saying that he wanted to wear his white shirt so he could be like a missionary. It matches his new missionary haircut. Which, by the way, was extremely traumatic for him and me to accomplish! After this last one, I'm about ready to give up cutting my boys hair and just take them to a professional!

Building a Legacy of Love

2008-01-19T08:47:00.000-08:00

This is one of my big accomplishments for the year 2007. I made a quilt for my Mother and Father In-law titled, "Building a Legacy of Love". I couldn't post it sooner because I didn't want to give their Christmas present away. It was a combined gift from all their children so everyone helped with picking out pictures and getting a company to print them out. I could not have down it without all their help! My inlaws are in the center as shown above with the scripted lables above and below their picture. Then all four of their children's temple weddings and mission pictures are surrounding them. Above and below are the grandchildren. Then surrounding the perimeter are pictures throughout the years starting with a darling picture of my inlaws gazing into each others eyes the night of prom. My husband and his siblings picked pictures of their growing up years that were meaningful to them. It was actually quite a project because I didn't have a pattern. I found a design that I liked on the internet that would work well with the size of pictures we wanted to use. But I only had access to the pictures. Most of the really difficult work was in doing the math and figuring out all the dimensions. I am NOT a mathematically minded person so it took much trial and error to get it right. All of the individual 3 1/2 X5" and 5X7" squares had a 1/2 inch border of a different fabric. So I had to cut out literally over 600 1" strips in addition to all the squares. The quilt is just a few inches shy of a King. This is my very first quilt so I was very pleased with the outcome. I love my inlaws so much and am so grateful they gave me their amazing son! I would do it all over again I love them so much! Actually, typically after a big project, I pack up my supplies and do not visit that particular creative outlet for a very long time. However, this time, I'm actually kind of addicted and am getting ideas together for quilts for my kids.

I was so pleased to learn that my In-laws loved it so much that they put it on their bed right away. The picture below shows how well the quilt goes with her existing pillows and color scheme(that was intentional).

(This is kind of coming across as a bit of a bragging session, sorry!)

Happy Birthday Lincoln

2008-01-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

This is a bit overdue. Still catching up from all the holiday adventures and craziness. While we were in Louisiana, our little baby boy turned 2! He's not really a baby anymore. I think back almost three years ago when he wasn't even a thought. He was actually quite a surprise in the sense that he came to our family much sooner than expected. How grateful I am for the Lord's timing! I can't imagine our little family with out this little ray of sunshine. He is my mama's boy, my little snuggler with the dimple in his cheek. I love you my little boy Lincoln!

Lincoln made pretty short order of the cake with a little help from his brother!

Dilemma of the week

2008-01-16T07:36:00.001-08:00

What do you do when you have six bananas going to waste because you forgot they were there and you don't want to just throw them in the garbage?

Did someone say, "Make banana bread"?

Well that's interesting, because that's exactly what I did!

But then what do you do when you have 3 wonderful loaves of yummy banana bread permiating the house but you have major weight loss goals to meet?

Do you eat it all up really fast so that it's out of the house no longer a temptation? Then run to the gym and run for two hours straight hoping that you'll burn all those thousands of bad calories you just consumed?

Or, do you exercise self control and eat a little at a time in moderation and give a loaf to a friend?

Can anyone guess what I did?......

More Highlights from Louisiana

2008-01-14T16:41:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know it took me almost a month to post our Christmas! As a result, you may be getting alot all at once! Boy, I really need a better routine for this. It seems that everytime I sit down to post Lincoln is turning off the computer from out from under me! Oh well! Here are a few more details of our Louisiana trip:

Insta-Gator Ranch-

The day after Christmas, we enjoyed a visit to the Insta-Gator Ranch where we did everything but eat alligator. The boys were a tad nervous at first but warmed up to it throughout the presentation. At the end, upon Adam's request, we couldn't go home without bringing home an Alligator "family" from the gift shop. In Adam's terms, "An Alligator family is a Mommy a Daddy and little babies." (Complete with hand motions too hard to describe). He was pretty intent that the mommy should be an albino alligator.

NEW ORLEANS-

Here are a few interesting pictures that have to do with Katrina. The picture below shows how deep the water was on this particular building. They say that 80% of New Orleans was under water. We watched a documentary called "When the Levies Broke" which was pretty humbling. The devastation on the area was so immense. Two years later we could still see so much debri laying around and many homes just hanging by a thread.
This next picture shows how many of the homes are built that are right on the water. Most of these homes were completely shattered by the storm into one huge pile of debris. This particular home we think is a rebuild after Katrina (Why someone would want to rebuild on the water after Katrina is beyond me! Now that's loyalty!). The windows are boarded up for Hurricane season.

We spent a day in the French Quarter of Louisiana. It was just delightful. Here is an example of the beautiful architecture to be found there. Just a cute old house. Evidently, the French Quarter was not flooded at all when the Levies broke. There is some controversy as to whether the levy was actually strategically dynamited so the flooding would miss the French Quarter. Has not been proven.

This decrepid old section of building, is what we would like to think was the birth place of Jazz. It is the Preservation Hall where the Preservation Hall band plays and has played for a LONG time. Kind of in an interesting part of the quarter though. We recommend that if you visit New Orleans to steer clear of Bourbon street. You just might see a naked lady!

Rob and I have decided that we would like to go back just us two some day. There are so many wonderful art galleries and antique shops that would make anyone drool. More street performers than we've ever seen. And they were actually quite good. We got a free showing to some excellent Jazz, Saxophone, Gospel, and even an instrument called a hammered Dulcimer. (See picture)

We ate at "Napolean's house" an old Mayor's Mansion that was said to be opened up as a refuge to Napolean. The food was scrumptious and very affordable. The culture of New Orlean's is really quite unique.

We enjoyed a ride on the trolley for the boys entertainment, then finished our day with a trip to Cafe' De Monde at the French market for some delectable Begniet's. Begniet's are like fritters or scones just drenched in powdered sugar. They were so good that I was craving them for days after we got home so I looked up a recipe online and made a huge batch of them. I'd have to say that even Shawny would have been impressed. (for those of you who don't know my friend Shawny, I revere her as the baker of pastries extraordinare!) They turned out great and SO yummy!

(Don't my parents look so cute in their missionary tags? if you can see them.)

Some other Louisiana cuisine that we tried were Satsumas (sort of a mix between and orange and a tangerine but even better!), and Cajun boiled peanuts (very different, but yummy just the same). We didn't try red beans and rice until we got home.

Some other things we enjoyed were a trip to the Bishop's storehouse in Slidell, LA where my parents work as employment specialists. They are doing amazing work there. I'm so proud of them! If you want to read a cool story about the Storehouse and it's role during Katrina, you can find it in a fairly recent Ensign. (not sure which one). It's prety amazing to see how the church's focus on preparedness really comes through in a crisis. It's really amazing the extent of help the church gave.

We also enjoyed a trip to the Stennis Space Center in Missisippi across the border. This is NASA's largest test launch site. We got to try freeze-dried Astronaut Neopolitan ice cream. I'm here to tell you that it just isn't quite the same. A good reason why I'm not an astronaut.

Probably my most memorable moments though were watching my boys bond with their Grandma and Grandpa, spending time with my brother Joel and his totally awesome wife Marie, and my walk/run's with my Dad early in the morning. I'm so glad families are forever!

Christmas in Louisiana

2008-01-06T16:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas is always such a wonderful time of year when we remember our Savior Jesus Christ and his gift to the world. It is a time of expressing love and spreading joy to others. This Christmas was such a joy and one we will always remember. We had the opportunity to visit my parents in Louisiana on their mission during the Holiday Season. We made many memories and had total blast. Here are a few highlights from the trip;

Christmas Eve-
As we were driving to Louisiana, we got a call from my Dad saying that the clubhouse at their apartment complex didn't put the tree up like they had said they would. Since my parents are on their mission, they are staying in a tiny one bedroom apartment. Thus, Christmas Eve and Christmas day were spent in the club house. Worried that my kids would be devastated not to have a Christmas tree, they offered to go and get one last minute. I urged them not to and we agreed on no tree. I didn't want any more of their precious mission money wasted when we would live just fine without a tree. My brother Joel and his wife Marie came up with the great idea to build a tree out of poster paper. It was a brilliant idea! The boys loved it and it was the most beautiful tree I will remember for a long time.The boys had a blast coloring ornaments and taping them to the tree. My mom made a star out of a paper plate and tinfoil. I made a chain out of wrapping paper. Here are the results.

Christmas Day was just perfect! The boys slept in, I got a shower (finally after two days on the road), and we finally got around to meandering down to the clubhouse around 10:30 am to open presents. It was actually a little weird that the boys weren't going crazy bugging us to get to the clubhouse. They knew that that was where Santa was coming, but anyway, it was weird but nice. We just figured we'd let them lead the way. I think we went a little overboard this year but it was fun anyway. Rob and I really put alot of effort into really getting to know our kids to get the perfect gifts. It was our first year where our kids are old enough to really get what is going on. I was so touched by Adam who reminded us all that Christmas is about Jesus being born. He is such a sweet tender boy and took just as much interest in what others were getting as himself. In fact, both the boys took so long opening their presents that we didn't finish until well after lunch! They'd open a gift and look at it, play with it for a long time before being interested in anything else. This provided a nice laid back atmosphere where the adults could enjoy gift exchanges while the kids played. I especially loved it when Lincoln would open something and say in surprise, "What?!". I was reminded of how precious these years are and how fast they are flying by.

Christmas before Christmas

2007-12-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Brandt and Aunt Kate and Uncle Lee! We had so much fun opening your presents and we love them! (Renee, Lincoln got his own sunday book and Adam got some new inserts for his and they are totally awesome! I told Kate that you might like a copy again of the new stuff she put together for the books if you are interested)

2007-12-13T14:48:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a busy month with Christmas preparations which has put blogging on the back burner for awhile. Now I have a little over a week to get my house spotless for our trip to New Orleans, Louisiana. My mom and Dad are serving a mission at the Employment Resource center in Slidell near the Bishop's Storehouse that helped tremendously with Hurricane Katrina. They teach workshops on Self reliance, employment, and Interview prep so that people in the community can find work. We are looking forward to seeing them so much! We're also excited to go to the aligator farm among other things. I'm done shopping for Christmas! Yeah! I still have to do some wrapping. But as some of you may know, it has to be somewhat of a camo job with little inquiring minds lurking about. So I get it done little by little. This was our first year where we could really invest some time and energy into Christmas for the boys. It's been a total blast! I love it when I've gotten something already then they'll say how great it would be to have it! Adam's got several of those so it should be fun. We were in the car a few days ago talking about Christmas and what we should get for each other. I asked Adam what he would want for Christmas and he was quiet and didn't answer. I asked him why he didn't say anything. He said, "I don't really care what you get mom, Christmas isn't about getting presents anyway. It's about Jesus being born." So sweet! I sure love that little guy. But then about a day later, we were sitting at the table eating lunch and we were discussing the various characters in Whinnie the Pooh. I said, "If you were to pick one character, who would I be most like from Whinnie the Pooh." Without hesitation, he shrugged and said, "Well, probably Rabbit because he likes to tell people what to do alot and sometimes he yells." I guess I'll have to try to be a bit more like Kanga from now on!

Tired Mommy with Sweet Little Rascals

2007-11-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

So, haven't blogged in awhile. I've been pretty tired lately actually. I've upped my workouts at the gym and instead of feeling energized, I'm pretty much pooped for the rest of the day. I always wonder why I can't get things done...probably because I feel like I'm in a thick fog of tiredness all the time. So, I'm on a quest this week to figure this out. I've completely revamped my eating to make sure that i'm getting the nutrients I need. Now, I'm experimenting to see if I'm just dehydrated. I drastically increased my cardio workouts where I'm sweating buckets, so I'm sure water is the logical solution. We'll See. Hmmm... am I rambling? I feel sort of bad because I'm on the cranky side when I don't feel good. And, when Adam says with a concerned look on his face, "Mommy, you're not being very soft with me", then I know I'm not quite myself. Just Great! My kids are learning to be monsters from ME! Yeah, speaking of monsters, today was one of those monster days. After my workout at the gym this morning I return to child care to learn that Adam was put in timeout 4 times!Twice for throwing toys at his brother, once for attacking another kid, and once for hitting. Evidently, he begged the mom that was watching him not to tell his mommy. Am I that scary? So when we got to the car I asked him how it had gone playing with his friends. He said, "Great!". So then the prying began. "Are you sure?" Adam, "Yes, it was good." He's sort of in a lying phase right now anyway, but I felt sad that he couldn't tell me because he was afraid he'd get in trouble. Tell, me, is this normal? The lying and hiding for fear of being found out? Anyway, later in the day I hear Lincoln crying, 'Me out! Me out!" I ran to find that Adam had locked themselves in the bathroom and he was exfixiating(spell?) them with my bottle of hair spray. I walked in there and could hardly breath! Wet hair spray was all over the walls, toilet and floor, ....and Lincoln's body! I panicked because of Lincoln's asthma, sticking Adam in timeout while I cleaned off Lincoln and fanned out the bathroom. Evidently, Adam had tried to open the door but couldn't due to wet hairspray hands. So, he decided the only logical thing to do was to keep spraying! Oh! I think I've got a grey hair....can you see it?......no really it's right there.... look! (Sigh!) I suppose this doesn't hold a candle to the time he painted my dining room and kitchen with black acrylic paint does it? Rob and I have been talking about having another baby soon. But,... I think I just might have to put that off a little longer because I don't think my nerves can handle it. Mom, how did you ever do 13?! Forever in awe at that amazing feat! How is it possible that these darling little faces can wreak so much havoc in such a short period of time? But, you know....I wouldn't trade them for anything! I'm so thrilled to be the mommy to these little rascals!

Random things I learned today

2007-11-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

1. My 22 month old can count to 15 by himself. And, likes to do so as he wanders around the house playing.

2. My 4 year old prefers no chores over candy.

3. My 22 month old knows all the words to The King's Singers singing "Girl talk". He even includes the "Yeah" part.

We can't do without our Dad!

2007-10-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

One reason why Dad's are irreplaceable;

Adam: "Mom, have I been good to get Harry Potter tonight?"
M: "Yes, but I don't know if Daddy will be home in time to read it to you. I would be happy to read it to you instead."
Adam: "No. You don't know how to do all the voices."
M: "How do you know? I bet I could do them okay."
Adam: "But Mom, it's in a different language."
M: (giggle)
Adam: "You know the language they speak on Kipper? That's the one."

One reason why Dad's are, well... somewhat bendable?;

Lights are out, Mommy says goodnight and Daddy lays with the boys for a bit.( Adam is crying because he lost his Harry Potter time due to an incident right before bed that involved hurting his brother and laughing.) This is the conversation after I left the room and how it transpired.

Adam: crying and extremely disappointed, "I really wanted to read Harry Potter tonight! Please can I earn it back?"
Dad: "Didn't mom say you lost your priviledge?"
Adam: "I'm pretty sure she said I could earn it back!"
Dad: "Are you sure she said that?"
Adam: "Yes! She said I could earn it back tonight." (still crying)
Dad: "Well, if that's what she said maybe it's okay...um Adam, I'd better check with mom first." (good boy! Normally he would have given in but has since learned better!)
Adam: "No! She really did say I could earn it back."
Dad: Sticking his head into our room asked, "Adam says you said he could earn back Harry Potter."
M: "No, I said he could be good tomorrow and have Harry Potter time then." (loud enough for Adam to hear)
Adam: "Oh man! I didn't want you to find that out!"

The Brandt Show

2007-10-21T10:15:00.001-07:00

I'm enjoying some down time after church today as it was a busier day than usual. Basically it was the Brandt show in sacrament. Rob is the new choir director replacing a man who was the director for 10 years, extremely loved by all in the ward, who died suddenly a few months before we got here. He left quite the legacy with an amazing dedication to the ward choir. No pulling teeth to get people to come to this one. It was extremely emotional for all the members for the first few weeks because they missed Charlie, but they really enjoy Rob. Anyway, the choir sang for the first time since Charlie died. And we were asked to be the speakers as well. So it was a fun juggling act with our kids who got up too early and didn't eat a very good breakfast. I was very impressed that we even made it there on time! I guess there really is something to having everything ready the night before (It's kind of a new thing for me). I still wonder how people do it with more than two! Phew! I've been called to teach Sunbeams which is so funny to me because Rob and I have switched places. In Indiana, I was the ward choir director and he taught Sunbeams. I'm pretty sure I have a huge lesson in patience to learn because I can already tell I'm not cut out for it. Adam is a bit of a handful on his own, but we have a pretty large group of energetic boys. I'm glad it's primary program time though, because I haven't had to prepare a lesson yet. My sweet husband just helped me make lunch, picked up the kitchen, put Lincoln to bed, and is now reading to Adam. Sigh! If any of you have read "Raising Your Spirited Child", I'm pretty sure that I'm a spirited adult. All this stimulation has got me pooped! I know this is sort of a boring entry. So I'll end by showing some cute pics of the boys. These were taken in mid-September at Walmart.

Pretty cute boys eh? They're my favorite!

Dedicated to my dear kindred spirit friend Katie Kempton

2007-10-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Six interesting things about me that many people don't know.

1) Hmm...I'm a Mary Kay Beauty consultant and I don't always wash my face at night and take off my mascara.( Hello eyelash mites! Munchy, munchy!)

2) I just bought a bright royal blue PT Cruiser and I LOVE IT! (But, if I drove it into the river it wouldn't be the end of the world for me)

3)I'm extremely ambitious and often start projects that I can't always finish.

4) I can't pick up things with my toes. And I have an awful memory which comes in handy when people say mean things to me. Easily forgotten!

5)I miss singing Country music at a Karaoke joint. (How about some Shania?)

6)I'm a great wife and mother even though I don't iron my husband's shirts or make him lunch all the time. However, I did polish his shoes today of which I was very proud of myself. I think he felt loved!

"Mothers Who Know"- Thank You Sister Beck!

2007-10-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

I have been pondering alot lately since I heard the talk "Mothers Who Know" by Sister Julie Beck in General Conference a few weeks ago. I was so grateful for her straight forward nature in delivering information that was bound to be touchy for some women. In the past few years I have watched as women of the church have begun to take "modern" council a bit too far in justifying the increasing amount of time they seem to be spending outside the home. It was a breath of fresh air for Sister Beck to bring us back to the basics. Helping us remember the core priorities that we, as Latter-Day Saint women, are encouraged to keep in focus. I have been extremely disappointed and disturbed with the tremendous backlash that has occurred in response to her inspired words. In an article publish in the Salt Lake Tribune, it discusses this furious debate spawned by her talk. It created quite a stir among Latter-day Saint Women, who I feel, have missed the point entirely. One woman was quoted from a blog entitled Feministmormonhousewives.org. She said, ""I want to sustain Beck," wrote Lisa Butterworth on feministmormonhousewives.org. "I don't want to bash her, but (Whooaa! Stop right there!" I want to sustain her...but"...You either DO or you DON'T- Inserted by me :)there is no way that I can believe that 'keeping our homes as tidy as the temple' or 'being the best homemakers in the world' are the vital lessons that will bring myself and my family closer to the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Was she not listening?! Sister Beck was simple expressing that creating a house of order sets the stage for the spirit to be present when the gospel is being taught in the home. We don't have to be fanatical about keeping our houses clean, and we don't need to feel guilty if it's not always clean. That's not what she was saying. She asking us to realize that doing menial tasks around the home is not merely "work", but a simple way we can express our love and nurture our family. It's a way of showing sacrafice and love. What is happening to our good ol'e fashioned values? Single women were offended because they were not "included". As written in the article, 'The speech made her feel "like an outsider in my own church and inadequate," Reynolds said. "Whatever offering I can give is not enough because I don't have my own kids." ' I wonder what Sister Dew would have to say about that. I don't get offended when there is a talk that doesn't apply perfectly to my situation! Give me a break!

Some were even so petty as to complain about her saying that their daughter's hair should be brushed to perfection for church on sunday. A comment of a female BYU professor stated, "I never had the knack of styling my daughters' hair; their hair on Sunday is usually au naturel, which looks beautiful to my eyes," said Valerie Hudson, a BYU political science professor and mother of eight. "My husband does the cooking in our family, and takes great satisfaction in making what he calls 'food for the soul.' He even bakes the treats for our children's class parties. . .This year I'm teaching my 13-year-old son to sew his own special Halloween costume." Can she not see that in her very comment that she is already doing what Sister Beck is asking of women? That she is nourturing her children in her own way? Why must we all take things so much in the letter of the law rather than the spirit of the law? I guess I'm not any better as I am bashing this ridiculous onslaught. But I feel like shouting from the rooftops that the world is going to pot so we need to do everything we can to be on the Lord's side. Complaining about petty things is a waste of time. Sister Beck has been called of God just has President Hinckley and the Quorum of the twelve have. If you choose to sustain them, you accept that their words come directly from the Lord. The last days are here! Will we also reject the warnings of the prophets? I would like to challenge all of you to put aside your own desire to be "validated". Be humble and become "Mothers who know." We owe it to our children and we owe it to the Lord.

Sermon over.

Dramatic boy

2007-10-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

Had a great work out at the gym today. But when I went to pick up the boys from childcare, Lincoln had a messy diaper that needed changing quickly. He's on Augmentin for another ear infection which means really runny poops and a very sore bottom. Anyway, he was crying of course because his bum hurt. And as we were getting in the car, he started screaming something. I wasn't paying too much attention as I was getting Adam buckled so we could get on the road. Then Adam said, "Lincoln, you're not going to die". Then I realized that lincoln was crying out, "I to die! I to die!" (I'm going to die). Evidently it was still hurting his bottom to sit in his car seat. I guess Adam's fixation of death has rubbed off on Lincoln.

"The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, Rules the World"

2007-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

After listening in on another General Conference, I 've been pondering what it is that I need to learn or do better. I admit that I always have to go back and read many of the talks again because I was taking care of children or dosed off. But I felt the spirit especially strong this time as I have been pondering my role and priviledge of a being a mother. At times I am extremely overwhelmed by the responsibility and am on the verge of throwing up my hands to give up. I get frustrated that my family can't function the same when I'm having an "off" day. The old saying of "when Mom's not happy, nobody is happy" really is true. I underestimate the influence I have on my children (and husband) when I choose to react poorly to a situation, or carry a cloud over my head throughout the day. There are many nights that I go to bed with tears, fearful that I am failing miserably. It was impressed upon me, as in the past, that these short years of raising children will pass quickly. That I must treat each moment as if it would be my last with them. If I was gone tomorrow, what would I have wanted to leave with my family? The spirit of contention? Or kindness, long-suffering, and an unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ and His restored Gospel. It was also impressed upon me that I need to work harder at holding to the Iron Rod by reading my scriptures and praying always. Doing everything I can to be closer to the Savior, thus, becoming more like Him in word and deed. Some tragic events have transpired in my family that have manifested the incredibly real power of satan. He is intent on breaking apart the family. It never ceases to amaze me how he can weasel his way into people's lives in such a sneaky and deceptive manner that even righteous God-fearing people cannot see through his wiles. And, before they know it, their minds and hearts are twisted and confused, poisened by satan's brilliant maneuvers. He'll get us when we are most vulnerable emotionally, physically, and spiritually. My job is to forgive and focus on my own spiritual development and that of my children so as to guard against the evil surrounding us everyday. I shouldn't waste any of my time worrying about what others are doing wrong. I've got plenty to worry about within myself. I feel so blessed to be a member of the only true church on the earth today. I'm so grateful to have the restored gospel in my life! I'm grateful that I have a message of hope and joy to share with my children, friends and family. Tonight as we were reading scriptures as a family, Adam was much more attentive than usual as we were discussing how the church was restored to the earth. His eyes got big when we talked about missionary work and helping others find the gospel. He expressed his excitement to be a missionary someday. Then he got a quisitive look on his face and paused. Then he said, "I think is a great idea to play Conference, then we can talk more about the gospel and Jesus Christ." My greatest desire is to see my children grow up in righteousness. I shudder to think of the things they may face, but I rejoice in the anticipation that they will do their part in building the kingdom. I'm kind of rambling at this point, but these are the thoughts of my heart today.

Here are a few pics of my most prized possessions. I admit that I do miss Lincoln's curls!

I think I'm in love!

2007-10-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

So what a sweet morning it was a few days ago when I woke up to the sound of the vacuum.... The night before I had hit my pillow with the house in shambles. All of you moms know what it's like to spend the previous day getting the house just how you want it and it only takes a few hours of sitting doing bills or menus to lose complete control again. Sometimes I wish I had my own three-handled-moss-covered-family-gradunza, or whatever it's called. So, my sweet hubby, who knows I go a little batty when my house is dirty, had stayed up late that night after I went to bed and did my dishes. Then woke up early to tidy up the rest of the house. Then he was off for a long busy day at work. Sigh! Now that's my kind of man!

Fun at Milbourn Orchard

2007-09-30T11:13:00.000-07:00

Groovin' in Maryland

2007-09-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm getting a bit more adapted to my new environment here in Maryland. I think I actually feel more normal! Which feels kind of weird because I've been living in the crazy world for about 8 months. I'm starting to establish a routine. The church community here is amazing and very welcoming here. I'm making some great friends too.
I've started this cool quilting project with the ladies in the Relief Society, which has allowed me some fun social relaxation time I haven't had in a really long time. There are some pretty fun characters in the group. (To illustrate a little better for my friend Renee, I'm not the exotic one anymore! That's okay cuz I'll always be exotic to you, right?) I have been impressed with how so many women from extremely different walks of life and age groups can meld so well like real sisters do. I feel very much at home and very blessed to be a part of it.
I went to the Ward Food storage trip to the cannery yesterday and had a blast. I've never done that before. When I went to BYU, my mom sent me away with some boxes of food storage from the cannery, so I knew what to look for. But I've never had the opportunity to go and do it myself. I'm excited to get more serious about food storage and emergency preparedness. I think I might start making bread again. I've always enjoyed doing that but it does take a little bit of effort.
I also got a job as a barter mom at a gym working in the childcare room. I only work two days a week from 9-11:30 and I get to work out for a whole hour of that period. So basically, I work for three hours a week and I get a full membership to the gym with all the perks! Maybe I'll be able to get this tired body healthy again. What a concept! I'm not sure I remember what that feels like but I'm anxious to find out! This also gets the boys out of the house with some fun play time with other kids their age. All in all, a win-win situation!
I'm getting more serious about starting my voice studio again. There seems to be an excellent market for that here. I've already got three potential students! This will keep me singing which will be good therapy I think. Maybe I should knit some cute house slippers like my old piano teacher had when she taught in her home. Then it would be official!
It's nice to be in a groove again vs. survival-life-plummeting-out of control mode. That's the rhythm of life right? Ebb and flow. You've got to have the storm to appreciate the calm and vice versa.

Promise Kept

2007-09-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

When we first knew that we would be moving to Delaware, we promised Adam that we would take him to one of the Atlantic Ocean beaches. This "sort of" softened the blow that he would be leaving all of his friends. However, it has taken us several weeks to fulfill that promise so I think he was beginning to wonder if it would actually happen. Being the "greenies" in the area we chose the most touristy beach around, Rahobeth Beach. If it hadn't been for all the hoards of people trying to get their last beach kick in for the year, it would have been a little less crazy. But, I think the boys were happy and they could have cared less if there were people there. For weeks we had been researching how to make the best sand castles, so you'll see that our research paid off with a well packed "mound". We spent most of our time preparing the sand that when we got around to carving the castle Adam had lost interest. Oh well. It's okay because Lincoln used it for body surfing then the tide came in and washed it away anyway. That's when Adam remembered that he had started a castle and wanted to finish it! Go figure!

The weather was perfect where it was warm enough to play in the water, but it was cloudy so the sun wasn't blaring either. Adam had fun body surfing the waves. As you will see, after he was surprised a few times by the incoming tide, he was very daring in the deep waters.

As for Lincoln, well after he got plowed over a few times by the waves he enjoyed body surfing on the sand much better.

We had a blast playing in the waves, digging in the sand, sun bathing, and making sand Angels. We would have spent some time touring the boardwalk and visiting the Salt Water Taffy factory. But, we got caught in a huge downpour as we were packing up our things. We were drenched in seconds. As we're running to the car, Adam is screaming, "I really don't like the rain! I really don't like the rain!". And Lincoln is just looking around as if nothing out of the ordinary is happening. Probably because he was too groggy to do otherwise as this next picture will show what he did within a minute of being in the car. So we rode an hour and 40 min. home sopping wet! We had a blast! We'll have to explore some of the other beaches in Maryland and Delaware.

What makes a kindred spirit?

2007-09-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

If you've ever seen Anne of Green Gables you'll know what I'm talking about when I refer to "Kindred spirits". Kindred spirits are people that you connect with on a deeper level than just basic intellectual and emotional interaction. They are one who you have a unique spiritual connection with. That feeling that somehow you must have known them in a previous life and you've finally reunited. There have always been those kindred spirits I have found throughout my life that have had a unique affect on me and my development as a person. People that I will never forget even though the ability to communicate becomes difficult as we go our separate ways through life. Some of these people that I speak of, to remain nameless, I did not seek after their friendship. It was almost as God placed them there on purpose because he knew I needed them. I've always wondered why we don't connect with everyone like that. What is it that makes the "kindred spirit" connection happen? Could it really be that we knew in the pre-existence that somehow our paths would cross in this earthly life? Or, is that special connection a way that God let's us know he's gifted us to each other for a specific reason. This is getting a little deeper than I intended. But it's a little glimpse into my mind as I've "scanned" the crowd at church and playgroup for the past couple of weeks in our new home wondering who that special person may be that was meant for me, or I for them. And I can't help but mourn the loss of those "Kindred Spirits" that I left most recently in Indiana. So, here's to you all! All you wonderful people that have made a difference in my life! I'll never forget what you have done for me.

A few things for your veiwing pleasure

2007-09-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

Since our camera is broken, I've made a video of our new home in Maryland. Please disregard the ugly blue sheet in the window. The Landlord has yet to put the blinds in.

Here's a look into one possible scenerio for Adam's future, as a Maestro. Special thanks to Little Einstein's and Adam's dad who frequently is seen by Adam around the house conducting to an imaginary orchestra, or music he's listing to on his Ipod.

Could we have some professional golfers in our future? The first part of this clip is Adam at the driving range in Colorado with his Dad and Grandma Brandt this summer. The rest was today in our backyard.

Hmm... I love Autumn!

2007-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love the smell of Autumn in the air? I can't really describe the feeling I get when I take it all in. It's a feeling of peace and comfort that just makes me happy! I got to thinking about the seasons that the world experiences and how they relate to our lives in an eternal perspective. In some ways Autumn represents life closing to an end before the death or sleep of winter. Spring represents new life and renewal. I love spring. It's exciting to see all thenewness "springing" up everywhere. And there is a special smell to that air too. But, for me, the Autumn air has an extra special sweetness to it. I found that interesting because I would have thought that brand new life, not impending death would bring me that unique sense of peace and comfort. Someone once quizzed me on the life cycle of a leaf. I assumed that the time when the leaf was fully matured was when it was it's greenest in hue. But I learned that the leaf doesn't actually full mature until it is ready to fall off the tree. That the beautiful hues of reds, oranges, and yellows were a sign of it's "prime" or full "adulthood". And as it reaches it's prime, it gently falls to the earth preparing for it's next purpose, to nourish the earth in preparation for new life. The circle of life is eternal. As we are born, live, grow old, and die, we have a divine purpose beyond this life. As our "colors" turn and mature, we are only preparing for our ultimate destination and realizing our divine purpose for coming to this earth. In order for our "colors" to change and mature, we must endure hardship, the difficult battle between good and evil. It is through these defining moments/experiences that we grow and mature. How sweet it must be to be approaching death with the knowledge that it is only another beginning to the eternal circle of life. That experiences beyond our wildest dreams are to be had in the next life if we "earn our stripes" in this one. So, as I think of the Autumn leaves falling to the ground, I don't think of impending death. I think of the joy, peace,and comfort that comes from a job well done, a fight well fought. The glorious feeling of becoming better, being more, and realizing our God-given potential. Hmmm... I Love Autumn!

(The leaves are not this yellow in Maryland! These are pictures I took of Brown County Indiana when I was pregnant with Lincoln)

Part III of the Soon to End Saga

2007-09-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

So we were back to square one with finding a place to live. I was borderline panicked because our cash flow was extremely limited and we could not afford a hotel for more than two more nights. I spent the next day combing through the newspaper(keep in mind that I had spent at least 3 weeks looking for a place prior to our move). I was on a first name basis with several real estate company's secretaries in the area, so I thought I had a pretty good idea of what was out there. Many places I was interested in were rented by the time I made the call. And I had to be picky since we moved to a damper area and I have a baby with severe asthma who needed a healthy environment in which to live. We found a cute townhome that was almost a 30 minute drive to campus that we almost settled for because it was increasingly apparant that homes were filling up fast. At least the ones remotely in our price range. We decided against the long commute because we only have one car.Price range, now that's an interesting topic all on it's own. I had spent hours devising an imaginary budget in our preparations for the move. I researched cost of living on line and in my house search was disappointed to learn that it is much more expensive out east than in little old Bloomington. The amount I had budgeted for housing was quickly starting to seem unrealistically low. Most homes that were the same as we came from were at least 1,100-1300 per month w/o utilities! After a long day of calling and searching, I went back to the paper to see if I had overlooked any ads. I felt impressed to call the number for an ad that was only two sentences long and I obviously had missed before. When I called she met me 10 minutes later only to take me to another home like the first one. Well, at least it was clean, but it was in a horrible neighborhood and I could still smell the odor of mold and mildew. I was disheartened as I explained my situation with my son's allergies in reference to the mold. She said that she may have something that would suit his health needs but thought it was much smaller than we were looking for. At this point my priority list had gotten pretty small. Just get me into a healthy clean home for my kids! When we pulled up to the house I fell in love immediately! It was a tiny little white ranch home with a red door and red shutters and a large fenced in front and back yard. The Backyard had a brandnew storage shed, a large porch/deck and a huge maple tree that completely shades the back yard and has the perfect branch for a tire swing. Yes, the house is very small. Probably too small if we intend on making our family any bigger soon. But it will do. And guess what! It's $50 cheaper than the amount I had budgeted. I really felt the Lord's hand that day and was so grateful. The only glitch was that the house wasn't really ready to even be shown yet. It had been completely renovated that week and did not have the carpet or central air installed yet. She promised us it would be in when we moved in so we figured as long as we had carpet we could sweat for a couple of days. I was just thrilled to get in! When we arrived to sign the lease and move in our things that had made a nice home for themselves in the Penske, she let us know that the carpet guy had let her down. The carpet was not in yet so she had marched to his house and waken him to inform him of the urgency of the situation. We had arranged help from the ward to help us unload and we had a truck to return so we didn't have to pay an extra $100. So we went ahead and literally unloaded the truck into the shed, the backyard, and onto the back porch. The carpet was in by the afternoon so we were able to get some things inside the house. It's taken us over two weeks to make sense of where everything is. It also took over a week to get the central air in. So we were dripping sweat everyday and finding things to do at the hottest part of the day so we could get out of the house. A lovely man from the ward brought some fans over to help relieve us from the heat. Oh, I forgot to mention that while we were unloading, I foolishly let my boys run amuck in the backyard for hours not realizing the consequences. We have speculated that Lincoln might also be allergic to certain bug bites. Well we absolutely confirmed that he is definitely allergic to mosquitos and gnats. His body was completely covered in bug bites. After a day or so, they kept getting bigger and then started blistering. So basically, his whole body was covered in itchy blistering sores. So we drugged him with Benadryl to ease some of his discomfort. I felt like a terrible mother that day! In all the craziness, I felt so blessed to have my Mother-in-law there to help out. I'm pretty sure I would have had a nervous breakdown if she hadn't have been there helping out. I love you mom and appreciate you so much!
So, we got moved in, the carpet was laid, and the central air was installed. Except for a few holes in the walls that the Central air guys left and some shifting around to do, I think we feel pretty settled. And now I have my internet and so I'm a happy camper!

Adventures in Moving Part II

2007-09-11T16:15:00.001-07:00

....So, they hired him on the spot with no moving or housing allowance, and he was expected to move in two weeks. Right....Well, the lord does work in mysterious ways and came through with many little miracles throughout those two weeks. Thanks to all of you (you know who you are) that were God's angels. As Rob got busy taking care of loose ends at the university, I got busy packing and getting really creative raising the money for the move. I'm a little embarrassed of some of the things I was willing to do to make it happen. Don't worry, nothing illegal, immoral, or otherwise. No need to bore you with all the details of that. So, in a huge whirlwind, we (the Lord), were able to get on the road and out of our apartment. We were driving to Delaware with the understanding that we had a great 3 bedroom Townhome that was move-in ready. When we arrived, we went to do a walk through and were completely mortified with what we saw. I'm pretty sure that the pictures they "recently" took were either 15 years ago or a different property. On the outside, this place looked like the Adam's family mansion. Okay, not really, but it was scary. I'm pretty sure that the building was leaning to the left slightly....or, was it to the right...hmm. But I thought, "give it a chance Kara! It's probably beautiful and shiny inside"! Not so shiny....The smell of mold and mildew hit like a wall of bricks when we walked in. The walls literally had dirt and mold on them in places. The window shades were black they were so dirty. The pantry cupboards were literally covered in mold and mildew. My mother-in-law's eye's caught my gaze and displayed a look of horror to bring my attention to the pantry. In the nicest voice I could possibly muster, I told the leasing agent that this simple wouldn't work because of my Baby's severe allergy to mold and mildew. I was saying that I didn't think it was ready to move in at all and I could smell the mold and mildew. She looked at me wide-eyed and said, "Oh really?" as if she couldn't see what I was seeing at all. She must have lefter her seeing eye dog at home. Okay, that wasn't very nice. I honestly could not understand how this house was even ready to be on the market at all! So, back to the drawing board and a couple more nights in a hotel paying way too much so that our son wouldn't have an asthma attack in the hotel as a reaction to the mold and dust mites....To be continued...

Adventures in Moving/Life

2007-09-10T18:27:00.001-07:00

So, I've decided to give myself a therapy session and recount a portion of the details of our recent move back east as my father has reminded me that it would be good for my posterity if I wrote it down. I'm not really sure what it will be good for but a bit of entertainment for you readers out there.
Shall I begin with the phone call that started this whole thing. Do understand that this phone call was an answer to prayer before I begin, lest you think I'm complaining. I've just learned a valuable lesson that answers to prayers do not mean that things just magically fall into place and are all better like a mother's kiss on a wounded knee. We had sent probably 15-18 job applications throughout the school year hoping that someone might hire Rob even though he's not quite done with his degree. You see, his Assistantship had run out and, despite many pleas from his voice teacher and himself to the powers that be, there was no chance of renewal. So, we were faced with a whole year of no financial aid, and Rob trying to finish his degree and possibly searching for a job at McDonalds. Well, I'm not sure it would have ever resorted to that. But it probably meant that I was going to really have to commit myself to my Mary Kay business to completely carry the financial load of this family. That would have been fine if I hadn't just completely burned myself out with a massive Mary Kay tour out west to get us through the summer. I had made myself physically ill over the summer (there were other things that transpired that added tremendous stress that I cannot divulge) and did not feel equipped to be the breadwinner until I could recover somewhat.
You can imagine my shout for joy when we received the call from the University of Delaware requesting him to fly out and interview. So it all sounded great until they informed him that they didn't even have the funding to fly him out for an interview. Not such a good sign... Now, a business major would have run the other way or tried to "negotiate" other alternatives. Unfortunately, in the world of music such things are not always negotiable if the school just simply does not have the funding. You must sometimes just take what opportunities come your way. So, since we were not expecting to hear from anyone this late in the game, we did not have the funds to just whip out and buy a plane ticket. Some family members heard of his opportunity, and graciously bought the plane ticket. For which we will be forever grateful! At this time in the summer, I was really struggling with my health which affected our pocket book in a bad way. I don't remember another time in our marriage when things have been so tight. It's amazing what you can live without when you are forced to! We were certainly trained to understand what "needs" and "wants" really mean for our family!
So, his audition went well. He says he really felt the Lord's hand in his performance especially when he taught the voice masterclass. Those of you who know Rob, will understand how talking for large groups of people can be terrifying for him. They were so impressed with his interviews and teaching abilities that they hired him on the spot. He was the last of 5 people they had out to interview. So, although the offer was less than appealing to all those MBA majors out there with a whopping $()*&)#(#*& for 10 months (Rob didn't want me to post the actual amount :)), we knew that the Lord wanted us in Delaware(well, at least in the vicinity). We figured that we had managed to live on half the salary offered so we could make it work. We also knew that this was only an interim position. So anyway, just as we thought our troubles were all over, they had only begun. And, since this is getting really long, that's where I'll leave you hanging until next time...

Quick update

2007-09-09T16:20:00.001-07:00

Announcement:
The Brandt family has moved to Elkton, Maryland. I apologize to any of you who had no idea this happened yet. It was a last minute move and very stressful at that. There really wasn't alot of time to inform everyone until the deed was done. So, here's the official update.

Rob got a call at the end of July from the University of Delaware inviting him out to audition for a voice faculty position. We were surprised to get this call after a long spring and summer of sending numerous applications only to find out that he was not considered for each one. He flew out for an audition in August and they hired him on the spot. We had a really good feeling about Delaware all along. We know that this was meant to be. Rob is very excited about this opportunity because he has come in at a time when they are starting fresh rebuilding the voice program. The other faculty members are extremely pleased with what he has to offer and have been dropping hints left and right that they would love to keep him long term once the University officially makes his position eligible for tenure track. So, we found this cute little 2 bedroom ranch home with a large fenced-in yard for the boys across the border in Elkton, MD.
Moving here was, for lack of a better expression, a complete nightmare. But we're here and getting more settled every day. I'm excited about my performance and teaching opportunities in the area. I didn't get many of those in Indiana. For those of you who would like to update your address book, send me an email with your request and I'll get that to you. I'll be posting details of our moving adventure later, so stay tuned....

Little Wiseman

2007-09-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

Discussion with my 4 year old as follows:

After listening to a Brite tape about making good choices....

A: "Mom, do you get mad at yourself sometimes when you make a bad choice?"

M: "Yeah, I get mad alot. I would love to make right choices all the time, but I just can't seem to do it."

A: "Well (speaking with this hands up), you can't make right choices all the time because that would be perfect. And we can't be perfect!"

M: Silence....

Hypocrite

2007-09-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

So, it's been like six months since I've made an entry into my blog. And I'm sure that everyone who ever checked it has completely given up and won't even read this entry. But, for my own benefit, I feel a need to point out my hypocracy. Since we have moved recently (updates and all of that forthcoming), I've decided to read my profile and update anything that may need it. As I was reading about myself, I was just shaking my head in disgust. I realized that I haven't written a darn thing that "warrants" being written down for six months! My life is full of unforgettable moments. But I'm too busy living my life to stop and write them down! As I was visiting with my Dad about some recent events, he being an excessively diligent journal keeper, reminded me that my posterity might enjoy reading about these events. I've always neglected journal keeping. I'm not sure why because I had excellent examples all around growing up. I'm not kidding! My dad literally has written volumes and volumes of his every day life, spiritual impressions, ect... I find that when I start writing, I realize how out of touch I am with myself and it's a little scary. I enjoy helping others and being aware of my external environment. But when it comes to looking inward, I'm afraid that I don't do it often. I also think I'm somewhat lazy and impatient. I get antsy sitting and writing. Especially in a blog situation when I know others, who happen to be amazing writers, are reading this! I sometimes feel pressure to write things with proper grammar that has content of interest. I'd really like to make more of an effort. So, for any of you that still love me and haven't given up on my slacker blog, you will get first dibs on my renewed efforts to improve.

Mother of Boys

2007-04-12T19:37:00.000-07:00

I think when women become mothers there's an instinct that comes out in us that I'm pretty sure we're born with. That is the "I'm worried my kid is going to grow up to be an ax murderer" syndrome. You know, the tendency to worry about how their current actions is going to shape the rest of their life.
I have boys. Enough said.
Well, maybe not everyone can relate to this. But my boys, especially the oldest one, seems to have an overwhelming amount of testosterone (spell?). The immense need to protect his territory and be the King of the Hill, or something like that. Why can't he just walk past his 15 month old brother like a normal person?! Why is there that irrepressible urge to knock him over when he comes within 10 feet of him?! Why can't boys play nice! This morning I got desperate and gave my oldest son the "Laman and Lemual" speech with the plea of "I need Nephi's in my house!". (most of you will know what I'm talking about w/o going into further detail) My brother-in-law keeps reassureing me that brothers beating on each other is totally normal behavior and that I shouldn't worry. But I can't help wonder if my son will be the next one you see on the news with all the mothers sitting in front of the television saying, "where was that boys mother!".Then there will be moments when he's just totally tender and sweet and I realize that he does have a heart and he does care about his brother. I'm starting to see my youngest exhibit some of the same behaviors and I start worrying again. Great! Now I've got two ax murderers in the house! Okay, so i'm a little dramatic. I just need to give this little worrying mother head of mine a rest!

P.S. evidently the pictures I took of my new bedroom are the problem. So, if you want to see the finished product, come to my house!

Back in the Game!

2007-03-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

I know many of you have probably given up on even looking at my blog anymore because It has been several months since my last entry. Let's just say that journaling has never been a strong point of mine. I was not your typical teenager with a diary filled front to back. Come to think of it, I probably would have been a healthier teenager had I taken the time to write things down. Anyway, as always, much has happened since my last blog. So rather than try to make up for lost time, I'll just give a few highlights.
Adam is getting bigger and more grown-up every day. I forget that he's only 3 1/2! I love watching him play with other children and see how he interacts with them. He is a natural leader and is very concerned with his relationships with other people. Just yesterday he was playing with a new friend who was telling him he wasn't nice. It really upset him so he said, "she said I'm not nice! But I am nice!" So to show her his displeasure at her comment, he hit her with his spoon. Go figure! Way to show 'er Adam! If Rob and I get into any type of serious discussion, Adam will furrow his brow and come up to us and say, "stop stay stupid sings(things)!" Everything he doesn't like seems to be stupid these days. The credit for that goes to my husband who brought Charlie Brown home from the library. (Lucy probably calls Charlie Brown stupid at least 15 times per episode!)
Adam is trying really hard to be a better big brother too. Just today I was noticing how Lincoln is starting to hit. I said something like, "See Adam. Lincoln watches you and is learning things he shouldn't." Adam Said, "Yeah, I know Mom but now I'm teaching him to say please." We are enjoying his prayers more as he is trying to mix them up a bit more. Sometimes we are blown away with the sweet things he'll say. It's always great because it seems that prompltly after the prayer he'll whallop is brother in the face! Boys!
Lincoln is almost 15 months old. He no longer is a baby and is so stinking smart! He's saying lots of words and is quite a determined little daredevil. He's figuring out how to place things just right so he can climb up on things. He's also got quite the head of curly hair! My mother-in-law gently hinted that he's starting to look like a girl. Hint well taken. however, I can't bring myself to cut his hair just yet.

I also need to include something that I promised I would post and haven't yet. For Valentine's Day I surprised my husband by toing a TLC treatment to our bedroom. It had become the dumping ground of the house and completely uninspiring and unromantic! I forgot to take before pics but I'm sure there are some of you out there that can imagine how bad it was! We didn't even have a bedframe so we were on the floor and there were piles and piles of laundry that had sort of become nondescript as to whether they were clean or dirty piles. Anyway, it was quite an adventure but here are the after photos. Between Adam stepping in the paint pail and dumping a huge pile of brown paint on the carpet, and the power going out while all the new linens were in the washer, and Rob coming home from rehearsal 4 hours early due to bad weather, this is the miraculous end result. Enjoy!

(UGGH! I can't get this program to download the pictures! I'll have to add them later. Sorry!)

Life is good if you make it

2006-11-26T15:11:00.000-08:00

So, it's been a few weeks. Much has happened. My 11 month old is officially walking! My 3 yr. old can't decide if he's Superman or a princess (Just kidding, he just did it for the picture). I love being a Mom, my Mary Kay business is growing faster than expected ( I worked 8 hrs on Friday and sold $800 dollars of product, $400 in my pocket! And had my first recruit submit her paperwork!), My husband found out that there are a total of 15 job openings for next fall which is rare, And I've learned the secret of life! Other stuff has happened too but that's it in a nutshell. I highly recommend going on www.thesecret.tv and watch the film called "The Secret". I guarantee that it is well worth the 4.95 and you will be uplifted. I don't know, what more I can say. I'm Happy! Life is crazy and hard but OH SO GOOD!...If that's what we choose to make it...Make it a great day!

Memories to cherish

2006-11-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

So the other day we decided to take a much needed break and go outside for a bit since it was a whopping 70 degrees outside! My 10 month old just had tubes put in his ears this week so we've been cooped up for a few days dealing with Mr. Fussy. We were just going for a walk when I eyeballed the best spot for leaf frolicking.
It was so perfect. Because it was so warm the leaves were pretty dry. Hence, no unwanted sliminess hidden beneath all the fun. We borrowed a rake from the neighbors and made a pile of leaves that would have made the most avid leaf jumpers proud. Just as we were getting started, good o'le Daddy came home from school so we were able to enjoy a few moments together as a family. These are the days when I take a deep breath and say, "Life is good". This may be our last full fall in Indiana so I couldn't help but ponder on the past few years as we played. We've enjoyed our time here so much even though it has had it's struggles. We will never forget the amazing friendships we've formed and all the great memories. I hope that we will always look on this time in our lives with fondness.

Halloween

2006-11-04T19:58:00.000-08:00

This is the Lone Ranger reporting for duty practicing his tough cowboy scowl. This one's for uncle Jim! We convinced him that real cowb0ys have lassos to get their bogies. Until he understands the appropriate uses for guns we try not to encourage them. He seemed to be content after I demonstrated a pretty impressive pantomime of a cowboy roping a calf.

Lincoln didn't have to dress up. His hair and drool down to his ankles does all the talking. He went for the mad scientist this year.

Mommy went as the candy swiper :)

They love me, they love me not, they love me...

2006-11-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

I'm beginning to realize the consequences of being a wanted mommy. Let me clarify a little. My oldest has always been a bit of a Daddy's boy. I used to blame myself thinking it was due to a bad nursing experience, or maybe all those times that I administered home remedies that were not always pleasant. My husband has a bit of a soft side that avoids inflicting pain on others at all costs. So, guess who gets the dirty jobs like enemas and taking the babies in for immunizations ect... ME (aka "the mean one")! Although I could beat myself up all day for missing out on valuable bonding time, I've learned to enjoy a few simple pleasures. My sweet husband has been so good at "nurturing" that he has become the wanted parent at bedtime as well as all through the night. He is also the wanted parent in the morning for the preparation of breakfast. So, not only do I get to sleep through the night (mostly), but I get to sleep in if I need to. I've sort of become cozy in the luxuries that being the next favorite parent affords. However, my cozy little set up has been short lived. My 10 month old has insisted on a constant perch on my hip. He has been pretty sick lately but he's always been a bit of a Mommy's boy. You have to understand that this is quite an adjustment for me. Gone are the days of getting anything remotely accomplished outside of taking care of my children's physical and emotional needs. He's got a surgery this week to get tubes in his ears so it will be interesting to see if this clingy behavior is enhanced by physical discomfort, or if he truly is a Mommy's boy. I have to admit that it's nice to experience a bond that I felt was somewhat lacking with my oldest. I used to take it personally. I thought it was a given the Mommy was the favorite! But now, it's just nice to know that my kids have a Daddy that cares enough to give me some stiff competition at being the "favorite."

Sweet? Or just plain Spooky?

2006-10-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

So, despite the extra hour of sleep, (courtesy of daylight savings time) we were late AGAIN for church this morning. Every week we get all pumped up. Okay! This is the week, we can do it! Yeah, in some alternate universe called Planet Perfect! Seriously, I will do everything I can possible think of to prepare the day before. Such as, lay clothes out, have diaper bag ect... sitting by the door, bottles made, books for keeping noisy kids quiet ect.. ect... ect... The only thing I haven't been willing to give up is the time I spend getting ready myself. I know some of you are chuckling right now but Sundays are the one day where I feel like I really need to be in my sunday best. That includes brushing my hair and putting my face on. I keep thinking that if I do absolutely NOTHING to get ready to be on time then it actually might happen! Isn't that how it works though? Just when you think that things have fallen perfectly into place the baby has a huge blowout and ruins his clothes. Or, the child who is SO close to being potty trained decides to "practice" just as you are walking out the door. "Mommy, I have to poop!" Aaagh! Of course you remain calm and say, "Oh sure sweetie, let me help you with that. I'm so proud of you for wanting to go like a big boy in the big potty!" NOT! (Need I delve into the alternative response?) Or, they think its this big game, let's run from Mommy and Daddy and rip my nice Sunday clothes off! Are they really that desperate for attention? I guess so.... Well anyway, the whole reason why I'm even posting today is so that I wouldn't forget a conversation I had with my oldest. It was after church and of course he had been talking alot about Jesus and Heavenly Father. This is how it goes...A: "Mommy, I want to go wiv wif Heavny Fader", Mom: "I bet it's nice where Heavenly Father is but I would sure be sad if you left me here on earth." A: "But Mommy, I don't want to do this Earf (earth) anymore, I want to be wif Heavny fader and Jesus." Mom:"I want to be with them too sweetie.." (gulp!gasp!) That was it! It's not every day that you have a conversation with your three year old about their death. (shudder!) Sometimes I wonder how they can understand this whole Eternal Plan we are in. Sometimes I wonder if they are still so very close to Jesus and Heavenly Father because their spirits are so pure. I marvel at it all! On the flip side, it's pretty fun when they use things they've learned to get what they want. Example, A: "Mom, I want to go to the book store wif the Thomas the Train track! Pweese can we go?" Mom: "I'm sorry sweetie we won't have time to go there today because I have to go see the doctor right now." A: "But Mom, the Holy Ghost tells me and in my heart I know that it is true that we need to go to the book store!" Mom: "I think you'd better ask the Holy Ghost again." End of Discussion.

Mommy's do get paid

2006-10-22T17:29:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sitting next to my 3 year old as he's saying the blessing on the food feeling deeply fulfilled as a mother. As he proceeded to thank God that "Jesus Wuvs me" and that "Mommy wuvs me" (which he says every single time he prays for at least a year now), I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pride. But it wasn't until I heard him say, "and thank yee for my wist that Mommy made me (aka his chore chart), and thank yee that I could do my wist", that I wanted to jump in the air and obnoxiously sing a verse of the "Hallelujah chorus". I have just recently discovered that an actual blood-related child of mine,(ME! a mother with a huge streak of spontanaeity and somewhat overwhelming variety incentive) loves chore charts and schedules! In fact, If ever we slightly deviate from this schedule we invite an onslaught of behavior that is certainly NOT becoming of my little angel. But seriously, don't all you mothers out there live for those moments when you get even just the tiniest glimpse of the fruits of your labors? You know, those all too brief moments when you think you actually might be making an impact on this amazing little person? It only takes one little giggle, slobbery Kiss, or "Thank yee that Mommy wuvs me", to make this exhausting job of ours absolutely 200 % worthwile!
The reason why I've gone on this "mothering" tangent is that in the last few months I've learned to appreciate it so much more then I think ever before. If you haven't noticed,(I know some of you have, hence, the many proddings to get something written in this darn blog of mine!) I haven't posted a new blog in a couple of months. In the midst of making a last-minute decision to enter a graduate program in voice performance, continuing my service as a mother, and starting a career as an Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant (I know, glutton for punishment!), I've come to peace with my priorities. I've learned that nothing I pursue in life will ever compare to the joy and fulfillment of motherhood. For years I've had this dream of being a famous opera singer. Now, my dream is to be an amazing wife and mother who will use her talents and abilities for God's purposes. The thrill of performing on stage only lasts so long. Being a mother lasts forever. I determined to make the most of this time while they are young to really be there for them. Of course, every mother does need an outlet which will come through my Mary Kay business. Heck, if you can pamper yourself and bless your family financially, you've got yourself a great deal! All in all, I feel like a truly blessed human being. I'm pleased to report that I think I've found the secret to happiness.

Birthday Party

2006-08-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

My oldest turned 3 this week. I can't believe how the time goes. It seems like yesterday that he was a rolly polly just learning how to walk and say a few words. Now he doesn't take naps except on rare occasions, has a definite mind of his own, and is growing out of his 4T clothes at 3 years old! Today I had the fortunate opportunity to go back to days long gone when he asked me to rock him. He must have been in need of some special attention. Because the last time he asked me to rock him was maybe when he was 18 months old! How could I resist? So, I soaked it all in as I rocked my "baby" again. He must have loved it too because he went right to sleep! I'm getting a little emotional as I write this. I feel so fortunate to be the mommy of my two boys. I just hope I can always be there when they ask me to "rock" them.
For his birthday, we decided to fill a fish aquarium that was given to us with some fish that my son picked out of a book. We were lucky to find just the right one at Wal-Mart! We put it together the night before his birthday so he could see it first thing when he woke up on his birthday. He was as thrilled as we had hoped he would be! It felt like Christmas morning as he came down the stairs and said excitedly, "Is there fish in there?!" We spent the rest of the day going to the Wonderlab (a hands-on Children's Science place) and doing whatever else he wanted to do.The birthday party was a blast! Adam really wanted to have a Superman party because for several weeks he's been telling everyone that he's Superman.(By the way, he has never seen the show) So, Grandma sent all the accessories required to have a "Superman" party. Including a Superman costume that he wouldn't wear because he said,"that costume makes me sick". I did however, get him to pose, very enthusiastically I might add, for a quick snapshot. We were so surprised to have so many of his friends come and celebrate. Being the music people that we are, we started out with some fun music that the kids proceeded to dance to. After a rip-roarin' time of dancing and the Limbo we did the cake (which had to be store bought at the last second because my cupcakes got burned after the knob was mysteriously turned to 450 degrees!). The presents were so fun as the friends of the birthday boy helped him open his presents. He loved that they were helping him unwrap them! Then as the grand finale, the kids enjoyed a few minutes of jumping in a giant blow-up jumping thing-a-ma-bob that my friend let me borrow for the party. Unfortunately it began to rain to had to end the fun prematurely. All in all, it was a great time had by all. I hope this is a day he will always remember.

Kids say the darn'dest things

2006-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

We've been having a problem lately with our oldest hurting the baby. It doesn't seem to matter what we say or do to discipline him. He just doesn't seem to get it! I really don't think he's trying to deliberately hurt him. I just think he wants so bad to wrestle and play rough. So on one of these recent occasions, my husband took him to his room and sat him down. He said, "this has been happening too much and has to stop. What do you think a good consequence for hurting your brother would be?" My son says, "I get chocwit(chocolate)". Heck, I like that! Maybe I should get chocolate every time I yell at him.

Jinxed!

2006-07-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

So, just a few weeks ago I was telling my friend Ally the my oldest had never been one to make big messes or get into stuff. So I was explaining that I've never had to be overly careful about leaving stuff out. I think I forgot to knock on wood because those days are officially over! I'm redoing my dining room table set and was painting one of the chairs with black paint. I got distracted from what I was doing and had to deal with my baby for a few moments, so forgot to put the paint away. Stupid! I was gone for maybe 10 minutes. I came downstairs to see my son's lovely "artwork" that was plastered all over my dining room and kitchen. Black paint EVERYWHERE! The pictures tell it all. I was very proud of myself because I didn't yell (because, afterall, I DID leave the paint out). I think I almost cried though. As I asked in total breathless disbelief why he did such a thing. He replied with "Sorry...I'm sorry mommy". "But mommy, I was painting wis you yesterday!" I made him help me clean up a little and as he went around with the rag wiping he was fake sniffing and saying, "Mom, I sad about the paint...(sniff,sniff)...Mom, I sad...(sniff, sniff)". As I was expressing my disappointment to my husband when he got home shortly after the incident, I made sure to talk so Adam could hear me. I said, "I feel sad because I think Adam forgot that I was the Queen of the house and didn't listen and obey when I said not to touch the paint" Rob then said to Adam, "Did you forget that mom is the Queen of the house?" Adam, "Yeah, Mom's the queen!" Rob, "If mom's the queen why didn't you listen and obey?" Adam, (very matter-of-factly)"Because I'm the prince!" Well, there you have it!