When Daddy’s away… Mommy will play. Or, by play I mean make unhealthy meal choices.


Krista and I decided doughnuts for dinner was perfectly legitimate. And if you get to Krispy Kreme at just the right time you can each get a free doughnut, making this meal easy, delicious and inexpensive.

{ I know you’re thinking “Yeah Jo, that computer break really did you good. You’ve posted three times in two days. ” But I’ve had this on my mind and I had to “talk” about it. And I really am spending less time on the computer. I did accomplish my goal. But as I heard in conference “The dearest friend is your own clear conscience.” Sorry, can’t remember who said it. But enough of the justification and self-defense.}

I decided it was time for me to inform myself about what is really going on here.

As I’ve mentioned my best source of education these days is podcasts. This week Ira did an episode of This American Life that could be best described as “Credit crunch for dummies”. It was just right for me, I have no background in economics and I completely rely on Richard for financial facts.

What I discovered is that the debt situation in the United States is more complicated than I could ever imagine. Well I didn’t know what I was imagining, but this was thorny. For those who do have a sound understanding of economics please don’t laugh. The jist of it is that trusts, banks, hedge funds, were all lending money they didn’t have. And I don’t mean a million dollars here or a million there, I mean amounts in the ballpark of $50 billion. I don’t want to embarrass myself by trying to explain this further so I’ll get to my point.

I think I am fiscally conservative. I took a political science class and learned all about Adam Smith, the invisible hand and laissez faire. But today I heard on the radio that Richard Fuld, CEO of Lehman Bros. was rumored to have received a payout of $480 million. He said that number was exaggerated but he admitted to receiving $250 million over a period of eight years, 60% of that in cold hard cash.

Richard has instilled in me a belief in capitalism. But how did we get to the point where one man is worth 250 million dollars. And in the process of making his fortune he built up a company only to let it be destroyed, leaving a tragic path of unemployment behind him. I realize I am being dramatic, but I really had a pit in my stomach as I thought about this. Who needs that much money?

What’s worse is that he is one of many. The people who gambled exorbitant amounts of money they didn’t really have made great fortunes too. So what now? That’s just the breaks? Live and let the golden parachutes drop?

I really do want to know your thoughts readers. But I hate to end on a negative note. SO….

Thinking positive: I am grateful for the example of Thoreau. Food, fuel, shelter and clothing.

Thanks Elder Perry for the reminder.

Richard’s cousin Wendy invited us up to her parent’s cabin for the weekend. Thanks Larry and Janie for hosting!

In the pool pile is Tyler, Bryton, Richard, Ethan and Austin. Richard got his workout for the day.

Cameron had a great time, and although I don’t have a picture, even Eli enjoyed some pool-time.

Uncle Larry took Cameron and for a ride on the 4-wheeler out to see the horses.

Eli got to ride along with me. Don’t panic grandmas, we went very slowly.

It was so beautiful up there. Cameron was nurtured and loved dearly by Whitney and Olivia. Thanks girls!

Eli fell in love with this little gray stuffed kitty. But don’t tell Tyler.

There were so many things for Cameron to do, Richard and I were able to watch conference in peace. (For the most part.) It was a blissful getaway. We were treated so well and asked nothing in return. It had me feeling guilty…

I’ve returned from another blogging hiatus. The last one didn’t actually count, I exercised no self-restraint. This time I took a week-long vacation from the computer almost entirely. I allowed myself two computer visits which I used mostly for banking and checking my email. Upon my return to my google reader this evening I was slightly overwhelmed, and wanting to avoid the bad habits I had just devoted a very tempting seven days trying to break, I just “marked as read”. Sorry fellow bloggers, the last week of your lives went unnoticed by me. Is it a little ridiculous for me to think that matters?

Anyway, luckily I was informed by Julie that I had been tagged by herself and Laura. If I was tagged by anyone else, I apologize for not being aware. After writing 101 things about myself this seems a little redundant, but I will try to be original.

10 Years Ago I…
1- was in the beginning of my junior year of high school
2- played crash cymbals in the marching band. I still get nostalgic this time of year when I can hear the Centennial marching band practicing from my parent’s backyard
3-
4- Am I old? I can’t remember anything else…
5-
5 things on my “to do” list today
1-clean out the garage
2- cut the boys’s hair
3- finish writing the primary program
4- finish freezing my peaches
5-respond to emails
5 Snacks that I enjoy…
1- Popcorn
2- chips and salsa (I had a new and very delicious salsa this weekend)
3- protein bars (this is a new and unusual? treat)
4-brownies mushed in ice cream, Coldstone style
5- Candy
5 things I would do if I were a millionaire…
1- hire a lobbyist to move and shake for easier international adoptions (do foreign governments allow for lobbyists?)
2- pay off a house
3- travel
4- invest (because Richard would make me)
5-donate
5 places I have lived…
1- Provo, UT
2- Boise, ID
3- Fairfax, VA
4-Pocatello, ID
5-Kuna, ID
5 jobs I have had…
1- Dairy Queen
2- Deseret Industries (Here’s to you Lily!)
3- ISU Early Learning Center (daycare)
4- Roaring Springs
5- Dental offices

As I wrote this it seemed familiar, have I done this post before?
I tag ____________. (Anyone who wants to do this post insert your name here.)

This day did not start out well. I accomplished a few things this morning but then as usual I found myself at the computer. I was reading various blogs that were making me feel like I was loading bricks into a backpack carried by my spirit. I was quite blogged down, if you will. You know, sometimes you read something on a blog that provides you with a link to another blog, etc. Well I was on a trail of tough moral questions, death and tragedy. The weight of the world.

Well I had to run some errands before a staff meeting I had to be at so I pulled myself away from the black hole that was dragging me down into a depressed abyss and gathered up the boys. After loading everything in the car (why does it seem like I am packed for a European tour when I leave the house for a few hours?) I backed out into the driveway. Something didn’t feel right. Flat tire.

You know how sometimes you are feeling so down that you are just apathetic? Past the point of frustration or tears. Just . . . whatever. Bring it on, it won’t phase me.

I can’t say what turned my mood. I knew I needed to snap out of it. My orange flowers certainly helped me cheer up. About 75% of the flowers I planted in my yard are orange. Now that fall is coming it seems just right.

This helped too. Seriously moms, am I wrong? A smile from the offspring does wonders.
I just want to send a little cheer out to all of my readers. There is so much chaos out there in the big world. The burdened economy, the angry political campaigns, and natural disasters leaving devastation in their path.

My friend Jaymie who has been through something terrible has demonstrated to me that happiness is a choice. So I will be optimistic, did I not learn anything from President Hinckley?

In the words of Tim Myers “Life is beautiful it’s true when I balance what I do and enjoy the world in front of me.” (Listen/See below.)

So to those who are still reading, I reward you with a great quote I read on the blog of my friend Stephanie(who exudes joy):

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Howard Thurman

Eli is an angel in many ways. He has me wrapped around his little finger with his elfin smiles and his lower-lip pucker kiss. He is really a pleasant toddler most days and I am told he is a Mama’s Boy. The other day while Cameron was at preschool I found Eli in this state. He had cuddled up to his blanket on the floor and fallen asleep. These are the kind of things that can only happen when the 3 year old is not present. But he looked so innocent. Each child has endearing qualities at different ages and right now Eli is just irresistable. Well, for the most part… Cameron never did anything like this. I foolishly believed it was good parenting. He knew better, we’d taught him better. But now I know it was a lot of luck and a lot of personality. He just didn’t have a destructive nature at that age. No coloring on walls, no pulling books off shelves over and over, no throwing my cell phone in a toilet, nothing like that.
Well thankfully modern technology has blessed us with things like washable crayons and magic eraser and taking care of Eli’s artwork which was ALL OVER was not too difficult. I guess part of the reason I was so frustrated was because I had just given myself a blister sharpening the box of colored pencils for the boys. (A blister from sharpening pencils!) And this is how they thank me. Alas, just another day in paradise.

into the wild blue yonder. Saturday was the Gunfighter Skies Air Show at the Mountain Home Air Force Base. You can’t get much better than that for a 3 year old boy who loves airplanes and all things that vroom.
As usual a highlight for me was the national anthem. They had a jumper with an American flag attached to his parachute who gracefully coasted down through the sky while a quartet sang the anthem. It was great. I’m not sure why the national anthem just gets to me. This is a C-17 I think. It is a huge aircraft that the Wings of Blue jumpers jumped out of. This isn’t the one in the air show. They had various planes all around that you could go inside or look at up close. Actually the C-17 in the air show was from McCord AFB in Tacoma, where Bryan is stationed. (We thought of you all day Bry.)
This is Cameron and his friend Lizzie, the daughter of friends of ours who live in Mountain Home and met up with us for the show.
I didn’t get many decent pictures of the aircraft in the sky. Too fast and too far away I guess. But we all loved the Apache helicopters. They played out a scene with three apaches making a “rescue”. It was pretty neat.
Eli did not like the F-15 airplanes. They were very loud and he was very scared I guess. We had a good time though and I’m sure Cameron will be begging to go back.

There has been much debate and discussion these past few weeks about the Proposition 8 in California and religion and such topics. I found myself feeling frustrated but completely unable to articulate my feelings. Richard shared the following link with me. It is an official statement made by the LDS Church, and I’ll warn you it is very long. But it is well worth the read. There are many facets to this issue that had never occurred to me, and never would have without someone bringing them to my attention. I love it because it is very well written, unashamedly declares truth, and refutes the arguments made against it. The Proclamation to the World on the Family asks ““We call upon responsible citizens… to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.” Give it a read.

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

College football pretty much dominates our Saturdays in the fall. But last weekend was Art in the Park and so Richard compromised a little; a few hours looking at photos and paintings in the sunshine in exchange for a few hours of BYU vs. U Dub. (Which was a great game I must admit.)
This is me holding a snake that belonged to the man on the cell-phone. (He was a bit of shady character but Cameron thought it was pretty cool that I was holding a snake.)
Face painting… and toddler painting. Here we have Eli van Gogh…
and Cameron Rembrandt.

We had a great time. Richard enjoyed a Pronto Pup and I splurged on a crepe. It was a beautiful fall day and by the time we got to Gordon and Julie’s for the game I was ready to sit on a couch and relax for awhile.