The Hull Family

He's Here....

2011-11-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Evan Grant Hull was born October 5, 2011.

He was 7 pounds 11 ounces and 20 and 1/2 inches long.

He has been such a sweet little baby. I had forgotten the amazing spirit these little babies bring with them. We are all doing well and we're so thankful for his safe arrival.

For pictures of Evan go here.

(Pictures by the talented Erica Grover)

Nesting....

2011-10-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "I'm ready for this baby" better than organizing all your sheet music. Because when this baby is born he will want to know if he's coming to a home that has organized music. I mean, what if the wants to play He's a Pirate and it's not in the "H" folder? If it's not organized he may rethink this entire thing.

If he's not satisfied with the sheet music then I can show him the newly organized toy closet. And the office supply cabinet. And my recipe shelf. Then he'll know he lucked out in coming to our family.

Will You Marry Me?

2011-06-28T19:10:00.000-07:00

He asked me and I said yes. Actually I said, "Are you serious?" And then I started laughing. I asked him,"Are you sure?" And he said, "Yes." Then I said yes.

Then three months later, on June 28, 1996, we entered the San Diego Temple to be married for time and all eternity. That was 15 years ago and I still can't believe that I got to marry the man of my dreams.

It all started in Provo. I first saw Dan in December 1995. I remember thinking that he was really cute. His oldest brother was in my ward and Dan had just gotten off his mission and was there with another brother who would be entering the MTC that week. I wasn't sure which brother was the 19-year-old.

Then on the first day of Winter semester I headed over to an apartment in my ward to meet my new FHE co-chair and guess who was just coming home from playing basketball. I introduced myself and told him I was looking for his roommate. He wasn't home but Dan and I started talking. He told me he had just gotten home from his mission. I thought,"Oh good, he's not 19" and then I asked him where he had served and he said Barcelona, Spain and then I thought, "Oh good, he speaks Spanish!!"

We talked for a little bit longer and it turned out that he was companions with a guy I knew from Yuma. When I got back to my apartment I told my roommates, "Today I met the boy I'm going to marry. I'm going to marry Dan Hull."

We went ice skating for our first date and it was perfect. We had to hold hands. We had to stay close to each other. And when he turned around and noticed that I had fallen, he came back and sat on the ice with me until I was ready to get up. I knew he was the one for me.

Looking back now, I know we had absolutely no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We just had faith that if we kept the commandments and our covenants we would be able to face whatever came our way. And now moving forward, we really have no idea what lies ahead. We just know that if we have faith and keep our covenants we will be able to face whatever may come.

(I know the quality of this picture is terrible but it was the only way I could get it on here. My new camera isn't loading up onto this laptop and our scanner is broken. So I took a picture of my picture using my camera then I took a picture of the playback screen using my cheap phone camera because I couldn't get a clear picture otherwise then I emailed that picture of a picture of a picture and uploaded it here on this humble blog....did you follow that? I didn't.....)

It's a.....

2011-06-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

BOY!!!!!!

(so much for my strong feelings of this being a girl.....)

Confession

2011-03-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I just bought reading glasses at the 99 Cent store.

Eventful

2011-03-07T14:11:00.000-08:00

A few notable milestones our family has/will experience:

Blake turned 12 and received the Aaronic Priesthood. Like his older brother, he completed reading the Standard Works before he turned 12.

Jacob will turn 8 and be baptized.

Brandon will turn 14. Fourteen!!! He will now be able to attend Youth Conferences and Youth Dances!! He will also be attending high school and early-morning seminary this fall. High School!!! Seminary!!!!!

Joshua will be turning 5 and will attend kindergarten this fall. This means I will be alone with Emma. After having Brandon home for two years, our home will seem too quiet. But not for long....

If all goes well, we will welcome our 6th baby this fall. We are excited and look forward to this new addition. I feel blessed to not be as nauseated with this pregnancy as I have been with the others. The fact that I can actually keep food down is huge (and so is this waistline of mine..but that's OK..).

We are excited for the blessings of this year!

Found

2011-03-01T19:39:00.000-08:00

I found one phone today!

Don't ask me where it was.

OK...I'll tell you.

But please don't judge.
.
It was at the foot of Jacob's bed.

Hiding in a pile of blankets and toys and a sleeping bag.

I guess it's been a while since I've made his bed.

One more to go........

Reward

2011-02-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

There is a $100 dollar reward

for the safe return of 2 handsets.

The batteries are no longer charged so we can't page them

Birthday Celebration

2011-01-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

Thirty-six. 36. That's a 3 and then a 6. That's how young I am. Because from now on I will always have been younger at 36.

So what did I do yesterday to celebrate?

I gave myself the gift of a clean kitchen. I scrubbed the kitchen. I mean really scrubbed it. While everyone else was doing something they had to do, I was doing something I wanted to do. (Yes, I need therapy) I scrubbed the kitchen table and chairs. I even got underneath them and scrubbed the underside. The table legs are once again White and no longer Dingy-White With Remains of Dinners Gone By. (The tabletop gets wiped daily but somehow the legs get neglected) I pulled out the toothbrush and green scour pad and scrubbed all baseboards and floor. I vacuumed under the fridge and stove. I smiled the entire time.

While I was scrubbing away, Dan and the boys made a yummy dinner: Trader Joes' BBQ Chicken Teriyaki and Tempura Chicken with rice and veggies. During dinner the Dan and the boys went around the table and came up with 36 things they like about me. They were very kind. They even said I was patient.

Then it was time for cake. My request? The All American Chocolate Cake from Costco. Seven layers of sugar and calories. And at 900 calories a slice, I ate two. That's right. Two. It has been more than a year since I've had a bite of that cake. And after last night, I am more than OK if it's at least 2 more years until I have another.

The grand finale consisted of a Wii Just Dance 2 dance-off. I am happy to report that I still hold the record. Never mind that my competitors are all under the age of 13, it still makes me happy. (We won't talk about Mario Kart...)

It was a great day!

The Kind of Mom I'd Like to Be

2011-01-16T21:40:00.000-08:00

In October 2002, I was reading The Friend and came across this poem written by a 7-year-old girl.

The Kind of Mom I'd Like to Be

I'd like to be a Mary Poppins mom.

And I'd like to be a mom of animals.

To take care of them and draw them.

I'd like to be a mom who does everything with her kids--

A mom who dances,

A mom of excitement,

A mom who loves everybody,

A mom who forgives,

A mom who joins her kids in any game,

A sewing mom,

A children's mom.

The words of this sweet little girl have inspired me throughout the years. I hope I am becoming the kind of mom my children want me to be. I hope I am becoming the kind of mom my children need me to be. I hope I am becoming the kind of mom I covenanted to be.

Photo by Megan Holdsworth

Paper, Pictures, and Sunday Shoes

2011-01-03T14:46:00.000-08:00

I am starting this year with three very specific goals. It is the third day and I am still trying to figure out how I will best accomplish this. I know there will be adjustments along the way but I am determined to implement a system that will allow me to accomplish this year's goals. Your suggestions are welcomed.

1. Paper
Bills. Ads. Junk mail. Regular Mail. Receipts. I don't like it. I have a desk where most papers get placed. I have every intention of getting to it but then something almost always happens.....Life. It then takes about a month until the final paper has been shredded, filed, or thrown away. By then another month's worth of papers have already piled on. I will develop a system to deal with all the paper that comes into our home.

2. Pictures
Delete. Upload. Print. This is the year I will place our family pictures in a photo album. I'm not even talking about scrapbooking. I am talking about just a plain leather Costco-special photo album. Maybe upload a photobook. Something. Anything. I just want them out so that our children will enjoy them.

And last but not least,

3. Sunday Shoes

I want all Sunday shoes, socks, suits, white shirts, ties, dresses, hair bows, diaper bag, nursery bag, Branch President mail, etc. in its place on SATURDAY!!!!!! I will not spend another Sunday looking for one missing sock or shoe or tie or anything.

Here is a small glimpse into our peaceful Sabbath morning (soft Sunday music playing in the background):
Dan has already ironed white shirts on Saturday. For this I am thankful. He helps as much as he can before he has to leave for his meetings.

Then all chaos breaks loose. Where is the missing sock? Has anybody seen Jacob's tie? It was right here a minute ago. Joshua, where are your pants? Why are they not on? Where is Emma's other shoe? Why isn't anything where it should be? Who is your mother and does she know your room looks like this?

I'm done. I'm almost 36. I should have this all figured out by now, right? This is the year when habits will be created. Habits that will help create a little less stress. I want to more fully enjoy the blessings of an orderly home and I want my children to enjoy the blessing of a less crazy mother.

This is the year...Why not?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

Little House on the Prairie. Perhaps no other television show brings back such fond childhood memories. (Except for Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas :)

We just finished watching Christmas at Plum Creek from season 1 and was reminded why I love this series.
I love the sacrifice each family member made to give a gift from the heart.
I love the simplicity of Charles' explanation to Carrie of what Christmas is.
I cried when Caroline opened the box and saw the stove.

So, here's wishing you your own Plum Creek Christmas.
Merry Christmas!!

Yay!

2010-11-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

After running for 2 hours and 23 minutes, we crossed the finish line.

"2010-Why Not" Revisited

2010-10-15T10:40:00.000-07:00

Why not? It seemed like a simple enough question, until I tried to answer it. And so it began...

I started the year with three very specific goals:
1. Continue with a healthy eating and exercise plan and not become frustrated if the scale didn't budge
2. Regardless of what I looked like, we would take family pictures with the talented Megan Holdsworth
3. Run a half-marathon (13.1 miles seemed much better than 26.2 miles)

Update:
1. I will always be working on this one
2. We took family pictures with Megan. (Thank you, Megan!!)
3. I have paid the registration fee to run a half-marathon in my hometown on Nov. 13. I have been following a training schedule and I intend on crossing that finish line.

I'll let you know how it ends.....

Who Am I Kidding?

2010-08-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I did something I had been dreading. I cleaned out my sewing/craft closet.

Why was I still holding on to scrapbooking journaling templates from 1998? If I haven't finished my Felt Christmas Wreath from 2006 (is that when we made them, Edna?) chances are I'm not going to finish it for 2010. And Ericka, why did you let me take your unfinished baby blanket? Remember, the one we spent hours trying to design a "random" pattern for? The one you wanted to make for your now 9-year-old son?

Last year I bought a "Learn to Crochet" kit because I was going to make a scarf. Will I ever crochet scarves for my family? Will my children ever wake up on a cold Christmas morning to find a specially crocheted scarf in their stockings? No. Why had I felt it was necessary to add to my Things You Don't Really Have Time To Do List? And if I really did have the time, would I want to spend it crocheting? No. I wouldn't.

I'm deteremined not to buy one more crafty thing. At least not until I have sewn the 5 quilts I have fabric for, made my year's supply of cards, sewn the dresses I bought patterns for, and hemmed my pants.

June 2010

2010-07-19T15:38:00.000-07:00

June brought the end of the school year, visitors, Emma's 1st birthday, a pioneer trek, a trip to Yuma, and an anniversary.

Blake graduated from elementary school and will be attending Middle School next year.

Way to go!

We had the great pleasure of having our friends stay several days with us. Brandon and Michelle have been our friends since our BYU days. We met just a few weeks after we each got married and we left Utah when we each had two children.

Now we each have 5 and even though we have lived hundreds of miles apart and I have only seen her once in the last 10 years we have always been able to pick up right where we left off.

I am so thankful for good friends who love to live the gospel.

They have been a tremendous source of inspiration.

We love you guys!

On June 4, our branch had the privilege of hosting a dinner for Sister Silvia Allred of the General Relief Society Presidency. Before she left for the airport on Saturday, I got to have lunch with her and 6 other people. I am grateful for her kindness and for the tender words she spoke.

Can you believe Emma is a year?

(How sad is it that she doesn't even get her own post? Almost as sad as the fact that her only present was a car seat. How's that for practicality? It was pink, though.)

We love this sweet little girl!!

On June 18, our family was able to participate in a youth pioneer trek. We were asked to portray a pioneer family digging a grave for the burial of a child. Yes, I cried. I cried when we were asked to do it. I cried each time the different companies came by. I couldn't help but think of our own pioneer ancestors and the hardships they experienced as they pushed handcarts. And I cried as I thought of dear friends who have had to bury two of their children. I am thankful for the gospel and that because of the priesthood, families are bound by a power that is eternal.

We also had cousin Rachel come stay with us. We wish she would have stayed longer and look forward to visiting with her and the rest of the family at the reunion.

We also went to Disneyland a few times.

The end of the month found us in a car driving the 3 1/2 hour trip to Yuma.

We stayed at Edna's house while she and Chris went on a cruise.
I got to spend the week with my two adorable nieces.

On June 28, Dan and I celebrated 14 years of wedded bliss.

It has been the best 14 years of my life.

I love that man.

Yes, It's Hot

2010-07-18T19:27:00.000-07:00

I know this is not a weather blog, but I am taking it upon myself to inform those who may not know that it is hot here. And do you know what makes it worse? Not having an air conditioner that works. And you know what that means? It means our windows are open. And that means the neighbors can hear everything. And that means I can't yell. And that makes me want to scream.

A Visit from Grandma

2010-05-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

and Bill and Sam.

We really enjoyed having Dan's mom and 2 of his brothers come visit us last weekend. I don't think we could have crammed more into a 24 hour period. After 2 baseball games, Ann and I canned 32 pints of chicken while Dan and Bill built shelves in our master bedroom closet. I love them!Sunday was a special day and it was so nice to feel the support of family. It has been 2 years since Dan's father's passing and it was so nice to feel his influence during the weekend.

My parents, Karla, Ericka and Paul and their children came as well. (Sorry, no pictures of them!) Thank you for all you do!

Pythagorean Theorem

2010-04-20T15:52:00.000-07:00

That was today's math lesson. When was the last time you heard that!?? It brought back so many memories of Mr. Butcher's geometry class. Tomorrow's class: Irrational numbers.

A Teenager?!?

2010-04-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Brandon turned 13 today. 13?!? How did that happen? It's hard to believe that that sweet little 5lb 9oz. baby is now almost as tall as me.

He is such an amazing son. We love him so much!!

Happy Birthday!!

Star Wars Legos.

Remind me never to buy birthday presents in front of Jacob and Blake. Otherwise, they will try to get you to guess what gift was bought and where it is hidden.

Brandon, Emma, and Dan.

Do you notice Dan's shirt?

He got it this morning for finishing another sprint triathlon. He's been sick all week so he was happy to just finish.

Field trip to the Living Desert in Palm Desert.

And last but certainly not least, some recent pictures of Emma.

We are glad she is over her

waking-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-because-she's-teething-episodes.

Crazy hair!

Since Gabby is too humble...

2010-04-03T21:25:00.000-07:00

Since is Gabby is too modest it is up to me to tell you how amazing she is...

She set a goal to reclaim her physical self and started on a strict diet and exercise regimen about Oct 1, last year. In 6 months she has reached her goal weight and is lifting more weight than she imagined she could and can run at least 4 miles (she is working towards her next goal of running a 1/2 marathon this year)! I can't tell you how much weight she has lost because, well, intelligent husbands don't do that. But suffice it to say that she is again wearing outfits she wore when we got married nearly 14 years and 5 children ago! And to give you an idea of her dedication and resolve, she did not skip any days, meals, or anything this past 6 months. She stuck with her regimen 100%. Thanksgiving? She made us a feast and didn't taste any of it. Then while we ate the feast she prepared, she sat down and with a smile ate lettuce, cucumbers, brocoli, and tuna (or something like that). Same thing happened for Christmas. She even refused to lick her fingers any of the 1/2 dozen times over Christmas that she made her incredible homemade cinnamon rolls! Gabby is absolutely inspiring! Way to go Gabby!

**Imagine my horror when I opened up our blog and found that Dan had written this post! I had no idea and he didn't even tell me he had done this! Just to clarify a few things, it has taken a little longer than 6 months and I ate turkey for Thanksgiving. (I think the tuna was for Christmas.)

Walmart and the Park

2010-03-17T23:03:00.000-07:00

That's what we did today. Nothing too exciting but FUN nonetheless. I have Relief Society tomorrow so we ran around getting things for that. We went to the park for a birthday party and baseball practice. After that we headed to the church for Scouts. The boys didn't mind driving around running errands because that's when we get to listen to Harry Potter. We are on the third book. (Hooray for Harry Potter!)

Santa Monica Pier

2010-03-16T22:18:00.000-07:00

What a fun day it was today! We headed west on the 10 straight to beautiful Santa Monica. We had never been to the pier and it was absolutely beautiful. The weather was a sunny 77 degrees. Just beautiful. I am not a beach person but this was nice. We had a great time.We went to Muscle Beach. This was the coolest place. We are definitely coming back to ride bikes and go jogging along the beach. How cool would it be to do your daily workouts here?! The boys enjoyed climbing ropes and swinging on the rings.

Then after a hard workout you have to get a healthy one of these....

We walked along the boardwalk and just enjoyed the view.
The boys played a game at Pacific Park. Brandon won a snake for Joshua.

Joshua and Emma enjoyed the stroller ride.

(I did have the shade on Emma. I just lifted it up so that I could take a picture.)

I kept making the boys stop to take pictures. We were such tourists but I had to have something to remind the boys just how much FUN we're having!

Cabazon Dinosaurs

2010-03-15T16:17:00.001-07:00

After driving by these dinosaurs countless times, I decided that we would start our Spring Break by visiting these creatures. We picked up Blake's friend and we headed east on the 10. The boys had a great time.

The boys had a fun time climbing the stairs inside this T-Rex. The boys had fun in the "Dino Dig" and exchanged the rocks they found for a small dinosaur.

Emma was good to be in her car seat.

They panned for gems. Jacob found a few "gold" rocks.

Posing with the soldier.

Blake's friend tore some tendons in his hand. Can you spot the smiling face on his hand?

Joshua loved the dinosaurs.
This turtle was a tad bit slippery. I climbed on top and tried to stay on long enough to take a picture.

What will tomorrow's adventure be? Stay tuned.

Spring Break 2010

2010-03-13T14:29:00.000-08:00

TWO weeks! Will we survive? Will Dan come home from work each day and find me smiling or locked in my closet?
I am determined to make this the best spring break we've ever had. (I'm not sure what that looks like exactly but whatever we do I'll just keep reminding the boys how much FUN it is!)

Wish me luck!

More Pictures of Emma

2010-03-01T23:48:00.000-08:00

Emma Felicity Hull

8 1/2 months old.

I love this little girl!!

Hiking

2010-02-28T19:02:00.000-08:00

We decided to go on a family hike for President's Day. We borrowed a backpack for Emma and ended up going about 3 miles. We had fun.This is our neighborhood.

And finally, my sweet little Emma!

Another Jacob Funny

2010-02-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

"I love chicken from China!"
(After eating Orange Chicken from Trader Joe's)

Snow Day

2010-02-05T00:07:00.000-08:00

I love freshly fallen snow. It reminds me of when Dan and I were at BYU. It always brings back such sweet memories. So imagine our surpise when we woke up a few weeks ago to find some freshly fallen snow here in Yucaipa. We were so excited.

School was cancelled, Dan worked from home and we had a great day.

We started out the morning by trying to find some mittens and gloves. That proved to be a more difficult task than I imagined. I really thought that we had all of that in our winter box. I don't know what I was thinking. There were no gloves in the winter box. So then we spent a good half hour searching our house for gloves. I think we eventually were able to find at least one glove per child.

It was so nice. It fell throughout the day and into the evening. The last of the snow melted well into the following week.

I Have a Better Idea

2010-02-04T23:46:00.000-08:00

This evening I had a Relief Society meeting. We sewed simple pioneer skirts and bonnets for the Relief Society anniversary in March. It's always a hectic time in the Hull home when I have a Relief Society meeting to plan. It always consists of running around the house pulling my hair out making sure I have everything and making sure there is something edible around the house for my family to eat.

Last night I was saying my prayers asking for a good day. I was hoping that things wouldn't be too stressful. While praying, I had the thought that I should pack the car in the morning so that I wouldn't feel rushed. I've never had that thought before and I took it as something I should follow.

After picking up Blake and Jacob from school, Dan called me and I told him that the car was already packed. I was happy to have followed this prompting. Blake then asked why I had packed up the car. I realized this would be a good time to teach the boys about personal revelation and following promptings. I told the boys how I had been praying the night before asking for guidance and a clear mind for today. I then told them the thought I had and that I was thankful that Heavenly Father had helped me.

Jacob then told me, "I have a better idea. I think Heavenly Father should have told you to pack the car the night before. That would have been even better."

This boy makes me smile....

2010 - Why Not?

2010-01-14T09:20:00.000-08:00

"Why Not?" has been our saying for the last part of 2009 and will be our saying for 2010.

It started out by me saying, "Why can't I be someone that has it together?" and "Why can't I be a fit and healthy person?" and "Why can't we stick to a budget?" and "I've always wanted to do____, but there's no way I could."

And then I thought, "Well, why not?" Why can't I do the things that I would like to do? Why can't I be the kind of mom I've wanted my children to have for the longest time? Why can't I be the person who exercises and runs and wears cute jeans? Why can't I home school my 7th grader? Why can't I keep up with the laundry?

Well, I can. I know what it requires. I know what it takes. Other people have done it and are doing it and so can I.

And so my journey began. And it continues. And it's not perfect (especially the laundry part). But I will keep going because I can.

A Mummy, A Jedi or Two, and a Grouchy Ladybug

2009-11-09T08:33:00.000-08:00

That was our Halloween. I love how the boys' costumes didn't get decided on until a half hour before the Trunk-or-Treat.

For Friday night, Jacob decided he wanted to be a mummy. Luckily I had some fabric that I bought 9 years ago that stayed in my fabric box awaiting the perfect project. Yes, I know...I'm quite talented. (He actually won a prize for his costume! He's loving his new scripture bag!)

On Saturday, Jacob decided to be Indiana Jones and Joshua was Mutt. The costumes Brandon and Blake are wearing have seen many a Halloween night. I think we've gotten our money's worth on those.

And last, but certainly not least, is our own Grouchy Ladybug. Sweet little Emma eventually calmed down.

Dan's Race

2009-11-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

Dan completed an Olympic triathlon this morning. That is a mile swim, a 25 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run. It was very inspiring to see all the athletes finish. (I had to wipe a tear or two..)

Dan's the man!

(I told Dan that I'd love to run this race with him next year. There is a problem, however. My swimming skills amount to the ability to not drown and the last time I rode a bike was my junior year in high school. Also, I really don't run. So we'll see if I'm there next year.)

We had fun waiting around for Dan to finish. Only a few scrapes and not too many meltdowns. (Brandon got a bit scraped up when, after a few times of jumping over a trash can, finally missed and Jacob hit his eye and mouth on a pole of the playground.)

That's us! Way to go, Dan. We love you!

More Pictures

2009-08-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

I love my children.

Joshua cried during the entire photo session. We had to get the "soft overlay" option to minimize his red eyes.

In all seriousness, what a blessing it is to have these sweet children in my life.

I learn from them daily. I love them.

Our First Attempt

2009-07-25T00:10:00.000-07:00

at gardening is producing some results! We are so excited.

This part of our yard was covered in loose gravel but it was the only space we had that could possibly fit a garden. A small garden, but a garden nontheless.

After a lot of trips with the wheelbarrow, we were finally able to plant some seeds.

We weren't sure exactly what would grow but we are pleased to report that we will at least have zucchini. Dan and the boys have done all the work. They are awesome!

We removed a Christmas tree that has been here forever and decided to put an orange tree instead. Sorry, tree. I hope you don't mind.

Blessing Day

2009-07-24T23:10:00.001-07:00

Emma was blessed on July 12. We are so thankful for our family and friends who made this occasion even more special. My mom made her dress. I love it! Gracias, Mami!

Brandon, Blake, Jacob, Joshua, and Emma. Her brothers are so good to her!

Ericka bought this dress for Emma and she wanted a picture with her wearing it.

Thanks, Ericka!

And last but not least, the usual attempt of trying to get the grandchildren to take a picture.

We missed you Kyle!!

I don't know why we think that surely this will be the time when everyone smiles and cooperates. I'm sure we'll get one sometime.

A special Thank You to Chris (my brother-in-law) for being our patient photographer!

Emma Felicity Hull

2009-06-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

She's here and we are so happy.

Emma Felicity Hull

June 13, 2009

7lbs. 12 oz.

19 1/4 inches long

Random Thoughts

2009-06-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

We have some neighbors down the street who have the cleanest house in the neighborhood and quite possibly in Yucaipa. They are a retired couple so maybe one day I'll do the same. They wash their driveway and sidewalk everyday. On trash day they wash out their trash cans. I don't think they can get very dirty. I'm sure they even wash out their garbage before they put it in their trashcan. Their garage is very organized and they actually park both their cars in it. A few times I have seen the lady sitting on the sidewalk with a brush and bucket of soapy water scrubbing the curb and part of the street. The cracks on their driveway and sidewalk have nothing in them. I'm happy for them.

Someday I would like to get a pressure washer for Mother's Day or my birthday. Dan knows this so I can't get him one for Father's Day or his birthday. It would be too obvious. I want to clean the cracks in my sidewalk and driveway, too.

I may have fingerprints on my walls or smudges on my kitchen cabinets but I would rather clean the edges of the baseboards with a toothbrush. There is something about knowing they are clean that gets me excited. What does this say about me?

On the same note, unclogging the shower drain or a bathroom sink makes me happy.

Moving on to another subject:

School is out next week and we never quite mastered the Jacob Please Pack a Snack For School Today routine. Or the Jacob Where is Your Homework Folder routine. Maybe next year.

We had Open House last night. There were lots of different activities. The one Jacob was excited about was the Hoola Hoop contest. He was one of the winners. He was super happy.

There was also a karaoke booth. I realized that a lot of the girls wanted to sing "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" but none of them knew how it went. They did know how to sing "Love Story." I really wanted to get up there and sing but I restrained myself from embarrassing my children or myself. Can you imagine if your mom got up to sing at your Open House?!

Moving on to yet anther subject:

Do stretch marks ever go away?

Does it really matter?

Will I ever have my cut abs again? (I dreamt about this one time and in my dream I was pregnant and my abs were cut because Stacy and Clinton were there telling me how great I looked in a structured jacket.)

Will the swelling in my feet ever go down?

Will I even be able to see my feet again to know that is has?

And finally:

I'm really enjoying the Ranch Chicken Taco Salad from Taco Bell.

I'm really enjoying Otter Pops.

I'm really enjoying Breyer's Orange and Vanilla Take Two ice cream.

Maybe that's why I may not have my abs again.

Joshua is 3

2009-05-04T10:27:00.000-07:00

Joshua's birthday was on April 28. He is a funny 3 year old. He loves to wrestle his brothers and he loves to give his Mami kisses but his favorite thing to do is be with his Dad. He loves to snuggle with Dan at the end of the day for a story. The other night I put him down for bed and said to him, "Goodnight, little boy." He replied, "Goodnight, big Mami." I'm glad he's learning opposites. We are so thankful that Joshua is in our family.

Joshua is our 4th child and I have always felt badly about his coming home from the hospital story when he was born. I thought for sure the nurses wouldn't let me bring him home.

Joshua Benson Hull was born shortly after 4am on a Friday. It became evident that he was having a hard time breathing. The nurses said he was grunting. I held him quickly and then they took him away. He was placed in the NICU shortly after being born. It was determined that he was born with a pneumothorax, a small hole in his lung.

He was placed in a hoodie with oxygen and got a few IV's. Dan and my brother-in-law Paul gave him a blessing. I was so grateful and felt that things would be fine. They kept taking xrays to determine if air was still escaping from his lung. They said that these kinds of small holes usually seal up on their own but if it didn't surgery would be needed. After a day or so the amount of air that was leaking was getting smaller so we knew that the hole was sealing up. During this time we were unable to hold him. I was in my recovery room on Saturday afternoon when I was told I could go up and hold Joshua. It was so great to hold him again.

I came home from the hospital on Sunday evening. It was so hard to leave him there. I was pumping and storing milk and I would need to take it up throughout the day. They thought he would be there for a week. My mother-in-law came on Monday morning and was such an amazing help. I'm so grateful she was here.

After coming home on Tuesday from my visit at the hospital I got the call from the nurses saying that the doctor had OK'd Joshua's release for that afternoon! We were so excited to be bringing him home a few days before what had been stated that morning. It is protocol to have Social Services call the families of the children in the NICU to make sure that they are going home to a safe environment. She asked if we had a crib for the baby and a car seat. I told her that I had everything, he's my fourth child. We were told to be there at 3pm and that we had to watch a car seat safety video and then we could bring him home. I said, "Perfect, we'll be there at 3."

Ok...this is the part where I thought for sure, "Yeah, he's the 4th child" and "There's no way they're going to let me take him home."

I called Dan to let him know we could bring home Joshua so he came home early from work so that we could pick him up. I put together the diaper bag with his coming home outfit and matching blanket.

Dan's truck had been acting funny so we made arrangements to drop off the truck on our way to the hospital. We would be picking up the rental car, too. So we drove the truck to the car rental place. Then I drove the rental car and followed Dan as he drove the truck to the shop. Then Dan got in the rental car and we drove to the hospital.

We arrived at 4. We were an hour late picking up our son!!! I felt so horrible. There were other parents there with their children who did not know how many more weeks or months or if they would even be able to bring their babies home at all and here I was able to bring mine home and I was late. We watched the safety video and then we were told that we had to get our last paperwork clearance so that we could officially check out of the hospital.

Dan and I went downstairs and the lady looked us up on the computer, she checked my hospital tags on my wrist, and then asked to see a photo ID. I opened up my purse and realized that my wallet was in the diaper bag. I then realized that the diaper bag was in the truck. I then realized that the truck was in the shop. I didn't have the diaper bag with me!! My wallet was in there and so were Joshua's clothes. I told the lady that I didn't have my license with me. She checked Dan's ID and I answered all of the security questions correctly but she needed to see something with my picture on it. I looked through my purse to see if there was anything in there that had my picture on it. And then I saw it. I pulled out my Costco card and said this was all I had. She took it and copied it and said that would be fine.

We went back upstairs to take Joshua and the nurse asked me if I had clothes for him. I told her that we had forgotten his diaper bag and that his clothes were in the bag. Once again, I could feel the stares of some of these parents. I tried not to look at them. I asked the nurse if it was OK to take the hospital shirt he was wearing and if we could have the hospital blanket as well. She said we could.

So Joshua came home wearing only a white hospital shirt. He didn't have any socks or pants. I was waiting for Social Services to stop us on our way out. They didn't and it's been a wonderful 3 years! We love you, Joshua!

Brandon is 12

2009-04-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

Brandon turned 12 on April 17. I really can't believe that my little baby is not little anymore.

Turning 12 also meant that he would be ordained a Deacon. I figured I would be emotional, especially being pregnant and tired, but I wasn't fully prepared for the sweet experience of watching Dan ordain Brandon. Brandon is such a good example to both Dan and me. There are many times when I think that I need to get my act together and follow the lead of my children.

Brandon likes to set goals. So do I. The difference is that he actually accomplishes them. One of the goals he set for himself earlier this year was to read The New Testament before he turned 12. We realized that if he did this he would have read all the Standard Works. I am 34 and I have yet to read all the Standard Works from cover to cover. We encouraged Brandon to read but also told him that it was OK if he didn't finish. What he had already done was pretty amazing. On Easter Sunday, 5 days before his birthday, we read the last chapter of Revelations with Brandon. I hope that we can continue to focus on the Scriptures and that as the tough teenage years come, our children will be able to turn to the Scriptures for answers.

We celebrated Brandon's birthday on Sunday the 19th because he was on a Scout camping trip for his actual birthday. Our boys get to request whatever dinner and cake they want for their birthdays so that meant that we would have spaghetti. Brandon loves spaghetti. He also requested corn on the cob, the 5 (or is it 7?) layer chocolate cake from Costco, and homemade vanilla ice cream. It was a good dinner. A nice way to end a nice day. I'm grateful to my parents who were able to be here for the occasion.

Adios, Nana

2009-04-04T11:28:00.000-07:00

My Nana passed away on Friday, April 3, 2009. She was 86 years old.

She was the only grandparent I remember. She was my mom's mother.

My Nana was a funny lady. Just last Saturday all of my sisters were together and we were able to visit with her. We told her that we would be by on Monday to sing to her and we hoped she could get out of bed to dance. She quickly put up her arms and started to pretend to dance.

I have many memories of her. When I was little my family would go to San Luis, Mexico just about every Saturday and visit her. Every once in a while I would stay with her for a week during the summers.

There I learned that 5am is a good time to get up and make coffee and go outside and water all the plants. It is also a good time to sweep the dirt. I learned how to wash clothes by hand. She had a "lavadero" outside and we would lather up a bar of soap and start to scrub our clothes.

She made the best tamales and tortillas. I remember her taking a small ball of dough and start to pat it. She would keep patting this dough until she had a tortilla at least a foot and a half in diameter. She would let me try. I could never make them nearly as thin or as round as she could.

She also loved to tease me. She knew I was gullible and once told me that she had put cockroaches in the dinner and I believed her.

She taught me about making do with what you have. The only TV set in her house was in the bedroom. Her room was an extension of the kitchen and we would always gather in there. She always liked to show us her "remote control." It was a long stick. She could be in her bed and reach out and push the on/off button with her "remote." We knew we couldn't play with that stick because it belonged next to her bed.

She was a devout Catholic. She had her Saints that she liked to pray to. We felt bad when, not once but twice, my sister Ericka accidentally broke her most precious Saint. My oldest cousin was frantically trying to glue it back together before she got back. We knew she was extremely upset when she saw what we had done but she didn't yell or scream or do any of those things. We didn't dare look at her in the eyes.

This past August I was in Yuma visiting and we were able to see her. She asked when I was going to be leaving and I told her the day. The day came when I was loading my children in the van getting ready to leave when the phone rang. It was her and she was calling to wish me a safe trip. She said to me, "Te quiero, mi amor." ("I love you, my love.")

Nana, I love you, too.

(The picture is Brandon with my Nana, taken in December 1997.)

Happy Birthday, Boys!

2009-04-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

It was Blake's birthday on January 29. (Yes, I'm behind) Jacob's birthday was March 24 and I haven't posted about that either. Brandon's birthday is coming up on April 17 followed by Joshua's on the 28. I figured I can't blog about Brandon turning 12 this year if I don't first blog about Blake turning 10. So here is a recap of my boys....Blake Kimball Hull is the smartest 10 year old I know. Really. He got 100% on both the math and science portions of his standardized test last year. He asks me questions about things and I have to go Google the answer. He also is a very hard worker.
He also inherited some of his mother's athletic abilities. Poor guy. Some physical things don't come very easily to him but he has the determination to practice until he gets better at them. Take baseball. He decided he wanted to play baseball. During tryouts during his first year he didn't even know where to go when they asked him to go play Shortstop. They said, "Between 2nd and 3rd." He went somewhere else. Then they said, "Between the two cones." Then they just told him to start walking and to stop when they said to. He eventually made it to the Shortstop position. Needless to say his first year in baseball was played out in left field. (Nothing against left fielders...) But he decided last year that he wanted to pitch. So everyday after school he went outside to practice his pitching. He got better and better and last year was able to pitch a few games. This year he is one of his team's pitchers.
He also is really good at making and keeping goals. When he started Cub Scouts he decided that he would earn his Wolf badge before the next pack meeting. That gave us about 6 weeks. Guess what he did for six weeks straight? He earned his Wolf badge.

We are so glad he is in our family. Even though there are days when I wish there was a mute button on that boy our home would be too quiet without him. Blake, you are an amazing boy. We love you!!
Blake and Jacob

Jacob Taylor Hull is the sweetest 6 year old boy. He is our third child and Heavenly Father knew exactly what I needed when he sent him to us.

I was seriously doubting my abilities of my being a mother when I became pregnant with Jacob. It was a difficult time for me. Then two things happened that changed everything. We moved to Yucaipa and Jacob was born. After being in our English ward for almost 1 year our family was called to serve in a Spanish Branch. Dan was called to be a counselor so that meant that I would have the children by myself. I also played the piano during Sacrament Meeting. Jacob sat in his car seat the entire time. When he outgrew his car seat he would actually sit next to me on the bench while I played. He sat!!! I had never had a child who would sit during anything. If I needed to got to the dentist he would actually stand in the corner and wait for me until I was done!!!!! I didn't even have to bribe him!!! I had never before experienced anything like this. He was a great infant and toddler.

Now 6 years later, he is still a sweet boy but definitely has his mother's stubbornness. He has to think an idea was his if there is any chance of him doing it. If I ask him to make his bed he will dance around the issue. If he says, "I know something...I will make my bed in the morning" he will get up extra early and make his bed...with a smile. He loves to give us hugs and kisses and I'm so thankful he is in our family. We love you, Jacob!!

I Had the Munchies

2009-03-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

After the Saturday evening session of Stake Conference I dropped the babysitter off at her home and headed to the grocery store to buy some bananas and milk. Then I realized I just needed a little something...not sure what that was but I was sure I would know when I saw it.

So what went in my cart? Processed foods laden with sugar and artificial sweeteners. I was seriously laughing each time I put an item in my cart. First, bananas. Then it went downhill from there. Breyers ice cream...Oreo and Vanilla with Orange. Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake....the little container with the plastic spoon. Fig Newtons. Keebler's Frosted Animal Crackers. Saltine crackers. Sour Patch watermelon candy. Chile Limon Cheetos. Already made chocolate milk. (Why buy chocolate syrup if it's already mixed?) I did exert some self control by not getting the Sprite at the check out stand.

I was embarrassed by the items in my cart. I'm sure people were thinking, "Umm....excuse me, big pregnant lady, but do you know that's not good for you?!?" My reply would've been..."Yes....but you're not the boss of me."

Now this morning...none of the food I got sounds good to me.....well, maybe the ice cream does. And the chocolate milk.

My Fair Lady

2009-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy few weeks at the Hull household. We've had family visits, a Disneyland day trip, playing in the snow days, baseball practices, basketball games, Scouts, sicknesses, everyday routines, and of course the ever popular Science Fair.

Because I have a son, Brandon, who doesn't like to procrastinate and he has a mother who doesn't mind working with a deadline, I had been reminded at least once a day about the project deadline for the last 2 months. (My other son, Blake, really doesn't care one way or the other.) So we did the actual experiments a few weeks ago and all that was left was all the written stuff and the assembly of the board.

Brandon's project had to do with whether or not an ice cube melts faster in water or in air and Blake's project was whether or not a hard boiled egg spins longer than a raw egg. I must say that I do enjoy experiments. I think it's a great way to learn. I just don't like having to oversee all the paper work.

But as each year passes I'm getting better at letting the boys do their thing. (I figured that by the time this new baby has to do a project I won't even know there was a Science Fair and she'll just ask her brothers for their projects.)

I used my sister Edna's motto: The least amount of effort possible. So that meant the boys did it all. This year, we didn't take out the glue stick. The boys stapled their boards together. Their pictures were not printed on photo paper but on regular paper. There wasn't any cardstock to make borders for anything. I just provided the typing and formatting on Publisher. They were pleased with their projects and Blake was one of the three winners of his classroom. Way to go, Blake!

After all I had my day when as a fifth grader I set out to answer the question in every fifth grader's mind: Can Probability Be Tested? I won the school fair in my category, Math and Computers, because I was the only project in that category. Then I went on to the county where I didn't place. There were 5 projects in my category and ribbons were given to 1st -4th places so guess where that left me.

This is Blake's project. I don't have a picture of Brandon's. Don't worry...it looks exactly the same. The only difference is that his title is in blue.

We are having a............

2009-02-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

Girl!

Jakey Jacob

2009-01-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

Jacob makes me smile. He was Student of the Week last week so we had Blanco Bear visiting our home. We got to document the many activities of Blanco Bear and Jacob. Here they are pulling weeds.

Jacob is a funny boy. He constantly says things that makes us smile. We love him!

Here is a short conversation we had while reading The Polar Express.

Me: (reading) "We sang Christmas carols and ate candies..."

Jacob: (pointing to the words "Christmas carols" ) I know that! "Christmas carols" is in If You Take a Mouse to the Movies!

Me: You're right! It's part of that book.

Me: (reading the next page) "We traveled through cold, dark forests, where lean wolves......hid from our train as it thundered through the quiet wilderness."

Jacob: (pointing to the word wilderness) I know that word! That's in the Book of Mormon!

Me: You're right!

I thought it was cute. I love all my boys. They truly are amazing little people.

Self Evaluation Quiz for Homemakers

2009-01-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

I was at the church last night for Cub Scouts and noticed more items on the We Are Cleaning the Library So Help Yourself to Whatever You'd Like Table. (At least that is how I interpret it) I found a Homemaking manual from 1983. I skimmed through it and found recipes and sewing patterns and so I picked it up.

When I got home I started to browse through it and found this quiz towards the beginning. This quiz is "for individual women to use to help bring to mind homemaking goals they might like to set."

1. My house is:
a. immaculate
b. liveable
c. could be better

2. I organize my time:
a. pretty well
b. sometimes
c. don't have time

3. I have a place for everything:
a. yes, I do
b. sometimes
c. don't know where to look

4. At the grocery store, I:
a. comparison shop
b. compare a few prices
c. buy on impulse

5. I take time for beauty:
a. oh yes, every day
b. I've let down
c. when?

6. When I see old furniture, I:
a. get excited
b. sometimes see new possibilities
c. live with it or throw it away

7. Clogged disposals, broken plugs and stopped-up toilets:
a. I can usually fix
b. make me wonder, "Where do I start?"
c. scare me to death

8. I feel decorating and "personal touches" in a home are:
a. important
b. nice if I have time
c. a real bother

9. My walls can be described as:
a. attractive
b. need some updating and change

10. Our one year storage is:
a. completed
b. depleted
c. deleted

11. I spend quality time with my children:
a. often
b. sometimes
c. when they're sick

12. My yard and garden:
a. flourish
b. need improvement
c. won't grow

13. Holidays and birthdays are:
a. fun to make special
b. bound to happen
c. a nuisance

14. Our Christmas decorations and traditions are:
a. dear to our family
b. needing a spark
c. getting worn out

15. Our meals each week are:
a. excellent
b. of fair variety
c. getting dull

16. I entertain:
a. with flair
b. pretty well, considering
c. only when absolutely necessary

17. When it comes to sewing:
a. I enjoy it and save money
b. I could, if I had some help
c. it's more frustrating than fun

18. My laundry is:
a. clean and in order
b. a struggle
c. stacked in the corner

After taking this quiz I have set some goals for myself. I will start with question 5. I will do that by shaving my legs more often.

How do you rate?

Gabby's fine print: I believe in making a house a home. I believe that as women we should strive to create an environment where children can blossom and nourish. I believe in nurturing marriage. I believe we all try our best and there will be days when I won't be able to entertain with flair because a stopped-up toilet scares me to death.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2008-12-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

My next door neighbor is the sweetest lady. She gives me lemons from her trees and lets me use her phone when I've locked myself out of my house. She's let me know that I can call her anytime I need anything. She really is very kind.

Yesterday I realized that I should be more like her. On Wednesday afternoon she came to my house to let me know that she had thrown a ball over to our yard thinking it was ours. That ball, a pool table ball, had broken her dining room window. After she threw the ball into our yard she realized it couldn't be ours because her dining room is on the opposite side of our yard so our boys couldn't have thrown it. I assured her that it wasn't our ball, after verifying with the boys, and told her I felt bad that her window got broken. I told her I'd send Dan over to see if he could help her cover up the window while she got it replaced. She said she would be fine.

OK..this is the part where I need to be like her. Yesterday, less than 24 hours after the incident, she had a glass company there replacing her window! Less than 24 hours!! We have had a broken window in our house since May and it's still covered with cardboard!!!! Jacob threw a baseball and broke one of the panels of our kitchen garden window. Dan did what anyone, besides our neighbor, would do....cover it with cardboard and duct tape.

What makes this even funnier to me is that since that incident in May I have reminded Jacob to not throw the ball close to the window because we don't want it to break.

His response? "Yes, we don't want it to break because we don't have any more cardboard."

Who can Hula?

2008-12-09T22:24:00.000-08:00

Not me. But Jacob, our 5 year old, beat us all in hula-hooping. We did it for FHE last night and then he wanted to do it again tonight.

His time to beat?
10 minutes, 39 seconds!

Grateful for....

2008-12-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. It was so nice to feel well enough to cook and bake and eat! We ate at about 1:30 and by 3 we were all taking naps. It was a great day!

It's so nice to have this time of year to reflect on our blessings. During our dinner we each took a turn to tell three things about each family member that we are grateful for. I love my boys! They were all very kind to me and even said I make the best dinners.

We enjoyed having Dan home for a few days and we used the time to catch up on some projects. We finished some touchup painting and finally got around to hanging family pictures on the wall. We have been in this house for 5 years and I've had 3 packages of frames up against my bedroom wall for almost a year and we finally got around to hanging them up. We also put up our Christmas tree and our decorations.

Of all the things we did the highlight of the weekend was:

The Hull Stratego Tournament of Champions.

I know you're thinking, "I wish we had gone over to their house!" Dan brought home this game a few weeks ago and it is all the boys want to play. Luckily for me I was able to advance to the semifinal round. I felt very pleased with myself when I beat Jacob. I'm sure this will become a tradition for years to come.

To Buy or Not to Buy??...Well....It depends...

2008-11-24T12:15:00.000-08:00

WARNING: TOO MUCH INFORMATION ADHEAD!!!!!

Is it wrong that a pregnant 33 year old is considering buying Depends? Luckily I haven't thrown up as much this pregnancy but it is sad that each time I go to the store I consider whether or not I have the nerve to put them in my cart.

Mother of the Year....again

2008-11-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

I missed parent/teacher conference. It was last Friday and I just realized I missed it last night.

Here's what happened. I sent my request to have conferences for all 4 teachers (Blake goes to 5th grade for Math and Language so that added a 4th conference) for Friday the 14th. Three of the four teachers were full on Friday so they scheduled me for today, Wednesday. Then I received an email from the 5th grade teacher letting me know that I had conference on the 14th at 2pm. I replied and said, "I'll be there!" That was it. I never went. I never showed up. I never called to let him know why I didn't go. I just assumed all of my conferences were for today and never really bothered to check.

Then last evening I decided to look up my schedule for conferences for today. Imagine my surprise when I saw that I had one of Friday!!!! I quickly emailed the teacher and apologized. He said it was fine to go today.

So there you have it....the mother of the year strikes again.

Election 2008

2008-11-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

I must say that I've been super emotional these last several weeks. Being called a bigot for supporting Prop 8 doesn't sit well with me. So with all of this happening I have shed many a tear. The election coverage last night made me almost more nauseated than I've been. (hint, hint ;) As of this morning Prop 8 has been declared as passing. However, it's not over. There is much to be said in the upcoming weeks and months. Ok...enough of Prop 8 and let's move on to the next President.

I must say that it was emotional to me (again, I've been too emotional anyways) to see Obama give his acceptance speech. I explained to the boys the significance of the moment, regardless of the fact that he wasn't who we voted for. (I could have voted for McCain 1 million times and I still don't think he would have won California.)

But I'm optimistic, I'm hopeful, and I'm worried, too. One of the issues that concerns me alot is immigration. I had really thought that this issue was going to define this election but it was not to be, the economy trumped it. Both candidates supported a worker-program type program. Being in a Spanish branch at church with amazing hard working people, I've been hoping that the way would open up for them to be able to work legally and support their families. It has been our experience that the majority of the people who we know who are in this country illegally are incredibly amazing. Their stories of survival are humbling and it makes me so grateful that my parents immigrated to the United States and that I was born here. I can't imagine what it would have been like living in another country. So I hope with Obama as president we can have laws that would help those who are already here, send back the ones who are in prison, and find a way to facilitate the process/paperwork/runaround of those who may want to come here.

Ok...now you know more of my politics than perhaps you wanted to know. I really hope we can move on and that our elected officials will not entirely bring this country down the toilet. But if they do we can always call Joe the Plumber. (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

It's the Little Things

2008-10-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's the little things in life that make me smile. After several months of non functioning electrical outlets in all three of our bathrooms, I am happy to report that they all work!!!!!!

This makes me SO happy. It all started when I asked Dan to change out the downstairs bathroom plug cover (I'm sure that's not the correct term) from cream to white. He switched it to the white one and then the outlets in all the bathrooms never worked again.

Again, in the grand scheme of things I shouldn't have been bothered about tripping over extension chords each time I had to blow dry my hair, flat iron my hair, or iron. (We iron in our bathroom). I was grateful that I had electrical current in my house and it shouldn't have mattered that it didn't come out of my bathrooms, right? Right.

Last night I came home from a scout meeting and Dan told me very matter-of-factly that he fixed the outlets. What!!!!??!! I was so happy. Again, it's the little things that make me smile.

School holds surprise 'Gay' Day for kindergartners

2008-10-23T13:57:00.000-07:00

Please click on the title.

Vote YES on 8!!!

Picture Tag Four You

2008-10-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

My sister Edna did this on her blog (she got the idea from her sister-in-law): You post the 4th picture in your 4th folder in your Picture Folder.

So as I was talking to her I opened up my file and we started laughing because my file in my 4th folder only has 3 pictures!

So what's the 4th picture in your 4th folder??

Great Prop 8 Video

2008-10-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-GjWY-WlA

Calgon, Take Me Away!

2008-10-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister, Dan and I were able to have a few days to ourselves this past week. It was so fun!!

My sisters and I decided we would take turns and take each other's children throughout the year so that we could spend a few days with our husbands. I spent a few days earlier this year in Yuma watching Ericka's children while she and Paul went to Hawaii so Ericka came this week and stayed with our boys. THANKS!!!!!

We stayed in Orange County for 3 days!! Do you know how nice it was to not have any deadlines?!? Do you know how nice it was to sleep in and not have to wake up to an alarm clock?!! Do you know how nice it was to go to a restaurant and actually sit and not just "drive thru"? Let me tell you....it was sooooo nice!

I went to Southcoast Plaza and felt completely out of place but, nonetheless, bought a fabulous purse. (Thanks to a gift certificate Dan's company had given me in FEBRUARY!) I got a pedicure and a facial and it was just so nice to relax.

We also got tickets to go see Wicked. Dan hadn't seen it so I'm glad we got to go. We also did the "Behind the Emerald Curtain" tour and was really neat to get some backstage info. After the show, we waited outside and the performers signed my Playbill. (I gave it to Ericka as a sign of my gratitution :). Again, it was an amazing performance and an amazing evening.

We dined at Flemings and El Torito Grill (not to be confused with El Torito.) My absolute favorite was the desert at El Torito Grill.....a creme brulee cheesecake! It was really good.

But what we enjoyed the most was going to the San Diego Temple. Dan and I were married there 12 years ago. We did an endowment session and then sealed several families from my mom's side. Then after we finished the sealings we went and sat in the room where we got married and sealed. Let me just say that I'm so grateful for the blessings of the temple and for the knowledge that families are eternal.

We had a great time but we were missing our boys. Brandon had his first overnight Scout trip while we were gone and I kept calling my sister to make sure he had made it OK. It was hard not to be there. (It didn't help that it was a Shooting Campout!!) But we made it home in time to pick him up and he had a safe time.

So, hopefully my sisters will still want to trade babysitting so we can do this more often. We had a great time but it is so nice to be back at home and back into our routine of normal family life.

The Lesson I Learned

2008-10-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

The other day was Brandon's turn to help in the kitchen. Brandon, as I have posted before, is such a polite and sweet boy. He is always aware of what's going on and he steps in like a big brother to make things right.

So on Monday, he and I were getting dinner ready when he innocently said to me, "Mom, do you still need my help or do you think you can take it from here?" I said, "Excuse me?". He then repeated himself.

I walked over to him and I picked him up and sat him up on the island. (He's eleven so I stopped doing this a long time ago.) He kept looking at me wondering what he was doing on the island. I then put my arms around him and smiled and said very clearly (think Bill Cosby), "Brandon, let me tell you something. I can always take it from here. In fact, I can do this by myself and having you boys in the kitchen sometimes slows things down. But the reason why you are in the kitchen is so that you will learn how to cook so that when you are an adult you will be responsible. So remember, when you boys are in the kitchen, I'm actually helping you. " He smiled and I told him how much I loved him and he jumped off the island and went back to work.

When Dan came home I told him what happened and we laughed at my "clever" response. I thought I did good. Then the more I thought about it the more I realized that my son had actually taught me a lesson.

I came to the realization that Heavenly Father must say the same thing. In fact, 2 Nephi 27:20 says, ".....I am able to do mine own work."

I'm sure there are times when He looks at me and thinks, "I can always take it from here. The reason why I have allowed my children to be sent to you is so that you will learn to be like me. Sometimes you slow things down. Remember, I'm actually helping you."

I have thought about this all week and I've realized that I need to be more humble and understand that these experiences are for my growth and progression. I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father who has sent me these sweet children to teach me this lesson.

Eat Your Leafy Greens

2008-09-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

We found this cute bug outside our door yesterday afternoon. I haven't Googled it so I'm not sure what it is. (Perhaps a leafy bug?)

Humanitarian Home Evening

2008-09-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

Say that three times fast! We had a great Family Night this past Monday. We put together some hygiene kits to donate to the Church's Humanitarian Center. The boys did a great job making sure each package had exactly what was needed. Good job, Boys!!

P-a-n-d-u-r-o

2008-09-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

Let's hear it for the Hard Breads! So this post is a little late but after posting about Dan's family I had to give a shout-out to my crazy yet equally spectacular family.

We got together for Labor Day weekend. It was fun to be together. Thanks, Paul and Ericka!

Company Picnic

2008-09-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Last month we attended a company picnic at the Irvine Regional Park. We had such a great time. The boys enjoyed all of the activities!

~Thanks, Sares-Regis~

It's fun to stay at the.....

2008-09-24T10:15:00.001-07:00

YMCA!

We stayed at a great lodge with great views

No reunion is complete with a parade. This year it was a costume parade!

There was also a hike to Bear Lake.

Jacob, Joshua, and I didn't go to the hike.

No reunion is ever complete without a medical mishap. This year we were the fortunate ones. Jacob had a nosebleed that wouldn't stop. After 10 minutes or so of constant pourage (sp?), Rachel and Sherrie took us to the Urgent Care. (Thanks again, ladies!) It finally stopped but we took it easy the rest of the time.

Family pictures are always in order....

Our cute little cousins
The Boys!

They all shared a room with lots of bunk beds.

The first night I wasn't sure where it was but I followed the smell of the stinky shoes and I found it just fine!

It got cloudy the morning we left but it was still just so beautiful.

We saw some elk. This bull elk was huge!!

We even got some snow on the drive home.

This is the longest tunnel I've ever been in.

We had a great time. We look forward to the next reunion!

South Carolina, here we come!!

But, not by car...:)

Colorado Trip: Part 1

2008-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

Every year we have a family reunion for Dan's family. On the even years we have a WVB reunion. This is for all of the extended family on my mother-in-law's side. On the odd years we have a Hull reunion. This is for Dan's immediate family. Let me just say once again that I married into the most amazing family!!! I love Dan's aunts and uncles, cousins, in-laws, everyone! Every reunion we attend is like a preview of what the Celestial Kingdom will be like. I can honestly say that I would live in some family compound if it were ever necessary. It's always hard to say goodbye.

A few weeks ago we met at Estes Park, CO for a WVB reunion. We drove there and had such a fun time. We stopped in Grand Junction for a few days, then headed to the Glenwood Hot Springs, and then up to Estes Park. OK...Colorado is so beautiful!!! Simply breathtaking. I had never been to Colorado (unless you count the Denver airport, which is on the top of my list for favorite airports, by the way). Here are a few pictures of our trip:

This picture was taken on the top of the Grand Mesa Plateau. We took the Land's End road. Let me just say that I had never been so scared in my life. I was literally in tears by the time we got to the top. FYI, whenever a road on a map is printed in brown and is squiggly it means that it is not a paved road. It also means that it will wind up the several thousand feet you are ascending. It also means that even though your husband is going only 5mph it is indeed 5 mph too fast. The road kept getting narrower as we went along and the side of the cliff kept getting closer to us. Scary!!! But we made it to the top and the views were just breathtaking. I'm sure there is in analogy in there somewhere. (We took the black road on the way back)

The boys wanted to do some rock climbing so we pulled over and let them climb up the rocks.

This is what we saw when we got on our way after making a pit stop at the Glenwood Hot Springs. (Thanks Geoff and Sherrie!)

This is one of the tunnels we drove through. Thanks to Geoff we now know that when you drive in a tunnel you should honk the horn. It was fun!

Happy Birthday, Dan!

2008-09-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Dan's birthday. Can I just say that he's the best?!

34 Reasons why we love our husband/father:

1. He

2. is

3. always

4. making

5. sure

6. that

7. our

8. family

9. does

10. the

11. things

12. that

13. we

14. are

15. supposed

16. to

17. be

18. doing.

19. His

20. actions

21. make

22. it

23. clear

24. that

25. we

26. are

27. his

28. top

29. priority.

30. He

31. is

32. forgiving

33. when

34. his wife doesn't make him an amazing birthday gift/card.

Happy Birthday, Dan! We love you!!!

I'll update later.....

2008-09-18T08:46:00.000-07:00

We are back from an amazing trip to Colorado. We were there for a family reunion. We had a great time while we were there but it will take me until tomorrow to feel caught up. So, I'm off to put away 3 laundry baskets of clothes, clean the kitchen, do a few more loads of laundry, and clean the kitchen again, all while whistling, of course.

ps. I don't know how to whistle. Can I hum instead?

Deep Thoughts

2008-09-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

This post has nothing to do with how our family is doing. But this post is a glimpse into the workings of my brain. Sometimes Dan asks what it is I'm thinking and I reply, "Do you really want to know?" Or out of nowhere I say something and he'll wonder where that came from. So I will recount the 5 seconds before and how one thing led to another and how I eventually came to my comment. He always says I think too much. So here goes....

This is always a story that I remember from Jr. High. Whenever I think of this it makes me smile and I have to laugh. The other day I was telling the boys that we need to sync our clocks to the school's clocks because it seems that every clock in our house is different and I need to make sure they are getting to school on time. So thinking of this made me remember my Fourth Avenue Jr. High memory. I had Mrs. Shaw for 3rd period Literature. She didn't have a clock in her room because she didn't want the students staring at the clock during class. She believed that students should work right up until the bell. Well, Julio Vega, a friend since Kindergarten, had a watch that he set to beep at 3 minutes before the class ended. After a while the class caught on that the bell would ring a few minutes after Julio's watch beeped. This made Mrs. Shaw mad. Her entire plan of keeping students working until the bell was failing. One morning Julio told me that he set his watch to beep around 30 minutes into the class. That meant we would still have around 20 minutes or so before the end of class. When his watch beeped the entire class started to put their books away and they started getting ready to leave. Julio started laughing and Mrs. Shaw angrily told the class we still had 20 minutes. Julio was smiling and I still smile when I think of this.

Whenever my phone rings I always think that it will be a friend from 6th grade. I am convinced that Tiffany Gore will call me and she will ask if I still remember her and I will say, "Of course. You gave me a gold necklace for Christmas" and she will be so amazed at my excellent memory.
And if Tiffany Gore from 6th grade will call me, maybe Rebekah Gentry will call me. Or Kimmy Jaquin. These are just a few of the names that have popped into my head at random moments throughout the last 22 years.

My locker number in 7th grade was 117. My locker combination was 12-37-15. This is the only locker combination I remember. Scott Shelley had his locker next to mine and he had to teach me how to open a lock. I hadn't used one before.

The 4th graders at OC Johnson School always went roller skating for their end of the year party. (Debra Etlin didn't go skating because she got her tonsils out.) Theresa Montoya let me borrow 75 cents to buy a soda. I didn't pay her back until I was in high school.

There you have it....a very random sample of my brain.

California Marriage Amendment

2008-08-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

Those of you in states not named California may be interested in what we are doing out here! Besides that, I've been itching to post on this item... (I apologize ahead of time for the length!)

Proposition 8 is up for a vote this November. A 'yes' vote amends the state constitution to define marriage as legal only between one man and one woman. A 'no' vote allows same marriage. I am part of the local leadership organizing efforts to pass this amendment. For the past two Saturdays we have gone door to door passing out information and specifically surveying the registered voters on how they plan to vote. This effort will continue well into September with the goal of reaching all registered voters in the state. In late Sept and throughout October we will return again to all the 'undecideds' in an effort to try to win them over. We will have further activities in the days leading up to voting day centered around ensuring that all the 'yes' voters DON'T stay home on voting day! 50.1% of the vote passes the amendment.

Members of the LDS church are heavily involved. In June of this year, the LDS Church's First Presidency sent a letter that was read to all wards and branches in California asking them to donate of their time and means to help pass this proposition. In it they stated that "our BEST efforts are required..."

The proponents of same marriage are doing their best to confuse people about the issue. Just last week they started sending out bumper stickers that say "Save Marriage - Vote No on Prop 8" (a no vote will allow same marriage). Any ballot proposition has a title. The attorney general changed the title of our amendment from "An Amendment to define marriage as legal only between one man and one woman" to "An amendment to eliminate the rights of same couples to marry." Two appeals to the courts to have the original title language restored were unsuccessful. The judge did not agree with our argument that the attorney general had illegally prejudiced the proposition. Go figure. The language of the proposed amendment however cannot be touched by any government official and will be listed on the ballot as it appeared on the public petitions.

Church members are taking the lead on all volunteer efforts across the state. No other group comes close to providing the help that church members are giving. As well as we are doing in comparison to other organizations, I still get a little concerned as I see a percentage of members complaining about why the church is getting involved. There is also a percentage who have been duped into believing that this issue infringes on the freedom of others and that we should "butt-out." To which I say:

1- As President Hinckley has repeatedly stated that the church does not direct anyone on who to vote for, nor do they typically comment on the many and varied ballot initiatives. However, the church has always taken a stand, and encouraged the members to do the same, when moral issues are at stake.

2- Do we believe in prophets and apostles or not? When a prophet gives us specific direction, what is our response? Do we respond as we should, or are we like those to whom the prophet Samuel the Lamanite spoke to who revered those as prophets that only told them what they wanted to hear? Because we don't recognize the danger that the prophets and apostles do, does that mean the danger does not exist? Are we like those to whom Ezekial spoke? -

33:31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them.

3- Tolerance means love and service, not condoning and allowing the sinful behavior to continue (or in this case allowing it to become public policy). Christ did not accuse the woman taken in adultery. He helped and encouraged her, but did not condone the sin.

4- I believe that too many LDS misunderstand the doctrine of agency. Agency and freedom are NOT synonymous. Freedom is part of agency. Knowledge of the laws of heaven is also a part. Agency is the power to follow Christ. When we obey Him, our agency is increased. When we disobey Him our agency is decreased. Therefore, we are not helping our brothers and sisters by supporting them in sinful behavior (by allowing the passing of enabling legislation).

5- It is a gross misjudgment to think that this current legislation will have no effect on society. In a conference call with all stake presidents in California, Elder Clayton of the Seventy and Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve stated that in the continuing battle for morality and family values in this country, "this amendment battle in California is the 'Gettysburg' of our day." If you recall, during the Civil War, had the armies of the north lost at Gettysburg, the armies of the south would have had a clear path to Washington D.C, and could have forced a cessation of the war, leaving the states split. Our leaders see this current battle as equally as critical in this moral war - in part because of this scripture, which was also cited in the conference call: Mosiah 29:26-27
26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of
the people.
27 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.

What is at stake is not the rights of same couples to marry, but freedom of religion (passing the amendment does not change the privileges and protections homosexual couples already have). By winning this November, homosexual couples are essentially granted 'civil right status', the same as race or gender. When a segment of society is granted civil right status, then the court and executive systems are given power to enforce laws supporting that behavior. What happens to churches when their doctrines run opposite of the laws of the land?

A further treatment that is well done is at: http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

One other thought I had this week: One of Joseph Smith's more widely repeated prophecies is that "the time will come when the constitution will hang, as it were, by a single thread, and at that time, this people (meaning the members of the church) will step forward and save it from the threatened destruction."

Currently in California, the overwhelming majority of the grass roots volunteer efforts are being done by members of the LDS church. The majority of the local, regional, and area organizational leadership are LDS priesthood holders volunteering their time to get the work organized and done. When all the donations are in, the biggest single donor group will be the church and its members. Although the full realization of the prophecy is yet to take place, as I witness what is happening here I cannot help but conclude that this is a beginning of the fulfillment of that prophecy.

It may be that the final fulfillment may take place in some place other than in the nation's capital (perhaps wherever just men and women are gathered?). But as one observes what is happening in this amendment battle, it is evident that whenever and however the continued battles over moral constitutional issues take place, church members will play a lead role.

If you want to help with donations, go to http://www.protectmarriage.com/.

-Dan

Triathlon update

2008-08-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

Some have asked for some specifics...
The triathlon I participated in was of the "sprint" format. The swim was 500 yards, but it was an open ocean swim. It was brutal!!! The waves were crashing at 4-6 feet. It took me twice as long as the same distance in the pool. The bike portion was about 19 miles and the run was 3.2 miles. And yes, I am up for doing this again!

-Dan

Dan The Tri-Man

2008-08-19T11:47:00.000-07:00

Maybe Dan the Sprint Triathlon Man. Several guys from work signed up several months ago to participate in this triathlon in Camp Pendelton. About 3 weeks before the race Dan decided that he better start training in some way. So one week he ran during lunch, another week he swam, and finally he biked. He had fun and hopes to continue doing some type of organized events in the future.

The Wizard and I

2008-08-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

I finally saw Wicked and I loved it! Everyone performed so beautifully..... I had to wipe a few tears every once in a while.

Growing up my dream was to be on Broadway and seeing the show made me realize that somewhere down in the corner of some part of me, hidden behind the desire to change diapers, speak in monosyllabic words, drive a minivan, and break up disagreements, I still have a love for performing. But for now my only stage is in my living room and my only audience is made up of little boys who run around the house playing with their lightsabers. And in all seriousness, I wouldn't want it any other way.

Home Alone

2008-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I still have Joshua but it's pretty lonely if you ask him. The boys went back to school yesterday. Jacob went for the first time. He did pretty good. Brandon and Blake told him that he broke the record in the family for not crying on the first day of Kindergarten.

The boys are going to a new school this year. We are excited for this change. It's a charter school and they get out of school at 1pm. Everyday! (Yes, that means I have to manage my Costco trips a little better.)

When I meet the wizard....

2008-08-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

I get to see Wicked tonight!! I am so excited. My sister Ericka and her in-laws are in Carlsbad and we will meet up to watch Wicked at the Pantages Theater. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law are going, too. I can't wait!

Feeling Crafty

2008-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I get sudden urges to sew. It usually happens when I go to Utah and see my mother-in-law's sewing room. There's usually a fabric store stop somewhere in there as well. This last trip to Utah included a stop at the Fabric Mill. I saw the cutest tote bag hanging up and I decided that I wanted to make it. I have never made a tote bag but that didn't matter. If there's a pattern then it must be possible to sew, right? So I picked up my pattern and some Mary Englebright fabric by Moda. I read the instructions and I had no idea where to even begin. So I mentally put that project on hold.

Then a great thing happened....my parents came to visit and that meant that my mom and I could do this project together. My family jokes that when you come to my house there is always a sewing machine involved. So last night we started the tote bag and at 4am the bag was finished. (I just need to get a button for it.) It took us a while because we wanted to make sure we were doing it right. When it was all done we both decided that it was a pretty easy project. I can't wait to make more!

This is the view of the inside of the bag. It has lots of pockets!

Fort Hull

2008-07-30T11:20:00.001-07:00

This is what my living room usually looks like.

This is what it has looked like the past few days. The boys made a fort and set up camp. They have been sleeping in there! Do you see the bench on the right side? That was Blake's spot...he slept underneath. After the boys would go to sleep I would go and start removing some of the blankets so that they would have fresh air.

My nephew came to visit and they played there all day long.

It may not look like much but it was neat to see how they managed to keep everything from falling. They placed a cube ottoman on top of the two chairs and cut up some yarn to tie everything. The blue blanket is being held in place on the window sill by our free weights. (At least they get some use...) There is also a fan under the blue blanket so that they would get some air. I went in there but it was a little too cozy for my liking.

We have now taken it down but the boys are excited to start building another one soon.

Yucaipa Regional Park

2008-07-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

I took the boys to the Regional Park today. It was so much fun. This park is right behind our neighborhood and this is the first time we have gone to the water area as a family. They have campgrounds here and I've always thought it would be a great place to camp.....if we forget something we could always run home and get it. But then again, it just might be too tempting to pack up our things and go home if things are quickly becoming rough. Brandon and Blake had a great time going down the water slides and Jacob and Joshua and I had a great time playing in the sand. The only thing missing was Dan!

Fun Family Night

2008-07-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Fiesta Village this past Monday for FHE. Although Blake got a molar pulled out earlier that day and I had blood drawn later on that day we still managed to have a fun time. I think the boys enjoyed the Go-Karts the best.

You're canning what?!

2008-07-20T22:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I canned chicken but from the looks of this picture it looks like I was canning cats. Isn't that creepy?!?

Two little monkeys jumping on the couch...

2008-07-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

one fell down and hurt his arm. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "We don't have any appointments today. Why don't you take him to Urgent Care." OK. I know that doesn't rhyme but that's what happened.

Blake and Joshua were playing on the couch and Joshua got his arm pulled. It was so sad because he walked around saying, "Mami, hurts." I made a sling out of a cloth diaper and I just watched him during the day. When I realized it wasn't getting better Dan took him to the emergency room where he was diagnosed as having Nursemaid Elbow. They popped it back into place and before long he was giving high fives to the doctors. I'm glad he's fine. It was so sad to see him mope around.

Where's the robber when I need him?

2008-07-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

Yes. I got locked out of my house again. We were getting ready to leave for church and I was putting Joshua in his car seat when I saw Blake fiddle with the door and close it. "Don't lock the door!"....too late. He had locked it. My keys, purse, diaper bag, church bag, etc. were all inside. Since the break-in we have been really good about locking all of the doors and windows so there was no way we were going to be able to get in the house. I went to my sweet neighbor's house again and used her phone to call Dan. I knew he was in a meeting so I had to call him 3 times in a row before he picked up his phone. We waited the 20 minutes it took for Dan to get home. Dan saved the day!

On to other mishaps....our air conditioner broke this afternoon. Although there was a bit of a breeze outside today an air conditioner still is necessary, in my opinion. We're still in July and we have all of August left to deal with the heat. So we will be calling someone tomorrow so that we can pay him $50 to have him tell us that the only way we can get this fixed is to spend $5000 to replace it. (It's been on its last leg for a while but let's cross our fingers that it's not completely dead) We will just add it to the List of Things We Need to Get To But Really Don't Have the Time or Energy/Desire to Fix Immediately. It will take top spot, though, over the dishwasher and microwave.

Hmmmm, what's missing?

2008-07-08T08:45:00.001-07:00

We came home from a wonderful week in Utah to find an empty garage. Dan had parked his 4 month old truck in it before we left so it would be safe. It's not a fun feeling to sit in the driveway and watch the garage door open and slowly reveal that what you had parked in there is gone. Not only was the truck gone but so were the power tools, golf clubs, and some odds and ends. But do not fear, the cleaning supplies were still there.

Dan then went inside the house and found that our flat screen TV was gone. But they did leave the speakers, the DVD player, and the DVR plugged in so that my shows would still record while we were gone...so nice of them. They went up to the master bedroom and looked under the bed for some valuables. They emptied out some jewelry boxes and took some things. They took a few more things and left. They did, however, lock all the doors behind them. They did not, however, leave mints on our pillows.

I'm glad we have insurance and that we will be able to be replace the items that were stolen. Whoever did this obviously knew we were gone. Our neighborhood is pretty safe and even the officer was surprised this happened on our street. However, I am most grateful that we were all together and that our family is safe.

Now if only they had taken the dishwasher and microwave that had broken the week before........

Mother of the Year

2008-06-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

It's amazing that my award hasn't arrived yet. I keep checking the mail and when the UPS truck drives by our house I keep waiting for him to stop and bring me my trophy. Maybe the Mother of the Year committee has secret video cameras and they caught a glimpse of this:

These are Brandon's shoes. He has been asking me for several weeks if we could go get him new shoes. I, absentmindedly, would answer, "When school's out", or "Don't you have basketball shoes you can wear?", or "You're fine" and my favorite, "It's not polite to keep asking for the same thing." Wow. Talk about taking advantage of teaching opportunities. I kept thinking that I needed to take a few moments and compose my acceptance speech.

So yesterday Brandon came home from piano lessons and said, "Mami, do you think that maybe we could go to Walmart or Target to get some new shoes?" And I said firmly but lovingly, "OK, Brandon, show me your shoes." And he then shows me all the holes in his shoes! I couldn't believe it!! He said, "I showed my shoes to Heather (his piano teacher) and Jacob (another piano student)." What's wrong with me?! He hadn't been asking for designer shoes from expensive stores. He's happy with Walmart or Target. Needless to say, we went to Target and bought him a pair of shoes.

Brandon is such a sweet boy. He's the boy who on his own has read almost the entire Old Testament and actually understands and asks questions about what he is reading. As the oldest, he plays the role of peacemaker very well. He is always mindful of the needs of his younger brothers and he helps them accordingly. He is always teaching Dan and I something about love and humility. Couldn't I have at least taken the time to look at the condition of his shoes?!!?

Maybe my Neglectful Mother of the Year award is coming.....wait, I think I hear the UPS truck......

Baseball Blake

2008-06-08T21:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Blake's baseball picture. He is on the Blue Jays and has enjoyed playing this year. The coaches are pretty good about rotating the boys so he has been able to play a little of everything. He's been able to pitch a few times so that has been fun for him. And when he's not on the actual pitcher's mound pitching he is literally in left field practicing his pitching and light saber skills and his "Rocky" moves. (Joshua humming the theme from Rocky is another post....)

What happens when you allow your children to watch Gymnastics?

2008-06-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

They start thinking that it is perfectly safe and OK to flip on the couch. You get a 5 year old who thinks it is safe to jump and flip and land on a pillow. Now that I've informed them that it's not OK to do those things they are wondering when we'll be able to get a trampoline so that they can safely attempt those feats.
I'm smiling on the inside because those are the exact things my sisters attempted to do when we watched gymnastics during the Olympics. The difference is that we had a trampoline. Their friends would come over and they would play "Olympics." Ericka does a mean Svetlana Boginskaya! So thanks to my sisters for creating fun memories for me!

Whose shawl is this?

2008-06-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

While we were in Utah The Washburns (distant cousins of the Hulls) came over to visit. Last year Bill and Melanie, who live in Kansas, were involved in the organization of a family reunion for the descendants of Joseph and Emma Smith and the Washburns stayed in their home. Sister Washburn is a direct descendant. She brought with her this shawl that belonged to Lucy Mack Smith. It was pretty amazing to hold the shawl and take the picture. There is a new Emma Smith movie and the actress who plays Lucy is wearing this shawl. Just thought I'd share this neat piece of history!

Dale Ernest Hull

2008-06-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

We were out of town for a while so that we could attend the funeral services of Dan's father. I've said it once and I'll say it again, I married into the most amazing family. My father-in-law is an incredible man. He and my mother-in-law, Ann, raised an incredible family of 10 children. Here is his obituary.

Dale Ernest Hull died of heart failure on May 23, 2008 in Provo Utah. He was born March 22nd 1938 to Ester Pauline and Milford Charles Hull in Eugene,
Oregon. He was raised in Oregon and Southern California, graduating from San Bernardino High School. He joined the United States Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division from 1958 to 1960. While serving in the army, he joined the LDS Church and met his future wife. He served a mission for the Church in Virginia and North Carolina. He married Eleanor Ann Bartholomew on September 1, 1962 in the Manti Utah LDS Temple and attended and graduated from Brigham Young University in 1966. His career in computer data processing started in the
infancy of the industry, spanned nearly forty years and included directing large
initiatives for some of America’s biggest companies. He was always found
working on leading-edge technology and exploring its application potential. He
had a keen intellect and a life-long love of learning and was constantly seeking
to improve and further educate himself on a very diverse set of interests.
Throughout their married life, Dale and Ann enjoyed serving in their church
and in the community, making many lasting friendships in the places they lived:
North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Illinois, Texas and Utah. They worked
together tirelessly to raise ten children and do all that they could to provide
valuable experiences for their family.
His children publicly express their deep gratitude for their father’s example of Christ-like living. He loved and respected his wife. He taught the importance of work, service, sacrifice and of putting one’s trust and faith in our Father in Heaven. He will be deeply missed. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, his wife and his family were the most important things in his life.
He is survived by his wife Ann and all ten of their children: Bill (Melanie) Hull of Olathe, Kansas, Steve (Paige) Hull of Reston, Virginia, David (Maralyn) Hull of Riverton, Utah, Deron (Katrina) Hull of Charlotte, North Carolina, Jared (Coleen) Hull, Sterling, Virginia, Dan (Gabriela) Hull of Yucaipa, California, Joe (Amanda) Hull of Fort Worth, Texas, Lin (Jay) Johnson of Lebanon, Oregon, Sam Hull of Huntington Beach, California, and Becky Hull of Orem, Utah. They Have 32 grandchildren. He is also survived by his two brothers: Don (Faye) Hull of Iron Station, North Carolina and Darrell (Millie) Hull of Camino Island, Washington.
The family extends heart felt gratitude to the doctors and nurses who attended to him during the final hours of his mortal life.

Words cannot express the loss we feel but we are so grateful to know that families are eternal and we will be with him again.

Mommy, I know something......

2008-05-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

I love it when Jacob starts his sentences like this. It means he's about to tell me something he has discovered all by himself. Here is what he knows.....

Mommy, I know something....how about when we go outside we quickly close the door so the flies don't come in!!

I'm convinced that my children will engrave on my headstone, "Close the doors,
so the flies don't come in." I say this all the time. As my brother-in-law said Yucaipa should have been named Yuflypa. We have the kind that never land and if the door is left open we can get at least 25 in the house in a minute. I am not kidding.

Mommy, I know something......how about if we put away a toy before we take out another one!!

I'm glad he thought of that because I never would've come up with that one on my own....

Mommy, I know something......how about if we are quiet when Joshua is taking a nap!!!

Again, brilliant. Where does he come up with these things.....

Because She is a Mother

2008-05-11T21:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! This is one of my favorite talks. It was given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at the April 1997 conference. I was about 2 weeks shy of giving birth to my first child and I was scared and excited and eager for the next chapter of my life. I remember sitting on the couch crying knowing that Heavenly Father knew that I was going to need this message soon. I have read, studied, and reread the encouraging words of Elder Holland throughout the last 11 years and they still lift me up and give me hope. I love my role as a wife and mother and I hope that we can all know of the important work we are each doing in building up the kingdom of God.

Here is an excerpt but I would encourage you to read the entire text by clicking on the title:

You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The
Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.

Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have
not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.”
Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And
“press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” And it
will make your children whole as well.

Thank you, my dear sisters and friends, for being such

good examples to me and showing me what it is to be a mother who knows.

Look, Mommy! Blood!

2008-05-11T20:37:00.000-07:00

Those were the first words out of Jacob's mouth when they got home from the Fathers and Sons Campout. He then proceeded to tell me that he learned that when you go up a mountain it's ok to run but when you go down a mountain you should walk. I'm glad he learned that lesson. I'm hoping there won't be anymore rocks that get in his way the next time he falls. He's a trooper!

The first words out of Brandon and Blake's mouths were, "Look, Mom. Guess how this happened!" That would be a bear. One of the two bears that were walking around their camp. The same two bears that later on climbed onto Dan's truckbed. (He took a picture with his phone but it didnt' turn out.) I'm thinking we need to reconsider the location of these campouts......Thanks, Dan, for taking care of our boys!

Today I felt like this.....

2008-05-08T21:57:00.000-07:00

I know that for some of you this may be a typical day but for me I normally struggle just trying to figure out what we're having for dinner so I just had to post about my day......

I woke up this morning determined to get a few things done. I ground up some wheat and made 2 loaves of whole wheat bread, made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, cleaned the downstairs bathroom, mopped the kitchen floor, practiced a new song for a Stake YW meeting, sewed a baby blanket for a baby shower, made salmon, brown rice, and veggies for dinner, took Blake to his baseball game, and read my scriptures. But I'm tired now so I'm going to bed!

"Don't worry, before I joined the Church I was a drunk"

2008-05-07T15:31:00.001-07:00

I never thought those words would be reassuring but they were. Dan and I flew to Houston this past weekend, alone! We were asked to participate in a wedding and baptism for an amazing family we met in our Spanish Branch here in California.

We got to the airport and learned that our American Airlines flight was delayed a few hours. They quickly put us on a Continental flight that departed within an hour. We were excited because it was a direct flight and put us in Houston sooner than our original flight. However, we couldn't get too excited because we were selected for additional screening. Yes, that's when you step aside and they pat you down to make sure you don't have anything that will harm the flight. Luckily I left all of my dangerous stuff at home and we were cleared to go. We arrived in Houston and picked up our rental car and drove to The Woodlands. There we had dinner at Brio Tuscan Grille. We really enjoyed this restaurant and were sad to learn that they are not located in California.

We got to the church the next morning to help decorate and set things up. The wedding was scheduled to start at 2 and the baptism was scheduled to start at 6. Dan and I joked with the sister missionaries that the wedding wouldn't start until 3:30. Well, true to Latino fashion the wedding didn't start until 3:30. I was concerned because the baptism was in another building and they still had to go and change. But apparently Dan and I were the only ones concerned with the schedule. After the wedding we learned that nobody really knew what to do with the food that had been brought. Everyone thought that somebody else was taking care of things so in the end nobody knew what to do. Luckily, I'm married to Mr. Efficient so he took it upon himself to warm the food, warm the tortillas, take out plates and stuff, and get the dinner started.

So this whole time, Dan and I were kind of unsettled with the organization of the whole wedding thing. (If I had it my way I would have made an itinerary with 15 minute increments.) We were concerned that it was getting late, the cake hadn't been cut yet, and we still needed to clean up.

The couple had brought some bottles of Martinelli's for each of the tables. However, there wasn't a bottle opener. I thought that you could just twist the caps off but that didn't help. We searched the entire kitchen for something that would open up the bottles. Then I started panicking that we were never going to be able to finish things up in time for the baptism. That's when one of the men we met earlier, while waiting for the bride to show up, came into the kitchen and said, "Don't worry, before I joined the Church I was a drunk." He then got a bread knife and hit the bottle cap with the handle, then he put the blade on the cap as if he were going to slice it in half and then he turned in clockwise and the cap flew off! Hurray! He saved the day. We quickly passed out the Martinelli's, Dan helped pass out the wedding cake, and started the clean up process. After a long search for the bride's car keys, we finally made it to the other church building. The baptism started at 6:35. Not bad.

The Escobar Family

We truly are so grateful that we got to go. Thank you, Sister Cortez, for watching our boys. Even though it was a crazy trip and I got sick, it was fun to travel without children. We were truly blessed to witness these ordinances and we look forward to next year when we'll be able to go to the temple with this amazing family.

A Little R & R.....

2008-05-07T14:47:00.001-07:00

My sister Edna and her husband Chris spent a few days in Palm Desert and we got to watch their girls, Ryan and Reagan, for a few days. We had lots of fun! Here are a few pictures that document just how exciting these days were....

I had to take a picture of their semi-matching outfits!

Here are Joshua, Ryan, and Reagan

Joshua and Reagan

Reagan and her Evel Knievel moves....

(or her interpretation of Menudo's Subete a Mi Moto...you decide)

And no backyard play is complete without headlamps

Ryan and Jacob

Happy Birthday!

2008-05-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

We celebrated two birthdays in April in our family. Brandon turned 11 on the 17th and Joshua turned 2 on the 28th.

We love our boys and we're so happy they're in our family. Brandon is such a great older brother and Joshua always makes us laugh. Happy Birthday!

We're still here....

2008-05-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

We've been busy lately but just wanted to let you know that we're still here. We've had a few birthdays to celebrate, a trip to Houston, sweet nieces to take care of, and life itself. I'm sick now so I'll post in a few days. We hope you are all doing well!

Take the key and lock her up.....

2008-04-14T11:05:00.000-07:00

We went on our morning walk today and I made sure I grabbed everything I needed. I had my sunglasses, visor, ipod, stroller, 4 kids and my keys. I locked the front door and then came out of the garage. Blake closed the garage door and jumped the sensor on his way out and so everything was locked up. The boys rode their bikes to school and I followed them with the stroller. It was a nice morning and it felt good to start my Monday on the right foot (no pun intended).
When we got home I took my keys out and I realized that my house key was not on my key ring. I had taken it off and hadn't put it back on. I checked all the windows and the back door and side garage door and then checked them again and there was no way of getting back in. Our garage has a keypad but I don't know the code to open it. (I know, I know.....We rented our house before we bought it and the previous renter never passed along the code so we have never been able to reprogram it.)
I went to our sweet neighbor's house and explained my situation to her. She then said, "Well I guess you'll just have to call a locksmith." It had never occured to me that I could call one! I thought we were going to spend the whole day in the backyard eating the leftover toast the boys took on our walk and drinking from the waterhose waiting for Dan to get home. So I called the locksmith and he said he would come by in about 25 minutes.
I've decided that I want to be a locksmith. All you do is take out a key from your box, put it in the door and turn it and in 2 seconds you have made $125! Imagine that!
So when the kids are all grown up and out of the house I won't go back and get my Master's, I'll just go and get the special key that unlocks all the doors and drive around and help people like me get into their homes .
And just as a side note, it's been said that things come in three and today keys came in threes. First, I left my key at home. Second, Dan was waiting for me to get home from my walk so that I could take the keys of our friend's car over to the mechanic who was going to fix it. Ok, and thirdly, I know you're waiting to hear how I can tie in the word key one more time but here goes...The new Backyardigans episode that was recorded this morning on our DVR was none other than The Key to the Nile. (That's right folks, I'll be here all week......)

The Twilight Zone

2008-04-10T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yes. I've been reading Twilight. That's why I haven't done anything the last two days. That's why the kitchen trash can was in the middle of the family room and I didn't even care how it got there. That's why the blueberries I gave Joshua spent most of the day on the floor. That's why I left early to go pick up the boys so that I could sit in the car and read. That's why I wasn't all there during Cub Scouts last night.

It's been fun reading but in a way I do feel bad because last week I read The Holy Secret from James Ferrell. I really enjoyed it and felt inspired to really study the scriptures and spend more time doing meaningful things. And then General Conference was this weekend and I felt the Spirit and felt like I was going to do everything I have ever felt prompted to do. But I'm sad to admit that I didn't even make it to Tuesday!!! I had no intentions of getting hooked on a new book. But I have. So I'm now trying to make myself read just gradually. A chapter here, a chapter there. I don't think it's going to happen.......

The Grand Canyon

2008-04-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

We did some traveling for Spring Break and we had a great time. We started our road trip at the Grand Canyon. The boys were so excited because we had found a great caboose to stay at.

This was our hotel for the night. I'd never slept in a caboose before and if you have little boys in your family I highly recommend this.

The Canyon Motel and RV Park in Williams

Brandon, Dan, Jacob, Joshua, and Blake

And apparently I've done some damage in Williams, Arizona.

After the Grand Canyon we drove down to Yuma. I was hoping we wouldn't have any more barf episodes but that wasn't to be. We pulled into a gas station to fill up and as soon as Dan put the van in "park" Joshua threw up. This time I came prepared. At least he waited for a convenient time! We cleaned up the mess and continued the drive. We had a fun time in Yuma and were glad to be able to be with family. Hurray for Spring Break!

Today I Feel Like This......

2008-03-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

Anyone else feels like this sometimes or is it just me?

Happy Birthday, Jacob!

2008-03-24T10:30:00.000-07:00

Jacob is 5 today! He is so fun and we are thrilled he is in our family. He makes us smile!

Jacob's favorite trick. He shows this to anyone who will watch.

(He bends his thumb all the way back to his wrist.)

His other favorite trick. (He pulls his finger in half.... Ouch!:) )

Here's Joshua.....

This is Joshua's "Angry Face"

This is his "Happy Face".

(I know it's blurry but this is the face he makes immediately after we ask,

"Where's your happy face?")

This is the face Joshua makes when he asks for his shoes

or when he wants me to wipe his nose.

We are so thankful for our boys! (I'll post pictures of our other boys at a later time!) We are looking forward to two weeks of Spring Break fun. A trip to the Grand Canyon awaits, a stay in Yuma, and then a fun time at California Adventure. (Let's hope we don't have any more barf episodes.....)