Why I go to the Zoo...

Yes, I could show you several pictures of animals at the Washington Park Zoo. But I'd be willing to bet that they aren't that show stopping. Most mothers don't go to the Zoo to see the animals. Most mothers go to see their child light up with joy at seeing their favorite cartoon characters in real life.
It wasn't a hippo anymore, but Gloria and it wasn't a Giraffe, but Mellman. The kids were excited to go and I was excited to get out of the house. My Monkeys were driving me bonkers so going to the Monkey house seemed appropriate. Laying down $50 to walk around for 4 hours wasn't exactly the most budget conscious choice, but as you can tell from the look on my 3 year old's face...it was worth every penny.

I'm a Slacker

I've tried to write 3 posts in the last week, and it just didn't happen...so they sit in my edit list. 1. Lunch ideas for back to school, 2. Carter Reunion in Depth, and 3. Something about Sunday music. Today I ran for 5 miles and every muscle in my body ached. Serves me right for neglecting exercise for 3 weeks in a row. Sunday I walked. Monday I jogged and walked, and today I did my usual route and ran it hard and walked up the hills. If I wasn't such an outstanding cook, I wouldn't need to suffer this much abuse right? (trying to find the humor in it...oh my aching butt!) Me thinks that Mommy is going to have a nervous breakdown if my kids don't go back to school! My favorite saying at the moment is "Go Away!" Serenity now peeps!

I'm in a Poopy Mood :(

Momma can't handle NO!

So what should I do instead?

1. Start praying for a "huge calling" that takes all my time, talents and effort?

2. Make another baby?

3. Go back to school...and go into debt?

4. Get a J O B?

5. Overload my children with activities so that I don't notice my lack of growth?

6. Teach my own dance classes to middle school students requiring organization skills that I just don't possess?

7. Lose a gross amount of weight and teach Zumba at the Y?

This girl has to do something this winter after canning, soccer, and football are done....and it has to be creative.

Can't do anything to the hippie house...the kid is probably out unless someone is going to lend me their fertile husband...

Yes, I'm pouting, but at least I'm honest.

Life Lessons in Picture

I'm ready for some big changes in my life. My continuing quest towards who I really am began a few years ago and now I think I am finally getting there. Sometimes we get a little off track, but as long as your alive, it is never to late to make a course correction. These trees in the Heber mountains were just the visual reminder that I needed that I too can be brought back on course. Surely the straight and tall trees are majestic and stately, but I'd rather have some curve to me. Makes me a little different than the next guy and I have great stories to tell...

My life is much simpler and more peaceful than it was two years ago. My life still has stress to be sure, but it's different. I'm not playing anyone else's game but my own and that is making all the difference. So as far as I am concerned, I'm glad I don't live the life I had two years ago. Now I am embracing everything that is me instead of trying my hardest to be like everyone else. So sorry everyone that I tried to be like, but it's not for me. Emily likes to be a little on the edge, to dance, to run with reckless abandon, to cook like crazy, to avoid cleaning at all costs, to connect with people on a deeper level, and to love unconditionally, to suck the marrow out of this life the only way I know how...Look out world!Finally going towards the Son again....stay tuned, this could get pretty interesting.

Summer Summed Up

Summa Summa Time...as Will Smith might say. It's been a busy few weeks for the Laing family. August has been packed full of fun things to do. The girls participated in a week long Activity Days Boot Camp organized by our 3 wards in Sherwood. Christian started Football, complete with 2 hour practices 5 days a week. Anderson did a Kindergarten Camp put on by the school and soccer so Evan and I had some great alone time. Canned refrigerator pickles, picked raspberries, froze a ton of green beans from our garden. Picked peaches and attempted to can them, only to realize that this particular variety was not worth the effort. Then we had a Carter reunion that lasted all weekend. And then a Westwood picnic. And finally, the kids and I met up with Patrick in La Grande, and we went on vacation. Really, I can't remember the last time we went on vacation...maybe two years ago when we traveled down to Crater Lake and up through the southern Oregon coast. So in our quest for cheap and fun (and a place that cell phones could not reach) we decided upon Yellowstone. Can you get more American than Yellowstone? I don't think so and maybe that is why President Obama decided to take his family up there at the same time we did. Little did we know that it was going to be 28 degrees at night and snowing and hailing during the day. Needless to say, we only spent 2 nights in that tent and decided that it was a good time to visit Patrick's Aunt and Uncle in Cody. We crashed their family reunion but they made room for us on the living room floor. That floor was like heaven compared to the freezing tent the night before! We made our way through the Park and onto Jackson Hole Wyoming where were going to stay but it was just too expensive and opted for a night in Lava Hot Springs Idaho instead. Didn't get any pictures of that, but so relaxing and so nice to sleep in a bed. Then on to Heber, Utah for the Laing Family Reunion held at the Heber Valley campground. All I can say, is the girls that go to camp there have it pretty darn easy. We went on the Zip Line Challenge Course, ate copious amounts of good food and canoed. Patrick went fishing with Christian 3 times during our vacation and on the last day, when visiting friends in Daybreak, they both caught some bass and trout. Now we are back to reality...and it will get pretty insane before it gets any less busy around here....

Political Ideology

I am an anomaly. Very different than most of my friends but I am sticking to my guns ( if I choose to own one, which I don't...Patrick on the other hand is a firearms man.) Lately, I have found myself throwing my hands up in the air with people who are idealistic in their thinking. Have they never had problems or been on the receiving end of anything at all? Maybe I am just not that blessed or maybe they think that everyone that needs help is unworthy of it. Let me make myself crystal clear, I don't believe the crack Ho with 8 kids is any better than myself. Is that graphic enough for you? Freedom to choose right and wrong is something divine. I am proud and blessed to live in a country where my religion can be practiced, where I am not forced to think like the majority, where I can try new things and have someone catch me if I fall. I believe in repentance and I believe in helping everyone. I don't need more money and I don't need more stuff. This has been really frustrating for me to try and explain to people what I think without voices getting out of hand. So in my quest to define my position, I came across these scriptures that sums up what my political ideology is in a nutshell.

Jacob 2:17-21...."Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good-to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted. And now, my brethren, I have spoken unto you concerning pride; and those of you which have afflicted your neighbor, and persecuted him because ye were proud in your hearts, of the things which God hath given you, what say ye of it? Do ye not suppose that such things are abominable unto him who created all flesh? And the one being is as precious in his sight as the other. And all flesh is of the dust; and for the selfsame end hath he created them, that they should keep his commandments and glorify him forever."

What does this make me? Socialist, Democrat, Communist, Moderate? I don't know, but I do know that I couldn't have said it any better than Jacob. Just thankful for a God that can help me find my voice when I need to explain why I think the way I think.

Mayfield Lake

As a young child, my fondest memories were of my Mother's family reunions. Most everyone on her side of the family knows how to party like it's 1999! My memories include elaborate dance numbers done at talent shows, Uncle's cross dressing while dancing to the latest jig, complicated practical jokes, boat rides, amazing themed meals, and card games until the we hours of the morning. Much of it's glory has since fizzled with the passing of the head's of household. We that are still die hard reunion planners, manage to bring some of the former glory into our annual camping trip.
Our meal this year was Saturday breakfast. Cooking for 40 people doesn't seem like many to me anymore. What does that say about me?! Anyway, I am starting to take over the reigns if you will for my side of the family. We attempted a french cafe complete with 4 little waiters in black pants, white shirts and long white aprons. They took every one's orders for french toast. I was going to whip up 80 crepe wrappers and 40 individual quiches in my spare time...hehe...but with the weather well over 105 the whole week and not having air conditioning, I was not about to attempt that one. So instead of Quiche and Crepes, we had French Toast with fresh Strawberry or Blueberry sauce with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and whipped cream. We kicked up the scrambled eggs a notch with some bacon bits and cheese and a slice of ham on the side with a croissant. Evidently french people enjoy a meager breakfast of a pastry with coffee, but of course I was trying to restore our former glory of years past. My mind is already working on ideas for next year. And if I have anything to say about it, we will have a talent show/ skit show too. Here's to many more years of good times with great people!