tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64437259156389200942024-02-20T23:09:36.554-05:00Notes from the BurrowJenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.comBlogger665125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-87530792687569077472014-01-21T17:50:00.000-05:002014-01-21T17:50:08.577-05:00Although the whole story kinda comes apart at the end there.I might not have any taste.<br />
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I was listening to Mitch Albom's show on WJR last week. It was last Monday, the day after the Golden Globes. They were talking about who won and who said what..blah, blah, blah. He commented that "Brooklyn 99" and Andy Samberg should not have won Golden Globes. He said the show and actor are not funny.<br />
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I think they are funny. I laugh at Brooklyn 99. I laugh at Andy Samberg. I like other shows that people think are dumb like "New Girl" and "Dads" and "Ben and Kate". I like watching award shows. Golden Globes, Academies, Emmys. I think they are funny. Usually the shows I like get cancelled.<br />
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I like good food at restaurants. I don't know why. I can't write paragraphs about them and the nuances in the flavors and textures. I just like stuff. If someone asks me if I like a restaurant, I will say yes or no. I can't back it up with any reasons. Either the food is good or the food is gross.<br />
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Same with movies. I like them or I don't. I don't have a long list of how this joke was canned or whatever take on American society this was. If a movie has a baby or a wedding, I like it. If it has a death, I do not like it. If kids are hurt...don't like it. <br />
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Some books I like and some I don't like. I can handle a sad book over a sad movie. Actually, I really like sad books. Especially if they are about any aspect of WW2. Don't know why. Don't care to expound. It's just what I like. I don't like sappy love story books. James Patterson. Nicholas Sparks. Never Ever Ever will read them. Ever.<br />
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Here's something else I don't like. Mitch Albom. He was mean to my husband when they both worked for WJR and I've heard several people who worked with him refer to him as Satan incarnate. I've tried to read his books but the fact that he was mean clouds all his "wonderful perspective on life and the afterlife."<br />
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Also I'm pregnant with baby #9.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-46299341207931834732013-11-20T16:16:00.000-05:002013-11-20T16:16:03.690-05:00Random Thoughts and Happenings Just a few random things...<br />
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If the word "douchebag" is offensive to you, do not read on. <br />
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I need an alternate word for "DB." It's such an awful word. But it nails, so perfectly, what a guy who is a DB is. It's Stef from "Pretty in Pink" and Chet from "Weird Science" and White from "Dodgeball." They don't just exist in movies. They are in real life too. I can spot them in a second. I have great DB-dar. They are worse than just a "bad guy" because they seem to have no soul, no redeeming goodness. So if I'm discussing a DB with Chris in the kitchen or my older kids are lamenting a DB from school with small children present, "DB" isn't a good word for them to hear and repeat. I need another word, but it has to capture the essence of "DB." Send me your ideas.<br />
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Football season is over. Calvin finished his season with his teams 5th trip to the Super Bowl and 4th win in a row. His team is pretty amazing. It's a group of boys and group of coaches that love each other. Seriously. Not one DB in the bunch. ;) He came home from his banquet and put his head on my shoulder for a while trying to hold back tears that wouldn't be held back. I patted his back and just let him let them out. He's so sad the experience is over. I wanted to tell him that high school will be just like this. That there will be other awesome teams. But I honestly don't know if there will. What he was a part of was truly magical and sometimes you only experience it once or twice in life. <br />
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Some of my aunts came over for dinner on Saturday. Anna and I cooked for them. It was so fun and so joyous. It was like having 6 different pieces of my mother here with me. I learned two very wonderful things from them. 1. My grandma, mother of 12, took naps every day. Phew! I'm relieved to know I'm not the only one who needs naps. It's in my genes! 2. My mom liked to put her fingers in her sisters' mouths while she slept. That's where Teddy got it from! His grandma! It's in his genes!<br />
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Six aunts, one cousin, one 2nd cousin, one daughter and one sister. And me.<br />
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I like three pillows when I sleep. Three squishy pillows. One of my pillows disappeared several months ago. I was very sad. I searched high and low but never found it. I had to make do with two pillows. Then last week, another pillow disappeared. Again it's gone and no one has seen it or taken it. It up and vanished like a fart in the wind. So now I'm down to one lonely pillow. I hate it. What happened on Monday night? You guessed it, pillow #3 disappeared. Ugh. I was so tired that night and I didn't want to stomp around the house looking for my pillows. I spied my shams across the floor and decided I'd take a sham out and sleep on that for the night. Hopefully my pillows would turn up in the morning. I took the pillow out of it's pretty sham case and lo and behold...it's my first missing pillow! Then last night, I found pillow #2! So one more and I'm back to sleeping in my usual comfort. I don't know why I thought anyone would find that interesting. <br />
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Someone needs to explain to me Common Core and why I should love it or hate it.<br />
<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-25730295709054153922013-09-30T14:14:00.000-04:002013-09-30T14:14:50.721-04:00There's nothing more sophisticated than diddling the maid and chewing some gum.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWTYMszNAO_pNgZQtkCtu100sepStxeBhfJotNN08yt4-vKokj2CCELWaZFYXXBCtpI5oHP93UgHJxlBjglOoVmFBhFh4ux_ibboZXNTVuXLlv3Dsr_gBAu-wkVagtEEJ8b-hT2U9las/s1600/nelson_alice2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWTYMszNAO_pNgZQtkCtu100sepStxeBhfJotNN08yt4-vKokj2CCELWaZFYXXBCtpI5oHP93UgHJxlBjglOoVmFBhFh4ux_ibboZXNTVuXLlv3Dsr_gBAu-wkVagtEEJ8b-hT2U9las/s200/nelson_alice2.jpg" width="137" /></a>A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I were driving down Main Street and he spotted a Lamborghini parked in front of one of our favorite restaurants. He was impressed. I asked him, what's the big deal? He tells me about how it's handmade and it costs probably $400,000. I googled and he was a little off. It's only $387,000.<br />
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$387,000 for a car. Even if I was filthy stinking rich, I would have trouble paying that much money for a car. It would be hard to justify. Starving people on the planet would outweigh my need to blow money like that.<br />
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I started to think about what I would blow money on. Like if I was just loaded. And money were no option.<br />
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I love my house. I want to live here forever. So I don't want a big, fancy house.<br />
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My dream car is an old 1970's muscle car that costs about $25,000. <br /><br />Even though I like to shop, I am happy with clothes from Penney's, Target, and even thrift stores.<br />
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I don't wear <strike>any</strike> expensive makeup.<br />
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My favorite shoes are Crocs.<br />
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I don't want to spend money on fancy purses or luggage or home decor. <br />
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You know what I would love? I would love a maid. I would willingly start dropping the cash for a maid to come in here and clean all this crap up. Organize my house. Keep it organized. Clean my car on a daily basis. Do all my laundry. Toilets. Scrub the stains out of the carpet. Clean up after I cook. Take out the trash.<br />
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Not having to do that stuff would free up tons of time. I could <strike>go out to lunch and read books all day </strike> spend so much more time with my children. It really would be blissful to have a maid. That's where I'm willing to blow my money. That and a fridge stocked with fancy sparkling water.<br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-3372667132778107942013-09-19T15:08:00.000-04:002013-09-19T15:08:27.358-04:00Because I think the blind would probably be a little messier around the house. And lets face it they're not going to get all the crumbs. I'd possibly be walking around with a sponge.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT6XjFzujL8fysQTe75QTUalOZ6fOqauSQSJfFJaLXUGRQamkWnD3a5Fdf4QQcvKWuALALUjCQyzxJMOzDB1M3Kre5zpeDFqXDk-httxMoIU1x7hOcdXbRs7hsk9VuvYkgWClID6Jmyk/s1600/messy-desk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT6XjFzujL8fysQTe75QTUalOZ6fOqauSQSJfFJaLXUGRQamkWnD3a5Fdf4QQcvKWuALALUjCQyzxJMOzDB1M3Kre5zpeDFqXDk-httxMoIU1x7hOcdXbRs7hsk9VuvYkgWClID6Jmyk/s1600/messy-desk.jpg" /></a>Spencer and I had a conversation last night about a girl in his class who has a messy desk. Spencer is a very organized, neat child. Messes stress him out. He was anxious about this girl who just takes her stuff and "shoves it in." What's wrong with her, he wants to know. <br />
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What Spencer doesn't know is that he is being raised by that girl. I am her.<br />
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I had the messiest desk ever. My desk in third grade was so messy that my teacher, Mrs. Mott, dumped it out on the floor and made me clean all my stuff up in front of the entire class. Papers went everywhere. Pens, pencils and crayons rolled away like they were trying to flee the scene. I wanted to melt into my chair. It was a horrible experience for a 9 year old to endure. Mrs. Mott didn't like me anyway and was probably secretly happy about dumping that desk. Turns out she held my messiness against Anna too and made her 3rd grade experience a living nightmare.<br />
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I'm sure that Mrs. Mott was trying to teach me, in her warped way, to be more organized and productive and I wish I could say it was a turning point in my life. I wish.<br />
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My locker in high school was so stinky that I never got my total locker deposit back at the end of each year. They kept the $5 to, I assume, fumigate. <br />
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I continue to be messy and unorganized. My method of organizing is shove the crap in the (cupboard, drawer, under the couch, garage, closet, under the bed, freezer, van) and if the door closes, SUCCESS! All you need is for the door to close. Sometimes you might have to shove and shove to get that door to close, but my motto is never give up. You will get it. Just keep trying.<br />
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Last night, I told Spencer to be nice to that girl. Mommy is a little unorganized, I said. He offered to teach me how to be organized. Tonight he is starting with a binder. Let's hope he's not using the Mrs.<br />
Mott approach. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-9702535365777113202013-09-06T12:34:00.000-04:002013-09-06T12:34:29.129-04:00 I can't believe it! You were *huge*! Like blubber! I couldn't even get my arms around you...Lizzie loves to take pictures with my phone. Usually she asks to borrow it and then she goes around the house taking random shots of herself, her siblings and me. Occasionally, I'll go through the photos to see if there are any worth keeping and delete most of them. This last time, she took a shot of me sitting at the computer doing something. From the side. It was a very unflattering shot and my first thought was, "I can't believe Chris stays with me if I look like that."<br />
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I'm a fatty. <br /><br />Sometimes I forget that I'm a fatty and then I see a picture of myself how I really am and I'm reminded. I'm not just a little fatty. I'm a really big fatty.<br />
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Ever since she took the picture, I've been thinking about it a lot. About how fat I am. And feeling very badly about it. Here's the problem though: Instead of feeling motivated to change, I feel motivated to eat an entire ring of Costco danishes. Eating is what I do when I'm happy, when I'm sad, when I'm bored, when I'm celebrating, when I'm lonely, when I'm normal. It's what I do. Food is good. It tastes good and makes me feel good.<br />
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I'm not talking about the kind of food in pictures you post on Facebook of your quinoa and health shakes. No. I'm talking about the pictures of the loaded baked potato casserole and stuffed crust pizza. I see the posts of the healthy food. I read you say how its soooo yummy and you feel soooo good after eating it. I don't believe you. Have you ever eaten a burger from 5 Guys and fries? That is what I consider soooo yummy.<br />
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And then there's exercise. I HATE exercise. I see you running and pxwhatevering and crossfitting and I feel tired. I don't want to do it. It's boring and makes me hurt and makes me tired and I don't even really believe it will work for me.<br />
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I don't know what to do. Because I hate myself looking like this. And I'm starting to worry about getting older and carrying this weight around. I worry I will have a heart attack or stroke. I worry I will get diabetes. <br />
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I don't know how to change. There are so many roadblocks in my mind to doing it. It's expensive to exercise and eat right. I can't just throw items in a crockpot or casserole pan and be done. With my busy life, I can't spend a great amount of time each night cooking. I can't join a gym. I can't buy workout clothes. It will hurt. It will make me tired. It's boring. I don't have time.<br />
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So I'm telling you skinny people, keep doing what you are doing. Keep running. Keep pxing. Keep eating your almonds and kale. Because you don't want to be me. Almost 40 and fat.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-63184702840265096122013-09-03T18:13:00.001-04:002013-09-03T18:13:32.543-04:00Hey kids. What's the deal with homework? you're not working on your home!It's back to school time at the Vos Household. It's my very least favorite time of the year. I love having the kids home. There's nothing I can do about it so I try and make the best of it. This year we had a special back to school FHE and talked about each of us setting a goal for this school year. The goals they set were very thoughtful and relevant to their lives. I read this on another blog and decided this will be my goal:<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Three Unbelievably Simple Parenting Ideas: 1) Children need a minimum of 8 touches a day to feel connected to a parent. 2) Each day, children need one meaningful eye-to-eye conversation with a parent. 3) There are nine minutes during the day that can have the greatest impact on a child: the first three minutes right after they wake up, the three minutes after they come home from school, and the last three minutes of the day before they go to bed.</span></em><br />
<em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20.796875px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></em>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="line-height: 20.796875px;"><i></i></span></span>They sound incredibly simple and like "Duh, aren't I don't this?" But sometimes I need a reminder. Especially the eye contact. I am the queen of multi-tasking. I talk to them while cooking, cleaning, folding, washing. I need to be more present. Hopefully I can keep it up longer than a week!<br />
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On Labor Day we spent our time swimming and BBQing with Anna and Tony. At night all the children got their Father's Blessings. It never ceases to amaze me how the Priesthood works. I love that Heavenly Father knows what my children need and need to hear and then He works through the Spirit to tell my husband what to say. It was a very special time together. <br />
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All the backpacks got packed. All the clothes were laid out and washed. The new shoes were all ready. <br />
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We woke up bright and early at 5:05 and I made omelets for each child before they left for school. This was the first year that Emily drove herself and Christopher to Seminary. I love it!<br />
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They returned home from school with all positive experiences. Spencer has all of his friends in his class. Almost every single one. That teacher is in for a boisterous year. Cameron, on the other hand, only has 2 friends in his class. But he was ok with meeting new friends. Calvin is starting Chinese as an extra class at the high school every morning. That should be a challenge for him. Christopher has classes from one end of campus to the other. He said he will be late to one class every day. Emily has a class called Advanced Science Fiction. Really, this is a high school class? I'm very interested to read the syllabus. Lizzie doesn't go to school until tomorrow. She's super excited about it. Her backpack is almost bigger than she is.<br />
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Six kids at 4 different schools. I'm tired already and it's only day 1. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-16718559900449989102013-08-08T11:37:00.001-04:002013-08-08T11:37:19.943-04:00I would drape myself in velvet if it was socially acceptable.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ogc865Tz3jSIVd2jrD32gyZDuEPn0A_syofrHZAkv_o5T2EgpaJKxYHTgpI9AiNZii2EYwV1J0a1nA13APuRyXkmoBs9uxEjKwre4dW3ME_0v_vHnTAVcVv_1oVl-2RCLu7jAGycH7M/s1600/dad's+obit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ogc865Tz3jSIVd2jrD32gyZDuEPn0A_syofrHZAkv_o5T2EgpaJKxYHTgpI9AiNZii2EYwV1J0a1nA13APuRyXkmoBs9uxEjKwre4dW3ME_0v_vHnTAVcVv_1oVl-2RCLu7jAGycH7M/s640/dad's+obit.jpg" width="227" /></a>I recently came across a copy of my dad's obituary. I hate it. It makes me feel terrible awful.<br />
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We wrote it with the funeral home guy. It was me and Chris and Anna there. He asked us all kinds of questions. I had never done an obituary before. I didn't know there was certain protocol that was expected to be in obituaries.<br />
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After it was published, I found out that we did it wrong.<br />
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We put in every one's middle names. Including my grandma's middle name. Which was Maedream. Apparently she didn't want anyone to know that. Maedream Maedream Maedream.<br />
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Also, we didn't include my aunt's names. I now know that an obituary should look like this Bruce R. (Betty) Ballard. The funeral home guy didn't ask us our aunt's names I guess. <br />
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When we saw my grandma after the obituary was published she was sure to tell me that it was the worst obituary she ever saw. She said it was a travesty and an embarrassment. Those were her exact words.<br />
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I wish I could forget what she said but I don't think I ever will.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-21114163027228793922013-06-27T13:13:00.000-04:002013-06-27T13:13:17.364-04:00I'm not taking advice from some girl from Long Island!!I don't pretend to know anything about anything.<br />
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There's only a few things that, in my mind, I know for sure. Like the Book of Mormon is the word of God and don't try potty training until your kid is good and ready. Stuff like that.<br />
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Some people do things differently than me and that's ok. But sometimes when I see or hear of people doing things differently from me, I wonder if maybe they are doing it better than me. Should I be doing my stuff like they are? I don't know.<br />
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There's<a href="https://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/06/nine-principles-for-a-successful-marriage-and-family?lang=eng" target="_blank"> an article in this month's Ensign</a> about a family with three young children who gave up sports and dance and other activities for a year so they could spend more time together as a family. They felt they had great success with this endeavor.<br />
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As I read this article, my heart sank to my shoes and tears flowed free. Why did I feel this way? Because I don't want to give up my kids' activities in order to have a closer, more successful family. And as I was reading, I was feeling like the way that this family is building a strong family is the only way to do it. And I am already struggling with how busy our activities keep our family. I don't like being as busy as I am. Even if each kid does one activity, I still have at least 6 activities going on all the time. And I don't consider music an optional activity so with our 5 sports, we have 4 musics. And they have scouts and Young Women, which is also not optional. And there's doctors appointments and haircuts and birthday parties and all the other stuff that kids do.<br />
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This summer I want to go to Cedar Point as a family. I went over the calendar to see when we could go. There was one day. Just one day when nothing was scheduled when we could all go. <br />
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I try to look for things to cut out. But honest to gosh, there isn't anything unless we stopped the sports they love and I let them stop music and we quit scouts. And I don't think this would be the best thing for us.<br />
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The mom in the article says the inspiration she had to stop <span style="font-family: inherit;">activities<span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;"> led to her “proudest moments as a mother.” I can tell you some of my proudest moments as a mother. Cheering for Emily at her swim meets. Watching her play in the PCEP Symphony Orchestra. Watching her induction into NHS. Seeing CV snap the football in his first high school game. Watching Calvin play the trumpet in the jazz band. Seeing Spencer hit a double at baseball. Watching Cameron sing in his school play. There are other moments too. Emily putting the girls to bed and painting their nails first and being so sweet to them. Christopher and Calvin watching a game together and being nice to each other. Spencer and Cameron riding bikes in the yard and having fun being together. Seeing pictures of Emily and CV pulling handcarts at Trek. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #2f393a;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I'm realizing that our family is super busy and super schedu<span style="font-family: inherit;">led but we made the most of our home time also doing the things that the Proclamation on the family suggests. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;">“Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, </span><a class="no-link-style" href="http://www.lds.org/topics/forgiveness?lang=eng" style="background-color: #f9f6ed; border: none !important; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none !important; vertical-align: baseline;">forgiveness</a><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;">, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;">We have taught our kids all of these important principles. It's not always in a teaching setting like FHE. Usually it's on the fly like Mom can't find the remote so lets say a prayer or Mom says something dumb to dad and he forgives her for being an idiot or someone is having a hard day and we all take compassion on them and help them or the garage needs cleaning out so we work together to get it done. <br /><br />As I write this post, I am feeling incredibly good about my family and the children I am raising. We are not perfect. We are mostly imperfect. And I mess up a ton. But we are trying to do a good job and we love each other and my kids are respectful and talented and fun. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: #f9f6ed; color: #2f393a; line-height: 18px;">So I don't profess to know much. Especially about how you should do things. You should do them how it's best for you. And I'm going to keep on going the way I'm going. And we'll be better if we just love each other and smile and wave on our journey knowing that all our paths aren't the same but they are what's best for us.</span></span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-36592686015474230422013-06-22T14:54:00.001-04:002013-06-22T14:54:35.981-04:00If my parents had a mantel, I might be a completely different person.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyuJd_cTwSJ6GKVcPln_4M4Iipf-gs6EVbD87c5GUauYAcEHGj6DPTlMXIeHVwIAZpDKxupzRGmA5s58sbX_kqCvlvn1FHPKjF8sQYabWubfu8zcJZpslKQt3WJajFg280XktOGh-QYk/s1600/double+bowl+sink_stainless+steel_kitchen794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyuJd_cTwSJ6GKVcPln_4M4Iipf-gs6EVbD87c5GUauYAcEHGj6DPTlMXIeHVwIAZpDKxupzRGmA5s58sbX_kqCvlvn1FHPKjF8sQYabWubfu8zcJZpslKQt3WJajFg280XktOGh-QYk/s320/double+bowl+sink_stainless+steel_kitchen794.jpg" width="320" /></a>When you were a kid, did you have a list of weird stuff that you thought were things rich people had? <br />
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I did.<br />
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I grew up in a lower middle class family. Emphasis on the lower. We never really wanted for anything. Just didn't have many extravagant extras. I had friends with money. And after being in their homes and riding in their cars, I made a mental list of things that indicated you had arrived.<br />
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A double sink in the kitchen. I don't know why this seemed rich to me. But it did.<br />
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An attached garage. I just loved attached garages. <br />
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Plastic tube hangers. Ours were all the wire dry cleaner kind.<br />
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Separate pool towels from your everyday towels. I never had a pool towel until I was 13 and my mom bought us all one for our trip to Florida. I took our dumb peach and brown bath towels when I went swimming anywhere. And our towels weren't the big ones. They were the smaller, barely cover your butt ones. I hated them. I loved the beach towel from my mom so much I still have it. It's raggedy and threadbare and Chris tries to throw it out every time he organizes my underwear drawer. Yes to both your questions, I keep it in my underwear drawer and yes, he organizes it.<br />
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A car with cloth seats. We had a Chevette for most of my childhood that had vinyl seats. You stuck to it in the heat of summer. We got a new Chevette when I was 12 with cloth seats. I thought I was really living. In addition to car accessories, power locks and windows. Funny thing is, my current car has vinyl seats and roll windows and manual locks. <br />
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A fireplace with a mantel. Love a mantel.<br />
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Carpet. We had hard wood floors. Carpet seemed so extravagant to me. <br />
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Funny the things we think indicate wealth.<br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-43910032163526787212013-06-04T11:57:00.001-04:002013-06-04T11:57:33.308-04:00It's not a top, it's a bra.<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last week Calvin had a band concert and he and his fellow musicians did a really excellent job. The weather was very hot for the evening of the concert and since Central has no air condition, the teacher told the students they could dress down for the event. Shorts, skirts and casual shirts were permissible. They were still supposed to follow the dress code of school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">They didn't. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I saw more bra straps that night than I do browsing through Victoria's Secret. Why is it acceptable for young girls (or any female) to expose bra straps like they are part of the outfit? It's ugly and dumb. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The skirts were so short even though they were directed that "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">when a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-decoration: underline;">relaxed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> arm is hanging by one's side, the fingers MUST touch fabric." </span><span style="background-color: white;">There was one skirt that was so short, I was sure I was going to see the girl's underwear. Don't parents look at their kids when they get in the car?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">And so I am lamenting the lack of modesty in the dress of youth today. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I'm so tired of picking up my kids from school and seeing bra straps, spaghetti straps, short shorts and skirts, incredibly tight pants and tops and yoga pants. And I am sad. Sad that no one is teaching girls that this isn't good for them. It's sending the wrong message. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br />Boys have biological responses to these clothes that they cannot control without a great deal of effort. Especially young teenage boys. My poor boys know they are supposed to only have clean thoughts. So they start out the day with clean thoughts. But then they get to school and see bra straps. Their minds wander to bras and boobs and they have to try so hard to bring their minds back to clean thoughts. Luckily I have good boys who do this. What about the boys who don't? Their minds are going from bras to boobs to all over the place. No wonder my daughter laments that boys are pigs and gross and treat girls badly. How can they be nice and respectful to girls when girls are advertising themselves in such a demeaning manner? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">If there are any girls out there who want to date my sons, I am saying right now that you will not go with my boys in immodest clothes. I'm not going to have it. I'm sorry if it's harsh or mean but I'm protecting my boys. And that includes prom dresses. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I don't even want to get started on yoga pants. Let me just say that I wore yoga pants in high school. I wore them under my skirt and they were called TIGHTS. Wear yoga pants if you are doing yoga or exercising. But that's it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">There's a dress code at school but it's not enforced. Emily and Christopher say nothing happens to the kids who violate it. So really nothing will change. I'm not going to get all Felice Martin on everyone but I'm going to complain about it here to my one reader. Anna, I hope you enjoyed this and got my Felice Martin reference. ;)</span></span><br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-14074364985828939362013-05-24T19:55:00.000-04:002013-05-24T19:55:24.072-04:00Yeah, when you look annoyed all the time, people think that you're busy.I've been busy.<br />
<br />
I've got 8 kids, you know.<br />
<br />
Today I went on a field trip with Spencer and was talking to a dad and he said he has two kids and it feels like he has 6. I laughed. I have 8 and it feels like 8.<br />
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I listened to parents at a baseball practice complain that they have to split up and each take a kid to different activities. And how hard it is.<br />
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People ask me all the time how I do what I do.<br />
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I don't really know. I just do it.<br />
<br />And I love it.<br />
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Teddy turned one two weeks ago. What if I hadn't had him and stopped with Genny? He's such a sweet, smiley boy. Reminds me of Spencer as a baby. Happy-go-lucky. Teddy doesn't like loud noises and screams when I use a paper towel dispenser in a public bathroom. He doesn't like the door closing on the van.<br />
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Genny is trying potty training. She's not quite ready. She follows Lizzie everywhere and dances all the time and runs into the wall. We call her DG for "Drunk Girl" on SNL. Genny is terrified of dogs. <br />
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Lizzie is almost done with her first year of school. She is going to young 5's next fall. Lizzie is ALWAYS happy. I mean always. Always. <br />
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Cameron is playing baseball. Mostly he makes decorations with his cleats in the dirt and uses his bat as a gun to kill zombies. He is amazingly good at math but doesn't like school. He doesn't eat much and is totally skinny. <br />
<br />
Spencer is also playing baseball. He and his friends have started a comic book club at school and they are writing comics. They are cute and funny. Spencer is so good at cleaning the kitchen. He worries about everything and has a secret crush on his best friends' mom.<br />
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Calvin is another baseball player. I love that his team is the Mudhens. He is so good at the trumpet. I love hearing him play. He is always trying to make good choices. Just today he chose not to see a movie that had a lot of inappropriate things in it. He loves running track and is super fast. Jimmy John's fast.<br />
<br />
Christopher is trying so hard to get buff and get better at football. He is obsessed with Dr. Who. He finally made a friend this year. I wish he had more friends. No one gets him. I wish I had lots of money to buy him some cool high school clothes.<br />
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Emily is beautiful. She is realistic in her goals. She is amazingly talented. She wants to go to MSU for college. I want her to stay home. I have learned not to really talk to her for 30 minutes after she wakes up. It's just better for everyone. She has a cute boyfriend. I love her. We are good friends.<br />
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These kids just fill my heart with joy. I don't have a lot of time with all of us here in this house. Just one more year. I wish I could freeze time right now. I'm scared. How will I do at letting go? How hard will it be? What is that phase of life like...having your children leave and fall in love and need you in a different way than they need you now?<br />
<br />
I try not to dwell on what's coming in the future. If I do, I start to feel panicky. I'll just take what I have now. Because it's perfect for right now.<br />
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And I love it.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-8065057927073350812013-02-01T13:45:00.002-05:002013-02-01T13:45:38.838-05:00Questions...no questions...<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>Do you have pets? No Never Ever Again</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Three things close to you. </b>Cell phone, a list on the back of an envelope and orange peels</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>Do you have a driver's license? If so, did you ever have an accident? </strong>Yes. I've had 3 accidents that I can remember. </div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<strong>When did you wake up today? </strong>5:05 am</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Your last movie: </b>Pride and Prejudice</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>The last text message you received: Senta Hill telling me I'm one of the few people who understand her busy life</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>When did you take your last shower? </b>10:30</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>What's your ringtone? </b>The Hunger Games mockingjay whistle</div>
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<b>Did you ever visit another country? Canada. I got married there</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Do you like Sushi? </b>Only if it's deep fried</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Where do you go grocery shopping? </b>Aldi and Kroger</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Did you ever take something to sleep better or fall asleep easier? No because then I won't wake up when Teddy cries. But I wish I could.</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>How many siblings do you have? </b>1 perfect sister</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Laptop or PC? </b>PC.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>How old do you turn on your next birthday? </b>39</div>
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<b>Do you have glasses or contacts? no</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Do you color your hair? </b>yes</div>
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<b>What are your plans for today? </b>Getting ready for Bunco party tonight. BUNCO PARTY!!</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>When did you last cry? </b>Yesterday when I read a really horrible article on the internet.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>What do you think is the perfect pizza topping? </b>ham and pineapple</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>Hamburger or Cheeseburger? </b>Cheeseburger.</div>
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<b>Did you ever have an all nighter? </b>TONS</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: 'century gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">
<b>What's your eye color? green and gray. Greenish gray.</b></div>
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<b>Are you able to tell Coke and Pepsi? </b>yes. I like Coke.</div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-29503328450684780322012-10-20T13:40:00.001-04:002012-10-20T13:40:16.891-04:00You don't understand what I'm up against. This is a force more powerful than anything you can imagine. Even *Superman* would be helpless against this kind of stench. I used to be a perfume freak. I remember the first perfume I got was Love's Baby Soft from my Aunt Mary. She gave it to me at the Platte Christmas Party and I put some on in the car on the way home. I put a lot on. My mom had to open the window. <br /><br />Since the first gift of perfume, I've always loved perfumes. The smells of them remind me of different occasions. I can't smell Eternity without thinking about standing in the bus line in 8th grade with Sandy Jackson. I can't smell Beautiful without thinking of my stinky apartment in Provo. Champs Elysees makes me think of my wedding day. Perfume is so pretty. And cologne. I love cologne. Doesn't Drakkar take you back to high school boys? And Escape makes me think of Chris on our wedding day.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But something happened to my nose during my last pregnancy. I couldn't stand perfume or cologne or any strong smell be it good or bad. No air freshener. No strong chemicals. No candles. Nothing. The only smell that didn't bother me was citrus. I thought it was just a pregnancy thing. I figured that after Teddy arrived that my nose would go back to normal. </div>
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It didn't.</div>
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<div>
The problem is more that just "I don't like it." It literally makes my nose hurt to smell a strong smell. Chris can no longer wear cologne. When someone sprays strong chemicals to clean toilets or the kitchen, I have to leave the room. If I hug someone wearing perfume, my nose hurts. Yesterday, Chris sprayed cologne in our room while I wasn't there. When I got back to the room, I had to open all the windows and clear out the smell before I could be in there. He sprayed our vacuum bag with cologne. I can't be in the room when he vacuums. It's so stinky!</div>
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I don't know if my nose is broken or what. But it's really sad.</div>
Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-91354840703762794972012-10-18T12:58:00.000-04:002012-10-18T12:58:14.015-04:00 Just the fact that you remembered means everything.<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lizzie's 4th birthday was earlier this month. We had her party on Saturday and it was our traditional "Lizzie's Birthday Oktoberfest." I wish I would have taken pictures of the food because it was pretty and yummy. We had rouladen, altbier chicken, a whole mess of wursts, German potato salad, gurkensalat, potato pancakes and spaetzel. This year I did not make a <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16px;"> </span><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Kirschtorte because last year's was a little too Kirsch-y and I didn't want anyone getting drunk on the birthday cake. Lizzie had lots of friends and family to celebrate with her. She had fun opening her presents and eating cake. I love Oktoberfest. I hope Lizzie always wants to have it.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em></span>Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-62106639699453597702012-10-15T15:17:00.000-04:002012-10-15T15:17:00.252-04:00Yeah, and when I see freaks in the street, I never ever stare at them, and yet I'm careful not to look away, see, because I want to make the freaks feel comfortable.I'm a freak about the Relief Society clipboard.<br />
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It started in the University Ward in East Lansing. We didn't have a clipboard in my BYU ward, so my first introduction to it was at MSU. The RS president held it up as she talked about announcements and showed us what fun classes we could sign up for or how we could sign up to have the missionaries over or take a meal to someone who had a baby. Then she'd had it to usually the sister on the farthest left or right on the front row. And it would go from sister to sister until it reached every sister or time ran out. This clipboard has been a staple of every Relief Society I've been in from MSU to Toledo to Plymouth. And I've always been a freak about it.<br />
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I watch the clipboard going from sister to sister. I worry that the date I want for the missionaries will be taken. I worry that all the slots for the class I want to take will be filled. I worry that I won't get to sign up for a meal for that good friend. Most of all, I worry that the clipboard won't make it to me. When it gets to the end of a row, some people don't know which way to send it. They look at each other with puzzled looks and finally send it on it's way. I want to run over and be the clipboard traffic director and make sure it goes the right way.<br />
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So now you know, I'm a freak.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-17123202694097892302012-10-09T09:01:00.002-04:002012-10-09T09:01:30.401-04:00After the song, babe.It's funny how when I hear a song on the radio, it will bring back such a clear memory for me. This morning on the way home from driving the carpool, I heard the song,<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvlTJrNJ5lA" target="_blank"> "I Won't Back Down." by Tom Petty.</a> I love this song. Love Tom Petty. It took me back to my senior year in high school. We had to participate in a yearly retreat each year of high school. It was a requirement for religion class. Senior year, I went on KAIROS. I can't tell you exactly what happened there, but it was one of the best experiences of my life. I spent four days with peers and teachers learning about myself and my relationship to God, my family and other people. I really grew a lot those four days. I wish there was a KAIROS for adults. It would be really cool and I would totally pay to go.<div>
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Part of KAIROS involved music. Songs were played that had meaning for speakers and most of them were very touching in one way or another. They weren't necessarily religious songs. They were rock songs, songs from musicals, just songs with meanings. I left KAIROS with an awesome mix tape. Wish I still had it. The speaker would play the song and also give you a sheet of inspiring quotes to read. I still have all mine in my KAIROS folder. </div>
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So I left KAIROS feeling very inspired and closer to God and family and friends than I ever had. Maybe this is what EFY feels like? Anyway, in Young Women, we used to have a devotional every Sunday. One YW would give a quote or tell a story in front of the group that was inspiring in some way. So the first time I have devotional after KAIROS, I decide to make a quote sheet and share a song that had some meaning for me. So I played "I Won't Back Down." by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I'm sure that makes some of you and probably made my YW leaders at the time squirm in your/their seats. Rock songs are hardly appropriate for Sunday YW opening exercises, saith the letter of the law. They endured and let me play it.</div>
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This song had a meaning that I wanted to share with the girls and I couldn't find a better way than through it. I wanted them to know that we have to stand our ground in this world. We have to live our standards and not back down. I wanted them to know that they could go to the gates of hell and I would still be there loving them. I was only 18 but I really thought I was inspired to share the song. But you know, I'm a spirit of the law kind of person.</div>
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Every time I hear this song I'm reminded to stand my ground. Even when the world is pushing me around and telling me that what I'm doing isn't important or that my standards need to be relaxed or that it's ok to break commandments. I'm going to stand my ground. And I won't back down.</div>
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-47033542404422093182012-10-02T14:42:00.000-04:002012-10-02T14:42:13.369-04:00You know where I got this? I found it in the garbage can. It kept terrible time. I brought it over to Jimmy Sherman right here on 85th and Columbus. Gave it to me back the next day. Works great. What kind of idiot throws away a perfectly good watch?Did you own a Swatch in the 80's? In 1986, I was DYING to own a Swatch. Everyone in my school had a Swatch. EVERYONE. I didn't own one. There was no prospect of me getting one. I seem to remember they cost $35. My parents wouldn't have spent $35 on a watch for me ever. Not only wouldn't they, but they couldn't have. We were poor. I wouldn't have ever even asked for a Swatch. But, man, did I want one sooooo badly.
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This is the Swatch that I really wanted. It had the 9,6 and 3 really big. And the Swatch protector. So cool!<br />
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Being poor would have been ok if I didn't go to school with an entire student body that had money. I went to private school on an academic and need-based scholarship. I envied everything those other kids had. Especially their Swatch's. So one night, my mom and I are out shopping for Christmas and I discovered that you could buy just the Swatch protector. <br />
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The Swatch Guard. I started thinking. Could I put the Swatch Guard on my current watch and pretend I had a Swatch? Would the other kids at school be fooled into believing I was cool? I was willing to give it a try. Please don't laugh when I show you the watch I was putting the guard on.<br />
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It wasn't this exact watch, but it was close. So I put the guard on my Timex and thought I was the shiz. And I went to school the next day. I was pretty sure I was so cool.<div>
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A mean kid named Mike Kotnik, let me know how cool I was not. He noticed my Swatch Guard on my very uncool Timex. He grabbed my wrist and showed another boy in the class. "She thinks she can put this on her watch and make it a Swatch!" They both laughed. They told other people. I was humiliated.</div>
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I ripped the guard off my lame Timex and threw it away. I remember how mad and embarrassed and stupid I felt. I've never forgotten that day.</div>
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I never did get a Swatch. My mom actually got one from my dad when she was dying. She had a hard time seeing and she couldn't read her watch so he went to the store looking for a watch with really big numbers. It was a Swatch he bought for her. He had no idea how cool it was. He just wanted a watch for his dying wife and he would have probably paid 8x the amount if he found one that worked for her. After she died, I tried wearing her Swatch but I couldn't. I still have it in a box.</div>
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When I met Chris, one time I was looking through a drawer in his room. No lie, this is what it looked like.</div>
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That boy had the Swatch's. He used to let me wear them. I was in heaven. I have no idea where they are now but we should find them because I would look cool wearing a vintage Swatch. <br />
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Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-73932440854393440692012-09-26T20:08:00.001-04:002012-09-26T20:08:45.378-04:00For once, I'd like to be gaga!I have boxes and boxes of memories. Silly things that I don't want to throw away. Anna and I had talked about it and she said I should take pictures of the items and blog about them and then I can throw them away. Good idea. So this is the first installment of that process.<br />
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When Chris and I were dating, his family invited me to go to Chicago with them for the weekend. They had a suite at a hotel downtown with plenty of room for everyone. It was supposed to be a great weekend of shopping and eating and fun. At this point in our relationship, I really liked Chris a lot and the prospect of this weekend with his family was very exciting. I went shopping and borrowed clothes from girls in my building. I got my hair cut. I was thrilled to be going.<br />
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We stayed at his house in Plymouth the night before we were leaving because we were taking the train to Chicago and the train was leaving very early in the morning. I got to sleep in his old bedroom. Chris helped me put my bags in his room and on the bed was a Godiva Chocolate box. I was thrilled. I had never had Godiva Chocolate before but had heard much of its delightfulness. I didn't want to open it and eat it then. I wanted to savour it and make it last. Chris was like, "Open it and eat one." So I reluctantly opened the box. Inside was not chocolate but a gold bracelet. It was beautiful. I had never been given jewelry so beautiful before. I put that bracelet on and did not take it off until it fell off years and years later because the gold wore out and it broke. <br />
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The first item I picked out of my memory box was the gold Godiva box with the original ribbons and tissues still inside.<br />
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As a side note, I had never slept on sheets as soft as the sheets on Chris' boyhood bed. I didn't know sheets that soft existed. I was responsible for the laundry and had never been clued in to something called "Fabric Softener." Also the sheets were probably 700 thread count. They really were wonderful. I put my head on my pillow that night and thought, "This is what it's like to have your mom do your laundry."Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-32672438078976921252012-09-19T14:06:00.000-04:002012-09-19T14:06:21.334-04:00I am not going to hell and if you think I'm going to hell, you should care that I'm going to hell even though I am not.When I was a freshman in high school, the vending machine sold Lipton Iced Tea. I tried it and it was delicious. I bought one every day at lunch. It was my favorite drink. <br />
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About half way through the year, we had a lesson at church on the<a href="https://www.lds.org/topics/word-of-wisdom?lang=eng" target="_blank"> Word of Wisdom.</a> The teacher went through the usual no tobacco, no coffee, no tea. No tea, hot or iced she said. I sat there horrified. I had been breaking the Word of Wisdom! It never occurred to me that iced tea was part of it. I felt terribly guilty and I told my mom what I learned that day when I got home. She assured me I wasn't headed straight for hell and to stop drinking it.<br />
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Stop drinking my favorite drink! It was hard but I did it.<br />
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In 1996 the Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, was interview by Mike Wallace on 60 minutes. They discussed the Word of Wisdom. Here's what was said:<br />
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<span style="background-color: cyan; color: #0f0000;">Mike Wallace: No alcohol, no tobacco, no coffee, no tea, not even caffeinated soft drinks... </span><br />
<span style="background-color: cyan; color: #0f0000;">Gordon B. Hinckley: Right</span>
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So I gave up caffeinated soft drinks. Coke, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper. All of them. Because the prophet of God said the word "right." It was hard but I did it. I haven't had a caffeinated pop in years with the exception of some Sunkist Lemonade that we didn't know was caffeinated and all spit out simultaneous as a family about 3 years ago.<br />
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Then the Church issues <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 22.5px;">On Wednesday (Aug. 29), a statement on its website saying that “the church does not prohibit the use of caffeine” and that the faith’s health-code reference to “hot drinks” ‘’does not go beyond (tea and coffee).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 22.5px;">Ok</span>
So this is confusing. Was President Hinckley just giving an off-handed "right," when questioned by Mike Wallace? Did he just not want to get into it with him? Have I been teaching my family the right thing for the last 16 years?<br />
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I'm really not ready to start drinking caffeinated Coke. It just seems not right. However, when school started and I began getting up at 5AM every morning and going to bed at 11PM every night and getting up several times in the night to feed the baby, my butt started really dragging. I mean really. So I talked to my sister and told her I was considering a Coke or 5 Hour Energy or something. I was desperate. Anna told me about this really great thing called <a href="http://www.waterjoe.com/" target="_blank">Water Joe</a>. Water Joe is water with natural caffeine. Just water and caffeine. Only two ingredients. So I went to Meijer and bought it. I felt about as sneaky as a 18 year old trying to buy a 6 pack of beer. I didn't drink it for a couple of days but then finally when I was dying, I drank one. It felt like on Desperate Housewives when Lynette takes her kids' Adderall. I was worried I was going to get caught or in trouble. But I didn't. And the most AMAZING thing happened. I don't feel tired. It is keeping me awake all day. And I still feel tired at night when it's time to go to bed.<br />
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So no coffee, no tea-hot or cold, no alcohol. That's in the book. Black and white. No caffeine? Still a grey area.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-13466812621528027882012-09-14T11:19:00.000-04:002012-09-14T11:19:22.745-04:00 I mean once for like, no reason, I flattened my hair and I had all these strands hanging in my face all the time...In sixth grade, I got a really bad haircut. This would have been 1986 and I got this awful asymmetrical 80's style. I seem to remember that it was on a magazine in the salon and I told the stylist to do it like the picture. But I didn't leave the salon with any product or hair-doing know how. The haircut was really bad. I remember no one liked it. I didn't even like it but I was fierce in it's defense. My mom would ask me all the time, would I like to get another haircut and I was determined not to. Finally after weeks of this haircut growing out and progressively getting more and more awful, my mom must have had it. She came into my room one day and said "Jennifer, your hair makes you look like a slut." <br />
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You can imagine my response was not very receptive to her criticism. But it hit me in a way that her "nice" comments had not. First of all, I heard my mom use crass language very rarely. I knew when she used the word "slut" that she meant business. Second of all, if she was willing to hurt my feelings by being so blunt, that hair must be really bad. Grudgingly on the outside, but willingly on the inside, I had her take me for a new haircut. Luckily it was right before picture day so my new haircut was what lives on for posterity. I have searched for a picture of my ugly haircut but one doesn't exist. I should probably be thankful for that.<br />
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This experience taught me a valuable lesson. I could always trust my mom's taste in hair, clothes and other things like that. She knew what looked good and what didn't and she would be honest about it. I hope my kids will trust that I am honest with them about their appearance and won't lead them astray as to what looks good and what doesn't. And I hope I never have to use the word "slut" to describe something they are wearing!Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-71553362447917076752012-08-27T15:41:00.002-04:002012-08-27T15:41:17.918-04:00Oh, you don't know what's good for bad! A few months ago, I noticed that we have two types of children in our home. I continued to observe them and came up with two Vos teams. They were originally called Team Evil and Team Good. For obvious reasons, I've been trying to come up with new names for them. Poor little Genny does not need to be brought up thinking the whole time that she's evil. Last night Emily and I had a brainstorming session on what the teams should be called other than good and evil.<br />
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Team Good consists of Christopher, Spencer, Lizzie and (I assume) Teddy. These children are and always have been really good. They worry about making the right decision. They get upset when they are in trouble and are quick to say sorry. They are eager to please. They are hard workers. They love the rules and are quick to point out when the rules are being broken. They were really good toddlers. They get along really well with each other. Chris leads Team Good because as a toddler his idea of fun was putting on a three-piece suit and dancing around the house. We might want to put Chris on Team Gay. J/K. As a side note, how many toddlers own a three-piece suit? Also his mom said he was always good as a teenager. I can envision many easy years ahead with these four children.<br />
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Team Evil consists of Emily, Calvin, Cameron and Genny. These children are clever and have really good senses of humor. I would say they are quick wits. They were difficult toddlers always challenging authority. They would run away when asked for a kiss and hug. They get along really well with each other but not with Team Good. Team Evil is very passionate. They aren't really evil. They are just ok with bending some rules a little. Team Evil would hide your secret evil doing but they might blackmail you in the process. When I say evil, I don't mean true evil. I mean eating someone else's candy or hiding in the bathroom to get out of bringing in the groceries. Just little evil. They are really all good kids. I head up Team Evil because I imagine I was a bit of a handful as a child. I also am pretty darn funny. And clever.<br />
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I think these differences in groups of our children are really interesting and I don't know if you find such divisions in smaller families. I'm having a really hard time hearing my little kids calling themselves evil. So Emily and I came up with some other names. She was quick to call Team Good: Team Blah, Team Boring and Team Nothing. We thought of Team Clever for Team Evil. She came up with Team Nephites and Team Lamanites but that's still too Evil. We talked about Team White and Team Black. Both colors are good in their own ways. Both are very different. Then we came up with Team Metro (for Metroman) and Team Mega (for Megamind). Cuz Megamind wasn't all bad and Metroman was really good. I think we'll get shirts made. Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-33590041921749775952012-08-13T18:44:00.000-04:002012-08-13T18:44:44.032-04:00You slept on the floor huh? We slept outside with the bugs and the wild animals. A bridge nearly killed us. Nobody knows where the hell Redbud is. And we haven't eaten since yesterday morning. So stay the hell out of our way and keep your mouth *shut*! We moved into a new house on June 18. It is the most beautiful house and I want to live in it until I die. Moving was not the most fun thing I've ever done but we survived and it was less painful that I anticipated. We had so much help from great friends. The house didn't really need any remodeling or updating but we did a few things to modify it for our family. We finished the basement and made a sleeping area and play area for the kids. We put in an egress window that I hope we never have to use. We built a banquette in the kitchen area so that we can all fit around the table to eat. We painted alot of the rooms. I am sitting here trying to figure out which room is my favorite and it's really hard. I really love the master bath. It has glass block windows making up part of the shower and two shower heads. I really love the quiet living room. I really love the first floor laundry room. I really love the colors in the girls room. I really love the view out of Emily's bedroom window. I really love the landscaping and the great variety of the plants. I really love the space the boys have to sleep and play. Seriously, I love almost everything about this house! Two things I want to change still are the fixtures in the first floor bath. They are a little ugly. And the counter in the kids bath. Also ugly. But overall I love my house. Every morning I wake up and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world. Here's some pictures and I will try to take some more of things I missed and post them later. <br />
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This is the living room. I got that couch off Craigslist for way cheap and I love it.<br />
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-69431687264422770272012-08-07T11:56:00.005-04:002012-08-07T11:56:45.110-04:00A baby is a gift, a gift from a bub.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Probably the most interesting thing that happened in the last three months was that I had a baby. Theodore Dirk Vos was born on May 11 at 9:45 AM. He weighed 9lb 11oz. He beat my next biggest baby by 3 ounces! His labor was virtually painless because I had a really awesome epidural. The hospital stay was restful and I was so thrilled to come home to the rest of my babies. Over the past three months, Teddy has brought our family much joy. He nurses like a champ. Sometimes just too often! He is very wiggly. Even in his sleep he wiggles. He is fussier than any of my other babies. This makes it to take him places. Other babies I've had will sleep in their buckets for hours while I shop or volunteer or clean or swim. Teddy will not do this. I am not able to do things like I am used to. I spend a lot of time rocking him. I haven't been able to do my calling in three months because I can't take him with me and I can't leave him home. It's been a little frustrating. But I'm not going to complain. He's a wonderful boy and I love him! We all do.</span>
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<br />Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-34383080575947173362012-08-07T11:46:00.001-04:002012-08-07T11:46:47.903-04:00I'm Back, Jerry, I'm back!I've been away from my blog for over three months. I sometimes come and sit at the computer and try to write a post and it sounds dumb so I don't post anything. Nothing sounded interesting to me. But then I was talking to Anna a little bit ago and she made a comment about how someday she was going to print her blog as a book and give it to her children. It reminded me that my blog is for me, first and foremost, and it doesn't always have to be witty or interesting or thought-provoking. So I'm back. I may be boring but I'm back.Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6443725915638920094.post-43594062459663816272012-04-26T10:24:00.000-04:002012-04-26T10:24:10.076-04:00This is a home! This is a place to live...Oohhh, a fireplace, are you kidding me!We are moving. I can't believe it. We have been looking and praying for several months for an affordable home that has more room than the home we currently live in. The Lord answered our prayer in a most unbelievable way. Sometimes I still can't believe how it worked out.<br />
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We are doubling our home size and reducing our payment by quite a bit. It's really amazing!<br />
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Our new home is about a mile away in Canton. The elementary school and middle school are different so Calvin, Spencer and Cameron will be attending different schools in the fall. Luckily all of them have friends in their grade at the new school.<br />
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Our new house has a really great size family room with a wood burning fireplace. It has 4 bedrooms including a master bedroom with a walk in closet and attached bathroom. We are finishing a bedroom in the basement for the boys. They are going to have an awesome mancave! <br /><br />The yard is 1/4 acre with forsythia, peonies, lilies, pretty trees, iris and a garden area. It's perfect. <br />
<br />The rooms are painted great colors that I love. The carpets are clean. The windows, roof, furnace, a/c, driveway are all new. <br /><br />It's really perfect. Except for one thing.<br /><br />We are getting it from a family that we know and really like. They have to move away for an employment opportunity. It makes me sad that they are leaving. We got the keys from them this week and went over that afternoon to look around. They left flowers and a gift for Teddy on the counter. Very wonderful people that I will miss alot.<br />
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But I'm so happy to be moving. I'm so excited! Now to coordinate it with giving birth...Jenniferhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01932345372316353681noreply@blogger.com3