win some and lose some

So this week was Abbey's birthday.  I can hardly believe she's six!  I'm tellin ya, time goes faster as you get older.  It must be some weird physics principle that I just don't know about.  Ok, let's be honest, like I know about any weird physics principles.  At her family party we decided to do something a little different and got each of the other kids a small present.  Of course, Abbey's was the biggest and best.  She IS the birthday girl after all.  The intention was that it would dampen sibling jealousy and everyone would have something cool and new to play with.  Sounds good in theory right?  Watch Abbey's face.  Here's Lauren opening hers.

Yeah, it's cool to see my sister get a present.

Ok, that's really cool.  Umm...I think I want that.

Well here goes.  It's got be at least as cool as my sisters.

What?!  A stinkin purse?!   Never mind that I've been asking for one.  I want toys!!?

Don't worry.  The day got better.  A party at the park with some good friends and many presents later, Abbey was all smiles again.  We love you Abbey!  And next year, I promise I won't buy you a purse.

California Rolls

Growing up we were definitely a meat and potatoes kind of family.  Would you like frozen corn or peas with that?  With maybe the occasional can of green beans thrown in now and then for variety.  We bought a cow each spring to butcher in the fall and  VOILA!  A freezer full of beef for the year.  Except for that time my mom went on a health food binge.  I have some traumatic memories of beef tongue and lentil bean loaf.  Nasty stuff!  So I find myself falling into the same trap occasionally.  (Not the health food freakiness, the other one.)  I had serious deja vu last night when Sarah asked me if we were having frozen peas or corn for dinner.  Dang it!  So today at the grocery store I ventured out a bit.  And to all my adventurous and worldly wise friends out there - why didn't you tell me how good these are? California Rolls.  I think I ate about twelve of them at dinner!  Of course my older two hated them.  But I have hope for Ty and Lauren.  Guess that's one of those things where you have to start em young?  We're definitely not sushi snobs... yet.  From what I understand "California roll eaters" are on the low end of the totem pole.  White people who are too chicken to eat the real thing.  NOT experiencing the genuine sushi experience.  And you know what?  I'm totally ok with that.  Hey, it's a step up from frozen corn.  Although my older two might disagree.

25 Random Things

I got this tag on facebook way too many times and was finally guilted into doing it. Truth is, I really enjoyed reading other peoples 25 random things. And I had fun doing it too. So to get the most milage out of the hour and a half it took me to write these, I thought I'd post them here too. So enjoy getting to know me better. I'd love to hear yours.

1. I've never watched a horror movie. Ok, not totally true. I watched the first ten minutes of The Exorcist when I was ten and it's haunted me ever since.

2. I have a love/hate relationship with tiger tails. You know, those cream filled, coconut covered raspberry zingers? I seriously I CANNOT resist them if they are in my house. I love how they taste and I hate my lack of self control when I'm around them. They are EVIL... in a delicious sort of way.

3. I married the perfect man for me.

4. In another life I would have been an Ob/GYN. Or maybe a nurse midwife.

5. Hello. My name is Niki and I'm addicted to science fiction. Every now and then I just NEED it! And if it has dragons then it's even better. One of my favorites is Ender's Game. I highly recommend it. But just so your not disappointed, it doesn't have any dragons.

6. Where ever we move, I need to find at least two "sister friends". This is essential to my well being. I don't need a lot of friends. Just a couple that I can truly share my heart with.

7. I'm a potter and love "playing in the mud". Throwing pots is fun but I absolutely love sculpting. Someday when the kids are grown.....

8. I could never be a vegetarian. Seriously, is there anything better than good prime rib?

9. Raising children is one of the greatest joys of my life. I LOVE being my kid's mom. If my pregnancies were easier and I wasn't getting so dang old, I swear I would have six more.

10. I always sleep better when it's raining outside. The smells and the sounds are so relaxing to me.

11. I can keep a secret.

12. I like to roll tape. I know, it sounds weird. It IS weird. Brent teases me about it all the time. My little OCD secret. I roll a piece of it into a tube and then just play with it. I like the way the sticky part feels on my hands but it doesn't actually come off and make my hands sticky. OH man...i need help.

13. I have a special love for older folks. I love spending time with them and hearing the stories of their life. And I think they are so incredibly beautiful and interesting.

14. You will win over my heart if you love my kids.

15. I love eating fresh peas and asparagus. Right out of the garden and uncooked. They kind of taste like strawberries.

16. Big skies and open country. I can just breath easier there. Big cities make me feel claustrophobic and anxious. Funny considering we live just outside of L.A. There is just something about green trees and big blue sky. My grandparents used to live near some mint fields. Have you ever smelled a freshly cut mint field? If not, then you should.

17. I homeschool my kids and love it. I never thought I would. In fact I was kind of anti homeschool growing up. They were always those really weird kids who never quite fit in. What I'm realizing now is that they're parents were weird too. Kids usually turn out like their parents. Hmm.. dare I ask it? Do our kids have any hope?!! Don't answer that.

18. I love the way my kids sing and dance. They're so full of passion and wild abandon! The song moves them and they SING! Even though they... well.. perhaps the talent will come later? I wish I had that confidence and could put it out there like that.

19. I love to cook. Not because of the actual cooking itself. The truth is I really love to eat and I like my cooking the best. So..I cook.

20. I'm really bad at small talk. I try, really I do. It just seems so superficial and superficial makes me uncomfortable... or untrusting maybe? Just what are you hiding anyway?

21. Along those same lines, I really don't like talking on the phone. So much of communication is NOT verbal communication that it's always better to talk in person. My second choice would be written communication. At least then you have time to really think about how you're phrasing things and what you're saying.

22. Next to my husband, my sister is my best friend. I don't know what I'd do with out her. She's exempt from my "little phone problem" because I need to talk to her at least once a week.

23. My three favorite appliances are my Nikon D60, my Apple computer, and my Bosch mixer. I want to have their children.

24. Documentaries are awesome!! Especially ones about the ocean or foreign countries. There's this show called Globe Trekker that used to be on PBS. It's gone down hill a little in the last year or so, but the older ones are so good!

25. I love the teachings of the Mormon church. It's brought me more joy in my life than I ever thought possible. If you haven't yet, read the Book of Mormon. It has the answers you're looking for. And by following Christ's teachings you read in there you can have a joyful, meaningful, and fulfilling life. This is a truth I've found by doing.