TOP 10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE YOUNG WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN...

10. You have enough energy to get through the day instead of collapsing half way through.

9. You spend your money on essentials instead of little rubber duckies for bathtime fun.

8. You can stay up later when the sweet little things convince you that midnight is their normal bedtime.

7. You have "jiving" dance music.

6. You think alike, so it is more difficult to be manipulated and controlled.

5. You spend more time on daily tasks than you do taking pictures.

4. You do not have to put on your glasses to hunt for the marshmallow pieces in the Lucky Charms, so they can eat the nourishing little things for breakfast.

3. You can hear better so you can obey their every command when they tell you what to do.

2. Your joints don't hurt when you get down on their level.

. . . AND THE #1 REASON THAT YOU SHOULD BE YOUNG WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN...

It takes less time to figure out how the car seat buckles!

And here is Lexi...the inspiration behind this blog post...

She is adorable and we love her to death. Grandpa and I took care of her while Paula and Eddie were at the hospital having Carissa. We loved every minute of it, but were totally exhausted by the end of each day! So to all of you grandparents out there...hang in there, and keep up the good job!

Carissa Anne has arrived!

Carissa Anne arrived early Saturday morning, March 28, at 4:57 am. She was 3 weeks early, but still weighed 5 lb. 10 oz. and was 18 1/2 inches long. She is beautiful, of course, and looks alot like Lexi, but I think she also looks like a miniature Paula, when she was born. We are grateful that she is finally here and is healthy, and that Paula is doing OK. Paula was scheduled to have her C-section tomorrow, but started bleeding heavily on Saturday morning about 3 am, so Eddie rushed her to the hospital, they made sure mom and baby were doing OK, and then did the surgery immediately after. Lexi seems to being doing fine with being "big sister," but I'm sure there will be some adjustment once they get home.

Carissa looking at GrandpaGrandma holding Carissa
Carissa with big sister and Daddy
The family

How does a 21 month old little girl control your life?

This is Lexi. She looks very cute and very innocent. Yeah, right...she has complete control of her house and anyone that steps foot into it. She is my granddaughter, and don't you think that by now I would be able to have some say over what she does...like when she's goes to bed or what she eats, or when she gets in and out of the bathtub. How does a little 21 month old girl control me? I have no idea, but somehow she does. Take tonight, for example. I was trying to put her to bed. Do you think she would go to sleep? No, instead she wanted to read, to play, to tell grandma where to sit and what to do...and she doesn't even talk in sentences yet. And to make matters worse, I listened to her and obeyed her every request. How does she do that? Finally, at 11:00 PM, she layed down in her bed and I covered her up. She was still kicking the side of the bed when I snuck out of the room...and probably thinking "Grandma, you are such a sucker." And tomorrow we get to do it all over again. It's a good thing she's cute!

Playing Mommy and Grandma...

Since Saturday, we have been helping Paula alot and seeing alot more of Lexi...which is fine with me...it is fun to play Grandma! On Saturday morning, Paula was admitted to the hospital because she started bleeding. 4 weeks ago she had borderline placenta previa, and now the placenta is completely covering her cervix. So anyway, they kept her in the hospital for 3 days to monitor the baby and make sure the bleeding had stopped. She was sent home this morning on "moderate bedrest" for the next 3 weeks, until she has a scheduled C-section at 37 weeks. That means she can only get up to go to the bathroom and take a shower, and no lifting Lexi, or letting her crawl on top of her belly (which is very hard on Lexi and Paula). Last night Lexi spent the night with us, and this morning we made cookies together, then we went over and spent the afternoon and evening with Paula and Lexi after Eddie went to work. Lexi is getting to be a "big girl" and loves to spend time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I'm glad we are close so that we can be there to help Paula when she needs us.

How many jobs can Cathy do at one time? Let's see...1,2,3,or more?

Last week was crazy. No time for blogging, that's for sure. So, sometimes I wonder how I can do as much as I do...but somehow I keep going. Last week, I had a catering job, including cake and cinnamon roll order, did the magazine route, played secretary for Bruce's inspection company, completed the Relief Society newsletter, and did a small amount of work for Brent. Granted, not every week is like this, but sometimes it all comes at once. So this week is catch up...just finished an inspection report, now I work for Brent, while completing the laundry and other things around the house, and then finish preparing a talk for church this Sunday. An easier week? Perhaps. At least it keeps me out of mischief, right? Now you know why I sometimes nod off at church. Hmm, maybe that's why the Bishop asked me to give a talk...

A tribute to Linda

Yesterday, I attended the funeral service of our dear friend, Linda Deming. I rode up to Arvada, where Linda had resided with her family for many years before moving to Colorado Springs, with some other friends from our family home evening group. The service, which Linda had prepared herself, was lovely. The Colorado Mormon Chorale, of which Linda had been a member, performed two numbers, and several of her children spoke.

Linda and her husband Dave moved to Colorado Springs the week before Bruce and I did. We met the first Sunday we went to church and instantly became friends. Linda was a very kind and loving person, with a beautiful smile that was her trademark. She was a very vibrant and active woman until a little over a year ago when she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. She was given 2-5 years at that time. Linda and Dave sold their home here and moved to a townhome in Parker to be closer to their children. We visited when we could, and began to see her go downhill very quickly. Her body started to shut down piece by piece. At the end, she could only barely move her head when you asked her questions. But that beautiful smile was still there. Linda always had a positive attitude towards life and very seldom did I see her down about anything. She had a strong testimony and was excited about going home to be with our loving Heavenly Father. She was an example to us all. Thank you, Linda, for the memories of you that we will forever cherish, and we look forward to seeing you again.

Cooking is fun again!!

For Valentine's Day, I got the best gift ever...a new set of wonderful cookware from Costco. It is the heavy-duty Kirkland brand, and it is wonderful! We gathered up all of the old stuff (except for the one good pot that Paula had given me) and took it down to Goodwill, along with the old computer monitor that nobody seemed to want (surprise, surprise). Anyway, who knew cookware could make such a difference in the way your food tastes. Neither Bruce or I have ever lived in a home with decent cookware. Heaven knows our moms didn't care. So, we have been having fun cooking again...chicken and fish turn out moister and more tender. Rice and pasta do not boil over and make a mess. Pancakes and eggs do not burn. Even burgers turn out better! A little cooking spray and some olive oil and NO MORE STICKING! So much for that "non-stick" cookware, that after a few years can be called "stinkin' sticking" cookware. Wow, never again will I need any more cookware. I should be a sales person for this stuff, huh?