Surprise #2

Well, Mike did it again! He pulled off yet another birthday surprise! Yesterday was my actual birthday, so we went out to dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Cafe El Lago. (By the way, I have to give the kids props...they were AWESOME at the restaurant! In fact, I don't think they've ever been better. They were saying "please" & "thank you", sharing food with each other, etc. We didn't hear an ounce of fighting! Which was very good...considering they were the only children in the entire restaurant...and when we first walked in, we got several interesting looks!)

Anyway, so we went to dinner. I was just excited to do THAT! We came home & were just hanging out...waiting for my parents to come over. (They had told me earlier in the week that they would be coming over on my birthday for awhile.) Well, a little after 7:00, the doorbell rang. The boys ran to answer it. I was totally expecting it to just be my parents, so you can imagine my surprise when I heard a whole group of voices. I walked around the corner to see people just spilling into my house.

"What in the world?!?" I said.

My friend Alicia spoke up, "It's a party! Mike planned it!"

Oh my goodness! I totally wasn't expecting it...especially because he had already surprised me with the girls day just a few days earlier. I just have to say that I have the BEST husband on the planet! He's always doing the sweetest things for me...and not just for my birthday...he's CONSTANTLY doing something or saying something to let me know how much he loves me! I say it all the time, but I just have to say again that I am one lucky girl! Love you Mike!

Anyway, it was such a great night! Thanks to everyone who came & for those of you that helped Mike pull it off! You are all the BEST and I had a great time! --Lindsay

Surprise!

On Saturday, my entire family gave me an early birthday surprise. Earlier in the week, Mike had arranged for my mom & sisters to kidnap me and take me on a girls day out of eating and shopping! Looking back, I should have seen all the signs that SOMETHING crazy was up...but, at the time, I didn't!

On Thursday, I got a phone call from my sister, Kristin, who lives in Logan, she told me that she was going to be in Orem Friday night & Saturday morning "because she had to get a new social security card".

I started thinking, "Couldn't she just go to another social security location closer to Logan?" But, I didn't say anything...I figured she was just using it as an excuse to come home for a day or so.

Anyway, she asked, "Are you guys coming out to Orem for anything on Saturday?"

We had a wedding and reception that evening and a few errands to run before it, so I told her, "Yes...probably sometime in the afternoon."

"In the afternoon?" Kristin asked. "Why in the afternoon?"

I explained to her that we only had a few errands to run before the wedding. If we came out in the morning, we would have to sit around doing nothing for hours.

She said, "Well, I have to give you your birthday present, but I have to get on the road by 11:30."

"Well," I said. "You can just give me my present another time. It's okay."

"No..." she insisted, "I have to give it to you on Saturday!"

"Well," I continued, "Why don't you just leave it at mom & dad's & I will call you when I open it in the afternoon?"

"NO!!!" She said. "I have to be there to see your face when you open it!"

"Oh my goodness!" I thought. "Why is she being so difficult?!?"

Finally, I gave in and agreed to meet her in Orem at 11:00 Saturday morning.

When we got there, she & her boyfriend, Dan, gave me a card with a gift certificate to the mall. "Thanks!" I said. All the time wondering why she HAD to be present to give me a gift certificate!?!

But, then she & my other sister, Ashlee (who, by the way, was also staying at my parents house--supposedly for the wedding) jumped up and started acting like they were game show hosts...announcing that I had won a day full of shopping away from all children! Babysitters were even provided for the day--Mike, Dan & Poppy. I was so happy! Then, they told me that Mike had set the whole thing up earlier that week! Ahhhhh...what a sweetheart! I'm such a lucky girl!

Anyway, the day was great! We went out to lunch & then went shopping. I found an AWESOME purse that I absolutely am in love with! It was so much fun just to spend some time with the girls...all except the 45 minutes when I couldn't find my Discover Card. (I found it though in, where else, my wallet!)

Later that night, we met back up with the boys & the babysitters and we all went out to dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory! It was such a great day...and a fabulous early birthday present! Thank you to Mike for setting the whole thing up! (I love you!) And, thank you to my cute sisters & mom for taking time out of their busy lives to help me have a FABULOUS day! (Love you guys too!) Oh, and I can't forget Poppy & Dan...thank you for helping babysit the little monsters! (Love you guys three!) --Lindsay

Connor Storrs--Smarty Pants!

Our little Connor is a reader! He started his reading program a few weeks ago & has already passed off 4 books! The kids have a reading day each week where they can pass off the book they have been reading for the previous week & get a new book for the week ahead. Well, Connor's teacher sent a note home to me a few days ago saying that she would try let Connor pass off books twice a week since he's doing so well! Wow...go kid! I was a proud mama!

I have to admit though, that I was a little surprised. When Connor first started bringing home books, they were pretty easy (one or two words a page). Connor figured out that it was easier to memorize the words, rather than learning the concept of reading. He would get so frustrated when I would make him sound out the words. Why read when you can memorize? But, once he started into the "full sentence" books, he realized he wasn't going to be able to memorize every word anymore & he started really trying to sound out the words & learn the concepts. It has been so awesome to see the smile on his face when he works on a word over & over and then gets it on his own! He's just so proud of himself...and I'm so proud of him too! Now, instead of me reading him bedtime stories, he reads to me! He's growing up so fast! Before I know it, he'll be reading anatomy & physics books in college & he won't need me anymore! Boo Hoo! --Lindsay

Thanks Ashley...I Guess!

I think this is kind of like a chain letter, but for a blog. My friend Ashley tagged me, so here are my answers. Look below to see if I tagged you. If you're one of the lucky ones, I guess it means that you have to post your answers on your blog & tag three other people...or a curse will come upon your blog or something! :)

A~Attached or Single: Attached
B~Best Friend: Mike. He is the greatest friend I have ever had in my entire life...plus, he has a hot butt!
C~Cake or Pie: That depends on if Boston Cream Pie is a cake or a pie. I think it's cake, even though the word "pie" is in its name
D~Day of Choice: Saturday- even though I have to get up at 3:00 am. It's the only day that I get to hang out with Mike for any extended period of time
E~Essential Item: Ding dongs! Pure heaven...
F~Favorite Color: Red, Red, Red! Have you seen my house?
G~Gummi Bears or Worms: Gummi worms
H~Hometown: Eagle Mountain, Utah now...but I grew up in Orem, Utah
I~Indulgences: Ding Dongs
J~January or July: July all the way! Two holidays in one month..at least here in Utah! January is just cold & snowy...
K~Kids: 2 CRAZY boys. Connor will be 5 in a few weeks & Aiden is 2
L~Life is Incomplete Without: Family
M~Marriage Date: December 16th, 2000
N~Number of Siblings: 2 sisters
O~Oranges or Apples: It depends...which one is covered in chocolate?
P~Phobias or Fears: My kids getting kidnapped or someone I love dying in a car accident (I watch WAY too much news)
Q~Quotes: "The most thoroughly wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed." --Nicolas de Chamfort
R~Reason to Smile: Aiden's "jokes"
S~Season: Summer all the way! I love the heat! I should live in Phoenix...
T~Tag Three: Here are the lucky ones...Ashlee Swenson, Melanie Young, Tara Campbell
U~Unknown Fact: I have never had a cavity. YEAH!
V~Vehicle You Drive: '07 Chevy Tahoe
W~Worst Habit: Eating ding dongs for breakfast...
X~X-Rays or Ultrasound: Ultrasounds. The only reason I've had X-Rays was when something was wrong. The only reason I've had ultrasounds was when I was pregnant. So, ultrasounds are a much happier experience.
Y~Your Favorite Food: Mexican...especially Los Hermanos
Z~Zodiac: I am a Libra

General Conference "Fun"

My family has several General Conference weekend traditions. I wrote a blog about them last April, so I won't bore you with them again. This picture was taken on Sunday in between sessions when most the family went up the canyon. I stayed at my parents' house & took a nap. After you hear the story about the night before, you'll probably understand why:

While the boys were at Priesthood Session, the girls did their semi-annual tradition of going shopping. It would have been great fun...except for a few incidences (which I'm sure will be funny at a later date...but, at the present time, are not very humorous). Here's a little background--Connor has acid reflux disease really bad. He's usually on Prevacid, but the pediatrician decided to take him off a few months ago to see how he did without it. Anyway, he had been having a hard time with his stomach all day. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when, about 30 minutes into our shopping trip, Connor announced that he had to throw up. FABULOUS! Just what a mother wants to hear in the middle of a jam-packed mall! I left Aiden with my sister and her two kids, and Connor & I took off to find a bathroom. I was almost frantic! I kept having visions of Connor throwing up right in the middle of the mall corridor. I started looking for garbage cans along the way...just in case we didn't make it to the restroom. All of the sudden, Connor stops dead in his tracks. "Oh no!" I thought, "Here it comes!"

You can imagine my surprise when, instead of throwing up like I thought, Connor said, "Look Mom! A toy store! Let's go in here!"

"What?" I said in shock. "I thought you were going to throw up!?!"

"Oh yeah..." He said, "I forgot!"

"You forgot? Are you serious?" I then start grilling him about lying & then told him the story of the boy who cried wolf.

"But, mom!" Connor said, "I do have to throw up! I promise! I just want to come to this toy store after!" So, we continued on to the bathroom.

Once we finally got there, Connor went into a stall for about 15 seconds, then came back out and said, "I guess I don't have to throw up after all! Can we go to that toy store now?"

Ohhhhhhhhhhh...by this point, I was not a happy mama. "No!" I said & we walked back to the store where we had left Aiden with Ashlee.

I entered the store, only to be greeted by my sister & Aiden with the dreaded words, "Linz...he's poopy!"

At this point, I realized I had left the diaper bag in the car...halfway across the mall. So, I left my "faker" with Ashlee & hauled "stinky man" about a 1/2 mile out to the car where I proceeded to change his diaper in the pouring rain! And, it wasn't a nice diaper either! After walking around in the rain for about five minutes looking for a dumpster, I hauled Aiden back into the mall 1/2 mile & met my sister and all the boys in the "magical toy store" (I call it "magical" because it had OBVIOUSLY cured Connor's sick stomach). We let the boys play for a few minutes & then went to meet the men for dinner.

As I walked into the restaurant with the two boys, I handed them to Mike & said, "They are ALL yours! I am off-duty for the rest of the night!" I think I definately earned a little break! --Lindsay

How are American Mothers Still Sane?

A friend of mine wrote a post earlier this week about how her son is addicted to "The Doodlebops". You know, that really annoying show on the Disney Channel? Well, Aiden has a couple obsessions of his own that are threatening my sanity on a daily basis. Let me share my pain with you for a few moments:

Aiden's first obsession is the movie
"Cars". Cute movie, right? Not after you've seen it 749 times and have the entire thing memorized! Aiden insists on watching this movie almost everyday! In fact, he would probably watch it two or three times a day, if I let him. Here's the routine:

Aiden goes to the DVD cabinet, opens it, pulls out "Cars" and brings it to me.

Aiden: Mom, want cars!

Me: No...let's do something else. Do you want to play with your toys?

Aiden: No, want cars!

Me: Let's go outside and swing for a little bit!

Aiden: No, want cars...t-b! (that's how he says TV)

Me: Aiden, how about a different movie? Do you want to watch "Jungle Book" or how about "Peter Pan"?

Aiden: No, watch budgy queen (that's Lightning McQueen)...NOW!

At this point, I usually just give in because it is easier than fighting him. And, for the next 116 annoying minutes, this is our life...Aiden watches his beloved "Cars", while I proceed to go about doing my housework--mouthing every word of the entire movie! I swear, if I have to hear, "Ka-Chow!" or "You hurt your what?" or "Respect the classics, man!" one more time, I think I will absolutely LOSE it! Even Connor, who at one time was a huge "Cars" fan himself, is sick of it. I constantly hear him say, "No..not 'Cars' again!" It's especially a problem in the car. We have a rule that the boys have to take turns picking movies. Connor usually picks a wide variety of movies when it is his turn. But, when it is Aiden's turn, he will consistently pick cars! All I have to say is, "Okay, it's Aiden's turn to pick a movie" & I hear whining from the back row! Connor knows the inevitable is going to happen...yep, we're going to be watching "Cars" AGAIN! I think taking three road trips in the past 5 months hasn't helped the situation either!

But, as bad as "Cars" has been for the other 3 people in our family...we could have never imagined what was coming our way! Yes...it's true...

something worse than "Cars". Aiden's latest obsession is "Yo Gabba Gabba!" If you're not familiar with this new Nick Jr. show, consider yourself a blessed individual! Mike saw this show for the first time when we were on vacation this past weekend...and this is what he said...and, I quote, "I think this show was made by the creators of Barney after they took drugs and spent several years in prison!" I thought that was a very appropriate description of it. How else can you explain "Super Robot Martian Girl" and the song "There's a Party in My Tummy" where carrots jump around in acidic digestive stomach juices? Really? What were they thinking?

Nevertheless, it is Aiden's new favorite show! He watches it everyday without fail! So, now...if I'm not repeating "Cars" quotes, I'm singing "Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, stop!" or "Keep your hands to yourself!" What are mothers in America supposed to do? I don't know how television producers expect us to keep our sanity with shows like this!?! Mothers across America...we must unite! But, rather than fighting to get these shows taken off the air, I propose that we let our children continue to watch them on a daily basis. Why, you ask? So, that we really WILL go insane! Then, we can all live in our nice padded rooms at the state hospital & we will never have to watch another episode of these horrendous shows again! Then the state can take care of our children--who by the way, will be totally messed up permanently from viewing such programming! So, what do you say? Anyone with me for taking a trip to the loony bin? The only way to keep our sanity, ladies, is to lose it! --Lindsay

Roughin' It in Red Rock Country!

This past weekend, we took a little mini-vacation down to Moab. I love Moab! Growing up with a biker dad, a trip to Moab was always on the calender at least once or twice a year. But, I realized my kids had never been down there...and there is no better place to take two little boys than to a place where they can run around & throw rocks to their heart's delight! So, Nana & Poppy, along with the 4 of us, piled into the car and headed down there! We were there for 4 days, and each day was a blast!

Day One: Playing at Park Avenue & Pasta Joe's

We got to Moab on Friday afternoon & went straight to Arches National Park. I love Arches. It is probably my favorite national park...with Grand Tetons & Zions coming in a close second & third. It was kind of a windy day (as can be seen by the above picture), so we didn't stay long, but we did stop at Park Avenue for about 45 minutes. Park Avenue is a canyon in the park where the rocks just shoot straight up at a 90 degree angle. They look a lot like skyscrapers lining the canyon, so as you walk down it...it looks a lot like you are walking down Park Avenue (hence the name). The kids had a blast climbing into caves & making statues out of rocks.

After playing in Park Avenue for awhile, we went & checked into our hotel & then went to eat dinner...where Mike fell in love with a guy named Joe. Yes, it's true...Mike fell in love with Pasta Joe's. It's this little Italian restaurant in downtown Moab. The second Mike looked at the menu he was hooked. Every other time throughout the trip that we were looking for a place to eat, Mike would say, "We could go to that pasta place again!" I swear we heard that exact statement at least 7 times throughout the weekend.

Day Two: Sweet Revenge

Mike & my dad started out each day with a bike ride. On day two, they went up to Klondike Bluffs. Apparently, they had a great time because they were gone for 5 hours...and they had the car with them! Which left my mom & I to entertain two little boys all morning long without any wheels! We ended up trying to walk into town on some back roads, which didn't work too well. But, don't worry...we got the men back (take a look at the picture below):

We made them carry the kids on a 4-mile hike that afternoon through Negro Bill's Canyon (or if you care for the PC version--African-American Bill's Canyon). The kids actually did okay for about the first half-mile or so, but after that both of them were saying, "Carry me! Carry me!" To be honest, I don't know how Mike & my dad carried them almost the whole way. It's a fairly strenuous hike to do by yourself, let alone with a kid on your back. And, we did all that work for this:
A natural bridge! I did all that work for a natural bridge? For a 4-mile hike I better at least get an arch! No, just kidding, it was pretty cool. And, the kids had a great time throwing rocks into the little pond under the bridge.

Day 3: Wocks & Wa-Butts

On Sunday, Mike & my dad went on another LONG ride to Hurrah Pass. But, luckily, they left the car for us this time. Afterwards, we went back to Arches National Park and, still tired from the 4-mile hike, did a lot of short hikes. Our first hike, or rather walk, was to Balanced Rock.

Afterwards we hiked to the north & south windows and Turret Arch. But, then we went to our favorite arch...Sand Dune Arch. It is only about 1/3 mile off the road & is basically a walk at the beach...literally. Most the hike is through some of the finest sand I've ever seen in my life.

The kids had a blast here...and as you can see, even climbed on top of the arch! After climbing up the arch, Mike, Poppy & Connor climbed up an extremely narrow canyon for awhile, while Nana & I looked on in complete horror. Once we couldn't see them anymore, Nana & Aiden decided to enjoy the "beach" and had a sand fight. It was pretty cute!


After Sand Dune Arch, we hiked on about another mile to Broken Arch. This should have been a short hike; however, Aiden kept looking for wocks (rocks) & wa-butts (rabbits). Every time he would see a rock he wanted, someone would have to stop and pick it up...only to have him throw it at a log or cactus a few minutes later. On top of that, he kept seeing jack rabbits. And, with each one, the whole group would have to stop and watch it until it hopped off. Then, he would proceed to remind all of us on a regular basis that we had seen a wa-butt. It was pretty cute, but made for a long hike.

Afterwards, we all went back to the hotel & rested our tired muscles in the hot tub & pool.

Day Four: What a Beautiful Tree!

Yesterday, was the last day of our trip. Mike & my dad took one last ride on part of the slick rock trail.

Afterwards, all of us went back to Arches to attempt the Delicate Arch hike. I love this hike! You can't go to Moab without going to see delicate arch! It's a 3-mile hike, and it's not an easy one...but we were going to attempt it. Unfortunately for us, Mother Nature had other plans. Just as we were getting to the slick rock part of the trail, it started raining. But, we kept going. Then, we heard the dreaded sound...thunder! Slick rock is not a good place to be during a thunderstorm. It gets very slippery & there is NO shelter. So, this was the end of the trail for us. Instead of seeing Delicate Arch, we saw this (see below):

What a fabulous tree! I'm so glad we hiked about a mile through the rain to see it! :) So, instead of seeing Delicate Arch close up, we drove to the lower viewpoint & got this view:

You can kind of see the arch in the distance. Oh well! Overall, it was such a fun weekend! We'll have to make it a regular on our calender from now on! I've put more pictures below...and even more on Facebook! --Lindsay

Mike riding on the slick rock!

On the hike through Negro Bill's Canyon

Connor helping hold up Balanced Rock! You can't go to Arches without getting this shot!

Aiden between a rock & a hard place...well, okay, just two large rocks!

Mike & Connor scaling the narrow canyon walls