Double the Fun!

LYLA AND OLIVIA

The sweetest little "girl" twins in the entire world!

This weekend we had a wonderful family party at Melissa and Justin's house.  It was so much fun.  Erin and Spencer drove over from Colorado with their twins Milo and Isabel.  Josh and Royan (the cutie in the above picture who is my highly intelligent grandson) were there too.  Melissa, Curtis, Erika, and Tyler came along as well.  We were only missing Abbie, Forrest, Eli, and Audrie...but we'll see them soon!

This picture was totally posed.  This is Tyler and Erika  (the engaged couple) posing with Olivia and Lyla.  Will this be them in a year????  (Oh please...H no!)

           Erika with Olivia

I just had to throw this picture in of Milo and Issy with Grandpa Terry.  Notice Issy's headband.  I love it when customers leave their shopping bags at Bath and Body works...that's all I'm saying.

Lyla!  Don't you just want to grab her for a good snuggle?

Olivia's little piggies.

Grandpa Terry with Lyla

Grandpa Terry with Isabel.  I love it when Issy does her Tyra Banks model posing.

Lyla and Melissa

 

My New Son (Almost)

Tyler Dean Senneff is an amazing young man.  He is my, soon to be, son-in-law.  He and Erika will be married on August 1.  I really have never met anyone like him.  Here are ten things I like about Tyler:

1.     He loves my daughter almost as much as I do.

2.     He treats Erika like a queen...I've never seen her so happy.

3.     He is a man of faith.  He served an LDS mission in Chile for two years.

4.     He works hard at his job.

5.     He is VERY patient.

6.     He calls me "Ma"

7.     He loves little children.

8.     He is respectful.

9.     He loves his mother.

10.    He has a great sense of humor and laughs at my jokes.

Barbara Kingsolver is My Inspiration

Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors.  I just finished a book by her called Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.  (I'll talk about that later)  For now, I felt the need to include Barbara in my blog of people I like.  I've actually met her as well.  We met in 1994 when she was in Salt Lake City on a book tour for Pigs In Heaven.  She is such an authentic person.  She was included in the book America's 100 Most Dangerous People.  She is an activist for many organizations.  But what I like most about her is her fierce love of her children and husband.  They come first in her life and that really shines through in her essays and non fiction.
                                         

  I just finished this book and I am a changed woman.  I loved this book.  Barbara and her family made the decision to spend a year eating locally.  They moved from Tucson, Arizona to a farm in West Virginia.  They raised all kinds of vegetables and fruits.  They raised chickens and turkeys from which they gathered eggs and eventually butchered for meat.  She even made her own cheese!

As I read this book, I realized how lazy I am.  Barbara (and those who run family farms for a living) writes about how much work it is to grow food and run a farm.  It is a dawn to dusk undertaking.  Sometimes, I admit, I get so tired and let my house go to pot!  Just the other day I could barely make myself finish the laundry.  Then I started thinking about Barbara and how motivated she is to work for the things that are important to herself and to her family.  I find that I can talk myself into work.  And working HARD!

Terry and I have planted tomatoes (three kinds), zucchini, peppers, hot peppers in containers in our yard.  If I could, I'd buy a cow and let it free range in our backyard...okay, I know that's crazy but this book made me want one.  I'd name it Bessy.  However, since that isn't possible, I have decided to become a more responsible consumer of produce and meat.

This summer, I plan to buy local produce.  It helps the farmers and is better for my family's health.  I noticed that there was a house down the street that sells free range eggs.  I'll definitely pick some up there.  As Barbara points out, our food comes from places so far away and takes thousands of gallons of fuel each year to bring us food which isn't in season and that is substandard in taste.  I hadn't thought about this before.  It makes sense to buy locally.

I may even try my hand at making a batch of mozzarella  cheese.  Check up on me would ya?

Here is Barbara's website for your perusal: 

http://www.kingsolver.com/home/index.asp

What My Two Favorite Four Year Olds Taught Me

There are two special little people who live in Colorado that have stolen my heart.  They have taught me many things (as you will read a little later).  I took Melissa and Erika on a road trip to visit these two darlings a couple of weeks ago.  Whey are quite the pair.  Lucky for me, I married their grandpa.

While in Colorado, I learned several valuable lessons from Milo and Isable.  I share them here in hopes of improving your life as well:

• Always recycle your cans.

While throwing away my Diet Coke can into the garbage, Milo pretty much shouted at me.  "Grami Tami...that does NOT go there!  It gets recycled."  "Well, where do I put it then?"  "Under the sink in the recycle container."  This followed by a disgusted sigh at how uninformed his Grami was.

• It doesn't matter who you kneel by for family prayer...you still have to hold hands.  Example:  Erika and Spencer!  (Enough said)

• Always carry your plates to the sink.  If a four year old can do it every time, so can you.

• Color

•   After eating gelato, get under the table.

•   If Erika can't push you in your stroller, then ask Melissa.  If she can't then you can always resort to Grami Tami.  (wait, that would mean I'd be pushing myself around...never mind)

•   Broccoli doesn't smell so good on it's way out...in a car.

•   ALWAYS  ask "Why?"  If no one can satisfy your curiosity ask, "But why?"

•   Snacks are important.

•   Everyone should eat pancakes on Sunday morning.

•   If you walk past a play area, you must stop and play.

•   Color some more.

•   Your clothes don't have to match.

I love those to darling kiddos.  I can't wait for them to teach me many, many more things in the future.

My Online BFF Pam

                                                            Gangsta Pam!

I met Pam in a very peculiar way...online.  In particular, on my favorite message board at www.weightwatchers.com.  Most people that I tell about our meeting look at me like I'm crazy (though I suppose I am a bit) and tell me things like "do you know how dangerous that is?" and "You should really be careful.  She could be a serial killer or something."  I suppose they're right in some cases.  I've met a lot of idiots online :coughAB69cough:  But for the most part, everyone there is great.

Which brings me to my friend Pam.  Her online name is Nerd.  And she is.  But I adore her and truly like her.  I first met Pam in September 2007 when we were roommates in Boston for the Race for the Cure 5K.  We met at the Boston airport and we became fast friends.  Then, just last month, we got together in New York City for a weekend of fun where we stayed with our other online friend, Chelle, in Manhattan.  We had a blast.  

Pam is from Tulsa.  She's a wonderful mother.  She's a nurse and is my medical consultant (tambourine fever).  From the minute I met Pam, I felt like I'd known her all my life.  She has one of those personalities that draw people to her.  She makes everyone around her feel comfortable and welcome.

I'm proud to call Pam my friend.  I'm glad we met...even in our odd way.  She has changed my life for the better.  Thanks Pammy!

These are my buddies that I spent all my time with in New York City.  Chelle is on the left (more about her later), Pam is in the middle, an that's me on the right.
This was one of my favorite moments in NYC.  Here we are waiting for "Chicago" to start.  My first Broadway play and I got to sit by Pam.  The play was GREAT...and all that jazz.
This was the day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  We went for a walk in Central Park.  Pam was a great walking companion because just when I was about ready to die from the incredible distance we had to walk, she called a cab.
While in NYC, Pam and I went to eat with our friends Chelle, and Becca.  We had delicious Indian food.  This is our waiter.  He was a tad creepy.
We had a great night of pizza in NYC.  As you can see Pam has a big mouth just like me.

From a Wicked Step Mother

           Spencer teaching his son the "finer" things in life.


  This is Spencer jumping on Leo to catch that speedy dog...thanks for the rescue!

  Spencer's graduation in Psychology (?) with Issy, Milo, and his gorgeous wife, Erin.

For those of you following my blog, you know that it is a blog about the people I like.  Spencer is one of those people yet this is a strange entry for me to add.  So...

WHO IS SPENCER?

Spencer is my step son.  He is my husband Terry's second born son.  He is tall and handsome (that's okay for me to say isn't it?) and he is in excellent physical shape.  He works hard and provides for his family.

WHERE IS SPENCER?

Spencer and his family live in Colorado near Denver.  He finished out his schooling there and now has a great job helping the youth with their various problems.

WHY DID I PICK SPENCER?

This is where it gets tricky.  I'll always remember the first time I met Spencer.  Terry and I had just dropped Abbie off at her house after a visit and Spencer and Erin just happened to be there as well.  I met him then and remember thinking "He seems really nice."  And he was.  The more I got to know Spencer, the more I realized that he really was the glue that held Terry's children together after his divorce from their mother.  Spencer seemed to gather the kids and rally around them for whatever they needed.  That was very impressive to me.

Then, he married Erin. I give my full respect to any man who can pick such a great wife.  He treats her very well.  They seem to be made for each other.  Spencer is an excellent father.  I am most impressed with how he helps Erin with the twins.  It's like a little dance where they each know what the other needs.  I love how he loves his children.  He's a good man.

My relationship with Spencer is a strange one.  We are both a little sarcastic and do a lot of "ribbing" toward each other.  I think we take it in good faith and get along well.  I know that he hates pineapple served with anything that has meat and I know that he loves sushi and would only buy and eat organic foods if he could.  I like that.

I also like that he loves to rock climb.  He even built a rock wall on a wall inside their house!  It's great.  When I took the twins to the park, they both said how they were climbing "just like daddy"  They adore him.

He is a good daddy.  I appreciate that he values my "teacher" opinion and asks what he should do next now that they know their letters and sounds.  They will be the smartest kids in town.

In short, Spencer feels like a son to me.  I never had any boys but if I had, I'd want them to be like Spencer.  Kind, athletic, nurturing, sarcastic, humorous, and many more thing which Spencer demonstrates.  Anyway, I do like and love Spencer.  He has mad a big difference in my life and I thank him for sharing his dad with me and letting me be the "wicked step mother" that I always dreamed of being.

My Brother Da Coacha

My brother Larry is quite the guy

He makes me laugh, used to make me cry.

Seven years older than me and yet

He seems younger the older he gets.

Larry's da Coacha of our family team

His nephews worship him so it seems.

And, as for me, I've always thought

That my bro Lar loves me a lot.

He's crazy and silly and ever so strange

That's why I like him, he'll never change.

I hope he remembers and finally let it rest,

But, brother, Mom really did love ME best.