Feliz Navidad from Elder Adril Garcia Perez!

One of the best things about Christmas and Mothers Day is we get to talk to Adril!  I count this as an extra special blessing since I'm really not his mama.  But his Mission President is apparently a very compassionate man who allows us these tender blessings.

My cousin Joy came over and we conferenced with both Adril and Tammy Olsen (who adopted Jason and Joel for those familiar with the children at the Sunflower).  It was GREAT talking with everyone!  Tammy was able to translate for us too.

Jason is 16 years old and even though we just chatted a bit, I can tell he is all grown up!  I didn't tell Adril that the Olsen's were going to be on the call so it was a really fun surprise for him to talk to them.

Adril is, as you would guess, a fabulous missionary.  He loves being a missionary and he loves serving others.  He said he's had a few difficult times.  One that I know of was just a month or so ago when they had a baptism goal of 5 in the month and fell short of that goal.  It was a disappointing time for him.  But as everyone who has served an LDS mission knows, disappointment is part of the experience and it certainly helps you grow and prepare for life.

My heart was full as we talked to him.  My eyes filled with tears as we told him how proud we were of him and how much we loved him.

Later that evening, Tony and I were driving south to a family birthday party and talking about Adril and what a good missionary he is.  I told Tony that next to whatever we do for our children, helping Adril serve a mission is the best thing we will ever do in our lives.

There are so many people who have helped Adril (and the other Sunflower children) and he wanted to tell each of you thank you and Felix Navidad! 

If you have an extra Christmas card, I know a missionary who would LOVE to receive it - even if it's several weeks late!  So here's his address - he'd love to hear from you!

Elder Adril Garcia Perez
Mision Peru - Lima Oeste
carlos salarerry #3664-los olivos
casilla de correo 39-054
lima 39
perú

His email address:  Adril Garcia:  adril.garcia@myldsmail.net

Last Sunday I wore a skirt, but 15 years ago I wore pants.

The past few weeks there has been a bit of a hullabalo in my church.  The question being asked was "are you going to wear pants?".  I must admit that I haven't read up on all of the details so I may misunderstand some (or all) of the story, but apparently, there was a woman in Salt Lake City, a member of my church, who was encouraging women to wear pants to church on Dec. 16th.  I believe it was about women having the ability to make a choice whether or not to wear pants.

I read the story and didn't think much more about it.  And then last Sunday, I was sitting in church and I realized that it was THE day.  I glanced around me and didn't see any women wearing pants and went on my way again, not thinking much more about it.

Because I've been reading on some blogs about some follow up stories, I thought I would just share a few of my thoughts.

While I don't criticize anyone, male or female for trying to make a point, I myself have never felt any feeling but respect from fellow members of my religious faith.  I have held leadership callings and have been in meetings with male leaders in my church and again felt nothing but respect.  I'm not saying this may not happen for others, and if it does, it makes me sad, but that has not been my experience.

Yes, it is common practice to wear a dress or skirt to church.  But I've also seen women in pants on several occasions and don't recall them being looked down upon or asked to leave.

And yes, I wore a skirt last Sunday on December 16th to church.  But can I tell you about the time I wore pants, not to church, but to one of my church's temples?

Tradeshows are not that much fun - in fact they are pretty low on my list of things I like to do.  And tradeshows in Las Vegas are close to last on that list.  So about 15 years ago, when I was in Las Vegas at a tradeshow, I was feeling pretty low and lonely.  I was looking forward to the end of the work day, but wasn't looking forward to an evening by myself in my hotel room.

While I was feeling sorry for myself, I suddenly had the idea to go to the Las Vegas Temple.  I was pretty sure my company wouldn't pay the cab fare all the way out there, so I looked up the bus schedule.  It would be a tight schedule, but I could make it...if I didn't go back to my hotel to change into a skirt.  I debated and debated and decided that I would just go as I was...in my nice suit pants and blouse even though I had NEVER seen a woman in anything but a dress or skirt in a temple.

I made the bus trip and was a bit nervous as I walked into the doors in my pants, but there was a lovely older woman standing right by the door to greet me.  Apparently she could see the nervous look on my face because she walked right up to me, grabbed both of my hands and said, "Welcome.  We are so happy you came."

I wore pants.  I wasn't trying to make a statement or take a stand, but I was welcomed with open arms.  It was one of the sweetest temple experiences I've ever had.

I understand there were some women last Sunday who wore pants to church.  For me, Sunday services isn't my venue of choice to make a statement.  But if women were there trying make a statement, I hope they were understood.  I am sure they felt the same Spirit that they always do.  And most of all, I hope they were welcomed with open arms as I was by that lovely women in the Las Vegas Temple so many years ago.

on location

Last week I was on location at a photo shoot.  That sounds a bit more glamourous than it was, although we did have a plethora of goodies on the set including pumpkin spice donuts.  In actuality, it is a very exhausting few days with a lot of standing, sitting, waiting, collaberating.

But the truth be told, I LOVE photo shoots.  Because we're not organized enough to plan out each and every shot, we have to come up with ideas and edits spur of the moment.  And it taxes what little creativity I have in my mind these days.

It helps that we had a fabulous mid-century modern home to shoot in.  It helps that we have fabulous furniture (I'm biased of course).  It helps that I have a fabulous set merchandiser to help make each shot beautiful. 

Here is a sneak peek of one of my favorite shots.

It was rough being away from home during December, but it had to be done.  Ryan got sick the night I left which always makes me feel like Mother of the Year.  And then Tony told me that Ryan was crying a lot this week and saying "want find mommy".  It broke my heart to hear that.

But unless plans change, I think I'm home for the rest of the year.  There is a slight possibility I might need to go to NY next week, but it's looking like I'm home for the holidays.  And you know what they say, there's no place like home.

two hours

Yesterday I woke up in a funk.  I'm not sure why, but when I heard Ryan crying when he woke up, I just rolled over and went back to sleep knowing that Tony would get him.  Actually, Tony gets Ryan up every morning, the only difference this morning is I honestly dreaded getting up and intended to stay in bed as long as I could.  I drifted back to sleep and woke back up around 8am.  Still too early for a Friday after Thanksgiving, I closed my eyes again.  Finally around 9am, Tony came into my room to see if I was alive.

I grudgingly got up out of bed.  I'm not sure why I was in a mood, but I was.  I'm not even sure how to describe the mood.  Cranky, sour, depressed - none of those hit the nail.  Maybe a bit of each though.

After sitting on the sofa for about a half hour with Ryan playing with the iPad on my lap, Tony could clearly see I was out of sorts.  He had the wisdom not to ask too many questions and instead announced that he was going to take Ryan out somewhere and I would have a couple of hours to myself.

Now, I love Ryan and Tony dearly and with every part of my heart.  But when that door closed behind them, I did a happy dance and got busy.  I changed clothes and worked out, cleaned the house, showered and ran a couple of errands I'd been trying to take care of for 3 days.

So on this day after Thanksgiving, I'm grateful for a wise husband who quickly discerned that his tired wife needed a break. 

It's all I needed.  Two hours of absolute freedom to do whatever I wanted or needed to do.

adoption update

I haven't written about our adoption process in quite a while.  We are trying to adopt a special needs child from China.  For anyone who has gone through the adoption process, the paperwork required is not for the faint of heart.  And a fainting heart (not literally) is exactly why I haven't written about where we are in the process.

For those who may or may not remember Ryan's response when I asked him whether he wanted a little brother or a little sister, I will remind you of his quick reply:  a dog!

Well, since we already have an amazing dog, we are adopting to get a little sibling for Ryan.

We started the paperwork maze around March and it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride for us with a few bumps in the road.  We have until March of next year to get our paperwork into China before ONE of us is too old to adopt.  We actually have TWO races against the clock.  One race against a March 2013 birthday and one against the six-month expiration date on certain documents.

And in September, we were running behind and I started to panic that we were going to lose that race.  Our doctor reports were going to expire on October 12th and I still needed to get them notarized, certified by the Utah State and authenticated by the US State Department and the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC.  Yes, it is a process.

I'll spare you the details, but I had a harrowing experience at the doctors office with the paperwork.  In the end, a miracle happened, and we got the signatures within the dates.  After a near heart attack, I hand delivered them to the Utah State Capitol for certification with a prepaid Next Day Air envelope and then went out of town.

I calculated that the Next Day Air envelope would be on my desk by the time I returned home.  But, you guessed it, it was not.  After a flurry of calls, we determined that the envelope had left the Utah State Capitol, picked up by UPS and then there was no sign.  The tracking number was never scanned and it was lost.

Had the customer service agent asked me about contents and replacement value, I would have said "15 irreplaceable documents and a failed adoption" which is exactly what it would have been.  I don't think we could have reproduced the documents before next March.

But after several prayers, a phone call or two by my patient husband, and one miracle, the documents were not only discovered, but delivered the next morning.

I overnighted them to our courier in Washington DC who hand delivered them to the US State Department, picked them up the next day, hand delivered them to the Chinese Embassy, picked up the following day and then overnighted them back to us.

Yes, it was expensive.  But it was also worth it.

And now?  Even as I type I am copying those 17 documents (they multiplied) and tomorrow, they are being shipped off to our agency in Colorado.

Do you want to know the truth? 

I'm not sure what is scarier.  The possibility of losing the documents or the nearness of a potential child match.

p.s.  No, those old pictures of Ryan don't have anything to do with the story, but it was too long to not break it up with a few cute pictures of Ryan.

preparedness baby step #1

I've been thinking this past week of my plan of attack to begin preparing my family for the upcoming winter (which I think might be a big one) or for any unforeseen natural or unnatural disasters.

I thought I would show you the fabulous generator I found that is my next purchase or how I plan to re-organize all our emergency items.

But I thought I would start from the beginning of this journey. 

Baby Step 1:  Shelf Reliance Food Storage

Earlier in the year, Tony and I started to get involved with a company called Shelf Reliance.  They have these fabulous shelving units that I hope to fit in my pantry someday. 

It is this shelving unit that started the company but they expanded to carry food for emergency preparedness storage.  We signed up as independent consultants, Tony did a few farmers market booths, but we haven't done much else.

Although several people we know have had huge success as independent consultants, we're just hoping to share the good news, inform people of their great products and make enough to offset our own purchases (which, if you're interested, is a great way to build your own emergency supplies and storage).

So, here is our Shelf Reliance website:

www.athrivinghome.shelfreliance.com

I'll probably write more about it, but they have a great program called the "Q" where you can set up a monthly program and buy any amount of product - we buy $50 per month.

The thing that is great about Shelf Reliance is most of the food is freeze dried.  You can use your food storage in daily meals (they are the only veggies I can get Ryan to eat!) and rotate it by using it instead of throwing it away when it expires.

Our favorites are the sliced peaches, corn, brownies (yum!) and the chicken.





Next, I'll tell you about the generator!  Don't worry, I'll still blog about Ryan - I know he's the main attraction of this blog!!

Natalie

unprepared

I woke up early Saturday morning and glanced at my clock.  It was completely dark.  I looked over at Tony's side of the bed and saw his clock was blank as well.  Outside my window I could see a LOT of snow.  And then I heard it. That unmistakable sound of silence that occurs when the electricity is off.  I love that silence.  There is something about it that stirs both a bit of excitement and anxiety in that sound.

We had a big storm here in Salt Lake City over the weekend...REALLY big.  And I'm not exaggerating one bit.  I don't know what the official report is on how many inches fell, but look at just take the above picture's word for it.  It was a LOT.

I'm not sure exactly what time the electricity went out Friday night, but according to a neighbor's facebook status, it was about 2am.  It went on after 11am so based on my FB friend's info, we were out of power over 9 hours!

There is nothing like a power outtage that makes you take stock of how prepared you are for an emergency.  And take stock is what I did.  Here is what I determined: We are not prepared.

* We have 2 emergency flashlights that are always plugged into outlets.  One was not replaced correctly and so was completely dead.  The other could not be found (I will go ahead and blame Ryan for this one - probably the only blame he will receive).

* We have 1 battery powered lantern that functioned fabulously.  Other smaller flashlights and batteries were accounted for and worked, but it was soon light enough that we didn't have to rely on them.

* We have enough water to last us 2 weeks and food to last us few months.  The recommended amount is 1 gallon of water per person per day.  Luckily, we didn't need to tap into our water. We've recently started buying our food storage and we are buying about $50 of food storage per month.

* We do not have a power generator or candles.  These are now on my shopping list.  Our home is very well insulated and the temperature dropped to 68 degrees, but it was pretty tolerable.

I had made plans in my head that if the power stayed off (I tend to be a bit dramatic in these situations), we would take Ryan to either my sister's house or even Auntie Patty's (his sitter) so he could sleep in a warm home and Tony and I would rough it out.  OR, we would use some of my Marriott points and check into the nearby Residence Inn. 

As I mentioned before, the power came back on around 11am, Tony and Abby walked through the snow to pick up our Explorer with its newly installed snow tires and the adventure was over.

Being from California, the snowstorm kinda freaked me out a bit.  I knew we would be ok, but I found myself not knowing about some of the basics.  A classic example of how unaware I am of Utah snow storms, I asked Tony how long our food in our freezer would last and what we should do.  He just looked at me and said, Honey, the food will last a lot longer than the power will be out, but if it comes to that, we can just put it on our back porch.

So it is Sunday afternoon and I have determined to become more prepared.  I am going to become more prepared for power outages, for winter storms, for other possible disasters and calamaties.  Okay, maybe I'm getting a bit dramatic again.  But consider the northeast and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. 

Regardless of relaties or dramatics, stay tuned for more emergency preparedness information coming your way.

a short history on Ryan's hair

Ryan was born with a great head of hair.  While neither Tony nor I spend a lot of time or money on our own hair, we spend a relatively larger amount of time discussing Ryan's.

His hair grew fast and before we knew it, he had fairly long locks.  I loved it, but people began asking me about my little girl despite the blue and brown clothing that he frequently wore.  I would trim his bangs from time to time so he could see, but I resisted Tony's increasing suggestions that we get his hair cut.

And then there was the day this happened. I was not happy. Not happy at all.

 And Tony admitted that trying to cut Ryan's hair himself might not have been the best decision he's ever made.  Even Ryan appeared to be unhappy with it.

But eventually, even that bad haircut grew out and he once again had his beautiful locks.  Personally, I think he was happier with his beautiful long locks.  Even if people were once again asking about our little girl.

But a few weeks ago, it got to be too much.  He couldn't see through his long bangs and ever since the stitches in the ear incident in July, he won't let me cut his nails, cut his hair or any other types of personal grooming that mothers like to do.

So we visited Cookie Cutters, the genius hair cutting women who can magically cut a crying, writhing child's hair.  When we arrived, Ryan was wary.  The airplane chair did nothing to disguise the torture that was about to begin.  And true to recent form, he screamed as if his life depended on it.

I told the hair technician that I wanted a classic little boy's cut - not too short.  She pulled out the shears and told me she didn't think cutting with scissors was going to be safe with all Ryan's writhing and screaming and all.  I agreed.

And then she started to buzz.  And buzz.  And buzz.  Before long, I could see it was too late to question the length and we were going to be completely buzzed.  Apparently I don't understand the term "classic boy's cut".  But I love it.  I didn't think I would, but I love it.

A father's love

I should probably post some darling pictures of Ryan in his Halloween costume. I will likely do so if I can get him to wear it. It's a vintage costume of sorts...my mom bought it a "few" years back for my brother Brian when he was a bit older than Ryan. It's a classic cowboy costume with suede chaps, a suede vest and a dandy red bandana. All we've managed to get Ryan to wear is the vest, but still, it's pretty darn cute.

But what I really want to post about is what I kept thinking about last night as I tossed and turned in bed between the approximate hours of 1:30am to 4:45am.

Several weeks ago, I took a late flight into Charlotte, North Carolina. I had been working about 15 to 18 hour days for the previous week to get ready for the High Point Furniture Market. I landed in Charlotte around 11:30pm, got my luggage and boarded the shuttle to get my rental car.

I had an hour and a half drive ahead of me before I arrived at my destination (an estimated 1:30am ETA) and I was already exhausted.

As I sat on the rental car shuttle, the only other passenger started up a conversation (which I DREAD when I'm traveling...I know what you're thinking, I've become one of those snobby business travelers...well, you wouldn't be that wrong, but don't judge!).

Anyway, he began by telling me how he had just dropped off his daughter at college that morning and then his flight from New York got cancelled. The story was a bit confusing, but I understood that he ended up in Charlotte instead of his intended destination in Jacksonville.

After he landed in Charlotte, he called rental car company after rental car company with no luck. He finally found an available van and was going to get it and then drive through the night through Jacksonville.

 It was a bit of a long-winded story and I tried to be interested and ask questions here and there, but I was too tired to care much and I expect I was a bit cranky.

 

But then I asked why he was driving through the night to get to Jacksonville and his answer brought instant tears to my eyes.  "To say good-bye to my son before he leaves for Afghanistan tomorrow."

 

I felt horrible.  A few minutes earlier I was hoping he would let me close my eyes for a few minutes before I began my 1.5 hour drive.  But now I was teary as I asked him about his son.  It was his second deployment.  He had suffered an injury during his first deployment in Iraq several years ago.  He was in a convoy and the tank ahead of him was bombed and in the crazy aftermath of the bomb, he broke his leg.

 

He had come home long enough to heal and now he was headed back. 

 

And here was his dad, doing EVERYTHING he could to fly, drive, I even think he would walk all the way to Jacksonville just to hug his boy and tell him he loved him.

 

I wanted to do something for this man.  I wanted to do something for his son.  But what could I do?  If I had enough notice I would have booked him a flight using my miles, but it was too late.  I didn't have but two dollars in my wallet otherwise I would have given him some cash.

 

So I just told him my trick for staying awake while driving through the night.  Coke Zero and sunflower seeds.  Really?!  That was my offering to this man?  I'm embarrassed to even write that.

 

But as I wished him well as we departed, I told him with tears in my eyes to thank his son for all of us.

 

And then I did the best thing I knew how.  I prayed and asked for peace and protection for this loving father and his son.

ocd bolar pear

Last Saturday I took Ryan to the zoo.  We met up with Janelle and her cute kids and had a wonderful time. 

The main attraction was the new baby giraffe which, although he didn't move much, was VERY cute.

I have to say that the cooler fall weather is a great time to go see the animals.  They were all pretty active instead of lazily sleeping in the hot summer heat.

One of the highlights has to be the polar bear.  It had this funny routine it kept doing over and over.  And the steps and movements he took everytime were exactly the same.  It would dive under the water and then push off the wall and do a quick back stroke before diving under the water again.  Above is the video from below water (I hope that woman in the background got her picture!) and below is above the water.  We watched it from under the water first and then went to the upper level and watched again above the water.  Ryan kept saying over and over "look, the bolar pear!  look, the bolar pear!"

Sorry for the sideways video, but I'm techno-illiterate these days and don't know how to change it.

After we watched it for a very long time, I stalked this kid for a bit so I could give his mom this fabulous picture I took.  I'm glad the zoo officials didn't hear me say, "little boy, where is your mom?" after which I followed him through the crowd.  But if you were his mom, believe me, you would want to have the picture I took (and she was very glad to have it).  I'd upload it, but it uploads upside down.

Then we sauntered over to see the baby giraffe which was SO cute.  I wanted to get a picture of Sienna and she had to make a funny face.

 
 
 

So two thumbs up for the Hogle Zoo in the fall.

back at home

I recently returned home from a 10 day (yes TEN!) stint at the High Point Furniture Market.  For those who have not been, consider yourself blessed.

Yes, just about every furniture and home furnishings, accessories company in the country is there showing their wares.  Yes, there are beautiful designers buying, designing, blogging and now pinning everywhere you look.  And yes, there are beautiful pieces of furniture just about every where you turn.

But it is a long, long show.  And it requires a lot of standing on hard floors, talking to people from 8am to 8pm, and a lot of walking on tired feet.  I finished up our new catalog and it arrived just in the nick of time the morning the show started.  It is by far my favorite catalog - let me know if you want a copy  - you'll see why I haven't been sleeping for the past several months.

All in all, it was a great show.  Both spaces looked great if I do say so myself.

As much as I love my job and as much as I love the company I work for, it was SO nice to come home and see my little boy. 

clothes are not optional

I called my mom the day for tips to keep clothes on a little 2 year old boy.  She just laughed.  And laughed.  I still remember during my rebellious teenage years when my mom would often tell me that she hoped that I would have several children just like me.  Not that I was a child stripper, but I am providing humor to my mother when my child provides any type of challenge.
 
The latest one, as you might guess, is keeping clothes on Ryan.  Not a huge deal except when we go to get him up in the morning and he has nothing on but a diaper.  We've been experimenting with several different types of night clothing that will keep him warm through the night.  We are having various degrees of success.
 

And even when we have a night where he remains clothed, Ryan still manages a bit of escapism.  Because if you can't get the entire outfit  off before mom discovers you, just an arm will do.

Ryan and Charlotte

Ryan's cousin Charlotte doesn't live too far, but we don't seem to get together nearly enough.  But when we do, I love to watch these two together.  Not that they've bonded especially well because, well, they are two years old.  But I have high hopes for when they are a little bit older.

Look how cute these two munchkins are...

 

Last month we went to Nickel City to celebrate my brother Trent's (Charlotte's daddy) birthday.  Ryan and Charlotte rode the little merry-go-round.  They don't look like they're having a ton of fun, but believe me, they are.

 

 For some reason, they just stared at the middle pole as they went around and around. 

And then daddy got to hold both of them while they watched Trent and Sarah play some silly game.  Ryan is a little over four months older than Charlotte, but he has to be a good 10 pounds heavier.

 
It's a good thing Trent found someone to marry him who likes silly things as much as he does.  We LOVE Sarah.

And look how cute they were as babies - back when they were a few months old.



I grew up with dozens and dozens of cousins and have such great memories playing with them when I was growing up.  Now that we're having babies of our own, I love watching Ryan play with his cousins.  I know from my own life, that cousins can make the world go round.

garbage truck!

Ryan loves anything that has to do with cars, trucks, airplanes and just about anything else boy-ish.  If you happen to have him in the back seat when you drive around town, you will have a conversation with him such as this one:

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

Ryan:  Look a big truck!

And he will continue to repeat that same phrase until you say:  Yes, a big truck!

And then he will say:

Ryan:  Look a car!

And on and on it goes.

He has learned a few new words in the past couple of weeks.  Tony taught him "crane" so now any tractor type of vehicle with an arm is a crane.  The other new vehicle word is "garbage truck." 

Actually, his fascination with garbage trucks has been going on for months now but up until this week he didn't know the entire phrase.  It was just another "truck."  But this week, we have moved on to the full expression:  garbage truck! (and yes, it is always said with at least one exclamation point!).  Every Wednesday morning Ryan hears the local garbage truck and he runs to the door and yells and pleads to go see it.  So we sit on the front driveway and watch the garbage truck go down the street until we can't see it any more and then he waves bye-bye to the truck.  Last Wednesday as we sat watching the garbage truck, I thought that his fascination with garbage trucks wouldn't last much longer.

I was wrong.

Did you know that there are videos of garbage trucks on YouTube?  Lots of them.  There are front loaders, Heil Side Loaders, and a host of other models.  You can watch video after video of garbage trucks going up and down streets, picking up America's trash.  Apparently lots of people watch them and now my son is among them.

 

I wonder if I should be concerned about this obsession.  And I am not exaggerating one bit when I say obsession.  It is his first word when he wakes up, it is his first word when he walks in the door after daycare, it is his first word when he's done eating.

I have to admit, there is something strangely cathartic about watching these videos.  The arms stretching out and grabbing the cans and then lifting them into the air.  I never knew there were so many different models.  I've also watched many a garbage man have to get out of his cab and move the cans so there is enough distance between them for the arm to grab.  It makes me rethink my garbage can courtesy.

If you're curiousity is piqued, wander over to YouTube and search for "garbage truck."  It's likely you'll see the two-part series from Naples, Florida - that is a not-to-be-missed classic.  You'll also see many different models and maybe you'll pick a favorite.

As for me?  I'd watch the McNeilus Front Loader with the Curotto Can II any day of the week.

blah

 

My blog has felt a bit blah to me lately so here are some pictures of Ryan that will hopefully bring a spring back to the blog's step.  I've had a lot of imsomnia lately and while I toss and turn in bed, I think of a lot of things to write about.  I have some creative postings crafted in my head and resolve to get them down on paper first thing in the morning.

 

 

 

But something happens to my brain when I wake up and I can't remember a single thought I had during the night.  And then my job takes every ounce of creativity that I can squeeze out of my brain and by the end of the day, I'm left with an empty sponge.

 

 

Which is why I got up in the middle of the night tonight.  I had some great thoughts that I wanted to get on paper before they vanished.  But vanished they did.

 

 

My mom told me not to expect Mommy Brain to go away and as usual, my mom was right.

 



 

 

Here's a few photos from our favorite missionary!
 

Here's what he says in his last email:

I am sending pictures of my investigators.  They are progressing and my companion already baptized one of them.  This week we started working with an investigator who can’t read.  It is hard with him but we are working hard with him.  The 31^st I had the privilege of listening to one of the apostles, Eldeer Christofferson, and I liked what he said.  This week I will put into practice what I learned from the apostle.  Mama, I love you, an abrazo for you and for Tony and for all those that know me.

He'd love to hear from his friends! 

Adril's email:  adril.garcia@myldsmail.net

Adril's mailing address:

Elder Adril Garcia Perez
Mision Peru - Lima Oeste
carlos salarerry #3664-los olivos
casilla de correo 39-054
lima 39
perú

3 pounds the hard way

Last week I was in High Point, NC.  It was a long week in both NC and SLC.  On Sunday night, the night before I was supposed to go out of town, I received a text from our sitter saying she's sick and couldn't watch Ryan.

I had the week planned out, hour by hour, in terms of day and evening care for Ryan while Tony worked, but that was the beginning of the unravelling.  After 2 cancelled appointments and Ryan coming home on Wednesday with a fever, the week was shot.

It was so hard to call home and hear reports of Ryan throwing up every 1/2 hour or so.  Tony didn't want to put him in his crib because he was afraid of him throwing up/choking in the night so he put some blankets on the floor in the family room and Tony slept on the sofa.

Ryan was sick on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.  I came home about Friday at 1am and promptly joined the sick party.  I was pretty much horizontal Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  The fun stuff started on Sunday and I was leaning over that porcelain god every 1/2 hour or so until Monday at 5am.

Tony started feeling sick on Sunday and for awhile memories of Grandpa Joe and Grandma Josephina sleeping in their bed in the movie Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory swirled around my head while Tony and I napped as much as we could.

What a sight we were.

But this morning, Tuesday morning, we are bright eyed and bushy tailed, whatever that means. 

On a positive note, I lost 3 pounds.  But given the offer of losing another 3 pounds the hard way, I'd rather leave it than take it.

How was your weekend?

overwhelmed

After being home from my New York trip for almost a week, I find myself just as overwhelmed with work and life as I was before my trip.  And during my trip for that matter.

I know I'm not the only one with a lot on my plate, but for some reason, I feel like I can barely tread water these days.  My house is a mess, my desk looks like a tornado hit it and I can't sleep at night because I have so much to do.  After tossing and turning in bed for a couple of hours, I decided to get up and get some work done so I can take a couple of hours off on Friday afternoon.  Makes sense huh? 

What makes even more sense is me writing this blog post instead of working.  But here I am.

I had a dentist appointment today and as my teeth were being cleaned, the hygenist (I'm pretty sure that's not spelled correctly, but I'm too tired to look it up) asked me how my summer was going.  I realized we haven't had much of a summer at all as I replied, "pretty good, work is going well."

I am managing to spend as much time with Ryan as I can though.  He seems to be settling back in to my travel schedule.  Last month was a bit sketchy.  I came home from my July Atlanta trip and he was so clingy that I couldn't even walk to another room in the house without him panicking.  He had to hold my hand if I had to walk to another room.  Made me really sad and did wonders for my guilt complex.

I didn't mean for this posting to be a downer, but I also promised myself that I would write honestly on this blog.  I promised myself that I wouldn't paint a pretty picture just so others could admire the view.  So there it is.  I love my job, I love my family and really, I love my life.  But I'm overwhelmed.

I also have a feeling that I'm not alone and that there are many out there who are in the same boat.

Ryan's been home with me a lot over the past few weeks (both before and after NY) which, even though a bit stressful at times, has been fun.  I do manage to take breaks throughout the day to read a book or play with his cars or trains.  But most of the time he plays on his own.  And we've definitely had the TV on way too much the past couple of weeks.  A frequent phrase heard in the Smart household is, "too close Ryan....sit on your pillow".  Which, as you can see, works quite well.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining about my summer or my job or my life.  I'm just wondering how I'm going to get it all done.  I'm beginning to see a glimmer of light, but it's a very long tunnel!

thank you...for changing my life

I love this story...it's a real life story about a man named Segundo who just needed a little help with life.  And that's where Eagle Condor Humanitarian came in.  Can you imagine someone telling you thank you for changing their life?

Here's his story:

Hello. My name is Segundo Antonio Angulo Alvares, I am a young man, 27 years old. All my life I have tried to have my own business and help my parents’ family. Iquitos is a beautiful city but nevertheless it has very little opportunities for young people.  The most beautiful thing was four months ago when in my church brother Pedro Reategui came announcing that there were classes for self-reliance. A sincere desire awoke in me to learn how to manage my finances and to start a business so I can get out of poverty. “Finally,” I told myself “finally I will become a business man and entrepreneur”. That’s why I made myself the goal to attend the classes every week and to learn from them. I learned how to keep accounting records and they committed us in class to save and I also made that a personal goal, I also learned how to analyze my profits and losses and to calculate my equilibrium (break even) point. That’s when I got excited to start my business of selling and raising chicken.

In Iquitos for the 24^th of June we celebrate the largest holiday called the “Fiesta de San Juan” and that’s when I put the goal to sell chickens I raise. I did the same for our Independence day celebrations. For me it went surprisingly well. I started with 100 chickens and I made a net profit of 1200 soles (about 462$USD) in 45 days. And now I am raising 500 chickens to be able to increase my income. I just want to thank you, thank you for the miracle that you have brought into my life. Now my brother is attending the classes with me and we are raising chickens together. We keep records of our variables costs and strive to find providers of chicken feed who sell at the lowest price and we look for clients who can pay us well for our services. Now I know how to administer my business and I hope I keep doing well and that I can become the largest seller of chickens in the city. I am going to work hard to achieve it. Again I thank you for coming here and for changing my life.

www.eagle-condor.org

it's a bit dusty around here...

Once again I find myself a few days before leaving for a tradeshow and in a bit of a panic.  I should be doing a dozen other things right now, but really, I just need a break.

I love my job, don't get me wrong.  I work for a brilliant furniture designer and I get to wear a lot of different hats.  But sometimes I have to take a step back and tell myself, it's just furniture. 

And speaking of furniture, I looked around last night and noticed mine is a bit dusty.  As in, "when was the last time I dusted?" kinda dusty.  Unfortunately for my home, it wasn't incentive enough to break out the dust cloths.  I'm finding that the few spare minutes that I have each day are so precious.  Spare minutes when Ryan goes down for an afternoon nap or asleep for the night, spare minutes when Ryan's awake and just needs me to read to him, spare minutes when Tony and I get to sit out on the back deck and watch the sunset.

But I have to say that I feel the effects of the dust in my life.  I've been in a bit of a funk - more like I'm out of balance.  Too much to do, too little time....you know the drill.  I'm very sure it's no different from your life.

But in the dustiness of my life, I found that I've let a few things go.  I've slipped on prayer.  I've slipped on reading scriptures, I've slipped on keeping my spiritual side healthy.  It's amazing to me how quickly a simple slip happens.

It's kinda like my weight loss journey.  I try to keep up on working out and eating healthy, but one piece of birthday cake (well, ok, two pieces) for my little boy can derail things in an instant.

But luckily the path back to spiritual health isn't as tough as shedding a pound or two. 

The past week I've been taking a minute or two before I fall asleep at night or before I get up in the morning to ponder, meditate and pray.  And I have to say, I'm amazed at how quickly I feel balance coming back into my mind.  My life is out of balance and I'm working late into the nights, but I FEEL more balanced.

So while I know that dust and cobwebs are going to be a constant challenge, I'm determined to spend a little time each day dusting a little corner here and then a little corner there.

happy birthday ryan...

Well, it happened.  Our baby turned two.  And he's not really a baby anymore.  And yes, that does make me a bit sad.  What Tony says is true, he just gets more fun as he gets older, but would it hurt him just to slow down a bit?  I don't miss the sleepless nights, but I do miss this darling little baby boy:

To celebrate a successful completion of Ryan's second year (with only 2 sets of stitches), we took him to his favorite place...the zoo.  We went earlier in the day and the animals were a bit more active.  The elshant (elephants) were eating right by the fence, the beh (bears) were napping, but the polar bear came right up to the window - just like all the billboards.  Well, not quite - he and Ryan didn't make eye contact, but it was still pretty neat.  And our favorite, the jafs (giraffes) were all out enjoying the sun.  It was a special day that we were able to spend with our little boy. 

I do have some pictures, but they are on Tony's camera and I'm too tired and lazy to go into his office to get his camera.  But for now, here are a couple of my favorites from the California Mano weekend.

I love this one of Ryan and his daddy.  Oh how I love those two boys.

So happy birthday little Ryan.  Mommy and daddy love you.

The California Mano's

Last week the whole family came to town.  The big event was Koki's (see earlier post if you don't know who that is) birthday.  It was a big one (the big 4-0) and since he is usually in Hawaii, we took the opportunity to celebrate with him since he's now a "local".  Mom & dad came from California, Gary, Racquel and Baby Regan (who is darling) came from San Jose and Melissa came all the way from Hawaii.


It was a whirlwind weekend and we had so many activites packed in that we didn't spend a whole lot of time together with just the family, but nevertheless, we were all within the general vicinity of each other.

On Friday we all went to Snowbird.  I've actually never been to Snowbird in the summer - since the name infers that it is a winter destination.  But there are quite a few fun activities!

Our favorite was the Alpine Slide.  I intentially rode in front of Ryan and Tony so I could take pictures, but alas, I was not fast enough so I only got the beginning and end points.  Tony said Ryan loved it and yelled "wheeee!" all the way down.

Another honerable mention has to be the mechanical bull.  I would post the video of Tony, but then that would open myself up to him posting the video of me.  However can I just say that I lasted at least EIGHT seconds?

So happy birthday Brian.  We love you and are so happy that you are here in Utah!

a real Utahn

Tony told me I'm not a real Utahn.  Not that I don't love Utah, but if forgetting that July 24th is a state holiday and traveling on that day is a reason, I guess he's right.

I had a quick trip to Chicago (left Monday morning and returned Tuesday night).  I was scheduled to arrive home about midnight which, as Tony pointed out, was too late for the Pioneer Day festivities.  Growing up, we went to the annual Pioneer Day picnic at the county fairgrounds on the closest Saturday to the 24th, but the actual 24th was never a holiday.  We also never had parades or fireworks.  If we had the latter, I think I would have been conditioned for excitement for the 24th of July.

The Chicago trip, in my opinion, was a smashing success.  We flew in early enough so we grabbed a quick bite to eat and then got a bit of shopping in.  We have family pictures this weekend and I was desperate for some clothes.  Not only are these our first family pics since Ryan was born (I know...bad mommy!), but they are the pics that are required for our adoption dosssier.  Anyway, I found a blue plaid shirt for Ryan that will fit in nicely AND it was on sale.

We enjoyed walking along Michigan Avenue and crossing the bridge - it was a beautiful evening albeit a bit on the humid side (understatement!).

Our meetings on Tuesday went well and before we knew it, we were headed back to the airport.  I managed to find a gate agent who got me onto an oversold flight with an arrival time into SLC at 9pm instead of midnight (and got me upgraded which is sometimes difficult when you fly stand-by).

Anyway, around 9:30pm I pulled into my Cottonwood Heights neighborhood and the sky was ablaze!  The main road was blocked off for the fireworks, but I was able to go the back route.  In front of all of our neighbor's houses were people sitting on front lawns watching the show in the sky.  I was trying to hurry home so I could catch the last bit with Tony.

I pulled into the garage and ran out the back door and there was Tony.  What a wonderful way to come home.  We had an amazing fireworks show from our back yard (the picture above is from our back yard).  We were so close that our trees obstructed part of the view, but it was still spectacular.

So Happy 24th Utah.  Yes, my wishes are belated, but I was with you to celebrate.  So consider me a fellow Utahn please.

a revolution update

So as I mentioned, I was in Atlanta for a tradeshow from July 11th to 17th.  Usually when I travel to tradeshows, I put on a few pounds.  It doesn't matter how much I try to be good eating salads, grilled chicken, vegetables at restaurants.  It doesn't matter how much I try to exercise (I can usually get in a few days before my feet start screaming at me).

But THIS time, I was determined.  I took my Jillian DVD's with me.  I even took two 5-pound weights with me. 

And I am SO proud of myself, that I have to report.  Other than one french-fry debacle, I was SO good.  And the french fry debacle was very unintended.  I ordered room service one night (LOVE room service, but it is very difficult to find healthy meals on the menu) and I ordered a turkey sandwich and when it was delivered, there was a side of yummy fries.  Now one thing you should know about me, french fries are my ultimate weakness.

So yes, other than that, I had my usual oatmeal made with the coffee maker for breakfast.  I had healthy salads for lunch and every night I tried to have some kind of grilled chicken/veg/salad type of dinner.

I do have to confess that I had TWO Coke Zero's.  It was either that or fall flat on my face during our late night meetings.

And how much did I exercise you ask?  Well, since you asked....EVERY morning (except for Sunday which is my Jillian-prescribed day of rest).  I was up early exercising to my Jillian DVD's.  I had intended to work out in the gym for another 20-30 minutes in the evenings, but that didn't happen.  No worries though, I was excellent in my follow-through regardless.

So, it was with GREAT anticipation that I got on my scale the morning of the 18th.  I stepped on, took a breath and....behold, there was a SIX pound difference.  However, it wasn't the down direction.  I gained SIX pounds, which is more than usual.

Was I discouraged? Was I disappointed?  Was I surprised?  Yes.  Yes.  And Yes.

I'm back on the horse though and two days later, 4 of those 6 pounds have come off.  Tony calls it travel inflammation.  I call it unfair.

But I'm not quitting.  By the end of the week, I hope to be back where I was which will be just in time for my Chicago trip on Monday and Tuesday.  And then my Las Vegas trip on the 30th.  Not to mention my family is coming into town next weekend.

If nothing else, I feel great.  I'm on a weight loss journey, but there's an important component of health and fitness in there too. 

So there it is.  The good, the bad and the ugly.

Oh, and I'm back off Coke Zero.

Antsy in Atlanta

I go home tomorrow!  I've been in Atlanta for almost a week...and I'm ready to go see my little boy!  Of course, Tony too, but at least I get to talk to Tony every night and connect.  Ryan is at the age where he knows I'm gone and he gets excited when I come home from trips.  Really excited!

It also makes me wonder if he wonders where I am.  I think he always knows I'm coming back though, because I always do. But still...it makes me wonder.

Auntie Patty, our baby-whisperer baby sitter is on vacation this week so we were scrambling to find someone to help watch Ryan while I was gone.

Luckily for us, my cousin Joy was available!  Ryan loves Joy.  In fact, all the young kids love Joy....she's another baby, child, people whisperer.  She used to teach autistic children in school and just started her own business to do play therapy with autistic children in their homes.  So if you know anyone in Utah who wants to have an amazing person to work with their child, let me know!  Better yet, here's her website: www.playwithjoy.com.

 Joy has been sending me pictures of Ryan this past week.  From the looks of the pictures, I don't think he's missing me at ALL!

Thank you JOY for taking such good care of our little Ryan!