Bathtime!

In the evening, 7:30 comes around and it's bathtime. All three boys go into the tub, and I don't know how Cooper survives sometimes because it can get a little rough. Water, water everywhere....

Cooper's 1st Birthday

Sept. 14 was Cooper's 1st Birthday. He's quite the mover - his name is Spider Monkey. He really is such a sweet little guy. This last year really has gone by fast. It seemed to take Matt forever to turn one, and now I can barely remember his babyhood. I do like "1" though - good bye formula (at $25/can that lasts five days) and hello whole milk (much cheaper!)

Cooper keeps up with his brothers pretty well. He likes to be in the action and is a freakin' strong baby for being a baby. He's not walking yet, but managed to climb up onto the tramp yesterday by climbing up a little slide that was nearby. He loves pushing balls around the floor and chasing after them. He loves to get right under your feet, roll onto his back, and look up at you. He can wave bye-bye, say Dada (on command), and loves to sing.

I couldn't let the day go by without some sort of celebration, although it wasn't quite the party that Matt's was when he turned one. The more kids you get, the more tired you become. Coopie enjoyed the cake, anyway.

My attempt at a creative homemade cake. It's Legos.

My mother-in-law thought it was trucks. I didn't think it looked that off.

Preschool

Matt started preschool about two weeks ago. Happy Day!! After I dropped him off, I came home and did a naked dance around the house. OK, just kidding - I'm saving the naked dance for kindergarten next year.

He goes three days a week for two hours a day right during Milo and Cooper's nap time. So, I'm free for a small amount of time each day! I relish my quiet solitude every afternoon. He's enjoyed it so far - he actually begs to go to school. He's such a busy little boy - I'm just glad he likes going. I hope that continues. I always liked school, but Sam didn't. So, I'm hoping Matt takes after me in that respect or it will be a long 13 years for both of us. It's funny because he sings bits and pieces of songs or comes up with these new insights that I know he must be getting from school. For example, today he told me "red comes from black." Not quite sure if that's true, but I know they're learning about colors right now. Anyway, it's been good for both of us!

Sarah Palin

This morning on Good Morning, America, they interviewed Sarah Palin's five closest friends from her hometown of Wasilia, Alaska. I have to have my one claim to fame here (because I never have those) and tell you that my Aunt Juanita (married to my dad's youngest brother, my Uncle Norman) is one of Palin's friends. She is on the top row, second from the right (the pretty one).

Aunt Juanita is also one of the friends they interviewed, and she's the only one who said she is for sure voting for McCain/Palin. My only beef with that is if I had a friend running, you could be dang sure I'd be voting for her. I mean, if she's good enough to invite into your life, she's not good enough to help run America?? Here these women have a chance to help make history with the first woman VP, who is also a very close friend, and most of them said they were still unsure. Even with political differences, I still would vote for a friend. Sorry, maybe I'm "cliquish" that way.

I tried to get the video to post here, but ABC wouldn't allow that. So, if you're interested, here is a link http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5750475

Polygamy

I just finished reading the book, "Escape," by Carolyn Jessop. Very insightful reading. Jessop was a woman born into a polygamous family, forced to marry a man she didn't know at the age of 18, and then finally fled in the night for a new life after 15 years of marriage and eight children.

It was interesting to me because I live relatively near Colorado City, Arizona and its sister city, Hildale, Utah, home of the FLDS and its fallen "prophet" Warren Jeffs. Jessop recounts countless stories about emotional abuse from her husband and her sister-wives. Definitely a cult.

Sam had a pest control business for a few years, and we were working up quite the clientel in Colorado City. Most of our customers were actually Jessops and a few Steeds. From what I gather, most families operate with wives having different responsibilities. So, I would speak to the same girl on the phone to schedule the appointments. She was always very respectful, but not one who gave a "warm" feeling over the phone. She belonged to family of four or five wives. Since Sam went there, I think he's one of the few outsiders who has actually been allowed inside a home. He said this woman had two kids and lived by herself above the garage. Some of the other wives made comments to Sam about how she had no social skills. When I talked to her, I would always feel for her, and since Sam no longer does PC, I don't even get to talk to her on the phone now. I could just feel she was depressed and incredibly lonely.

Anyway, for anyone who has ever been to Wal-Mart in St. George, or played "Count the Polygamists" in the store (which is actually a very difficult game because it's confusing to distinguish between them), you should consider reading this book. Warren Jeffs is an evil man and I'm glad he's behind bars, but so many of these people remain brainwashed in Colorado City and in their new compound at the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas. It's a very sad situation that these women believe they have to endure abuse just so their husbands can say "yea" or "nay" when their time comes to enter heaven.

Thanks, Mom, for getting me addicted to these books. The next one I'm reading is about Elise Wall, the girl who testified against Jeffs for arranging her marriage to a 19-year-old cousin when she was only 14.

Dixie College

As the smell of erasures and fresh pencils fill the stores, I am reminded about one of my last "first" days of school. It's been 10 years now that I first came to St. George, met friends I still am close to today, and began my journey in the academic climate of Dixie College.
I moved into the Wedge Apts. with five other girls I'd never met. Jeana (Heber City), Brittney (Green River, Wyoming), Melanie (Bountiful), Andrea (Harrisville), and Kara (Ignacio, Colorado). Crazy...that's all I have to say about that. Later in the year, we all switched around and Brit and I lived with Necia (Provo) and Adrienne (Redlands, Calif.). The second year, Kara and I moved into Raintree with Lori (West Bountiful) and Judy (Tremonton).

There's way too many stories to tell, but here's some pics....

This big black guy on the football team (can't remember his name) always used to come over to our apartment, with Necia and Adrienne, and do his laundry. He left for a while, and we went through his laundry.
Kara, Necia, and Brit

Our spring break to Disneyland. Andrea, Chan, Kara, Brit, and Me.

Graduation. My good friends from GJ came to support me - Kristy, Ann, and Janae. Look at my little sis, Kassie. Was she ever that little??

My parents and Kassie.

One of our many trips to Vegas.

I think we found just about everything you can do there and not be 21.
Brit and Chan.
Notice the Backstreet Boys poster on the wall.
Necia and Adrienne.


At Venice Beach....scary, and I don't mean us.

"Breaking Dawn"

Sweet relief! I just finished "Breaking Dawn" tonight. It was just under two weeks ago that I started the first of the four books in the series, and now I'm done. And I'm not telling you that to make me sound like an impressive reader, I'm saying that because I've been a slave to these novels the past 12 days and now maybe my life can get back to normal! I should share pictures of my dirty house and children to prove it. But, it was wonderful reading and really being involved and passionate about something like these books. It's been eons since I've been addicted and it felt good (but it feels good to let go, too). The last series I really read was "Children of the Promise," and I guess I haven't allowed myself to become involved in books since then - sorry, I know I sound like a weirdo, but I did choose to get an English degree for some reason.

So, though I am no expert and don't pretend to be, I am a reader and will give you my critique of the books: (Hope no one takes offense, and if I was Stephenie Meyer, I wouldn't care what anyone said because she is probably loaded now).

Dislikes:

1. Hello, foreshadowing overload!

2. What the hell does "flitted" mean?

3. Bella needs a life - I wanted to push her off a cliff myself at the end of Book II. It also bothers me that this a book geared toward teens, and the heroine clearly has no goals, aspirations, or talents other than her man. What's this telling teen girls? Bella only truly appreciates herself once she's immortal, beautiful, and has supernatural powers.

4. Jacob and Renesmee....yie, yie, yie!

5. OK, I'll admit it - I was disappointed in the "sex" scenes.

Likes:

1. The romance between Edward and Bella - isn't that what we all kind of hope for?

2. The flirting between Edward and Bella in the first book is well written - you know how it is because we've all been there at the beginning of a relationship.

3. The backgrounds on the vampires was interesting, a different take on the usual Hollywood stories of vampires, although I'd like to have known more about Rosalie and Emmett.

4. Jacob - I really liked him in the beginning, not so much in the last book. But, his perspective is needed as he's kind of a voice for the reader's own thoughts.

5. Damn, Edward is hotty, hotty, hotty! He could bite me anytime.

So, now that I'm done, does anyone have a good book they'd recommend??